Page:Amazing Stories Volume 10 Number 13.djvu/89

Rh tenant Sullivan of the space marines. We have come to save you and take you back to Ganymede."

Scarcely seeming to comprehend, she moaned, "Dan! What's going to happen to him?"

Though he was as much concerned about his friend's fate as she was, Sullivan tried to reassure her by saying: "Don't worry about Dan. He can look after himself. The Martians certainly will not kill him. They know that he is more valuable to them alive than dead. He'll be kept imprisoned for only a few hours more or less. At sun-down the slaves are going to revolt, and Dan of course will be rescued." Then he briefly outlined to her the plan which he had formulated to outwit the Martian slave drivers.

Like all space marines, Sullivan was a graduate physician and he carried with him as part of his regular equipment a compact but remarkably complete medicine case and first aid kit.

Ingeborg's ailment was easy to diagnose. It was the sickness from which practically all of the wok-slaves eventually died and which for that reason was called "Slave fever."

Sullivan administered a dose of Zonine, an alkaloid which was made from the bark of a Venerian tree, followed by a powerful but non-habit-forming stimulant. Within a few minutes her fever had subsided and her strength began to flow back into her wasted limbs.

Cognizant that he could do no more for her until evening and reluctant to risk being discovered, Sullivan then crawled back to his hiding place in the corner and spent the rest of the day in the most unpleasant way a man of his type possibly could—namely in doing nothing.

NDER the able leadership of Captain Hawkins, the revolt of the wok slaves took the Martians completely by surprise. When they found themselves staring into the small but formidable barrels of the needle guns, most of the slave guards surrendered and were quickly bound and gagged. Only one of them, apparently the commanding officer, was courageous enough to put up a fight. He died with merciful speed—a dozen poisoned needles in his abdomen. Others tried to run away in the direction of the signal station, but they were slain before they had time to televise for help.

As soon as he was sure that all the guards had been disposed of, Captain Hawkins hurried to the corner of the barrack building, where he had agreed to meet Sullivan. He found the lieutenant waiting for him at the appointed rendezvous.

"Sorry, Jimmy," he panted. "I've had my eyes peeled all day without catching a single glimpse of anyone who could possibly be Miss Andersen. Looks like your expedition is a fizzle so far as rescuing her is concerned—that is, unless a miracle happens."

"The miracle has already happened," Sullivan said. Then he told Hawkins what had occurred in the barrack room that morning.

"And where is Dan now?" Albert asked.

"That's for me to find out," said Sullivan. "I'm afraid it's going to be a tough job to locate him in this maze of buildings—especially at night."

"Haven't you any idea where to look for him?"

"The only clue I have is the command which the officer gave to the