heir fellows leaped in the other direction,
trying to make an open port in their craft. Harkness saw them tumble
headlong through it and slam it shut. Then a web of blue streaks
appeared around the ship, and softened until her hull was bathed is
ghostly bluish light.

"Their defensive ray-web's on, sir!" he managed to gasp. Carse, though
close, might not have heard, so intently was he watching. The altitude
dial's pointer reached for one thousand and slid past. Harkness's face
was pale and drawn; his tight-gripped fingers and clenched teeth
showed that he expected to crash into the ground in a molten,
shapeless tomb of steel. But Friday was grinning, his teeth a slash of
white.

"Stand by bow projectors," sounded the Hawk's clipped voice. The negro
extended his hands and rumbled:

"Ready, suh."

"Fire."

"Fire!" Friday roared.

His rich laugh rang out and he whirled the wheels over. With a hissing
as of a hundred snakes, the rays struck.

* * * * *

Well aimed, the bolt speared straight and true. The distance was
short, and it came from generators that were perhaps not equaled in
space; no ordinary ship's defensive web could resist its vicious
thrust. From the streak of silver that represented the Hawk's swoop, a
stream of orange cut a swathe through the air ahead, holding
accurately on the brigand ship. For just a tick of time there was a
turmoil of color as offensive ray met defensive web; then the air
cleared again--and the pirate was unmarked!

By rights she should have been split in two; and, though his face did
not show it, it must have been surprising to Carse that she wasn't.
With one flick of the wrist he wrenched the _Star Devil_ out of her
plunge and sent her scudding, a hundred feet up, over the jungle rim.
Friday was gaping. Harkness, still numb from the dive, foolishly
staring; and then the brigand bared her fangs in return.

Orange light winked from her stern, and the Hawk's ship was bathed in
a streak of color. But the bolt caromed harmlessly off the side of the
arcing _Star Devil_! and the next instant the pirate's lean bulk
swayed, lifted a little and zoomed up into the heavens, abandoning the
boxes of horn without further fight.

"Runnin' foh it! Scared stiff!" muttered Friday, unholy joy in his
gleaming eyes. He looked at the figure at the stick. "Follow 'em now,
suh, an' wear out their projectors?"

Carse thoughtfully smoothed his bangs with his free h