diff options
| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 02:48:03 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 02:48:03 -0700 |
| commit | 9721b4153867dcbcd62b1d2035a0385d7630f245 (patch) | |
| tree | d43ac85c0dc5348f4f739a9790bf7bb18cadea4f | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 29702-h.zip | bin | 0 -> 51951 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 29702-h/29702-h.htm | 1608 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 29702-h/images/illus.jpg | bin | 0 -> 22480 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 29702.txt | 1492 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 29702.zip | bin | 0 -> 28023 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
8 files changed, 3116 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/29702-h.zip b/29702-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d3dbdcf --- /dev/null +++ b/29702-h.zip diff --git a/29702-h/29702-h.htm b/29702-h/29702-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..75eb380 --- /dev/null +++ b/29702-h/29702-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1608 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Space Rover, by Edwin K. Sloat. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + .sidenote {width: 20%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; margin-left: 1em; + float: right; clear: right; margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; color: black; background: #eeeeee; border: dashed 1px;} + + .bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + .bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + .bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + .br {border-right: solid 2px;} + .bbox {border: solid 2px;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .u {text-decoration: underline;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + .footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + .footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + .fnanchor {vertical-align: super; font-size: .8em; text-decoration: none;} + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span.i0 {display: block; margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} +--> + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Space Rover, by Edwin K. Sloat + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Space Rover + +Author: Edwin K. Sloat + +Release Date: August 15, 2009 [EBook #29702] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SPACE ROVER *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + + +<h1>The Space Rover</h1> + +<h2>By Edwin K. Sloat</h2> + +<p>[Transcriber's note: This etext was produced from Astounding Stories +February 1932. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the +U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> + +<h3>Young Winford heads a desperate escape from the prison mines of +Mercury.</h3> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<h4>[Illustration: <i>Winford leaped out into space along the cable.</i>]</h4> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + + + + +<p>Evan Winford leaned wearily against the controls of the little space +sphere, and stared out of the window at the planet, Mercury, which lay a +million miles sunward. Fail now? He gritted his teeth. No! He would +wrench victory from Fate after all, even though at this moment mine +guards must be searching the nearby mountains, for him and his +companions, and a warning was being broadcast to all the planets and +space ships to watch the little prison tender ship, the one that was +used to transfer prisoners from liners out in space to Mercury and its +Interplanetary Council prison mines to which all who were sentenced came +on one-way tickets only. This was the first time, Winford reflected +grimly, that the sphere had ever carried outbound passengers.</p> + +<p>A long, quavering wail sounded from the hold below. Winford scowled. +That fellow, Agar, again. Too bad, for he was unquestionably an +engineering genius and thoroughly dependable when he didn't get one of +his spells and imagine he was a godo-dog on the red steppes of his +native Mars. A little rest and gentle treatment would unquestionably +work wonders. Again the wail, followed this time by a series of growls.</p> + +<p>Winford slid open the door that separated the control nest from the hold +of the little prison tender ship. The other five men had withdrawn to +the other side of the cabin and were watching listlessly the big, +ragged, barrel-chested Martian crouching on all fours against the side +of the cabin and ferociously baring his teeth.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter down there?" called Winford sharply.</p> + +<p>Six pairs of eyes looked up at him. Agar forgot he was a dog and stared +with the rest. They were an unkempt, ragged lot with unshaven faces and +the dirty, white canvas uniforms of mine prisoners. The group was +composed of four Martians and two Venusians.</p> + +<p>"Let's go back," growled Nizzo, whose squat, powerful body and long arms +bespoke his Venus ancestry. "It's death out here. No food. No water, +excepting the emergency ration you have up there in the box. That will +scarcely last till we can reach Mercury again. Now you tell us that the +fuel is nearly exhausted. Let's go back. I say! We don't want to swing +about the Sun in this as our tomb for all eternity. At least we eat and +drink at the mines, even though the whips of the drivers hurry us on to +an early death."</p> + +<p>"You're crazy, Nizzo," harshly retorted Winford. "You know what they do +when escaped prisoners are brought back, or come of their own free will. +The Universe knows nothing of the caged saurians in the warden's +gardens, nor of the incorrigible prisoners that go to feed them. But I +know—we all of us know. Far better to remain out here and die whole, +than to be devoured alive by a slobbering horror."</p> + +<p>A heated argument ensued among the men below. Presently Nizzo looked up +again.</p> + +<p>"But you have no plan," he shouted at the Earthman. "We have followed +you blindly so far, and here we are off the traffic lanes. Our only hope +of being picked up now is one of space patrol ships. And short shrift +may we expect from them!"</p> + +<p>Winford scowled impatiently.</p> + +<p>"Listen, men," he began. "This is a desperate venture, I know, and I +picked every one of you carefully. You are not common scum of the prison +mines. Every man of you can be depended upon to put through a daring +escape of this nature. Every man of you is an innocent victim of the +rotten politicians and corrupt officials that now hold sway in the Three +Planets. Take Jarl there, for example." He indicated a big, patient, +resigned Martian. "He is under life sentence in the penal mines simply +because his brother-in-law wanted his lands and wealth. As for myself, I +had a sister who suffered the misfortune of being seen and coveted by +Silas Teutoberg, a member of the Earth Council...."</p> + +<p>He choked at the thought, his pale face rigid with emotion. Those below +saw the flash of his lambent eyes. He controlled himself with an effort, +and continued:</p> + +<p>"I have said nothing of any plan beyond that of making our escape in +this prison tender off Mercury, but I had a plan behind that. It is true +that we seem to be off the regular traffic lanes, but space liners +between Venus and Earth just now are cutting in quite close to Mercury, +due to the position of the three planets in their orbits. This formed +the basis of the whole venture.</p> + +<p>"During the three interplanetary days we have floated out here, I have +repeatedly scanned the Void, thinking every minute we would sight a +craft we could reach. But so far luck has been against us. All I ask is +that you do not allow yourselves to be discouraged, for sooner or later +we'll get a break."</p> + +<p>A chorus of enthusiastic approval answered him. Winford sighed with +relief, then stared abruptly through the window and gave a shout. The +others below swarmed up the ladder and crowded into the tiny control +nest. Winford pointed.</p> + +<p>Far off against the black depths of space toward Venus gleamed the tiny, +elliptical, silvery hull of a ship, bearing slightly toward them. +Although sharply outlined, the craft was hundreds of miles away as the +men realized. Winford checked it swiftly through the telescope distance +calculator, determined its speed, and rapidly formed his plan.</p> + +<p>"There are plenty of space suits in the lockers," he said tersely. "Get +into them. Stand by the air-lock. You, Jarl, get into the lock and take +a cable with an electro-magnet anchor. Lash yourself to it. When I give +the signal by blinking the lights in the lock, open the outer door and +leap across to the other ship. I know you risk death from their rays, +but it is our only chance. Clamp the anchor against the side of the ship +and locate the emergency entrance lock."</p> + +<p>"Suppose there is none?" interrupted Jarl stoically.</p> + +<p>"Chances are there will be. The interplanetary treaties call for them on +most ships since those five hundred passengers perished trying vainly to +enter a liner after their own ship was smashed by a meteor out near +Jupiter several years ago. Anyway, it's our only chance. You, Nizzo and +Ragna, enter the air-lock with Jarl so that if he misses, you can pull +him back. Now hurry. I'll have to maneuver this tub around so that I can +approach the ship, if possible, without being noticed."</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>The others scuttled back down the ladder, leaving Winford to rapidly +work out his final calculations. The ship, traveling at a rate of six +thousand miles an hour, would miss their little sphere by about a +hundred miles. The ship was probably a slow speed freighter, a guess +that was supported by the lack of port-holes in the hull.</p> + +<p>It was a ticklish task that Winford faced. He could either approach the +freighter from against the sun, trusting that the navigation officer on +duty would fail to notice the dark blot of the little tender against the +blinding glare. Or he could get on the far side of the ship and approach +it, concealed by its black shadow. He decided on the latter plan.</p> + +<p>The freighter was coming up fast. Winford eased the accelerator open, +and moved off at right angles to its line of progress to place it +between him and the sun. If the officer in charge of the freighter +should see the tiny dot go shooting presently across his path, he would +doubtless mistake it for a wandering meteor. As soon as he crossed the +path of the big ship, Winford slowly turned his little craft toward the +protecting shadow of his prospective victim, and picked up speed as +quickly as he dared until the little tender was traveling at the same +speed as the freighter. Lucky it was for him that the big craft was not +a mail liner, for if it had been, the little ball could never have +gained speed enough to equal it.</p> + +<p>The shadow of the freighter presently enveloped the little ship, and the +two hung side by side. Winford eased the tender in toward the big craft, +fully realizing that the meteor warning dial in the control room of the +freighter would hint at his presence by its pronounced fluctuation. But +there was no help for it; he could only take the chance that the +navigator in charge would not investigate. Winford peered up anxiously +at the windows of the control room. Apparently the little craft had not +yet been discovered.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Less than a hundred yards now separated the two craft. Winford flashed +his signal to the air-lock. A moment later a dark blob that shut off the +light of the stars in depths below floated across the gap from the +tender to the freighter. The electric meter on the control board +registered a sudden fluctuation as the electro-magnet anchor attached +itself to the hull of the big ship.</p> + +<p>Winford snapped off the propulsion beams, seized two ray pistols that +lay on the chart table, and ducked down the ladder. His companions were +standing before the inner door of the air-lock in their bulging space +suits, awaiting his order to leave the tender. He quickly got into a +suit, clamped on the helmet and screwed tight the connections. Then he +opened the door of the air-lock and motioned the others into it, +following the last man in.</p> + +<p>Nizzo and Ragna were waiting there, and as the inner door closed, +automatically opening the outer door, they pointed to the cable +stretching away across forty yards of empty space to the side of the big +freighter. Winford could make out faintly the form of Jarl, who was +clambering cautiously up the bulging side of the ship on hands and +knees, seeking the emergency air-lock. Winford beckoned to the others to +follow, and leaped out into space along the cable.</p> + +<p>It was a terrifying experience, for no matter how often a man made such +a trip, there was always the primitive fear of falling into those +millions upon millions of miles of space below where the stars gleamed, +red, green, white and blue in the cold depths. Yet a man had no weight. +He merely pulled himself along the cable, which kept him from getting +lost.</p> + +<p>He reached the bulging side of the hull and continued upward on hands +and knees, now held to it by its own attraction for his body. The others +followed, and scattered out seeking the emergency entrance lock.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>At the end of an hour they were in despair. There was no emergency +entrance lock! Winford bitterly resigned himself to their fate. This was +the end of their daring attempt. He must go forward now to the control +room windows and attract the attention of the navigating officer. It +meant surrender and subsequent death in the teeth of the caged saurians, +but if they remained much longer where they were they would freeze to +death anyway, for the batteries that warmed their suits were running +down under the continued strain, and when they ceased to function, the +deadly cold of interstellar space would claim them. He managed to make +known his intentions to the others and was starting forward when Fate +took a hand.</p> + +<p>The prison tender ship, which was still floating at the end of its cable +at the side of the freighter, relinquished itself to the play of the +forces that rule the measureless void and began to set up an orbit of +its own about the bigger ship. It came to the end of its tether and +swung gently against the hull of the freighter, sending a violent +vibration through it; then it rebounded and struck with another crash +which was utterly soundless to the stranded men on the outside of the +hull, who, nevertheless, felt the vibration plainly.</p> + +<p>Winford halted abruptly. The crew inside the ship would investigate. +Fate was offering the desperate men on the outside another chance. He +turned and beckoned to the others and hurried aft toward the regular +air-lock, which was operated only from inside the ship. Hastily he +placed the men about the outer door. Then they waited.</p> + +<p>Five minutes later it opened, and two men in space suits crawled out. +Jarl captured the first man single-handed, and Nizzo and Ragna, with +perfect teamwork, overpowered the second before he realized what was +taking place. Within a minute the men crowded into the air-lock, and +shut the outer portal. Automatically, the inner door slid open.</p> + +<p>Winford stepped out into the passageway with his ray pistols, covering +the half dozen members of the crew who gaped at the intruders in +speechless astonishment. One man recovered his wits and started to run. +Winford's pistol stabbed a ray after him, and he collapsed. The other +members of the crew silently raised their hands in surrender and were +herded into a nearby stateroom and locked in, including the two in space +suits who had been captured on the hull outside.</p> + +<p>"Overpower and imprison the crew at once," Winford ordered, as he +emerged from his space suit. "Jarl, you take charge, and work through +the ship. Miss no one. Bind them, imprison them, if you can, and if you +must, use sterner measures. Remember you are now pirates, and if we +don't capture this ship, the ship will capture us. I'll go ahead alone +to the control room and introduce myself to the officers there. When you +have cleaned things up, join me."</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Captain Robers was peering out through the window at the dark blob of +the space tender near the rear of the big freighter when the door of the +control room opened softly and Winford slipped inside with leveled ray +pistols. The two navigation officers on duty gasped in astonishment. +Captain Robers whirled around. His momentary amazement gave way to +wrath.</p> + +<p>"Who the devil are you, and what do you want?" he bellowed.</p> + +<p>Winford's eyes blazed coldly. The ray pistols in his hands twitched +meaningly.</p> + +<p>"Civility first, Captain. Hands off those instruments, gentlemen. Stand +up. Face the windows. Thank you."</p> + +<p>With catlike quickness Winford leaped behind the chart table. A glance +showed that the ship was holding to its course with unchecked speed. +Only the meteor detector fluctuated from the presence of the little +space ship outside. No worry there. Disintegrator rays would soon +dissolve it, and with it the last visible evidence of their presence on +the ship.</p> + +<p>"Now, Captain, you may turn about facing me. I want a little +information."</p> + +<p>"You'll sniff gas for this!" snarled the officer. "This is piracy pure +and simple. Who are you, anyway?"</p> + +<p>Winford smiled ironically. Captain Robers' eyes widened suddenly and he +paled slightly, as he recognized the dirty white uniform.</p> + +<p>"The mines of Mercury!" he ejaculated. "We received a heliogram not +twenty-four hours ago warning us of your escape. You're Evan Winford of +Earth!"</p> + +<p>Winford bowed slightly.</p> + +<p>"At your service, Captain. My six companions are even now trussing up +the remainder of your crew down below. Don't choke, Captain. You are in +no danger, unless you make it yourself. I desire a little information +about the Universe. You see I have been out of touch for the last three +years during my enforced sojourn on Mercury."</p> + +<p>Captain Robers glared at Winford.</p> + +<p>"Tell me, Captain, who are you, and what is this craft?"</p> + +<p>The officer thrust out his chin stubbornly, then glanced at the pistol +covering him and changed his mind.</p> + +<p>"Captain Robers. The freighter is the <i>Golden Fleece</i>."</p> + +<p>"Port?"</p> + +<p>"New York. I am homeward bound with a cargo from Ceres of the +Asteroids."</p> + +<p>Winford's eyes gleamed momentarily.</p> + +<p>"Iridium, eh?"</p> + +<p>Captain Robers declined to answer. The valuable metal, which was found +mostly in abundance among the Asteroids and particularly on Ceres, had +proved the bait that lured pirates in flocks from all parts of the +Universe to prey on the freighters that carried it, usually under heavy +guard. The <i>Golden Fleece</i> had obviously been trying to slip through +under the camouflage of an ordinary tramp freighter when Winford and his +followers boarded her. Robers saw no reason for trying to lie about +Ceres, since Winford would discover it later when he examined the log. +Winford, however, did not press the question about the cargo.</p> + +<p>"Who is the owner, Captain?"</p> + +<p>"The Interstellar Transportation Company, New York, Silas Teutoberg, +president."</p> + +<p>Winford leaped to his feet.</p> + +<p>"Repeat that name, Captain," he ordered harshly.</p> + +<p>"Silas Teutoberg," sullenly complied the officer. "But don't be so +excited. He has already resigned."</p> + +<p>"Why?"</p> + +<p>A crafty light appeared in the captain's eyes. He sensed a slight +advantage in retaining this knowledge himself.</p> + +<p>"I decline to answer," he stated.</p> + +<p>The lambent flames leaped ominously in Winford's eyes. He toyed with the +ray pistol expressively, then glanced up at a sudden interruption. The +control room door had opened, admitting Jarl and Ragna.</p> + +<p>"The crew is all accounted for," announced Jarl. "We imprisoned a +hundred men and have control."</p> + +<p>"Very good, Jarl," replied Winford calmly. "Ragna, take these two +navigating officers down and lock them up with the rest. Jarl, you +remain here. I have a little task for you."</p> + +<p>"Awah," replied Jarl, using the Martian term for "very good, sir."</p> + +<p>"Captain Robers here is going to strip off his clothing and pass out +through the air-lock into space." Winford spoke each word with cold +precision.</p> + +<p>The officer jerked up his head in sudden terror. He had once witnessed +the modern equivalent for the ancient piratical sentence of walking the +plank and the vivid memory rose before him. He saw again the nude man +cowering inside the air-lock as the inner door shut, the wafting out +into interstellar space of his struggling body as the atmosphere inside +the lock rushed out of the outer opening door, and the fatal bloating of +the body from the sudden pressure from within. The horror of it unlocked +the officer's tongue.</p> + +<p>"I'll answer, I'll answer!" he cried. "What do you want to know?"</p> + +<p>"Tell me why Silas Teutoberg is resigning as president of the +Interstellar Transportation Company."</p> + +<p>In the momentary silence that followed, Jarl's eyes narrowed with sudden +intensity. His interest escaped Winford, who was watching Robers +closely. The officer gulped with relief.</p> + +<p>"Teutoberg has been named governor of the new emigration colonies the +United States is establishing on Ganymede," he explained hurriedly. "The +Earth Council, which recently took over the most fertile provinces on +the third moon of Jupiter, with the full approval of the Interplanetary +Council, has named him for the post. The position is nearly the same as +that of an absolute monarch. But he could not hold a government post and +retain his executive position with the Interstellar people, so he +resigned."</p> + +<p>Winford eyed him skeptically. Captain Robers, now greatly agitated, +gestured frantically toward the chart table.</p> + +<p>"I am telling you the truth!" he assured Winford fervently. "You'll find +somewhere on the table a copy of the Heliogram News which tells of his +departure from New York less than twelve hours ago in a specially +chartered liner with his staff and friends for New Chicago, on Ganymede. +It also tells of his approaching marriage to Princess Irkeen, daughter +of King Donossus, a political marriage that will assure Teutoberg's +position with the natives."</p> + +<p>"Poor girl," muttered Winford under his breath, searching among the +loose papers on the chart table for the copy of the news which was +received every twelve hours by automatic helioprinter from New York +millions of miles away. He read the article about Teutoberg through and +laid aside the paper. Turning to the charts he jotted down a few hasty +calculations, and stepped to the controls where he set a new course for +the "iron mike" of the space freighter to follow.</p> + +<p>"Captain Robers, I have changed my mind about having you go out into +space from the air-lock," he announced, turning again to the anxious +officer. "We will hold you prisoner with your men and later on will set +you down on one of Jupiter's smaller satellites—Callisto, if possible, +since the living conditions there are quite satisfactory. Word will be +sent to Mars of where you can be found. All of your crew, excepting +those who wish to sign on with me, will be freed with you. I and my six +companions are hardly enough to operate such a craft as this. +Incidentally, we are appropriating the <i>Golden Fleece</i> and its cargo. If +the Interstellar people object, they may present the bill to Silas +Teutoberg, and he can deduct it from the income my property yields him."</p> + +<p>Captain Robers glanced up curiously at the harsh bitterness that crept +into Winford's voice. Then his glance shifted to Jarl, and he was amazed +to see the malevolent expression that appeared on the Martian's face as +he listened to Winford's words. The moment passed, and Jarl silently +escorted the officers below to be locked up with the rest of his crew.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Three weeks later, Earth time, the <i>Golden Fleece</i> slipped into the +atmosphere of Callisto, the fourth satellite of mighty Jupiter, which +swung in its orbit a million and a quarter miles from the great planet. +Far off to the west, separated by two million miles of empty space, +floated Ganymede, the third satellite, on which the people of the United +States were now gaining a foothold with their newly planted colonies.</p> + +<p>The big freighter, under the engineering genius of Agar, had made a +marvelously speedy journey from its original position just outside the +orbit of Mercury to this point nearly four hundred and fifty million +miles away from the little planet. Winford studied the ground below. He +was only partly acquainted with the topography of Callisto and wanted to +be sure to pick a spot where Captain Robers and his men could be certain +of surviving until help arrived. His eye picked out a satisfactory spot +close beside the Gnan River in one of the stunted conifer forests of the +planet. Swiftly he dropped the big freighter until it hovered but a few +yards above the ground.</p> + +<p>A freight port-hole was opened, and Captain Robers, accompanied by half +his crew, prepared to descend. They were all bundled in heavy garments, +for the temperature of Callisto, never high, frequently drops to +sub-zero readings. Winford stood at the port and watched the men climb +down the rope ladder to the ground below.</p> + +<p>Robers was last to go. He faced Winford bitterly, for this escaped lifer +from Mercury had stolen not only his ship, but half his crew as well, +and the prospect of a liberal share of the rich iridium cargo in the +hold.</p> + +<p>"You'll regret this day!" snarled the captain. "I'll be in the front row +of spectators when you sniff the death gas in the glass execution cage +on Mars. Hundreds have tried this sort of thing before you, and every +man of them has come finally to the cage."</p> + +<p>"You're only delaying us, Captain Robers," replied Winford coldly. "I am +in a hurry to be on my way. Kindly move down the ladder and join your +men. Your hand weapons and food supplies will be dropped by parachute as +we leave. I might add that in a short time I expect to be in a position +to broadcast an S O S message for you which should bring rescue ships +here to Callisto for you. Good-by."</p> + +<p>He turned away, leaving the officer to descend the ladder in baffled +fury to the ground below, where his men huddled together in the +unfamiliar cold, and stared half fearful at the far-away sun glowing +like a yellow arc-light in the depths of space half a billion miles +away.</p> + +<p>When the rising ship reached the thousand-foot level, the weapons and +food were dropped by parachute, and the port-hole closed and locked. +Winford hurried forward to the control room where the two navigators, +who had signed with him for a hundred and twentieth share of the iridium +each, were already pointing the nose of the ship up through the purple +heavens toward Ganymede.</p> + +<p>"Open her up! Use the emergency propulsion beams!" ordered Winford. "We +are overdue now for my tryst with this new governor at New Chicago!"</p> + +<p>The officers gazed at him in awe, wondering what desperate thing he +planned at the new colonial capital.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Winford was poring over the maps of New Chicago six hours later in the +chart room when one of the navigation officers touched him on the +shoulder.</p> + +<p>"Battle sphere rapidly overhauling us from sunward, sir," said the man. +"Approaching us against the glare of sunlight until it was so close when +we discovered it that escape is now impossible. I'd say it is one of the +new 4-Q heavies of the Interplanetary Council patrol fleet."</p> + +<p>Winford hurried to the telescope. As his anxious eye took in the +spherical outline of the battle craft, showing as a silvery crescent to +the rear and starboard of them, he recognized it as one of the heavily +armored spheres of the Interplanetary Council's fleet with the new long +range K-ray disintegrator guns.</p> + +<p>Winford seized a telescope speed calculator. The sphere was coming up +far too rapidly to permit the <i>Golden Fleece</i> to pick up speed soon +enough to escape—although he was confident the freighter could do it +now, since Agar had changed its propulsion machinery.</p> + +<p>Perhaps the commander of the battle sphere was merely curious about the +<i>Golden Fleece</i> since it appeared to be an ordinary tramp freighter with +no distinguishing emblems or other identification, and was coming close +to give her a better look. Or perhaps he was hurrying to some +destination and his nearness to the <i>Golden Fleece</i> was merely +accidental.</p> + +<p>Whatever the cause, there remained but one thing to do, and that was to +keep the freighter on its course as though nothing out of the ordinary +was taking place. Winford turned to the communication board and cut in +the universal radio wave. The instrument was silent. He sighed. At least +the commander of the battle sphere was not trying to communicate with +him.</p> + +<p>Winford turned back to the window again. The sphere was quite close now, +and its speed was dropping rapidly. Suddenly the radio loud-speaker +hummed to life.</p> + +<p>"Ahoy there, aboard the freighter," sounded a stern, determined voice. +"This is the Interplanetary Council battle sphere, <i>Eagle</i>, nearing you. +We are coming aboard you to investigate. Make ready your air-lock to +receive us. Attempt nothing hostile. Hundred-kilowatt ray guns are +trained on you."</p> + +<p>Winford cut in the microphone and answered with the customary "O. K." +reply; then he turned to the two white-faced navigators.</p> + +<p>"Carry on as usual," he said grimly. "Perhaps we can fool them once they +are aboard."</p> + +<p>Then he turned to the phone connecting with the crew's quarters. He +hurriedly explained the situation to Jarl and instructed him to receive +the boarding party at the air-lock.</p> + +<p>The big battle sphere was drawing close alongside. Magnet grapnels shot +across the narrow space between the two craft and gripped the side of +the freighter, followed by the cable bridge along which the boarding +party presently came wavering their way to the air-lock of the +freighter.</p> + +<p>Winford counted fifty men, then turned away dejectedly. This was no +ordinary inspection party, but a prize crew coming aboard. He sat down +wearily. Just as victory seemed almost within his grasp—had been +actually in his hand when he had started to Ganymede—this battle sphere +popped up out of nowhere like an inescapable doom to strike him and his +companions down. He gritted his teeth. Some way, somehow he would still +win out. He and his fellows had come too far to be cheated of liberty +now.</p> + +<p>The door of the control room opened, and a smart young officer in gold +and gray of the Interplanetary Council Marine service entered, +accompanied by three privates with drawn pistols who took their +positions near the door. Winford noted the clean-cut lines and fresh +features of the officer and felt that under different circumstances he +would like to know him.</p> + +<p>"I am Lieutenant Commander 6666-A," the officer introduced himself, +using the designation the Interplanetary Council required of all their +fighting men. "You are Evan Winford, are you not?"</p> + +<p>Winford nodded.</p> + +<p>"You nearly got away with it, Winford," complimented the officer with a +boyish grin. "I almost admire you for it. But you made at least one +fatal error."</p> + +<p>"What was that?" asked Winford curiously.</p> + +<p>"When you put Captain Robers and his men off this ship they smuggled out +with them a hand-operated helio set. Each man carried a part. Within an +hour after you left they had it assembled and were cranking out S O S +signals. We happened to be but a million miles off Callisto and picked +up their message. At once our commander decided to start out and rope in +the <i>Golden Fleece</i> before you did any further damage. And here we are."</p> + +<p>Winford cursed himself under his breath. Fool that he had been not to +have had the men and their baggage searched more carefully before he +allowed them to leave the freighter. Nizzo was responsible for that. He +should be—but it was too late now. No use crying over spilled milk. He +forced a grin and shrugged.</p> + +<p>"'The best laid plans of mice and men—'" he quoted philosophically. "I +hope the entire blame for this wild venture is put on my shoulders where +it belongs when we are brought to trial. These two navigators here and +the rest of the men are in no way responsible. I forced every man of +them under pain of death to join me."</p> + +<p>The young officer shook his head and smiled.</p> + +<p>"Not a chance of that, Winford. You'll all stand trial alike, and you +know it. You are rather a strange sort of pirate, it seems to me, to +offer yourself as a sacrifice for your men. I'd say you are too +tender-hearted for buccaneering in the Void."</p> + +<p>"If I had succeeded in reaching New Chicago, you might have gained a +different impression of me," retorted Winford, his lambent eyes flaming +at the thought. "I have sworn to kill Silas Teutoberg, the new governor +of Ganymede, because he sent me to die in the mines of Mercury for a +crime I never committed."</p> + +<p>The young officer laughed.</p> + +<p>"You can set your mind at rest about him, Winford. He was due at New +Chicago five days ago in his specially chartered space liner from New +York. Nothing was heard from his ship ten days after he left New York +with his guests aboard. His last reported position was near the Mars +orbit and since then nothing has come out of the Void. They'll just +chalk him under the 'Lost in Space' column on the admiralty boards of +the Universe and give the credit for his disappearance to some hurtling +meteor. We were on our way to search for the remains of his liner when +we intercepted the messages from Captain Robers and his men on +Callisto."</p> + +<p>Winford's face was bleak.</p> + +<p>"Fate has prevented me from achieving my greatest desire," he said +harshly. "To rid the Universe of that scourge to humanity would have +been one of the sweetest moments of my life. I've dreamed of it for +years."</p> + +<p>The officer lighted a cigarette.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps you are right, but I'd say the chance is gone in more ways than +one. Teutoberg is undoubtedly dead, and you are on your way to the gas +execution cage on Mars. Incidentally, you are now my prisoner. I'll not +lock you in the hold with the rest of your crew, but will confine you to +your stateroom."</p> + +<p>Winford surveyed him curiously.</p> + +<p>"I warn you that I'll take advantage of any opportunity to escape," he +said.</p> + +<p>The officer grinned.</p> + +<p>"That's to be expected. So would any other man doomed to die. But the +coronium doors, locks and walls of the <i>Golden Fleece's</i> staterooms are +practically escape proof, and with two of my marines on guard outside +your door, with orders to kill if you break out, I feel reasonably +safe."</p> + +<p>Imprisoned in his stateroom, Winford threw himself on his bunk. Too +early to attempt anything yet, he considered. It would be better to wait +a few days—at least until <i>Eagle</i> had departed. Besides, he would have +to work out a plan for escape.</p> + +<p>He glanced up at the port-hole. The sunlight was shifting. He arose and +peered out. Twenty-five miles away he could see the battle sphere +standing out across the Void on a sunward course. The <i>Golden Fleece</i> +was turning her nose toward distant Mars, a long journey, since the Red +Planet was on the opposite side of the sun, seven hundred million miles +away.</p> + +<p>Winford knew what was taking place. The commander of the battle sphere +was again resuming his mission of searching for the missing liner, while +the young officer and his crew were taking the <i>Golden Fleece</i> with its +iridium cargo and pirate crew directly to Mars.</p> + +<p>Meantime the radio and audio-vision announcers on all the planets were +broadcasting the sensational news of the capture of the escaped +convict-pirates and their forthcoming trial and certain execution on +Mars. Winford turned bitterly away from the port-hole.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>One week had passed. Winford started up out of a sound sleep. He +listened tensely. There was a murmur through the big freighter. He +recognized it as the clanging of the great alarm gongs through the hull +of the big ship, muffled by the walls of his stateroom. Something was +afoot!</p> + +<p>He threw off the covers, sprang out on the deck and pulled on his +clothes. This might be a break! Those gongs never sounded without plenty +of cause.</p> + +<p>He pulled a chair to the door, mounted it, and cautiously opening the +transom which he had previously loosened, thrust his head out into the +passage.</p> + +<p>A marine was running down the passage. The guards before Winford's door +tried to stop him, but the man ran on. Presently another came along. The +guard was more successful.</p> + +<p>"Say, Buddie, what's all the excitement?" he demanded.</p> + +<p>"We've found Teutoberg's liner, or rather, it has found us!" exclaimed +the marine. "They say old Teutoberg has trained his heaviest guns on us +and is demanding that we surrender. Our skipper doesn't know just what +to make of it. He's arguing with Teutoberg by radio that this old tub is +in the hands of the law already and that he is taking it to Mars for the +piracy court. Teutoberg says he won't be fooled by any such bunk as +that; he knows we are all pirates and he is going to have this ship +regardless of anything, since it belongs to his line. I've got to be +hurrying along. We're getting the big guns ready, the few that we have."</p> + +<p>Winford cautiously withdrew his head. His eyes were glowing. The whole +scheme was as plain as day now. Teutoberg knew as well as every informed +person in the Universe did that the <i>Golden Fleece</i> was in the hands of +the Interplanetary Council marines. That talk about being entitled to +the freighter because it was owned by his shipping line was so much +rubbish. He was protected by insurance. What he wanted was the insurance +and the ten million dollars' worth of iridium in the hold as well.</p> + +<p>Furthermore, he had intended to have it all along. It was part of his +diabolical scheme to put the shipment on an unprotected freighter. Then +he had chartered a liner privately for his venture in piracy. When the +liner was "lost" he was out searching for the <i>Golden Fleece</i> along the +lanes where it should have been had not he, Winford, and his companions +captured the craft and sent it hurtling out toward Ganymede. And now +Teutoberg had succeeded in trailing it down.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Winford surveyed the transom pessimistically. Impossible to get through +it. If only he had a ray pistol to dissolve the door lock.... The air +ventilator! He dropped down on hands and knees and peered under the +bunk. The opening seemed large enough to let his shoulders through. If +he should become fast in one of the turns of the tunnel it would be all +up with him. They'd probably find his body when the ship went into dock +for repairs. But this was no time to think of that.</p> + +<p>He crawled under the bunk, took out the grating and set it beside the +opening. Then he wormed his way into the tunnel. It was a tight fit, but +he could move. The first turn should bring him to the branch that opened +out on the passage not far from his stateroom door.</p> + +<p>Never would he forget that struggle when he forced his cramped, tortured +body round the bend in the blackness a fraction of an inch at a time and +crawled up the branch. If he was mistaken—but he wasn't. Presently he +was looking out of the grating into the passage.</p> + +<p>Members of the crew raced back and forth like disturbed ants. From the +snatches of conversation that reached him, Winford learned that +Teutoberg had succeeded in getting the range of the freighter and was +holding her helpless under the imposing muzzles of his heavy +disintegrator-ray guns.</p> + +<p>The door of the control opened and the boyish commander, his face pale +and drawn, thrust out his head.</p> + +<p>"They're coming aboard, men," he shouted to the group in the passage +below. "I can't stop them. Our only chance may come after they are +aboard."</p> + +<p>"Why don't you free the pirates and let them help us?" cried one of the +men.</p> + +<p>"Never," returned the young commander firmly. "They are in our care, and +by the gods, we are going to bring them and this ship through safe and +sound!"</p> + +<p>A moment later he descended the stairs and led his men aft.</p> + +<p>Teutoberg displayed a flash of generalship, for his first ten men who +came in through the air-lock were pistol experts. They rayed the marines +in their tracks and cleared the passage leading to the lock, before the +defenders could get organized. A few minutes later the invaders were +spreading through the ship, hunting down and ruthlessly slaying the +marines whom they outnumbered three to one. Scattered fights to the +death took place on all the decks. Winford, snugly ensconced in his air +tunnel, raged inwardly as the crackling of the rays and the agonized +screams of the wounded and dying came to his ears.</p> + +<p>The fighting seemed to be drawing nearer. He risked peeping out. The +young commander and half a dozen of his men covering themselves as best +they might with the inadequate protector shields of the service, +retreated to the foot of the stairs leading up to the control room. As +the invaders prepared to mow them down a sudden hush fell on the men and +the invaders parted. A huge man stepped out before them. Winford sucked +in his breath sharply as he recognized Teutoberg and saw him take a step +forward in the direction of the marines.</p> + +<p>Teutoberg raised his hand toward Commander 6666-A and spoke.</p> + +<p>"Will you surrender, or must my men obliterate you? I would say that you +pirates have your backs to the wall. Surely life is sweet. Why not +surrender while you still have it?"</p> + +<p>"We're not pirates!" declared the young commander hotly.</p> + +<p>Teutoberg sneered.</p> + +<p>"It will take more than a gold and gray uniform of the Interplanetary +Council military forces to convince me," he retorted. "Uniforms of any +kind can be obtained anywhere in the Universe where there happens to be +a competent tailor."</p> + +<p>"The only pirates, excepting yourselves, aboard this ship are under lock +and key," said the commander. "That's where you will be before this +matter is settled."</p> + +<p>Teutoberg laughed. His manner changed suddenly.</p> + +<p>"What a line of talk for a pirate," he commented affably. "Come, +youngster, there is no need to sacrifice lives uselessly. Surrender, +since you're outnumbered anyway, and let's discuss this thing on a sane +basis."</p> + +<p>Commander 6666-A hesitated. Winford could scarcely refrain from shouting +treachery. Then the marines lowered their shields and rays. Next instant +they went down under the charge of the invaders.</p> + +<p>The young commander was chalky white when they dragged him bound and +helpless to his feet. A trickle of blood made a crimson line from the +corner of his mouth, and his eyes sparkled with helpless rage.</p> + +<p>"You dirty snake!" he gasped. "You'll sniff gas for this!"</p> + +<p>Teutoberg laughed scornfully.</p> + +<p>"Take them back to the air-lock and shove them out naked one at a time," +he ordered curtly. "That's the way they would have treated us. Save the +young bantam for the last. Now, where is this Evan Winford? I have an +old score to settle with him."</p> + +<p>Up in his air tunnel Winford nodded grimly to himself. Teutoberg's words +only added to the proof that he knew all along that the <i>Golden Fleece</i> +was in the hands of the Interplanetary marines, for his request for +Winford revealed that he had been following the helio reports of the +capture of the ship by the marines and the stories being broadcast +throughout the Universe of how Winford and Jarl and their pirate +companions were being taken with the ship to Mars for piracy and +execution.</p> + +<p>Neither Commander 6666-A nor his men deigned to answer Teutoberg, but +one of his own men had already discovered that Winford was locked in his +own stateroom, and he promptly indicated the door.</p> + +<p>Teutoberg scowled, drew a pistol in either hand, and strode to the door. +One of the men unlocked it, and he kicked it open. He waited +expectantly, then advanced cautiously into the room. The sound of his +baffled curses filled the passage. Winford grinned mirthlessly.</p> + +<p>"Someone dies for this!" shouted Teutoberg, storming out into the +passage. "Where is he, I say? Bring me that Martian, Jarl! He'll know, +if anyone does. Bring him, I say, and I'll torture the truth out of his +big carcass!"</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Winford's grin vanished. His eyes grew anxious as he waited, tense and +breathless, until Jarl, with his big hands lashed together behind his +back, was brought up from the hold.</p> + +<p>"So we meet again, Jarl?" jeered Teutoberg, scowling blackly at him. +"Where is this master of yours, this Winford?"</p> + +<p>Jarl's eyes met Teutoberg's impassively. All too well he knew the innate +cruelty of this Earthman. Some explanation would have to be made to +satisfy him. Never a flicker of an eye-lash revealed what that +explanation would be, but Jarl glanced stoically at the empty stateroom.</p> + +<p>"He did it," he said calmly.</p> + +<p>"Did what, you clod?" Teutoberg flung at him savagely.</p> + +<p>"Ended his life as he swore he would."</p> + +<p>"Suicide? Impossible! Where is the body?"</p> + +<p>"He destroyed it together with his life by drinking disintegrator +concentrate. He carried a capsule of it when we escaped from Mercury, +and I've heard him swear time and again that he would die before he +would permit himself to be taken back."</p> + +<p>Teutoberg swallowed the story. There was nothing else to do, apparently. +He raved and cursed. Once he raised his pistol to Jarl's heart and +lowered it again.</p> + +<p>"You'll take his place, Martian dog!" he snarled. "By proxy I shall +treat him as he deserves, and you shall be the proxy. Back to the hold +with you for the present!"</p> + +<p>With that Teutoberg whirled about, strode up the stairs and vanished in +the control room.</p> + +<p>Commander 6666-A and his men were dragged aft to the air-lock, leaving +the passage near Winford temporarily empty. He broke out the grating and +wormed his way out of the air tunnel, dropping on the floor hands first. +He sprang to his feet, and started grimly up the steps to the control +room. Inside that room was Teutoberg, a bigger man than himself, and +armed, yet Winford, barehanded, cautiously opened the door and stepped +inside.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Teutoberg was standing at one side of the room gazing in rapt attention +at the slaughter of the helpless marines. One by one he watched them +emerge from the air-lock bloated and white in their nakedness with their +convulsed limbs already growing rigid in the icy cold of space. Out in +the open space between the two ships they hung motionless a few minutes, +then swiftly dissolved and vanished under the ray of a small +disintegrator gun on the liner.</p> + +<p>Teutoberg smiled crookedly.</p> + +<p>The door clicked behind him. Teutoberg turned with a startled oath. +Winford, foul with grime and his clothing torn to rags, stood there. +Teutoberg's eyes widened. Both hands leaped downward for the holstered +pistols in his belt. At that instant Winford lunged for him.</p> + +<p>One of Teutoberg's hands was now gripping a pistol. Winford struck +frenziedly, knocking it from Teutoberg's grasp. The weapon slid under +the chart table out of reach. Winford clutched Teutoberg's left hand +which held the still holstered pistol.</p> + +<p>Suddenly he saw an advantage, and his heart leaped in exultation. Round +behind Teutoberg he pivoted—a wrestling trick he had learned as a boy. +For an instant they stood back to back. Then with a mighty effort +Winford heaved upward relentlessly on his opponent's forearm.</p> + +<p>Teutoberg screamed in pain as something snapped in his wrist. The pistol +dropped from his nerveless fingers. Winford flicked it out of reach +under the table with his toe, but had no chance to reach for it, because +Teutoberg had managed to work himself free.</p> + +<p>With a bellow of animal rage and with arms flailing like wind-mills he +charged at Winford again. Winford met his rush with a rapid series of +blows and Teutoberg went down. But up he came, a wild light in his eyes. +Again he went down, only to struggle gamely to his feet once more.</p> + +<p>Winford was gasping for breath. It amazed him that Teutoberg could +endure so much punishment. His arm must be broken and he was terribly +battered, yet here he came staggering back for more. Winford now hunched +down and, like a crouching animal, advanced slowly toward his enemy. +Suddenly he started a right almost from the deck straight for +Teutoberg's chin. It connected. Teutoberg was lifted clear of the deck +and hurled unconscious against the side of the control room six feet +away.</p> + +<p>Winford staggered to the communication board and his trembling fingers +clutched the air-lock phone.</p> + +<p>"Hello, hello!" he gasped. "Teutoberg speaking. Send no more marines out +through the lock just now.... Yes, of course this is Teutoberg."</p> + +<p>He hung the instrument back on its hook and clung dizzily to the edge of +the table. At least the slaughter was halted for the time being.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>He would have to act fast. He caught up the big water pitcher from the +holder on the wall where it had miraculously escaped the fight, gulped +deeply from it, and splattered water down his face and chest. Then he +picked up the two pistols from the deck, placed one in his belt and +gripped the other firmly as he approached the unconscious Teutoberg.</p> + +<p>At the first splash of water in his face Teutoberg groaned and rolled +over.</p> + +<p>"Get up, you," Winford ordered harshly.</p> + +<p>Teutoberg sat up groggily. The sight of the pistol and Winford's eyes +brought him out with a sudden shock.</p> + +<p>"Get over to that air-lock phone and say just what I tell you to," +ordered Winford grimly. "One false word, and I'll ray you plenty."</p> + +<p>Teutoberg staggered to his feet obediently and took the phone, for he +had read death in Winford's hard eyes.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Jarvis?" he asked, his body rigid under the prod of Winford's +pistol. "This is Teutoberg.... Yes, I talked a minute ago. I've changed +my plans, Jarvis. We've got to get the iridium out of the hold and into +the liner as soon as possible, or we'll be sighted by some other craft. +Take all the men but ten and go back to the liner. Make ready there for +the cargo.... You'll have to clear some cabins; there is more than I +thought. There isn't much food aboard here, anyway, and it is better to +let the men go to mess right away and start transferring the cargo +immediately afterward."</p> + +<p>Teutoberg hung up the phone.</p> + +<p>"Is that satisfactory?" he asked sullenly.</p> + +<p>"It will do," was Winford's terse reply. "Now when the men have gone +back to the liner, order two of the remainder to bring up Jarl from the +hold to the control room here."</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Jarl was as impassive as usual when he entered the control room and +beheld Winford in charge there, although his two captors stared in +amazement at Teutoberg, bloody and battered, seated against the side of +the room with his hands upraised. Jarl calmly disarmed his two captors +and closed the door.</p> + +<p>"Only eight of Teutoberg's men besides these remain on the <i>Golden +Fleece</i>," Winford explained to Jarl. "Take care of them first, then +release the rest of our men from the hold. Tell Agar to take charge of +the machinery as soon as possible, and have the gunners stand by for +further orders."</p> + +<p>"Awah," replied Jarl stoically, and left the control room.</p> + +<p>He took care of the eight invaders in his very efficient Martian +fashion, for he pistoled them with neatness and dispatch where they +stood before the air-lock with the young commander and his remaining two +marines, waiting to thrust them out into space. Winford had not +instructed Jarl just how to take care of the situation, and the Martian +attended to it in his own way. Commander 6666-A, with his arms bound +behind his back, stared in amazement as Jarl calmly stepped over the +dead bodies and went on his way to release his fellow pirates from the +hold.</p> + +<p>Up in the control room the radio loud-speaker hummed to life.</p> + +<p>"Teutoberg, Teutoberg, are you there?" cried an anxious voice. "Three +Interplanetary battle spheres are approaching from the direction of the +Earth! They are still two thousand miles away, but they are coming on +fast! We're going to cut loose and run for it. If you're not back here +in five minutes, you'll have to stay where you are!"</p> + +<p>Winford cut in then for Teutoberg, who gulped painfully before speaking.</p> + +<p>"Go right ahead," he said in a strained voice. "I'm staying here on the +<i>Golden Fleece</i>. I'll—I'll see you later."</p> + +<p>"Why didn't you say you'd meet them in the Hereafter?" suggested Winford +coldly, as he cut out the microphone. "That's where you are going as +soon as Jarl returns. He'll be glad to help you on your way, for he +hasn't forgotten the aid you gave his brother-in-law in robbing him and +sending him to Mercury."</p> + +<p>Teutoberg made no answer.</p> + +<p>Things were happening swiftly. Already the liner was lurching forward +frantically with every propulsion ray flaming as she started her flight +through space away from the avenging battle spheres. Red lights twinkled +on the control board of the <i>Golden Fleece</i>. Agar, at the generators +now, threw in the power. The big freighter leaped ahead like a +grayhound, soon reaching a speed that even the swift battle spheres +could not equal, thanks to the engineering genius of the half-insane +Agar.</p> + +<p>Winford glanced around. Teutoberg was already gone. Jarl had taken him +down to the air-lock. Winford tried to forget him. There were other +things to think of. There were the details of taking the <i>Golden Fleece</i> +out to Pluto near the frontiers of the Sun's domain—Pluto, that +stronghold of the space pirates where a man could sell an entire planet +or any part of it, no questions asked, if he could produce it for the +buccaneer kings to bid on. The freighter and its cargo were as good as +sold already, and the money they would bring would be more than enough +to buy pardons and freedom for everyone in the crew.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>There were many details to consider carefully, but instead Winford found +himself thinking of Teutoberg down by the air-lock, stripped of his +clothing, ready for his last adventure with life. As much as Winford +hated the man, he was forced into an unwilling admiration for his dogged +fight in the control room. A mere word in that telephone would save him. +Winford shook his head irritably. The man deserved death. Yet again he +saw the set features, the final walk into the air-lock. Suddenly Winford +found himself at the phone and heard himself giving the order that would +save Teutoberg's life. He sat down again, surprised at his own weakness. +He was still musing when Jarl entered.</p> + +<p>"You couldn't go through with it," observed the big Martian impassively. +"I was afraid you couldn't. It is as I have always said of you +Earthlings. You think you want revenge, good old ancient vengeance; but +when the moment comes and you sit in the high place and can have it, you +weaken. Well, you won't have to execute Teutoberg now."</p> + +<p>"What do you mean?" exclaimed Winford.</p> + +<p>"After I received your order and told Teutoberg he wasn't to go out +through the lock after all, he grinned. It was an insult, that grin, +just as though he knew all along you wouldn't have the nerve to kill +him. And while I stood there asking myself if I should not go ahead and +shove him out anyway, one of his men—one of the two we captured up here +in this room—caught sight of that grin. He screamed something about +treachery and Teutoberg betraying him to the pirates, and before I could +interfere he drew a knife and stabbed Teutoberg to death right there +before all of us. After that there was nothing to do but to heave his +body into the air-lock and let it go on out into space."</p> + +<p>Far back across the Void in a tiny space sphere which Winford had given +him and his two marines to return to the distant battle sphere, +Lieutenant Commander 6666-A saw through his telescope the white speck of +Teutoberg's body leave the side of the <i>Golden Fleece</i> and wondered what +it was.</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Space Rover, by Edwin K. Sloat + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SPACE ROVER *** + +***** This file should be named 29702-h.htm or 29702-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/7/0/29702/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> diff --git a/29702-h/images/illus.jpg b/29702-h/images/illus.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3723120 --- /dev/null +++ b/29702-h/images/illus.jpg diff --git a/29702.txt b/29702.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9f6898b --- /dev/null +++ b/29702.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1492 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Space Rover, by Edwin K. Sloat + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Space Rover + +Author: Edwin K. Sloat + +Release Date: August 15, 2009 [EBook #29702] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SPACE ROVER *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + +The Space Rover + +By Edwin K. Sloat + +[Transcriber's note: This etext was produced from Astounding Stories +February 1932. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the +U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] + + Young Winford heads a desperate escape from the prison mines of + Mercury. + +[Illustration: _Winford leaped out into space along the cable._] + + +Evan Winford leaned wearily against the controls of the little space +sphere, and stared out of the window at the planet, Mercury, which lay a +million miles sunward. Fail now? He gritted his teeth. No! He would +wrench victory from Fate after all, even though at this moment mine +guards must be searching the nearby mountains, for him and his +companions, and a warning was being broadcast to all the planets and +space ships to watch the little prison tender ship, the one that was +used to transfer prisoners from liners out in space to Mercury and its +Interplanetary Council prison mines to which all who were sentenced came +on one-way tickets only. This was the first time, Winford reflected +grimly, that the sphere had ever carried outbound passengers. + +A long, quavering wail sounded from the hold below. Winford scowled. +That fellow, Agar, again. Too bad, for he was unquestionably an +engineering genius and thoroughly dependable when he didn't get one of +his spells and imagine he was a godo-dog on the red steppes of his +native Mars. A little rest and gentle treatment would unquestionably +work wonders. Again the wail, followed this time by a series of growls. + +Winford slid open the door that separated the control nest from the hold +of the little prison tender ship. The other five men had withdrawn to +the other side of the cabin and were watching listlessly the big, +ragged, barrel-chested Martian crouching on all fours against the side +of the cabin and ferociously baring his teeth. + +"What's the matter down there?" called Winford sharply. + +Six pairs of eyes looked up at him. Agar forgot he was a dog and stared +with the rest. They were an unkempt, ragged lot with unshaven faces and +the dirty, white canvas uniforms of mine prisoners. The group was +composed of four Martians and two Venusians. + +"Let's go back," growled Nizzo, whose squat, powerful body and long arms +bespoke his Venus ancestry. "It's death out here. No food. No water, +excepting the emergency ration you have up there in the box. That will +scarcely last till we can reach Mercury again. Now you tell us that the +fuel is nearly exhausted. Let's go back. I say! We don't want to swing +about the Sun in this as our tomb for all eternity. At least we eat and +drink at the mines, even though the whips of the drivers hurry us on to +an early death." + +"You're crazy, Nizzo," harshly retorted Winford. "You know what they do +when escaped prisoners are brought back, or come of their own free will. +The Universe knows nothing of the caged saurians in the warden's +gardens, nor of the incorrigible prisoners that go to feed them. But I +know--we all of us know. Far better to remain out here and die whole, +than to be devoured alive by a slobbering horror." + +A heated argument ensued among the men below. Presently Nizzo looked up +again. + +"But you have no plan," he shouted at the Earthman. "We have followed +you blindly so far, and here we are off the traffic lanes. Our only hope +of being picked up now is one of space patrol ships. And short shrift +may we expect from them!" + +Winford scowled impatiently. + +"Listen, men," he began. "This is a desperate venture, I know, and I +picked every one of you carefully. You are not common scum of the prison +mines. Every man of you can be depended upon to put through a daring +escape of this nature. Every man of you is an innocent victim of the +rotten politicians and corrupt officials that now hold sway in the Three +Planets. Take Jarl there, for example." He indicated a big, patient, +resigned Martian. "He is under life sentence in the penal mines simply +because his brother-in-law wanted his lands and wealth. As for myself, I +had a sister who suffered the misfortune of being seen and coveted by +Silas Teutoberg, a member of the Earth Council...." + +He choked at the thought, his pale face rigid with emotion. Those below +saw the flash of his lambent eyes. He controlled himself with an effort, +and continued: + +"I have said nothing of any plan beyond that of making our escape in +this prison tender off Mercury, but I had a plan behind that. It is true +that we seem to be off the regular traffic lanes, but space liners +between Venus and Earth just now are cutting in quite close to Mercury, +due to the position of the three planets in their orbits. This formed +the basis of the whole venture. + +"During the three interplanetary days we have floated out here, I have +repeatedly scanned the Void, thinking every minute we would sight a +craft we could reach. But so far luck has been against us. All I ask is +that you do not allow yourselves to be discouraged, for sooner or later +we'll get a break." + +A chorus of enthusiastic approval answered him. Winford sighed with +relief, then stared abruptly through the window and gave a shout. The +others below swarmed up the ladder and crowded into the tiny control +nest. Winford pointed. + +Far off against the black depths of space toward Venus gleamed the tiny, +elliptical, silvery hull of a ship, bearing slightly toward them. +Although sharply outlined, the craft was hundreds of miles away as the +men realized. Winford checked it swiftly through the telescope distance +calculator, determined its speed, and rapidly formed his plan. + +"There are plenty of space suits in the lockers," he said tersely. "Get +into them. Stand by the air-lock. You, Jarl, get into the lock and take +a cable with an electro-magnet anchor. Lash yourself to it. When I give +the signal by blinking the lights in the lock, open the outer door and +leap across to the other ship. I know you risk death from their rays, +but it is our only chance. Clamp the anchor against the side of the ship +and locate the emergency entrance lock." + +"Suppose there is none?" interrupted Jarl stoically. + +"Chances are there will be. The interplanetary treaties call for them on +most ships since those five hundred passengers perished trying vainly to +enter a liner after their own ship was smashed by a meteor out near +Jupiter several years ago. Anyway, it's our only chance. You, Nizzo and +Ragna, enter the air-lock with Jarl so that if he misses, you can pull +him back. Now hurry. I'll have to maneuver this tub around so that I can +approach the ship, if possible, without being noticed." + + * * * * * + +The others scuttled back down the ladder, leaving Winford to rapidly +work out his final calculations. The ship, traveling at a rate of six +thousand miles an hour, would miss their little sphere by about a +hundred miles. The ship was probably a slow speed freighter, a guess +that was supported by the lack of port-holes in the hull. + +It was a ticklish task that Winford faced. He could either approach the +freighter from against the sun, trusting that the navigation officer on +duty would fail to notice the dark blot of the little tender against the +blinding glare. Or he could get on the far side of the ship and approach +it, concealed by its black shadow. He decided on the latter plan. + +The freighter was coming up fast. Winford eased the accelerator open, +and moved off at right angles to its line of progress to place it +between him and the sun. If the officer in charge of the freighter +should see the tiny dot go shooting presently across his path, he would +doubtless mistake it for a wandering meteor. As soon as he crossed the +path of the big ship, Winford slowly turned his little craft toward the +protecting shadow of his prospective victim, and picked up speed as +quickly as he dared until the little tender was traveling at the same +speed as the freighter. Lucky it was for him that the big craft was not +a mail liner, for if it had been, the little ball could never have +gained speed enough to equal it. + +The shadow of the freighter presently enveloped the little ship, and the +two hung side by side. Winford eased the tender in toward the big craft, +fully realizing that the meteor warning dial in the control room of the +freighter would hint at his presence by its pronounced fluctuation. But +there was no help for it; he could only take the chance that the +navigator in charge would not investigate. Winford peered up anxiously +at the windows of the control room. Apparently the little craft had not +yet been discovered. + + * * * * * + +Less than a hundred yards now separated the two craft. Winford flashed +his signal to the air-lock. A moment later a dark blob that shut off the +light of the stars in depths below floated across the gap from the +tender to the freighter. The electric meter on the control board +registered a sudden fluctuation as the electro-magnet anchor attached +itself to the hull of the big ship. + +Winford snapped off the propulsion beams, seized two ray pistols that +lay on the chart table, and ducked down the ladder. His companions were +standing before the inner door of the air-lock in their bulging space +suits, awaiting his order to leave the tender. He quickly got into a +suit, clamped on the helmet and screwed tight the connections. Then he +opened the door of the air-lock and motioned the others into it, +following the last man in. + +Nizzo and Ragna were waiting there, and as the inner door closed, +automatically opening the outer door, they pointed to the cable +stretching away across forty yards of empty space to the side of the big +freighter. Winford could make out faintly the form of Jarl, who was +clambering cautiously up the bulging side of the ship on hands and +knees, seeking the emergency air-lock. Winford beckoned to the others to +follow, and leaped out into space along the cable. + +It was a terrifying experience, for no matter how often a man made such +a trip, there was always the primitive fear of falling into those +millions upon millions of miles of space below where the stars gleamed, +red, green, white and blue in the cold depths. Yet a man had no weight. +He merely pulled himself along the cable, which kept him from getting +lost. + +He reached the bulging side of the hull and continued upward on hands +and knees, now held to it by its own attraction for his body. The others +followed, and scattered out seeking the emergency entrance lock. + + * * * * * + +At the end of an hour they were in despair. There was no emergency +entrance lock! Winford bitterly resigned himself to their fate. This was +the end of their daring attempt. He must go forward now to the control +room windows and attract the attention of the navigating officer. It +meant surrender and subsequent death in the teeth of the caged saurians, +but if they remained much longer where they were they would freeze to +death anyway, for the batteries that warmed their suits were running +down under the continued strain, and when they ceased to function, the +deadly cold of interstellar space would claim them. He managed to make +known his intentions to the others and was starting forward when Fate +took a hand. + +The prison tender ship, which was still floating at the end of its cable +at the side of the freighter, relinquished itself to the play of the +forces that rule the measureless void and began to set up an orbit of +its own about the bigger ship. It came to the end of its tether and +swung gently against the hull of the freighter, sending a violent +vibration through it; then it rebounded and struck with another crash +which was utterly soundless to the stranded men on the outside of the +hull, who, nevertheless, felt the vibration plainly. + +Winford halted abruptly. The crew inside the ship would investigate. +Fate was offering the desperate men on the outside another chance. He +turned and beckoned to the others and hurried aft toward the regular +air-lock, which was operated only from inside the ship. Hastily he +placed the men about the outer door. Then they waited. + +Five minutes later it opened, and two men in space suits crawled out. +Jarl captured the first man single-handed, and Nizzo and Ragna, with +perfect teamwork, overpowered the second before he realized what was +taking place. Within a minute the men crowded into the air-lock, and +shut the outer portal. Automatically, the inner door slid open. + +Winford stepped out into the passageway with his ray pistols, covering +the half dozen members of the crew who gaped at the intruders in +speechless astonishment. One man recovered his wits and started to run. +Winford's pistol stabbed a ray after him, and he collapsed. The other +members of the crew silently raised their hands in surrender and were +herded into a nearby stateroom and locked in, including the two in space +suits who had been captured on the hull outside. + +"Overpower and imprison the crew at once," Winford ordered, as he +emerged from his space suit. "Jarl, you take charge, and work through +the ship. Miss no one. Bind them, imprison them, if you can, and if you +must, use sterner measures. Remember you are now pirates, and if we +don't capture this ship, the ship will capture us. I'll go ahead alone +to the control room and introduce myself to the officers there. When you +have cleaned things up, join me." + + * * * * * + +Captain Robers was peering out through the window at the dark blob of +the space tender near the rear of the big freighter when the door of the +control room opened softly and Winford slipped inside with leveled ray +pistols. The two navigation officers on duty gasped in astonishment. +Captain Robers whirled around. His momentary amazement gave way to +wrath. + +"Who the devil are you, and what do you want?" he bellowed. + +Winford's eyes blazed coldly. The ray pistols in his hands twitched +meaningly. + +"Civility first, Captain. Hands off those instruments, gentlemen. Stand +up. Face the windows. Thank you." + +With catlike quickness Winford leaped behind the chart table. A glance +showed that the ship was holding to its course with unchecked speed. +Only the meteor detector fluctuated from the presence of the little +space ship outside. No worry there. Disintegrator rays would soon +dissolve it, and with it the last visible evidence of their presence on +the ship. + +"Now, Captain, you may turn about facing me. I want a little +information." + +"You'll sniff gas for this!" snarled the officer. "This is piracy pure +and simple. Who are you, anyway?" + +Winford smiled ironically. Captain Robers' eyes widened suddenly and he +paled slightly, as he recognized the dirty white uniform. + +"The mines of Mercury!" he ejaculated. "We received a heliogram not +twenty-four hours ago warning us of your escape. You're Evan Winford of +Earth!" + +Winford bowed slightly. + +"At your service, Captain. My six companions are even now trussing up +the remainder of your crew down below. Don't choke, Captain. You are in +no danger, unless you make it yourself. I desire a little information +about the Universe. You see I have been out of touch for the last three +years during my enforced sojourn on Mercury." + +Captain Robers glared at Winford. + +"Tell me, Captain, who are you, and what is this craft?" + +The officer thrust out his chin stubbornly, then glanced at the pistol +covering him and changed his mind. + +"Captain Robers. The freighter is the _Golden Fleece_." + +"Port?" + +"New York. I am homeward bound with a cargo from Ceres of the +Asteroids." + +Winford's eyes gleamed momentarily. + +"Iridium, eh?" + +Captain Robers declined to answer. The valuable metal, which was found +mostly in abundance among the Asteroids and particularly on Ceres, had +proved the bait that lured pirates in flocks from all parts of the +Universe to prey on the freighters that carried it, usually under heavy +guard. The _Golden Fleece_ had obviously been trying to slip through +under the camouflage of an ordinary tramp freighter when Winford and his +followers boarded her. Robers saw no reason for trying to lie about +Ceres, since Winford would discover it later when he examined the log. +Winford, however, did not press the question about the cargo. + +"Who is the owner, Captain?" + +"The Interstellar Transportation Company, New York, Silas Teutoberg, +president." + +Winford leaped to his feet. + +"Repeat that name, Captain," he ordered harshly. + +"Silas Teutoberg," sullenly complied the officer. "But don't be so +excited. He has already resigned." + +"Why?" + +A crafty light appeared in the captain's eyes. He sensed a slight +advantage in retaining this knowledge himself. + +"I decline to answer," he stated. + +The lambent flames leaped ominously in Winford's eyes. He toyed with the +ray pistol expressively, then glanced up at a sudden interruption. The +control room door had opened, admitting Jarl and Ragna. + +"The crew is all accounted for," announced Jarl. "We imprisoned a +hundred men and have control." + +"Very good, Jarl," replied Winford calmly. "Ragna, take these two +navigating officers down and lock them up with the rest. Jarl, you +remain here. I have a little task for you." + +"Awah," replied Jarl, using the Martian term for "very good, sir." + +"Captain Robers here is going to strip off his clothing and pass out +through the air-lock into space." Winford spoke each word with cold +precision. + +The officer jerked up his head in sudden terror. He had once witnessed +the modern equivalent for the ancient piratical sentence of walking the +plank and the vivid memory rose before him. He saw again the nude man +cowering inside the air-lock as the inner door shut, the wafting out +into interstellar space of his struggling body as the atmosphere inside +the lock rushed out of the outer opening door, and the fatal bloating of +the body from the sudden pressure from within. The horror of it unlocked +the officer's tongue. + +"I'll answer, I'll answer!" he cried. "What do you want to know?" + +"Tell me why Silas Teutoberg is resigning as president of the +Interstellar Transportation Company." + +In the momentary silence that followed, Jarl's eyes narrowed with sudden +intensity. His interest escaped Winford, who was watching Robers +closely. The officer gulped with relief. + +"Teutoberg has been named governor of the new emigration colonies the +United States is establishing on Ganymede," he explained hurriedly. "The +Earth Council, which recently took over the most fertile provinces on +the third moon of Jupiter, with the full approval of the Interplanetary +Council, has named him for the post. The position is nearly the same as +that of an absolute monarch. But he could not hold a government post and +retain his executive position with the Interstellar people, so he +resigned." + +Winford eyed him skeptically. Captain Robers, now greatly agitated, +gestured frantically toward the chart table. + +"I am telling you the truth!" he assured Winford fervently. "You'll find +somewhere on the table a copy of the Heliogram News which tells of his +departure from New York less than twelve hours ago in a specially +chartered liner with his staff and friends for New Chicago, on Ganymede. +It also tells of his approaching marriage to Princess Irkeen, daughter +of King Donossus, a political marriage that will assure Teutoberg's +position with the natives." + +"Poor girl," muttered Winford under his breath, searching among the +loose papers on the chart table for the copy of the news which was +received every twelve hours by automatic helioprinter from New York +millions of miles away. He read the article about Teutoberg through and +laid aside the paper. Turning to the charts he jotted down a few hasty +calculations, and stepped to the controls where he set a new course for +the "iron mike" of the space freighter to follow. + +"Captain Robers, I have changed my mind about having you go out into +space from the air-lock," he announced, turning again to the anxious +officer. "We will hold you prisoner with your men and later on will set +you down on one of Jupiter's smaller satellites--Callisto, if possible, +since the living conditions there are quite satisfactory. Word will be +sent to Mars of where you can be found. All of your crew, excepting +those who wish to sign on with me, will be freed with you. I and my six +companions are hardly enough to operate such a craft as this. +Incidentally, we are appropriating the _Golden Fleece_ and its cargo. If +the Interstellar people object, they may present the bill to Silas +Teutoberg, and he can deduct it from the income my property yields him." + +Captain Robers glanced up curiously at the harsh bitterness that crept +into Winford's voice. Then his glance shifted to Jarl, and he was amazed +to see the malevolent expression that appeared on the Martian's face as +he listened to Winford's words. The moment passed, and Jarl silently +escorted the officers below to be locked up with the rest of his crew. + + * * * * * + +Three weeks later, Earth time, the _Golden Fleece_ slipped into the +atmosphere of Callisto, the fourth satellite of mighty Jupiter, which +swung in its orbit a million and a quarter miles from the great planet. +Far off to the west, separated by two million miles of empty space, +floated Ganymede, the third satellite, on which the people of the United +States were now gaining a foothold with their newly planted colonies. + +The big freighter, under the engineering genius of Agar, had made a +marvelously speedy journey from its original position just outside the +orbit of Mercury to this point nearly four hundred and fifty million +miles away from the little planet. Winford studied the ground below. He +was only partly acquainted with the topography of Callisto and wanted to +be sure to pick a spot where Captain Robers and his men could be certain +of surviving until help arrived. His eye picked out a satisfactory spot +close beside the Gnan River in one of the stunted conifer forests of the +planet. Swiftly he dropped the big freighter until it hovered but a few +yards above the ground. + +A freight port-hole was opened, and Captain Robers, accompanied by half +his crew, prepared to descend. They were all bundled in heavy garments, +for the temperature of Callisto, never high, frequently drops to +sub-zero readings. Winford stood at the port and watched the men climb +down the rope ladder to the ground below. + +Robers was last to go. He faced Winford bitterly, for this escaped lifer +from Mercury had stolen not only his ship, but half his crew as well, +and the prospect of a liberal share of the rich iridium cargo in the +hold. + +"You'll regret this day!" snarled the captain. "I'll be in the front row +of spectators when you sniff the death gas in the glass execution cage +on Mars. Hundreds have tried this sort of thing before you, and every +man of them has come finally to the cage." + +"You're only delaying us, Captain Robers," replied Winford coldly. "I am +in a hurry to be on my way. Kindly move down the ladder and join your +men. Your hand weapons and food supplies will be dropped by parachute as +we leave. I might add that in a short time I expect to be in a position +to broadcast an S O S message for you which should bring rescue ships +here to Callisto for you. Good-by." + +He turned away, leaving the officer to descend the ladder in baffled +fury to the ground below, where his men huddled together in the +unfamiliar cold, and stared half fearful at the far-away sun glowing +like a yellow arc-light in the depths of space half a billion miles +away. + +When the rising ship reached the thousand-foot level, the weapons and +food were dropped by parachute, and the port-hole closed and locked. +Winford hurried forward to the control room where the two navigators, +who had signed with him for a hundred and twentieth share of the iridium +each, were already pointing the nose of the ship up through the purple +heavens toward Ganymede. + +"Open her up! Use the emergency propulsion beams!" ordered Winford. "We +are overdue now for my tryst with this new governor at New Chicago!" + +The officers gazed at him in awe, wondering what desperate thing he +planned at the new colonial capital. + + * * * * * + +Winford was poring over the maps of New Chicago six hours later in the +chart room when one of the navigation officers touched him on the +shoulder. + +"Battle sphere rapidly overhauling us from sunward, sir," said the man. +"Approaching us against the glare of sunlight until it was so close when +we discovered it that escape is now impossible. I'd say it is one of the +new 4-Q heavies of the Interplanetary Council patrol fleet." + +Winford hurried to the telescope. As his anxious eye took in the +spherical outline of the battle craft, showing as a silvery crescent to +the rear and starboard of them, he recognized it as one of the heavily +armored spheres of the Interplanetary Council's fleet with the new long +range K-ray disintegrator guns. + +Winford seized a telescope speed calculator. The sphere was coming up +far too rapidly to permit the _Golden Fleece_ to pick up speed soon +enough to escape--although he was confident the freighter could do it +now, since Agar had changed its propulsion machinery. + +Perhaps the commander of the battle sphere was merely curious about the +_Golden Fleece_ since it appeared to be an ordinary tramp freighter with +no distinguishing emblems or other identification, and was coming close +to give her a better look. Or perhaps he was hurrying to some +destination and his nearness to the _Golden Fleece_ was merely +accidental. + +Whatever the cause, there remained but one thing to do, and that was to +keep the freighter on its course as though nothing out of the ordinary +was taking place. Winford turned to the communication board and cut in +the universal radio wave. The instrument was silent. He sighed. At least +the commander of the battle sphere was not trying to communicate with +him. + +Winford turned back to the window again. The sphere was quite close now, +and its speed was dropping rapidly. Suddenly the radio loud-speaker +hummed to life. + +"Ahoy there, aboard the freighter," sounded a stern, determined voice. +"This is the Interplanetary Council battle sphere, _Eagle_, nearing you. +We are coming aboard you to investigate. Make ready your air-lock to +receive us. Attempt nothing hostile. Hundred-kilowatt ray guns are +trained on you." + +Winford cut in the microphone and answered with the customary "O. K." +reply; then he turned to the two white-faced navigators. + +"Carry on as usual," he said grimly. "Perhaps we can fool them once they +are aboard." + +Then he turned to the phone connecting with the crew's quarters. He +hurriedly explained the situation to Jarl and instructed him to receive +the boarding party at the air-lock. + +The big battle sphere was drawing close alongside. Magnet grapnels shot +across the narrow space between the two craft and gripped the side of +the freighter, followed by the cable bridge along which the boarding +party presently came wavering their way to the air-lock of the +freighter. + +Winford counted fifty men, then turned away dejectedly. This was no +ordinary inspection party, but a prize crew coming aboard. He sat down +wearily. Just as victory seemed almost within his grasp--had been +actually in his hand when he had started to Ganymede--this battle sphere +popped up out of nowhere like an inescapable doom to strike him and his +companions down. He gritted his teeth. Some way, somehow he would still +win out. He and his fellows had come too far to be cheated of liberty +now. + +The door of the control room opened, and a smart young officer in gold +and gray of the Interplanetary Council Marine service entered, +accompanied by three privates with drawn pistols who took their +positions near the door. Winford noted the clean-cut lines and fresh +features of the officer and felt that under different circumstances he +would like to know him. + +"I am Lieutenant Commander 6666-A," the officer introduced himself, +using the designation the Interplanetary Council required of all their +fighting men. "You are Evan Winford, are you not?" + +Winford nodded. + +"You nearly got away with it, Winford," complimented the officer with a +boyish grin. "I almost admire you for it. But you made at least one +fatal error." + +"What was that?" asked Winford curiously. + +"When you put Captain Robers and his men off this ship they smuggled out +with them a hand-operated helio set. Each man carried a part. Within an +hour after you left they had it assembled and were cranking out S O S +signals. We happened to be but a million miles off Callisto and picked +up their message. At once our commander decided to start out and rope in +the _Golden Fleece_ before you did any further damage. And here we are." + +Winford cursed himself under his breath. Fool that he had been not to +have had the men and their baggage searched more carefully before he +allowed them to leave the freighter. Nizzo was responsible for that. He +should be--but it was too late now. No use crying over spilled milk. He +forced a grin and shrugged. + +"'The best laid plans of mice and men--'" he quoted philosophically. "I +hope the entire blame for this wild venture is put on my shoulders where +it belongs when we are brought to trial. These two navigators here and +the rest of the men are in no way responsible. I forced every man of +them under pain of death to join me." + +The young officer shook his head and smiled. + +"Not a chance of that, Winford. You'll all stand trial alike, and you +know it. You are rather a strange sort of pirate, it seems to me, to +offer yourself as a sacrifice for your men. I'd say you are too +tender-hearted for buccaneering in the Void." + +"If I had succeeded in reaching New Chicago, you might have gained a +different impression of me," retorted Winford, his lambent eyes flaming +at the thought. "I have sworn to kill Silas Teutoberg, the new governor +of Ganymede, because he sent me to die in the mines of Mercury for a +crime I never committed." + +The young officer laughed. + +"You can set your mind at rest about him, Winford. He was due at New +Chicago five days ago in his specially chartered space liner from New +York. Nothing was heard from his ship ten days after he left New York +with his guests aboard. His last reported position was near the Mars +orbit and since then nothing has come out of the Void. They'll just +chalk him under the 'Lost in Space' column on the admiralty boards of +the Universe and give the credit for his disappearance to some hurtling +meteor. We were on our way to search for the remains of his liner when +we intercepted the messages from Captain Robers and his men on +Callisto." + +Winford's face was bleak. + +"Fate has prevented me from achieving my greatest desire," he said +harshly. "To rid the Universe of that scourge to humanity would have +been one of the sweetest moments of my life. I've dreamed of it for +years." + +The officer lighted a cigarette. + +"Perhaps you are right, but I'd say the chance is gone in more ways than +one. Teutoberg is undoubtedly dead, and you are on your way to the gas +execution cage on Mars. Incidentally, you are now my prisoner. I'll not +lock you in the hold with the rest of your crew, but will confine you to +your stateroom." + +Winford surveyed him curiously. + +"I warn you that I'll take advantage of any opportunity to escape," he +said. + +The officer grinned. + +"That's to be expected. So would any other man doomed to die. But the +coronium doors, locks and walls of the _Golden Fleece's_ staterooms are +practically escape proof, and with two of my marines on guard outside +your door, with orders to kill if you break out, I feel reasonably +safe." + +Imprisoned in his stateroom, Winford threw himself on his bunk. Too +early to attempt anything yet, he considered. It would be better to wait +a few days--at least until _Eagle_ had departed. Besides, he would have +to work out a plan for escape. + +He glanced up at the port-hole. The sunlight was shifting. He arose and +peered out. Twenty-five miles away he could see the battle sphere +standing out across the Void on a sunward course. The _Golden Fleece_ +was turning her nose toward distant Mars, a long journey, since the Red +Planet was on the opposite side of the sun, seven hundred million miles +away. + +Winford knew what was taking place. The commander of the battle sphere +was again resuming his mission of searching for the missing liner, while +the young officer and his crew were taking the _Golden Fleece_ with its +iridium cargo and pirate crew directly to Mars. + +Meantime the radio and audio-vision announcers on all the planets were +broadcasting the sensational news of the capture of the escaped +convict-pirates and their forthcoming trial and certain execution on +Mars. Winford turned bitterly away from the port-hole. + + * * * * * + +One week had passed. Winford started up out of a sound sleep. He +listened tensely. There was a murmur through the big freighter. He +recognized it as the clanging of the great alarm gongs through the hull +of the big ship, muffled by the walls of his stateroom. Something was +afoot! + +He threw off the covers, sprang out on the deck and pulled on his +clothes. This might be a break! Those gongs never sounded without plenty +of cause. + +He pulled a chair to the door, mounted it, and cautiously opening the +transom which he had previously loosened, thrust his head out into the +passage. + +A marine was running down the passage. The guards before Winford's door +tried to stop him, but the man ran on. Presently another came along. The +guard was more successful. + +"Say, Buddie, what's all the excitement?" he demanded. + +"We've found Teutoberg's liner, or rather, it has found us!" exclaimed +the marine. "They say old Teutoberg has trained his heaviest guns on us +and is demanding that we surrender. Our skipper doesn't know just what +to make of it. He's arguing with Teutoberg by radio that this old tub is +in the hands of the law already and that he is taking it to Mars for the +piracy court. Teutoberg says he won't be fooled by any such bunk as +that; he knows we are all pirates and he is going to have this ship +regardless of anything, since it belongs to his line. I've got to be +hurrying along. We're getting the big guns ready, the few that we have." + +Winford cautiously withdrew his head. His eyes were glowing. The whole +scheme was as plain as day now. Teutoberg knew as well as every informed +person in the Universe did that the _Golden Fleece_ was in the hands of +the Interplanetary Council marines. That talk about being entitled to +the freighter because it was owned by his shipping line was so much +rubbish. He was protected by insurance. What he wanted was the insurance +and the ten million dollars' worth of iridium in the hold as well. + +Furthermore, he had intended to have it all along. It was part of his +diabolical scheme to put the shipment on an unprotected freighter. Then +he had chartered a liner privately for his venture in piracy. When the +liner was "lost" he was out searching for the _Golden Fleece_ along the +lanes where it should have been had not he, Winford, and his companions +captured the craft and sent it hurtling out toward Ganymede. And now +Teutoberg had succeeded in trailing it down. + + * * * * * + +Winford surveyed the transom pessimistically. Impossible to get through +it. If only he had a ray pistol to dissolve the door lock.... The air +ventilator! He dropped down on hands and knees and peered under the +bunk. The opening seemed large enough to let his shoulders through. If +he should become fast in one of the turns of the tunnel it would be all +up with him. They'd probably find his body when the ship went into dock +for repairs. But this was no time to think of that. + +He crawled under the bunk, took out the grating and set it beside the +opening. Then he wormed his way into the tunnel. It was a tight fit, but +he could move. The first turn should bring him to the branch that opened +out on the passage not far from his stateroom door. + +Never would he forget that struggle when he forced his cramped, tortured +body round the bend in the blackness a fraction of an inch at a time and +crawled up the branch. If he was mistaken--but he wasn't. Presently he +was looking out of the grating into the passage. + +Members of the crew raced back and forth like disturbed ants. From the +snatches of conversation that reached him, Winford learned that +Teutoberg had succeeded in getting the range of the freighter and was +holding her helpless under the imposing muzzles of his heavy +disintegrator-ray guns. + +The door of the control opened and the boyish commander, his face pale +and drawn, thrust out his head. + +"They're coming aboard, men," he shouted to the group in the passage +below. "I can't stop them. Our only chance may come after they are +aboard." + +"Why don't you free the pirates and let them help us?" cried one of the +men. + +"Never," returned the young commander firmly. "They are in our care, and +by the gods, we are going to bring them and this ship through safe and +sound!" + +A moment later he descended the stairs and led his men aft. + +Teutoberg displayed a flash of generalship, for his first ten men who +came in through the air-lock were pistol experts. They rayed the marines +in their tracks and cleared the passage leading to the lock, before the +defenders could get organized. A few minutes later the invaders were +spreading through the ship, hunting down and ruthlessly slaying the +marines whom they outnumbered three to one. Scattered fights to the +death took place on all the decks. Winford, snugly ensconced in his air +tunnel, raged inwardly as the crackling of the rays and the agonized +screams of the wounded and dying came to his ears. + +The fighting seemed to be drawing nearer. He risked peeping out. The +young commander and half a dozen of his men covering themselves as best +they might with the inadequate protector shields of the service, +retreated to the foot of the stairs leading up to the control room. As +the invaders prepared to mow them down a sudden hush fell on the men and +the invaders parted. A huge man stepped out before them. Winford sucked +in his breath sharply as he recognized Teutoberg and saw him take a step +forward in the direction of the marines. + +Teutoberg raised his hand toward Commander 6666-A and spoke. + +"Will you surrender, or must my men obliterate you? I would say that you +pirates have your backs to the wall. Surely life is sweet. Why not +surrender while you still have it?" + +"We're not pirates!" declared the young commander hotly. + +Teutoberg sneered. + +"It will take more than a gold and gray uniform of the Interplanetary +Council military forces to convince me," he retorted. "Uniforms of any +kind can be obtained anywhere in the Universe where there happens to be +a competent tailor." + +"The only pirates, excepting yourselves, aboard this ship are under lock +and key," said the commander. "That's where you will be before this +matter is settled." + +Teutoberg laughed. His manner changed suddenly. + +"What a line of talk for a pirate," he commented affably. "Come, +youngster, there is no need to sacrifice lives uselessly. Surrender, +since you're outnumbered anyway, and let's discuss this thing on a sane +basis." + +Commander 6666-A hesitated. Winford could scarcely refrain from shouting +treachery. Then the marines lowered their shields and rays. Next instant +they went down under the charge of the invaders. + +The young commander was chalky white when they dragged him bound and +helpless to his feet. A trickle of blood made a crimson line from the +corner of his mouth, and his eyes sparkled with helpless rage. + +"You dirty snake!" he gasped. "You'll sniff gas for this!" + +Teutoberg laughed scornfully. + +"Take them back to the air-lock and shove them out naked one at a time," +he ordered curtly. "That's the way they would have treated us. Save the +young bantam for the last. Now, where is this Evan Winford? I have an +old score to settle with him." + +Up in his air tunnel Winford nodded grimly to himself. Teutoberg's words +only added to the proof that he knew all along that the _Golden Fleece_ +was in the hands of the Interplanetary marines, for his request for +Winford revealed that he had been following the helio reports of the +capture of the ship by the marines and the stories being broadcast +throughout the Universe of how Winford and Jarl and their pirate +companions were being taken with the ship to Mars for piracy and +execution. + +Neither Commander 6666-A nor his men deigned to answer Teutoberg, but +one of his own men had already discovered that Winford was locked in his +own stateroom, and he promptly indicated the door. + +Teutoberg scowled, drew a pistol in either hand, and strode to the door. +One of the men unlocked it, and he kicked it open. He waited +expectantly, then advanced cautiously into the room. The sound of his +baffled curses filled the passage. Winford grinned mirthlessly. + +"Someone dies for this!" shouted Teutoberg, storming out into the +passage. "Where is he, I say? Bring me that Martian, Jarl! He'll know, +if anyone does. Bring him, I say, and I'll torture the truth out of his +big carcass!" + + * * * * * + +Winford's grin vanished. His eyes grew anxious as he waited, tense and +breathless, until Jarl, with his big hands lashed together behind his +back, was brought up from the hold. + +"So we meet again, Jarl?" jeered Teutoberg, scowling blackly at him. +"Where is this master of yours, this Winford?" + +Jarl's eyes met Teutoberg's impassively. All too well he knew the innate +cruelty of this Earthman. Some explanation would have to be made to +satisfy him. Never a flicker of an eye-lash revealed what that +explanation would be, but Jarl glanced stoically at the empty stateroom. + +"He did it," he said calmly. + +"Did what, you clod?" Teutoberg flung at him savagely. + +"Ended his life as he swore he would." + +"Suicide? Impossible! Where is the body?" + +"He destroyed it together with his life by drinking disintegrator +concentrate. He carried a capsule of it when we escaped from Mercury, +and I've heard him swear time and again that he would die before he +would permit himself to be taken back." + +Teutoberg swallowed the story. There was nothing else to do, apparently. +He raved and cursed. Once he raised his pistol to Jarl's heart and +lowered it again. + +"You'll take his place, Martian dog!" he snarled. "By proxy I shall +treat him as he deserves, and you shall be the proxy. Back to the hold +with you for the present!" + +With that Teutoberg whirled about, strode up the stairs and vanished in +the control room. + +Commander 6666-A and his men were dragged aft to the air-lock, leaving +the passage near Winford temporarily empty. He broke out the grating and +wormed his way out of the air tunnel, dropping on the floor hands first. +He sprang to his feet, and started grimly up the steps to the control +room. Inside that room was Teutoberg, a bigger man than himself, and +armed, yet Winford, barehanded, cautiously opened the door and stepped +inside. + + * * * * * + +Teutoberg was standing at one side of the room gazing in rapt attention +at the slaughter of the helpless marines. One by one he watched them +emerge from the air-lock bloated and white in their nakedness with their +convulsed limbs already growing rigid in the icy cold of space. Out in +the open space between the two ships they hung motionless a few minutes, +then swiftly dissolved and vanished under the ray of a small +disintegrator gun on the liner. + +Teutoberg smiled crookedly. + +The door clicked behind him. Teutoberg turned with a startled oath. +Winford, foul with grime and his clothing torn to rags, stood there. +Teutoberg's eyes widened. Both hands leaped downward for the holstered +pistols in his belt. At that instant Winford lunged for him. + +One of Teutoberg's hands was now gripping a pistol. Winford struck +frenziedly, knocking it from Teutoberg's grasp. The weapon slid under +the chart table out of reach. Winford clutched Teutoberg's left hand +which held the still holstered pistol. + +Suddenly he saw an advantage, and his heart leaped in exultation. Round +behind Teutoberg he pivoted--a wrestling trick he had learned as a boy. +For an instant they stood back to back. Then with a mighty effort +Winford heaved upward relentlessly on his opponent's forearm. + +Teutoberg screamed in pain as something snapped in his wrist. The pistol +dropped from his nerveless fingers. Winford flicked it out of reach +under the table with his toe, but had no chance to reach for it, because +Teutoberg had managed to work himself free. + +With a bellow of animal rage and with arms flailing like wind-mills he +charged at Winford again. Winford met his rush with a rapid series of +blows and Teutoberg went down. But up he came, a wild light in his eyes. +Again he went down, only to struggle gamely to his feet once more. + +Winford was gasping for breath. It amazed him that Teutoberg could +endure so much punishment. His arm must be broken and he was terribly +battered, yet here he came staggering back for more. Winford now hunched +down and, like a crouching animal, advanced slowly toward his enemy. +Suddenly he started a right almost from the deck straight for +Teutoberg's chin. It connected. Teutoberg was lifted clear of the deck +and hurled unconscious against the side of the control room six feet +away. + +Winford staggered to the communication board and his trembling fingers +clutched the air-lock phone. + +"Hello, hello!" he gasped. "Teutoberg speaking. Send no more marines out +through the lock just now.... Yes, of course this is Teutoberg." + +He hung the instrument back on its hook and clung dizzily to the edge of +the table. At least the slaughter was halted for the time being. + + * * * * * + +He would have to act fast. He caught up the big water pitcher from the +holder on the wall where it had miraculously escaped the fight, gulped +deeply from it, and splattered water down his face and chest. Then he +picked up the two pistols from the deck, placed one in his belt and +gripped the other firmly as he approached the unconscious Teutoberg. + +At the first splash of water in his face Teutoberg groaned and rolled +over. + +"Get up, you," Winford ordered harshly. + +Teutoberg sat up groggily. The sight of the pistol and Winford's eyes +brought him out with a sudden shock. + +"Get over to that air-lock phone and say just what I tell you to," +ordered Winford grimly. "One false word, and I'll ray you plenty." + +Teutoberg staggered to his feet obediently and took the phone, for he +had read death in Winford's hard eyes. + +"Hello, Jarvis?" he asked, his body rigid under the prod of Winford's +pistol. "This is Teutoberg.... Yes, I talked a minute ago. I've changed +my plans, Jarvis. We've got to get the iridium out of the hold and into +the liner as soon as possible, or we'll be sighted by some other craft. +Take all the men but ten and go back to the liner. Make ready there for +the cargo.... You'll have to clear some cabins; there is more than I +thought. There isn't much food aboard here, anyway, and it is better to +let the men go to mess right away and start transferring the cargo +immediately afterward." + +Teutoberg hung up the phone. + +"Is that satisfactory?" he asked sullenly. + +"It will do," was Winford's terse reply. "Now when the men have gone +back to the liner, order two of the remainder to bring up Jarl from the +hold to the control room here." + + * * * * * + +Jarl was as impassive as usual when he entered the control room and +beheld Winford in charge there, although his two captors stared in +amazement at Teutoberg, bloody and battered, seated against the side of +the room with his hands upraised. Jarl calmly disarmed his two captors +and closed the door. + +"Only eight of Teutoberg's men besides these remain on the _Golden +Fleece_," Winford explained to Jarl. "Take care of them first, then +release the rest of our men from the hold. Tell Agar to take charge of +the machinery as soon as possible, and have the gunners stand by for +further orders." + +"Awah," replied Jarl stoically, and left the control room. + +He took care of the eight invaders in his very efficient Martian +fashion, for he pistoled them with neatness and dispatch where they +stood before the air-lock with the young commander and his remaining two +marines, waiting to thrust them out into space. Winford had not +instructed Jarl just how to take care of the situation, and the Martian +attended to it in his own way. Commander 6666-A, with his arms bound +behind his back, stared in amazement as Jarl calmly stepped over the +dead bodies and went on his way to release his fellow pirates from the +hold. + +Up in the control room the radio loud-speaker hummed to life. + +"Teutoberg, Teutoberg, are you there?" cried an anxious voice. "Three +Interplanetary battle spheres are approaching from the direction of the +Earth! They are still two thousand miles away, but they are coming on +fast! We're going to cut loose and run for it. If you're not back here +in five minutes, you'll have to stay where you are!" + +Winford cut in then for Teutoberg, who gulped painfully before speaking. + +"Go right ahead," he said in a strained voice. "I'm staying here on the +_Golden Fleece_. I'll--I'll see you later." + +"Why didn't you say you'd meet them in the Hereafter?" suggested Winford +coldly, as he cut out the microphone. "That's where you are going as +soon as Jarl returns. He'll be glad to help you on your way, for he +hasn't forgotten the aid you gave his brother-in-law in robbing him and +sending him to Mercury." + +Teutoberg made no answer. + +Things were happening swiftly. Already the liner was lurching forward +frantically with every propulsion ray flaming as she started her flight +through space away from the avenging battle spheres. Red lights twinkled +on the control board of the _Golden Fleece_. Agar, at the generators +now, threw in the power. The big freighter leaped ahead like a +grayhound, soon reaching a speed that even the swift battle spheres +could not equal, thanks to the engineering genius of the half-insane +Agar. + +Winford glanced around. Teutoberg was already gone. Jarl had taken him +down to the air-lock. Winford tried to forget him. There were other +things to think of. There were the details of taking the _Golden Fleece_ +out to Pluto near the frontiers of the Sun's domain--Pluto, that +stronghold of the space pirates where a man could sell an entire planet +or any part of it, no questions asked, if he could produce it for the +buccaneer kings to bid on. The freighter and its cargo were as good as +sold already, and the money they would bring would be more than enough +to buy pardons and freedom for everyone in the crew. + + * * * * * + +There were many details to consider carefully, but instead Winford found +himself thinking of Teutoberg down by the air-lock, stripped of his +clothing, ready for his last adventure with life. As much as Winford +hated the man, he was forced into an unwilling admiration for his dogged +fight in the control room. A mere word in that telephone would save him. +Winford shook his head irritably. The man deserved death. Yet again he +saw the set features, the final walk into the air-lock. Suddenly Winford +found himself at the phone and heard himself giving the order that would +save Teutoberg's life. He sat down again, surprised at his own weakness. +He was still musing when Jarl entered. + +"You couldn't go through with it," observed the big Martian impassively. +"I was afraid you couldn't. It is as I have always said of you +Earthlings. You think you want revenge, good old ancient vengeance; but +when the moment comes and you sit in the high place and can have it, you +weaken. Well, you won't have to execute Teutoberg now." + +"What do you mean?" exclaimed Winford. + +"After I received your order and told Teutoberg he wasn't to go out +through the lock after all, he grinned. It was an insult, that grin, +just as though he knew all along you wouldn't have the nerve to kill +him. And while I stood there asking myself if I should not go ahead and +shove him out anyway, one of his men--one of the two we captured up here +in this room--caught sight of that grin. He screamed something about +treachery and Teutoberg betraying him to the pirates, and before I could +interfere he drew a knife and stabbed Teutoberg to death right there +before all of us. After that there was nothing to do but to heave his +body into the air-lock and let it go on out into space." + +Far back across the Void in a tiny space sphere which Winford had given +him and his two marines to return to the distant battle sphere, +Lieutenant Commander 6666-A saw through his telescope the white speck of +Teutoberg's body leave the side of the _Golden Fleece_ and wondered what +it was. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Space Rover, by Edwin K. Sloat + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SPACE ROVER *** + +***** This file should be named 29702.txt or 29702.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/7/0/29702/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/29702.zip b/29702.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..55b31ea --- /dev/null +++ b/29702.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7d28aeb --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #29702 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29702) |
