standing in front of me and saw that he was
watching the retreating figure of his henchman with a saturnine smile on
his face. I thought swiftly. If I could yell a warning to Lucky, he
could bolt the door of the pilot's chamber and then set the ship down at
the Trans-Space base. It was the only way to save Lucky and the radium.
I wasn't very optimistic about my own chances. I knew they were zero.

I opened my mouth, took a deep breath and then, before I could scream
the words that would warn Lucky, it happened. The ship shuddered for an
instant and then zoomed upward, the smooth hum of the rocket motors
crescendoing to a roaring song of power and speed.

The sudden jolting acceleration hurled me to the tail of the ship and I
saw, like an image in a kaleidoscope, the tangled thrashing figures of
the space bandits as they were tossed to the floor, a dazedly struggling
mass of arms and legs.

The ship was lying over on its back in a few seconds, and before I could
catch a breath it suddenly whipped over and blasted toward Earth in a
screeching, hissing power-dive.

It was terrific punishment even for this type of space crate but it was
worse for human beings. The three bandits were clutching at their
stomachs as if they were afraid of losing them. Their faces were mottled
and blotchy and their eyes were rolling beseechingly.

I didn't mind the erratic convolutions the ship was making but my arm
was burning as if it were on fire. Numbing waves of pain were coursing
up and down my entire body.

I tried to crawl to my knees but the floor rolled under me as the ship
whipped over in a twisting spiral and I crashed forward on my face. Then
everything dissolved into inky blackness....

* * * * *

When I came to, I heard a great commotion, then a sudden shot and then a
babble of voices booming around me. I remember thinking fleetingly of
crooks, Lucky Larson and a mountain of radium and then--because nothing
made sense--I passed out again.

* * * * *

The next time I opened my eyes I found myself stretched out on a cot in
the chief's office. I turned my head slightly and saw Lucky Larson, the
chief and a half dozen other guys staring down at me.

"It's not very original," I said, "but where the hell am I?" That was
silly of me because I knew where I was, so I said: "Never mind that but
please tell me what the hell happened?"

The chief laughed and Lucky La