terrifyingserpent wriggling through the shallow water on many legs. Severalelectric pistols flashed almost simultaneously. The loathesome monsterturned belly up, floating dead upon the surface of the swamp water.
From then on, we advanced more cautiously. Coming alongside the crushedhull of the interplanetary liner, we made an inspection of its position.The space ship lay nearly right side up, the decks slanting a bitsharply to one side. Upon the outer deck of the _C-49_, Cragleyscratched his head and looked the situation over.
"Not so bad as I'd feared," was his comment. "Wouldn't be much else butjunk here if it hadn't been for the jungle breaking the fall." Cragleypointed upward to the strong barrier of interlaced foliage. "I hope todiscover just why it was we fell."
"Wasn't there an explosion?" I inquired. "There was a great shock justbefore you opened the door to my stateroom. For a moment I thought we'dstruck the planet."
"Yes--there was an explosion," Cragley replied, a bit reluctant to voicethe admission. "It occurred somewhere in the mechanism operating ourradium repellors. That's why the ship started falling. Its weight wasleft partly free against the gravity of Venus. We had to leave soquickly there was no time for inspection."
One by one, we descended into the wrecked _C-49_. In that part of theship which lay lowest below water level, tiny streams of dirty watertrickled between wrenched plates, forming pools of water which roseslowly about us. Cragley and his men inspected the radium repellors.They whispered strangely among themselves. A steely glint shoneresolutely in Captain Cragley's eyes.
"There's deviltry been done here," he stated fiercely. "The _C-49_ wasdeliberately wrecked by someone on board!"
Heavy silence followed his words. One of the crew returned from thevault room. He announced to the captain that the _C-49's_ shipment ofplatinum was intact as they had left it. Captain Cragley turned thematter over in his mind. He was an astute man. Having smelled out aconspiracy, he was planning the best way he knew to thwart it. Theplatinum itself presented an obvious motive. Finally he spoke.
"You passengers are to go up into the observation room and wait for us.Under no condition are you to leave the room and wander about the ship."
Captain Cragley's orders were obeyed to the letter.
* * * * *
In the observation chamber, Brady asked my opinion of the discoveryCaptain Cragley had made. "What's up, anyways?"
I shook my head. Brady was plainly nervous. Others of the passengers whohad accompanied us shared his apprehension. Fully a half hour had passedand still Cragley and his men put in no appearance. Outside, myriads oflife flew, crawled and swam about the damaged craft.
Presently, Cragley and his three men emerged from the lower levels ofthe _C-49_. They presented an uncouth spectacle bedraggled as they werewith grime and dirty water. In their arms they carried many small boxes.Though small, each box was extremely heavy, being loaded with a fortunein platinum bars.
"We'll return to the cylinder," said Cragley. "There's important work tobe done."
Once more we trudged back through the swamp and jungle, following thetrail we had made. Several times, huge shadowy forms flapped on the wingoverhead, but there was no attack. Back at the cylinder, Captain Cragleyordered every man out into the open. He drew their attention.
"There's serious business here," he said slowly, his eyes darting fromface to face. "I want the man, or men who wrecked the _C-49_!"
The captain snapped out the final words. Surprise, terror and alarmregistered among the passengers, but Cragley evidently saw no admissionsof guilt.
"The man who is responsible for our present condition owns this!"exclaimed Cragley suddenly. From behind him where he had been concealingit, he drew forth a square box studded with knobs and dials. "I knowwhich one of you owns this. It was found hidden in his room by one of mymen."
Again Cragley watched for a betraying face. At the time, I doubtedCragley's statement that he knew who owned the box. If he knew, I askedmyself, why was it he did not come right out and make an accusation withwhatever evidence he held? But that was not Cragley's way.
"We've also uncovered his two accomplices," continued the captain incool, level tones. "There is proof which points definitely to them."
He paused. No one spoke. The silence of death had descended upon theentire group. For a moment my scalp prickled from the high tension ofnerves which hung over this episode. Cragley's burning eyes made everyman of us a criminal.
"The penalty for this offense is--death!" Cragley hurled out the finalword with dramatic suddenness.
There was a stealthy movement among those who stood near the cylinder.
"Drop it!" snapped Quentin. "Or I'll bore you!"
One of the passengers, Davy by name, dropped an electric pistol andraised his hands.
"Raynor!" thundered Cragley, pointing a denunciatory finger at anotherof the space ship's passengers. "Let's have an end to this shamming!Step out there with Davy! Give up your weapons!"
With the attitude of a fatalist, Raynor stepped forward, allowingQuentin to disarm him.
"And now for the owner of this little box," said Cragley, a crypticpromise in his tones. "This radio-electrifier excited an electricexplosion of static in the radium repellors. The reason, I suppose, wasprompted by designs on the shipment of platinum. Will the owner of thisingenious little invention step up--or do I have to call his name?"
No one moved.
"Just as I thought, Brady, you have the nerve to bluff this thing out tothe finish!"
The face of Chris Brady grew pale. He appeared stunned. Those nearesthim stepped back in surprise. Davy and Raynor were the only ones who didnot seem taken aback by the revelation.
"But I've never seen that thing before," Brady protested. "Why, I----"
"Not a chance of wiggling your way out of this, Brady! We've got thegoods on you sure enough! Will you kindly explain how you intendedmaking a getaway with the platinum?"
"I'm innocent!" exclaimed Brady heatedly. "I don't know these men!"
"This contrivance was found hidden in your room, Brady! Communicationsbetween you and these men were also found!"
Chris Brady fell silent. The evidence was overwhelming. Cragley turnedto the other culprits.
"Have either of you protests to make?"
"We know when we're caught," growled Raynor, shooting a swift glance atBrady. "You've got the goods on us. We're not squawking."
"You were taking orders from this man?" the captain inquired, pointingat Brady.
Both Davy and Raynor replied in the affirmative, adding further proofagainst Brady.
"Known him very long?"
"Don't know him at all," replied Raynor, "only that he's the boss."
"We've been taking orders from him since we left the earth,"supplemented Davy. "He had us kill the radio equipment a little whilebefore he set off the explosion."
"And how did you expect to get away with the platinum?"
"He's the only one of us who knows," replied Davy, nodding his head atBrady.
"Brady, I suppose there'll be another ship along pretty soon--some ofyour 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 afew notches! Thought there wouldn't be much left of the ship! Toocareless, Brady! You three men are sentenced to death!"
"A trial!" screamed Brady. "We're entitled 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!"