The newspapers and teletheaters were exploiting the situation to the utmost. If Evans watched a troupe of dancers he was met with the spectacle of a nimble black-garbed figure, representing the Hawk, eluding with ease the slowly-moving blue-garbed figures symbolic of the Earth-Guard. If he was introduced to anyone by a joking friend it was always with a jesting reference to his imminent capture of the Hawk. Small boys called after him that the Hawk was coming, and then delightedly ran away. The Hawk, indeed, was coming to have far more of the public sympathy than the Earth-Guard. It was true that he held up defenseless passenger-craft between earth and moon, forcing them under the menace of his guns to cast loose for him in their life-rockets whatever of value they carried. All knew that he was an outlaw of the void, and would meet swift death at the hands of a firing-squad were he captured. But if he was a space-pirate, he was not one like the earlier space-buccaneers whose atrocities had roused a fury that had swept them out of existence. He was, if anything, a gentleman-corsair of the void, and though few had ever looked on his face, it was rumored that he was exceptionally handsome. It was small wonder that by the end of his week of relief Evans' nerves were ragged and he was longing for the peacefulness of the space patrol. When on the last day of their relief he found Calden and Hartley at the New York station, inspecting the great Earth-Guard rocket, preparatory to its start back out into space, he found their nerves as raw on the subject as his own. They too had felt the whips of the public laughter. "You know," growled Hartley as he ran a practised eye over the looming rocket's stern firing-tubes, "I'm just about praying that we meet up with the Hawk this trip. I'm not thin-skinned--but when my little daughter begins to ask daddy why he doesn't catch the Hawk, I'm getting to the busting point!" * * * * * Evans and Calden laughed despite themselves. "Well, you may get your wish, Hartley," Evans told him. "Remember, Seaworth will be with us, and the Hawk wants him bad." Hartley looked at him blankly. "You don't mean that he'd ever try holding us up? _Us?_ An Earth-Guard rocket?" Evans shrugged. "It's Commander Cain's idea, not mine. Here he comes now, to see us off. Evidently going to give us a final warning." And that proved in fact to be the white-haired Commander's purpose when he reached them through the throngs of hurrying mechanics around the giant ship. He drew Evans aside from the others. "Don't forget what I told you, Evans," he warned. "Keep double-watches in the lookout-cells at all times, and if the Hawk does appear, send out a general radiophone alarm before you engage. Remember, it isn't a question of personal glory, but a matter of catching him." "I'll remember," Evans promised. "I guess we're set to go--here comes Seaworth now."