The Hairy Ones

In Short

Marooned in a mysterious subterranean realm suspended inside Mars, Planet Patrolman Sisko Rolf battles outlaws and savage creatures to claim an immense underground ocean. Aided by a telepathic young woman named Altha and an aging explorer named Mark Tanner, Rolf navigates dangerous caverns and floating worlds while fighting to bring vital water back to the parched surface colonies. This action-packed pulp science fiction adventure endures because of its inventive world-building, high-stakes planetary exploration, and the thrilling collision of ancient mysteries with futuristic survival.

The Story

Planet Patrolman Sisko Rolf and his veteran partner, Garmon Nash, are suddenly ambushed by several outlaw ships hidden within the thirty-seventh cavern beneath the waterless wastes of Mars. Their vessel is crippled by a fierce barrage of enemy rocket shells and plunges down into a deep, rocky abyss, killing Nash and leaving Rolf stranded without water or a surface pressure mask. Exploring the dark, descending tunnels, Rolf steps through an opening and plunges into a vast, glowing void. He discovers Lomihi, a tiny five-mile green world suspended in space, divided equally into fertile, lake-dotted forests and a blasted black desert waste.

Descending via a pocket spinner, Rolf meets Altha, a beautiful young woman covered with a fine reddish coat of hair who possesses telepathic abilities, and Mark Tanner, a nervous, bald assistant to a famous explorer who vanished decades ago. Tanner explains that Lomihi was created by an ancient Martian ruler and now houses vast underground seas. These hidden waters are the key to saving the thirsty mining domes on the surface of North Mars, but the region is torn apart by conflict between the native Hairy People and the savage, weasel-faced Furry Ones led by the one-eyed Queen Giffa.

When the Furry Amazons launch a brutal raid across the central barrier, Rolf and Tanner are forced to retreat into the shattered vaults of the abandoned city of Aryk, where ancient spirits protect them from the superstitious attackers. Soon after, Altha is captured by outlaws while using her glider to warn her people. Refusing to let her perish, Rolf takes a crude glider across the barrier, locates the outlaws' grounded rocket flyer, and engages in a fierce struggle against a Venusian guard and his companions. Though initially overwhelmed and knocked unconscious, Rolf awakens inside the flying ship's cabin. He cleverly uses his solar torch to ignite a thick smoke screen, blinding his captors and turning the tables in a desperate brawl. With Altha biting the arm of an attacking outlaw to save him, Rolf regains the upper hand, subdues the remaining enemies, and takes control of the vessel. They rescue Mark Tanner from the ruins of Aryk and blast off toward the upper crust forty miles overhead, carrying the thrilling revelation that all of Mars can finally be saved with limitless water.

How It Unfolds

The ambush in the caves Planet Patrolmen Sisko Rolf and Garmon Nash are suddenly ambushed by several outlaw ships hidden within the thirty-seventh cavern beneath the waterless wastes of Mars. Their vessel is crippled by a fierce barrage of enemy rocket shells and plunges down into a deep, rocky abyss, killing Nash and leaving Rolf stranded without water or a surface pressure mask.

Discovery of the floating world Exploring the dark, descending tunnels, Rolf steps through an opening and plunges into a vast, glowing void. He discovers Lomihi, a tiny five-mile green world suspended in space, where he meets the telepathic, hair-covered young woman Altha and the aging survivor Mark Tanner, who explains the origin of the hidden underground seas.

The conflict with the Furry Ones The group faces an imminent threat from the savage, weasel-faced Furry Amazons led by the one-eyed Queen Giffa, who brutally raid the Hairy People for slaves. Rolf and Tanner are forced to retreat into the shattered, ghost-haunted vaults of the ancient city of Aryk to escape the advancing horde.

Rescue and aerial battle When Altha is captured by outlaws during her flight to warn her people, Rolf launches a daring glider rescue across the barrier. He fights an outlaw guard, commandeers a rocket flyer, and endures a brutal physical confrontation inside the smoke-filled cabin against his desperate captors.

Escape to the surface With Altha's crucial help in biting an attacker's arm, Rolf subdues the remaining outlaws and takes complete control of the ship. They pick up Mark Tanner from the ruins of Aryk and rocket upward toward the Martian surface with the key to reviving the dying planet.

The People

Sisko Rolf is a stocky, resilient Planet Patrolman who wants to bring life-giving water back to the thirsty colonies of North Mars. Standing in his way are hostile outlaws, treacherous subterranean terrain, and deadly alien combatants. By the end of the story, he secures a rocket flyer and teams up with his allies, ready to deliver the water to the surface.

Altha is a sleek-limbed young woman with copper hair and a fine reddish coat of down who possesses limited telepathic abilities. She wants to protect her people, the Hairy People, from the brutal enslavement of the rival faction. Although she faces capture by outlaws and danger from the Furry Amazons, she fights alongside Rolf and ends the conflict safe and united with him aboard the escape ship.

Mark Tanner is a reedy, bald assistant to a famous explorer who has lived on Lomihi for decades. He wants to survive the hazards of the cavern world and protect Altha from harm, though his nervous disposition often gets the better of him. He stands against the looming threat of the outlaws and the Furry Ones, eventually joining Rolf and Altha for the triumphant return to the upper world.

Queen Giffa is the hideous, one-eyed leader of the Furry Ones who rules her warrior women with savage cruelty. She wants to conquer the fertile lands and enslave the Hairy People, but her ambitions are thwarted by Rolf's intervention and the united resistance of her enemies, leaving her forces defeated.

In Its Own Voice

Describing the sudden ambush that strands him in the subterranean depths, Sisko Rolf reacts quickly to the danger:

"Trapped us neatly," Rolf said through clenched teeth. "Tolled into their underground hideout by that water-runner we tried to capture."

Observing the bizarre and terrifying physiological traits of their adversaries, Rolf notes the appearance of the hostile faction:

Above half naked feminine bodies, sinuous and supple as the undulating coils of a serpent, rose the snaky ditigrade head of a weasel-brute!

Reflecting on the strange circumstances of their escape and the humorous dynamic between them at the end, the heroine speaks up:

"Do you know," she said, "even yet I do not know your name."

What It's Really About

The story explores the tension between civilization and survival, examining what people will sacrifice when vital resources like water become scarce. It questions how humanity adapts to extreme, isolated environments, contrasting the mechanical ingenuity of Earthmen with the ancient, hybrid cultures of a lost world. Underlying the planetary adventure is a democratic argument about basic necessities, asserting that essential resources such as water should be free and accessible to all colonists rather than hoarded by renegades. Furthermore, it touches upon themes of trust, telepathic privacy, and the fragile alliances required to overcome deep-seated racial and tribal hatreds in a strange, enclosed universe.

Why Read It Today

Readers who love classic pulp science fiction, planetary romances, and imaginative underground world-building will thoroughly enjoy this fast-paced tale. Reading it feels like stepping into a breathless, high-stakes comic book adventure where danger lurks behind every cavern stalactite and gravity acts in strange, unpredictable ways. What stays with you is the vivid, bizarre imagery of a tiny five-mile world hanging inside a dark abyss, complete with hair-covered telepaths and weasel-faced Amazon warriors.

However, modern readers should approach the text with an awareness of its mid-century pulp origins. The writing occasionally employs dated character tropes, melodramatic dialogue, and simplified portrayals of gender and conflict that reflect the popular adventure writing style of 1944. Despite these period limitations, the brisk pacing, inventive setting, and sheer enthusiasm of the planetary patrol rescue mission offer an entertaining and historically fascinating glimpse into early science fiction traditions.