When husbands come home How to guard, against colds and sore throat CHILDREN* at school run considerable risk of infection, but ir is as "nothi »g compared to that encountered *by evcrv husb'an J Twice a day he rides in b.ullv -entilajed cars; crowded with coughers — %eri is thtre All morn in i: he works in an o' crhcated office, rushes out into the o>U to a reMai r.i led w ith people suffering Irom u>Un. sore hrojt or worse %trms that. All day he talks over telephones th.it odie \nth nose "or thro.it inkvtion.s hi\i- u->ed ttr»i\ that. ' ! In view of the facts, is it surprising that so manv mCrj.are ill. hall the- nine wiili ct Ids, sore throat and similar injections:* Can you doubt the wisdom o^g; rgling with full strength Listerinc not only on ar sing and before retiring, but on returning from work? Tor. as vou know, fuU-strcngth Lisierine. though s;ife and harmless to use, combats inleetion and is fatal to gL-rms that cause it. Laboratory tests show that ir kills even such stubborn disease-prod ng organisms as the Sta- phylococcus Aureus (pus) nd Bacillus Tvphosus ft\ plun J in counts ranging to 2(\U\X\OM. in 15 seconds. A\'c could not make this statement unless we were prepared to prove it to the entire s.itts|jc- tion of the medical profession and the I'. 5 Government. During winter weather scc v that all members of your family gargle frequently with I.istermc. It may be the means of sparing them a d.mperous siege of illness. Lambert Pliarmacal Company, St.'Lwuis, Mo., U. S. A. Gargle, with LlSTERINE The Safe Antiseptic Kills 200,000,000 germs in 15 seconds . Raised His Pay #4800 After Reading This Amazing BookWhich Is Now FREE/ B*scd on the combined erpcrigricei of F. B. Englehardt, Chattanoogm, Tenn.; A. P. . ■ . D. Mather*, of E. ClevcUnd, Ohio, and many other*. i Thompson, Sioux City, Iowa. L*J Caught in a .Rut fjtr I r- '■ up with it at long ail did! Every " with nothing but deadly routine ut detail. No fr ((dom of indrpen- g*Kt. Ho chance to get out and meet people, ttant. nor have intcfciting cipcricncci. I uii Ml bk« » «• A *>•« "ithmt with poor pro*- aiwVw bnng anyihmi more. ~ r Long, Tiresome Hours Every fcrfur of the day t wn unJcr tomcbady'i tuperviVon. The TIME-CLOCK conttanily laid .n wait for im-i monument to unfulfilled hopei and dying ambition. Four timet • day, dot. it hudel < * »• ^^^KVk\ I had imagined. I found ^^f^B ^aaA lh%t it wai governed by ^ "altX i.mple ruin and law* that ^» almott ANY man can nut. irned the alphabet. I even . to go about getting mlo thi* "high- of all profeiuoni". I found out caactlf ' of San Francitco' w*a ra t i i t * toqu.t hi JJ a wrck |oh ata rettaurant- oarbtr and tiart making *1JS a week a* a and how C. W. Birm.ngham of Day Ha, Oh*, jumped from SlSewtrk to UiOOa tow— thctc and huntf/rcf* of eihcrtl It ccr* tear* wa* a revelation! Mr at rat ly a named ha. 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H a fair prafil i 1 Thmt aaaa aiiaarlaaa ara auuvafaabBrad la Ualaa aaapa my Aai rial aai. < ACE-BICB Jf AGAZINE, RANCH ROMANCES, COWBOY STORIES. CLUES, FTVE-NOVEU MONTHLY, WIDE WORLD ADVENTURES. ALL STAR DETECTIVE STORIES, FLYERS, ' HAHCELANP LOVE STORY ' MAGAZINE, SRY.BICB LIBRARY MACAZOVL WESTERN ADVENTURES, MISS 1950. aaaT FOREST AND STREAM Mare, Than Tw Million) Copies Required l» Supply tke Moutkiy Drmtmd for Clayton Motoekset. vol. in.. 3 ! CONTENTS march, mt COVER dbsi6n h. w. WESSOLOWSXI Pttitted he Woter-coleri from a Scene tw "Brit ends of the Men" COLD LIGHT CAPTAIN S. P. MEEK Haw Cotli a Hmma* Bfdy Be FnW Actually Splintered -*- Broken ml* Skrnp Free. ■nil Lite a Skeltered Glass I Once A/aim Dr. Bird Probes Deep into mm Amm- . i*i Mystery. \ BRIGANDS OF THE. MOON f RAY CUMMINGS M Bluet Mutiny end Brifandaie Stalk Ike Space-skip Planetart as Ske Speeds to tke Moon to Pick Up m Fabulously Rick Cocke of, Radlum-ore. THE SOUL MASTER | WILL SMITH AND R. J. ROBBINS 351 Desperately O'Hara Planted Into Prof, Hell's Mysterious Mansion. For His Friend Skip Was tke Victim , of tke Eccentric Scientist's De-mlreiialni Biperimumt, and Faced a Fate More Hideous ikon Deatk. ; \ FROM THE OCEAN'S DEPTHS SEWELL PEASLEB WRIGHT 374 I x Mom Came from tke San. Mercer, by His Tkontkt-telerrapk, Learnt I rem tke Weirdly Beautiful Ocean-madden of a Branch that Ketnrned There. VANDALS OF THE STARs! A T. LOCKE I A Livid Flame Flares Across Space— amd Over MmwkafUm Ho vert Tnxicat, VmtiM *j Malfero, Lord of the Universe, Who Comes with Ten Thousand Warriors to Rmv mge omd Smbjugote Dm More Plomet for His Master. Single Copiaa, 20 Cents (In Canada, 25 Cents) Yearly Sabuiptlon. |LM l^uvd m Inc.. 25 V«jwlerhlh\ Ave. New Yortj ; or Xtfi North MlrWfan Art, " No alibis now for nbt learning to play ! A PRIVATE TEACHER Easy as A-B-C to become a popular musician on any instrument this "no teacher" way WHY let your imagination run loox tad keep you from becoming ■ muUr musician? Haven't you heard ■at men a way of learning to play jmt favorite inurnment in ■ few abort nontbaT Witbouc taking letaona h : i teacher! Without pay in | eapcAaivc fwa! Without any tiresome technique at dry-ai-duit exercises to struggle rkoufh — a way that has been vouched lor by over half-million pcopl« in all pans of the world. The U. S. School of Music has codv ptcttly removed all the dt/ncuUy, bore- dca and extravagance from music sea* aw. It haa made the reading and ybyng of suite so downright aimple 't hive to- I to begin. IfsSoEaay! Tow own home ia your anno. The leaaoru come by mall. They aaaewt «f complete print - M awtructioni. diagrams, mi aH muiic you need. T«a study with ■ amile. Far iaatcad of juar auUa yw Warn to play real 5s J rtm ^■ cn " 1 "P* 1 °P* iroa Che very &rat ■•aoC) on. And you're *ww m hot water Tint yen art told bow ■ thing ■ioae. then ■ picture *•»*» you bow. then nu Pick Your luslrumenl Pieee (J r 01.-1 UhulHo Cornet Trombone Plcoelo Guitar do it yourself and hear it, No private teacher could make ii clearer or eaaier. "Goodbye Blues" Sooner than you realise you will be bringing cheer to the folka at home with Jour playing. Gradually you gain con- dencc and pro/eaaiorul^ cap real ion. Tbep. panic* . popu larity, orchestra work lol* low in aaflart order. You'll know bow good it feela to be oof of .the wall* flower cUaa and into the whirl of thing* . . . to be able to provide musical enjoy me/it for other* whenever you arc called upon. The abundance of joya that music can bring into anyone's life is now yours o share. Lei the .time-proven and letted U. S. School borne 'Study method help you "to in* creased pleasure and* finan- cial gain. Bear in mind no matter which iaairu- merit you select — the coat of lea m Lag in each caac will average the same — jujl a few emu «j day/ V.olir, Clarinet Flute Saxophen Hare Mandolin Cello Hawaiian 8te*l Guitar Slgftt Singing Piano A coord loo Italian and German Accordion V01-* aad SpoMti Cttrtnra Harmony and CoSBBOtJtioe Drum an*Trap» Automatic Flnatr Control Banio (Pleetruas. S-Strinf •r Tenor) instrument in half the time and for Just a fraction of what old alow methods cose. The booklet will also tell you all about the amazing new Aauomartc Finger Cm* tfol. If you really want to learn to play — if new friends, good limes, social popu- larity, and increased income appeal to you— -tale ' this opportunity to make your dreams come true. Now! Sigh the coupon and send it be/ore it's loo btc. Inatrumente supplied when needed, caah of credit. V. S. Softool of Mask, 3*93 Brwauwiak BsuJdtsag, Now York City. U. 8. SCHOOL OF MUSIC W) Brnawiea. BU|_, New Ycrfc Crty Plots* aaod mo your free book, "Hoalt Your Own Homo," with Intro- Frank Crane, Fm Dwaon- .. and raanUpilan of your catty raaynwoi pUa.| I tea inf— lad Ua Um following odbm: Han Tea frstj Bawaiuti Dca- Our wonderful IDus- i rated Free Book and our Free Demons! rat ion Lea ■ son cap lain all about this remarkable method. They [irowe fust how anyone can earn to play his favorite Please mention Newsstand Group — Men's List, when answering advertisements Are you afraid you will be fired? ARE you sitting on the tnxlons brnch wtmdcring what will J~\ bap peri to you if business slacks ,up? Are you one of ihc many small-salaried, untrained waters who are always the first to go when employers start cutting the salary list? Why have this spectre of unemployment hanging over you all the time? Why not decide today that you are going to make yourself so valuable to your employer that ne can't get along without you? You can do it if you really want to, right at home in spare .time, through the International Correspondence Schools. In just an hour a day you can get the special training that you must have if you are ever going'o get— and keep — a real job. You're aubltloui, aren't jouT And you ataajMo -el ahead 1* Then don't turn thli page until you hare clipped 09 coupon, marked the line- of worg you like, and mailed It Ut gcra mon [or full particular*. Surely it U worth at lea.t a tm-c^MMUnp t 'JM LC.I. and wtut It can do for you. Mail the Coupon for Free Booklet I N T EB N A T 1 0 M AL « OR RE tPONfl E NCE~S CH 00 Ls" J Bu 2I2*-E, ScrantM. Penna. Without' coat or obl.le-.tf on. pleaae earxl mo ■ ■ ■;. of your book* let. "Wh» WiBl and Why." and full p»fliiul..re about (he cturaa fte/w 0 Hblch 1 bate walked X In the llu ptlu* : TECHNICAL AND INDUSTRIAL COURSES Architect Architectural Dn Hulldlnj; Forrraan C'oneretr Builder f'nntrartoT and Itullder Structural T>raftaman structural En -Inert Electrical Enj.-ln.-rr Electrical Contractor Electric Wlrlnjj Electric LI-hlln- Readlnx Slwv Wueprlnta Tile-raph Engineer Telephone Work Mrrfunlcat Engineer Mechanical I>r*ftiniafi Machine Khop Practice. Tool maker _ 1'ittemraekrr I :■ il Engineer nnnTTcjlng and Map&lnf -..-lie* Engineer ZJUaa Engine Oix-i- Autnrnobllc MerhanlO I Aviation Enulne* * V iPlufabrr ami .M,- .in Fitter i: k lufe)blnie Inspector I Foreman I'ttmtter iHeetln- and Ventilation I Sheet-Metal Worker Kiram Engineer I Marine Engineer ftefttte ration Bn| - IR. ft. IVteltlona !rluTivr: iy . Engineer Engineer D Awji r and Sl-eiWivk- r lie OvcrMer or Sue*. J Dot Mil ManufacturlniC - " nufarlurlcig ] Fruit prow "(El B*dle J MadK mallei BUSINESS TRAINING COURSES □ Tlu-lnrM Management □ Iihlu-trlal llanaitrnient J I'ertunncJ M-na^-men. □ Traffic Manacemcnt . v arkl . -r. p. A. Coaching JCoM Arcountlni It mine. a Correenoriil-f-c* Mbo* Card and Slcu V tte Mrno,;raphy ail J Tj, U-Z Enefllah Civil Service, flillway l| Chrfc MaO Cirrter Hehool «ub|eete CIW .., Occupation . It jk« CwrttpoitJ'Uc Please >•< f'-xaaw, (end .".< eta**- : It ■r-leo'J Canadlaa. Lt+itri, HloJIr ise mention Newsstand G Strong These I mpro v ed Muscle Builders Why pay an extravagant price fe Mrenatb— here's an opportunity to aj all the equipment you reqmra aka with an ex or II «n t mmum< of laatreeoa for eoly 15-00. Real tie year ambtta and de-elan mu*cl»a of a anger-am Cot eireaig and aniaie jour fri-arti. ft ■haw you how to aaally tnaater few which Dew sevm difficult— or If re a want physical culture Jm jm tfa'a take, tins equipment U kc wfcal iw need. With thla apeclal ah you *a*a at leaat t2» .00. tv- furDiAi ten cable cheM expander which U aV ju.t.ble to give reol'tanre up ta 91 lb* It la made of new llie eau etrength. sprlnay rubber to a* ta aafti I j:,-: wear and^-lve the_ rw^xaSee-a ,,i band I sloping powerful grip and 1 ._ metudje wall exerciiini which aermlt you to develop j •rm dn. i torv- a B»«lt f f m , ha»w Uimt bui I r.*n» Mn ud eUU-U«. M ( .l ™ with Dim •irrrbw a»fn><>aHaj KSSaeS'a.'.i'-™-'- ■ wKCdi»»n. to iOi'> HM coupon. SEUD NO MONEY A" of 0» (I. -> 1*1 In thU ,. T \.r,!-t lo hItuc-. money hack. "1 CHUMDIK APPARATUS CO.. ■ Dt*. 20O, 44 Pifker An., M4»t«woad. H. J. I I «K lour odir. Smd ■« ""> ,hln «^.""l?^, S 5 •JmtUciiOU br nuun m«n. I will p.> Li^!Lg m.lfn on vrtnl. II 1. UD ■' 'is a year in wages In Manufacturing. Sal os. . . -mordal Stations and 1 the big aea going ehipe *A many more men are needed. TwtrUoo and Talking Moviea open ■wthervartfleLdaof money-making •tortunitiei for ambitious men. Git into this great business that fa live, new aid up-to-date, where thouaandaof trained men •■Ur earn $60 to tlOO a week— where $10,000 tgir^biwwplentlfol lor men with t ' 'T* lata learning Radio the R. T. I. way with P. H. fjaaalL the "Ace of Radio" behind you k East , I ntebjesttng , really Fun. Only a few tears hours are needed and lack of education experience won't bother you a bit. We fur- ■*i all necessary teetlng and working appa- •tall ana Mart youoft" on practical work you'll ■far— -you I earn to do the jobs that pay real ■waty and which are going bagging now for —t of coe a pstant mm to fill them. You want to earn Bid* Monet, and you want pome of It Quick, R. T. L r, Thre* Id Qn«" Uoma4alnln| Talking MoTtei — o you, because i t'a easy, practical, and (a kept right up-to- /Radio-Teiwriaion-Ti Will give It piKUOUi { UIU tm Hft Hint H)>-w- date with last minute Injormadon. In a few weeks you can, be doing actual Radio work, making enough Extba Monet to mora than pay for your training. In a few short months you can be all through — ready to step Into a good paying Job or start a business of your own. A Bid Job — Bio Monty — A Bid FUTuaJs. There la no other fa In the world like I Lj ' IgsTcajtSgat rcvetTTLi Don't waste a minute. Findoutwhat the great Radio industry, which has grown faster than the Automobile and Motion Picture business, has to Find out offer y what other men are earning. See How Easily You Can Get Started. Get the facts about Radio, Television and the Talking Pic-tuns. first hand, in the big R. T. I. Free Book. Learn what thU R. T. £ "Three In One" Home Training can do for you. Mail the coupon for Freb . T. I. Adii m job oat a sawmaaaJI I * TELEVISION INSTITUTE DepLl43-163,4800St."Xnthony Ct„ Chicago Send me Free and prepaid your BIG BOOK "Tune In On- Big Pay"andfulldet4ulsof your three-in-one Home Training (without oblige- | Namt- Pleasc mention Newsstand Gbovp— Men's List, when answering adverti semen is Most Amazing Insurance Offer Ever Made to Anyone Before! Now you need not fear the future! You need not fear that com- mon enemy—- SICKNESS, nor the ever-present d ia n j of ACCI- DENT — for now practically anyone^ who can ipare 3 cents a day can take advantage of this almost unbeHevaUe offer at America's Oldest and Largest Exclusive Health and Accident Insurance Company. Let Ui Semi This Offer Entire CmI $lO*)Y WelUch Bldf., Nevark, New JerMT. pany. the oldest and largest eaclfisive health and accident company, stands v^tonditionailu behind this easily- understandable, v^orld-fnmous policy. You know exactly what every word means— every word means what it j soys. *J All StsJ* Uiwsara j^nartaktali Gentlemen: Please send me all details of the "most amazing In- surance offer ever made to anyone oelore.*' It \» under* stood I am not obligated to buy anything. Name Address AGENTS WANTED FOt LOCAL iTERUTORT City and State. Please mention NewsBtand Group — Men's List, when answering advertisement! Cold Light By Capt. S. P. Meek c lONFOUND it,- Games, I am on my vacation I" "I know it, Doctor, and I hate to disturb you, but' I felt that I simply had to/ I have one of the weirdest cases on my hands that I have ever been mixed up in and .1 think that you'll forgive me 8or calling you when I tell you about it." Dr. Bird groan- ed into the telephone transmitter. "I took a vacation last summer, or tried to, and you hauled me away from the best fishing I have found in years to help you on a case. This year I traveled all the way from Washington How could > human borif be found actually splintered — broken into 'sharp fragments lilt* a chattered glass I Once again J}r. Bird probes deep into an % amanlng . mystery* 295 to San Francisco to get-away from you and the very day that l^gct here you are after me. I won't have anything to do with it. Where are you, anyway?" "I am at Fallon, Nevada, Doctor. I'm sorry that you won't help me. out because the case promises to be unusually inter- esting. 'Let me at ' least tell you about it." Dr. Bird groan- ed louder than ever into the telephone transmitter. "All right, go ahead and' tell me about it if it will ^relieve your mind, but I have given you my final answer. I am not a bit interested in it" '"That is quite all right, Doctor', I 296 I ASTOUNDING STORIES don't expect you to touch it. I hope, however, that you will bej able to give me an idea of where no' start. Did you ever see a man's bojy broken in pieces?" "Do you mean badly abashed up?" VNo indeed, I mean just what I said, broken in pieces. Legs snapped oS as. though the entire flesh had become brittle.", "No, I didn't, and neither did any- one else." "I have seen it. Doctor.' "Hooey 1 What had you bean drink- ing?" Operative Carries of the United States Secret Service chuckled, softly to himself. The voice of the famous scientist of the Bureau qf Standards plainly showed an interest which was quite at variance with his words. "I was. quite sober, Doctor, and' so v/as Hughes, and we both sagr it." "Who is Hughes?" "He is an air, mail pilot, one of the crack fliers of the Transcontinental Airmail Corporation. / Let me tell you the whole thing in order." "All right, I have a few minutes to spare, but I'll warn you iigain that I don't intend to touch' the « ase." M C*UIT yourself, Doctof, I have no authority to requisition your ser- vices. As you know, .the T. A. C. has been handling a, great deal pf the trans- continental air mail with a ipretty clean record on accidents. The day before yesterday, a special plane lift Wash- ington to carry two packages from there to San Francisco. C ne of them was a shipment of jewels valued at a quarter of a million, consig led to~a San Francisco firm and the' ether was a sealed packet from the S V Tar Depart- ment. No one was supposed to know the contents of that packet , except the Chief of Sts# who delivered it to the plane personally, but rumors got out, as usual, and it was popularly supposed to contain certain essential features of the Army's wax plans. This much is certain : The plane carried not only the regular .T. A.C. pilot and courier, but also an army courier, and it was guard- ed during the trip by an army* plane armed with small bombs and a machine- gun. I rode in it. My orders were simply to guard the ship until it landed at Mills Field and then to guard . the courier from there to the Presidio Of San Francisco until his packet was de- livered personally into the hands* of the Commanding General of the "Ninth Corps Area. "The trip was quiet and monotonous until after we left Salt Lake City at dawn this morning. Nothing happened until we were about a hundred miles east of Reno. We had taken elevation to cross the Stillwater Mountains and were skimming low over them, 'my plane trailing the T. A. C plane by about half a mile. I was not paying any particular attention to thq other ship when I suddenly felt our" plane leap ahead. It was a fast Douglas and the pilot gave it the gun and made it move, I can tell you. I yelled into the speaking tube and asked wl)at was the reason. My pilot yelled back that the plane ahead was in trouble. 1 "As soon as it was called to my at- tention I could see myself that it wasn't acting normally. It was' losing eleva- tion and was pursuing a very erratic course. Before we could reach it it lost flying speed and fell into a spin- ning nose dive and headed for the ground. I watched, expecting every minute to see the crew make parachute jumps,, but they didn't and the plane hit the ground with a terrific crash." "It caught fire, of course?" 4 >^TO, Doctor, that ia one Of the AN funny things about the ac- cident. It didn't. It hit the ground in an open place free 'from brush and literally burst into pieces, but it didn't flame up. We headed directly for the scene of the crash and we encountered another funny thing.. We almost froze to death." "What do you mean?" "Exactly what I say. Of course, it's COLD LIGHT 297 pretty cold at that altitude .all the time, but this cold was like. nothing I had ever encountered. It seemed to freeze the blood in our veins and it congealed frost on -the windshields and made the' motor miss for a moment. It was only_ momentary and it only existed directly over the wrecked plane. We went past it and swung around in a circlesand came back over the wreck, but we didn't feel the cold again. "The next thing we tried to do was to find a landing place. That country is pretty rugged and rough and there wasn't a flat place for miles that was large enough to land a ship on. Hughes and I talked it over and there didn't teem to be much of anything that we could do except to go on until we 'found a landing place. I had had no experience in parachute jumping and I couldn't pilot t]BB> plane if Hughes jumped. We swooped down over the wreck as close as we dared and that was when we saw the condition of the bodies. The whole plane was cracked up pretty badly, but the weird part of it was the fact that the bodies of the crew had broken' into pieces, as though they had been made of gla*». Arms and legB were detached from the torsos and lying at a distance. There was no sign of blood on the ground. We saw all this with our naked eyes -from close at hand and verified it by observations through binoculars from a greater height. ... "When we had made our observa- tions and marked the location of the wreck as closely as we could, we head- ed east until we found a landing place near Fallon. Hughes dropped me hef*> and went on to Reno, or to San Fran- cisco if necessary, to report the ac- cident and get more planes to aid in the search. I was wholly- at sea, but it teemed to be in your line and as I knew that you were at the St. Francis, I called you upf u \ X THAT are your plans?" VV "I made none until I talked with you. The country where the -wreck occurred 1b unbelievably wild and we' can't get near it with any trant- > portation other than burros. The only thing that I can see to do is to gather together what transportation I can and head for the wreck on foot to rescue the packets and to bring out the bodies. Can you suggest anything better?" "When do you expect to start?" "As soon as I can get my pack train together. Possibly in three or four hours." "Carnes, are you sure that those bodies were broken into bits? An arm or a leg might easily be tom off in a complete crash." "They were smashed into bits as nearly as I could tell. Doctor. Hughes is an old flier and he has seen plenty of crashes but he never saw anything like this. It beats anjAhing that I ever ,saw." r "If your observations were accurate, these could be only one cause and that one is a patent impossibility. I haven't a bit of equipment here, but I expect that I can get most of the stuff I want from the University of California across "the bay at Berkeley. I can get a plane a# Crissy FieM. I'll tell you what to do, Carnes. Get your burro train together and start as soon as you can, but leave me. half a dozen burros and a guide at FaMon. I'll get up there as soon as I can/ksd I'll try to over- take you before you get to the wreck. If I don't, don't disturb anything any more than you can -help . until my ar- rival. Do you understand?" "I thought that you were on your vacation, Doctor." "Oh shut up I Like most of my vaca- tions, this one will have to be post- poned. I'll , move as swiftly' as I can and I ought to be at Fallon to-night if I'm lucky and don't run into any ob- stacles. Burros are fairly slow, but I'll make the best time possible." "I rather expected you would, Doc- tor. I can't get my pack train together until evening, so I'll wait for you right here. I'm mighty glad that you are go- ing to. get in on it." 298 ASTOUNDING STORIES SILENTLY Came* and Dr. B>rd surveyed the wreck of the T.A1C. 'plane. The observations of the secret service operative had been correct. Toe , bodies of the unfortunate crew bjjd/ been 'broken into fragments. Tj(p limbs had not been twisted off as a freak of the fall but had been cleanly broken off, as though the bodies had suddenly become brittle and had shat- tered on their impact with the ground. Not only the bodies, but the ship itself had been 1 broken up. E^ren the clothing of the men was in pieces or had long splits in the fabric whose edges were as clean as. though, they had been cut with a knife./ Dr. Bird picked up an arm which had belonged to the pilot and examined it.. The brittleness, if it had ever existed, was gone and the arm was limp. "No rigor mortis," commented the Doctor. "How long ago was the wreck V "About seventy-two hours ago." "Hm-ml What about those packets that were on the plane ?" Came* stepped forward and gingerly inspected, first , the body of the army courier and then that of the courier of the T.A.C. "Both, gone, Doctor," he reported, straightening up. Dr.-Bird's face fell into grim lines. "There is more to this case than ap- pears on the surface, Games," he said. "This was Ao ordinary wreck. Bring up that third bprro ; I want to examine 1 these fragments a little. .Bill," he went on to one of the two gnidea who had, accompanied them from' Fallon, "you ) and Walter scout around the- ground/ and see what you can find out. I espe? cially wish to know whether, anyone * has visited the scene of the work." THE guides consulted a moment and started out. Games drove up the burro the Doctor had indicated and Dr. Bird unpacked it. He' opened a mahogony case and took from it a high powered microscope. Setting, the in- stalment up on a convenient rock, he subjected portions of the wreck, in- cluding several fragments of flesh, t» a careful scrutiny. When he had com- pleted his observations he fell into a brown study, from which he was aroused by Games. "What did you find out about the cause of the wreck, Doctor £' "I don't know what to think. The immediate cause was that everything was frozen. The plane ran into a belt of cold which' froze up the motor and which probably killed the crew instant- ly. It was undoubtedly the aftermath of that cold which you felt when you swooped down over the wreck." "It seems impossible that it could have suddenly got cold enough to freeze everything up like that." "It does, and yet I am confident that that is what happened. It was no or- dinary cold, Games; it was cold of the type that infests interstellar space; cold beyond any conception you have of cold, cold near the range of the ab- solute zero of temperature, nearly four hundred and fifty degrees below zero on the Fahrenheit scale. At such tem- peratures, things which are ordinarily quite flexible and elastic, such as rub- ber, or flesh, become as brittle as glass and would break in the manner which these bodies have broken. An examina- tion of the tissues of the flesh shows that it has been submitted to some tem- perature that is very low in the scale, probably below that of liquid air. Such, a temperature would produce instant death and the other phenomena which we can observe." "What could cause such a low tem- perature. Doctor?" \ "I don't know yet, although I hope to'find out before we are finished. Cold is a funny thing, Caraes. Ordinarily it is considered as simply the absence of heat; and yet' I have always bjM it to be a definite negative quantity. All through nature we observe that every force has its opposite or negative force to oppose it. We have positive and negative electrical charges,, positive and negative, or north and south, mag- netic poles. We have gravity and its COLD LIGHT 299 opposite apergy, and I believe cold is really negative heat." "I never heard of anything like that, Doctor. I always thought that things were cold.be cause heat was taken from them — not because cold was added. It sounds preposterous." "O UCrJ is the common idea, and yet t3 I cannot accept it, for it does not explain all the recorded phenomena. You are familiar with a searchlight, are you not?" "In a general way, yes," "A searchlight is merely a source of light, and of course, of heat, which is placed at the focus of a ^parabolic re- flector so that alt"of the rays emanating from the source travel in parallel lines. A searchlight, of course, gives off heat. If we place a lens of the same size as the searchlight aperture in the path of the beam and concentrate all the light, and heat, at one spot, the focal point of the lens, the temperature at that point ii the same as the temperature of the source of the light, less what has beery, lost by radiation. You understand that, do you not ?" "Certainly." "Suppose that we place at the center of the aperture of the searchlight a small opaque disc which is permeable neither to heat nor light, in such a man- ner as to interrupt the central portion of the beam. As a result, the beam will go out in the form of a hollow rod, or pipe, of heat and light with a dark, cold core. This core will have the tempera- ture of the surrounding air plus the small amount which has radiated into it from the surrounding p*ipe. 'If we now pass this beam of light through a lens in order to concentrate the beam, both the pipe of heat and the cold core will focus. If we' place a temperature measuring device near the focus of the dark core, we will find that the tem- perature is lower than the surrounding sir. ♦'This means that we have focussed or concentrated cold." "That sounds impossible. But I can offer no other criticism." ""^T EVERT HELESS, it is .expert- AN mentally true. It is one of the facts which lead me to consider cold as negative heat. However, this is true of cold, as it is of the other negative forces; they exist and manifest them- selves only in the presence of the posi- tive forces. No one has yet concen- trated cold eicept In the presence at/ heat, as I have outlined. How this cold belt which the T. A. C. plane encoun- tered came to be there is another ques- tion. The thing which we have to de r termine is whether it wa4 caused by natural or artificial forces." "Both of the packets which the plane carried are gone, Doctor," observed Camps. "Yes, and that seems to add weight to the possibility that the cause was artificial, but it is far from conclusive. The packets might not have been on the. men when the plane fell, or some one may have passed later and taken them for safekeeping." The doctor's remarks were inter- rupted by. the guides. "Some one has been here since the wreck, Doctor," said Bill. "Walter and I found tracks where two men came up here and prowled around for some time and then left by the way they came. They went off toward the northwest, and we followed their trail for about forty rods and then lost it. We weren't able to pick it up again." "Thanks, Bill," replied .the doctor. "Well, Carnes, that seems to add more weight to the theory that the spot of cold was made and didn't just happen. If a prospecting party had just hap- pened along they would either have left the wreck alone or would have made some attempt to inter ttie bodies. That cold belt must have been pro- duced artificially by men who planned to rob this plane after bringing it down and who were near at hand to get their plunder. Is there any chance of fol- lowing that trail?" "I doubt >it, Doc. Walter and I scouted around quite a little, but we couldn't pick it up again." 300 ASTOUHT3m<^STORIES "Is there any power line passing within twenty miles of here ?" "None that Walter and I know of. Doc." I "Funny I Such a device as must have been used would need power and lota of it. for operation. Well, I'll try my luck. Carnes, help pie unpack and set up {he rest of my apparatus." WITH the aid of the operative. Dr. Bird unpacked two of the burros and extracted from cases where they were carefully packed and padded some elaborate electrical and optical apparatus. The first was a short tele- scope of large diameter which he. that it could be elevated or depressed and rotated in any direction. At the; focal point of the telescope was fast- ened a small knot of wire from which orte lead ran to the main piece of ap- paratus, which he sat on a flat rock. Tqe other lead from the wire knot ran into a sealed container surrounded by a water bath under which a spirit lamp burned. From the container another lead led to the main apparatus. This main piece consisted of a series of wire coils mounted on a frame and attached to the two leads. The doctor took from a padded case a tiny magnet suspended on,a piece of wire of exceedingly small diameter which he fastened in place in- side the coils. , Cemented to the magnet was a*iny mirror. "What is that apparatus?" asked Carnes as the doctor finished his setup and surveyed it with satisfaction. "Merely a thermocouple attached to a D'Arsonval galvanometer," replied the doctor. "This large, squat tele- scope catches and concentrates on the thermocouple and the galvanometer registers the temperature." "You're out of my depth, thermocouple ?" "A juncture of two wires made of dissimilar metals, in- this case of plati- num and of platinum-iridium alloy. There .is another similar junction in this case, which is kept at a. constant temperature by the water bath. When the temperatures of the two junctions are the same, the system is in equili- brium. When they are at different tem- peratUEes, an electrical potential is set up, which causes a current to flow from one to the other through the galvano- meter. The galvanometer consists of a magnet set up inside coils through which the ' current I spoke of flows. This current causes the magnet to ro- tate and by watching the mirror, the rotation can be detected and measured. "This device is one of the most sensi- tive ever made, and is used to measure the radiation from distant stars. Cur- rents as small as .OOQDOQpC^pOQpOQpOOr mounted, on a base in such a manner! M°0QPO(£XH ampere have been detected and measured. This particular instru- ment is not that sensitive to begin with, and has its sensitivity further reduced tjf having a high resistance in One of e leads." What are you going to use it for?" "I am going to try to locate some- where in these hills a patch of local cold. It may not work, but I have' hopes. If you will manipulate the tele- scope so as to search the hills around^ here, I will watch tie galvanometer."^ FQR several minutes Carnes swung ' the telescope around, Twice Dr. Bird stopped him and decreased the sensitiveness of his instrument by in- troducing more resistance in the lines in order to keep the magnet from twist- ing dear around, due to the fluctua- tions in the heats received on account pf the varying conditions of reflection. As Carnes swung the telescope again, the magnet swung around sharply, nearly to a right angle to its fonm. 1 position. \ "Stop I" cried the doctor. "Read your azimuth." What in / Carnes read, the compass bearing on the protractor attached to the frame which supported ■ the telescope. Dr. Bird took a pair of binoculars and looked long and earnestly in the indi- cated direction. With a sigh he laid down the glasses'. ' COLD LIGHT 301 "I can't see a thing, Carnesy," he ■aid. "Well have to move over to the next crest ind make a new setup. Plant a rod on tjje hill so that we can get an azimuth bearing and get the airline distance with a range finder." ' On the hilltop which Dr. Bird had pointed out the apparatus was again set up. For several minutes Games swept _ the hills before an exclamation from , the doctor told him to pause. He read the new azimuth, and the doctor laid'' off the two readings on a sheet of paper with a protractor and made, a few cal- culations. "I don't know," he said reflectively when he had finished his computations. "This darned instrument is still so sen- sitive that you may have mefely fo- cused on a deep shadow or a cold spring or something of that sort, but the magnet kicked clear around and it may mean that we have located what we are looking for. It should be about two miles away and almost due west of here." . 1 "There is no spring that I know of, Doc, and I think I know of every water hole in this countrv," remarked Bill. "There could hardly be a spring at this elevation, anyway," replied the' doctor. "Maybe it is what we are seek- ing. We'll start out in that direction, anyway. Bill, you had better take the lead, for you know the country. Spread out a little so that we won't Ije too bunched if anything happens." ^ V FOR three-quarters of an hour the little group of men made their way through the wilderness in the di- rection indicated by the doctor. Pres- ently Bill, who was in the lead, held up his hand with a warning gesture. The other three closed up as rapidly as cautious progress would allow. "What is it, Bill?" asked the doctor in an undertone. "Slip up ahead and look ' over that crest." 1 The doctor obeyed instructions. As he glanced over he gave vent to a low whistle of surprise and motioned for Cames to join him. The operative crawled up and glanced over the crest. In a hollow before them was a crude one-storied house, and erected on an open space before it waa a massive piece of apparatus. It consisted of a number of huge metallic I cylinders, from which Hnes ran to a silvery con- cave mirror mounted -on an elaborate frame which would allow it to be ro- tated so as to point in any direction. "What is h?" whispered Games. "Some kirid of a projector," muttered the dpctor. " I never saw one quite like it, but it is meant to project something. I can't make out the curve/of that mir- ror. It isn't a parabola and it isn't an ellipse. It must be a high degree sub- catenary or else built on a transcenden- tal function." He raised himself to get a clearer view, and as he did so a puff of smoke came from the house, to be followed in a moment by a sharp crack as a bullet flattened itself a few inches from his head. The doctor tumbled back over the crest out of sight of the house. Bill and Walter -hurried forward, their rifles held ready for action. "Get out on the flanks, men," 'directed the doctor. "The man we want is in a house in tljat hollow. He's armed, and he means business." BILL and Walter crawled under the shelter of the rocks to a short distance away and then, rifles ready, advanced to the attack. A report came from the hollow and a bullet whined over .Bill's head. Almost* instantly a crack ~\ came from Walter's rifle and splinters flew from the building in the hollow a few inches from a loophole, through which projected the barrel of a rifle. j The rifle barrel swung rapidly in a circle and barked in Walter's direc- tion ; but as it did so. Bill's gun spoke and again splinters flew from the build- ing. "Good work!" ejaculated Dr. Bird as he watched the slow advance bf the two guides. v If, we just had rifles we could 303 I ASTOUNDING STORIES join in the party, but it's a little far for effective pistol work. Let's go ahead, and we may get close enough to do a little shooting." Pistols in hand, Caraes and the doctor crawled over the crest and joined the advance. Again and again the rifle spoke from the hollow and was answered by the vicious barks of the rifles in the hands of the guides, Cames and the doctor resting their pistols on / rocks and sending an occasional bullet toward the loophole. The conditions of light and the moving target were not conducive to good mafkamanship on | the part of the besieged man, aqd none of the attackers were hit. Presently Walter succeeded in sending a bullet through the loophole. The rifle barrel suddenly disappeared. ' With a shout the four men rose from their cover and advanced toward the building at a run. L As they did so an ominous whirring sound came from the apparatus in froht of the house and a sudden chill filled the air. "Back!" shouted Dr. Bird. "Back below the hill if you value your lives 1" He turned and raced at full speed toward the sheltering crest of the hill, the others following him closely. I The whltring sound continued, and the con- cave reflector turned with a grating sound on its gears. As the path of its rays struck the ground the rocks be- came white with frost and one rock split with a sharp report, one fragment rolling down the slope, carrying others in its trail. WITH panic-stricken faces the four men raced toward the shel- tering crest, but remorselessly the re- flector swung around in their direction. The intense cold numbed the racing men,, cutting off their breath and im- peding their efforts for speed. "Stop I" cried the doctor suddenly. "Fire at that reflector! It's our only chancel" He set the example by turning and emptying his pistol futilely at the turning mirror. Bill, Walter and Carnes followed his example. Nearer and nearer to them came the deadly ray. Bill was the nearest to its path, and he suddenly stiffened and fell forward, his useless gun still grasped in his hands. As his body struck the ground it rolled down hill for a few feet, the deadly ray following it. His head struck a rock, and Carnes gave a cry of horror as it broke into fragments. - Walter threw his rifle to his shoulder and fired again and again at the rotat- ing disc. The cold bad became intense and he could not control the actions of his muscles and his rifle wavered about. He threw himself flat on the ground, and, with an almost superhuman effort, steadied himself for a moment and fired. His aim was true, and with a terrific crash the reflector split into a thousand fragments. Dr^. Bird stag- gered to his feet. "It's out of order for a moment I" he cried. "To the house while we can I" As swiftly as his numbed feet would allow him, he stumbled toward the house. The muzzle of the rifle again projected from the loophole and with its crack the doctor staggered for a moment and then fell. Walter's rifle spoke again and the rifle disappeared through the loophole with a spasmodic jerk. Carnes stumbled over the doctor. "Are you hit badly?" he gasped through chattering teeth. "I'm not hit at afl," muttered the doctor. "I stumbled and fell just as he fired. .Look out I - He's going to shoot again !" The rifle barrel came slowly into view through the loophole. Walter fired, but his bullet went wild - Carnes threw himself behind aVock for pro- tection. THE rifle swung in Walter's direc- tion and paused. As it did bo, from the house came a strangled cry and a. sound as of a blow. The rifle barrel disappeared, and the sounds of a strug- gle came from the building. "Come on I" cried Carnes as he rose to his feet, and made his stumbling way COLD LIGHT 303 forward, the othen following m the best speed which their numbed^limbs would allow. As they reached the door they were aware of a struggle which was going on inside. v With an oath the doctor threw his massive frame against the door. It creaked, but the solid oak of which it was composed was proof against the at- tack, and he drew back for another on- slaught. From the house came a pistol shot, followed by a despairing cry and a guttural shout. Reinforced by Carries, the doctor threw his weight against the door again. With a rending crash it gave, and they fell sprawling into the cabin. The doctor was the first one on his feet. "Who are you?" asked a voice from one corner. The doctor whirled like a flash and covered the speaker with his pistol. * "Put them up r he said tersely. "I am unarmed," the voice replied. "Who are you?" ; "We're from the United States Se- cret Service," replied Carnes who- had gained his feet. "The game is up for you, and you'd better realize it." "Secret Service I Thank God 1" cried the voice. "Get Koskoff — he has the plans. He has gone out through the tunnel I" "Where is it?" demanded Games. "The entrance is that iron plate on the floor." Carnes and the doctor jumped at the plate and tried to lift it, without result. There was no handle or projection on which they could take hold. "Not that way," cried the ' voice. "That cover is fastened on the inside. Go outside the building; he'll come out about two hundred yards norths Snoot him as he appears or he'll get away." z The three men nearly tumbled over each other to get through the doorway into the bjtter cold qutside. As- they emerged from the cabin the gaze of the guide swept the surrounding hills. "There he goes I" he cried. "Get him I" said Carnes sharply. ' Walter ran forward a few feet and dropped prone on the ground, cuddling the stock of, his rifle to his cheek. Two hundred yards ahead a figure was scurrying over the rocks away from the cabin. Walter drew in his breath and his hand suddenly grew steady as his keen gray eyes peered through the sights. Carnes and the doctor held their breath in sympathy. SUDDENLY the rifle spoke, and the fleeing man threw up his arms and fell forward on his face. "Got him," said Walter laconically. "Go bring the body in, Carries," ex- claimed the doctor< "I'll take care of the chap inside." "Did you get him?" asked the voice eagerly, as the doctor stepped' inside. "He's dead all right," replied the doctor grimly. "Who the devil are you, and what are you doing here ?" "There is a light switch on the left of the door as you come in," waB the reply. Dr. Bird found the switch and snapped on -a light. He turned toward the corner from whence the voice had come and recoiled in hprror. Propped in the cotner was the body of a middle- aged man, daubed and splashed with blood which ran from a wound in the side of his head. "Good Lord!" he ejaculated. "Let me help you." J "There's not much use,7 replied the man rather faintly. ,"I us about done in. This face wound doesn't amount to much, but I am shot through the body and am bleeding internally. If you try to move me, it may easily kill me. Leave me alone until your partners come.'* «he doctor drew a flask of brandy a his pocket and advanced toward the comerV " "Take a few drops of this," he ad- vised. With an effort the man lifted the flask to his lips and gulped, down a lit- tle of the fiery spirit. A. sound of tramping) feet came from the outside and then a thud as though a. body had 30* ASTOUNDING STORIES been dropped. Caines and Walter en- tered the cabin. "He's dead as a mackerel," said Carnes in answer to the doctor's look. "Walttir, got him through the neck and brolce his spinal cord. He never knew what hit him." "The plans?" came in a gasping voice from the man in the corner. "We got them, too," replied Carnes. "He had both packets inside his coat. They have been opened, but I guess they are all here. Who the devil are you?" "Since Koskoff is dead, and I am dy- ing, .there is no reason why I shouldn't tell you," was the answek..**Leave that brandy handy to keep up my strength. I have only a short time and I can't re- peat. k .** /V- S to who I am or what I was, it XA doesn't really matter. Koskoff knew me as John Smith, and it will pass as well as any other name. Let my past stay buried. I am, or was, a scien- tist of some ability; but fqrtune frowned on me, and I was driven Uit of the world. Money would rehabilitate me — money will do anything nowadays — so I set out to get it. In the course of my experimental^ work, I had dis- covered that cold was negative heat and reacted to the laws which governed heat." "I knew that," cried Dr. Bird; "but I never could prove it." "Who are you?" demanded John Smith. i "Dr. Bird, of the Bureau of Stan- dards." i "Oh, Bird. I've heard of you.V You, can understand me when I say tbVt as heat, positive heat is a ^concomitant, of ordinary light, I have found that cold, negative heat, is a concomitant of colli light. Is my apparatus in good shape\ outside?" "The reflector is smashed." "I'm sorry. You would have enjoyed studying it. I presume that you saw that it was a catenary curve?" "I rather thought so." "It was, and it was also adjustable. I could vary the focal point from a few feet to several miles. With that ap-. paratus I could throw a beam of nega- tive heat with a focal point which I could adjust at will. Close to the' ap- paratus, I could obtain a temperature, almost down to absolute zero, but at the longer ranges it wasn't so cold, due to leakage into the atmosphere. Even at two miles I could produce a local tem- perature of three hundred degrees be- low zero." "What was the source of your cold?" "Liquid helium. Those cylinders contain, or rather did contain, for. I ex- pect that Koskoff has emptied them, helium in a -liquid state." "Where is your compressor?" "T DIDN'T have to use one. I de- JL veloped a cold light under whose rays helium would liquefy and remain in a state of equilibrium until exposed to light rays. Those, cylinders had merely enough pressure to force the liquid out to where the sun could hit it, and then it turned to a gas, dropping the temperature at the first focal point of the reflector to absolute zero. When I had this much done, Koskoff and I packed the whole apparatus here and were ready for work. "We were on the path of the trans- continental air mail, and I bided my time until an especially valuable ship- ment was to be made. My plans, which worked perfectly, were to freeze the plane in midair and then rob the wreck. I heard of the jewel shipment the T.A.C. was to carry and I planned to get it. When the plane came over, Koskoff and I brought it down. The unsuspected presence of another plane upset us a little, arid I started to bring it down. But we had been all over this country and knew there wasy no place that a plane could land, I let it go on in safety." "Thank you," replied Carnes with a grimace. < "We robbed the wreck and we found two packets, one the jewels I was after,* COLD LIGHT and the other a sealed packet, which proved to contain certain War Depart- ment plans. That was when I learned who Koskoff was. I' had hired him in San Francisco as a good mechanic who had no principles. He was to get on<- fourth -ol the f|oot.» When we found these platns, he told me who he was. He - waa tAllyto^ussian secret agent and beswanted tJ^deliver the plans to Rus- sia. I may Be a thief and a murderer, but I am not yet ready to betray my country, and I told him so. He offered me almost any price 1 for the plans ; but I wouldn't listen. We had a serious quarrel, and he overpowered me and bound me. N "TI7E had a radio set here and he VV called San Francisco and sent some code message. I think he was waiting here for some one to come. Had we followed our original plans, we would have been miles from here before you arrived. "He had me bound and helpless, as he thought, but I worked my bonds a little loose. I didn't let him know it, for I knew that the plane I had let get away would guide a party here and I thought I might be able to help out. When you came and attacked the house, I worked at my bonds until they were loose enough to throw off. I saw Koskoff start my cold apparatus to working and then he quit, because he ran out of helium. When be started ■hooting again, ,1 worked out of my bonds and tackled him. ''He was a better man than I gave him credit for, or else he suspected me, for about the time I grabbed him he whirled and struck me over the head with hia gun barrel and tore my face opeq. The blow stunned me; and when I came to, I was thrown into this cor- ner. I meant to have another try at it, but I guess you rushed him too fast. He turned and ran for the tunnel, but as he did so, he shot me through the body. I gness I didn't look dead enough to suit him. You gentlemen broke open the door sad came in. That's all." "Not by, a long shot, it isn't," ex- claimed Dr. Bird. "Where is that cold light apparatus of yours?" "In the tunnel." "How do you get into it?" / "If you will open that cupboard on the wall, you'll find . an open knife switch on the wall. Close it" N DR. BIRD found the switch and closed it. As he did so the cabin rocked on its foundations and both Carries and Walter were thrown to the ground. The thud of /detonation deep in the earth came to tSheir ears. "What was that?" cried the doctor. "That," replied Smith with a wan smile, "was the detonation of two hun- dred potinds of TJJ.T. When you dig down into the underground cave where we used the cold light apparatus, you will find it in fragments. It was my only child, and Til take it with me." As he finished his head slumped for- ward on his chest. With an exclamation of dismay Dr. Bird sprang forward andy tried to lift the prostrate form. In an agony of desire the Doctor tightened his grip on the dying man's shoulder. But Smith collapsed into a heap. Dr. Bird bent forward and tore open his shirt and listened at his chest. Presently he straightened up. "He is gone," he said sadly, "and I guess the results of his genius have died with him. He doesn't- strike me as a man who left overmuch to chance. Games, is your case completed?" "Very satisfactorily. Doctor. I have both of the. Tost packets." "All right, then, come back to the wreck and help me pack my burros. I can make my way back to 'Fallon with- out a guide." "Where are you going. Doctor?" "That, Carries, old dear, is none of your blankety blanked business. . Per- mit me to remind you that' I am on my vacation. I haven't decided yet just where I lam going, but I can tell yon one thing. It's gping to be some place where you can't call me on the tele- phone." / stood on the Imrret-balcomy of the Plmetarn with Dr. Frank, matching the arriving passengen. Brigands of the Moon (The Book of Gregg Haljan) BEGINNING A FOUR-PART NOVEL By Ray Gumming* ^ Foreword by Ray Cummings \ the illustrious Father of our (Country 1HAVE been thinking that if, dur- Should .have read it with consider- ing one of those long winter eve- able emotion. I do not mean what we nings at , Valley Forge, someone had call a story of science, or fantasy placed in f ! — just a, novel of George Washing- ton's hands one of our present day best sellers, Black mutiny and brirandafe stalk the Space-ship Ptanetara at she speeds lo the Moon to pick op a fabulously rich cache action, adventure and romance. The sort of thing you and I like to read. 30B but do not find amazing in any way at all. But I fancy that George Washington would have found it amazing. Don't you? It might picture, for instance, a factory girl at a sewing machine. George Washington would be amazed at a sewing machine. And the girl, journeying in the subway to and from her work I Stealing an opportunity to telephone her lover at the noon hour ; going to the movies in the evening,- or listening to a radio. And there might be a climax, perhaps, with the girl and the villain in a transcontinental rail- way Pullman, and the hero sending frantic telegrams, or telephoning the train, and then chasing it in his air- plane. George Washington would have found it amazing! And I an? wondering how you and I would feel if someone were to give us now a book of ordinary adventure of the sort" which will be published a hun- dred and fifty years hence. I have been trying to imagine such a book and the nature of its contents. 308 ASTOUNDING STORIES LET us imagine' it together. Sup- pose we .walk down Fifth Avenue, pleasant spring morning of May, 2080. Fifth Avenue, no doubt, will be there. I don't know whether the New York Public Library will be there or ndt. We'll assume that JVis, and that it has some sort of books, printed, or in whatever fashion you care to imagine. The young man library attendant is surprised at our curiously antiquated aspect. We look as though we were dressed for some historical costume ball. We talk old-fashioned English, like actors in an historical play of the 1930 period. But we get the book. The attendant assures us it is a good average story of action and adventure. Nothing re- markable, but he read it himself, and found it interesting. We thank him and take the book. But we find that the language in, which it is written \s too strange for com- fortable reading. And it names bo many extraordinary things so casually I As ^hougflBa^ftiW all about them, which So ire^^XjPfo the kind-hearted librarian in thV language division. He modifies it to old-fashioned English of 1930, and he puts occasional footnotes to help explain some of the things we might not understand. Why he should bother to do this for us- 1 don't know; but let us assume that he dotfe And now we take the«*a*>k home — in the pneumatic tube, or aerial moving sidewalk, ,e* airship, or whatever it is we take to get home. And now that we are home, let's read the book. It ought ^to be interesting. CHAPTER t Tells of the Grantline Moon Expedition and of the Mysterious Martian Who Followed Us in the City Corridor ONE may write about oneself and Btill not be an egoist. Or so, at least, they tell me. My narrative went broadcast with a fair success. It was pantomimed and the public flashed me a reasonable ap- proval. And so my disc publishers have suggested that I record it in more per- manent form. I introduce myself, begging grace that I intrude upon your busy minutes, with my only excuse that perhaps I may amuse you. For what the com- mercial sellers of my pictured version were pleased to blare as my handsome face, I ask y«ur indulgence. My femi- nine audience of the pantomimes was undoubtedly graciously pleased at ray personality and physical aspect. That I am "tall as a Viking of old" — and "handsome as a young Norse God" — is very pretty tajk in the selling of my product. But I deplore its jntrusion into the personality of thisTTny re- corded narrative. And so now, for pre- face, to a(l my audience I do give earnest assurance that Gregg Haljan is no conceited zebra, handsomely striped by nature, and proud of it. plot j&o. I 'am, I do beg you to believer^ very humble fellow, striving for your ap- proval, hoping only to entertain you. My introduction: My name, Gregg Haljan. My age, twenty-five, years. I was, at the time my narrative begins, Third Officer, on the Space-Ship Plate- tara. Our line Was newly established; in 2070, to be exact, following the modern improvements of the* Martel Magnetic Levitation.* OUR ship, whose home port was Great-New York, carried mail and passenger traffic to and from both Venus and Mars. Of astronomical ne- cessity, our flights were irregular. This spring, with the two other planets both close to the earth, we were making two complete round trips. We nad just ar- rived in Great-New York, this May evening, . from Grebhar, Venus Free State. With only five hours in port * As early as 1910 it wag discovered that an object magnetized under certain condition! waa subject to a loaa of weight, ita gravity partially nullified. The Martel discovery un- doubtedly followed that method. BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 309 here, we were departing the same night at the zero hour for Ferrok-Shahn, capital of the Martian Union. We were ho sooner at the landing stage than - I found a code-flash sum- moning Dan Dean and me to Divisional Detective Headquarters. Dan "Snap" Dean was one 'of my closest friends. He was radio-helio operator of the Planetara. A small, wiry, red-headed chap, with a quick, ready laugh and a wit that made everyone like him. The summons to Detective-Colonel Halsey's office surprised us. Snap eyed me. "You haven't been opening any treas- ury' vaults, have you, Gregg?" "He wants you, also," I retorted. He laughed. "Well, he can >oar at me like a traffic switchman and my private life will remain my own." We could not think why. we should be wanted. It was the darkness of mid- evening when we left the Planetara for Halsey's office. It was not a long trip. We went direct in the upper monorajl, descending into the subterranean city at Park-Circle 30. WE had never been to Halsey's office before. We found ii to be ■ gloomy, vaultlike place in one of the deepest corridors. The door lifted. "Gregg Halj&n and Daniel Dean." The guard stood aside, "dome in." I own that my heart was unduly thumping as we entered. The door dropped behind us. It was a small blue- lit apariment — a steel-lined room like a vault.' Colonel Halsey sat at his desk. And the big, heavy-set, florid Captain Car- ter — our commander of the Planetara — was here. That surprised us: we had not seen him leave the ship. ' Halsey smiled at us gravely. Captain Carter said, "Sit down, lads." We took the seats. There was an alarming solemnity about this. If I had been guilty of anything that I could think of, it would have been frighten- ing. But Halsey's first words reassured me. "It's about the, Grantline Moon Ex- pedition. In spite of our secrecy, the news has gotten out. We want to know how. Can you tell us?" Captain Carter's huge bulk — he was about as tall as' I am — towered over us as we sat before Halsey's desk. "If j+u lads have told anyone — said any- thing — let slip the slightest hint-aboot Snap smiled with relief; but ht turned solemn at once. "I haven't. Not a word I" "Nor have I,(' I declared. THE Grantline Moon Expedition! We had not thought of that. as a reason for this summons. Johnny Grantline was a close friend to us both. He had organized aii exploring expedi- tion to the Moon. Uninhabited, with its bleak, forbidding, airless, waterless surface, the Moon — even though so close to the Earth — was Beldom,visited. No regular ship ever stopped there. A few exploring parties of recent years had come to grief. But there was a persistent rumor that upon the Moon, mineral riches of/ fabulous 'wealth were awaiting dis- covery. The thing had already caused some interplanetary complications. The aggressive Martians would be only too glad to explore the Moon. But the U. S. W.* definitely warned them away. The Moon was World Territory, we announced, and we would, protect it as ^uch. The threatened conflict between the Earth and Mars had come to nothing. There was, this year of 2079, a thorough amity between all three of the inhabited planets". It still holds, and I pray that it may always hold. There was, nevertheless, a realization by our government, that whatever riches might be upon the Moon should be seized at once and held by some reput- able Earth Company. And when Johnny 1 • "United State* of the World," which came into being in 2067 upon the centenary of the Yellow War.^ ASTOUNDING STORIES Grantline applied, with his father's wealth and his own scientific record of attainment, the government was only too glad to> grant him its writ THE Grantline" Expedition had started six months ago. The Mar- tian government had acquiesced in our uhimatum, yet brigands have, been known to be financed under cover of a governmental disavowal. And so the. expedition was kept secre^ My words need give no offense to wanted help or had any important mew- sage, he was to flash' it locally to oar passing ship. And this Snap knew, and had never mentioned it, even to me. Halsey was saying, "Well, we can'tt blame you, but the secret is out." Snap and I regarded each other. What could anyone do? What would anyone dare do? Captain Carter said abruptly, "Look here, lads, this is my chance now to talk plainly to you. Outside, anywhere outside these walls, an eavesdropping any Martian who comes upon them. \/~iay may be upon us. You know that? refer to the history of our earth only. One may never even dare whisper since The Grantline Expedition was on the Moon now. No word had come from it. One could not flash helios even in code without letting -all the universe know that explorers were on the Moon. And why they were there, anyone could easily guess. And now Colonel Halsey was telling us .that the news was abroad ! Captain Carter eyed us closely; his flashing eyes under de white, bushy brows would pry i secret from anyone. "You're sure? A girl of Venus, per- haps, with, her cursed, seductive lure I A chance word, with you lads befud- dled by alcolite?" We assured him we had been care- ful. By the heavens, I know that I had been. Not! a whisper, even to Snap, of the name Grantline in six months or more. Captain Carter added abruptly, "We're insulated here, Halsey?" "Yes, talk as freely as you like. An eavesdropping ray will never get into these walls." THEY questioned us. They were satisfied at last that, though the secret had escaped, we had not done it. Hearing it discussed, it occurred to me to wonder why Carter was concerned. I was not aware that he knew of Grant- line's venture. I learned now the reason why the Planetara, upon each of her voyages, had managed to pass fairly cjose to the Moon. It had been ar- ranged with Grantline that if he that accursed ray was developed." Snap operifd his mouth to speak but decided against, it. My heart was pounding. Captain Carter went on, "I know I can trust you two more than anyone else under me on the Planetara — " "What do you mean by that?" I de- manded. "What—" He interrupted me. "Nothing at all but what I say." HALSEY smiled grimly. "What he means, Haljan, is that things are not always what they seem these days. One cannot always tell a friend from an enemy. The Planetara is a public vcssj^You have — how many is it, Car- ter? — thirty or forty passengers this trip to-night?" "Thirty-eight," said Carter. "There are thirty-eight people listed for the flight to Ferrok-Shahn to- night," Halsey said slowly. "And some may not be what they seem." -.He raised his thin dark hand. "We have informal tlon — " He paused. "I confess, we know almost nothing — hardly more thin enough to alarm us." Captain Carter interjected, "I want you and Dean to be on your guard. Once on the Planetara it is difficult for us to talk openly, but be watchfU. I will arrange for us to be doubly armed." Vague, perturbing words! Halsey said, "They tell me George Prince is. listed for the voyages I am suggesting, BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 311 Hal j an, that you keep your eye espe- cially upon him. Your duties on the Planetara leave you comparatively free, don't they?" v "Yes," I agreed. With the first and second officers on duty, and the cap- tain aboard, my routine was more or less that of an understudy. I said, "George Prince I Who is he ?" "A mechanical engineer," said Hal- sey. "An under-official of the Earth Federated Radium Corporation. But he associates with bad companions — par- ticularly Martians." I had never heard of this George Prince, though I was familiar with the ' Federated Radium Corporation, of course. A semi-government trust, which controlled virtually the entire Earth supply of radium. . "He was in the Automotive Depart- ment," Carter put-in. "You've heard of the Federated Radium Motor?" WE had, of course. A recent Earth invention which promised to revolutionize the automotive industry. An engine of a new type, using radium as its fuel. Snap demanded, "What in the stars has this got to do with Johnny Grant-, line?" "Much," said Halaey quietly, "or per- haps nothing. But George Prince some years ago mixed in rather unethical 1 ' transactions. We had him in custody- once.- He is known now as unusually friendly with several Martians in New York of bad reputation." / "Well — " began Snap. "What you don't know," Halsey went on quietly, "is that Grantline expects to find- radium on the Moon." We gasped. ."Exactly," said Halsey. "The ill-fated Ballon Expedition thought they had found it on the Moon some years ago. A new type of ore, as rich in radium, as our gold-bearing sands are rich in gold. Ballon's first samples gave urani- um, atoms with a fair representation of ionium and thorium. A richly radio- active ore. A lode of the pure radium is there somewhere, without doubt." HE added vehemently, "-Do you un- derstand now why we)should be suspicious of this George Prince^? He has a criminal record. He .has a thorough technical knowledge of radi- um ores. He associates with Martians of bad reputation. A large Martian Compatff has recently developed a radi- um engine to compete with our Earth motor. You know that? You know that there is very little radium available on Mars, and our government will not al- low our own radium supoly to be ex- ported. That Martian Company needs radium. It will do anything to get radium. What do you suppose it would pay for a few tons of really rich radio- active ore — such- as Grantline may have found 'on the Moon?" "But,"'! objected, "that is a reputable Martian company. It's backed by the government of the Martian Union.- The government of Mars would not dare—" "Of course not I" Captain Carter ex- claimed sardonically. "Not openly I But if Martian bpgands .had a supply of radium — I don't imagine where'it came from would make much difference. That Martian Company woujd buy it." Halsey added, "And George Prince,- my agents inform me, seems to know that Grantline is on the Moon. Put it all together, lads. Little sparks show the hidden current. ' "More than that: George Prince knows that we have arranged to have the Planetara stop, at the Moon and bring back Grantline's radium-ore. This is your last voyage this year. You'll hear from Grantline this time, we're convinced. He'll probably givipyou the signal as you pass the Moon on your way out. Coming back, you'll stop at the Moon and transport whatever radi- um-ore Grantline has ready. The Grant- line Flyer is too small for ore trans- portation." HALSEY"S voic«, turned grimly sarcastic. "Doesn't it seem queer that George Prince and a few of his 312 ASTOUNDING STORIES Martian friends happen to be listed as passengers for this voyage?" In the silence that followed, Snap and I regarded each other. Halsey added abruptly, "We had George Prince typed that time we arrested him four years ago. I'll show him to you." He snapped open an alcove, and said to his waiting attendant, "Get me the type of George Prince." The disc in a moment came through the pneumatic. Halsey, smiling wryly, adjusted it. "A nice looking feHow. Nicely spoken. Though at the time we made this he was somewhat annoyed, natur- ally. He|is older now. Twenty-nine, to be exact. Here he is." ;., The image glowed on the grids be- fore us. * His name, George Prince, in letters illumined upon his forehead, showed for a moment and then faded. He stood smiling sourly before us as he repeated the official formula: "My name is George Prince. I was bom in Great-New York City twenty- five years ago." IGA^ED at this life-size, moving image of George Prince, He stood somber in the black detention uniform. A dark, almost a girlishly handsome fellow, well below medium height — the rod beside him showed five feet four Inches. Slim and slight. Long, wavy black hair, falling about his ears." 'A pale, clean-cut, really handsome face, almost beardless. I regarded it closely. A face that would have been feminine- ly beautiful without its masculine touch of heavy black brows and firmly Bet jaw. His voice as he spoke was low and soft ; but at the end, with the con- cluding words, "I am innocent I" it Sashed into strong masculinity. His eyes, shaded with long girlish black lashes, by chance met mine. "I am in- nocent." His curving sensuous lips drew down into a grim sneer. . . . The type faded at its end. Halsey replaced the disc in its box and waved the attendant away. "Thank you." He turned back to Snap and ma, "Well, there he is. We have nothing tangible against him now. But 111 say this: he's a clever fellow, one to be afraid of. I would not blare it from the newscasters' microphone, but if he is hatching any plot, he has been too clever for my agents." \ We talked for another half-hour, and then Captain Carter dismissed us. We left Halsey's office with Carter's final words ringing in our ears. "Whatever comes, lads, remember I trust you. . . ." SNAP and I decided to walk a por- tion of the way back to the ship. It was barely more than a mile through this subterranean corridor to where we could get the vertical lift direct to the landing stage. We started off on the lower level. Once outside the insulation of Hal- sey's office we did not dare talk of this thing. Not only electrical ears, but every possible eavesdropping device might be upon us. The corridor was two hundred feet or more below the ground level. At this hour of the night this business section was comparatively de- serted. The through tube bounded over our heads with the passing of its oc- casional trains. The ventilators buzzed and whirred; At the cross Intersections, the traffic, directors dozed at their posts. It was hot and sticky down here, and gloomy with 'the daylight globes ex- tinguished, and only the night lights to give a dim illumination. The stores and office arcades -were all closed and deserted; only an occasional night- light burning behind their windows. Our footfalls echoed on the metal grids as we hurried along^ "Nice evening," said Snap awk- wardly. "Yes," I said, "isn't it?* I felt oppressed. As though prying eyes and ears were here. We walked for a time in silence, each of us busy with memory of what had transpired in Halsey's office. Suddenly Snap gripped me. "What's that?" BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 313 "Where?" I whispered. WE stopped at a corner. .An en- tryway waB here. Snap pulled me into it. \ could, feel him quivering with excitement. "What is it?" I demanded in a whis- per. S "We're being followed. Did you near anything ?" . \ "No I" Yet I thought now I could hear something. Vague footfalls. A rustling. And a microscopic electrical whine, as though some device were near us. Snap 'was fumbling in his pocket. "Wait, I've got a pair of low-scale phones." He put the little grids against his ears. I could heVr the sharp intake of his breath. Then he seized me, pulled me down to the metal floor bf the en- tryway. "Back, Gregg I Get back!" I could barely hear his whisper. We Crouched as far back into the doorway as we could get. I was armed. My official per- mit for the carrying of the pencil heat- ray allowed me to have it always with me. I drew it now. But there was nothing to shoot at. I felt Snap clamp- ing the grids on my ears. And now I heard something I An Intensification of the vague footsteps I had thought I heard before. , There was something following us! Something out in the corridor there now I A street light was nearby. The corridor was dim, but plainly visible; and to my sight it was empty. But there was something there. Something invisible I I could hear it moving. Creeping towards us. I pulled the grids off my ears/ Snap murmure^r "You've got a local phone." "Yes! I'll get them to give us the street glare I" 1 PRESSED the danger signal, giv- ing our location to the nearest oper- ator. In a second or two we got the light The street in all this neighbor- hood burst Into, .a brilliadt ( actinic glare. The - thing menacing us was re- vealed I A figure in a black cloak, crouching .thirty feet away across the corridor. 'Snap was on his feet. 'His voice rang shrilly, "There it isl Give it a shot, Gregg I" Snap was unarmed, but he flung his hands out menacingly. The figure, which may perhaps not have been aware of our ci^y safeguard, was taken wholly by surprise. A hciman figure. Seven feet tall, at the least, and therefore, I judged, doubtless a Martian man. The black cloak covered his head. He took a step toward us, hesitated, and then /turned in confusion. Snap's shrill voice was bringing help. The whine of a street guard's alarm whistle nearby sounded. The figure was making off I My pencil-ray was in my hand and I pressed its switch. The tiny heat-ray stabbed through the glare, but I missed. The figure stumbledrbut did not fall, I saw a bare gray arm come from the cloak, flung up to mairitain its balance. Or perHaps my pencil-ray of heat had seared the arm. The gray- skinned arm of a Martian. Snap was Ihouting, "Give him an- other I" But the figure passed beyond the' actinic glare and vanished. We were detained in the turmoil of the corridor for ten minutes or more with official explanations. Then a mes- sage from Halsey released us. The Mar- tian who' had been following, us in his invisible cloak was never caught. We escaped from the crowd at last and made our way back to the Plane- tara, where the passengers were already assembling for the outward Martian voyage. CHAPTER II '"A Fleeting Glance—" 1 STOOD on the turret-balcony if the Planetara with Captain, Carter and Dr. Frank, the ship surgeon,' watch- ing the arriving passengers. It was close to the zero hour: the level of the 314 ASTOUNDING STORIES stage was a turmoil of confusion. The escalators, with the last of the freight aboard, were folded back. But the stage was -jammed with the incoming, passenger baggage ; the fnterplanetary customs end tax officials with their X-ray and Zed-ray paraphernalia and' the passengers themselves, lined up for the export inspection. At this height, the city lights lay spread in a glare of blue and yellow be- neath us. The individual ^ocal planes' came dropping like birds to our stage., Thirty-eight passengers fqr this flight' to Mars, but that accursed desire of every friend and relative to speed the departing voyager brought a hundred or more extra people to crowd our girders and Wing added difficulty to everybody. Carter was too absorbed in his duties to stay with us long. But here in the turret Dr, Frank and I found ourselves at the moment with nothing much to do but watch. "Think well get away on time, Gregg?" "No," I said, "And this of all voy- ages—" I checked .myself, with thumping heart. My thoughts were so full of what Halsey and Carter had told us thaftt was difficult to rein my tongue. Yet here in the turret, unguarded by insulation, I could say nothing. Nor would I have dared mention the Grant- line Moon Expedition to Dr. Frank. I wondered what he knew ,of this affair. Perhaps as much as I — perhaps noth- ing. HE was a thin, dark, rather smallish man of fifty, this ship's surgeon', trim in his blue and white uniform. I knew him well : we had made several flights together. An American — I fancy of Jewish ancestry. A likable man, and a skillful doctor and surgeon. He and I had always been good friends. "Crowded," he , said. "Johnson says thirty-eight 1 . I hope they're experienced travelers. This pressure sickness is a rotten nuisance — keeps me dashing around all night assuring frightened women they're not going to die. Last voyage, coming out of the Venus at- mosphere — " He plunged into a lugubrious ac- count of his troubles with space-sick vqyagers. But I was in no mood to listen. My gaze was down on the spider incline, up which, over the bend of the ship's sleek, silvery body, the passengers and their friends were com- ing in little groups. The upper deck was already jammed with them. The Planet ara, as flyers go, was not a targe* vessel. Cylindrical of body, forty feet maximum beam, and two hundred and seventy-five feet in over- all length. The passenger superstruc- ture — no more than a hundred feet Jong — was set amidships. A narrow deck, metallic-endued, and with large bulls- eye windows, encircled the superstruc- ture. Some of the cabins opened di- rectly oito the deck. Others had doors to the interior corridors. There were half a dtfwn email but luxurious public rooms. I ^ByHE rest of the vessel was given to X freight storage and the mechanism amrewuUfll compartments. Forward of the passenger structure the deck level continual under the cylindrical dome- roof iff the bow. The forward watch- tower observatory was here; officers' cabins; Captain Carter's navigating rooms and Dr, Frank's office. Similarly, under' the stern-dome, was the stern watch-tower and a series of power com- partments. \ Above the superstructure a confu- sion of spider bridges, ladders and balconies were laced like a metal net- work. The turret > n which Dr. Frank and I now 'stood was perched here. Fifty feet i away, like a bird's nest, Snap's instrument room stood clinging to the metal bridge. The dome roof, with the glassite windows rolled back now, rose in a mound-peak to cover this highest middle portion of the vessel. Below, in the main hull, blue-lit metal corridors ran the* entire .'length BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 315 of the ship. Freight storage compart- ments; gravity control . rooms ; tni air renewal systems ; heater and ventilators and pressure mechanisms — all were lo- cated there. And the kitchens, stewards' compartments, and the living quarters, of the crew. We carried a crew of six- teen", this voyage, exclusive of the navi- gating officers, and the purser, Snap Dean, and Dr. Brank. THE passengers coming aboard seemed a fair representation of what we usually had for the outward voyage to Ferrok-Shahn. Most were Earth people — and returning Martians. Dr. Frank pointed out one. A huge Martian in a gray cloak. A seven-foot fellow. , "His name is Set Miko," Dr. Frank remarked. "Ever heard of him?" "No," I said. "Should I?" "Well—" The' doctor suddenly checked himself, as though he were tony he had spoken. "I never heard of him," I repeated •lowly. An awkward silence fell suddenly between us. There were a few Venus passengers. I saw one of them presently coming up the incline, and recognized her. A girl traveling alone. We had brought her from Grebhar, last voyage but one. I remembered her. An alluring sort of girl, as most of them are. Her name was Venza. She spoke English well. A singer and dancer who had been im- ported to Great-New York to fill some theatrical engagement. She'd made quite a hit on the Great White Way. She came up the incline, with the carrier ahead of her. Gazing up, she •aw Dr. Frank and me at the turret window and waved her 'white arm in greeting. And flashed us a smilem Dr. Frank laughed. "By the gods of the airways, there's Alta Venza I You •aw that look, Gregg? That was 'for me, pot you." Reasonable enough," I retorted. "But I doubt it — the Venza was noth- ing If not impartial." • I WONDERED what could be rak- ing Venza now to Mars. I was glad to see her. She was diverting. Edu- cated. Well-traveled. Spoke English with a colloquial, theatrical manner more characteristic of Great-New York than of Venus. And for all her light banter, I would rather put my trust in her than any Venus girl I had ever met. The hum of the departing siren was sounding. Friends and relatives of the passengers were crowding the exit in- cline. The deck' was clearing. I had not seen George Prince come aboard. And then I thought I saw him down on the landing stage, just arrived from a private tube-car. A small, slight figure. The customs men were around him: I could only see his head and shoulders. Pale, girlishly handsome face; long, black hair to "the base of his neck. He was bare-headed, with the hood of his traveling-cloak pushed back. I stared, and I saw that Dr. Frank was also gazing down. But neither of us spoke. Then I said upon impulse, "'Suppose we go down to the deck, Doctor?" He acquiesced. We descended to the lower, room of the turret and clambered down Jhe spider ladder to the upper deck-level. The head of the arriving in- cline was near us. Preceded by two carriers who were littered with hand- baggage, George Prince was coming up the incline. He was closer now. I recognized him. from the type we had seen in Halsey's office. AND then, with a shock, I saw it was not so. ThiB was a girl com- ing aboard. An arch-light over the in- cline showed her clearly when she was half way up. A girl with- her hood pushed back; her face framed in thick black hair. I saw now it waB not a man's cut of hair; but long braids coiled up under the dangling hood. DrJ Frank must have remarked my amazed expression. "Little beauty, isn't she?" "Who is she?V We were standing back against the 316 ASTOUNDING STORIES wall of the superstructure. A passenger was near us — the Martian whom Dr. Frank had called Miko. He was loiter- ing here, quite evidently watohing this girl come aboard. But as I glanced at him he looked away and casually sauntered off. The girl came up and reached the deck. "I am in A 22," she told the .carrier. "My brother came aboard two hours ago." ' Dr. Frank answered my whisper. "That's Anita Prince." e She was passing quite close to lis on the deck, following the carrier, when she stumbled and very nearly fell. I was nearest to her. I leaped forward and caught her as she went down. "Oh I" she cried. With my arm about her, I raised her up and set her upon her feet again. She had twisted her ankle. She bal- anced herself upon it. The pain of it eased up in a moment. "I'm — all right— thank you!" IN the dimness of the blue-lit deck, I met her eyes. I was 'holding her with my encircling arm. She was small and soft against me. Her face, framed in the thick, black hair, smiled up at me. Small, oval face — beautiful — yet firm of chin, and stamped with the mark of its own individuality. No empty-headed beauty, this. "I'm all right, thank you very much—" I became conscious that I had not released her. I felt her hands pushing at me. And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging. And I met her startled, upflung gaze. Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them. I heard myself murmuring,' "I beg your pardon. Yes, of course P I re- leased her. She thanked me again and followed the carrier along the deck. She was limping slightly from the twisted ankle. An instant, while she had clung to me — and 1 had held her. A hrief flash: of something, from her eyes to mine — : from' mine back to hers. The poet* write that love can be born of such ■ glance. The first meeting, across all the barriers of which love springs un- sought, unbidden — defiant, sometime!, : And the troubadours of old would sing: "A fleeting glance; a touch; two wildly beating hearts — and love was bom." I think, with Anita and me, it mutt ' have been like that I stood gazing after her, unconscious of Dr. Frank, who was watching me with his humorous smile. And pres- ently, no more than a quarter beyond the zero hbur, the Planetara got away. With the dome-windows battened tightly, we lifted from the landing stage and soared over the glowing city. The phosphorescence of the electronic tubes was like a comet's tail behind ui as we slid upward. f At the trinight hour the heat of our atmospheric passage was over. The passengers had all retired. The ship was quiet, with empty decks and dim, silent corridors. Vjbrationless, with the electronic engines cut off and only the hum of the- Mattel magnetizers to break the unnatural stillness. We were well beyond the earth's atmosphere, heading out in the cone-path of the earth's shadow, in the direction of the moon. CHAPTER III In the Helio-ioom M., earth Eastern time, we were still carrying, AT six A which Snap Dean and I were alone in his in' strument room, perched in the network 'over the' Pianetara's^deck. The bulge of the dome enclosed us; it rounded like a great observatory window some twenty feet above the ceiling of this little metal cubby-hole. ' The Planetara was still in the earth's shadow. The firmament — black inter- stellar space with its blazing white, red and yellow stars — lay spread around us. The moon, with nearly all its disc Il- lumined, hung, a great silver ball, over BRIGANDS OF THE.MOON 317 our bow quarter. Behind it, to one side. Mars floated like the red tip of a smoldering cigarillo in the blackness. The earth, behind our stern, was dimly, redly visible-^ giant sphere, etched with the configurations of its oceans and continents. Upon one limb a touch of the Bunlight hung on the mountain- tops with a, crescent red-yellow sheen. And then we plunged from the cone- shadow. The sun, with the leaping Corona, burst through, the blackness be- hind us. The earth lighted into a huge, thin crescent with hooked cusps. To Snap and me, the glories of the heavens were too familiar to be re- marked. And upon this voyage par- ticularly we were in no mood to con- sider them. I had been in the helio- room several hours. When the Plane- tara started, and my few routine duties were over, I could think of nothing save Halsey's and .Carter's admonition : "Be on your guard. And particularly —watch George Prince." I Had not seen George Prince. But I had seen his sister, whom Carter and Hklsey had not bothered to mention. My heart was still pounding with the memory. . . . WHEN the passengers had retired and the ship quieted, I prowled through the passenger corridors. This was about the trinight hour.* Hot as the corridors of hell, with our hull and the glassite dome seething with the friction of our atnUfcpheric flight. But the refrigeratorsninitigate.d that; the ventilators blasted cold air from the re- newers into every comer of the vessel. Within an hour or two, with the cold of space striking us, it was hot air that was needed. Dr.vFrank evidently was having lit- tle tTcflble with pressure-sick passen- gers^*4-the Planetara's equalizers were •Trinight Hour, i.e, 3 A. H. . ••Pressure sickness, diluted by the diffi- ahf of maintaining a constantly normal air pressure within the vessel owing to the sod- so, extreme changes from heat to cold. fairly^efficient. I did not encounter Dr. Frank. I prowled through the silent metal lounges and passages. I went to the door of A 22.' It was on the deck- level, in a tiny transverse passagetjust off she main lounging room. Its name- grid glowed with the letters: Anita Prince." I stood in my short white- trousers and white silk shirt, like a cabin steward gawping. Anita Prince I I had never heard the name until ,this night. .But there was magic music in it now, as I murmured it to myself. Anita Prince. . . . She was here, -doubtless asleep, be- hind this small metal door. It seemed as though that little oval grid were the gateway to a fairyland of my dreams. I turned away. And thought of the Grantline Moon Expedition stabbed at me. George Prince — Anita's brother — he whom I liad been told to watch. This renegade — associate of dubious Martians, plotting God knows what. I' SAW, upon the adjoining door, "A 20, George Prince." I listened. In the humming stillriess of the ship's in- terior, there was no sound from these cabins. A 20 was without windows, I knew: But Anita's room had a window and a door which gave upon the deck. I went through the lounge, out its arch, and walked the deck- length. The deck door and window of A 22 were closed and dark. The ten-foot-wide deck was dim With white starlight from the side ports. Chairs were here, but they were all empty. From 4he bow windows of the arching dome a flood of moonlight threw long, slanting shadows down the deck. At the corner where the super- structure ended, I thought I saw* a fig- ure lurking as though watching me. I went that way, but^it vanished. I turned the corner, went the width of the ship to the other side. There _ was no one in Bight save the observer on his spider bridge, high in the bow network, and the second officer, on duty on the turret balcony almost directly over me. > 31$ ASTOUNDING STORIES As I stood and listened, I suddenly : heard footsteps. From flje direction of the bow a figure came. Purser John-i son. 1 1 j He greeted me. "Cooling off, Gregg?"; "Yes,'' I said. / J He went past me and turned into the I smoking room door nearby. I stood a moment at one of the deck', windows, gazing at the stars; and fori no reason at all I realized I wasHense. Johnsori was a great one for his regular, sleep — It was wholly unlike him, tp be roaming about the ship^t such an hour. Had he been watching me? I told my- self it was nonsense. I was suspicious of everyone, everything, this voyage. ' I HEARD another step. Captain Car- ter appeared from his chart-room, which stood in the center of the nar-J rowing open deck space near the bow^. I joined him at once. j "Who was that?" he half-whispered^ "Johnson." 4 "Oh, yes." He fumbled in his uni- form ; his gaze swept the moonlit deck. "Gregg — take this." He handed me a small metal box. I stuffed ft at once into my shirt. | "An insulator," he added, swiftly. 1 "Snap is in his office. Take it to him] Gregg. IStay with him — you'll have a measure of security — and you can held him to make the photographs," He was barely whispering. "I wont be with, you — no use making it look as though] we were doing anything unusual. If your graphs show anything-^-or if Srrat picks up any message— 'bring it to me.' He added aloud, "Well, it will be coo enough presently, Gregg." He sauntered away toward bis chart room. "By heavens, .what £ relief I" Snat murmured as the current went on. W< had wired his cubby with the insulator within its barrage we could at last talk with a degree of freedom. "You've seen George Prince, Gregg ?t "No. He's assigned A 20. 'But I saw his sister. Snap, no one ever men- ■ tioned — " Snap had heard of her, but he hadn't known that she was listed for this voy- age. "A real beauty, so I've heard. Ac- cursed shame for a decent girl to have a brother like that." I could, agree with him there, but I 'made no comment. IT was now 6 A. M.. Snap had been busy all night with routine cosmo- radios from the earth/ following our departure. He had a pile' of them be- side him. "Many were for the passen- gers; but anything that savored of ■ code was barred. £ "Nothing queer looking?" I sug- gested, i "No. Not a thing." f We were at this time' no more than some sixty-five thousand miles from the moon's' surface. The Planetara pres- ently would swing upon her -direct course for Mors? There was nothing which could cause passenger comment -in this close passing of the moon; nor- mally we used the satellite's attraction to give us additional starting speed. It was now or never that a message would come from Grantline. He was supposed to be upon"- this .earthward side of the moon. While .Snap had rushed through with his routine, I had searched the moon-surface with our glass, as I knew Carter was searching ' it — and also the observer in his tower, very possibly. But there was nothing. Copernicus and KepUer lay in full sunlight. The heights bf the lunar mountains, the depths of the barren, empty staff were etched black and white, clear and dean. Grim, forbidding desolation, this un- changing moon I In romance, moon- light may shimmer and sparkle to light a lover's smile; but the reality of the moon is cold and bleak. There was nothing to show my prying eyes where the intrepid Grantline might be. "Nothing at all. Snap." And Snap's, helio mirrors, attuned for an hour now to pick up the faintest signal, were motionless. - "If he has concentrated any appra* BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 319 liable amount of radio-active ore," said Snap, "we should get an impulse from its Gamma rays." BUT our receiving shield was dark, untouched. We tried taking hydrogen photographic impressions of the visible moon surface. A sequence of them, with stereoscopic lenses, .forty- eight to the second. Our mirror-grid I [tvc the magnified images; the spectra- heliograph, with its wave-length selec- tion, pictured the mountain-levels, and ■lowly descended into the deepest seas. There was nothing. Tet in those moon caverns — a million million recesses amid the crags of that tpnbled, barren surface — the pin-point of movement which might have been Grantline's expedition could so easily be hiding I - Could he have the; ore in- putted, fearing its Gamma rays would betray its presence to hostile watch- ers? Or might disaster have come to him? Or he might not be upon this hemi- sphere of the moon at all. ... My imagination, sharpened by fancy of a lurking menace which seemed everywhere about the Planetara this' forage, ran rife with fears for Johnny Grantline. He had promised to com- municate this voyage. It was now, or perhaps never. Six-thirty came and passed. We were well beyond the earth's shadow sow. The firmament blazed with its mid glories; the sun behind us was a ball of yellow-red leaping flames. The earth bung, opened to a huge, dull-red ■all-sphere. >» WE were within some forty thou- sand miles of the moon. Giant white ball— aU^of its disc visible to the ■tked eye. Jit poised over the bow, and pretently/As the Planetara swung upon her course for Mars, it shifted side- wist. The light of it glared white and danling in our tiny side windows. Snap, with his habitual red celluloid eyeahade shoved high on his forehead, ' Worked over our instruments. "Gregg I" The receiving shield was glowing a trifle I Gamma rays were bombarding it I It glowwd, gleamed phosphorescent, and>the audible recorder began sound- ing its tiny tinkling murmurs. fiaTTima raysl Snap sprang to the dials. The direction and strength were soon obvious. *A richly radio-active ore body, of considerable size, was concentrated upon this hemisphere of the moon! It was unmistakabW- "He's got it, Gregg I He's—" 1 The tiny helio mirrors began quiver- ing. Snap exclaimed triumphantly, "Here he comes I By God, the message at last I Bar off that light I" I FLUNG on the absorbers. The moonlight bathing, the little room went into them and darkness sprang .around us. Snap fumbled at his in- strument board. Actinic light showed dimly in the quivering, thumbnail mir- rors.' Two* of them. They hung poised on their cobweb wires, infinitely sensi- tive to the infra-red light-rays Grant- line was sending from the moon. The mirrors in a moment began swinging. On the scale actpss the room the actinic beams from them were magnified into sweeps of light. The message I Snap spelled it out, decoded it. "Success! Stop for ore on your re- turn voyage. Will give you our loca- tion later. Success beyond wildest hopes—" i ' , The mirrors hung motionless. The shield, where the Gamma rays were bombarding, went suddenly dark. Snap murmured, "That's all. He's got the orel' 'Success beyond wildest hopes.' That must mean an enocmous quantity of it available I" We were sitting in darkness, and abruptly ' I became aware that across our open window, where the insulation barrage was flung, the air was faintly . hissing. An interference there I -I saw a tiny swirl of purple sparks. Someone —some hostile ray from the deck be- neath us, or from the spider bridge that ■ 320 ASTOUNDING STORIES^ led to our little room — someone out; there trying to pry in 1 Snap impulsively reached for the ab-» sorbers to let in the outside light — it was all darkness to us outside. But I checked him. "Wait I" I cut off our barrage^ opened our door and . stepped to the narrow metal bridge. "Wait, Snap I You stay there." I added aloud, "Well, Snap, I'm going 1 to bed. Glad you've cleaned up that batch of work." ' I BANGED the door^upon him. The lacework of metal bridges and lad-i ders seemed empty. I gazed up to the dome, and forward and aft. Twenty feet beneath me was the metal roof of the cabin superstructure. Below it; both sides of the deck showed. All patched with moonlight. No one visible down there. I de-l scended a ladder. The deck was empty i But in the silence something was mov- ing! Footsteps moving away from me down the deck I FrBilowed; and aid- denly I was running. Chasing some-; thing I could hear, but could not seei It turned into the smoking room. I burst in. And a real sound smoth- ered the phantom. Johnson the purser was sitting here alone in the dimness:- He was smoking. I noticed that hiq cigar held a long, frail ash. It could not have been him I was chasing. He was sitting there quite calmly. A thick- necked, heavy fellow, easily out of breath. But he was breathing calmly now./ i He sat up with amazement at my wild-eyed appearance, and the ashj jarred from his cigar. "Gregg I What in the devil — " I tried to grin. "I'm on my way to bed — worked all night helping Snap with those damn Earth messages." I went past him, out the door into the main interior corridor. It was the only way the invisible prowler could have gone. But I was too late now— I could hear nothing. I dashed for- ward into the main lounge. It was empty, dim and silent, a silence broke* presently by a faint click — a stateroom door hastily closing. I swung and found # myself in a tiny transverse pas- sage. The twin doors of A 22 and A 2t were before me. The invisible eavesdropper had gone into one of these rooms I I listened at each of the panels, but there was only silence within. The interior of the ship was sudden- ly singing with the steward's siren— , the call to awaken the passengers. It startled me. I moved swiftly away. But as the siren shut off, in the silence I heard a soft, musical voice : "Wake up, Anita — I think that's tat breakfast call." And her answer : "All right, George, I hear it." CHAPTER IV A Burn on a Martian Ana I DID not appear at that morning meal I was exhausted and drugged with lack of sleep. I had a "i"™! with Snap, to tell him what had oc- curred. Then I sought out Carter. He had his little chart-room Insulated. And we .were cautious. I told him what Snap and I had learned: the Gamm rays from the moon, proving dm Grantline had concentrated a consider- able ore-body. I also told him the mes- sage from Grantline. "We'll Btop on the way back, as he directs, Gregg." He bent closer to me. "At Ferrok-Shahn I'm going to brinf back a cordon of Interplanetary Police. The secret will be out, of course, wha once we stop at the moon. We have no right, even now, to be flying this vessel as unguarded as it is." i , J He was very solemn. And he was grim when I told him of the invisible eavesdropper. , "You think he overheard Grantline'i message?" "f don't know," I said. "Who was it? You seem to feel it was George Prince?" ; "Yes." BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 321 I was convinced'that ( the prowler had gone into A 20. When I mentioned the purser, who seemed to have been watching me earlier in the night, and ag^in was'sitting in the smokinfl room When the eavesdroopper fled past* Car- tel looked startled, v" "Johnson is all right, Gregg." "Is he? Does he know anything about this Grantline affair?" "No— no," said the captain hastily. "You haven't mentioned it, have you?" "Of course I haven't. I've been won-, dering why Johnson didn't hear that eavesdropper. I could r hear him when I was chasing him. But Johnson sat perfectly unmoved and let him go by. What was he sitting there for, anyway, at that hour of the morning?" "You're too suspicious, Gregg. Over- wrought. But you're right — we can't be too careful. I'm going to have that Prince suite searched whenLfcatch it unoccupied. _ Passengers don\ ordi- narily travel' with invisible cloaks. Go to bed, Gregg — you need a rest." I WENT to my cabin. It was located aft, on the stem deck-space, near the stern watch-tower. A. small metal room, with a desk, a chair knd bunk. I made sure no one was in ft. I sealed the lattice grill and the door, set the alarm trigger against any opening of them, and went to bed.* The. siren for the mid-day meal awakened me. I had slept heavily. I ■felt refreshed. And hungry. I found the passengers already as- sembled at my table when I arrived in the dining salon. It was a low-vaulted metal room of blue and yellow tube lights. At the sides its oval windows showed the deck, with its ports of the dome-side, through which a vista of the starry firmament was visible. We were well on our course to Mars. The moon had dwindled to a pin-point of light beside the crescent earth. And behind them our sun blazed, visually the larg- est orb in the heavens. It was some sixty-eight million miles from the earth to Mars, this voyage. A flighti under ordinary circumstances, of some ten days. There were five tables in the dining salon, each with eight seats. Snap and I had one of the tables. We sat at the ends, with three passengers'on each of the sides. Snap was in his seat when I arrived. He eyed meJ down the length of the table. "Good morning, Gregg. We missed you .at breakfast. Not pressure-rick, I ' hope?" There were three passengers already seated at our table — all men. Snap, in a gay mood, introduced me. "This is our third offiqer, Gregg Hal- jan. Big, handsome fellow, isn't he? And as pleasant as he is good-looking. Gregg, this is. Sero Ob Hahn.'^ 1MET the keen, dark-eyed somber gaze of a Venus man of middle age. A small, slim, graceful man, with sleek black hair. His pointed face, accentu- ated by the pointed beard, was pallid. He wore a white and purple robe ; upon his breast was a huge platinum orna- ment, a device like a star and cross en- twined. "I am nappy to meet you, sir." His voice was soft and sleek. "Ob Hahn," I repeated. "I should have heard of you, no 'doubt. But — " A smile plucked at his thin, gray lips. "That is the error of mine, not yours. My mission is that all the uni- verse shall hear of me." . "He's preaching the religion of the Venus Mystics," Snap explained. "And this enlightened gentleman," said Ob Hahn ironically, "has just termed it fetishism. The ignorance — " "Oh, I say I" protested the man at Ob Hahn's side. "I mean, you seem to think I intended something opprobrious. As a matter of fact-*-" "We've an argument, Gregg," laughed Snap. "This is Sir Arthur Coniston, an English gentleman, lec- turer and sky-trotter — that is, he will be a sky-trotter ; he tells us he plans a number of voyages.* 322 ASTOUNDING STORIES ,The till Englishman in his white linen suit bowed acknowledgment. "My complimi nts, Mr. Haljan. I hope you have no strong religious convictions, else we y ill make your table here very, miserable !" \. THE hird passenger had evidently kept out of the argument. Snap introduci d him as Ranee Rankin. An America! — a quiet,_jjj»rtd fellow of thirty-fiv : or foiff:' I ordeied my«breakfast and let the argument go on. * "Won't make me miserable," said Snap. ""I lC'.-e an argument. You said, SirArthujr? "I mean to say, I think I said too much. Mr. Rankin, you are more dip- lomatic." Rankin laughed. "I am a magician," •» he said tojm£ "A theatrical entertainer. I deal inltricks — how to fool an audi- ence — " |iis keen, amused gaze was on Ob Hahn.|"This gentleman from Venus and I have too much in common to argue." ^ "A natty one !" the Englishman ex- claimed. "By Jove ! Really, Mr. Ran- kin, you're a bit too cruel I" I -could j see we were doomed to have turbulent meals this voyage. I like to eat in quiqt; arguing passengers always' annoy me] There were still three seats vacant at ! our table ; I wondered who would occupy them. I 'soon learned the answer — for one scat at least. Ran- kin said calmly : "Wherej is the little Venus girl thiB meal?" If is glance went to the empty . seat at my right hand. "The Venza-r- wasn't that her name? She and I are destined for the same theater in Fer- rok-Shahrj." * So Verifa was to sit beside me. It was good pews. Ten days of a religious argument ! three times a day would be intolerable. But. the cheerful Venza would help. *■ , "She ndver eats the mid-day meal, aaid Snap! "She's on the deck, having orange juice. I guess it's the old gag about diet, eh?" . lkyT-Y attention wandered about the JlVX salon. Most of the seats, were occupied. At the captain's table I saw the objects V of my search. George Prince and his sister sat one on each s)de of the- captain. I saw George Prince in the life now as a man who looked hardly twenty-five. He was at tl^is moment evidently in a gay mood. His clean-cut,, handsome profile, with its poetic dark durls, was turned toward me. There seemed little of the villain a^out him. \, ' And I saw Anita Prince flow as a dprk-haired, black eyed little 1 beauty, in fiature _ resembling her brother very strongly. She presently finished her rrieal. She rose, with him after her. She was dressed in Earth fashion — white b£use and dark jacket, wide, kpee-length trousers of gray, with a red sash her only touch of color. She wjent past me, Sashed, me her smile and hod. " My heart was pounding. I answered her greeting, and met George Prince's casual gaze. He, too, smiled, as though to signify that his sister had told him of the service I had done her. ' Or was h(s smile an ironical memory of how he had eluded me this morning when I chased him ? - 1 1 gazed after his small, white-suited figure as he followed Anita from the salon. And thinking of her, I prayed tliat Carter and Halsey might be wrong. Whatever plotting against the Grant- like Expeditibn might be going on, I hoped that George Prince was innocent of.-it. Yet I knew in my heart it was a fotile hope. Prince hacy been that eavesdropper outside the helio-room. I cc-uld hot really doubt it. But that his sjster must be ignorant of what he was doing, I was sure. "fk/ff attention was brought sudden- iyjL ly back to the reality of our tiblc. i heard Ob Harm's silky voice : : "We passed quite close to the moon list night, Mr. Dean." '"Yes." said Snap. "We did, didn't we? Always do— it's a technical prob- \ BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 323 km of the exigencies of inter-stellar navigation. Explain it to them, Gregg —you're an expert." I waved it away with a laugh. There was a brief silence. I could not help noticing Sir Arthur Coniston's queer look, and I think I have never seen so keen a glance as Ranee Rankin shot at me. Were all these people aware of Grantline's treasure on the moon? It suddenly seemed so. I wished fer- and knee pants of leather out of which his lower legs showed as gray, hairy pillars of strength. He had come into the salon with a swagger, his sword- ornament clanking. "A pleasant voyage so far," he said to me as he started his meal. His voice ■had the heavy, throaty rasp character- istic of the Martian. He spoke perfect English — both Martians and Venus people- are by heritage extraordinary vently at that instant that the ten days' linquists. Miko and his sister Moa had of this voyage were over and we were safely at Ferrok-Shahn. Captain Car- ter was absolutely right. Coming back we would have a cordon of interplane- tary police aboard. Sir Arthur broke the awkward si- lence. "Magnificent light", the moon, from so close a viewpoint — though I was too much. afraid of pressure-sick- ness to be up to see it." * I HAD nearly finished my hasty meal when another incident shocked me. The two other passengers at our table came in and took their seats. A Mar- fan girl and man. The girl had the seat at my left, with the man beside her. All Martians are tall. This girl was about my own neight^— that is, six feet, two inches. The man was seven feet or more. .Both wore the Martian outer robe. The girl flung hers back. Her limbs were encased in pseudo-mail. She looked, as all Martians like to look, a very warlike Amazon. But she was-a pretty girl. She smiled at me with a keen-eyed, direct gaze. "Mr. Dean said at breakfast that you were big and handsome. You are." They were brother and sister, these Martians. Snap introduced them as' Set Miko and SettaMoa.* This Miko was, from our Earth standards, a tremendous, brawny giant. Not spindly, like most Martians, this feHow, for all his seven feet of height, was almost heavy-set! He wore a plaited leather jerkin beneath his robe, • "Set and Setta," the Martian equivalent -of Mr. and Miss. a touch of Martian accent, worn almost away by living for some years in Great- New York. The shock to me came within a few minutes. Miko, absorbed in attacking his meal, inadvertently pushed back his robe to bare his forearm. An instant only, then it dropped again to his wrist. But in that instant I had seen, upon the gray flesh, a thin sear turned red. A very recent burn — as though a pencil- ray of heat had caught his arm. My mind flung bacV Only last night in the City Corridor, Snap and I had been followed by a Martian. I had shot at him with the heat-ray; I thought I had hit him on the arm. ,W,aB this the mysterious Martian w^ho had followed us from Halsey's office? ^ CHAPTER V Venza the Venus Girl IT WAS shortly after that mid-day meal when I encountered Venza sitting on the starlit deck*. I had been in the bow observatory ; taken my routine castings of our position and 'worked them out. I was, I think, of the Planctara's officers the most expert handler of the mathematical mechan- ical calculators. The locating of our position and charting the trajectory of our course was.-under ordinary circum- stances, about all I had to do. And it took only a few minutes each twelve hours. '■ I had a, moment with Carter in the isolation of his chart-room. "This voyage! Gregg, I'm getting like you— too fanciful.^e've a normal 324 ASTOUNDINQ STORIES group of passengers, apparently; but I don't like the look of any of {hem. That Ob Hahn, at your table — " "Snaky- looking fellow,"- I com- mented. 'He and* the Englishman are great on ' arguments. Did you have Prince's cabin searched? My breath hung on his answer. "Yes. Nothing unusual among his (hings. We Marched both his room and his sitter's." I did not follow that up. Instead I told him ; about the burn on Miko'a' thick gray arm. , HE scared. "I wish to ,a came strolling along the deck. They nodded as they passed us. I whispered, "I can't explain any- thing now. But you're right, Venza: there is something going on. Listen! Whatever you learn — anything you en- counter which looks Unusual — will you tell me ? I — well, I do /trust you — realty I do! — but the thing isn't mine to tell." The somber pools of her eyes were shining. "You are very lovable, Gregg. I won't question you." She was trem- bling with excitement. "Whatever it is, I want to be in it. Here's something I can tell you now. We've' two high- class gold-Jeaf gamblers aboard. Did you" know that?" "No. Who are — " "Shac and Dud Ardley. Let mc state every detective in Great-New York knows them. They had a wonderful game with\hat Englishman, Sir Arthur Coniston, this morning. Stripped-hlm, 326 ASTOUNDING STORIES of half a pound of eight-inch leaves — a neat little stack. A crooked game, of course. Those fellows are more nimble- fingered than Ranee Rankin ever dared to- be I" I SAT staring at' her. She was a mine of information, this girl. "And Gregg, I tried my charms ori Shae and Dud. Nice men, but dumb. Whatever's going on, they're not in it. They wanted to know what kind of a ship this was. Why? Because Shac has a cutd little eavesdropping micro- phone of hfs own. He had it working in the night last night. He overheard George Prince and that big giant Miko arguing about the moon !" I gasped. "Venza, softer !" Against all propriety of this public deck she pretended to drape herself upon me. [Her hair smothered my face as her lips almost touched my ear. "Something about treasure on the moon — Shac couldn't understand 1 what. And they ' mentioned you. He didn't hear what they said because the purser joined them." Her whispered words tumbled oyer one another. "A hundred pounds of jgold leaf — that's the purser's price. He's with them, whatever it is. He promised to do something for them." She stopped. "Well?" I prompted. "That's fll. Shac's current was inter- rupted." i "Tell hii^i to try it again, Venza! I'll talk with him. No! I'd better let him alone. Can you get him to keep his mouth shut?" "I think jhe might do anything I told him. He's | a man." "Find oijt what you can." She sat! away from me* suddenly. "There's Anita and George Prince." 1 THEY J came to the corner of the deck, but turned back. Venza caught my! look. And understood it. "So you j love Anita prince so much as that, dregg?" Venza was smiling. "I wish yod — I wish some man hand- some as y<*u would gaze after me like that" ! She turned solemn. "You may be in- terested to know that she loves you. I could see it. I knew it when I men- tioned you to her this morriing." "Me? Why, we've hardly spoken I* "Is it necessary? fhever heard that it was." ' I could not see Venza's face; she stood up suddenly. And when I rose beside her, she whispered, : "We should notTae seen talking so long. I'll find out what I can." ' I stared after her slight robed figure as she turned into the lounge archway and vanished. i I CHAPTER VI j A Traitor, and a Passing Asteroid CAPTAIN CARTES' was grim. "So they've bought him off, have they? Co bring him in hefe, Gregg. We'll have It out with him now." | Snap, Dr. Frank, Balch, our first of- ficer, and I were in the captain's chart- room. It was 4 P. M. — our Earth start- ing time. We were sixteen hours upon bur voyage. . I found Johnson in his office in the {ounge. "Captain wants to see you. Hose up." , ] He closed his window upon an American woman passenger who was demanding details of Martian currency, and followed me forward. "What is it, pregg?" I "I don't know." 1 Captain Carter banged the^lide upon us. The chart-room was insulated. The hum of the current was obvious. John- son noticed it. He started at the hostile faces of the surgeon and Balch. And he tried to bluster. "What is this? Something wrong?" I Carter Wasted no- words. "We have ' information, Johnson — there's some under cc^ver plot here aboard. I want to know what it is. Suppose you tell us frankly." j THE purser looked blank. "What do you mean? We've- gamblers •board, if that'* — " BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 327 "To hell with that," growled Balch. "You had a secret interview with that Martian, Set Miko, and with George Prince I" Johnson scowled from under his heavy brows, and then raised them in surprise. "Did I? You mean changing their money? I don't like your tone, Balch. I'm not your under-officerl" "But you're Under me," roared the captain. "By God, I'm master here 1" "Well, I'm not disputing that," said the purser mildly. "This fellow Balch—" ' "We're in no mood for argument," Dr. Frank cut in. "Clouding the issue." "I won't let it be clouded," the cap- tain exclaimed. I had never seen Carter so choleric. He was evidently under a tremendous strain. He added, "Johnson, ypu've been acting sus- piciously. I don't give a damn whether I've proof of it or not — I say it. Did you, or did you not meet George Prince and that Martian last night?" "No, I did not. Arid I don't mind telling you, Captain Carter, that your tone also is offensive I" "Is it?" Carter suddenly seized him. They were both big men. Johnson's heavy face went purplish red. "Take your hands I — " They were struggling. Carter's hands were fum- bling at the purser's pockets: I leaped, flung an arm around Johnson's neck, pinning him. "Easy there 1 We've got you, John- son I" SNAP tried to help me. "Go on, bang him on the head, Gregg. NoWs your chance I" We searched him. A heat-ray cylinder —that was legitimate. But we found a small battery and eavesdropping micro- phone similar to- the one Venza hadf mentioned that Shac the gambler was carrying. "What are you doing with that ?'' the captain demanded. "None of your business! Is it crimi- nal ? Carter, I'll have the Line officials dismiss you for this! Take your hands off me, all of you!" "Look at this!" exclaimed Dr. Frank. From Johnson's breast pocket the -surgeon drew a folded document. It was the scale drawing of the Plane- tara's interior corridors) the lower con- trol rooms and mechanisms. It Was al- ways kept in Johnson's safe. And with it, another document: the ship's clcar- «ance papers — the secret code pass- words for this voyage, to be used if we should be challenged by any inter- planetary police ship. Snap gasped. "My God, that was in my helio-room strong box I I'm the on- ly' one on this vessel except the captain, who's entitled to know those pass- words I" Out of the silence, Balch demanded, "Well, what about it, Johnson?" The purser was still defiant. "I won't answer your questions, Balch. At the proper time, I'll explain — Gregg Hal- jan, you're choking me I" » I EASED up. But I shook him. "You'd J>etter talk." He was exasperatingly silent. , "Enough I" exploded. Carter. "He can explain when we get to port. Mean- "whije I'll put him where he'll do no more -damage. Gregg, lock hum in the cage." We ignored his violent protestations. The cage — in the old days' of sea-ves- sels on Earth, they called it the brig — was the ship's jail. A steel-lined, win- dowless room located under the deck in the peak of the bow. I dragged the struggling Johnson there, with the amazed watcher lqoking down irom the observatory window at our lunging, starli{ forms. "Shut up, Johnson! If you know what's good for you — " He was making a fearful commotion. Behind us, where the deck narrowed at the superstructure, half a dozen passengers Were gazing in surprise. "I'll 1 have you thrown out of the Ser- vice, Gregg -Haljan I" I shut him up finally. And flung hint 328 ASTOUNDING STORIES down the ladder into the cage and sealed the deck trap-door upon him. I was headed back for the chart-room ; when from the observatory came the j lookout's' voice. I "An asteroid, Haljan I. Officer Black- j stone wants you." j I hunied to the turret bridge. An j asteroid was in sight. We had attained j nearly our maximum spesd now. An asteroid was approaching, so danger- ously close that our trajectory would j have to be altered. I heard Black- j stone's signals ringing iti tjhe control j rooms; and met Carter as he ran to the j bridge with me. "That scoundrel I We'll get more out j of him, Gregg. By Qod, I'll put the chemicam on him — torture him, illegal or not b" I J WE had no time for further dis- cussion. The asteroid was rapid- ly approaching. Already, under the*i glass, it was a magnificent sight. I bad ; never s^en this tiny_ world before — j asteroids are not numerous between the j Earth arid Mars, or in toward Venus. ! I never expected to see this one again. How little of the future can wt humans ! fathom, for all our science t If I could only have looked into the future, even i for a few short hours I How different! then would have been the outcome' of j this tragic voyage! | The asteroid came rushing at us. Its' orbital velocity, I later computed, was some twCnty-two miles a second. Our own, at khe present maximum, was a fraction pvj;: reventy-seven. The aster- oid had for some time been under ob-j servation] by the lookout. He gave his ; warning only when it seemed that our ! trajectory should bf altered to avoid j a dangerously close passing. At the combined speeds of nearly j a ' hundred miles a second the asteroid] swept into view. With the naked eye,; at first iti was a tiny speck of star-dust,, unnoticed in the gem-strewn black velvet ojf Space. A speck. Then a gleaming ,dot, silver white, with the light of pur Sun upon it. i Five minutes. The dot grew to a disc Expanding. A full moon, silver white. Brightest world in the firmament — the light- from it bathed the Planetara, illumined the deckj painting everything with silver. I stood with Carter and Blackstone on the turret-bridge. It was obvious that unless we altered our course, the asteroid would pass too close for safe- ty. Already we were feeling its attrac- tion; from the control rooms came the report that our trajectory was disturbed by this new mass so near. "Better make your calculations now, Gregg," Blackstone suggested. I CAST up the rough elements from the observational instruments in the tuYret. It took me some ten or fifteen minutes. When I had us upon our new course, with the attractive and repulsive plates in the Planetara's hull set in their altered combinations, I went out to the bridge again. The asteroid hung over our bow quarter. No more than twenty or thirty thousand miles away. A giant ball now, filling all that quadrant of the heavens. The configurations of its mountains- its land and water areas — were plainly visible. Its axial rotation was apparent. "Perfectly habitable," Blackstone said. "But I've searched all over this hemisphere with the glass. No sign of human life— certainly nothing civilized — nothing in the fashion of cities." A fair little "world, by the look of it A tiny globe : Blackstone had figured it at some eight hundred miles in dia- meter. There seemed a normal atmos- phere. We could see areas where the surface was obscured by clouds. And oceans, and land masses. Polar ice- caps. Lush vegetation at its equator. Blackstone had roughly cast its or- bital elements. A' narrow elipse. No wonder we had never encountered this fair little world before. It' had coma from the outer region beyond Neptune. At perihelion it would reach inside Mercury, round the Sun, and head out- ward again. BRIGANDS OF THE MOON, 329 WE swept past the asteroid at a distance of some six thousand ' miles. Close enough, in very truth — a minute of flight at our,.combined speeds totaling a hundred miles a second. I had descended to the passenger deck, where I stood alone at a window, gaz- ■ ing. The passengers were all gathered to view the passing little world. I saw, not far from me, Anita, standing with her brother; and the giant figure of Miko with them. Half an hour since, first with the naked eye, this wandering little world had shown itself ; it swam slowly past, began to dwindle behind us. A huge half moon. A thinner, smajjer quadrant. A tint/ crescent, like a silver bar-pin to tdorn some lady's breast. And then it was a dot, a point of light indistin- guishable among the myriad others hovering in this great black void. The incident, of the passing of the ■steroid was over. I turned from the, deok window. My heart leaped. The mfment for which all day I had been subconsciously longing was at hand. Anita was sitting, in a deck chair, mo- mentarily alone. Her gaze was on me ■s ftooked her way, and she smiled an invitation for roe to join her. CHAPTER VII Unspoken Love UNSPOKEN love ! I think if I had yielded to the impulse of my heart, I would have, poured but all those protestations of a lover's ecstasy, in- / congruous here upon this starlit public ( deck, to a girl I hardly knew. I think, too, she might have received them with a tender acquiescence. The starlight was mirrored in her dark eyes. Misty eyes, with great reaches of unfathoma- ble space in their depths. Yet I felt their tenderness. Unfathomable strangeness of love I Who any I to write of it, with all the poets of all the ages striving to express the unexpressible? A bond, strangely fashioned bv nature, between me and this little dark-haired Earth beauty. As though marked by the stars we were destined to be lovers. . . . Thus ran the romance of my un- spoken thoughts. But I was sitting- quietly in ithe deck chair, striving to regard her gentle beauty impersonally. And saying: "But Miss Prince, why are you -and your brother going to Ferrok-Shahn? His business — " Even as I voiced it, I hated myself lor such a question, po nimble is the human mind that mingled with my rhapsodies of love was my need for in- formation of George Prince. . . . "Oh," she said, "this is pleasure, not business, for George." It seemed to me/ that a shadow crossed her expressive face. But it was gone in an instant, and she smiled. "We have always wanted to travel. We are alone in the world, you know — our parents died when we were children." » I FILLED in her pause. "You will like Mars — so many interesting things to see." She nodded. "Yes, I understand so. Our Earth i^so much the same all over, cast all in. one mould." "But a hundred or two hundred years ago it was not, Miss Prince. I have read how the picturesque Orient, dif- fering fr/im — well, Great-New York, or London, for instance — " "Transportation did that," she inter- rupted eagerly. "Made everything the same — the people all look alike — dress alike." We discussed it. She had an alert, eager mind, childlike with its curiosity, yet strangely matured. And her manner was naively earnest. Yet this, was no clinging vine, this little Anita Prince. There a was a firmness, a hint of mascu- line strength in her chin, and in her manner. "If I were a man, what wonders I could achieve in this marvelous age I" Her sense of .humor made her laugh at herself. "Easy for a girl to say that," she added. 330 ASTOUNDING STORIES "You have greater wonders to achieve; Miss Prfnce," I said impulsively. "Yes?; What are they?" She had a very frarik and level gaze, devoid o£ coquetr)*.' My h^art was pounding. "The won-l ders ofjthe next generation. A little son, casf in your own gentle image — "1 What j madness, this clumsy brash talk I I choked it off. I UT she took no offense. The dark rose-petals of her cheeks were deeper red, but she laughed. ] is true." She turned abruptly B mantled "That serious. "I should not laugh. The won! ders of jthe next generation — conquer! ing humans marching on. . ." Her voice trailed away. My hand went to her arm. Strange tingling something which poets call love! It burned anc} surged from my trembling fingers intd the flesh of her forearm. ! The starlight glowed in her eyes. She seemed to be gazing, not at the silver-lit deck, but^away into distant reaches of the future. And she mur^ mured:: "A little son, cast in my own gentle image. But ^ith the strength of his father. . ." • Our noment. Jnst a breathless mo- ment g ven us as we sat there with my hand burning her arm, as though we both might be seeing ourselves joined in a ndw individual — a little son, cask: in his pother's gentle image' and with the stijength of his father. Our moi- ment, and then, it was over. A step sounded. I sat back* The- giant gray figure {of Miko'came* past, his great cloak spraying, with hjs clanking sword' ornament beneath it. Hhs bullet head, with its close-clipped hair, was hatless. He gated at us, staggered past, and turned| the deck corner. ■ Our | moment was gone. Anita said conventionally, "It has been pleasant to talk with you, Mr. Haljan." . | "But we'll have many more," I said. "Ten days— " "You think we'll reach Ferxok-Shahn on sch£d:i ! e?" "Yes. I think so. ... As I was saying. Miss Prince, you'll enjoy Mars. A strange, aggressively forward-looking people." AN oppression' seemed oh her. She stirred in her chair. "Yes, they are," she said vaguely. "My brother and I know many Martians in Great-New York." She checked her- self abruptly. Was she sorry she. bad said that? It seemed so. f Miko was coming back. He stopped this time before us. "Your brother would see you, Anita, He sent me to bring you to his room." The glance he shot me had a touch of insolence. I stood up, and- he towered a head over me. i Anita said, "Oh yes. I'll come." I bowed. "I will see you again, Mist Prince. I thank you for a pleasant half- hour." The Martian led her away. Her little figure was like a child with a giant It seemed, as they passed the length of the deck with me staring after them, ^hat he took he4 arm roughly. And that she shrank from him in fear. ( And they did not go inside. At though to show me that he had merely taken her from me, he stopped at a distant deck window and stood talking to her. Once he picked her up as/ one would pick up a child to show jr some distant object through the window. "A little son with the strength of hit father. . . ." Her words echoed in my mind. Was Anita afraid of this Mar- tian's wooing? Yet held to him by tome power he might have ovfr her brother? The vagrant thought struck me; Was it that? ' CHARTER VIII A Scream in the Night E kept, on the Planetara, al- ways the time and routine of our port of departure. The rest of that afternoon and evening wjje a blank of confusion to mea Anita's words; the touch of my hand upon her arm; that w BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 331 vast realm of what might be for us, like a glimpse of a magic land of hap- piness which I had seen in her eyes, and perhaps she had seen in mine — all this surged within me. I wandered about the vessel. I was not hungry. I did not go to the. dining talon for dinner. I carried Johnson food and water to his cage; and sat, with my hcat-cy Under upon him, listen- ing to his threats of what would hap- pen when he could complain to the line's higher officials. ' But what was Johnson doing carry- ing a plan of , the ship's control rooms in his pojfcets? And worse: How had he dared open Snap's box in the helio- room and abstract the code pass-words for this voyage? Without them we would be an outlawed vessel, subject to arrest if any patrol hailed us. Had Johnson been planning to sell those pass-words to Miko? I thought so. I tried to get the confession out of bim, but could not. I had a brief consultation with Cap- tain Carter. He was genuinely appre- hensive now. The Planetara carried no long-range guns, and very few side- arms. A half-dozen of the heat-ray hand projectors; a few old-fashioned Weapons of explosion-rifles and auto- matic revolvers. And hand projectors with the new Benson .curve-light. We had models of this for curved vision, to that one/might see around a corner, so to speak. And with them, we could project the heat-ray in. a curve as well. ; ■ '''HE weapons were all in Carter's X chart room, save the few we of- ficers always carried. Carter was ap-* prehensive, but- of what he could not ay. He had not thought that oiir plan to stop at the Moon for treasure could affect this outward voyage. Any dan- ger would be upon the way back, when the Planetara would be adequately guarded with long-range electronic guns, and manned with police-soldiers.. But now we were practically defense- less. ... I had a moment with Venza, but she had northing new to communicate to me. And far half an hour I chatted with George. Prince. He seemed a gay, pleasant^Voung man. I could- almost have fancied I liked him. Or was it because he wbv Anita's brother? He told me how He looked forward to traveling with her on Mars. No, he had never been there before, he said. He had a measure of Anita's earnest naive personality. Or was he a very clever scoundrel, with irony lurking in his soft voice, and a chuckle that he could so befool me? "We'll talk again, Haljah. You in- terest me-J've enjoyed it." He sauntered away from me, joining the saturnine Ob Hahn, with whom presently I heard him discussing re- ligion, r The arrest of Johnson had caused considerable comment among the pas- sengers. A few had seen me drag him forward to the cage. The incident had beak the subject of passenger discus- sion all afternoon. Captain Carter had posted a notice to the effect that John- son's accounts had been found in seri- ous error, an* that Dr. Frank for this voyage would act in his stead. IT was near midnight when Snap and I closed and sealed the helio-room and started for the chart-room, where we were to meet with Captain Carter and the other officers.. The passenger! had nearly all retired. A game was in progress in the smoking room, but the deck was almost deserted. Snap and I were passing along one of the interior corridors. The state- room doors, with the illumined names of the passengers, were all closed. The metal grid of the floor echoed our foot- steps. Snap was in advance of me. His body suddenly rose in the .air. He went like a balloon to the ceiling, struck it gently, and all in a heap came Boating down and landed on the floor I "What in the infernal! — " He was laughing as he picked him- self up. But Jt was a brief laugh. We knew what had happened : the artificial 332 ASTOUNDING STORIES were diffe shou gravity -control* in the base of the ship, which| by magnetic force gave us nor- mality aboard, were being tampered with (-For just this instant,- this par- ticular "sma^l section of this corridor had tieen cut off. The slight bulk of the Planf tara, floating in space, had no ap- preciable gravity pull on Snap's body, and Jhe impulse of his step as he came to th,e linmagnetized area of the cor- ridor^ had thrown him to the cei ling. The krea was normal now. Snap and j I tested it gingerly. Hej gripped me. "That never went wrong by accident, Gregg I Someone dowr there — " ! ! WE rushed to the nearest descend- ing ladder. In the deserted lowe room the bank of dials itoojd negle cted. A score of dials and switches here, governing the magnetism of •ent areas of the ship. Theije d have been a night operator, but he wjas gone. » j Trien we saw him lying nearby, sprawled face down on the floor I In the nilence and dim lurid glow of the fluoi escent rubes, we stood holding oujr brea hi, peering and listening. lw> one here ; | Tl e guard was hot dead. He lay ufl- cons :ious from a blow on the head. A braw ny fellow. We had him revived in a f e v moments. A broadcast flash of the call-buzz brought Dr. Frank ih hast ; from the chart-room. "X /hat's the matter?" We pointed at the unconscious man. "SoneonejTwas here," I said hastily. "Ex jerinjpnting with the magnetic switjches\ Evidently unfamiliar with therfl — pulling one or Another to test theif- workings and so see the reaction^ on nhe dials." We told him what had happened to Snap in the upper corridor. Dp. Frank revived the guard in a mc* men,t. He was no worse off for the episode, save a lump on his head, and a nasty headache. But he had little to tell us. He had hcaJd a step. Saw nothing — and then had been struck oil the head, by some invisible assailant. WE left him nursing his head, sitting belligerent at his post Armed how with my rjeat-ray cylinder which I loaned him. "Strange doings this voyage,'' he told us. "All, the crew knows it — all been talkin' about it. I stick it out now, bat when we get back home I'm done with, this star travelin". I belong on the set anyway. A good old freighter is al] right for me." We hurried back to the upper level We would indeed have to plan some- thing at this chart-roomxonference. This was the first tangible attack oar adversaries had made. \ We were on the passenger .deck headed for the chart roots, when all three of us stopped short, frozen with horror. Through the silent passenger quarters a scream rang out I A girl'i shuddering, gasping scream. Terror in it. Horror. Or a scream of agony. la the silence of the dully vibrating thtp it was utterly horrible. It lasted to instant — a single long scream ; then wa abruptly stilled. And with blood pounding my temples and rushing like ice through my veins, I recognized it. Anita I CHAPTER IX The Murder in A 22 "*-\ OOD GOb, what was that?" Dr. VJT Frank's face had gone white in the starlight. .Snap stood like a statue of horror. The deck here was patched as al- ways, silver radiance from the deck ports. The empty deck chairs stood, about. The scream was stilled, but now ' we hjard a commotion inside — the rasp of opening cabin doors ; questions from frightened passengers; the scurry of feet. \ I found my voice. "Anita 1 Anita Prince I" "Come on I" shouted Snap. "Was it BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 333 the Prince girl ? I thought so too I In her stateroom, A 22 1" He was dashing (or the lounge archway. Dr. Frank aYid I followed. I realized that we passed the deck door and win- dow of A 22. But they were dark, and evidently sealed on the inside. The dim lousgc was in a turmoil; passengers standing at their cabin doors. I heard Sir Arthur Coniston : "I say; what was that ?" "Over there," said another man. "Come back inside, Martha." He shoved bit wife back. "Mr. Haljanl" He plucked at me as I went past. I shouted, "Co back to your rooms I We want order here — keep back I" We came to the twin doors of A 22 ■nd A 20. Both were closed. Dr. Frank wis in advance of Snap and me. He paused at the sound.df Captain Carter's voice behind us. , "Was it from in there? Wait a mo- ment I" Carter dashed up; he had a large heat-ray projector in his hand. He shoved us aside. "Let me in first. Is the door sealed? Gregg, keep those pas- sengers back I" THE door was not sealed. Carter burst into the room. I heard him pap, "Goocfuodl" Snap and I shoved back three or four crowding, passengers, and in that in- stant Dr. Frank had been in the room and out again. '* "There's been an accident I Get back, Gregg I Snap, help' him keep the crowd sway." He shoved? me forcibly. From, within. Carter was shouting, "Keep them out I Where are you, Frank? Come back here! Send a flash for Balch— I want Balch I" Dr. Frank went back into the room and banged the cabin door upon Snap and me. I was unarmed — I had loaned my cylinder to the guard in the lower corridor. Weapon in hand, Snap forced the psinic-stricken passengers back to their rooms. "It's all right I An accident I Miss Prince is' hurt." Snap reassured them glibly; but he knew no more about it than I. Moa, wi(h a night-robe drawn tight around her thin, tall Bgure, edged up 'to me. "What has happened, Set Hal j an?" I gazed around for fier brother Miko, but did not Bee him. "An accident," I said shortly. "Go back- to your room. Captain's orders." She eyed me and then retreated. Snap was threatening everybody with his cylinder. Balch dashed up. "What in the hell? Where's Carter?" "In there." I pounded on A 22. It opened cautiously. I could see only Carter, but I heard the murmuring voice of Dr. Frank through the interior connecting door to A 20. THE captain rasped, "Get out, Hal- jan I Oh", is that you, Balch ? Come in." He admitted the older officer and slammed the door again upon me. And immediately reopened it. "Gregg, keep the passengers quiet. Tell them everything's all right. Miss Prince got frightened, that's all. Then' go up to/the,f urrct.'Tell Blackstone what's Jrappened." "Bur I don't know what's happened," I protested miserably. Carter was grim and white. He whis- pered, "I think it may turn out to be miirder, Gregg! No, not dead yet— Dr. Frank is trying — Don't stand there like an ass, man I Get to the turret I Verify our trajectory — no — wait — " The captain- was almost incoherent. "Wait a minute, I don't mean tha£l Tell Snap to watch his helio-room. Gregg, you and Blackstone stay in the chart- room. Arm yourselves and guard our weapons. By God, this murderer, who- ever he is — " « I stammered, "If — if she dies — will you flash us word?" He stared at me strangely. "I'll be there presently, Gregg." He slammed ^the door upon me. I followed his orders, but it was like a dream of horror. The turmoil of the ship gradually 1 quieted. , Snap went to the helio-room ; Blackstone and I tat 334 ASTOUNDING STORIES, in -the tiny steel chart-room. How much, lime passed, I do not know. I was con- Ju^eXj. Anita hurt! She might die. . ... Mi rdfred. . . But why? By whom? Had George Prince been in his own roc m when the attack came ? I thought • now I recalled hearing the low murmur of his voice in there with Dr. Frank •, and Carter. • Where was Miko? It stabbed at me. I had not seen him among the pas- sengers' in the lounge. i it-..' j /"ft ARTER came into the chart room. "Gregg, you get to bed — you look like a ghost I" VBut— " '(She's not dead — she may live. Frank and her brother are with he: They're doing all they can." He to! us what had happened. Anita a: George Prince had both' been asleep, ea room. "Snap ?" "Yes." * ] I told him about Anita. Carter cut in on us from the chart-rdbm. "Stop &at, you fools I" "™We cut off. Fully dressed, I flung myself on my bed. Anita might die. ... I must have fallen into a tortured s^eep. I was awakened by the sound of my alarm buzzer. Someone was tamper- ing with my door I Then the buuer ceased; the marauder outside most have found a way of silencing it. But it had done its work — awakened me, I had switched off the light; mj cubby was Stygian dark. A heat-cylin- der was in the bunk-bracket over my head; I searched for it, pried it loott softly. /I was fully awake. Alert. I could /tear a faint sizzling — someone outside trying to unseal the door. In the dark- ness, cylinder in hand, I crept from the bunk. Crouched at the door. This time I Would capture or kill this night prowler. THE* sizzling was .faintly audible. My door-seal was breaking. Upon impulse I reached for the door, jerked it open. No one there I The starlit segment of deck was empty.. But I had leaped, and I struck a solid body, crouching in tbe doorway. A giant man. Miko I His electronized metallic robe burned my hands. I lunged against him — I was almost as surprised as_he. I shot, bat the stab of heat evidently* missed him, The shock of my encounter close- BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 335 circuited his robe; he materialized in the starlight. A brief, savage encounter. Be struck the weapon from my hand. Be had dropped his hydrogen torch, tod tried to grip me. BuA I twisted gray from his hold. "So it's you I" "Be quiet, Gregg Haljan I I . only want to talk." Without warning, a stab of radiance ■hot from a weapon in his hand. It ought me. Ran like ice through my ■reins. Seized and numbed my limbs. I fell helpless to the deck. Nerves sod muscles paralyzed. My tongue was thick and inert. I could not speak, nor ■ore. But I could see Miko bending .over me. And hear him: "I don't want to kill you, Haljan. We need you." He gathered me up like a bundle in hii huge arms; carried me swiftly across the deserted.deck. Snap s helio-room in the network sader the dome was diagonally over- head. A white actinic light shot from it —caught us, bathed us. Snap had been iwake; had heard the slight commotion of our encounter. His voice rang shrilly: "Stop I I'll ihootr His warning siren rang out to arouse the ship. His spotlight clung to OS. Miko ran with me a few steps. Then he cursed and dropped me, fled away. I fell like a sack of carbide to the deck. Hy senses faded into blackness. "TTE'S all right now." il I was in the chart-room, with Captain Carter, Snap and Dr. Frank bending over me. The surgeon said, "Can you speak now, Gregg?" I tried it. My tongue was thick, but it would move. "Yes." I was soon revived. I sat up, with Dr. Frank vigorously rubbing me. "I'm all right." I told them what had happened. Captain Carter said abruptly, "Yes, we know that. And it was Miko also who killed Anita Prince. She told us before the died." "Died I ..." I leaped, to my feet. "She . . . died " "Yes, Gregg. An hour ago. Miko got into,-her stateroom and tried to force his love on her. She repulsed him — he killed her." It struck me blank. And then with a rush came the thought, "He says Miko killed her " I heard myself stammering, "Why — why we must get him I" I gathered my witss a surge of hate swept me ; a wild desire for vengeance. "Why, by i God, where is he? Why don't you go get him? I'll get him — I'll kill him, t tell you 1" "Easy, Gregg 1" Dr. Frank gripped me. ' The captain said gently, "We know how you feel, Gregg. She told us be- fore she died." "I'll bring him in here to youl But I'll kill him, I tell you I" "No you won't, lad. You're hysterical now. We don't want him killed, not at- tacked even. Not yet. We'll explain later." They sat me down, calming me. Anita dead, ^he door of the shining garden was closed. A brief glimpse, given, to me and to her of what might have been. And now she was dead. . . , CHAPTER X A Speck of Human Earth-dust, Falling Free. . . . I HAD not been able at first to under- stand why Captain Carter wanted Miko left at liberty. Within me there was that cry of vengeance, as though to strike Miko down would somehow 'lessen my own grief at Anita's, loss. Whatever Carter's purpose, Snap had not known it. But Balch and Dr. Frank were in the captain's confidence — all three of them working on some plan of action. Snap and I argued it, and thought we could fathom it; and in spite of my desire to kill Miko, the thing looked reasonable. It was obvious that at least two of our passengers were plotting with Miko 336 ASTOUNDING STORIES and George Prince; trying during this voVage to learn what they could about Grpntline's activities on the Moon; scheming doubtless to seize the treasure when' the Planetara stopped at the Moon on the return voyage. I thought I could name those masquerading passengers. Ob Hahn, supposedly a Venus Mystic. Arid Ranee Rankin, who called himself an American magician. Those two. Snap and I agreed, seemed most sus- picious. And there was the purser. With my hysteria still on me, I sat fori 1 a time on the deck outside the ch^rt-room with Snap. Then Carter summoned us back, and we sat listen- ing while he, Balch and Dr. Frank went on with their conference. Listen^ ing to them I could not but agree 'that ou£ best plan was to secure evidence winch would incriminate all who were concerned in the plot. Miko, we were convinced, had been the Martian who followed Snap and me from Halseyfs offijee in Great-New York. George Prince had doubtless been the invisible eavesdropper outside the helio-room. He knew, and had told the others, that Grantline had found radium ore on the Mcton — that the Planetara would stop there on the way home. BUT we could not incarcerate George Prince for being an eavei- dropper. Nor had we the faintest tangi- ble! evidence against Ob.Hahn or Ranee Rankin. And even the purser would probably be released by the Interplane- tary Court of Ferrok-Shahn when it heard our evidence. There was only Miko. We could ar- resjt him for the murder of Anita. But tbej others would be put on their guard. It Was Carter's idea to let Miko remain at | liberty for a time and see if we could not identify and incriminate his felfowB. The murder of Anita^obviousjy had nothing to do with any plot against tho Grantline Moon treasure. •]w,hy," exclaimed Balch, "there might be — probably are — huge Martian interests concerned in this thing. These men here aboard are only emissaries, making this voyage to learn what the* can. When they get to Ferrok-Shiha they'll make their report, and then weU have a real danger on our hands. Vfhj, an outlaw ship could be launched fraa Ferrok-Shahn that would, beat us back to the Moon — and Grantline is entirely without warning of any danger I" It seemed obvious. Unscrupulmai moneyed criminals in Ferrok-Shalm would be dangerous indeed, once the* details of Grantline were given than. And so now it was decided that in the remaining nine days of pur outward voyage, we would attempt to iecart enough evidence to arrest all thee plotters. "I'll have them all in the cage who, we land," Carter' declared grimly. "They'll make no report to their princi- pals. The thing will end, be stamped out I" Ah, the futile plana of men I YET we thought it practical We were all doubly armed now. Ex- plosive bullet-projectors and the heat- ray cylinders. And we had several eavesdropping microphones which we planned to usa. whenever occasion of- fered. It' was now, Earth Eastern Time, A. M. Twenty-eight hours only of tan eventful voyage Were passed. The Planetara was some six million miles from the Earth; it blazed behind at, a tremendous giant. The body of Anita was being made ready for burial. George Prince wa still in his stateroom. ''Glutz, effeminate little hairdresser, who waxed) rich act- ing as beauty doctor for the women passengers, and who in his youth had been an undertaker, bad gone with Dr. Frank to preparcthe body. Gruesome details. I tried not to th>nk of them. I sat, numbed, in the chart-room. An astronomical burial — there wai little precedent for it. I dragged my- self to the stern deck-space where, at five A. M„ the ceremony took place. Most of the passengers were asleep, BRIGANDS OP THE MOON 337 unaware of all 'ttiisA-which was why Carter hastened it. We were, a solemn little group, gathered there in the checkered star- light with the great vault of the heavens around us. A dismantled elec- tronic projector — necessary when a long-range gun was mounted — had been rigged up in one of the deck ports. They brought out the body. I stood apart, gazing reluctantly at the small bundle, wrapped like a mummy in a dark metallic screen-cloth. A patch of black silk rested over her face. FOUR cabin stewards carried her. And beside her walked George Prince. A long black robe covered him, but bis head was bare. And suddenly he reminded me of the ancient play- character of Hamlet. His black, wavy hair; his finely ' chiseled, pallid face, set now in a stern, patrician cast. And ■taring, I realized that however much of a villain this man not yet thirty might be, at this instant, walking be- side the body of his dead sister, he was stricken with grief. He loved that ■iater with whom he had lived since childhood; and to see him now, with his set white face, no one could doubt it The little procession stopped .in a patch of starlight by the port. They rested the body on a bank of chairs. The black-robed Chaplain, roused from his bed and still trembling from excite- ment of this sudden, inexplicable death on board, said a brief, solemn little prayer. An appeal : That the Almighty Ruler of all these blazing worlds might, guard the soul of this gentle girl whose mortal remains were now to be returned to Him. Ah„ if ever God seamed hovering close, it was now at this instant, on this starlit deck floating in the black ▼old of space. Then Carter for just a moment re- moved the black shroud from her face. ■ I »aw her brother gaze silently ; saw him itoop and implant a kiss — and turn 'away. I did not want to look, but I found myself moving slowly forward. SHE lay, so beautiful.- Her face, white and calm and peaceful in death. My sight blurred. Words seemed to echo: "A little son, cast in the gentle image of his mother. . . ." "Easy, Gregg I" Snap was whisper- ing to me. He- had his arm around me. "Come on away 'They tied the shroud over her face. I did not see them as they put her body in the tube, sent it through the ex- haust-chamber, and dropped it. But a moment later I saw'it — a small black oblong bundle hovering beside us. It was perhaps a hundred feet away, circling us. Held by the Plane- tara's bulk, it had momentarily become our satellite. It swung around us like a moon. Gruesome satellite, by nature's laws forever to follow us. Then from another tube at the bow, Blackstone operated a small Zed-co-ray. projector. Its- dull light caught the floating bundle, neutralizing its metallic wrappings. It swung off at a tangent. Speeding. Falling free in the dome of the heavens. A rotating black oblong. But in a mo- ment distance dwindled it to a speck. A dull silver dot with the sunlight on it.. A speck of human Earth-dust, fall- ing free. . . It vanished. Anita — gone,. ': In my heart was an echo of the prayer that the Almighty might watch over her and, guard her always. . . . CHAPTER XI The Electrical Eavesdropper 1 TURNED from the deck. Miko was near me I So [he had dared to show himself here among us I But I realized that lie could not be aware we knew he was the murderer. .George' Prince had been asleep, had not seen Miko with Afeita. Miko, with impul- sive rage, had shot the girl, and es- caped. No doubt now he was cursing himself for having done it. And he could very well assume that Anita had 338 ASTOUNDING STORIES died' without ..regaining consciousness 1 to tell who had killed her. He gazed at me now, here on the ; deck. I thought for an instant he was' coming over to talk to me. Though; he probably considered he was not bus-: peetid of the murder of Anita, he real-, izedJ of course, that his attack on mej was known; he must have wondered; what action Captain Carter would take.; Bt)t he did not approach me; hei moved away, and went inside. Moaj had Jbeen near him; and as though by: pre-arrangement with him she now ac- costed me. * "Ijwant to speak to you. Set Haljan." "Go ahead." I felt an instinctive aversion for this; Martian girl. Yet she was not. unat-J tractive. Over six feet tall, straight; arid {slim. Sleek blond, hair. Rather aL handsome face. Not 'gray, like the; burly Miko, but pink and white. Stern- lipptd, yet feminine, too. She was: smiling gravely now. Her blue eyes: regarded me keenly. She said gently: "/y sad occurrence, Gregg Haljan.: And! mysterious. I would not, question: you+-" "lb that all you have to say?' I de- manded, when she paused. "No. You are a handsome man, Gregg — attractive to women — to any Martian; woman." SliE said it impulsively. Admira- I tion for me wasyn her face, in her eyes — a man cannot miss it. "Thank you." ^ v . "I mean, I would be your friend. My brother Miko is so sorry about what happened between you and him this, morning. He only wanted to talk to: you,! and he came to your cubby 1 door—" s . "With a torch to break its seal," I in- terjected. , She waved that away. "He was afraid i you would not admit him. He told you t he would not hurt you." "And so he struck me with one of your- cursed Martian paralyzing rays I" "He lis sorry. . . She seemed gauging me, trying, gg doubt, to find out what reprisal would be taken against her brother. I feh sure that Moa was as active as a ma in any plan that was under way to cap- ture the Grantline treasure. Miko, wits his ungovernable temper, was doing things that put their plans in jeopardy. I demanded abruptly,. "What did your brother want to talk to me about? 1 ' "Me," she said surprisingly. "I sent him. A Martian girl goes after what she wants. Did you know that?" She swung on her heel and left me. I puzzled over it. Was that why Miko had struck me down, and was carrying me off f Was my accursed mescaline beauty so attractive to this Martim girl ? 1 did not think so. I could oat believe that all these incidents were wS unrelated to what I knew was the main undercurrent. They wanted me, had tried to capture me. For something eh* than because Moa liked my looks. . . , DR. FRANK found me mooning alone. < "Go to bed, Gregg I You look aw- ful." ! "I don't want to go to bed." "Where's Snap?" "I don't know. He was here a whik ago." I had not seen him since the burial of Anita. "The captain wants him.'' The sur- geon left me. i Within ad hour the morning siren would arouse the passengers. I wm* seated in a secluded corner of the deck, when George Prince came along. He went past me, a slight, somber, dark- robed figure. He had. on high, thick boots. A hood was over his head, bat as he saw me he pushed it back and dropped down beside me. But for a moment' he did not speak. His face showed pallid in the pallid star-gleams. "She said you loved her." Hia soft voice was throaty with emotion. "Yes." I said it almost against ny win. There seemed a bond springing between this bereaved brother and ma, BRIGANDS OF THE' MOON 330 He added, so softly I could barely hear him, "That makes you, I think, almost my friend. And you thought you were my enemy." I held my answer. An incautious tongue running under emotion is a dangerous thing. And I was sure of nothing. HE went on, "Almost my friend. Because — we both Ifcved her, and the loved ub both." He was hardly more than whispering. "And there is aboard— one whom we both hate." "Mikol" It burst from me. "Yes. But. do not say it." Another silence fell between us. He brushed back the black curls from his forehead. Apd^his dark eyes searched mine. ' , "Have you an eavesdropping micro- phone, Hal j an?" ' I hesitated. "Yes." * "I was thinking " He leaned closer toward me. "If, in half an hour, you could use it upon Miko's cabin — I Trould rather tell you than the captain or anyone else. The cabin will be in- sulated, but I shall find a way of cut- ting off that insulation so that you may hear." So George Prince had turned with us I The shock of his sister's, death — himself allied to her murderer I — had been too much for him. He was with us I Yet his help must be given secretly. Hiko would kill him in an instant if it became known. He had been watchful of the deck. Me stood up now. "I think that is all." As he turned away, I murmured, "But I do thank you. ..." THE name Set Miko glowed upon the small metal door. It was in a transverse corridor similar to A 22. The corridor was forward of the lounge ; it opened off the small circular library. The library was unoccupied and un- Hghted, dim with only the reflectecl lights from the nearby passages. I crouched behind a cylinder-case, The door of Miko's room was in sight, be- ing some thirty feet away from me. I waited perhaps five minutes. No pne entered. Then I realized that doubtless the conspirators 'were al- ready there. I set my tiny eaves- dropper on the library floor beside me ; connected its little battery; focussed its projector. Was Miko's room insu- lated? I could not tell. There was a small ventilating grid above the door. Acrosi the hissing and snapping of ray weap- ons. Our crew — such of them as were loyal — were making a stand down bt- i low. But it was brief. Within a minute i it died away. The passengers, amid- 1 ships in the superstructure, were still : shouting. Then above them Miko'i roar sounded. "Be quiet I Go in your rooms — yon will not be harmed." The brigands in these few minutes i were in control of the ship. . All but ! this little chart-room, where, with most 1 of the sbip's weapons, Carter and I were intrenched. "God, Gregg, that this should come i upon us I" BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 343 Carter was fumbling with the chart- room weapons. "Here, Gregg, help me. What have you got ? Heat-ray ? That's all I had ready." It struck me then as I helped him make the connections that Carter in this crisis was at best an inefficient commander. His red face • had gone splotchy purple ; his hands were trem- bling. Skilled as captain of a peace- ful liner, he was at a loss now. Nor could I blame him. It is easy to say we might have taken warning, done this or that, and come triumphant through this attack. But only the fool looks backward and says, "I would have done better." I TRIED to summon my wits. The ship was' lost to us, unless Carter and I could do .something. Our futile weapons I They were all here — four or five heat-ray hand projectors that could send a pencil-ray a hundred feet or so. I shot one diagonally up at the turret where Johnson was leering down at our rear window, but he saw my gesture and dropped back out of sight. The heat-beam flashed harmlessly up and struck the turret roof. Then across the turret window came a sheen of radiance — an electro-barrage. And behind it, Hahn's suave, evil face appeared! He shouted down: "We have orders to spare you, Gregg Haljan— or you would have been killed long ago I" My answering shot hit his barrage with a shower of sparks, behind which he stood unmoved. Carter handed me another weapon. "Gregg, try this." I levelled the old explosive bullet projector; Carter crouched beside me. But before I could press' the trigger, ' from somewhere down the starlit deck an electro-beam hit me. The little rifle exploded, burst its breech. I sank back ' to thTnoor, tingling from the shock of the hostile Current. My hands were blackened from the exploding powder. Carter seized me. "No use I Hurt ?" "No." THE Btars through the dome-win- dows were swinging. A long swing — the shadows and starlit patches on ' the deck were all shifting. The Plane- tara was turning. The heavens re- - volved in a great, round sweep of move- ment, then settled as we took our new course. Hahn at the turret controls had swung us. The earth and the sun showed over our bow quarter. The sunlight mingled red-yellow with the 'brilliant starlight. Hahn's signals "were sounding ; I heard them answered from the mechanism rooms down below. Brigands there — in full control: The gravity plates were being set to the new positions; we were on our new course. Headed a point or two off the Earth-line. Not headed for the moon? I wondered. . Carter.and I were planning nothing. What was there to plan? We were un- der observation. A Martian paralyzing ray — or an electronic beam, far more deadly than our own puny police weap- ons — would have struck us the instant we tried to leave the chart-room. My swift-running thoughts were in- terrupted ty a shout from down the deck. At a corner of the cabin super- Btucture some fifty feet from our win- dows the figure of Miko appeared. A barrage-radiance hung around him like a shimmering mantle.. His voice sounded : "Gregg Haljan, do you yield?" Carter leaped up from where he and I were crouching. Against all reason of safety he leaned from the low win- dow, waving his hamlike fist. "Yield? No I I am in command here, you pirate I Brigand — murderer I" I PUSHED him back. "Careful I" He was spluttering, and over it Miko's sardonic laugh soUnded. "Very well — but you will talk? Shall we ar- gue about it?" I Stood up. "What do you want to say, Miko?f Behind him the tall, thin figure of his sister showed. She was plucking at him. He turned violently. 344 ASTOUNDING STORIES *'I won't hurt him! Gregg Hal j an — is thisja- truce? You will not shoot?* He was shielding Moa. "No," I called. "For a moment, no. A truce. ' What is it you want to Bay J" I coijld hear the babble of passengers who Were herded in the caSin with brigands guarding them. George Prince] bareheaded, but shrouded in his cloak, phowed in a. patch of light be- hind Jfjoa. He looked my way and then retreated into the lounge archway. Mika meal. Up6n a bench, bodies were lying. Some were dead. I saw Ranee Rankin. Others were evidently only injured. Dr. Frank was moving among them, attending them. Venza was there, unharmed. And I saw the gamblerB, Shac and Dud, sitting white-faced, whispering together. And | Qlutz's .little be-ribboned, be-curled figure on a stool. George Prince was there, standing against the wall, shrouded in his mourning cloak, watching the scene with alert, roving eyes. And by the Opposite doorway, the huge towering figure of Miko stood on guard. But Snap was missing. A brief, glimpse. Miko saw my Benson-light. I could have equipped BRIGANDS OF THE MOON 347 ■ heat-ray, and fired along the curved Benson-light into that lounge. But Miko gave me no time. He slid the lounge door closed, and Tjoa leaped to close the one on my side. My light was cut oS ; my grid showed only the blank; deck and door. Another interval. I had made plans. Futile plans ! I could get into the tur- ret perhaps, and kill Hahn. I had the invisible cloak which Johnson was wearing. I took it from his body. Its mechanism could be repaired. Why, with it I could creep about the ship, kill these brigands one by one perhaps. George Prince would be with me. The brigands who had been posing as the itewards and crew-members were un- able to navigate; they would obey my orders. There were only Miko, Con- toon and Hahn to kill. Futile plans) From my window I could gaze up to the helio-room. And now abruptly I heard Snap's voice : -Nol I tell you- 1 — no I" And Miko: "Very well. We will try this." So Snap was captured, but not killed. Relief swept me. He was in the helio- room, and Miko was with him. But my relief was short-lived. AFTER a brief interval there came a moan from Snap. It floated down from the silence overhead. It made me shudder. , Hy Benson-beam shot into the helio window. It showed me Snap lying there on the floor. He was bound with wire. Hjs torso had been stripped. His livid face was ghastly plain in my light. Miko was bending over him. Miko with a heat-cylinder no longer than a finger. Its needle-beam played upon Snap's naked chest. I could see the gruesome little trail of smoke rising; and as Snap twisted and jerked, there _ou his flesh was the red and blistered trail of the violet-hot ray. "Now will you tell?" "Nol" Miko laughed. "No? Then' I shall write my name a little deeper. . . ." A black sear now — a, trail etched in the quivering flesn. "Oh I — " Snap's face went white as chalk as he pressed bis Hps together. "Or a little acid? This fire-writing does not really hurt? Tell me what you did- with those code-words I" "Not" In his absorption Miko did not no- - tice my light. Nor did I have the wit to try and fire along it. I was tremb- ling'. Snap under torture I -> As the' beam went deeper, Snap suddenly 'screamed. But he ended, "Nol I Uill send — no message for "~you— " \ It had been only a moment. In the chart-room window beside me again a figure appeared I No image. A solid, living person, undisguised by any cloak of invisibility. George Prince had chanced my fire and had crept up upon me. "Haljan I Don't attack mi." 1 DROPPED my light connections. As impulsively I stood up, I saw through the window the figure of Can- iston on the deck watching the result of Prince's venture. "Haljan— yield." Prince no more than whispered it. He stood outside on the deck; the low window casement touched his waist. He leaned over it. "He's torturing Snap I 11 Call out that you wilf yield." The thought had already been in my mind. Another scream from Snap chilled me with horror. \ shouted, "Miko I Stop I" I' rushed to the window and Prince gripped me. "Louder!" I called louder. "Mikot Stop I" My upflung voice mirigled with Snap's agony of protest. Then Miko 'heard me. -His head and shoulders showed up there at the helio-room oval. "You, Haljan?" Prince shouted, "I have made him yield. He will obey you if you stop that torture.'' 348 ASTOUNDING STORIES I think that poor Snap must , have fainted. He was silent. I called, "Stop I I will do what you command." Miko jeered, "That is good. A bar- gain, Jf you and Dean obey me. Disarm him. Prince, and bring him out." MIKO moved back into the helio- room. On the deck Coniston was advancing, but cautiously, mis- trustful of me. "Gregg." George Prince flung a leg over the casement and leaped lightly into the dim chart-room. His small slender figure stood beside me, clung to me. "Gregg." A moment, while we stood there to- gether. No ray was upon us. Con- iston could not see us, nor could, he hear our whispers. V'Gregg." - A different voice ;. its throaty, husky quality gone. A soft pleading. "Gregg— "Gregg, don't you know me ? Gregg, dear. ." Why, what was this? Not George Prince? A masquerader, yet so like George Prince. "Gregg, don't you know me?" Clinging to me. A soft touch upon my arm. Fingers, clinging. A surge of warm, tingling current was flowing between us. My sweep of instant thoughts. A speck of human Earth-dust, falling free. That was George Prince, who had been killed. George Prince's body,' dis-' guiaed by th«-»cheniing Carter and Dr. Frank, buried in the guise of his sister. And this black-robed figure who was trying to help ua — "Anita I Dear God I Anita, da/lingt Anita I" "Gregg, dear one I" "Anita I Dear God I" MY arms went around her, my lips' pressed hers, and felt her tremu- lous, eager answer. "Gregg, dear." "Anita, you!" The form of Coniston showed at our window. She cast me off. She said, yritk her throaty swagger of assumed masculinity : • "F have him, Sir Arthur. He will {obey us." I sensed her warning glance. She shoved me toward the window. She said ironically, "Have no fear, Haljan. You will not be tortured, you and Dean, if you obey' our commands.'' Coniston gripped me. "You fool I You caused us a lot of trouble, didn't you ? Move along there I" : He jerked me'roughly through the window. Marched me the length of the deck. Out to the stem-space; opened the door of my cubby ; flung me in and sealed the door upon me. ! "Mlko will come presently." I I stood in the darkness of my tiny room, listening to his retreating foot- steps. Bet my mind' was not on him. . . . All the Universe in that instant had Changed for me. Anita was alive I (To be continued) REMEMBER ASTOUNDING STORIES Appears on Newsstands THE FIRST THURSDAY IN EACH MONTH In the Next Issue MONSTERS of MOYEN A Complete Novelet of a Half-God Half-Beast's Extraordinary Attempt to Dominate the Earth By Arthur J. Burks A Large Instalment of BRIGANDS of the MOON J"he Splendid Interplanetary Novel By Ray Cummings The RAY of MADNESS ^The Account of Another of Dr. Bird's Amazing Exploits By Captain S. P.. Meek — And Many Other Stories by Your Favorite Authors I, } A terrific fore* was emamr.timg from that devilish . glob* above. The Soul Master By Will Smith and R. J. Rpbbuu THE train was (lowing down tor Keegan. A whistle from the locomotive ahead had warned the two alert young men in the smoker to that effect, and they arose to leave the train. Both were neatly and quietly dress- ed. One carried a medium - sized camera with the Detpermtelr O'Hera planfad into Prof. Kell'i mysterioiu muuion. Far hi* friend Skip wbm the victim of the eccentric ecien- tut*i de-utraJntins' experiment, end faced — hideout then ilreth e fete i necessary tripod and accessory satchel. The other carried no impediments of any sort. Both were smoking cigars, evidently not of expensive variety, judging by the un aromatic atmosphere thereabouts. "Can't see whit Bland shipped us up to this one- horse dump for," grumbled Skip Handlon, the one 1 ISO who carried the camera. He was the ■lighter of the two and perhaps half a head shorter than the other. "Do you ■bow anything about it?" "Not much," confessed the other as they, alighted from the smoker. "All I can tell you is that Bland sent for me early this morning, told me to get a story out of this Professor Kell and to drag you along. Aftep-we get there you are to do as judgment dictates. But I remember that the Chief was specific as regards one thing. You are to get the proff's mug. Don't forget. The old fellow may growl and show fight, but it's up to you to deliver the goods— or, in this case, get them. Don't depend on me for help. I ex- pect to have troubles - of -my own." Thus gloomed Horace Perry, star re- porter for the Journal. "This Keegan place" — Handlon was using his eyes swiftly and comprehen- sively — "isn't worth much. Can't see how it manages to even rate a name. Some dump, all right I" "You said a coupla mouthfuls." "How's the train service, if any?" "Rotten. Two trains a day." The other was anything but enthusiastic. "We've a nice long wait for (the next one, you can bet. Now, just add to that a rough- reception after we reach the old lion's lair and you get a nice idea of what Bland expects from his men." 35* ASTOUNDING STORIES HANOLON made a wry face at thi*. "The bird who first ap- plied the;. words Hard Boiled' to the Chiefs monniker knew # something." "You dpn't Know the half of it," re- torted Perry encouragingly. "Just wait andi see what a beaut of a fit he can throw for your benefit if you fail to do ycjur stuff— and I don't mean maybe." j * Old Man Bland owned? the Journal, hired and fired his crew and did his own editing, with the help of as capa- ble an office gang as could be gotten together. ; It is quite possible that "Hard Boiled" Bland demanded more from his |men than any other editor ever has before or since. Nevertheless - he got results, and none of his experi- enced underlings ever kicked, for the pay was right. If a hapless scribe had the temerity to enter the editorial sanctum with a negative report, the al- most invariable reply had been a glare and a peremptory | order, "Get the- copy/' And get it they did. If a person re- fused an interview these clever fellows generally succeeded in getting their in- formation from the next most reliable source, and it arrived in print just the_ same. Of suet a breed was Perry. Hand- Ion, being a more recent acquisition to the staff, ^ras not yet especially aggres- sive, in hit work. On this account the former took keen zest in scaring him into displaying a bit' more sand. THE train had disappeared around a benjd and the two reporters felt themselvefc marooned. Keegan, with- out questijon, was a most forlorn look- ing spot, j A dismal shanty, much the worse foq weather, stood beside the track. In; front, a few rotting planks proclaimed/ that once upon a time the place had Iboasted a real freight plat- form. Probably, back in some long- forgotten bge, a station agent had also held forth; in the rickety shanty- A sign hung on each end of the . crum- bling structure on which could still be deciphered the legend "KEEGAN." On the opposite side of the track was an; old, disused siding. The only other feature of interest thereabouts was i well traveled country road which crossed the tracks near the shanty, wound sinuously over a rock-strewn . hill and became lost in the mazes of an upland forest. There being no signboard of any kind to indicate their destination, the two, after a moment's hesitation, started off* briskly in a chance direc- tion. The air was hot and sultry, and In jthe open spaces the sun beat down mercilessly upon the two hapless ones. Asj they proceeded into the depths of the forest they were shielded some- what from the worst of the heat Gradually upon their city-bred nos- trils there stole the odor of conifers, accompanied by a myriad of other for- est: odors. Both sniffed the air appre- ciatively. 'This is sure the life," remarked Perry. "If I weren't so darn thirsty now. . . ." He became lost in mournful thought. ( A CONSIDERABLE time passed. The newspaper men trudged wearily along until finally another be rid brought them to the beginning of a steep descent. The forest had thinned out' to nothing. "Seems to me I smell smoke,'* blurted out Handlon suddenly. "Must be that we are approaching the old party's lair. Remember? '"Bland said .that he — " "Uh huh I" the other grunted, almoat inaudibly. Now that they seemed to be arriving at their destination some- thing had occurred to him. He had Sshed from his pocket a sheaf of clip- pings and was perusing them intently. "Bland said, 'Get the copy'," he mut- tered irrelevantly and half to himself. The clippings all related directly to Prqfessor Eell or to happenings local to Keegan. Some were of peculiar in- terest. The first one was headlined thus; THE SOUL MASTER 353 MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEAR- ANCE. OF ROBERT MANION AND DAUGHTER STILL UNSOLVED The piece contained a description of the, missing man, a fairly prosperous banker who had been seen four days previously driving through Keegan in a small roadster, .and one of the girl, who was in the car with him. It told that the banker and his daughter Were last seen by a farmer named Willetts who lived in a shack on the East Kee- gan road, fleeing before a bad thunder Mono. . He believed the pair were try- ing to make the Kell mansion ahead of the rain. Nothing more of the H anions or their car had been seen, and their personal effects remained at their hotel in a nearby village un- claimed. The heavy rain had of course effectually obliterated all wheel {racks. Another clipping was fairly lengthy, but Perry glanced, only at the. head- lines: KELL STILL CARRYING ON HIS STRANGE EXPERI- MENTS Has Long Been Known to Have Fantastic Theories. Refuses to Divulge Exact Methods Employed, or 'Nature of Results Still another appeared to be an ex- cerpt from an article in an agricul- tural paper. It read: A price bu,ll belonging to Alton, Shepard, a Keegan cattle breeder, has created considerable sensation by running amuck in a most pecu- liar manner. While seemingly more intelligent than heretofore, it has developed characteristics known to be utterly alien to this type of animal. Perhaps the most noteworthy feature of the case is the refusal of the animal to eat its accustomed food. Instead it now consumes enormous quantities of meat. The terrific bellow of the animal's voice has also undergone a,, marked change, now resembling nothing earthly, although some have re- marked that it could be likened to the bay of an enormous hound. Some of its later actions have seemingly added further canine attributes, which make the matter all' the more mystifying. Veteri- naries are asking why this animal should chase automobiles,' and why it should carry bones in its mouth and try to bury them I The last one read in part: Professor Kell has been ques- tioned, by authorities at Keegan relative to the disappearance there last Tuesday of Robert M anion and his daughter. Kell seemed unable to furnish clues of any value, but officials are not- entirely satisfied with the man's attitude toward the questions. • Somewhat "bewildered by these ap- parently unrelated items, the reporter remained lost in thought for quite a space, the while he endeavored to map out his course of action when he should meet the redoubtable Professor. That many of the weird occurrences could be traced ,in some way to the litter's door had evidently occurted to Bland. Fur- thermore, the Old Man relied implicit- ly upon Perry to get results. It must be said that for once the star reporter was not overly enthusiastic with the assignment. Certain rumors aside from the clippings in his hand had produced in his mind a feeling of uneasiness. So far as his personal preference was concerned he would have been well satisfied if some cub re- porter had been given the job. Try as he would, however, he could offer no tangible reason for the sudden wari- ness. He was aroused from his absorption by his companion. "Thought I smelled smoke a while 354 ASTOUNDING STORIES back, and I was right. That's the house up in the edge of the pines. Deep grounds in front and all gone to seed; fits the description exactly , Thank Heaven we struck off from the station i 1 the right direction, ft This stroll hat been long enough. ' Come out of it an< let's get this job finished." Suiting the action to the words Handlon started off at a brisk pace down the hill, followed at a more mod- erate rat s by Perry. At length they came wit lin full sight of the grounds: Extending for a considerable distance before th :m and enclosing a large tract of land low well covered with lush grass, ms a formidable looking wall. In former days a glorious mantle of ivy had covered the rough stones ; but now thei e^ras little left, and what there was looked pitifully decrepit. They continued their progress along this barri ir, finally coming upon a huge iron gate now much the worse for rust. It stood \riie open. THE : oad up to the house had long sine* become ove/grown with rank grais'and weeds. Faintly trace- able thro igh the mass of green could be seen i rough footpath which the two folio wed carefully. They met no one. As black pines the mass of the old man- :hey approached the night of Pi,' sion beg: n to loom up before them, grim and forbidding. Instinc ively both shivered. The si- lence of tare place wascanplete tend of an uncannily tangible-'Jluality. Ner- vously they looked apoui: them. "How do you like it, YBkip?" The words fr^m Perry's previously silent lips broke upon the stillness like, a thunderclap. The other started. "I should hate to die in it," Handlon answered I solemnly. "I'll bet the old joint is haunted. Nobody but a luna- tic woula ever live in it." "I get a good deal the same impres- sion myself." said Perry. "I don't won- der 'that Bland sent two of us to cover the job." As he ajpoke he mounted a flight of steps to a tumbledown veranda. There was- no sign of a door ' bell on the weather-beaten portal, but an ancient knocker" of bronze hanging forlornly before him seemed to suggest a means of 'attracting attention. He raised it and rapped smartly. NO answer. , Possessing all the attributes of the: conventional reporter and a few additional ones. Perry did not allow hirnself to become disheartened, but metely repeated his summons, this time with more vim. "Well, Horace," grinned Handlon, "it 'does look as if we were not so very wefcome here. However, seems to me if fau were to pick up that, piece of dead limb and do some real knocking with it. The dear Professor may be deaf, you know, or maybe he's — " "Skip, my boy, I don't know as we ought to go in right now after all. Do you realize it will soon be dark?" "To tell you the truth, Horace, I'm not! stuck on this assignment either. And I feel, that after dark I should like! it even less, somehow. But, gee, the I Old f/lan. . . ." "Oh, I'm not thinking of quitting on the job. We don't do that on the Jour- nal.;' Perry smiled paternally at the photographer. Could it be he had pur- posely raised the other's hopes in or- dA to chaff him some more? "But I was | thinking that it might be a good ideal to look about the outbuildings a bit [while we have a little daylight Eh?f' ~\ Handlon looked disappointed, but nodded'gamely. He delayed only long enough to deposit his camera and traps behind a grossly overgrown hydrangea by the steps, then, with a resigned air, declared himself ready to.follow wher- ever! the other might lead. Perry' elected to explore the barn first. Thii was a depressing old pile, unpainted in years, with what had once been' stout doors now swinging and bumping in the light breeze. As the two 1 men drew nearer, this breeze — THE SOUL MASTER "\ 355 which teemed to sigh through the place at will — brought foul odors tha\ told them the place was at least not tenantless. In some trepidation they stepped inside and stood blinking iu- the half darkness. "Pretty Polly I" "Good God I What was that ?" Hand- lon -whispered. He knew it was no parrot's voice, This was a far deeper sound than that, a sound louder than anything a parrot's throat could pro- duce. It came from the direction of a- ruinous stall £ver near a cobwebbed window. As Perry started fearfully toward this, there issued from it a cur- ious scraping sound, followed by a fall that shook the floor, and aHhreshing aa of hoofs. Now the great voice could be heard again, this time uttering what sounds! strangely like oaths roared out in a foreign tongue^Yet-'wheh the newspaper men readied the stall they found it occupied only by a large mole. " THE animal was lying on its side, its feet scraping feebly against the side of the stall. The heaving, foam-flecked body was a mass of hide- ous bruises, some of which were bleed- ing profusely. The creature seemed to be in ''the last stage of exhaustion, lying with lips drawn back and eyes closed. Beneath it and scattered all over the stall floor was a thick layer of some whitish seeds. "That's — why that's sunflower seed, Horace I" Handlon almost whimpered. "And look I Look in that crib I It's full of the same stuff I Where's the hay, Horace? Does this thing — " He was interrupted by a mighty movement of the beast — a threshing that nearly blinded the men in the cloud of bloodstained seeds it raised. With something between a curse and a sob, the mule lunged at its crib as if attempting to get bodily' into it. But no: it was only trying to perch on its edge! Now it had succeeded. The ungainly beast hung there a second, two, three. From its uplifted throat issued that . usually innocuous phrase, a phrase now a tling of delirious hor- ror: "Pretty Polly I" With a crash the tortured creature fell to the floor, to, lie there gasping and moaning. Skip Handlon left that barn. Perry retained just enough wit to do what he should*have done: the instant he first saw the animal. He whipped out his automatic and fired one merciful shot. Then he too' started for the outside. He arrived in the yard perhaps ten seconds behind Handlon. "Good Heavens, Perry," gibbered Handlon. "I'm not going to stay around this place another minute. Just let me find where I left that suffering camera, that's all I ask." , "Easy now." Perry laid a hand oh his companion's shoulder. H "I guess we're up against something pretty fierce here, but we're going to see it through, and you know it. So let's cut out the flight talk and go raise the Professor." \ Handlon tried earnestly to don a look of determination. If Perry was set on stfying here the le^st he could do was stay with him. However, could Perry have foreseen the events which were to entangle them, he probably would have led the race to the gate. As it was, he grasped a stick and marched bravely up toward the front door. A SUDDEN commotion behind him caused him to wheel sharply around. Simultaneously a yell burst from Handlon. "Look out, Horace I" What he saw almost froie the blood in his veins. From a tumbledown coach house had issued an enormous wolf-hound which was now almost upon them, eyes flaming, fangs gleam- ing horribly. So unexpected was the 'attack that both men) stood rooted in their tracks. The next moment the. charging brute was upon, them, and had bowled Hand- 356 ASTOUNDING STORIES Ion off his equilibrium as if he were a child. The unfortunate photographer made a desperate attempt to prevent injury to his precious camera, which he had but a moment earlier succeeded in retrieving, and in doing so fell rather violently to the ground. Every moment he expected to feel the power- ful, jaws crunch his throat, and he made no effort to rise. For several /seconds he remained thus, until he could endure the suspense no longer. He glanced around only to see Perry, staring open-mouthed at the animal which" had so frightened them. Ap- parently it had forgotten the presence of the two men. Handlon regained his feet rather awkwardly, the while keeping a watch, ful eye on the bent, of whose uncer- tain temper he was by now fully aware. In an undertone he addressed his com- panion. "What do you make of it?" he wanted to know. ''Did the critter bite you?" "No. That's the queer part of it. Neither did he bite you, if you were to think it over a minute. Just put his noBe down and rammed you, head on." The photographer was flabbergasted. Involuntarily { hia gaze stole again in the direction of the offending brute. "What on earth — " he began. "Is he sharpening his teeth on a rock prepara- tory to another attack upon us? -Or — What the deuce is he. doing?" "If you ask me," came astonishingly from the watchful Perry, "he's eating grass, which is my idea of something damn foolish for a perfectly normal • hound, genus lupo, to be — Look out I" THE animal, as if suddenly remem- bering the presence of the men, suddenly charged at them again, head down, eyes blazing. As before, it made no effort to bite. Though both men were somewhat disconcerted by the great brute they held their, ground, and when it presented the opportunity the older ^reporter planted a terrific kick to the flank which sent the animal whimpering back to its shed behind, "S'dore one, ' breathed Handlon. "If we-7-T At a sudden grating: sound over- headjrhe stopped. Both turned to face the, threatening muzzle of an ancient blunderbuss. Be- hind! was an irate countenance, near- ly covered by an unolipped beard of a dirty gray color. In ' the eyes now glaring at them malevolently through heavily concaved spectacles they read hate unutterable. The barrel of the blunderbuss swung slightly as it cov- ered ! alternately one and; the other. Both! sensed that the finger even now tightening on the trigger; would not hesitate unduly. Being more or less hardened to rebuffs of all (finds in the pursuance of their calling, the re- porters did not hesitate; in stating theirj purpose. "What?" yelled, the old iman. "You dare to invade my grounds: and disturb me alt "my labors for such a reason? Reporters I My scientific, research work is not for publicity, sirs; land futher- more! I want it understood that I am not to be dragged from my laboratory again: for the purpose of entertaining you Or any others of yoiir ilk. Get awayJ" j , Without further ado the window was flammed down, a shutter closed on the inside, and once more the si- lence! of the dead descended upon the spot. | The two men grinned ruefully at each other, Handlon finally breaking the stillness. j "My idea of the world's original one- sided i conversation. We simply didn't talk— jand yet we're supposed to be re- porters. You've got to hand it to the Proff, Horace, for the beautiful rock- crusher he just handed us." "Ydu didn't think we had anything easy, !did you?" said Perry irritably. "He'll change bis tunel presently, when-i-" HANDLON*S jaw dropped. "You : don't mean you're going to take any more chances! Would you rouse him again after the way he treated us THE SOUL MASTER 357 •nth that gun? Besides, the train. .. ." Perry bent a scathing glance at his companion. "What on earth has . the train to do with our getting the Pro- fessor's vcojrf ession of crime or what- ever he has ^o offer? You evidently don't know Bland — much. I deduce that a lot of my sweetness has been wasted on the desert air. ' Once more, let me assure you that if you propose to go back without the Proff's mug on one of those plates you might as well mail your resignation from here. Gef me?" The other wilted. "I wonder," Perry ruminated aa he stared in the direction of tjft shed wherein the canine monstrosity had disappeared. "Do you^uppose - that you can get a snap of the old boy's mug i if I can get him to the 'window again? If you can do that, just leave the rest to me. I've handled these crusty birds' before. What say?" "Go as far as you like." The photo- grapher was once more grinning as hei unslung his camera and carefully ad- justed a plate in place. Everything at last to his satisfaction he gripped flash pan and bulb. , "I'm going to make some racket now," announced Perry grimly. "If Kell shows Tip, work fast. He may shoot at you, but don't get excited. It's almost dark, so his aim might be poor." At this suggestion his companion showed signs of panic, but the other affected not to notice this. There came a deafening hullaballoo as Perry beat a terrimc tattoo on the ancient door. Followed a deep silence, while Perry leaped back to stand in front of Skip and his camera. After perhaps a full minute's wait he once more opened up his bombardment, to jump quickly back to the camera as before. This time he had better success. The win- dow was again opened arid- the muzzle of the blunderbuss put in its appear- ance. Handlon stood close behind Perry as he silently swung the camera into a more favorable position for ac- tion. The face at the window was pur- ple with wrath. i J -"You damned pests I Leave my grounds at once or I shall call my hound and set him upon you. And when — " t CRACK I Flash I Click I Perry had made a sudden sidewise movementNas Handlon went into ac- tion. "Much obliged, Professor," said Perry politely. "Your pose with that; old cannon is going to be very effective from the front page. The write-up will doubtless be interesting too. Probably the story won't be quite so. accurate as it would be had you told it to us yourself; but we shall get as many of the details from the natives hereabouts as we can. Good-day to you, sir I" Motioning to the other he turned on his heel and started down the drive- way. It was an old trick, and for a long moment of suspense he almost feared that .it would fail. Another moment — . " "Wait I" The quavering voice of the irascible ^>ld villain had lost some of its malice. "Come back here a minute." With simulated reluctance the two slowly retraced their steps. "Is there something else, sir?" "Perhaps. ." The old man hesi- tated, as if' pondering upon, his words. "Perhaps if you care to .step in I can be of assistance to you after all. It occurs to me that possibly I have been too abrupt with you." "I am very glad that you have de- cided to cooperate with us. Professor Kell,". answered the reporter heartily, as they ascended the steps. The old man's head disappeared from the win- dow and shortly the sound of footsteps inside told of his approach. Finally the oaken door swung -open, and they w^ere silently ushered into the musty smelling hallway. Though outwardly accepting) the Professor's suddenly pacific attitude. Perry made up his mind to be on his guard! 358 ASTOUNDING STORIES i AS they entered what had evidently been the parlor in bygone days, an oppressive, heavy odor . smote their nostrils, telling of age-old car- pets and of draperies allowed to de- cay unnoticed. On the walls hung several antique prints, a poorl^y exe- cuted crayon portrait of a person doubtless an ancestor of the present Kell, and one or two paintings done in oil, now' badly cracked and stained. Everything gave the impression of an era long since departed, and the two men. felt vaguely out of place. Their host led them to 'a paif of dilapidated chairs, which they accepted gratefully. The ride to Keegan after a, hard day's work had not Igfded to improve their spirits. "Now to business." .Perry went straight' to the point, desiring to get the interview over as soon as possible. "We have heard indirectly of various happenings in this vicinity which many think have some connection with your scientific experiments. Any statement you may care to make to us in regard to these happenings will be greatly appreciated by my paper. In- asmuch Vs what little has already been printed is probably of an erroneous nature, we believe it will be in your own best interest to give us as com- plete data as possible." ^Here he be- came slightly histrionic. ."Of course we do not allow ourselves to take the stories told by the local inhabitants too literally, as such persons art too liable to exaggerate, but we must assume that some of these stories have partial basis in fact. Any informations rela- tive to your scientific work, incident- ally, will make good copy for us also." Perry gazed steadily at the patriarch as he spoke. For a moment a crafty expression passed over the old man's face, but as suddenly it disappeared. Evidently he had arrived at a decision. "Come with me," he wheezed. THE, two newspaper men ex-i changed swift glances, the same thought in the mind of each. Were they about to be led into a trap ? If the old mas'e shady reputation was at all de- served they would do well to be wary. Pcijry thought swiftly of the clippings he had read and of what gossip he had heard, then glanced once more in the .direction of Handlon. That worthy was smiling meaningly and had al- ready arisen to follow the Professor. Reluctantly Perry got to his feet and the; three proceeded to climb a rickety stairway to the third floor. The guide turned at the head of the stairs and en- tered a long dark corridor. Here the floor was covered with a thick, carpet which, as they trod upon it, gave forth not {the slightest sound. / The hall. gave upon several room*!, all Idark and gloomy and giving the same dismal impression of long dis- use Hew could the savant endure such a depressing abode 1 The accu- mulation of dust and cobwebs in these long forgotten chambers, the general evidence of decay — all told of possible horfors ahead. They became wary. But they were not wary enough! The uncouth figure ahead of them had stopped and was fumbling with the lock of an. ancient door. Instinc- tively Perry noted that it was of great thickness and of heavy oak. Now the Professor had it open and was motion- ing 'for them to enter. Handlon started forward eagerly, but hurriedly drew back as he felt the grrpof the other reporter's hand on his arm. "Get back, you fool I" The words were hissed into the ear of the incau- tious one. Then, to the Professor', Perry observed: "If you have no ob- jection we would prefer, that you pre- cede us." A i look of insane fury leaped to. the face of the old man, lingered but an nnstant and was gone. Though the ex- pression was but, momentary, both men had Been, and seeing- had realized their danger. ; It T:HEY followed him into the cham- ber, which was soon illumined fit- fully by a smoky kerosene lamp. Both THE SOUL MASTER took a rapid survey pf the place. Con- ceivably it might have been the scene of scientific experiments, but its as- pect surely belied such a supposition. The average imagination would in-, stantly pronounce it the abode of a maniac, or the lair of an alchemist.. Again, that it might be the laboratory of an extremely slovenly, veterinary was suggested by the several filthy cages to be seen resting against the wall. All of these were unoccupied except one in a dark comer, fronv which issued a sound of contented purring, evidently telling of some well- satisfied cat. The air was close and foul, being heavy with the odor of musty, decaying drugs. In every possible niche and cranny the omnipresent dust had set- tled in a uniform sheen of gray which showed but few signs of recent distur- bance. "Here, gentlemen," their host was saying, ."is where I carry on my work. It is rather gloomy here after dark, but then I do not spend much time here daring the night. I have decided to acquaint you with some of the details of one or two of my experiments. Doubtless you will find them interest- Ing" I While speaking lie had, mechanically it seemed, reached for a glass humidor in which were perhaps a dozen cigars. Silently he selected one and extended the rest to the two visitors. After all three had puffed for a mo- ment at the weeds, the old man began to talk, rapidly it seemed to them. Perry from time to time took note% as the old man proceeded, an expression of utter amazement gradually over- spreading his face. Handlpn pulled mway contentedly at his cigar, and on his features there grew an almost ludi- crous expression of well-being. Was the simple photographer so completely at ease that he had at length forsaken all thought of possible danger? As Professor KelT talked on he seemed to warm to his subject: At the end of five minutes he began uncover- ing a peculiar apparatus which had rested beneath the massive old table before which they were sitting. The two men caught the flash of light on glass, and a jumble of coiled 'wires be- came visible. AS the air in the laboratory getting unbearably close? Or was the queer leaden feeling that had taken possession cjf Perry's lungs but an indication of his overpowering weariness? He felt a steadily increas- ing irritation, as if for some strange reason he suddenly resented the words of their host, which seemed to be pour- ing out in an endjesa, stream. The cigar • had, paradoxically, an .oddly soothing quality, and he puffed away m silence. Why had the room suddenly taken on so hazy an aspect? Why did Han- dlon grin in that idiotic manner? And the Professor . . he was getting far- ther and farther away . . that per- fect© . . or was it an El Cabbajo? What was the old archfiend doing to him anyhow? . Whv was he laugh- ing and leering at them so horribly? Conf|und it all . . that cigar . . . where was it ? . . . Just one more puff. Blindly he groped for the mining weed, becoming aware of a cackle of amusement nearby. Professor Kell was standing near the spot where he had fallen and now began prodding him contemptuously with his toe. "Fools I" he was saying. "You thought to interfere with my program: But you are in my power and you have no hope of escape. I am unexpectedly provided with more subjects for my experiments. You will " His words became hazy and Unintelligible, for the hapless reporter was drifting off into a numb oblivion. He had long since lost the power to move a muscle. Out of the comer of an eye, just before he lost consciousness altogether, he perceived Handlon lying upon the floor still puffing at the fateful drugged - cigar. W 360 ASTOUNDING STORIES EONS passed. To the reporter came a vision of a throbbing, glaring inferno, where- in he was shaken and tossed by terrific forces: His very vital essence seemed to respond to a mighty Vibration. Now he was but a part of some terrific chaos. Dimly he became aware of another be- ing with whom he must contend. Now he was in a death struggle, and to his horror he found himself being slowly but surely overpowered. A demoniac grin played upon the^features of the other as he forced the reporter to his knees. It was Handlon. . . . Once more he was sinking into soft oblivion, the while a horrid miasma assailed bis nostrils. He was nothing. SLOWLY,! and with infinite effort, Perry felt himself returning to consciousness, though he had no clear conception of his surroundings. His brain was as yet but a whirling vortex of confused sounds, colors and — yes, odors. "A temporary rift came in the mental cloud which fettered his facul- ties, and things began to take definite shape. He became aware that he was lying upon his back at some elevation from the flqor. Again the clqudy in- cubus closed in and he knew no more. When he finally recovered the use of his faculties it was to discover himself the possessor of a violent? headache. The pain came in such fearsome throbs that it was well nigh unendurable. The 'lamp still sputtered dimly ' where the professor had left it. At the moment it was on the point of going out alto- gether. The reporter noticed this, and over him stole a sense of panic. What if the light should fail altogether, leav- ing him lying in the dark in this fright- ful place I Sftill dizzy and sick, he man- aged to rise upon his elbows enough to complete a survey of the room. He was still in the laboratory of Professor Kell, but that worthy had disappeared. Of Haridlon, there was no sign. The mysterious apparatus, of which he now had but a vague remembrance, also had vanished. ftis thoughts became] confused again, and wearily he passed a hand over hit brow in the effort to collect all of hit faculties. The lamp began to sputter, arousing him to action. Desperately he fought against the benumbing sensa- tion that was even again stealing over him. Gradually he gained the ascend- ancy. 'He struggled dizzily to his feet and took a few tentative steps. Where was Handlon? He decided his friend had probably recovered from the drug first and was gone, possibly to ;get a doctor for him. Perry. How- ever, he must make some search' to de- termine if Skip had really left the premises. As he walked through the open door the lamp in his hand gave a last de- spairing flicker and went out. From there he was forced to grope his way doyra the dark hall to the stairs. Just how he reached the lower floor he was never able to remember, for as yet all the- effect of the powerful drug had not worn off. He had a dim recollec- tion of being thankful to the ancestor of Kell who had provided such thick catipets in these halls. Thanks to them his) footsteps had been noiseless, at any ratle. What was Kell's real object In giv- ing them those drugged cigars? he wondered. How long had they been under the influence of the lethal stuff? Surely, several hours. Upon glancing through a hall window he found that outside was the blackness of midnight CAUTIOUSLY he explored the desolate chambers on the ground flot.r : the kitchen — where it could be plainly seen that cooking of a sort had been done — the barn, and woodshed. Nof a living thing could he find, not even the hiige wolf-hound which hid attacked them in so strange a manner thai ^afternoon. By now he was quite frankly wor- ried on Handlon's account. At, 'that moment, could he have known the ac- tual fate that had overtaken' his com- panion, it is quite probable he would THE SOUL MASTER 361 have gone mad. He stumbled back and into the dark front hall, shouting his friend's name. The response was a hollow echo, and once or twice he thought he heard the ghost of a mock- ing chuckle. At length he gave up the search and- started for the door, intent now only upon flight from the accursed place. He would report the whole thing to the office and let Bland do what he pleased about, it. Doubtless Handlon had al- ready left. Then he stumbled over Handlon's camera. Evidently the Pro- fessor had neglected to take possession of it. That must be rescued, at all costs. He picked it up and felt the exposed plate still inside. He started again for the door. What little light there was faded out and he felt stealing over him a horrid sensation of weakness. Again came a period of agony during which he felt the grip of unseen forces. Once more it seemed that he was engaged in mor- tal strife vrith Skip Handlon. Malevo- lently Handlon glared at him as he en- deavored with all his strength to over- come Perry. This time, however, the , latter seemed to have more strength and* resisted the attack for what must have been hours. Finally the other drew away baffled. At this the mental incubus surroun- ing IJssry's faculties broke. Dimly he became aware of a grinding noise near- by and a constant lurching of his body. At length his vision cleared sufficient- ly to enable him to discover the cause of the peculiar sensations. * He was in a railroad coach I HE took a rapid glance around and noted a drummer sitting in the teat across the aisle, staring curiously tt him. With an effort Perry assumed an inscrutable expression and deter- mined to stare the other out of coun- tenance. Reluctantly the man glanced away, and after a moment, under Per- ry's stony gaze, he suddenly arose and chose a new seat in front of the car. Perry took to the solace of a cigarette and stared out at the flying telegraph poles. From time to time he Rioted familiar landmarks. The train had evi- dently left Keegan far behind and, was already nearly into the home town. For the balance of the ride the re- porter experienced pure nightmare. The peculiar sensations of, dizziness, accompanied by frightful periods of insensibility, kept recurring, now, however, not lasting more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time. At such times as he was conscious he found op- portunity to wonder in an abstracted sort of way how he had ever managed to get on the train and pay his fare, which must htye been a cash one, with- out arousing the conductor's suspi- cions. Discovery of a rebate in his pocket proved that he must have done so, howeyer. ' The business of leaving the train and getting to the office has always been an unknown chapter in Perry's life. » He came out of. one of his mental fogs to find himself seated in the pri- vate editorial sanctum of the Journal. Evidently he had just arrived. Bland, a thick-set fcian with the jaw of a bull- dog, was eyeing him intently.' "Well! Any report to make?" The question was crisp. The reporter passed a hand across his perspiring forehead. "Yes, I guess so. I — er — that is— you see—" "Where's Handlon? What happened to you ? You act as if you were drunk." Bland was not in an amiable mood. "Search me," Perry managed to re- spond. "If Skip isn't here old man Kell must have done for him. I came back alone." "You wha-a-t ?" the irate editor fair- ly roared, half rising from his chair. "TelL me exactly what happened and get ready to go back there on the next train. Or — no, on second thoughts you'd better go to bed. You look all used up. Handlon may be dead or dy- ing at this 'minute. That' Kell could do anything." He pressed. the buttdn on his desk. "Johnny,' he said to the office boy. 362 ASTOUNDING STORIES "get OUm in here on the double quick and tell him to bring along his hat and coat." > HE turned again to Perry, who was gazing nervously at the door. "Now tell me everything that happened and make it fast," he ordered. The reporter complied, omitting, nothing except the little matter of his mental lapses at the house of Professor Kell and later on the train. The inci- dent of the drugged cigars seemed to interest the Old Man hugely, and Perry did not forget.to play up Handlon's ex- ploits in getting the picture. Of the Professor. All through the recital 'he- was in a sweat for fear that Jie might have a recurrence of one of his brain spells and that Bland would become cognizant of it. When would the Chief finish and let him escape from the of- fice? Desperately he fought to pre- vent the numbing sensation from over- coming him. All that kept him from finally fleeing the place in panic was the entrance of Jimmie O'Hara. Slight, wiry and efficient looking, this individual was a specimen of the perfect Journal reporter. This is say- ing a good deal, for the news crew and editorial force of the paper, were a carefully selected body of men indeed. Bland never hired a man unless ex- perience had endowed him with some unusual qualification. Most of them could write up a story with realistic exactitude, being able in most case's to supply details gleaned from actual experience in one walk of life or an- other. OF this redoubtable crew probably the queerest was Jimmie O'Hara. Jimmie had just finished' a sentence in the "pen" for safe-cracking at the time he landed the job with the Journal. Theoretically all men should have shunned .him on account of his jailbird taint. Not so Bland. The Chief was independent in his ideas on the eternal fitness of things and allowed none of the ordinary conventions of humanity to influence his decisions. So Jimmie became one of the staff and worked hard ' to justify Bland in hiring him. His former profession gave him valu- able Isidelights upon crime stories of all kinds, and he was almost invari- ably picked as the man to write these up for the columns. "Jimmie," said the Chief, "we have need jof an experienced strong-arm man and jdl around second story Worker. You are the only man on the force who fills the bill for this job. Perry here has just returned from" Keegan, where I sent him to interview Professor KelL Skip I Handlon went with him, but failed to return. We want "to know what happened to Skip. That is your job. Get Handlon! If he is dead let me know by long distance phone and I'll h ive a couple of headquarters men down there in a hurry. Get a good fast car and don't waste any time. Thatls all." OTjlara stopped long enough to get the location of Professor Kelt's place fixed; in his mind, then abruptly de- parted. Bland gazed after him mus- ingly; "The Professor will have some job to put anything over on' that bird." he said jgrimly. "Personally ,^1'm sorry for the old soul." / j AfTER leaving the Journal office 'Jimmie proceeded directly to a certain stable where he kept his pri- vate car. It was a long, low speedster with ! a powerful engine, and capable of eating up distance. It was the work of a minute to touch the starter and back 'put of the yard. \ For the next hour he held the wheel grimly while the car roared over the seventy-odd miles to Keegan. Would he be in time? At last a sign post told him that he was within five miles! of the railroad crossing at Kee- gan. !Now the headlights were picking out the black outlines of the freight shed.j and the next moment he had swept over the tracks. The luminous dial }>n- his wrist watch notified hun THE SOUL MASTER S63 that he had been on the road but little over an hour, but his spirits somehow refused to revive with the knowledge. About a mile beyond the station he drove the car into a dark wood roadr and parked" it, turning off all lights. The rest of the way to the Professor's mansion he did on foot. Rather than approach from the front of the grounds be nimbly climbed a stone wall and, crossing a field or two, entered the stretch of woods which' extended just behind the mansion. His pocket flash- light here came into use, and once or twice he gave a reassuring pat to a rear pocket where bulged a heavy Colt automatic WHAT was that? He had ap- proached very close to the rear of the house now. No lights were visi- ble as yet, but unless he was greatly mistaken he had heard a muffied ■cream. He stopped in hiB tracks and listened intently. Again it came, this time with a blood-curdling cadence ending in what he would have sworn was a choking sob. . The little job of getting the old- fashioned rear window open was a mere nothing to the experienced O'Hara, and in a moment he was inside the house. His feet struck soft carpet. Catlike, he stepped to one side in order to prevent any hidden eyes from per- ceiving his form silhouetted in the dim jight of the open window. He dared not use his flashlight for fear 'that the circle of light would betray his posi- tion, thus making him an excellent tar- get for possible bullets. Following the* wall closely he managed to circle the room without mishap. His searching fingers finally came in contact with a door frame, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Here there was nothing to bar his progress except some moth-eaten portieres. These he brushed aside. The room which he now entered was probably the same into which the Pro- fessor had ushered Handlon and Perry the day before. There being still no sign of life about, the reporter decided to throw caution to the winds. He brought his flash into play. Quickly casting the powerful beam around the chamber he examined the place with an all-searching glance. OTHING. With a .stifled oath he turned his attention to the other rooms in the immediate vicinity. The brilliant light revealed not the slightest trace of a person, living or dead. The sound must have come from the second story or from the cellar. He decided on the upper floor. Feverish with impatience because of the valuable time he had already lost, he bounded up the heavily carpeted stairs two at a time. Now to his keen ears came certain faint sounds which* told him that he was on the right track. Before him extended a long, dusty hall, terminating in a single heavy door. Several other doors opened at inter- vals along the corridor.. One or two of these were open, and he threw the beam from his flash hastily into one after another of them: He saw only dusty and mildewed chamber furnish- ings of an aifcient massive style. Suddenly he pricked up his ears. The door ahead of him was creakingl slowly open. Instantly he extinguished his torch and leaped into the nearest room. Whoever was opening that end door was carrying a lamp. What if the Professor bad accomplices who might discover him and overpower him by, force o| numbers I O'Hara drew the automatic from his pocket, deriv- ing a comforting assurance from the feel of the cold steel. Here was some- thing no man could resist could>he but get it into action. The light was now nearly abreast of his door, and for a sickening instant he thought the prowler was coming into the room. He held his breath. Now the lamp was at the open door, and now it was quickly withdrawn. After a breathless second he tip-toed forward and peered cau- tiously down the hallway. About here jt was that James O'Hara 364 ASTOUNDING STjORIES began to realize that this was going to be a horrible night indeed. He had wondered why the progress of the light had been so deathly slow. Now he knew why, by reason of what he saw — and what he saw made him feel rather sick. The man with the lantern was quite plainly Professor Kell, bent near- ly double with the weight of d gro- tesquely big thing on his back, a thing that flung a dim, contorted shadow on the ceiling. And that thing was a dead man. A CORPSE it was— the attitude proved that. With a numb re- lief O'Hara realized ft was not the body of Skip Handlon. This had been a much larger man than Skip, and the clothing was different from anything Handlon had worn. The light was now disappearing down the stairway. For a moment O'Hara felt undecided as to his next move. Should he follow Kell and his burden, or should he not take advan- tage of this fine opportunity to con- tinue his search of the upper story? That scream still rang in his ears; there had been a very evident feminine quality in it, and the remembrance of that facf reproached him. Had he been guilty of mincing daintily about in this old house while a woman was be- ing done to death under his nose, when a little bolder action' on his part might have saved her? Stepping once more into tie hall' he advanced to the door just closed be- hind the professor and tried it, only to find it locked. Out of a pocket came several articles best known to the "pro- fession"— fa piece of stiff wire, a skele- ton key and other paraphernalia calcu- lated to reduce the obstinate mechan- ism to submission. For a minute, two, three, he worked at the ancient lock; then, without a creak, the door swung open. A touch of oil to the hinges had insured; their silence. Jimmie O'Hara believed in being artistic in his work, especially when it came to fine points, and befjUas. , H jE found himself in the saint | room where the drugged cigan had been proved the undoing of Hand- lon «nd Perry. In order not tp alarm the Professor unduly by chalice noises and perhaps invite a surprise attack uponi himself, O'Hara closed the labo- ratory door behind him and let the lock [spring again. Hastily he made search of the place. No trace of the missing reporter could he find, except two half-consumed cigars in a comer wherice the Professor had impatiently kicked them! On the big table in the center of the room, however, was an object which excited his interest. It Was apparently nothing more or less than a giant Crookes tube, connected in some way with; a complicated mechanism con- tained in a wooden- cabinet under the table.. Probably this apparatus^ yrm concerned in the Professor's weird ex- periments which had so arouse'd the countryside. He studied it curiously, his eyes for the moment closed in thought, until a slight sound some- where near at hand caused him to open them wide. Was the Kell returning? Quickly he extinguished the lamp and jglided to a nearby" door, thinking to secrete himself here and take Kell by surprise. To his consternation the door swung inward ai a touch. Ht prepared instinctively for battle against any foe who might present himself. For a moment be held him- self [taut ; then, nothing of an alarming nature having happened, he drew a swift' breath of relief and flashed on his light. He gave vent to a low ex- clamation. The swiftly darting shaft from the torch had revealed the figure of a: girl, bound and gagged. THE girl lay trembling on I wretched bed in a corner of the dilapidated old chamber. O'Han crossed the room and bent over bet. Still wary of a trap* he glanced back is the direction of the laboratory door; all safe there. Jimmie made haste tt remove the cruel gag from her month, THE SOUL MASTER 365 "Courage," he Whispered. "Half a minute and you will be fret." He produced a knife with a sus- piciously long blade and cut her bonds. He then assisted her to her feet, where the reeled dizzily. Realizing the need for fast action he made her sit down while he massaged the bruised arms and ankles, which were badly swollen from the tight ropes. The girl had ap- parently been in the grip of such 1 ter- rible fright that she had temporarily lost her power of speech. Mentally he chalked up another score against the Professor as the girl made Beveral in- effectual attempts to speak. "Easy, kid," Jimmie whispered. "Just sit tight, and when you feel ab)e you can tell me all about it. I'm going to get him good for this, you can bank so that." She thanked him with a faint smile, and of a sudden she found her voice. "Who are you? Where is father? Oh, tell me, please! I am afraid that horrible man has murdered him. A^e you a servant here ?. Oh, I don't know whom to trust." 1 "My name is Jimmie O'Hara," re- plied the reporter briefly ; "and I hope you won't worry about me. I am gun- ning for the Proff myself. Tell me as quickly as you can what you know about him." He still kept an eye on the door of the adjoining laboratory. Any moment he expected to hear the sound of the old man's approach. The room would make an ideal place to am- bush the maniac, he had swiftly de- cided. "I am Norma M anion. Please don't delay, but see if you can locate rather." The girl's voice was agonized. "T heard him groan a half-hour ago, and a little later came a terrific crash. Oh, I'm afraid he's dead I" RELUCTANTLY Jimmie gave up the idea of ambushingNhe Pro- fessor. v — J "Wait here," he commanded curtly. If you hear a shot join me as soon as you can. I want to take him alive if I can, but. . . ." With this parting hint he disappeared through the door into the laboratory. Down the car- peted hall he crept ' to the stairway. Here he stopped and listened, but to. his sensitive ears came no sound' from below. "Must have gone down the cellar with that body," he muttered. "Here goes for a general exploration." With more boldness than the occa- sion perhaps really justified he de- scended the stairs and proceeded to examine the i ground floor rooms min- utely. The first "was the room through which he had ynade entrance to the house. It prowd to be but a store- room containing nothing of interest, and he soon decided to waste no more time on it. The adjoining chamber, however, yielded some surprising finds. He had pushed back- a dusty portiere to find himself in what could be nothing less than the Professor's sleeping chamber. At present the bed was unoccupied, though it showed signs of recent use. The electric torch played swiftly over every possible corner which could con- stitute a hiding place for an assassin, revealing nothing. Now the ever- searching ray fell upon an old-fash- ioned dresser,* on which was piled a miscellaneous array of articles. Here were combs, brushes, a wig, a huge magnifying glass,- and a gold watch. With a barely suppressed exclamation Jimmie pounced upon the gold time- piece. Handlon'sl So. well did, he know the particular design of his watch that he could have recognized it in the dark by sense of touch alone. So the old 'man was not averse to robbery among his other activities! The former two- story man thought fast. Handlon had probably been done in, and the 'body had been disposed of in some weird manner. ■ The only thing that remained to be done, since the unlucky photogra- pher was evidently past human help, ' was to cut short the Professor's list of murders. 366 ASTOUNDING STORIES WITH the intention of missing ho essential detail O'Hara ■wept the ray of the searchlight around the chamber 'once more, but discovered no more of importance. Deciding that the Bleeping chamber could yield no further] clue he shut off the tell-tale ray and stepped noiselessly back into the nest room. Here he groped his way around until he encountered a door, «Which stood open. A moment's cautious exploration with an out^ stretched foot revealed the top step of a descending staircase. No ■ faintest glimmer of light was visible, but {muf- fled sounds proceeding from the depths told him that someone was below. With infinite care, Reeling his way gingerly over the rickety old steps and fearful; that an unexpected creak from one of the ancient boards would at any momen : prove his undoing, he com- menced the, descent. Once a board did groan t of tly, causing him to stop in his tracks . ind stand with bated breath. He listened fo^ sign of a movement below, while 1 is heart loudly told off a dozen strokes, Stealthily he continued his progress, until finally soft earth under his feet told him he had reached the cellar bottom. ' Now] his straining eyes perceived a tiny bit of light, and simultaneously he became conscious of a deathly stench. The damp earth padding his footsteps, he advanced swiftly toward the source of light, which now seemed to lie pi stripes across his line of vis- ion. He soon saw that the stairs gave upon a small boarded-off section of the cellar proper, and light was seeping between the boards. Ah, and here was a rickety door, fortuitously equipped with a large knot-hole. O'Hara ap- plied ah eye to this — and what he saw nearly ruined even his cast iron nerve. THE Professor was working beside a heavy wooden cask, from which issued the horrible stench. From' rime to timq a sodden thud told that he was hacking something to pieces with an ax. Now and then he would strain mightily at a dark and bulky thing which lay on the floor, a thing, that re- quired considerable strength to lift. It seemed to be getting lighter after each spasm of frenzied chopping. For t second. Kell's shadow wavered away fromj the thing, and the enervated newspaper man saw it plainly. Hit senses almost left him as he realised that he was witnessing the dismember* ment of a human body. As he hacked ' the fragments of tis- sue from the torso the fiend carefully deposited each in the huge cask. At such times a faint boiling sound wu heard, and there arose an effiuviunr that I bade fair to overcome even the monster engaged in tb>e foul work. At last the limbs and head had been en- tirely removed. The Professor evi- dently decided that the trunk should be left whole, and he put his entire strength into the job of getting- it into the cask. It was almost more than he could) negotiate, but finally a dsl splash told that he had succeeded. At this moment Jimmie O'Hara cane -cut ^f his trance. The horrible pre- cfceding had left him faint and shaken, and jie wished heartily that he could leayef the disgusting place as fast ■ his legs could carry him. But there was still work to be done and he re- solved to get it over. The lantern I First he must put that out of commission. The maniac would then be at his mercy. Slowly, steadily he stole through the doorway, his eyes glued to the Professor's back. No* he was within a yard of the lantern, and lie drew back his foot for the kick. Next moment Jimmie found himself, gazing into the glaring eyes of hit in- tended victim. Instinctively he struck out with the clubbed automatic, bat the blow must have fallen short, or eke the Professor had developed an' uncan- ny agility. Now to his horror he stv the fishing blade of the blood-stained ax raised on high. He had no time tt dodge the blow, He pressed the trig- ger of the Colt from the position hi which he held it. the Soul master 367 THE bullet grazed the upraised arm. The ax fell toward O'Hara from fingers lacking strength to retain it, and be grasped it by the handle in Bid-air. The next moment the assassin collected his wits and sprang at him. Silently, the breath of both coming in gups, the two men strove, each claw- ing desperately at the other's throat. The reporter fought with the knowl- edge that should he lose he would ■ever agqin see the light of day, the other with the fear of 'the justice that would deal with him. ,The maniac hugged his arms tightly ibout Jimmie, pinioning him so tightly that the reporter could not use his gun. At length their convulsive movements brought the men close to the lantern, ■ad the next instant the cellar was ■tanged in darkness. A second later die Professor tripped over some hid- den obstruction and fell, dragging his opponent with him to the earthen floor. To Jimmie'a surprise there was no further movement from the body be- neath him. Could the old villian be •bring possum? He cautiously shifted fail hold and grasped the hidden throat. He pressed the Professor's windpipe for a moment, but there was no an- swering struggle. Slowly the truth dtwned upon him. The heavy fall to the floor had rendered the older man insensible. He must work fast. Reaching into kit pocket he brought out the ever hmdy electric torch and flashed it over fte features of his prisoner. Kell was breathing heavily. With dexterous kinds the O'Hara swiftly went through tte old man's pockets, removing all which might tend to make that worthy dangerous — an ugly looking pistol of large caliber, a blackjack similiar to Hi own and asmall bottle. ' The latter item Jimmie examined cariously, finally uncorking it and in- taHng the contents. He inhaled, not vilely but too well. The fumes from Ike vial were nigh overpowering, and he reeled back nauseated. The cork he tastily replaced. Just what the nature of the powerful stuff was he never at- tempted to discover. One acquaint- ance was enough. / HE staggered to his feet and got the lantern lighted, then sat, gun in hand, waiting for his prisoner's re- turn to his senses. This was becoming increasingly imminent, judging by cer- tain changes in the Professor's respira- tion-. Finally there came a series of shuddering movements as the' man at- tempted to raise his battered body. "Get up, you damned butcher," or- dered Jimmie, "and .march upstairs. And just remember that I've got you covered ; don't make any false moves." He- prodded the prostrate form of the 1 by now glaring fiend before him. Thf stench of the place was nearly over- coming him, and again he felt an over- whelming desire (o dash madly from that den of evil, and once more breathe God's fresh air. Under the stimulus , of several shoves the Professor finally* won to his fe_et and stumbled up the stairs. Jimmie was taking no chances and kept the automatic sharply digging into the ribs of his prisoner. The fight, however, seemed temporarily to have been all taken out of the old man, and. he made no. resistance as the re- porter drove him on up to the labora- tory. « The room he found exactly as he left iti At a word from him Norma ( Manion came from her hiding place in the horrible room where she had been kept prisoner. With an hysterical scream she fell limply to the floor. The sight of her father's murderer had provea.too' much for her. Forgetting his prisoner for the moment Jimmie sprang to the girl's Side. Kell chose this moment to make a dash for freedom. His footsteps, how- ever, were not as noiseless as he had intended, and O'Hara whirled just in time to see his quarry about to throw open the hall door. Jimmie dove for his gun, only to encounter the Pro- fessor's mysterious vial, which, though m ASTOUNDING STORIES forgotten, still lay in his pocket. With no time to think, he acted purely upon instinct. His arm drew back and the bottle; flew straight for the Professor's head. 1 BY. a miracle the missile' missed ' its mark. Came a shivering crash, | as the bottle struck a stud in the massive door. Of a sudden recall- ing the terrific potency of the contents of that particular bottle, Jimmie gasped in dismay. Norma Manion's safetyj drove every o^feer thought from his m^nd. At any cost he must remove her from the^proximity of those lethal fumes'. Hastily and without a backward glance, he gathered the girl into his arms and dashed into the room where he had first found her. * Ascertaining that she had but swooned be placed her gently on the bed. In some per- plexity as to his next move he stared at the beautiful face now so wan and white. Queer that he hadn't noticed the fact before — she was beautiful. He even took a second look, then noting a continued absence of all sound from the laboratory decided to investigate. Gingerly he pushed open the door, sniffing the air - cautiously as he ad- vanced. To his nostrils gradually came a slight scent, which though almost imperceptible made rjis senses reel. As he approached the hall door he found the atmosphere heavy with the sopo- rific vapors from the broken vial, and he staggered drunkenly. He gave a start of surprise. On the floor, lying in a grotesque huddle which suggested a most unpleasant pos- sibility, was the inert body of Profes- sor Keil, JIMMIE bent over the body and put ■ an experienced ear 'to the heart. Yes, there as a faint beat — very faint. Even ;as he listened he perceived a slight increase in the respiration. Now the breath began coming in great, chok- ing gaapKonly to die suddenly to next to nothing. At last with a rueful sigh Jimmie reached to his hip and pro duced the private O'Hara flagon. Hi stooped over the Professor's form once more and by dint of much prying m clenched jaws managed to force a (us- able'; charge of fiery liquid down the jPld man's. throat. Jimmie. had just be- gun: to entertain a strong hope that this jlatter effort would bring the Pro- fessor to life, when his keen ear de- tected sighs of a commotion below. He sprang from his position over tat slowly reviving Kell and .leaped to t vantage point beside the door. A blackjack miraculously appeared frog some hidden part of his anatomy and the ever-dependable Colt also became in evidence. Now came the banging of a 'door, muffled voices, a crash as of a chair overturned in the dark. ' Up rollejd a horrible oath, and the sane was ; rendered in a voice to Jimmie sweejtly familiar. Came the sound of footsteps on the stairway and seven) perspns coming along the hall. "\yhere in hell is Jimmie?" roared ■ wicked voice. "If he's met with any monkey business in this hell-hole I'D see that the damned place burns to the ground before I leave itl" DELIGHTEDLY Jimmie jerked open the door. /S;tili alive, Chief," he chirped ■ the Old Man strode into the laboratory. Bland was followed by Peny, wfct seemed to be in a sort of daze. Brinf- ing fip the rear were a pair of plain- clothesmen whom 1 Jimmie knew very well-— almost ^oo well. One of the* gentlemen bore a lantern which re- minded Jimmie strongly of some be had seen that night guarding an opea ditch in the public highway. The Professor had fully regained consciousness and was struggling H, his feet. As for Norma Manion, thf had suddenly appeared, leaning weakly against the' door casing, and was m> ▼eying the group in great alarm. After being assured by O'Hara that theyj were her friends she smiled «t# ly. To Bland and the others she wav THE SOUL MASTER 369 of course, an unexpected factor in the weird night's doings, and for several ■laments they regarded her curiously. At length Jimmie, sensing the ques- tion in the O^d Man's eyes, elected to offer a few words of explanation. "Miss M anion has just been through a terrible experience," he said. "She md her father have been for some time (t the mercy of this monster" — indica- ting Kell — "and her nerves are com- pletely shattered. We'd better get her out of this as quickly as we can." "MikeP^Hard Boiled Bland glared it one of the officers. "Don't stand there with your teeth in your gums like that. Take this girl out to my car and let her lie down. She needs' i«timulant, too. If you search my car and find and red liquor in the left back door pocket, I don't know a thing about k. And stay with her so she won't °* afraid to go to sleep." She smiled in silent gratitude and allowed the plainclothesman to lead her away from that chamber of horror.- THE reporter lost no time in tell- ing Bland of his failure to find Skip Handlon. He went on to ac- quaint his Chief with the facts of all that had occnred while he had been at the Professor's house. The fiery old fellow listened grimly. When Jimmie' came to the story of the corpse and the cask the editor breathed one word, "Manionl"' Jimmie nodded sadly. All eyes tuned to the dejected huddle on the loor that was Professor Kell. Finally Bland could wait no longer, but fixed I terrible eye on the murderer and de- luded harshly, "Where's Handlon?" Now the Professor burst into a fit of insane laughter, laughter that cur- dled the blood of the listeners. "You ask me that I It's almost too pod. Hee-heel You^sent your two precious reporters out. to my hduse to pry into my secrets, and thought to dis- play my name all over your yellow sheet; but you forgot that you were sailing with Professor Anton Kell, didfc't you?" The last he fairly shrieked. "A lot of people have tried to intrude upon me before, but none ever escaped met" "We know that," cut in Jimmie, for he was getting impatient and the old .marVs boastings seemed out of place. "You are slated for the rope anyway, after' what. I discovered down cellar." He jerked his eyes in the direction of the door significantly. "Now we pro- pose to find Handlon, and the better it wilfbe for you if you tell us what you have done with him. Otherwise. . . ." "You can go to hell I" screamed the maniac. "If you are so clever, find out for yourselves. He isn't so far away that you couldn't touch him by reach- ing out your hand. In fact, he's been with you quite a while. Hee-hee-heel Well, if you must know — there he is!" With an insane chuckle he pointed at Horace Perry. And Perry did a strange thing. "Yes, you fiend, here I ami" Whose voice was that? Was it Perry speak- ing, or was it Skip Handlon? Most assuredly Perry stood before them, but the voice, in a subtle manner, reminded the group stror%ly of poor old Skip. AS' he spoke Perry had launched himself at the Professor's throat and had to be restrained by the others. Savagely he fought them but slowly and surely they overcame hie struggles and placed him, writhing, in a chair. Of a sudden Bland leaned forward and scrutinized Perry's face sharply. Had the reporter gone insane too? The pupils of the eyes had taken on a sort of queer contraction, a fixed quality that was almost ludicrous. He looked like a man under hypnosis.. He 'had gone limp in their grasp, but now sud- denly he stiffened. The eyes under- went another startling change, this time glowing undoubtedly with the look of reason. Bland was mystified and waited for Perry to explain his queer conduct. The latter seemed finally to come to. Simultaneously he realized that his, peculiar lapse from 370 ASTOUNDING STORIES consciousness had been observed by the others, "Guess I may as well admit it," he said with a wry smile. "Ever since I came back from my assignment with Kell I have had a hell of a time. Half the tirae I have been in a daze and have not had the least idea what I was doing. Funny part of it is that I have seemed to keep right on doing things even while I was out of my head." He told briefly of the visions he had had in which he had seemed to contend with his .brother reporter, the horrid sensations as he felt himself overcome, thfblack oblivion in which he then found himself, and the mysterious manner in which he had left Keegan on that ill-fated assignment. "What have you done to Handlon?" Jimmie's voice cut in. He was stand- ing over the form of the maniac^ rigid and menacing. "You have exactly two minutes to go." "Find out for yourself I" snarled the bruised and battered fiend. "I will," was the answer, and on the instant a horrible shriek rent the air. Jimmie had quickly grasped both of the Prbfessor's arms at the wrists and was slowly twisting them in a grip of iron, Kcjl's face w*nt white, the lips writhed back over toothless gums, the eyes closed in the supreme effort to withstand the excruciating pain. Then— "Enough, enough I" he screamed. O'HARA eased the pressure slightly but retained his hold upon the clawlike hands. "Talk fast," he or- dered. The bid man struggled futilely in the grasp of the powerful reporter, finally glancing in the direction of the others. Would they show signs of pity? Surely not Hard Boiled-Bland. The Chief was watching the struggles of the victim through a cloud of -tobacco smoke which he was slowly eahaltag through his nose. The plain- clothesman displayed no sign of in- terest at all. The same was upt . "Very well," he said sullenly. "Handlon and Perry axe both occupy. iae the same body." ""Wh-a-a-t?" roared Bland. "Junmie, I guess you'll have to put the screwsto him some more. He s trying to wain fools of us at the last minuter "No, no I" screamed the Professor. "What I say is trues I have been work- ing for years on my system of de- astralization. This last year I at length perfected my electric de-astraliier, which amplifies and exerts the fifth io- fluence of de-cohesion." The whole party began to look as- easy and gazed apprehensively at the huge) Crookes tube which still stood it its supporting frame on the table. "I have been forced to experiment oo animals for the most part," the Profes- sor continued. "I succeeded in'de-M. tralizing a dog and a bull and canted them to exchange bodies. The bodies continued to function. I was enthu- siastic. Other experiments took plate of which I will not tell you. Finally I began to long for a' human subject on Which to try my fifth influence." "Jdst get down toicaaes, if you don't mind, Kell." The Chief wanted actka. "Suppose you tell us just what you did to Hpndlon and where we can find Ism. I may as well mention that your bit depends upon it. If we find that yos havei done for him, something wane than; death may happen to you." The tone was menacing. Although Hand- lon was a comparatively late acquisi- tion to the old Chiefs staff, stilf he had been : loyal to the paper. "When your two damned reporter! entered my driveway," Kell resumed, "I saw them coming through a power- ful glass which I always have on band. I had no desire to see them, but they forced themselves upon me. At last I determined that they should furnha matjasaal for my experiments. "TF your men had looked vinto «*e X grove behind the barn they wooU have found the automobile which rat- snafaed two more subjects I was h*aj» THE SOUL MASTER 371 log on hand in a room upstairs. Old Manion and his daughter gave me quite t bit of trouble, but I kept them drugged most of the time. He broke out of the room to-night though, and I had to kill him. It was self defense," he added slyly. "Anyway, I found it was possible to make two astralB exchange bodies. But I also wanted to see if it were possible to cause two astrals to occupy the same body at the same time, and if so what the result would be. I found out. It was rare sport to watch your star re- porter leave my house. He was damned glad to leave, I believe. . . ." Again came the insane cackle. "Guess we have to believe him whether we want to or not." The de- tective came to life. "How about mak- ing him release Handlon's — what d'ye call it? — astral — from Perry's body?" "Just a moment." The voice now was unmistakably Handlon's, though it was issuing from the throat of Perry. ."In the minute I have in consciousness i let me suggest that before you do any Bore de-astralizing you locate my tody. Until then, if I am released .from this one I am a dead man," The words struck the group dumb. Where was Handlon's body? Could the Professor produce it? That worthy looked rather haunted at that moment, and they began to see the fear of death coming upon him. "Mercy, mercy I" he begged as the - four men started to advance upon him. "Ai soon as 1 had de-astralized Hand- les I destroyed his body in my pick- bag barrel down cellar. But there is 1 another way. . . ." He pauaed, uncer- tain as to how his next words would be received. "Go out and get the Manion girl. She can be de-astralized and friend Handlon can have her body." AT this suggestion, advanced so naively, the four men recoiled in horror. It waa entirely too much even for Hard Boiled Bland, and he could hardly restrain himself from applying the editorial fist to the leering face be- fore him. Undoubtedly Professor KeH was hopelessly insane, and for that rea- son he held himself in leash. "KeH, you are slated to pull off one more stunt," Jimmie addressed the cringing heap. "You know what it is. Get busy. And just remember that I am standing pver here" — he indicated a comer well separated from the rest — "with this cannon aimed in your direc- tion. If things aren't just according to Hoyle, you get, plugged. Get me?" "'What about it, men?" Bland spoke up. "Is it going to be treating Hand- lon right to de-astralize him now? It wiH be his last chance to have a body on this earth." "Unfortunately that body never be- longed to Handlon," said O'Hara. "Hence I fail to see why Perry should be discommoded for the balance of his life with a companion astral. Perry is clearly entitled to his own body, free and unhampered. Friend Skip is out of luck, unless — Well, I don't mind telling you, KeH, that you just gave me an idea. Snap into it now I" The Professor dragged himself to his feet and under the menace of the auto- matic fumbled under the table until he had located, the intricate apparatus be- fore mentioned. "Now if Mr. Perry— or Handlon — will kindly recline at full length on this table," he said with an obscene leer, "the experiment will begin." "Just remember, KeH, this is no ex-v periment," advised Bland, fixing the Professor with an ugly eye! "You do as you're told." * The other made no reply, but threw a hidden switch. Perry, lying flat on his back) on the ancient table, suddenly found himself being bathed by, what seemed to be a ray of light, and yet was not a ra,y of light. What was it? It was surely not visible, yet it was tangi- ble. A terrific force was emanating from that devilish globe above him, drawing him out of himself — or— no — was he expanding? Again his ears be- came filled with confused, horrible sounds, the outlines of the room faded 372 ASTOUNDING STORIES from sight; he felt a strange sense of inflation . » . of lightness. . . . Obliv- ion I FROM where the others sat a gasp of 'Wonder went up. At the first contact of the switch there had Been a momentary flash of greenish light within the bulb, and then a swift transition to a beautiful orange. 'It bad then faded altogether, leaving the glass apparently inert and inactive. But it was not so I The form lying beneath the bulb was evidently being racked with untold tortures. The face became a thing of horror. Now it had twisted into a grotesque semblance of Handlon's— now it again resembled Perry's. The Professor quietly in- creased this pressure of the current. From the bulb, emanated a steef gray exhalation of what must be termed light, and yet so real it was seemingly material. Assuredly it was not a ray of light as we understand light. It came in great beating throbs, in which the actual vibrations wereJentirely Visible. Under each impact the, body of Perry seemed to change, slowly at first, then with increasing speed. The body was now dwelled to enormous size. .Bland reached forward to touch it. "This de-cohering, influence," the Professor I was • murmuring, almost raptly, "causes the atoms that go to make a living body repel pne another. When the ! body is sufficiently nebu- lized, the soul — Back! Back, you fool I" he suddenly shrieked; grasping Bland by the arm. "Do you want' to kill him?" Bland hurriedly retreated, convinced perforce that Kelt's alarm was genu- ine. The editorial fingers had pene- trated the subject's garments without resistance and sank into the body as easily as if it were so much soft soapt THE body continued to expand un- til at length even the hard-headed plainclothesman realized that it had been reduced to a mere vapor. Within this horrid vaporized body, which nearly- filled the room and which bad now lost all semblance to a man, "could be discerned two faint shapes. Swiftly the Professor extinguished the lantern. The shapes, vague though they were, could be recognized as thtfke of Horace Perry and Skip Hanlon. And they were at strife I / <_<-^». # All eyes were now focussed on Pro- fessor Kell, who was evidently waiting for something to happen. The two ap- paritions within the body-cloud were at death grips. One had been overcome and was temporarily helpless. It wu that of Handlon. And then again the astral of Perry forcibly ousted that of Handloq from the cloud-cyst. And it that instant Professor Kell shut off the influence-tube. At once a terrific mstamorphotii took place. There came a sharp sound almost like a clap of thunder, with the slight exception that this was occa- sioned by exactly the reverse effect Instead of being an explosion it might more properly be termed an inploaion, for the mist-cloud suddenly vanished. The de-cohering influence having been removed, ihe cloud had condensed into the form