The ship whipped to one side, then bucked playfully like a trout riding a fisherman's line. "Ugh!" said Steve faintly, struggled to pull his body back into his seat. "Steve, I'm frightened!" Myra wailed. "Nonsense!" Steve said stoutly. "There isn't a blamed thing to be afra--" * * * * * Suddenly the ship began to toss crazily, like a rat shaken in a terrier's teeth. Steve and Myra were thrown to the floor. Unsteadily making their way to a window, they saw a little golden meteor-ship, such as had been the beginning of all their trouble. Evidently they were caught in its magnetic field. Steve tried accelerating, but they were powerless to escape. Myra burst into helpless tears. "Oh, Steve, this is too much. We _can't_ go back there again." "Damn those peach-creatures!" said Steve. "Just when I thought we'd never see them again." Again letters of fire appeared above the little golden ship. "RETURN," they said, simply. "You're not going to do it?" asked Myra. "There's no use getting killed." Steve shrugged disgustedly. He was about to reverse the ship's course when a long snake-like flame streaked up from the planet below with a menacing rumble that could be felt through the hull of the ship. The golden craft saw it coming and tried to escape, but the lash of flame followed its frantic dodgings inexorably. Suddenly, like a striking snake, it straightened. Its tip touched the meteor-ship. There was an eye-blinding flash. When they could see again, nothing was visible but the planet below, looking serene and peaceful on the wooded half of its surface turned to them. Of the attacking ship or the instrument of its doom there was no sign. Steve Horn looked for the last time at the planet before climbing back into the control seat. He wiped his eyes with a self-conscious gesture. "Thanks," he said. And flicked the drive-beam that was to send them home. * * * * * [Transcriber's Note: Section headings for section I to III missing.] End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Man From Siykul, by Richard Wilson