They worked their way out of the wreck-pack with much greater speed than that with which they had entered, needing only an occasional brace against a ship's side to send them floating over the wrecks. They came to the wreck-pack's edge at a little distance from the _Pallas_, and hastened toward it. They found the outer door of the _Pallas'_ airlock open, and entered, Krell remaining with them. As the outer door closed and air hissed into the lock, Kent and the rest removed their helmets. The inner door slid open as they were doing this, and from inside almost a score of men leapt upon them! Kent, stunned for a moment, saw Jandron among their attackers, bellowing orders to them, and even as he struck out furiously he comprehended. Jandron and the men of the _Martian Queen_ had somehow captured the _Pallas_ from Crain and had been awaiting their return! * * * * * The struggle was almost instantly over, for, outnumbered and hampered as they were by their heavy space-suits, Kent and Liggett and their followers had no chance. Their hands, still in the suits, were bound quickly behind them at Jandron's orders. Kent heard an exclamation, and saw Marta starting toward him from behind Jandron's men. But a sweep of Jandron's arm brushed her rudely back. Kent strained madly at his bonds. Krell's face had a triumphant look. "Did it all work as I told you it would, Jandron?" he asked. "It worked," Jandron answered impassively. "When they saw fifteen of us coming from the wreck-pack in space-suits, they opened right up to us." Kent understood, and cursed Krell's cunning. Crain, seeing the fifteen figures approaching from the wreck-pack, had naturally thought they were Kent's party, and had let them enter to overwhelm his half-dozen men. "We put Crain and his men over in the _Martian Queen_," Jandron continued, "and took all their helmets so they can't escape. The girl we brought over here. Did you find a wreck with fuel?" Krell nodded. "A Pluto liner a quarter-mile back, and we can pump the fuel over here by connecting tube-lines. What the devil--" Jandron had made a signal at which three of his men had leapt forward on Krell, securing his hands like those of the others. "Have you gone crazy, Jandron?" cried Krell, his face red with anger and surprise. "No," Jandron replied impassively; "but the men are as tired as I am of your bossing ways, and have chosen me as their sole leader." "You dirty double-crosser!" Krell raged. "Are you men going to let him get away with this?" The men paid no attention, and Jandron motioned to the airlock. "Take them over to the _Martian Queen_ too," he ordered, "and make sure there's no space-helmet left there. Then get back at once, for we've got to get the fuel into this ship and make a getaway." * * * * *