"Don't think so. That was just a shot for good luck. They think we're bottled up in here, but you can bet, if we lie still and don't give them any indication that we're alive, they'll be around to make certain our goose is cooked. I would, if I were in their place." Frieda looked at him and he immediately added, "I mean that's the logical thing to do. If you've got to kill somebody, make sure he's dead." It was a hard statement but the men who piloted the liners on the Jupiter run were a hardy breed. They took grim chances every day the liners were in space and were accustomed to look death in the face and call him friend. They waited. Andy scooped out an opening where he could watch without being seen. Frieda, sitting below him, whispered to him several times, but his only answer was a terse command to shut up. He was watching the three men who had now begun to move stealthily down the opposite hill. They came slowly, taking advantage of every bit of cover. Andy watched and grimly waited, pushing his blaster into position. He had no illusions on this matter, but he was aware that the girl was protesting. "What are you going to do?" "I'm going to blow those crooks clear to Jupiter," he answered, finality in his tone. "No," she protested. "Can't you hold them and disarm them?" "Don't be an idiot! How?" "I don't know. But it's murder to shoot them down like that." "Yeh? They been asking for it. Ah...." * * * * * The three men were standing in a cleared space looking across at the bluff, evidently deciding on what to do. Andy squinted through the sight, lifted his head to estimate the distance and the drop, dropped the rear sight a notch, and squinted again. He was aiming for the blaster in the hands of the first man, a tough-looking, bearded brute. If the pellet from his gun hit the blaster in the man's hands--well, there wouldn't be enough left of the three men to smell bad. He steadied his gun, started to squeeze the trigger. "Stop it," said a wailing voice in his ear and a heat-gun prodded him in the back. "It's murder. I can't let you do it." "You infernal idiot!" Andy shouted, forgetting himself. The sound of his voice reached the three men. They took to cover. Andy ducked away from the opening. He half carried, half led the protesting girl back into the cave. They were just in time. A sharp explosion at the mouth sent tons of rock cascading down, blocking the entrance completely. "Now we're fixed!" said Andy grimly. "We'll never get out." The girl was sobbing softly. "I'm sorry--I couldn't help it--" Another explosion sounded outside. Andy could hear the muffled sound of falling stone. "They're doing a good job--" he began "Hello Jupiter! What was that?" The cavern swayed and rocked to the blast of a terrific explosion. It sounded like a blast from a battery of atomic cannon. A section of the roof between them and the entrance fell in and a choking dust arose. The ground seemed to buckle.