"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 ship! Too careless, 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!"
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 ship 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."