have
started sooner, but there were some changes that had to be made in the
wiring of the ship before they could start using the molecular ray at
full power.

"Well," said Wade as he finally finished the laborious computations, "I
hope we don't make a mistake and get caught between the two! And what
happens if we find we haven't stopped the star after all?"

"If we don't hit it exactly the first time," Morley replied, "we'll have
to juggle the ray until we do."

They set to work at once, installing the heavy leads to the ray
projectors, which were on the outside of the hull in countersunk
recesses. Morey and Wade had to go outside the ship to help attach the
cables.

Out in space, floating about the ship, they were still weightless, for
they, too, were supported by centrifugal force.

The work of readjusting the projectors for greater power was completed
in an hour and a quarter, which still left over twenty hours before they
could use them. During the next ten hours, they charged the great
storage coils to capacity, leaving the circuits to them open, controlled
by the relays only. That would keep the coils charged, ready to start.

Finally, Wade dusted off his hands and said: "We're all ready to go
mechanically, and I think it would be wise if we were ready physically,
too. I know we're not very tired, but if we sit around in suspense we'll
be as nervous as cats when the time comes. I suggest we take a couple of
sleeping tablets and turn in. If we use a mild shock to awaken us, we
won't oversleep."

The others agreed to the plan and prepared for their wait.

Awakened two hours before the actual moment of action, Wade prepared
breakfast, and Morey took observations. He knew just where the star
should be according to their calculations, and looked for it there. He
breathed a sigh of relief--it was exactly in place! Their mathematics
they had been sure of, but on such a rapidly moving machine, it was
exceedingly difficult to make good observations.

The two hours seemed to drag interminably, but at last Arcot signalled
for the full power of the molecular rays. They waited, breathlessly, for
some response. Nearly twenty seconds later, the other sun went out.

"We did it!" said Wade in a hushed voice. It was almost a shock to
realize that this ship had power enough to extinguish a sun!

Arcot and Morey weren't awed; they didn't have time. There were other
things to do and do fast.

They had checked the time r