The little pirate band swept fiercely down the metal slope. Out of the ship, Saturnians in space-suits were pouring and leveling atom-pistols. The dampers carried by Thorn and several of his men deadened many of the weapons, but atom-shells from others flared blindingly among the pirates and felled a half dozen men,
Then Thorn and his followers reached the Saturnians. It became a fierce fight at close quarters, shells of atom-pistols flaring and men falling, under the solemn stars of the darkly. The space dog leaped and tore horribly with his great teeth and talons among the enemy. Thorn swung his heavy cylindrical damper as a great club as he and Gunner and Sual Av fought forward.
The Saturnians, appalled by the fierceness of the pirate attack, scrambled back through the air-lock of the ship.
"After them!” Thorn cried, waving his arm in a fierce forward gesture. “Don't let them get away with the ship."
Gunner flung the damper he carried, and it jammed the air-lock door. Then Thorn's men were pushing into the ship.
In ten minutes, the fight inside the ship was ended, Taken by surprise, unprepared for an attack, the Saturnian crew had not been able to withstand the rush of Thorn's followers.
A dozen of the Saturnians lying dead, the survivors stood with hands raised in surrender. As soon as the air-lock door was closed and the oxygenerators functioning, Thorn ripped off his helmet and ordered the massed prisoners to take off their helmets also.
As each sullen green Saturnian face emerged to view, Thorn's pulse pounded. But when all the prisoners were unhelmeted, he felt a shock of bitter disappointment. Neither Jenk Cheerly nor Lana were in the ship!
"Where's Cheerly and the girl?” he demanded fiercely of the crestfallen Saturnian cruiser captain.
"Cheerly left here yesterday, taking two men and the pirate girl,” answered the captain sullenly. “They went toward those mountains westward."