"It's suicide now!" said Dynamon through clenched teeth. "You fool! You have given us away!"
There was an instant reaction from the swarming Martians in the valley. A large group of them broke away from the combat and rolled over the gray sand toward Dynamon's detachment. The centurion halted his men abruptly. It was sure annihilation to try and stand in the face of the oncoming men of Mars.
"Back to the pit!" Dynamon commanded. "It's our only chance. Once we get down there we'll decide what to do later."
The little force just barely made it to the mouth of the shaft. The Martians were coming up rapidly behind them, and Dynamon could see the big, black cones which produced the invisible Ray.
The descent down the shaft was rapid, Dynamon being the last to land on the shiny floor. Immediately, he marched his men through the passageway into the Nether World and detailed two men to remain and guard the entrance to the pit.
"I don't believe the Martians will follow us down," he said. "If they do, we can easily defend the passageway."
Then he turned and singled out the Chief Decurion.
"Mortoch," he announced, "you are under arrest. You disobeyed my orders in regard to using the radio phone, and by doing so you betrayed our presence to the enemy. I will dispose of your case later."
Mortoch stepped forward, a sardonic gleam in his dark eyes.