get the truth flung in your face, even you crack wide open. Yes, it's the truth. The fact you fellows think I'm not facing—the one you don't dare face—is that we may be marooned here for the rest of our lives."
That was that. Ron Val went aft. Hargraves took up his vigil on the bridge. At midnight Ron Val came forward to relieve him.
"I told them what you said, Jed," the astro-navigator said. "We're back of you one hundred per cent."
Hargraves grinned a little. "Thanks," he said. "We were selected to work together as a unit. As long as we remain a unit, we will have a chance against any enemy."
DOG-TIRED, he went to his bunk and rolled in. It seemed to him he had barely closed his eyes before a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and a shaken voice shouted in his ear. "Jed! Wake up."
"Who is it? What's wrong?" The room was dark and he couldn't see who was shaking him.
"Ron Val." The astro-navigator's voice was hoarse with the maddest, wildest fright Hargraves had ever heard. "The—the damnedest thing has happened!"
"What?"
"Hal Sarkoff—" That was as far as Ron Val could get.
"What about him?"
"He's outside trying to get in!"
"Have you gone insane? Sarkoff is dead. You helped me bury him."
"I know it. Jed, he's outside. He wants in."
Hargraves had gone to bed without removing even his shoes. He ran forward to the control room, Ron Val pounding behind him. Lights had been turned on here, in defiance of orders. Someone had summoned the crew. They were all here, all eighteen who remained alive. The inner door of the lock was open. A dazed guard, who had been on watch outside the lock, was standing in the door. He had a pistol in his hand but he looked as if he didn’t know what to do with it.
In the center of a group of men too frightened to move was a black-haired, rugged giant.
"Sarkoff!" Hargraves gasped.
The giant's head turned until his gaze was centered on the captain. "You moved the ship," he said accusingly. "I had the damnedest time finding it in the dark. What did you move the ship for, Jed?"
If some super-magician had cast a spell over the little group he could not have produced a more complete stasis. No one moved. No one seemed to breathe. All motion, all action, all thinking, had stopped.
Sarkoff's face went from face to face.
"What the heck is the matter with you guys?" he demanded. "Am I poison, or something?"
He seemed bewildered.
"Where—where are the others?" Ron Val stammered.
"What others? What the heck are you talking about, Ron?"
"Nevins and Reese. We—we buried them with you. Where are they?"
"How the hell do I kn You buried them, with me?" Sarkoff's face went from bewilderment to inexplicable good nature. "Trying to pull my leg, huh? Okay. I can go along with a gag." He looked again at Hargraves. "But I can't go along with that gag of moving the ship after you sent me out scouting. Why didn't you wait for me? Wandering around among all these trees, I might have got lost and got myself killed. Why did you do that, Jed?" he finished angrily.
"We were—ah—afraid of an at-
