n drawing his face into ugly lines. Plainly he was
disturbed by this laughing good-humor where he had expected misery and
hopelessness and tears. He moved the muzzle of a detonite pistol back
and forth.

* * * * *

"You haff been drinking!" he stated at last. "You are intoxicated--all
of you!" His eyes darted searching glances about the little room that
was too bare to hide any cause for inebriation.

It was Mam'selle Diane who answered him with an emphatic shake of her
dark head; an engaging smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "_Mais
non!_ my dear Herr Schwartzmann," she assured him; "it is joy--just
happiness at again approaching our Moon--and in such good company, too."

"Fortunes of war, Schwartzmann," declared Harkness; "we know how to
accept them, and we don't hold it against you. We are down now, but your
turn will come."

The man's reply was a sputtering of rage in words that neither Chet nor
Harkness could understand. The latter turned to the girl with a
question.

"Did you get it, Diane? What did he say?"

"I think I would not care to translate it literally," said Diane
Delacouer, twisting her soft mouth into an expression of distaste; "but,
speaking generally, he disagrees with you."

Herr Schwartzmann was facing Harkness belligerently. "You think you know
something! What is it?" he demanded. "You are under my feet; I kick you
as I would _meinen Hund_ and you can do nothing." He aimed a savage kick
into the air to illustrate his meaning, and Harkness' face flushed
suddenly scarlet.

* * * * *

Whatever retort was on Harkness' tongue was left unspoken; a sharp look
from Chet, who brought his fingers swiftly to his lips in a gesture of
silence, checked the reply. The action was almost unconscious on Chet's
part; it was as unpremeditated as the sudden thought that flashed
abruptly into his mind--

They were helpless; they were in this brute's power beyond the slightest
doubt. Schwartzmann's words, "You know something. What is it?" had fired
a swift train of thought.

The idea was nebulous as yet ... but if they could throw a scare into
this man--make him think there was danger ahead.... Yes, that was it:
make Schwartzmann think they knew of dangers that he could not avoid.
They had been there before: make this man afraid to kill them. The
dreadful alternative that Chet had feared to think of might be
averted....

All this came i