corners of his lips were twitching to
a little smile.

"This," he announced, "is as far as we go. This is the end of our
run."

The tension that had held them emotionally taut was ended. With
outstretched hands Diane ran toward him, and her broken laugh betrayed
the hysteria she was holding back.

"Congratulations!" she cried, and clung tightly to his hands.
"Congratulations, M'sieu Walter--"

Her voice choked and she could not go on; but the eyes that were
raised to his were luminous through the tears that filled them.

From the cabin beyond came a clash of levers, where Chet was preparing
to open a port. And Harkness followed with unseeing eyes where the
pilot waited that their commander might be the first to step forth
upon an unknown globe--upon the surface of what men had called "The
Dark Moon."

CHAPTER VI

_Trapped_

Walter Harkness, piloting his ship to a slow, safe landing on a new
world, had watched his instruments with care. He had seen the outer
pressure build up to that of the air of Earth; the spectro-analyzer
had shown nitrogen preponderating, with sufficient oxygen to support
life. And, below him, a monstrous thing that flopped hurriedly away on
leather wings had told him that life was there.

But what would that life be? This was the question uppermost in the
minds of all three as they stepped forth--the first of Earth's people
to ask the question and to find the answer.

Chet had gone to their stores. He strapped a belt about his waist, a
belt banded with a row of detonite cartridges, and a pistol hung at
his hip. He handed another to Harkness. But the pistol he offered
Diane was refused.

"My many accomplishments," she laughed, "do not include that. I never
could shoot--and besides I will not need to with both of you here."
Her hand was resting confidently upon Chet's arm as they followed
where Harkness led.

The heavy grass, standing waist-high in the little valley where their
ship was at rest, stirred to ripples of vivid green as a light breeze
touched it. Above, the sun shone warm upon this world of tropical
growth. Harkness, listening in the utter silence for sounds that might
mean danger, let his eyes follow up the rugged wall of rock that
hemmed them in on two sides. It gleamed with metallic hues in the
midday glare. He looked on to the sun above.

"A dark moon!" he said wonderingly. "Dark!--and yet it is blazing
bright. Why can't we see it from Earth? Why is it dark?... I'