"Not until now," the Hawk conceded, depressing two more firing-levers. "But there has to be a first time for everything--and from what I heard on earth I don't think the capture of an Earth-Guard rocket will excite any anger." It would not, Evans reflected dully, sinking for the moment into an apathy of despair. It would be merely with scornful laughter, that the Earth-Guard would be met when this latest and greatest exploit of the Hawk became known. What derision would meet the news of this single-handed capture of a great rocket and all its crew, by the man they were hunting! Evans could picture at the moment as clearly as though a face were before his eyes, the shame and rage of fierce old Commander Cain when the news reached him, and the shame of all his companions in the Earth-Guard. * * * * * He could hear the thin, derisive laughter of the crowds; the new and side-splitting witticisms in the teletheaters, the laughter of all on earth and moon alike became audible to him. A fierce resolve, a last expedient of his despair, rose in Evans' brain. He rose to his feet, tied as they were, and swaying, leaned forward to catch at the control-board's corner with his bound hands supporting himself. The Hawk watched him curiously, with nothing to fear from this one man, who, bound hand and foot, alone remained conscious of the rocket's crew. Evans leaned across the control-board and its banked levers toward the Hawk, and as he did so his two bound hands were moving, slowly, unobtrusively, toward the control-board. "No Earth-Guard rocket has ever yet been captured," he said slowly and hoarsely, his hands very near the black plug at the control-board's corner, "and none is ever going to be." The Hawk's dark eyes, contemplating him, held something that seemed to be almost sympathy. "Sorry, Captain Evans," he said lightly. "I know how you must feel about it--but we're almost there now. My rocket will be showing up in a few minutes--we've almost reached it." Evans laughed grimly. "Your rocket will never see us again nor will anyone else. You said you'd overlooked nothing, Hawk, but you did overlook one thing!" "And that?" The Hawk's figure was suddenly tense. "That is something that you didn't know--that is the fact that in every Earth-Guard rocket is placed a device for destroying the rocket in case it has to be abandoned in space. That device is a plug which when pulled out ignites the rocket's fuel tanks in six minutes. And that plug--" The Hawk's hands flashed toward Evans but before they could reach his bound hands, Evans had seized with them the black plug at the control-board's corner and with a crazy laugh had jerked it out!