"We better jump for it," urged Stiffy, "if we don't want to get plumb burned. Can't go near that thing without lead sheathing." Meek flung himself sidewise, throwing up his arms to shield his helmet, struck on his shoulders and rolled. Slowly, benumbed from the fall, he crept out of the shadow of a high rock wall into the starlight. Stiffy was sitting on the ground, rubbing his shins. "Barked them up some," he admitted. Up the valley the Prowler was arching its back and rubbing against the green-glowing boulder. "Just like a dad-blamed cat that has found some catnip," said Stiffy. "Must sort of like that radium." He rose slowly, dusted off his suit. "Well," he suggested, "let's you and me go into action." "Action?" "Sure. Let's go back and file us a claim on that meteor. Don't need to worry about anybody else jumping it, cause every dad-blamed one of them is scared speechless of the Prowler. They won't go near the meteor long as he's around." Meek stared at the meteor speculatively. "That's worth a lot of money, isn't it, Stiffy? Filled with radium like that." "Bet your boots," said Stiffy cheerfully. "We go fifty-fifty on her. Split equal ways. We're pardners." "Tell you what you do," Meek said slowly. "You take it all. Just take out enough to fix up the damage back there and call that my share." Stiffy's jaw drooped. "Say, what you getting at?" "I'm leaving," said Meek. "Good gravy! Leaving! And just when we made us a strike." "You don't understand," said Meek. "I didn't come out here to find radium. Or to arrest gangs. Or even to capture an Asteroid Prowler. I just came out to look around. Nice and quiet. Didn't want to bother anybody. Didn't want anybody to bother me." "Doggone it," said Stiffy, "and I was just figuring maybe, soon as we cleaned up the radium, we might get that Prowler to lead us to the Lost Mine." * * * * * Meek brightened. "I have a hunch I know where that Lost Mine is, Stiffy. Remember there was a cut-back in the cliff near where we found the Prowler. Well, when I first saw him, he was in that place. Got a hunch maybe that's the mine." Stiffy grinned. "So you're sticking with me." Meek shook his head. "No, I'm still leaving." "Just like that?" said Stiffy. Stiffy held out his hand, "O.K., if that's what you want to do. I'll bank your half in the First Martian back on Earth. Leave my address there. Might want to get in touch with me some time." Meek gripped his hand. "You don't need to do that. Take all of it. Just see the plant's fixed up." Stiffy's eyes shone queerly, moistly in the starlight. "Shucks, there's enough for both of us. More than enough." His voice was rough. "Now get along with you." Meek started to walk away. "Goodbye, Stiffy," he called. "So long," Stiffy shouted.