ter of a half hour later when Harkness ordered them all
outside. He had accepted Kreiss as an addition to their ranks and had
made himself plain to Schwartzmann.

To the scientist he said. "You remarked that no ship could hold two
commanding pilots: that goes for an expedition like this, too. I am in
command. If you will take orders we will be mighty glad to have you with
us."

And to Schwartzmann, in a different tone: "I am sparing you and your
men. I ought to shoot you down, but I won't. And I don't expect you to
understand why; any decency such as that would beyond you.

"But I am letting you live. This world is big enough to hold us both,
and pretty soon I will tell you what part of it you can live in. And
then remember this one thing, Schwartzmann--get this straight!--you keep
out of my way. I will show you a valley where you and your men can stay.
And if ever you leave that valley I will hunt you down as I would one of
the beasts that you will see in this world."

Chet had to repress a little smile that was twitching at his lips; it
always amused him hugely to see Harkness when roused.

"Turn us out to starve?" Schwartzmann was demanding. "You would do
that?"

"There will be food there," said Harkness curtly: "suit yourself about
starving. Only stay where I put you!"

Back of the others of Schwartzmann's men, the pilot, Max, was stooping.
Half-hidden he moved toward the doorway to the rear cabin and to the
storage-room and gun-rooms beyond. Chet glimpsed him in his silent
retreat.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Max," he advised quietly.
"Personally, I think you're all getting off too well; as for myself, I'm
sort of itching for an excuse to let off this gun."

It was here that Harkness turned to the open port.

"Put them out!" he snapped. "You, Chet, go out first and line them up as
they come--but, no, wait: there may be gas out there."

* * * * *

Chet was beside the port; a breath from outside came to him sweetly
fragrant. A shadow was moving across the smooth lava rock. "A bird!" he
thought. Then a flash of red in startling vividness swept past the open
door: it was like a quick flicker of living flame. He could not see what
it was, but it was alive--and this answered his question.

"Send 'em along," he said; "it seems all right now." He stepped through
the opening in the heavily insulated walls.

It was early morning, yet the sun was already hot upon the smo