Ladders, a dozen or more of them constructed of massive limbs of wood and stout saplings for uprights, leaned against the cliff almost at its top. Sprawling heaps of Yzaps, their glistening black exoskeletons spattered with their own yellowish blood, attested to the failure of the preceding assaults. But this time the Yzaps carried heavy shields of sticks two or three layers in thickness before them as they advanced. Spears drove up from below and other spears smashed down into the attackers' crude shields without doing any apparent damage. Rurak shot a quick glance along the cliff-top on either hand and saw that a thin line of fierce looking Yzap warriors, with here and there a golden Martian to direct their defense, held firm. None of the Martians, however, was armed with anything save crude spears and crossbows such as Martian boys have constructed since time immemorable. Then the insect men of Jokar Ged swept up to the ladders and swiftly mounted toward the hilltop above. * * * * * Crossbow bolts and spears could not drive back that swarming horde. The defenders tried with poles to fend off the ladders and their loads of bloodthirsty Yzaps but spears from below soon put an end to their endeavor. Then they hurled great rocks down upon the enemy, sweeping many of them off but never for an instant halting that dogged advance. Rurak Dun saw that the tide was turning against the defenders of the hilltop even as he slipped his rocket pistol over the rim of the cliff and started picking off the attackers one by one. Fear of the explosion as much as the sudden death that struck among them made the Plains' Yzaps falter and then come to a halt. "Only a popgun!" Jokar Ged was bellowing as he dashed among his startled followers. "Will you be driven back by a little stick that spits lead? Come along, up the ladder with you." His heavy fists were lashing out, trying to beat courage into the insect men. Rurak shot at him again and again but the luck of Droog must have protected his evil carcass from death. All around him the Yzaps were falling dead with bullets in their heads. The weapons of the other defenders now increased their fire and shortly the demoralized ranks of the renegade Martian's party were straggling away among the brushy cover that the lower slopes afforded. For the time there would be respite from battle. "A Martian!" a hearty voice boomed beside Rurak Dun and he spun about to face a grag-bearded giant of a man, "a Martian come to rescue us at an opportune moment. Jokar Ged grows more cunning with every fresh attack and soon this little hilltop will fall before his superior forces. "But tell me, stranger," he went on, "how you came here. Did you come to find where my ship crashed, or are you merely carrying out a routine exploration of this planet? What has happened on Mars?" "You are Prince Hudar Kel?" inquired Rurak. "Yes," nodded the bearded giant.