Ronson fervidly hoped that the radiation flowing through the Martian would strike him dead. The scream went into silence. Tal Bock's gaze fell on the leper, he moved in that direction. Viciously he kicked the leper. The sick Martian slipped from his squatting position and lay inert. Ronson moved forward. With all the strength that he possessed, he hit Tal Bock behind the ear. As he struck the blow, the super-sonic note screamed through him. Ronson's blow knocked Tal Bock sprawling. Like a gigantic cat, the Martian came to his feet. _Ping!_ Tal Bock moved toward Ronson in little short steps. He was like a cat getting ready to pounce. The grin on his face said he was going to anticipate destroying this human. _Ping!_ Tal Bock lost his footing. He fell heavily and tried to rise. A confused expression was on his face. The effort to rise was more than he could manage. Collapsing, he lay without moving. "Jim! Here! Quick!" The voice came from the shrubbery. His first thought was that he was hallucinating. Jennie Ware and Sam Crick could not be there in that shrubbery, fully clothed, Jennie beckoning frantically to him, Crick with a needle gun in his hand. They came to him, on the run. Jennie caught one arm, Crick caught the other. Supporting him between them, they ran through the shrubbery. In the opposite wall, a hole showed, an honest opening, not a light-swirling mirage. Inside it, Crick swung shut a door. A Martian lay on the floor of the tunnel. "How--how did you get here?" Ronson gasped. Crick nodded to the Martian on the floor. "We persuaded Tocko to bring us. He knew a little more about this place than he ever let on. After he brought us here, we gave him a needle, to keep him quiet while we rescued you." The tall adventurer grinned as he spoke. "Come on, Jim. We know the way out of here. If we get out before they discover what has happened--" The girl was all frantic motion moving toward escape. "I'm not going," Ronson said. "What?" the girl gasped. Ronson turned to Crick. "Do you have an extra gun?" "Of course. But, Jim--" "Lend it to me, will you? I may need it before I'm finished here." "Eh?" Crick was startled. Ronson explained what he meant. Crick's face grew grim. He took an extra needle gun out of his coat pocket. "I guess maybe you could use a little help on this job, Jim. Eh, Jennie?" He glanced at the girl. Fear was on her face. She wanted to run, to get away, forever, from this place of horror. But some things were more important than running. "We'll make it a threesome," she said. "Good girl!" Ronson spoke. A passage circled the oval cavern. With Ronson in the lead, they followed it until they came to the spot from which the radiations were being poured into the cavern. Here was a large room. The passage led directly into it.