"I think so. Your guns did a great deal of damage, weakening the forward structures of their craft."
"All right. Get your friends together in the old cave you mentioned, seal it, and then wait till I come back."
Tenderly he kissed her good-bye, then hastened away, anxious to get his work done before the shadow of the cliff again receded.
Thanking the fates for the good fortune that had saved Jean, and had led her to the air-lock at the moment he was there, he stumbled over the rocks and dust piles until halted by the picket line surrounding the San Francisco. He called the men into the ship, and hastened to the pilot room, where Edwards was testing the controls.
"Any luck?"
"Yes, a lot. Can you get the ship in shape to travel in three hours?"
"She's in pretty good shape now, although not capable of the trip back to Earth."
Captain Linet entered at that moment, and with him Professor Erickson.
Holden recounted his adventures of the last hour and then set forth his plan.
"The cave is walled up with thin plating from the ships the pirates have brought in here. The entire gang is at work, repairing their own flier; none of them, or at least only a few, are wearing space suits. I propose to drive the bow of the San Francisco into the wall of their cave, previously weakening it by a few bursts from the hexoxen guns!"