fight unhampered; walk, or run--to meet these
mysterious friends of Fuller's. The flashlights and the broadcast would
be useless against them.

The lanky scientist outlined the further details of his plan in swift
whispers while he worked with the energizing capsule of Luke's garment.

* * * * *

Actual escape was surprisingly easy. They waited until the labor period
was finished, when Chan Dai, the yellow-skinned guard, came to unlock
the door. As agreed, Tom Fuller came out first and Luke held back,
dragging his feet and cursing softly to himself.

"What'd you say?" the guard snarled.

Luke grinned disarmingly. "Nothin'," he drawled. Still he hung back,
scarcely moving from where he stood just within the door.

"Come on, tough guy, a little speed." Chan Dai reached for him.

And then Luke was upon him. The neutro-beam flashed harmlessly. Luke's
big hands moved with lightning swiftness, his left one scooping the
guard's dart gun from its shoulder strap and his right closing on the
astonished Oriental's wind-pipe. It was the work of only an instant to
choke him in unconsciousness and lock him in the sealed cell.

"Quick, the chute!" hissed Fuller. He dived head foremost into a
rectangular wooden trough that was used for the disposal of the gangue
from a crushing mill above. This chute, Fuller had said, led to the
outside at the back of the reduction plant.

Across the passage Luke saw a squad of convicts and two guards emerging
from the lift. Then he plunged down the steeply inclined trough after
Fuller. As he slid and tumbled into the darkness, he heard the hoarse
shouting of the guards.

He landed heavily in the pile of gangue at the base of the chute; then
was scrambling and slipping down with an avalanche of the sharp edged
stone. At the bottom, he saw that Fuller had already started up the
slope of the great pit which enclosed the Workshop. Luke darted after
him.

* * * * *

They were hidden from the bastion by the buildings of the smelter and
reduction plant. But the loud yelling of guards back there in the pit
gave evidence that word of the escape was being passed along to Gannett.
Before they were halfway up the slope there was the shriek of the alarm
siren, and Luke felt his body sag with a sudden increase of weight. Fool
that he had been to trust the scrawny scientist!

"It's the broadcast," panted Fuller, beside h