Of what use for our platform to rush back? Miko expected that. His attack on the camp was undoubtedly made just for that purpose. "Anita, if we can get down on the rocks somewhere near the ship, and creep up on it unobserved in that blackness...." * * * * * I might be able to open its manual hull-lock, rip it open and let the air out. If I could get into its pressure chamber and unseal the inner slide.... "It would wreck the ship, Anita, exhaust all its air. Shall we try it?" "Whatever you say, Gregg." We seemed to be unobserved. We skimmed close to the valley floor, a mile from the ship. We headed slowly toward it, sailing low over the rocks. Then we landed, left the platform. "Let me go first, Anita." I held a bullet projector. With slow, cautious leaps, we advanced. Anita was behind me. I had wanted to leave her with the platform, but she would not stay. And to be with me seemed at least equally safe. The rocks were deserted. I thought there was very little chance that any of the enemy would lurk here. We clambered over the pitted, scarred surface. The higher crags, etched with Earthlight, stood like sentinels in the gloom. The brigand ship with its surrounding darkness was not far from us. Then we entered the cloud. No one was out here. We passed the wreckage of broken projectors, and gruesome, shattered human forms. We prowled closer. The hull of the ship loomed ahead of us. All dark. We came at last close against the sleek metal hull-side, slid along it toward where I was sure the manual-porte was located. Abruptly I realized that Anita was not behind me! Then I saw her at a little distance, struggling in the grip of a giant helmeted figure! The brigand lifted her--turned, and, carrying her, ran the other way! I did not dare fire. I bounded after them along the hull-side, around under the curve of the pointed bow, down along the other side. I had mistaken the hull-porte location. It was here. The running, bounding figure reached it, slid the panel. I was only fifty feet away--not much more than a single leap. I saw Anita being shoved into the pressure lock. The Martian flung himself after her. I fired at him, but missed. I came with a rush. And as I reached the porte it slid closed in my face, barring me! CHAPTER XXXVII _In the Pressure Lock._ With puny fists I pounded the panel. A small pane in it was transparent. Within the lock I could see the blurred figures of Anita and her captor--and, it seemed, another figure. The lock was some ten feet square, with a low ceiling. It glowed with a dim tube-light. I pounded, thumped with futile, silent blows. The mechanism was here to open this manual; but it was now clasped from within and would not operate.