Part 2 (1/2)

”He's the only one of us who knows,” replied Davy, nodding his head at Brady.

”Brady, I suppose there'll be another s.h.i.+p along pretty soon--some of your friends from Deliphon. Now I see it all. Well, they won't find us, that's all. We won't be here.”

”I've no idea that....”

”Pretty thorough, weren't you?” snapped Cragley. ”But you slipped up a few notches! Thought there wouldn't be much left of the s.h.i.+p! Too careless, Brady! You three men are sentenced to death!”

”A trial!” screamed Brady. ”We're ent.i.tled to a trial!”

”Not under the new interplanetary laws! This is far worse than mutiny, and you're on Venus now! You've had your trial!”

CHAPTER II

Grim retribution overhung the condemned men. It promised swift justice.

Captain Cragley was the law. He dealt out the penalty according to the code governing interplanetary navigation.

”We must get away from this vicinity in a hurry!” he informed Quentin.

”You can bet your last coin there'll be a s.h.i.+p around pretty soon to pick up the platinum and these three men! If there's a battle, we haven't a chance in our present condition!”

”Where'll we go?” asked Quentin. ”Somewhere and hide?”

”We'll head for Deliphon. It's a long, hard tramp, but it's our only chance. Get things ready to leave. Pack everything we'll want to take with us. Just before we start, we'll have this execution over with.”

Quentin immediately apprised the crew and pa.s.sengers of the _C-49_ of Captain Cragley's intentions. He stated the fact that brigands were expected shortly, telling of what they would do to luckless pa.s.sengers who fell into their hands. A second expedition was sent to the _C-49_ for food stores and various articles it was deemed necessary to carry along on the march.

With the usual brief ceremony required in such proceedings, Brady, Davy and Raynor were lined up before a shallow grave which had hastily been dug for them. Five of the crew stood at attention, electric guns half raised. Cragley, in a crisp, steady voice, gave the orders. The three men, white of face, stared fascinated at their executioners--into the face of death.

”Ready!”

The men of the _C-49_ tensed themselves. Brady no longer expostulated on his pleas of innocence. He faced his fate like a man.

”Aim!”

The pistols were raised. Five left eyes closed. Sights were drawn. The interval preceding the fatal word seemed endless. At the last moment, it was apparent that Brady was unequal to the strain. He closed his eyes.

His body swayed.

”Fire!”

Five blue streaks shot noiselessly from the weapons. The three men stiffened and fell--into the cavity dug for them. Their lives had been forfeited for their crimes. Dirt was shoveled upon them. No longer would fliers of the s.p.a.ce lanes fear them. But there were other outlaws.

Captain Cragley, his crew of six, and nine pa.s.sengers, set out in the direction of Deliphon. The trip promised to be perilous and fraught with danger, as well as grueling and full of hards.h.i.+ps. Though I had been to Venus once before, I knew little of the yellow jungles. My time on the clouded world had been spent in the colonies.

Our first day of tramping took us through lush jungles and dismal swamps. The ground was fairly level. Occasionally we came to rough, rocky outcrops which protruded above ground. These we invariably circled. Several times we found it necessary to ford rivers and skirt lakes. Our progress was very slow. Quentin prophesied we would be on the march for fully twenty rotations of Venus unless we struck the comparatively clear country which Cragley was sure existed between us and Deliphon.

Fearsome beasts menaced us at all times. We were ever on our guard, and they usually fell electrocuted before completing their charges among us.