f this space ship. There were
smaller buildings, most of them conical, looking oddly like beehives,
which doubtless housed the denizens of the globe.

* * * * *

The atmosphere was much like that of New York in early autumn. It was of
equable temperature. There was no discomfort in walking, no difficulty
in breathing. Jeter surmised that at least one of those buildings,
perhaps the central one, housed some sort of oxygen renewer. Such a
device at this height was naturally essential.

The stairs ended. The prisoners and their guards stopped at floor level.

Jeter paused to look about him. His scientific eyes were studying the
construction of the globe. The idea of escape from the predicament into
which he and Eyer were plunged would never be out of his head for
moment.

"Come along, you!"

Jeter started, stung by the savagery which suddenly edged the voice of
the man who had first greeted him. There was contempt in it--and an
assumption of personal superiority which galled the independent Jeter.

He grinned a little, looked at Eyer.

"I wonder if we have to take it," he said softly.

"It seems we might expect a little respect, at least," Eyer grinned in
answer.

The guard suddenly caught Jeter by the shoulder.

"I said to come along!"

If the man had been intending to provoke a fight he couldn't have gone
about it in any better way. Jeter suddenly, without a change of
expression, sent a right fist crashing to the fellow's jaw.

"Don't use your gat, Eyer," he called to his partner. "We may kill a
key man who may be necessary to our well-being later on. But black eyes
and broken noses should be no bar to efficiency."

Without any fuss or hullabaloo, the dozen or so denizens of the globe
who had met the partners closed on them. They came on with a rush. Jeter
and Eyer stood back to back and slugged. They were young, with youthful
joy in battle. They were trained to the minute. As fliers they took
pride in their physical condition. They were out-numbered, but it was
also a matter of pride with them to demand respect wherever they went.
It was also a matter of pride to down as many of the attackers as
possible before they themselves were downed.

* * * * *

It became plain that, though the denizens of the globe were armed with
knives, they were not to be used. And it didn't seem they would be
needed. The fighters were all muscular, well-trained