ruthlessly
killed them as he killed all prisoners who were not rich enough to pay
ransom.

But the fact that Ricky was a physician had saved them. The pirates
needed a doctor. They had kept the two brothers prisoner on their ship
for that reason. Kenniston and Ricky had still been on the _Falcon_ as
prisoners, when the Patrol had finally caught up to it and wrecked it.

"Dark knows that Ricky is a fine doctor and he needs a doctor,"
Kenniston repeated hopefully, to the Jovian. "Surely he wouldn't be
foolish enough to shoot Ricky, even if I don't deliver the equipment."

"Kenniston, don't fool yourself," warned Holk Or. "The chief said he'd
shoot him if you weren't back with the stuff in two weeks, and shoot
him he will. John Dark never breaks his word."

That assurance sank the iron deeper into Kenniston's tormented soul.
If that was true, and he knew in his heart it was, Ricky would die two
days from now unless he'd delivered the repair-equipment to Dark.

He mustn't _let_ Ricky die! Too much depended on his young brother's
life. He must save Ricky even if it did mean the capture of Gloria and
the others by the pirates. Better that they be held for ransom, than
for Ricky to be killed!

* * * * *

Kenniston got to his feet, rigid with decision. "Then we've got to get
out of here," he muttered. "We've got to escape and take word to Dark
that the equipment is here."

He continued quickly, "Holk, Dark's camp is only a few miles north of
here. I spotted it as the _Sunsprite_ fell."

Holk Or uttered an exclamation. "Why the devil didn't you tell me so!
I figured it was on the other side of the asteroid, maybe, and that
we'd never find it in the jungle even if we did get away."

"It still won't be easy for us," Kenniston warned. "The Vestans may
get us in the jungle between here and Dark's camp. And anyway, how can
we get out of this cabin?"

The big Jovian grinned. "That'll be easy. I'd have been out of here
before now, only I was waiting for the ship to quiet down."

Kenniston stared. "That door is bolted. And there's no tool or weapon
in the cabin. They didn't forget a thing when they searched it!"

Holk Or's grin deepened. "They forgot one thing. They forgot how
strong a Jovian is on a little, weak-gravity asteroid like this!"

CHAPTER V

Night Attack

Kenniston caught desperately at the hope implied by the Jovian's
words.

"What do you mean, Holk?"

"I mean that