bend in the blackness a fraction of an inch at a time and
crawled up the branch. If he was mistaken--but he wasn't. Presently he
was looking out of the grating into the passage.

Members of the crew raced back and forth like disturbed ants. From the
snatches of conversation that reached him, Winford learned that
Teutoberg had succeeded in getting the range of the freighter and was
holding her helpless under the imposing muzzles of his heavy
disintegrator-ray guns.

The door of the control opened and the boyish commander, his face pale
and drawn, thrust out his head.

"They're coming aboard, men," he shouted to the group in the passage
below. "I can't stop them. Our only chance may come after they are
aboard."

"Why don't you free the pirates and let them help us?" cried one of the
men.

"Never," returned the young commander firmly. "They are in our care, and
by the gods, we are going to bring them and this ship through safe and
sound!"

A moment later he descended the stairs and led his men aft.

Teutoberg displayed a flash of generalship, for his first ten men who
came in through the air-lock were pistol experts. They rayed the marines
in their tracks and cleared the passage leading to the lock, before the
defenders could get organized. A few minutes later the invaders were
spreading through the ship, hunting down and ruthlessly slaying the
marines whom they outnumbered three to one. Scattered fights to the
death took place on all the decks. Winford, snugly ensconced in his air
tunnel, raged inwardly as the crackling of the rays and the agonized
screams of the wounded and dying came to his ears.

The fighting seemed to be drawing nearer. He risked peeping out. The
young commander and half a dozen of his men covering themselves as best
they might with the inadequate protector shields of the service,
retreated to the foot of the stairs leading up to the control room. As
the invaders prepared to mow them down a sudden hush fell on the men and
the invaders parted. A huge man stepped out before them. Winford sucked
in his breath sharply as he recognized Teutoberg and saw him take a step
forward in the direction of the marines.

Teutoberg raised his hand toward Commander 6666-A and spoke.

"Will you surrender, or must my men obliterate you? I would say that you
pirates have your backs to the wall. Surely life is sweet. Why not
surrender while you still have it?"

"We're not pirates!" declared the young command