ry was
correct, that let the sun's rays pass unaltered; that took the light
through freely to illumine this globe, but that barred its return
passage as reflected light.

Black--dead black was the void into which they were plunging, until
the darkness gave way before a gentle glow that enfolded their ship.
The golden light enveloped them in growing splendor. Through every
lookout it was flooding the cabin with brilliant rays, until, from
below them, directly astern of the ship, where the thundering blast
checked their speed of descent, emerged a world.

* * * * *

And, to Chet Bullard, softly fingering the controls of the first ship
of space--to Chet Bullard, whose uncanny skill had brought the tiny
speck that was their ship safely back from the dark recesses of the
unknown--there came a thrill that transcended any joy of the first
exploration.

Here was water in great seas of unreal hue--and those seas were his!
Vast continents, ripe for adventure and heavy with treasure--and they,
too, were his! His own world--his and Diane's and Walt's! Who was this
man, Schwartzmann, that dared dream of violating their possessions?

A slender tube pressed firmly, uncompromisingly, into his back to give
the answer to his question. "Almost I wish you had missed it!" Herr
Schwartzmann was saying. "But now you will land; you will set us down
in some place that you know. No tricks, Herr Bullard! You are clever,
but not clever enough for that. We will land, yess, where you know it
is safe."

From the lookout, the man stared for a moment with greedy eyes; then
brought his gaze back to the three. His men, beside Harkness and
Diane, were alert; the scientist, Kreiss, stood close to Chet.

"A nice little world," Schwartzmann told them. "Herr Harkness, you
have filed claims on it; who am I to dispute with the great Herr
Harkness? Without question it iss yours!"

He laughed loudly, while his eyes narrowed between creasing wrinkles
of flesh. "You shall enjoy it," he told them; "--all your life."

And Chet, as he caught the gaze of Harkness and Diane, wondered how
long this enjoyment would last. "All your life!" But this was rather
indefinite as a measure of time.

CHAPTER V

_A Desperate Act_

The ship that Chet Bullard and Harkness had designed had none of the
instruments for space navigation that the ensuing years were to bring.
Chet's accuracy was more the result of that flyer's sixth sense--th