--and crept on.

Old Leithgow trusted his friend a little more. "Get your suit on,
Friday," he said gently, and slipped into his own. The negro, ashamed,
followed his example; then both were flat on the ground, back to back,
sniping--Leithgow also--as best they could under such conditions at the
groups of men who now were bellying ever nearer from three directions.

The Hawk's plan might well have appeared hair-brained to one who did not
know the man, and what he was capable of accomplishing under pressure.
The very first step in this plan required the destroying of the three
outflanking guards between him and the space-ship.

* * * * *

As so often in the great adventurer's career, he was lucky. The
unthinking have always admitted his luck, but never seen that he forced
it--forced it by doing the unexpected--attacking when he was attacked.
He was doing that now. The three coolie-guards in his way must have
known who he was, so their alarm at finding themselves, the attackers,
attacked, will account for their making a move of poor strategy. Instead
of scattering and defending the open entrance-port of the space-ship
from a short distance, they in their alarm made haste to get inside to
defend it from there. The interior was the best place to defend the
ship--if they had already been inside--for they could lie in the inner
darkness and sweep the open port when the Hawk entered.

But to try to pass through the port--that was bad judgment. It was only
necessary for Carse to hold bead on it and fire when they passed in
line.

This was the present "luck" of the adventurer. He might have sniped the
guards anyway, but he had it easier. From fifty yards away, prone and
carefully sighting, he took the three lives that had been so viciously,
so subversively altered by Ku Sui.

A moment later, the way cleared, he was inside the ship--and his
space-suit lay on the ground outside.

* * * * *

Rapidly the three groups of guards closed in on Leithgow and Friday. The
two men made their advance as uncomfortable as possible, but they could
do no accurate shooting at such difficult targets as crawling men, from
within the cramped interiors of their cumbrous suits. Not even Friday,
who was a crack shot. They could not hold out long--nor did they expect
to.

They had been too occupied to notice what had become of Carse. Within
their suits all was s