negative
acceleration.

"I'd like to know what this is all about!" he exclaimed after a time, as
they saw a subdued glow, which lasted a minute or two. As the warning
light was flashing more and more slowly and with diminishing intensity,
the _Violet_ was once more put upon her course. As she proceeded,
however, the warnings of the liberation of intra-atomic energy grew
stronger and stronger, and both men scanned their path intensely for a
sight of the source of the disturbance, while their velocity was cut to
only a few hundred miles an hour. Suddenly the indicator swerved and
pointed behind them, showing that they had passed the object, whatever
it was. DuQuesne instantly applied power and snapped on a small
searchlight.

"If it's so small that we couldn't see it when we passed it, it's
nothing to be afraid of. We'll be able to find it with a light."

After some search, they saw an object floating in space-apparently a
vacuum suit!

"Shall one of us get in the airlock, or shall we bring it in with an
attractor?" asked Loring.

"An attractor, by all means. Two or three of them, in fact, to
spread-eagle whatever it is. Never take any chances. It's probably an
Osnomian, but you never can tell. It may be one of those other people.
We know they were around here a few weeks ago, and they're the only ones
I know of that have intra-atomic power besides us and the Osnomians."

"That's no Osnomian," he continued, as the stranger was drawn into the
airlock. "He's big enough around for four Osnomians, and very short.
We'll take no chances at all with that fellow."

The captive was brought into the control room pinioned head, hand, and
foot with attractors and repellers, before DuQuesne approached him. He
then read the temperature and pressure of the stranger's air-supply, and
allowed the surplus air to escape slowly before removing the stranger's
suit and revealing one of the Fenachrone--eyes closed, unconscious or
dead.

DuQuesne leaped for the educator and handed Loring a headset.

"Put this on quick. He may be only unconscious, and we might not be able
to get a thing from him if he were awake."

Loring donned the headset, still staring at the monstrous form with
amazement, not unmixed with awe, while DuQuesne, paying no attention to
anything except the knowledge he was seeking, manipulated the controls
of the instrument. His first quest was for the weapons and armament of
the vessel. In this he was disappointed,