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} - p.bkrv { } - dl.blist dt { margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; } - dl.blist, dl.biblio { margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; max-width:25em; } -</style> -</head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -Project Gutenberg's Young Visitor to Mars, by Richard Mace Elam, Jr. - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Young Visitor to Mars - -Author: Richard Mace Elam, Jr. - -Release Date: August 18, 2019 [EBook #60133] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG VISITOR TO MARS *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - -<div class="img"> -<img class="cover" id="coverpage" src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Young Visitor to Mars" width="500" height="729" /> -</div> -<div class="box"> -<p class="center"><i>A Young Heroes Library Volume</i></p> -<h1>YOUNG VISITOR TO MARS</h1> -<p class="center"><span class="small">By</span> -<br /><span class="large">RICHARD M. ELAM, Jr.</span></p> -<div class="img" id="i03"> -<img src="images/i03.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="390" height="245" /> -</div> -<p class="center smaller">ILLUSTRATED BY CHARLES H. GEER</p> -<p class="center"><i>GROSSET & DUNLAP</i> -<br /><span class="smaller">NEW YORK</span></p> -</div> -<p class="center smaller">Copyright 1953 -<br />By Lantern Press, Inc. -<br /><i>Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 53-10375</i> -<br /><span class="small">MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA</span></p> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2><i>Contents</i></h2> -<dl class="toc"> -<dt><a href="#c1"><i>Beyond the Earth</i></a> 9</dt> -<dt><a href="#c2"><i>Hurtling Danger</i></a> 17</dt> -<dt><a href="#c3"><i>First Stop—Luna</i></a> 25</dt> -<dt><a href="#c4"><i>The Curious Boy</i></a> 37</dt> -<dt><a href="#c5"><i>Pelting Stones</i></a> 47</dt> -<dt><a href="#c6"><i>Into Space Again</i></a> 59</dt> -<dt><a href="#c7"><i>Invisible Menace</i></a> 73</dt> -<dt><a href="#c8"><i>The New World</i></a> 83</dt> -<dt><a href="#c9"><i>A Cry in the Night</i></a> 99</dt> -<dt><a href="#c10"><i>School on Mars</i></a> 111</dt> -<dt><a href="#c11"><i>Yank</i></a> 123</dt> -<dt><a href="#c12"><i>Illness Strikes</i></a> 135</dt> -<dt><a href="#c13"><i>News for Randy</i></a> 147</dt> -<dt><a href="#c14"><i>Peril in the Night</i></a> 159</dt> -<dt><a href="#c15"><i>The Peril Continued</i></a> 169</dt> -<dt><a href="#c16"><i>Disappointment</i></a> 181</dt> -<dt><a href="#c17"><i>Yank in School</i></a> 193</dt> -<dt><a href="#c18"><i>Trouble in the Air</i></a> 203</dt> -<dt><a href="#c19"><i>Terror in the Night</i></a> 215</dt> -<dt><a href="#c20"><i>Lost Underground</i></a> 227</dt> -<dt><a href="#c21"><i>A Struggle Against Time</i></a> 237</dt> -<dt><a href="#c22"><i>Of Days to Come</i></a> 251</dt> -</dl> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2><i>List of Illustrations</i></h2> -<dl class="toc"> -<dt><a href="#pic1"><i>“The Earth!” She spoke in awe.</i></a> 12</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic2"><i>“Hi, folks,” he greeted.</i></a> 21</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic3"><i>“That’s the headquarters building.”</i></a> 43</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic4"><i>He was going to Mars.</i></a> 65</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic5"><i>Figures in weird metallic suits.</i></a> 78</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic6"><i>The birds soared away.</i></a> 118</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic7"><i>The whole landscape was blotted out.</i></a> 142</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic8"><i>The picture flashed on.</i></a> 156</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic9"><i>“Pops!” Randy cried.</i></a> 164</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic10"><i>Yank went over the side with a splash.</i></a> 189</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic11"><i>“Please don’t bring Yank back.”</i></a> 200</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic12"><i>Down, down he went.</i></a> 213</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic13"><i>They felt themselves tumbling downward.</i></a> 232</dt> -<dt><a href="#pic14"><i>They grabbed Yank’s paws and began dancing.</i></a> 256</dt> -</dl> -<div class="pb" id="Page_9">9</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c1">CHAPTER ONE -<br /><i>Beyond the Earth</i></h2> -<p>The rocket ship <i>Shooting Star</i> powered -through the black deeps of space like a silver -bullet. Inside a room of their parents’ suite -aboard the vessel, Ted Kenton and his sister Jill -sat before a large window looking out at the wonders -of space in the year <span class="small">A.D.</span> 2003.</p> -<p>“It doesn’t seem as if we’re moving at all, does -it, Sis?” Ted asked.</p> -<p>Jill shook her auburn head. “No, but it scares -me to know how fast we’re going!” she replied.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_10">10</div> -<p>Ted straightened his sturdy young shoulders -and shook strands of brown hair out of his eyes. -It was natural that girls should be scared of things -connected with space travel, he thought. “Thousands -of miles an hour isn’t much,” he said -lightly.</p> -<p>“But what if we should hit something!” Jill -complained. “It would be an awful crash!”</p> -<p>“The only things we have to worry about hitting -are meteors,” Ted told her. “The <i>Shooting -Star</i> has radar instruments that tell us when -they’re headed straight at us.”</p> -<p>“Father says that sometimes meteors come so -fast that space ships can’t get out of the way of -them,” Jill returned, with solemn eyes.</p> -<p>In brotherly fashion Ted pressed the shoulder -of his eleven-and-a-half-year-old sister, younger -than he by a year. “Don’t start worrying about -everything that can happen to us, Jill. We’ve got -a lot ahead of us on Mars,” he advised.</p> -<p>“I—I’m not so sure I want to go to Mars,” Jill -blurted. “It’s so cold and bare and lonely there, -Ted. Why did Father have to sign up with the -Martian Archeology Society?”</p> -<p>Ted looked at her with some surprise. “Dad -talked this over with us. You said you wanted to -go.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_11">11</div> -<p>“It didn’t seem so scary then, although I didn’t -really <i>want</i> to go, but out here in the dark where -there’s never a sunrise and everything is so still -and quiet, I—I feel afraid!”</p> -<p>“Does Dad or Mom know you feel this way?” -Ted asked.</p> -<p>She shook her head. “Father’s counted so -much on us going to Mars. He was so lonely -there before without us. If he knew I didn’t want -to go, he’d feel he had to get a job on Earth. But -you know his first love is excavation on Mars.”</p> -<p>“You’ll be all right, Sis, when we get settled in -our new home. They’ve got it all ready for us. -Think of the fun it’ll be!” Ted said encouragingly.</p> -<p>Jill seemed to feel better and smiled. Both -turned their attention to the wondrous misty -veil of the Milky Way outside. It reminded Ted -of a great caravan of countless tiny sheep trooping -through the endless black of space night. -Each one of those millions of light points he -knew to be individual giant suns. How frighteningly -huge and marvelous was God’s universe!</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_12">12</div> -<div class="img" id="pic1"> -<img src="images/i04.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="800" /> -<p class="caption"><i>“The Earth!” She spoke in awe.</i></p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_13">13</div> -<p>Directly in front of them hung the wrinkled -gray face of Luna, the Moon, which they would -pass before long. Ted shuddered at its forbidding -deep pits and miles of barren, dead plains.</p> -<p>Jill leaned forward eagerly on the window seat -on which they were perched, her nose almost -touching the clear plastic window. “Ted!” she -exclaimed. “What’s that green ball below us?”</p> -<p>Ted looked, then grinned. “Don’t you even -know your own planet when you see it?”</p> -<p>“The Earth!” She spoke in awe. “Of course!”</p> -<p>Ted was not surprised that his sister had not -recognized the globe, in so far as neither of them -had seen it before from this dramatic position. -Ever since their fire-off from the Arizona space -harbor, the Earth had been out of their view, beneath -them.</p> -<p>“Look!” Jill cried. “I can make out the outline -of Africa! It looks like it’s buried under fog. I -didn’t know before that you could actually <i>see</i> -the atmosphere!”</p> -<p>“I knew it,” Ted said, with mock superiority. -“I bet you don’t know it’s hundreds of miles -deep.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_14">14</div> -<p>“You’re not the only one who knows the answers, -Ted Kenton, even if you are pretty smart,” -she returned. “I know that it’s the lack of atmosphere -out here in space that makes everything so -crystal clear. That’s why we can see so many -thousands more stars out here than we can from -Earth under a layer of air.”</p> -<p>“That’s not bad for a girl,” Ted replied, with -a tolerant grin.</p> -<p>She shoved him in playful displeasure. Although -the push was not hard, it upset Ted’s -balance, and he slipped off the window seat and -rolled onto the metal floor. Jill gasped in alarm -and darted to his side. As she tried to help him -up, she too lost her equilibrium and fell beside -him. Ted looked at her and laughed.</p> -<p>Their awkwardness was caused by the fact that -they wore magnetized shoes that were attracted -to the metal floor of the space ship. Even when -sitting down, they had kept the soles of their -shoes on the metal of the seat. Ted got to his feet -and helped Jill up.</p> -<p>“Will we ever get used to these funny shoes?” -Jill complained.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_15">15</div> -<p>“We’ll have to,” Ted said. “If we didn’t wear -them we’d go floating around in the air like a -feather. That’s another disadvantage of leaving -Earth. We don’t have any weight at all in space. -If we wanted to, we could take off our shoes and -stretch out in the air just like on a soft couch.”</p> -<p>“It might be fun to swim around in here just -like a fish,” Jill mused. “I think I’ll try it.”</p> -<p>Ted knew he should stop her, but his curiosity -to see such an experiment prevented him from -giving in to the tug of his conscience.</p> -<p>“Be careful!” Ted warned. “Any motion you -make will be hard to stop.”</p> -<p>When her shoes were off, Jill pressed gently -upward from her toes. She shrieked in pleasure -as she rose gracefully into the air. Reaching the -ceiling of the room, she pushed against it and -floated downward again.</p> -<p>“That’s lots of fun!” she said. “Why don’t you -try it, Ted?”</p> -<p>“Uh-uh. Another time. One of us had better -keep his feet.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_16">16</div> -<p>Jill tried other movements, whirling and doing -flip-overs. Then she grew bolder, moving -more swiftly. She teased Ted into trying to catch -her, and he finally got into the game. He lunged -at her but missed her fleet form every time. The -game grew more active. Presently both of them -were scampering about in the space-ship compartment, -laughing and having great fun.</p> -<p>Jill paused in one corner beneath an air-vent -box. “Try and catch me!” she taunted, her eyes -shiny with merriment. “I’ll let you get real -close.”</p> -<p>Ted glided catlike across the floor, his metal-soled -shoes clicking at every step. Only when he -was nearly upon her did she move. She flexed her -knees and soared off above him, laughing. His -hands raked the air but missed her agile form.</p> -<p>Suddenly Ted’s heart seemed to stop dead. -“Jill! Look out! You’ll hit that air vent!”</p> -<p>She saw the danger too late. She screamed and -crashed heavily into the metal vent, head on. Her -head lolled in unconsciousness, and her body -hung limp as a broken toy against the ceiling of -the space-ship room.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_17">17</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c2">CHAPTER TWO -<br /><i>Hurtling Danger</i></h2> -<p>His heart pounding in anxiety at Jill’s -plight, Ted opened a door and dashed -into the next room of the suite.</p> -<p>“Jill!” he cried. “She’s hurt!”</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton looked up, startled, from the desk -where he had been studying. “Let’s go, Son!” the -scientist said, jumping to his feet.</p> -<p>“Where’s Mom?” Ted asked.</p> -<p>“She’s down in the magazine shop,” his father -answered, and added, “It’s probably for the better.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_18">18</div> -<p>They hurried into the observation room where -Ted and Jill had been so happy together only a -short time before. The boy pointed overhead at -the air vent, where Jill’s limp form hung, lighter -than a thistle in her weightlessness.</p> -<p>Even Dr. Kenton’s tall, stalwart form could -not reach high enough to bring her down. -“We’ve got to have something to stand on,” he -said.</p> -<p>Ted thought of the long window seat. He -rushed over and knelt down to examine it. “The -window seat is in sections, Dad, and has some -clamps holding it down,” he said. “We ought to -be able to get it loose.”</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton’s strong fingers released the -catches that held the seat in place. Then he lifted -it out and carried it across to the spot beneath the -air vent. He stood on the seat and grasped Jill’s -slim body, bringing it down.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_19">19</div> -<p>The girl was stretched out waist high in the -air, in which position her father could best see -her injury. Ted held her so that a sudden movement -would not send her floating off. The scientist -found a cut on Jill’s temple where she had -struck the air vent. She began stirring. In a few -seconds she had recovered consciousness. She was -pale and smiled feebly.</p> -<p>“What happened to me?” she asked in a weak -voice.</p> -<p>Only then did Dr. Kenton seem concerned -about the cause of the accident. He looked inquiringly -at Ted. “Well, Ted,” he said, “what -did happen?”</p> -<p>“She wanted to go without her shoes to see -what it felt like,” Ted replied. “I should have -stopped her.”</p> -<p>“You both should be tanned for a trick like -that,” his father said gravely. “Jill could have -been seriously injured.”</p> -<p>They helped Jill to the window seat, then put -on her magnetic shoes for her. She said she felt -all right, but her father insisted that she have the -cut treated. A brief visit to the first-aid cabinet, -built into the wall of the room, had Jill’s hurt -taken care of in a few moments.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_20">20</div> -<p>“What prompted you two to try such a stunt -as this?” Dr. Kenton asked as he closed the door -of the first-aid cabinet. “I thought you had been -well grounded on the facts of weightless bodies -in space.”</p> -<p>Ted, embarrassed, kicked the seat section they -had removed, forgetting that it was not fastened -down. It scooted off in the air, but Dr. Kenton -alertly grabbed it before it got far. “I guess we -were just fidgety for something to do,” Ted said.</p> -<p>“I suppose the scenery <i>is</i> getting a little monotonous -for you,” their father replied. “Maybe -I can arrange for you to stretch your legs a bit.”</p> -<p>“You mean we can tour the ship now?” Jill -asked excitedly.</p> -<p>“I think so,” Dr. Kenton said, “I believe the -confusion that always follows the fire-off is pretty -well under control now. I’ll ask Commander -Grissom about it.”</p> -<p>Their father left and was back in a short while. -“We can go,” he told them. “We’ll leave a note -for Mom to let her know where we’ve gone.”</p> -<p>He scribbled it off, after getting a slip of paper -from a drawer in the wall desk. Then he asked -them, “What would you like to see first?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_21">21</div> -<div class="img" id="pic2"> -<img src="images/i05.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="667" /> -<p class="caption"><i>“Hi, folks,” he greeted.</i></p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_22">22</div> -<p>“The pilots’ roost!” Ted said, and Jill nodded -in agreement. The three of them clicked along -the corridor in their magnetic shoes. Reaching -the pilots’ roost in the nose of the space ship, Dr. -Kenton knocked on the door and was told to enter. -Inside, the children found two men in the -light green with gold trim of the Space Transport -Command, sitting in big roomy seats in front of -a large bank of dials and levers. Above the panel -was a broad port looking out into space.</p> -<p>One of the pilots appeared to be busy. The unoccupied -one spun on his swivel seat and smiled -at the Kentons. “Hi, folks,” he greeted. “Come -on in!”</p> -<p>He introduced himself as Lieutenant Foran -and his copilot as Lieutenant Starky, who took a -moment from his work to smile a greeting.</p> -<p>“On every trip we make we usually let the -passengers come in a few at a time,” Lieutenant -Foran said, “to look around.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_23">23</div> -<p>The pilot showed them what each dial on the -panel meant. Jill was soon bewildered by it all, -but Ted was interested in every gadget and meter. -He decided at that moment that he would -like nothing better than one day to be a pilot on -an interplanetary space liner.</p> -<p>Ted had noticed a huge circular screen built -into the middle of the panel, with circles radiating -out from the center of it. Suddenly it lighted -up, and white spots, or “blips,” began popping -out on the glass’s phosphor coating. Ted saw that -the pilots’ eyes had flashed swiftly toward the -screen.</p> -<p>Lieutenant Starky leaned forward and twisted -a dial.</p> -<p>“What’s he doing?” Ted asked.</p> -<p>“That’s the radarscope,” Lieutenant Foran -said. “The screen automatically lights up when -anything comes directly into our path, even if it’s -many thousands of miles away. Those blips are -echoes we’re receiving from our approaching -neighbors out there.”</p> -<p>Lieutenant Foran went over to the panel, looking -up at the screen. “What is it?” he asked his -companion.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_24">24</div> -<p>“Seems to be a ship,” replied Lieutenant -Starky. “Probably the mail rocket <i>Moonstone</i> on -its way back from Luna. The navigator said we’d -pass it.”</p> -<p>Lieutenant Foran slid into his seat and pressed -a button on the panel. A voice from a speaker -said, “Navigation.”</p> -<p>The young Kentons heard the two crewmen -speak in low tones for several moments. Then -Lieutenant Foran switched off and turned to the -copilot with an apprehensive look on his face. -“He says the <i>Moonstone</i> should have turned off -course before now! It’s heading straight toward -us!”</p> -<p>“We’ll call the Commander!” Lieutenant -Starky said, jabbing a button.</p> -<p>Jill squeezed her father’s arm. “Are we going -to crash?” she whispered.</p> -<p>“Don’t be scared, honey,” her father said -soothingly. “I’m sure we’ll be all right.”</p> -<p>But Ted saw the fear in his dad’s eyes, and his -own heart seemed to squirm with terror in his -body. Was their very first journey into space -going to end tragically scarcely before it had -started?</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_25">25</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c3">CHAPTER THREE -<br /><i>First Stop—Luna</i></h2> -<p>“I can’t understand why they don’t turn -off course!” Lieutenant Starky exclaimed. -“Their radar <i>must</i> have contacted us!”</p> -<p>Ted watched the blips from the <i>Moonstone</i> -slowly nearing the center of the screen. By the -time they did reach that center, the <i>Moonstone</i> -and the <i>Shooting Star</i> would be occupying the -same area in space.</p> -<p>Lieutenant Foran came over to the Kentons. -“I think you folks had better get back to your -suite. We’re going to be awfully busy in here for -the next few minutes,” he said.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_26">26</div> -<p>Ted could see that the officer was trying to -keep the fear out of his voice. They must really -be in a bad spot.</p> -<p>As they left, they met stout, red-faced Commander -Grissom coming in. His face was redder -than usual, and he was so concerned with the -<i>Shooting Star’s</i> danger that he barely nodded to -Dr. Kenton.</p> -<p>As the Kentons returned to their quarters, -golden-haired Mrs. Kenton faced her family with -stricken eyes.</p> -<p>“What’s happening, John?” she asked her -husband. “All the crewmen are running around -like mad.”</p> -<p>“It’s just a little trouble outside,” the scientist -said gently. “I’m sure Commander Grissom and -his men can handle it.”</p> -<p>Mrs. Kenton began pacing restlessly. “This -waiting! I wish we knew what’s going on.”</p> -<p>“We can,” the scientist said, crossing the -room and pressing a button on a wall panel. “I -thought it might upset us more to listen in, but -I guess it would be better to know what they’re -doing.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_27">27</div> -<p>They heard first the voice of Lieutenant Starky -coming over the compartment’s loud-speaker. -“<i>The Moonstone</i> has just answered, sir!”</p> -<p>“What do they say?” the commander asked -urgently.</p> -<p>After a few moments’ pause, the Kentons -heard the pilot speak again: “They say that they -had some electronic trouble and that it’s just now -been repaired. Their radio and radar were off -because of it.”</p> -<p>Ted listened tensely as orders flew back and -forth. Both space ships set their rocket jets to -carry each away from the other, but at the speeds -they were traveling, only time would tell if they -could avoid a crash.</p> -<p>The Kentons heard the final miles being -slowly called off by Commander Grissom as the -two ships hurtled toward one another:</p> -<p>“Four hundred—three hundred—two—a hundred -and fifty....”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_28">28</div> -<p>Ted’s eyes were on the side port. He knew that -at the last moment either he would see a large -silver shape hurtle past the window or he would -feel the might of tons crashing head on. In the -final seconds, Dr. Kenton had an arm around his -wife and daughter, and Ted’s heart was thumping -wildly.</p> -<p>The light of thousands of stars out there -seemed to burn into the boy’s brain. Would the -decisive moment never come?</p> -<p>Presently Ted saw the blackness of space -blurred for only the briefest instant as the <i>Moonstone</i> -drove past, its rockets streaming tongues of -flame! The side jets spurted against the hull of -the <i>Shooting Star</i>, causing it to rock. Ted felt the -floor tilting beneath him, and he had to grab a -wall rail for support. A glimpse he caught of his -parents and Jill showed that they were having -the same trouble.</p> -<div class="img" id="i06"> -<img src="images/i06.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="700" height="235" /> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_29">29</div> -<p>As the ship steadied itself and drove on an -even keel again, Ted grinned weakly. “We—we -made it,” he managed to say.</p> -<p>The faces of Jill and her mother were still -chalky with fright, but Dr. Kenton’s was as calm -as if he had known the <i>Shooting Star</i> would come -through the peril all right.</p> -<p>They heard the voice of Commander Grissom -over the speaker informing the passengers that -the danger was past. Dr. Kenton then cut off the -speaker.</p> -<p>“I never want to go through an experience -like that again!” cried Mrs. Kenton, taking a seat.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_30">30</div> -<p>“I don’t think we need ever fear this happening -again,” Dr. Kenton said. “It’s quite a rare -occurrence.”</p> -<p>“What about meteors?” Jill asked.</p> -<p>“They’re rare too, fortunately,” he answered. -“I don’t see why we can’t expect an uneventful -trip from now until we reach our home on -Mars.”</p> -<p>Hearing this confident remark, the children -were interested in the space ship again. “We -didn’t finish our tour!” Jill burst out.</p> -<p>“Would you like to see the garden?” Dr. Kenton -asked.</p> -<p>“The garden?” Ted asked, puzzled. “What -good is a garden on a space ship?”</p> -<p>“Come along and you’ll see,” Dr. Kenton said -and started for the door. Mrs. Kenton said she -preferred to stay in the suite and collect her shattered -nerves, but the children, of course, were -eager to go.</p> -<p>“Haven’t you two wondered how you’re able -to breathe in the ship?” their father asked as they -walked down the corridor.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_31">31</div> -<p>“I know how,” Ted said. “The air is pumped -through the ship from compressed-air chambers.”</p> -<p>“What is air?” his father asked.</p> -<p>“Mostly oxygen and nitrogen,” Ted answered.</p> -<p>“The <i>Shooting Star</i> uses oxygen, with helium -instead of nitrogen to dilute it,” Dr. Kenton said. -“That’s so that, in case a meteor penetrates the -ship, the rapid decompression won’t cause us to -get bubbles in our blood, which is a dangerous -condition called ‘the Bends.’”</p> -<p>“But what’s that to do with a garden?” Jill -asked.</p> -<p>“You’ll see in a minute,” came the reply.</p> -<p>An attendant showed them through the “garden.” -There was not much to see. There were -merely rows and rows of broad-leaved plants -covered with plastic and a network of tubes.</p> -<p>“Some garden,” Ted murmured, when the -attendant had walked off to answer a call. “The -plants aren’t pretty and they don’t seem to have -fruit or vegetables either.”</p> -<p>“They yield something even more precious, -though,” his father said. “Oxygen.”</p> -<p>“Huh?” Ted asked in surprise.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_32">32</div> -<p>Dr. Kenton smiled at the puzzled looks on -their faces. “Plants and people are well suited to -one another,” he said. “Plants breathe out oxygen -into our Earth’s atmosphere, and in gratitude -we give them back carbon dioxide which, -as you know, we breathe out.”</p> -<p>“So that’s it!” Jill said.</p> -<p>“It’s really quite simple,” the scientist went -on. “These plants keep our oxygen tanks filled, -and the air exhaled by us is pumped back to them -so that they can keep alive.”</p> -<p>“Will our home on Mars have a garden producing -air?” Ted asked.</p> -<p>“No, we’ll use air cartridges there because -they’re more efficient in small places.”</p> -<p>Just then the attendant returned. “The commander -has ordered all passengers back to their -suites to prepare for emergency landing,” he -told them. “Jet fire from the <i>Moonstone</i> damaged -our hull, and we’ve got to lay over on Luna -for repairs.”</p> -<p>“Goody!” Jill exclaimed. “We’ll get to land -on the Moon!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_33">33</div> -<p>They returned to the main compartment of -their suite, and Dr. Kenton switched on the wall -speaker so that he could hear the order from the -commander to “strap down.”</p> -<p>As they waited, they stood before the big window -looking out on the rugged globe of Luna. -Dr. Kenton pressed a button on the sill that slid -a darkening filter over the window. In this way, -the blinding glare of the full moon was cut down -considerably.</p> -<p>“Those big craters look just like eyes!” Ted -exclaimed.</p> -<p>“It’s all so terribly rough-looking down there, -I don’t see where we can land!” Mrs. Kenton -said.</p> -<p>The scientist pointed. “See that large gray -plain down there?” he said. “It’s the Sea of Serenity, -and the Moon colony is located on one edge -of it. We’re too far away yet to see it.”</p> -<p>“Hey, we’re turning around!” Ted exclaimed, -as he saw the stars beginning to blur before his -eyes.</p> -<p>“That’s so that we can use our rear jets to -brake our landing,” the scientist said.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_34">34</div> -<p>The order to pull down couches and “strap -down” came over the speaker a few minutes -later. Each of the Kentons opened a door in the -wall and pulled down his foam-rubber cot. The -couches were fastened securely to the floor with -catches. The family stretched out on the soft mattresses. -They pulled up the plastic straps from -the sides and tightened them across their bodies.</p> -<p>Presently a crewman stuck his head in the door -to make sure they were ready for the strain of -landing.</p> -<p>Some time later, when he had the sensation of -going down in a suddenly dropping elevator, -Ted knew the moment of deceleration had begun.</p> -<p>In his mind’s eye he could picture what was -going on. He imagined the long sleekness of the -<i>Shooting Star</i> plunging toward the moon’s rough -surface. From the ship’s rocket tubes, streams of -fire were pouring out to slow the terrific speed of -the ship. If those fire streams should fail, or not -hold back the craft enough, the rocket would be -dashed to bits on Luna.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_35">35</div> -<p>As the ship slackened its speed, Ted felt steadily -worse. It was as if his chest were being -crushed. He knew that he and the others could -stand any top speed the rocket would go; that it -was only a change in speed that was so grueling.</p> -<p>He twisted his head and saw the other members -of his family buried deeply in their couches. -He knew they were suffering as badly as he. He -remembered the danger of the <i>Shooting Star</i> and -<i>Moonstone</i> approaching one another in the heavens. -Then he thought what a frightful crash it -would have been had they met.</p> -<p>It made him wonder, now, if the <i>Shooting Star</i> -could check its downward plunge in time, or if it -would be dashed to atoms on the hard gray soil of -Luna.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_37">37</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c4">CHAPTER FOUR -<br /><i>The Curious Boy</i></h2> -<p>Just as Ted was expecting the worst, he felt a -gentle bump beneath him. He looked around -and saw that the rest of his family were no longer -deep in their couches. That meant the heavy -pressure of their descent was off them. They must -have already landed!</p> -<p>But he could not get up yet, for he was in a -vertical position and hanging by his straps. This -was because the rocket had landed upright on its -tail fins.</p> -<p>Ted heard a rumbling sound. He felt the side -of the room to which the couches were fastened -slide down into normal position. Ted unbuckled -his straps and rose to his feet.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_38">38</div> -<p>“Hey, it’s time to get up!” he said to the -others.</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton unstrapped himself and then assisted -Mrs. Kenton. Ted helped get Jill loose.</p> -<p>“Whew! That was awful!” Mrs. Kenton complained.</p> -<p>“I—I think I left my stomach up in the sky!” -Jill said.</p> -<p>Ted started toward the side window. “I feel so -heavy!” he said. “I can hardly lift my feet!”</p> -<p>His father plodded with him to the window. -“That’s because the gravity of Luna is added to -the ship’s artificial gravity. They’ll cut off the -rocket gravity any moment.”</p> -<p>Looking out the window, Ted thought that -this was like a scene from a fairy tale. Any moment -he expected to see a group of gnomes come -frolicking past! But nothing appeared to be alive -in that craggy, lonely wilderness, except within -the man-made structure of lunar rock.</p> -<p>Jill and her mother, having taken longer to get -their bearings, finally joined the other two at the -window.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_39">39</div> -<p>“What makes it so awfully bright out there?” -asked Jill, squinting her eyes.</p> -<p>“Don’t forget that we have a blanket of atmosphere -to protect us from the sun on earth, but -here on Luna the sun strikes with full force,” her -father explained.</p> -<p>“Talk about a sunburn!” Ted said, with a -whistle.</p> -<p>“You couldn’t stand it long,” Dr. Kenton said, -chuckling grimly. “It’s hot enough to boil water -out there right now!”</p> -<p>“Then when the sun is down, it must be nice,” -put in Mrs. Kenton innocently.</p> -<p>Her husband grinned. “If you call over two -hundred degrees below zero centigrade nice!”</p> -<p>A crisp voice came over the speaker: “All passengers -to the dressing room to don space gear!”</p> -<p>“You mean we have to go out in that?” Mrs. -Kenton asked, shocked.</p> -<p>“I don’t know any other way of getting to the -settlement across the way,” was Dr. Kenton’s gentle -reply.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_40">40</div> -<p>As the Kentons were walking along the corridor -to the dressing room, they suddenly felt light -on their feet. The unexpectedness of it sent them -colliding with one another. A voice from a wall -speaker said: “Watch your step. The artificial -gravity of the ship has been cut off.”</p> -<p>“I feel like a feather!” Jill said, dancing along.</p> -<p>“You should—you weigh only one sixth of -your Earth weight,” her father said. “But you be -careful or you’ll have another accident like you -did earlier!”</p> -<p>The passengers lined up to receive their space -gear. It was bulky equipment, but not very heavy -in the light gravity. In the dressing room, several -crewmen demonstrated how to put on the space -suits.</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton, who had put on much space gear -in his time, helped his family into theirs.</p> -<p>“Climb into the flexible suit first,” he said, as -he demonstrated. “Then all you have to do is to -zip it up—so!”</p> -<p>“What are these tubes on our backs?” Jill -asked, after the asbestos-covered suits were -donned.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_41">41</div> -<p>“That’s your oxygen source,” her father said. -“Those smaller boxes are refrigerator units that -cool the air so that you won’t burn up in the -terrible heat out there.”</p> -<p>Weighted shoes were pulled on next. These -were heavy, in order to bring the wearer more -nearly to his Earth weight. Dr. Kenton helped -them on next with their plastic fish-bowl helmets, -fastening them in place with catches.</p> -<p>They found that they could talk to one another, -even from the air-tight helmets, because of -a compact radio attachment on the top. Last to be -put on were protective gloves.</p> -<p>When everyone in the dressing room was fully -attired, the strange company left the ship -through an air lock—a pair of doors which kept -the air pressure from escaping. The <i>Shooting -Star’s</i> gangplank, which was actually a long escalator, -slid out of the side of the ship on gears -until the bottom touched ground. Then the passengers -stepped out of the air lock onto it and -were carried slowly downward. The rocket, in -landing on her tail fins, was now in position for -the fire-off later into space.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_42">42</div> -<p>“What a strange feeling it is,” thought Ted, -setting foot on a world outside of his own beloved -Earth! The ground they walked on was soft and -powdery, and his father said it was called pumice.</p> -<p>The party was heading for a ring of stone -buildings ahead, which were connected to one -another by long tunnels. It reminded Ted of a -giant wheel turned over on the ground. At the -center was the largest building of all. Ted asked -his father what it was.</p> -<p>“That’s the headquarters building,” the -scientist answered. “It’s called the Hub, and it -acts as a central control for all the other buildings -around the circle.”</p> -<p>“Why are the buildings connected with one -another?” Jill wanted to know.</p> -<p>“That’s so the people inside can go from one to -the other without having to put on space suits. -You see, all the buildings and connecting corridors -are filled with compressed air. The Moon -has no air of its own, so it has to be manufactured -just as it is on the <i>Shooting Star</i>.”</p> -<p>Ted thought his father’s voice sounded queer -coming over his helmet receiver, but he guessed -he would get used to it in time.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_43">43</div> -<div class="img" id="pic3"> -<img src="images/i07.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="742" /> -<p class="caption">“<i>That’s the headquarters building.</i>”</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_44">44</div> -<p>The party from the <i>Shooting Star</i> entered a -building where they removed their space suits. -They were told that they were free to do whatever -they liked until the ship was repaired for the -journey to Mars.</p> -<p>Some of the passengers said that they would -like to make a tour of the Wheel, and when -others also expressed a wish to do so, a guide took -the entire party around. The Kenton children -found that most of the departments had to do -with scientific research, while the rest were devoted -to the running of the colony.</p> -<p>“Did they haul all these stones from Earth to -build this place?” Ted asked, as they went down -one of the long rock passageways.</p> -<p>“Goodness no!” his father replied with a -laugh. “The whole colony is built of lunar rock, -quarried near by.”</p> -<p>When the Wheel had been circled by the sightseers -and it was learned that the <i>Shooting Star</i> -would not be ready for hours for the fire-off, Dr. -Kenton made a suggestion to his family as they -sat idly with the other passengers in the lounge.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_45">45</div> -<p>“I have an astronomer friend who runs an observatory -not far from here,” he said. “Would -you kids like to visit it?”</p> -<p>Their eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and they -both nodded as one. Mrs. Kenton, however, was -not so ambitious.</p> -<p>“Not I,” she sighed. “That long walk around -this building will last me for a good while.”</p> -<p>Ted noticed a sandy-haired boy of his own age -watching them closely. Even as they made the -tour around the Wheel, the boy had listened -intently to everything Dr. Kenton had said. And -when the scientist had mentioned going to Mars, -Ted saw that his eyes had lighted up as though -with longing.</p> -<p>“We won’t be able to take the other passengers -with us,” Dr. Kenton told his son and daughter, -“because there aren’t enough cars available.”</p> -<p>After Dr. Kenton had chartered a car from the -motor pool, he and his son and daughter went to -the dressing room to climb into their space gear. -As they were zipping up their suits, Ted looked -toward the open doorway and saw the same curious -boy watching them again! What could be his -interest in them?</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_47">47</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c5">CHAPTER FIVE -<br /><i>Pelting Stones</i></h2> -<p>Ted decided he would find out just why the -boy was watching them. “Hello,” Ted -greeted.</p> -<p>“Hi,” the boy answered.</p> -<p>“What’s your name?” Ted asked.</p> -<p>“Randy Matthews,” the boy returned.</p> -<p>Before Ted could go on with his questioning, -Dr. Kenton spoke up. “Randy, would you like to -go with us to visit the observatory?”</p> -<p>“Yes, sir, I would,” was the ready reply.</p> -<p>“You’d better check with your folks first,” Dr. -Kenton advised.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_48">48</div> -<p>“I don’t have any folks here,” Randy said. -“Mr. Collins is taking care of me. He’s an engineer.”</p> -<p>“Then check with him and come on back if -you can,” Dr. Kenton said.</p> -<p>When Randy had left, Ted said, “He’s been -watching us a long time, Dad, just as if he -couldn’t wait to make friends with us.”</p> -<p>“I’ve noticed it, too,” his father said. “I wonder -what he meant when he said he has no folks -<i>here</i>?”</p> -<p>Randy got back shortly and said he could go -with them. The Kentons had to wait for him to -dress, but they were surprised at his speed. He -seemed to know all the fasteners and fittings perfectly.</p> -<p>The four of them left the building and went -outside where an odd vehicle awaited them.</p> -<p>“What a funny-looking car!” Jill exclaimed, -and Ted could hear her merry laugh ring in his -helmet receiver.</p> -<p>“A fresh-air taxi!” Ted put in.</p> -<p>The car had enormous tires and an open top. -It looked more like a tractor than anything else.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_49">49</div> -<p>“Let’s climb in,” Dr. Kenton said. He helped -the children in, then took the driver’s seat. He -turned a switch, and they were off.</p> -<p>When they had gotten up speed, Ted thought -this the most exciting ride he had ever taken! -They bounced along over the rough ground -without feeling any of the bumps. Dr. Kenton -explained that the tires were low-pressured and -shock-absorbent.</p> -<p>The young folks were so impressed by their -ride that it was much later before they took time -to notice the breath-taking beauty of the sky. The -stars were so numerous, they looked like swaths -of white dust against the absolute blackness. -Randy was the first to notice the big green globe -of Earth behind them, and pointed it out.</p> -<p>“It makes me homesick seeing it,” Jill said, -and Ted detected a tremor in her voice.</p> -<p>Ted couldn’t help admiring Jill for her courage -in agreeing to come along against her wishes, -just to keep the family together.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_50">50</div> -<p>When the Moon car reached the observatory, -Ted did not find exactly what he had expected. -Instead of a white tower, like the observatories at -home, what he saw was a natural, tall column of -jagged rock, on the top of which was a man-made -shiny dome with a slit in it where the telescope -eye peeped out.</p> -<p>The four got out of the car and walked -through a doorway that had been blasted -through the rock in some time past. Beyond this -was an air lock that kept the compressed air of the -observatory from escaping.</p> -<p>When they had gone through the door, the -four found facing them a crude elevator. Dr. -Kenton motioned the young people inside and -then followed. He threw a switch, and the elevator -cage began rising slowly.</p> -<p>“This column of rock has always been hollow,” -he explained, “so it was easy to run an -elevator up through it.”</p> -<p>He unfastened his helmet and took it off. “You -can take off your hats now,” he told the children. -“There’s air in here.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_51">51</div> -<p>The elevator stopped at the top of the shaft. -The four got out and entered a big room with a -rounded ceiling. Ted knew this to be the dome -that housed the telescope. The reflector was like -a huge cylinder resting in its horseshoe yoke -across the room.</p> -<p>“Hello!” Dr. Kenton called. “Is anyone -home?”</p> -<div class="img" id="i08"> -<img src="images/i08.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="500" height="318" /> -</div> -<p>Suddenly a round face appeared at the side of -the telescope. The face reminded Ted of a circus -clown’s, with its wild, wispy hair and broad grin.</p> -<p>“John Kenton!” cried the little man, as he ran -out and embraced Ted’s dad. The elderly scientist -asked, “What in the world are you doing on -Luna? And who are these young folks with you?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_52">52</div> -<p>Dr. Kenton explained that he was on a stop-over -to Mars, and he introduced the children to -the funny little scientist, whose name was Dr. -Beeler.</p> -<p>“We had some time to kill so we decided -to visit the observatory,” Dr. Kenton finished. -“Will you show the children some of the sights?”</p> -<p>Dr. Beeler’s eyes brightened with pleasure. -Ted was sure that the little man was truly enjoying -their visit. Ted thought he must get awfully -lonesome up here by himself.</p> -<p>Dr. Beeler set the position of the telescope by -turning two cranks. Then he conducted the children -up a catwalk to a platform about twelve feet -from the floor. Jill took the first peek through the -eyepiece at the top of the tube.</p> -<p>“Oooh—it’s beautiful!” Jill cried with a gasp.</p> -<p>Ted let Randy have the next turn, and then he -himself looked. The view was breath-taking. -What he saw was the flattened, white globe of -Saturn with its graceful rings and many satellites.</p> -<p>“The Moon is much better than the Earth for -using a telescope,” Dr. Beeler said, “because here -there is no atmosphere or haze to get in the way.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_53">53</div> -<p>The children saw other captivating sights. -There was the shimmering pearl of Venus, -Earth’s twin, then Jupiter, the king of planets, -with its four orderly larger moons. The children -also saw smoky-looking nebulae and star clusters -that resembled bees in a hive. Then Dr. Beeler -showed them what he seemed to think was the -greatest treat of all—the Earth under high magnification. -When Jill placed her eye to the eyepiece, -she suddenly turned away, sobbing.</p> -<p>Dr. Beeler and her father came running to her.</p> -<p>“What’s the matter, honey?” Dr. Kenton -asked.</p> -<p>“I—I guess I’m homesick!” Jill said. “I miss the -green grass and the blue sky terribly! Oh, why -did we ever have to leave home?”</p> -<p>Ted saw his father’s face grow grave. Now his -dad knew that Jill had never wanted to come -along. Her father placed his arm around her -shoulders. “I didn’t know you felt this way,” he -said softly.</p> -<p>Dr. Beeler stood by, fidgeting as though he -wanted to say something but didn’t know just -what.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_54">54</div> -<p>Presently Dr. Kenton looked at his wrist watch -which he could read through the plastic cuff of -his space suit. “We’d better get back to the -colony,” he said. “The <i>Shooting Star</i> may be -nearly ready to take off.”</p> -<p>They came down off the catwalk to the floor -level where they took their leave of Dr. Beeler. -Ted saw a sad look in the old astronomer’s eyes -as though he would have liked them to stay -longer.</p> -<p>“Good luck to all of you,” Dr. Beeler said. -Then to Jill he added, “Don’t worry, young lady. -You won’t find Mars such a bad place. And you’ll -be seeing the good old Earth again, some day, -too.”</p> -<p>As the four went down in the elevator, Jill -said, “I’m sorry I was such a baby.”</p> -<p>“Nonsense,” her father returned. “I must confess -I’ve been a little homesick myself since leaving -Earth. How about you, Ted, and you, -Randy?”</p> -<p>Ted had to admit to a certain amount himself, -but the Kentons were surprised to hear Randy’s -opinion.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_55">55</div> -<p>“No sir,” Randy said, “I’m not homesick for -Earth.”</p> -<p>Ted could not understand why a person -should prefer the other planets to their own -home world. Ted could see that his father felt -the same, for he gave their new young friend an -odd look.</p> -<p>Ted thought it would be a good time to learn -something more about the mysterious Randy, -and he was about to ask some questions when the -cage touched the ground floor.</p> -<p>“Everybody out,” Dr. Kenton said. “Put on -your helmets and turn on your air valves.”</p> -<p>There was no time for questioning now. The -three younger folks did as instructed. Ted liked -the caressing feeling he got as the air pumped -up his suit. It was like a soft summer breeze -against his skin. It made him want to giggle.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_56">56</div> -<p>The explorers climbed into their car outside, -and Dr. Kenton started it. Then they went flying -across the bleak gray moonscape, back toward -the Wheel. Jill had gotten over her gloom, and -the excitement of the carefree ride prompted -her to start singing. It was a well-known song that -all the school children at home knew, and Ted -and her father both joined in. Dr. Kenton invited -Randy to chime in, but the boy surprised -them once more when he said that he did not -even know the song! This only added to the -mystery of Randy.</p> -<p>Suddenly the scientist jammed the brakes on -so suddenly that the children were pitched forward.</p> -<p>“What’s wrong?” Ted asked, when he had regained -his wits.</p> -<p>He was surprised to see his father leap from his -seat and vault to the ground. “Out of here—all of -you—quickly!” he urged.</p> -<p>His insistent voice brought them tumbling -out of the car to the ground.</p> -<p>“What is it?” Jill cried frantically.</p> -<p>“See those spurts of dust just up ahead?” her -father said, pointing. “They’re meteorites striking -the ground. We almost blundered right into -a meteor shower!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_57">57</div> -<p>He looked around. “We’ve got to find some -shelter,” he told them. “A cave—a clump of rocks—anything.”</p> -<p>“There’s a bunch of rocks!” Randy said, indicating -a clump off to their left.</p> -<div class="img" id="i09"> -<img src="images/i09.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="500" height="398" /> -</div> -<p>“That seems to be the closest place!” Dr. Kenton -said. “Let’s go!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_58">58</div> -<p>They broke into a run across the ground, slipping -and sliding in the powdery pumice. Ted -saw bursts of Moon dust closer now, and they -were coming with greater frequency. One huge -geyser several feet away threw a shower of sand -over all of them, blinding them momentarily.</p> -<p>When the “air” cleared, Ted was shocked to -find Randy missing.</p> -<p>“Where’s Randy?” he cried.</p> -<p>“There he is—on the ground,” Jill shrieked, -pointing behind them.</p> -<p>Ted turned, and his heart seemed to stop beating -for a moment. Randy was stretched out flat. -He was unmoving, still as death!</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_59">59</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c6">CHAPTER SIX -<br /><i>Into Space Again</i></h2> -<p>The Kentons dashed out into the open to the -spot where their young friend lay. They -bent over him. He was struggling feebly, and his -mouth was open and gasping as though he could -not get his breath. His suit was almost deflated. -The meteorites had stopped falling, and there -was no further danger from them.</p> -<p>Ted saw that his father seemed to know just -what to do. He swiftly zipped open a pocket -in the side of Randy’s suit and took out a small -strip of sticky fabric. There was a tiny slit in the -boy’s suit where a stone had grazed it. Dr. Kenton -stuck the strip over the tear and pressed it firmly. -Then he opened wider the air valve on Randy’s -helmet, and the suit puffed out again.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_60">60</div> -<p>Presently Randy’s eyes opened, and he pushed -himself up into a sitting position.</p> -<p>“What happened?” he asked, almost in a -whisper.</p> -<p>“A meteorite grazed your suit, deflating it,” -the scientist replied. “For a few seconds you were -like a fish out of water. We’ll have the doctor -check you over when we get back, but I think we -brought you around in time.”</p> -<p>They helped him to his feet. At first, he was -wobbly, but he soon regained his full strength -and was able to walk alone by the time they -reached the car.</p> -<p>They climbed into the Moon vehicle and -went whirling off in another swift-paced ride -back toward the Wheel. When they arrived at the -Moon colony, Dr. Kenton had a physician examine -Randy to make sure he was all right, -which proved to be the case.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_61">61</div> -<p>Soon the broadcasting loud-speakers announced -that the <i>Shooting Star</i> had been repaired -and would fire off within the next hour. -In the waiting room the Kentons held what they -believed was their last meeting with their new -friend Randy.</p> -<p>There was still much about the boy which -puzzled Ted—there were loads of questions he -would have liked to ask him. Although he did -not talk much, Randy seemed to like to be -with the Kentons. And now that the parting was -nearly at hand, Ted thought he appeared very -downcast.</p> -<p>“We’ll sure miss you, Randy,” Jill was saying.</p> -<p>“Yes, we will,” Mrs. Kenton said kindly. “Too -bad you can’t go along with us.”</p> -<p>At this last remark, Randy looked up wistfully. -Ted had an idea that Randy would like nothing -better than to go with them.</p> -<p>“Have you ever been to Mars, Randy?” Ted -asked.</p> -<p>“Of course,” he replied gently. “I was born -there.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_62">62</div> -<p>All the Kentons straightened in surprise. No -wonder Randy had said he was not homesick for -Earth, Ted thought. He knew the boy did not -mean that he was a native Martian, but that his -father was an Earthman who had been on Mars -when Randy had been born.</p> -<p>Ted knew that his father had decided to evade -the mystery of Randy no longer when he asked -the direct question: “Randy, do you mind telling -us where your parents are?”</p> -<p>Randy’s eyes dropped, and his slender fingers -began twisting.</p> -<p>“My mother is dead. My father is somewhere -on Mars with an engineering expedition. That’s -why Mr. Collins is taking care of me. He’s a close -friend of Father’s.”</p> -<p>“Son, do you know which expedition your father -is with?” Dr. Kenton asked.</p> -<p>“Yes, sir,” Randy answered. “It’s the Number -Five Syrtis Major Expedition.”</p> -<p>Ted was watching his father as he asked the -question. A cold, unexplainable feeling coursed -through him. When Randy replied, Dr. Kenton’s -face suddenly paled, and he turned away. Ted -felt a stab of dread. Had something happened to -the No. 5 Expedition? What a terrible tragedy -for Randy if this were so.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_63">63</div> -<p>“I sure miss Pops,” Randy said softly, a -dreamy look on his face. “I haven’t seen him for -two years. We had lots of fun together. He was -teaching me to play baseball—helping me develop -a curve.”</p> -<p>This was the most Randy had ever said at one -time, and the Kentons listened raptly. Ted could -see that his father was disturbed over Randy’s -case. He took out his handkerchief and blew his -nose hard.</p> -<p>“Randy, how would you like to go to Mars -with us?” Dr. Kenton asked presently.</p> -<p>Ted saw the sunshine of joy flare up in the -boy’s face. “C—could I?” he asked. “Really?”</p> -<p>“Of course,” the scientist said. “We’d be glad -to have you, wouldn’t we, Mom?”</p> -<p>Mrs. Kenton smiled softly at the boy. “We -certainly would, Randy.”</p> -<p>Randy needed no further urging. First he -checked with his guardian, Mr. Collins, who -came to see Dr. Kenton. Mr. Collins was a husky, -friendly person. Randy was off packing as the -men talked in the presence of the other Kentons.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_64">64</div> -<p>“I think it would be the best thing in the -world for the boy,” Mr. Collins said thoughtfully. -“The Fifth Expedition was given up for -lost about a week ago. I’ve kept it from Randy -all this time, hoping that the lost explorers would -turn up. But they never have.”</p> -<p>“I knew about the expedition,” Ted’s father -said. “That’s why I want to take him. I thought -we’d accept him into our family, so that when -the news came to him, he might not take it so -hard. I guess I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for -the pioneers on Mars, being a scientist myself.”</p> -<p>“It’s a grand thing you’re doing,” Mr. Collins -said.</p> -<p>When Mr. Collins left, Mrs. Kenton said to -her husband, “We’ll have to tell Randy about -his father ourselves, won’t we?”</p> -<p>“In due time,” Dr. Kenton replied, “after he -comes to know us better. It’ll be easier that way.”</p> -<p>“Randy will be able to tell us all about Mars, -since he’s from there,” Jill said excitedly.</p> -<p>Ted agreed with his sister and decided then -that Randy was going to make a very welcome -addition to the Kenton household.</p> -<p>Less than an hour later, the <i>Shooting Star</i> was -in the heavens again, powering toward the distant -red beacon of Mars and leaving behind the -rugged wastelands of the Moon.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_65">65</div> -<div class="img" id="pic4"> -<img src="images/i10.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="787" /> -<p class="caption"><i>He was going to Mars.</i></p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_66">66</div> -<p>Randy became a much more chipper person -than the silent boy the Kentons had first met. -New life seemed to have flowed into him. He was -going to Mars, the land of his birth and the place -where he believed his beloved father to be—alive. -Ted felt sorry for the boy in the days that followed, -whenever he talked about the good times -he and his father had had together. When the -time came to tell him about his father, it was not -going to be an easy job for Ted’s dad.</p> -<p>In the eternal night of interplanetary space, -time seemed to stand still. Ted knew that days -and days, even weeks, had passed since leaving -the Moon, but without the rising and setting of -a sun to go by, it hardly seemed that any time had -passed at all.</p> -<p>By now the Moon had lost its roundness and -had become just another star in the sky. The red -spark of Mars, however, was growing day after -day, week after week. However, it could not yet -be recognized as a disk.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_67">67</div> -<p>One day Ted noticed what looked like a -smudge across the blackness of the sky. It blotted -out the stars behind it and appeared to be close. -But its movement was scarcely noticeable. Ted -called his father’s attention to the blur of light.</p> -<p>“It looks like a comet!” Dr. Kenton said. “I’ll -check with the commander.”</p> -<p>The scientist tuned in a two-way speaker system -and asked about Ted’s find.</p> -<p>“That’s Brooking’s Comet, discovered back in -1970,” Commander Grissom replied. “It circles -the sun every eight years. You’re in for a treat. -We’ll pass through some of its vapor. It’ll be a -spectacular sight a few days from now.”</p> -<p>Watching the comet took up nearly all of the -idle time of Ted, Jill, and Randy in the hours -that followed. Under Dr. Kenton’s guidance they -drew a chart of that part of the sky in which it -was located, and plotted its motion in relation to -that of the space ship.</p> -<p>“You don’t suppose it’ll crash into us, do you?” -Mrs. Kenton asked worriedly, as the comet -loomed menacingly outside their compartment -window some time later.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_68">68</div> -<p>Dr. Kenton soothed her with a smile. “Don’t -worry,” he said. “If the skipper says we’ll graze it, -that’s exactly what will happen. He knows every -inch of this comet’s orbit and our own too!”</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton explained that the comet appeared -to move slowly because it was coming practically -head on. Steadily it blossomed wider, like an -opening flower bud. In the center was a brilliant -light, which was the head, or nucleus.</p> -<p>“Why won’t the gravitation of the comet pull -us into it?” Ted asked.</p> -<p>“That’s because a comet has very little mass, -or what we’d call real body, to it. It’s mostly a big -lump of widely scattered gas particles.”</p> -<p>“How big is it?” Jill asked.</p> -<p>“The head is almost as big as Luna, and it has -a tail many thousands of miles long,” her father -answered. “It’ll pass us at hundreds of miles a -second, but it will take a long time to get by and -will hardly seem to be moving.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_69">69</div> -<p>When the day of the arrival of the comet’s -nucleus came, every eye on the <i>Shooting Star</i> was -peering intently out the windows of the rocket -ship. The commander had ordered all windows -covered with filter screens to cut out the blinding -glare of the nucleus.</p> -<p>The comet arrived with the shocking brilliance -of a gigantic fireball. All Ted could see was -an over-all blinding whiteness that made the -blackness of space like bright noonday. The stars -were blotted out completely in the glare. For -hours the brilliance continued without letup, -and then it began to dim.</p> -<p>“The head is past,” Dr. Kenton said. “From -now on, the light will grow weaker and weaker -as the tail goes by.”</p> -<p>Ted still could make out no detail of any kind, -and this was disappointing. As he and Jill and -Randy kept their eyes glued to the window, all -they could see was a slow dimming of the comet’s -original brilliance. They grew weary of the sight -and turned away from it. When they returned to -it many hours later, the heavens had a strange -bluish cast, and the stars began to burn through -it weakly.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_70">70</div> -<p>Still later, only the barest evidence of the celestial -body remained. The heavens were only -slightly grayed, showing that the tip of the tail -alone had not passed.</p> -<p>“Will we see the comet after it swings around -the sun, and heads out into space again?” Ted -asked.</p> -<p>“Yes, from a greater distance,” his father answered. -“Then it will look more like a comet to -you.”</p> -<p>Several days later, Jill came running into their -compartment, looking concerned. “Father, I saw -some of the passengers going forward into the -pilots’ roost. They stayed there a few minutes, -then came out, and some more people went in. -What do you suppose it’s all about?”</p> -<p>“I have an idea the commander has a treat for -us,” her father replied with a knowing grin. -“We’ll get our turn. Just wait.”</p> -<p>Their chance came shortly later. The Kentons -and Randy were summoned forward, and they -entered the pilots’ roost.</p> -<p>“Want to see something?” the commander -asked. “Look out the forward window.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_71">71</div> -<p>They spoke first to the pilots they had met before, -then peered out the window. Ted’s breath -came fast. Poised regally against the backdrop of -stars was a gleaming red-orange globe. It was the -planet Mars, their new home.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_73">73</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c7">CHAPTER SEVEN -<br /><i>Invisible Menace</i></h2> -<p>The Kentons studied the red planet in silent -awe. Beneath the thin cotton of atmosphere, -they saw the crisscross markings of the canals that -had baffled Earthmen for many years. Two small -globes hovered in the deeps beyond. They were -the two moons, Phobos and Deimos.</p> -<p>Randy unconsciously shoved forward ahead of -the Kentons. “Isn’t it beautiful!” he murmured.</p> -<p>“I wonder when we’ll be landing,” Jill said.</p> -<p>The commander, who had heard her, answered, -“In fifty hours, young lady.”</p> -<p>“I guess we’d better get back to our suite so -that some of the other passengers can come in,” -Dr. Kenton said.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_74">74</div> -<p>They thanked the commander and left the -pilots’ roost. When they had returned to their -compartment, Ted asked Randy, “Have you ever -been to Earth?”</p> -<p>Randy shook his head. “It sounds like a terrific -place, though. I’ve studied a lot about it in our -Earth Geography course in school, and Pops has -told me a lot about it. Imagine playing baseball -outdoors without a space suit on!”</p> -<p>Ted realized he had always taken the wonders -of Earth for granted. It was hard to understand -that a boy such as Randy existed—a boy who had -never experienced such a free life. He tried to -imagine how it would be if he had lived all of -his life on a world where all the breaths you took -were from tanks of artificial air, and where you -could never feel the cooling breezes of summer -or the spicy winter winds in your lungs. Thinking -about these things made Ted thankful that -he was not in Randy’s shoes.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_75">75</div> -<p>Suddenly an urgent voice came over the -speaker in the Kentons’ suite: “Attention, everyone. -Act quickly but do not be frightened. A -leak has developed in our antiradiation shield. -Everyone retire immediately to the rear store -compartment at the extreme end of the ship.”</p> -<p>“My goodness!” exclaimed Mrs. Kenton. -“What does that mean?”</p> -<p>“There’ll be time for explanations later,” replied -Dr. Kenton. “The first thing is to do as he -says.”</p> -<p>They hurried out of the compartment and -down the corridor aft. There were crewmen stationed -along the aisle at intervals to calm the -people’s fears and keep them orderly. A warning -bell signifying trouble was pealing throughout -the ship.</p> -<p>The Kentons and Randy crowded into the -farthest rear room of the <i>Shooting Star</i> with the -other passengers, all of whom were chattering -excitedly. When the last passenger was in, the -transparent door was fastened shut.</p> -<p>“Why did we have to come way back here, Father?” -Jill asked.</p> -<p>“Because rays are loose in the ship,” her father -replied. “The farther we are from the atomic -engines up front, the safer we are.”</p> -<p>“Are they dangerous?” his wife asked.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_76">76</div> -<p>“They could be, in sufficient intensity. Right -now, they’re closing all the doors along the corridors. -The doors have built-in screens to resist the -rays, if they are not too strong. Keep your eyes on -the light bulb out in the corridor. If it turns red, -it means the rays have penetrated that far!”</p> -<p>“Oh, dear!” groaned Mrs. Kenton. “I knew we -shouldn’t have left Earth. Now it looks like we’ll -never reach our new home, after getting so close, -too!”</p> -<p>“Don’t worry,” Dr. Kenton said. “The ship’s -crew knows how to handle this. They have electronic -instruments they turn on that attract the -rays like a magnet. They can clean out the entire -ship in about half an hour. That bulb in the corridor -will light if even the slightest bit of radiation -is present. There’s another bulb in the corner -of this room, but let’s certainly hope this one -doesn’t light up.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_77">77</div> -<p>Ted heard a groan from one of the passengers. -The light in the corridor was beginning to glow. -That meant the radiation had penetrated all -the way to the rear of the ship. The next thing -to watch was the bulb inside the room, Ted -thought. His father had not said so, but Ted -guessed that they would probably be in serious -trouble if this last one should light.</p> -<p>Presently figures clothed in weird metallic -suits and carrying shiny instruments were seen -in the corridor.</p> -<p>“The crew is protected by those suits,” Dr. -Kenton explained. “The things they are carrying -are the magnetic ray catchers I was telling you -about.”</p> -<p>“Look!” Jill said suddenly. “The red light has -gone out!”</p> -<p>“We’ve nothing to worry about, then.” The -scientist spoke with relief. “I would say those -men got to us just in time.”</p> -<p>One of the curiously garbed men unfastened -the door of the storeroom and beckoned for the -passengers to come out. Then he opened the -front piece of his helmet to speak to them: “Don’t -go through the next door until you hear the all-clear -whistle,” he said. “It’ll be just a few -minutes.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_78">78</div> -<div class="img" id="pic5"> -<img src="images/i11.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="723" /> -<p class="caption"><i>Figures in weird metallic suits.</i></p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_79">79</div> -<p>When the whistle blew, the corridor doors -were opened and the passengers returned to their -sections. After the Kentons were back in their -suite, Mrs. Kenton sighed deeply and slumped -in an air-cushioned chair.</p> -<p>“My goodness!” she said. “I’m still quivery. -If it’s not one thing it’s another on these space -voyages! I’m surprised we’re still alive after all -that’s happened!”</p> -<p>“At least you can’t say the trip is boring, -Mother,” Jill piped up, and this brought a relaxing -laugh from the others.</p> -<p class="center"><span class="gs">* * * * * * * *</span></p><p>Nearly two days later Mars was a giant world -dead ahead. Ted looked out the window with -Jill and Randy and saw a close-up view of the -strange land that was to be their new home. A -great network of deep, straight gorges split the -boundless stretches of red desert. These were the -fabulous canals built by the ancient Martians, -now long dead.</p> -<p>“There’s the Prime Canal,” Randy said, pointing -to the largest chasm of all. “It feeds all the -little canals in this section.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_80">80</div> -<p>“Aren’t those trees growing along the canals?” -Jill asked.</p> -<p>Randy nodded. “Evergreens,” he said.</p> -<p>“What’s that white stuff in the bottom of the -canals and near the roots of the trees?” Ted -wanted to know.</p> -<p>“That’s frost,” Randy answered. “The sun -never melts it completely. It never even gets up -to zero in this latitude.”</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton, whose interest was beyond Mars -at the moment, said, “Look, kids, there’s our -comet again!”</p> -<p>He pointed it out to them in the heavens. It -was a long streak across the sky. The nucleus -burned brightly, like a heavenly torch.</p> -<p>“Now it really looks like a comet!” Ted declared.</p> -<p>“It’s beautiful!” Jill murmured.</p> -<p>“We’ll be able to see it from Mars for several -days,” Dr. Kenton told them. “Then it’ll gradually -disappear from view.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_81">81</div> -<p>At this point the <i>Shooting Star</i> began its turnabout -for rearward landing. Then, still later, the -order that all those aboard the <i>Shooting Star</i> had -been waiting a long time to hear came over the -loud-speakers. “Strap down on couches, everyone! -Next stop—Lowell Harbor!”</p> -<p>The end of their journey was at hand.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_83">83</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c8">CHAPTER EIGHT -<br /><i>The New World</i></h2> -<p>The Kentons had experienced their last landing -for a while. After a final gentle bump, -Ted shook his head to clear it and waited for the -side wall to move into proper position. Then he -began unfastening the straps of his couch. He -was the first to his feet. As the rest of his family -were unbuckling, he did what everyone always -did after a space-ship landing. He went over to -the window and looked out.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_84">84</div> -<p>Mars—their new home. At last they were here. -From his height of several hundred feet above -the ground, Ted had the best view he would ever -have of Lowell Harbor, center of Earthmen’s activity -on the ruddy planet. It had been named in -honor of Percival Lowell, the great astronomer -of the past century who had been so strongly interested -in Martian geography.</p> -<p>Ted felt a breath on his cheek. He turned, and -there was Randy right behind him. There were -tears of joy in his eyes, and Ted knew that this -must be one of the happiest days of Randy’s life.</p> -<p>“What a beautiful spaceport!” said Mrs. Kenton, -who had come over to the window with the -other members of the family.</p> -<p>A huge waterway cut the landscape in two at -the edge of the spaceport. Beyond this stood two -large square buildings of transparent plastic substance. -Still farther out was a sprinkling of -houses, one of which the Kentons would occupy. -As far as Ted could see, the ground was rust-red.</p> -<p>“What makes Mars so red?” Jill asked her father.</p> -<p>“It’s believed that Mars once contained much -more oxygen than it does now,” the scientist replied, -“and the ground was nearer the color we’re -used to seeing it at home. But over the centuries -the oxygen was absorbed by the soil, forming -iron oxide, which is the redness we see now.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_85">85</div> -<p>“Is there any oxygen left?” Ted asked.</p> -<p>“Very little,” replied Dr. Kenton. “That may -be what caused the Martian races to disappear. -This is the greatest mystery about Mars and is -one of the main reasons I’m here—to discover -why there are no Martians here now.”</p> -<p>“But there’re birds and animals and insects,” -Ted said. “Why didn’t they suffocate too?”</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton shrugged helplessly. “Another -mystery. Maybe they were able to adapt themselves -to the change over the thousands of years -by growing larger breathing apparatuses or something -like that. Apparently, man was the one who -lost out in the battle of survival.”</p> -<p>The command to disembark came over the -speaker, and the Kentons gathered up what small -luggage they had kept with them and retired to -the dressing room. When they had suited up with -the other passengers, they entered the air lock -and waited for the escalator to roll into position.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_86">86</div> -<p>As soon as Randy’s feet touched the soil moments -later, Ted saw him stoop down and seize -a handful of red dust and let it trickle slowly -through his gloved fingers.</p> -<div class="img" id="i12"> -<img src="images/i12.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="500" height="351" /> -</div> -<p>The commander addressed the group that was -gathered around him. “It’s been a pleasure to -have you people with us. This is where we part. -A steward will take you over the bridge across the -canal to one of the large buildings on the other -side where you will register. A truck will bring -your luggage over later.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_87">87</div> -<p>As the party walked buoyantly over the ground -toward the bridge, Jill said, “I sure feel light-footed.”</p> -<p>“You should be,” her father said. “You weigh -less than half of your Earth weight here. Wait -until you go back to Earth after this low-gravity -life. You’ll be tired for about six months.”</p> -<p>“I won’t mind that,” Jill answered earnestly. -“I’ll be so glad to get back.” Ted could see that -despite the excitement of their new surroundings, -Jill’s thoughts were still on her distant -home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.</p> -<p>Crossing the bridge, Ted looked over the side -at the calm waters of the canal.</p> -<p>“This bridge is five hundred feet across and -took quite a bit of engineering work,” Dr. Kenton -said, “but it still wasn’t as big a job as the -Martians did on this canal and the others all over -the planet. How they built these giant waterways -is another great mystery we may never know.”</p> -<p>“Look! Aren’t those the little boats you were -telling us about?” Jill asked, pointing.</p> -<p>There were a number of tributaries extending -out from the canal. It was along these that the -individual houses were located.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_88">88</div> -<p>“That’s right,” her father said. “We’ll have a -boat of our own, too.”</p> -<p>Before leaving Earth, Dr. Kenton had explained -to his family about the transportation -system that connected the people with the main -headquarters building of Lowell Harbor. When -the colony had first been built, it was figured that -the cost of fuel and cars for each individual family -could be saved by making use of the natural -waterways. A simple aluminum boat could run -on cheaper fuel.</p> -<p>The new arrivals entered the nearer of the -two largest buildings in the colony, and because -of the compressed air inside, dared remove their -helmets. In here were housed all facilities that -had to do with the running of the settlement.</p> -<p>As they walked down the corridor to the registration -room, Dr. Kenton said, “You see, the -building is made entirely of panes of heavy plastic -so that a hundred per cent sunlight gets in.”</p> -<p>After registering, the Kentons were assigned -their new home.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_89">89</div> -<p>“I’m afraid you’ve got the house farthest out, -Dr. Kenton,” the clerk said. “You’re the last family -to arrive, and they’re not building any more -until more materials are sent from Earth.”</p> -<p>“That’s all right,” Dr. Kenton replied. “I -knew about that.”</p> -<p>“Your boat is waiting for you outside the -building at Air Lock Forty-seven,” the clerk -went on. “One of our men will show you how it -operates and take you home. Your baggage and -certain equipment for your home will be sent out -later.”</p> -<p>The Kentons walked down a long corridor to -the air lock. On their way they had time to see -just how many kinds of service were carried on -in this most important center on Mars. If anything -should happen to the functions of this -building, none of the homes could survive for -very long.</p> -<p>Outside the air lock, the Kentons found their -boat awaiting them beyond a narrow strip of -ground. The space-suited man inside the boat -introduced himself as Martin Cooper. The -Kentons climbed in and took their seats in the -bottom of the boat, which was long and deep.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_90">90</div> -<p>Ted was anxious to see how the boat was operated. -He saw Mr. Cooper take a marble-sized tablet -out of a box and drop it into a small tube at -the rear of the boat. Then the man turned some -switches. In a moment a steady popping was -heard underwater, and the boat glided off.</p> -<p>“Is that all there is to it?” Ted asked in amazement.</p> -<p>“That’s all,” Mr. Cooper answered.</p> -<p>“But how does it work?” Ted wanted to know.</p> -<p>“The pill dissolves in the tank of water, generating -a lot of pressure,” Mr. Cooper replied. “It’s -the jet pressure that moves us along.”</p> -<p>There was a steering wheel to guide the boat -and a “gas pedal” to control the release of pressure -and their speed. Mr. Cooper turned the boat -into Main Canal, which was filled with other -craft like their own coming and going. Presently -the pilot turned out of Main Canal into a narrow -waterway scarcely wider than the boat.</p> -<p>“This is like the ‘Old Mill’ run at the carnival!” -Jill said, as the craft wound in and out along -the irregular course.</p> -<p>“This boat is great fun!” Ted said. “May Jill -and I run it some time, Dad?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_91">91</div> -<p>“I guess you’ll have to when I’ve gone off on -my expedition,” Dr. Kenton answered.</p> -<p>“Why doesn’t this water freeze?” Ted asked.</p> -<p>“It contains a kind of antifreeze mineral supplied -by nature herself,” his father said. “It never -freezes, no matter how cold it gets. It’s another -one of the marvels of this planet.”</p> -<div class="img" id="i13"> -<img src="images/i13.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="500" height="270" /> -</div> -<p>As they rode along, Ted was intrigued by the -strange glow of the Martian sky. The thin, purplish -atmosphere permitted the more brilliant -stars to burn through even in the bright daylight. -But then, Ted decided, it wasn’t such bright daylight -after all, because the faraway sun looked -incredibly tiny to him, and there was a sort of -twilight glow to the whole scene.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_92">92</div> -<p>Mr. Cooper guided the boat the last few feet -of its journey into a little dock beside the sprawling -bungalow which was to be their new home.</p> -<p>“End of the line!” Mr. Cooper sang out gaily. -“Everyone out!”</p> -<p>As Mrs. Kenton was helped out by her husband, -she exclaimed in a shocked tone, “Goodness! -The house is made of glass! We won’t have -any privacy!”</p> -<p>“It’s not glass—it’s strong plastic like that in -the main buildings,” Dr. Kenton explained.</p> -<p>“And as for privacy, Mrs. Kenton, you’ll have -that,” Mr. Cooper said. “There’s a diffusing light -inside the walls that makes them solid-looking -when you turn on certain lights.”</p> -<p>“I’m glad to hear that!” Mrs. Kenton said with -relief.</p> -<p>As Mr. Cooper led them over a few feet of -ground from the waterway to the house, Ted, -who had been noticing the queer fixtures atop -the building, asked, “What are those things up -there, Mr. Cooper?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_93">93</div> -<p>“The network of rods and wires are the television -antenna,” was the reply. “That shiny disk -on a pole that looks like an oversized dinner plate -is your solar mirror.”</p> -<p>Jill wanted to know what the solar mirror was.</p> -<p>“It collects the energy from the sun,” Mr. -Cooper answered patiently. “That energy in turn -is what runs the generator in your home and gives -you electric power.”</p> -<p>While these explanations were going on, -Randy stood fidgeting. All this was old stuff to -him, and the explanations seemed to bore him.</p> -<p>Mr. Cooper led the party over the few feet of -ground that separated the watercourse from the -house. They entered a small alcove at the front -of the house; this was an air lock. Mr. Cooper -closed the outer door and threw a switch on the -wall. Ted heard air hissing into the cramped -quarters.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_94">94</div> -<p>When this was done, the inner door was -opened and the Kentons looked around the front -room of their new home. The house was already -oxygen-pressurized for immediate occupancy. -All the furniture was of beautiful colored plastic, -and waterproof, much like the styles that were -popular back on Earth. The floor likewise was of -poured plastic, so that the whole interior could -be cleaned with a hose.</p> -<p>Mr. Cooper prepared to take his leave. “The -things you brought from Earth and your months’ -food supply will be sent out in a little while. -New oxygen drums are brought around once a -week. If you ever need to call the headquarters -building, just use the radiophone over there on -the wall. Every home has its own broadcast -band.”</p> -<p>The Kentons said good-by to their guide and -turned with interest to the wonders of their -home. Mr. Cooper had offered to show them over -the entire house, but Dr. Kenton said he had seen -the plans and knew what the rest of the house was -like.</p> -<p>There were three bedrooms in the one-floor -building. Since Randy had come to live with -them, Jill gave up her bedroom to the boys and -agreed to take the smaller guest room.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_95">95</div> -<p>When all had gotten acquainted with their -bedrooms, Dr. Kenton took them into the basement, -which was just as large as the main floor.</p> -<p>“Down here are all the things that have to do -with the running of our home,” the scientist -said. “Over there is the water tank that draws -from the canal outside. The tank has a purifier -in it so that the water is good to drink.”</p> -<p>In the next room Ted found a mass of whirring -dynamos and turbines. His father told them -that this provided their electricity by drawing on -the energy from the solar mirror. They passed -down a narrow corridor. Inside one of the walls -was a niche containing a large gray tank with -dials on it.</p> -<p>“What’s this?” Jill asked.</p> -<p>“The most precious article in the house,” her -father answered. “It’s our oxygen drum. The air -from it enters a blower that carries it evenly -through the building.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_96">96</div> -<p>The last room was the most surprising of all. -Dr. Kenton opened a heavy door, and Ted, standing -in front of it, gasped as a blast of frigid air -hit him. He saw his father grinning. “That gives -you an idea of how cold the ground is,” Dr. Kenton -said. “This is a natural deepfreeze. It never -varies more than a few degrees all year ’round.”</p> -<p>His shivering companions took a moment to -look inside. Ted saw a room as large as the upstairs -living room. It was empty.</p> -<p>“When they bring our food, this place will be -a third full,” Dr. Kenton said.</p> -<p>“Do you mean to say I have to come downstairs -and go into that cold place every time I want a -stick of butter?” Mrs. Kenton asked unhappily.</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton merely grinned at her. He led -them back upstairs and into the kitchen. He -opened one of several doors built right into the -wall. Frigid air seeped out of the compartment -just as it had downstairs.</p> -<p>“This is our regular refrigerator,” Dr. Kenton -said. “It connects by pipe to the basement -freezer.”</p> -<p>“I’m glad to know that,” Mrs. Kenton returned, -with a smile of relief. “I thought I’d have -to trot myself to death going up and down those -basement steps.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_97">97</div> -<p>Ted thought what fun it was going to be living -in their very own home on this distant planet. -Wouldn’t he have exciting things to tell the kids -back on Earth when he returned?</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_99">99</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c9">CHAPTER NINE -<br /><i>A Cry in the Night</i></h2> -<p>Hours later, Ted lay awake in the upper -bunk of the double-deck bed he shared -with Randy. The foam-rubber mattress under -him was soft as a cloud, and the cool artificial air -of the house inflated his lungs satisfyingly.</p> -<p>But though he was comfortable, Ted could -not sleep. He had lain awake for an hour. He -guessed it was because of the excitement of the -past few days and the fact that this was his first -night on solid ground after months of life in -space.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_100">100</div> -<p>He climbed down the ladder to the floor, -quietly so as not to disturb Randy. He stared -through the clear plastic walls of his room at the -hushed Martian night. The sky was a glittering -canopy of starlight. Phobos, the fleet closer moon, -cast a weak light over the landscape. Beyond -their desert back yard, Ted saw the dark spreading -mass of the sand bog which he had been -warned about. It was like quicksand and would -draw anything that touched it down to destruction. -Ringing the bog Ted saw thick clusters of -white flowers, which his father had said was a -favorite food of the little Martian color bears.</p> -<p>Ted had also learned that the animals fed at -night. He wondered if any of the creatures were -in these parts, and if there were any chance he -would see one of them. He kept his eyes on the -bog for what seemed an hour, but he caught no -sign of movement down there. At last his eyes -grew blurry and he thought he could sleep. He -turned away and climbed the ladder.</p> -<p>Just as his lids closed, something startled him, -and he jerked up in bed. He wasn’t sure what had -aroused him. He sat there in the semidarkness, -his heart bumping rapidly, his ears alerted.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_101">101</div> -<p>Then he heard a sound. It seemed far off. It -was like a wail, a cry. He came down the ladder -again. In his haste, he tripped on the bottom -rung and went sprawling. He turned anxiously -toward the bed and saw Randy sit up.</p> -<p>“I’m sorry, Randy,” Ted said. “I thought I -heard something outdoors.”</p> -<div class="img" id="i14"> -<img src="images/i14.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="500" height="344" /> -</div> -<p>“I heard it, too,” Randy said.</p> -<p>The two looked outside, straining their eyes -to pierce the shadowy night. Suddenly Randy -Whispered tensely, “There!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_102">102</div> -<p>Ted stared where he pointed. There was a -figure at the edge of the bog. They heard the -sound repeated. It seemed to be coming from the -moving figure. Ted suddenly remembered his -father’s field glasses lying on a table in his -parents’ room. Before going to bed, all of them -had used them to study the stars.</p> -<p>Ted tiptoed down the hall into his parents’ -room. Carefully he lifted the glasses from the -table and returned to his own room. He could -hardly wait to train the glasses on the mysterious -thing beside the bog.</p> -<p>“Did you hear it again?” Ted asked as he -swept his glasses over the landscape.</p> -<p>Randy nodded. “It sounded like a color bear. -He must be in trouble.”</p> -<p>Finally Ted found what he was looking for. -He was able to make out a little furry body -struggling at the bog’s edge. The animal appeared -to be trapped in the marsh. One stubby -paw was grasping a root growing out of the -bank. Ted handed the glasses to Randy.</p> -<p>“It’s a color bear,” Randy whispered. “He’s -stuck in the bog. He’ll never get out by himself.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_103">103</div> -<p>Ted saw a wistful look on Randy’s face. “I sure -hate to see anything happen to those little fellows. -They’re so friendly.”</p> -<p>“You mean they make good pets?” Ted -wanted to know.</p> -<p>“They sure do,” Randy answered. “I owned -one once, until he fell into a bog. It seems they -always end up in one sooner or later.”</p> -<p>“I wonder if we could help him,” Ted suggested.</p> -<p>“It may be dangerous,” Randy warned. “If we -should slip....”</p> -<p>“You’ve been around them before, haven’t -you?”</p> -<p>“Yes.”</p> -<p>“I’m willing to try it if you are,” Ted said.</p> -<p>“Let’s go then.”</p> -<p>“We’ll have to be careful not to wake the -others,” Ted said.</p> -<p>Softly they crept down the hall to the space-suit -closet. Silently they dressed and inflated -their suits with oxygen. Then they went through -the air lock and on outdoors.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_104">104</div> -<p>Ted had brought a flashlight. The cone of -whiteness fanned out ahead of them, leading the -way for them over the red sands. As they drew -near the sand bog, the wails of the trapped animal -became louder and more frantic.</p> -<p>“We’d better hurry,” Randy said. “He may -go down any moment.”</p> -<p>They broke into a run and finally reached the -side of the little fellow. The only part of him -visible now was his round head, from which projected -big cup-handle ears. His short forepaws -still clung to the root, but even now the boys -could see his grip loosening.</p> -<p>As they knelt beside him, they saw his violet -button eyes turned pleadingly up to them.</p> -<p>“The bank seems firm,” Randy said. “Let’s -brace ourselves and each take one of his paws.”</p> -<p>The black mud pulled strongly against them. -After a few moments the boys’ arms ached from -the tug of war, but they appeared to be winning -the battle. Slowly the bear rose out of his trap. -Just as Ted thought his own arms would be -pulled off from the strain, the animal sucked -free of the clutching slime and came tumbling -up over Ted and Randy.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_105">105</div> -<p>As the boys climbed to their feet, the color -bear ran up first to one and then to the other, and -licked their helmets gratefully with his long red -tongue!</p> -<div class="img" id="i15"> -<img src="images/i15.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="500" height="363" /> -</div> -<p>The little creature stood about two and a half -feet tall and was so roly-poly, he must have been -nearly that wide. The mud caked his body, some -of it crawling like thick molasses down into a -black puddle around his flat feet. He walked -upright just as they did.</p> -<p>“What’ll we do with him?” Randy asked.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_106">106</div> -<p>“Let him go, I guess,” Ted replied. “I wish -we could keep him, but I’m afraid Dad wouldn’t -agree. For some reason, he doesn’t like color -bears. Besides, there’s no place to keep him.”</p> -<p>They walked back toward the house. Presently -Ted turned and saw what he had feared. The -bear was trudging along behind. They tried to -shoo him off. This only made him hesitate momentarily -and then start following again. Finally -they gave up, permitting him to trail along at a -distance.</p> -<p>When they reached the air lock, they opened -the door. As they waited for the pressure to come -up, the color bear stood outside looking in at -them. Ted thought he had the most plaintive -expression he had ever seen. It was almost -human.</p> -<p>“We can’t let him stand out there like that all -night,” Ted said. “He might wake up the whole -house with his cries. They do cry, don’t they?”</p> -<p>“Just like babies,” Randy said.</p> -<p>“I forgot, though,” Ted said. “They can’t -breathe our air mixture, can they?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_107">107</div> -<p>“Yes, they can.” Randy told him. “They have -a valve in their bodies that takes care of that.”</p> -<p>“I believe we can wash that goo off him and -leave him in the kitchen until morning,” Ted -said. “Maybe he’ll be quiet if he’s clean.”</p> -<p>They let the bear in, and in appreciation he -licked their helmets again.</p> -<p>“If you want to stay in here, you’ll have to be -quiet,” Randy warned, just as though the animal -could understand.</p> -<p>“Hey!” Ted cried. “What’s wrong with him?” -The little animal was reeling around as though -he could hardly keep his feet, and his eyes were -glazed.</p> -<p>“They always do that the first few times they -enter our atmosphere,” Randy answered.</p> -<p>The color bear adjusted himself quickly to the -change and then seemed all right again. Quietly -the boys led him down the hall toward the -shower. In the bathroom they shut the door, removed -their helmets and turned on the shower -in a gentle spray. The bear did not take to water -willingly, and the boys had to force him under. -When he began squealing and kicking, Ted put -his hand over his mouth. As the little animal felt -the warm water, however, his broad mouth -turned upward in a grin, and he sat down in the -middle of the plastic basin to enjoy his bath.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_108">108</div> -<p>While the mud was washing down the -drain Ted began to see what a beautiful creature -the color bear really was. His soft fur was white -next to the body, then merged into reddish -brown at the tip. To make him even more colorful, -his paws, legs, and head had a bluish tinge. -“What a patriotic creature he would be on -Earth,” Ted thought. He had all the colors of -the American flag.</p> -<p>When the animal was clean, Ted got out a -blotting towel that dried the bear in a matter of -seconds. The little fellow looked happy after his -bath and grinned at them. When he tried to lick -their bare faces, they had to cover up. He seemed -hurt by their gesture and pouted for a moment, -with his lower lip quivering.</p> -<p>“See what I mean?” Randy said, grinning. -“They’re almost human.”</p> -<p>“I wish we could keep him,” Ted said longingly. -“He seems like lots of fun. I think I’ll ask -Dad about it.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_109">109</div> -<p>As they were cleaning up the bathroom, Ted, -who was leaning over the shower basin, felt -Randy’s hand press sharply on his shoulder. Ted -spun around. Standing in the doorway was his -father, a stern look on his face.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_111">111</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c10">CHAPTER TEN -<br /><i>School on Mars</i></h2> -<p>“What in the world are you two doing?” -Dr. Kenton asked.</p> -<p>Ted told him the whole story of the rescue, -ending up with a request that they keep the -Martian animal for a pet.</p> -<p>Ted’s father shook his head. “That’s impossible. -There’s no place to keep him.” His face grew -stern again. “You two did a very foolish thing -going out alone near that bog. You might have -fallen in. I want you to promise that you won’t -go near that place again.”</p> -<p>They promised. Ted knew it was no use arguing -about keeping the color bear. When his father -made up his mind, he rarely changed it.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_112">112</div> -<p>As the three walked along the hallway with -the bear, Dr. Kenton said, “You kids woke me up -with all that splashing in the bathroom, but, fortunately, -Mom is still asleep. We must be quiet -so that we won’t waken her and Jill.”</p> -<p>The bear was reluctant to be forced out of the -house through the air lock. Ted knew the animal -felt no worse than he did. He had become quite -attached to the little fellow in even this short -time.</p> -<p>When the bear was outside in the dark, -he looked mournfully through the transparent -doors at his former friends who had rejected him. -Then he began wailing softly. Ted looked hopefully -at his father, wishing that he would have a -change of heart. But Dr. Kenton’s expression was -set, and Ted knew there was no chance of the -color bear coming back inside.</p> -<p>The three of them retired to bed, but Ted was -a long time getting to sleep. For almost an hour -the Martian creature kept up a soft wail. Ted -covered up his ears with his air-filled pillow, and -he was finally able to drop off to sleep.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_113">113</div> -<p>The next morning Ted and Randy went to -the front door the first thing after they rose. -There was no sign of the color bear.</p> -<p>“I guess he finally gave up,” said Ted unhappily.</p> -<p>“I can’t understand his being alone like he -was,” Randy said. “Usually the little bears travel -around in families of about ten. I guess this one -was an orphan.”</p> -<p>Hearing this, Ted felt even worse. “Maybe a -wild animal got him,” he murmured. “If it -hasn’t already, it probably will sooner or later. -By the way, what kind of wild animals do they -have here?”</p> -<p>“None of them ever come close to the colony,” -Randy answered. “Hundreds of miles away, -there’s the Great Martian Forest where all kinds -of them live. One of the fiercest kinds are the elephant -ants. Big herds of blue rovers run across -the desert closer by. There are different kinds of -birds here, too.”</p> -<p>“I’ve heard of a dangerous plant in the Great -Forest,” Ted said. “What’s it called?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_114">114</div> -<p>“The whip tree,” Randy answered. “It throws -tentacles around anything that’s near and draws -it into its center mouth.”</p> -<p>Realizing the dangers to the lonely little bear, -Ted had not much appetite for breakfast. -Neither of the boys nor Dr. Kenton had mentioned -the adventure of the night before, but -Mrs. Kenton had heard some noises, although -they had thought she was asleep. She began asking -questions and finally got the whole story.</p> -<p>“I wish we could have kept that little animal!” -Jill sighed. “He sounds wonderful!”</p> -<p>“We can’t adopt every stray animal that comes -along,” Dr. Kenton said. “I’m sure the color bear -will get back to his family all right. He probably -just strayed temporarily.”</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton next said that he was going to report -to the science organization this morning. He -asked the children if they wanted to go along and -register in school. They’d have to within the next -few days anyhow.</p> -<p>“Are the schools like they are back home?” -Jill asked.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_115">115</div> -<p>“They sure are,” her father said. “Just as -modern as you’ll find anywhere.”</p> -<p>Hearing this, the children were eager to go. -Schools in the twenty-first century were a combination -of wholesome entertainment and instruction. -No dry textbooks or cramped wooden desks -with hard seats. Ted and Jill had heard about the -poor children of the mid-1900’s who had to plod -through school with such handicaps as these, and -they felt sorry for them.</p> -<p>Ted noticed that Dad seemed reluctant to -leave Mom by herself, but she did not seem to -mind.</p> -<p>“Don’t worry about me,” Mrs. Kenton said -merrily. “I’ll have plenty to do unpacking our -clothes and things that they dumped in the living -room yesterday. I won’t even miss you <i>four</i> -children!”</p> -<p>When the young folks and Dr. Kenton went -outside in their space suits, Ted saw that the sun -was just a little above the horizon. He had -learned that men rose early on Mars to take -advantage of the warmth and illumination of -daylight.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_116">116</div> -<p>Dr. Kenton looked into the purple sky -through which the stars gleamed. “It’s exactly -six-fifteen now,” he said.</p> -<p>“How did you know that?” Ted asked in surprise. -“You didn’t look at your watch.”</p> -<p>“I didn’t have to,” his father answered. “That -little disk in the sky gives it to me.”</p> -<p>“That’s Phobos,” Ted supplied.</p> -<p>“Right,” his father answered. “It takes only -six hours for the moon to go from one horizon to -the other, so you can actually see its movement -in a few minutes’ time. By judging its distance -from the star around it, I can get the time.”</p> -<p>“That sure must take a lot of knowledge of -the stars to know just where each one should be -at any one time!” Ted said.</p> -<p>“It does,” the scientist replied, “but you’ll -learn it in school. I’ll bet Randy knows how to do -it now. How about it, Randy?”</p> -<p>“Yes sir,” Randy replied with a grin, “but I -guess I’m a little off after being away so long. I -thought the time was six-thirty.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_117">117</div> -<p>Dr. Kenton took another look, and Ted could -see his face redden inside his helmet. “I’m the -one who’s a little bit off, Randy!” he admitted. -“It <i>is</i> six-thirty.”</p> -<p>Suddenly Jill cried, “Ooo—look!”</p> -<p>A half dozen large birds were swooping down -on the boat. Dr. Kenton did not appear alarmed—only -amused. “They won’t hurt us,” he said. -“They’re whee birds and very friendly.”</p> -<p>The beautiful birds folded their scarlet wings, -tipped in yellow, and perched on the sides of the -boat. Then they began giving out a peculiar, -“Whee-whee,” as though they were enjoying the -boat ride.</p> -<p>“Don’t they sound funny!” Ted said.</p> -<p>The birds soared away as the boat turned into -Main Canal. A few minutes later, Dr. Kenton -drove up to the building they had registered in -the day before. But instead of docking at the -building, Dr. Kenton continued along the canal -beside the building in the direction of the other -large building next to it.</p> -<p>“We’re going to the science building today,” -the scientist explained.</p> -<p>“Why is that as big as the administration -building?” Jill asked.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_118">118</div> -<div class="img" id="pic6"> -<img src="images/i16.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="796" /> -<p class="caption"><i>The birds soared away.</i></p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_119">119</div> -<p>“Don’t forget, Jill, that science and research is -our main business on Mars,” Dr. Kenton told -her. “Every imaginable research project is carried -on there. Your schoolroom is there, too.”</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton docked the boat at the science -building, and the four got out and entered. -When they had removed their space suits, Dr. -Kenton took the children to the school superintendent’s -office, where he left them. The superintendent -had them fill out cards, and then he -took them down a hall.</p> -<p>“We have only a hundred and fifty students -enrolled, so we don’t need many classrooms,” he -said, and stopped before one of the rooms, knocking -on the door.</p> -<p>A dark-haired young man opened it, and the -superintendent introduced him to the children -as their teacher, Mr. Garland. He assigned the -newcomers seats, and since school had already -begun for the day, he went on with his lesson.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_120">120</div> -<p>The room darkened, and a regular three-dimensional -color movie flashed on the screen. -It was a picture about the wonders of the Earth. -Ted felt a lump rise in his throat as he watched. -What he was looking at was the Natural Bridge -in Virginia, not far from their old home. Ted -looked at Jill. A stray pencil of light from the -camera showed tears glistening in her eyes. Ted -was feeling a wave of homesickness himself. The -wonders of Mars were exciting, but there was no -substitute in all the universe for their own little -plot of ground on Earth where they had been -born.</p> -<p>Ted was glad when the movie was over and -another subject was taken up. With slides, Mr. -Garland demonstrated the geography of Mars. -Ted learned that the red planet was mostly a vast -stretch of desert through which ran the marvelous -network of canals. Mr. Garland likened the -climate of Mars to that atop a high mountain on -earth—the air thin and cold.</p> -<p>Ted was glad when the recreation period came -and he could exercise.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_121">121</div> -<p>It was his first such opportunity since leaving -Earth. In the boys’ gym the athletic instructor -was teaching the game of basketball. Some of the -students like Randy had been born on Mars and -knew nothing at all about the game. Ted said -that he had played a lot of it in school back on -Earth and volunteered to help the instructor, -who was glad of the assistance.</p> -<p>When school was out, the young Kentons and -Randy reported to the science-building office, -where Dr. Kenton was waiting for them.</p> -<p>“Did you get your assignment?” Jill asked.</p> -<p>“Yes,” he replied. “I’ll be leaving you in a few -days. We’re going on an expedition to Hellespontus, -where some mysterious fossils have been -discovered. They may be bones of the ancient -Martians. If so, they could solve the baffling riddle -of what happened to those remarkable canal -builders.”</p> -<p>After getting into space clothes, they went to -their boat and started homeward. As they approached -their isolated house at the end of the -winding watercourse, Ted rose in his seat and -pointed.</p> -<p>“Look!” he exclaimed. “There’s the color bear -again!”</p> -<p>Sure enough, seated on the front doorstep, as -though waiting for them to return, was the little -Martian animal they had rescued the night -before.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_123">123</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c11">CHAPTER ELEVEN -<br /><i>Yank</i></h2> -<p>“Isn’t he the cutest thing!” exclaimed Jill, -as she saw the red-white-and-blue creature.</p> -<p>“I thought we were rid of him,” Dr. Kenton -groaned.</p> -<p>He brought the boat to the end of the waterway -and tied it up. The children leaped out and -ran to the bear, who climbed to his chubby feet -to greet them. He licked the suits of Ted and -Randy but merely stared at Jill and Dr. Kenton.</p> -<p>“It looks like we just can’t get rid of him,” -Ted said, renewing his hope for possession of -the animal.</p> -<p>“Oh, Father, can’t we keep him?” Jill pleaded, -stroking the color bear.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_124">124</div> -<p>Randy patted the little round head, and the -bear made a sort of purring, contented sound as -the children fondled him.</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton threw up his hands helplessly. “I -guess I know when I’m licked!” he burst out. -“If Mother agrees, we’ll try and keep him. But -you kids will have to attend to him yourselves, -and mind you keep him out of the sand bog, or -you won’t have him long.”</p> -<p>“We will!” Jill said. Now that she had made -friends with the bear, he seemed ready to accept -her and licked her suit as a sign of friendship.</p> -<p>Randy stayed outside with the bear while the -other children went inside to talk persuasively -with their mother. She objected at first, but -finally yielded to their persistence.</p> -<p>“We’ll have to make out a requisition for plastic -material for his outdoor house,” Dr. Kenton -said. “Are you children willing to chip in part -of your allowance to pay for it?”</p> -<p>They nodded.</p> -<p>“We’ll order it the same time as we do supplies -for the garden,” the scientist said.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_125">125</div> -<p>“We’re going to have a garden?” Jill burst -out.</p> -<p>“I thought we’d try it,” her father said. -“That’s the only way we can get fresh vegetables.”</p> -<p>When Dr. Kenton went to the study to make -out the requisition slip, Ted asked his mother, -“Why didn’t Dad want to keep the bear? It seems -to me that he doesn’t like those little guys, or is -afraid of them, or something.”</p> -<p>“As a matter of fact, he is a little shy of them, -I believe,” she answered. “He accidentally hurt -a baby one badly in one of his explorations a few -years ago, when he crushed its forepaw under his -boot and it ran off crying. Your father’s so tender-hearted -he’s probably reminded of that painful -incident every time he sees one of the animals.”</p> -<p>“Maybe he’ll change after the bear has been -around for a while,” Jill put in.</p> -<p>The air-lock door opened, and Randy stuck -his head in.</p> -<p>“We’d forgotten all about you, Randy!” Jill -exclaimed.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_126">126</div> -<p>“Are we going to keep him?” Randy asked -anxiously.</p> -<p>“We sure are!” Jill piped. “Bring him in and -let’s introduce him to Mother.”</p> -<p>Randy let the color bear inside. When he began -staggering about, Mrs. Kenton exclaimed -with horror: “He’s dying, the poor little fellow.”</p> -<p>Randy assured her he wasn’t really—that he -behaved like this because of the extra oxygen in -the air. Randy said that before long the bear -would be able to go in and out without any bad -effects at all.</p> -<p>Ted brought the animal over to his mother. -She gingerly patted his blue furry head. In response -he licked her dress. “Now we’re friends,” -Mrs. Kenton said.</p> -<p>“We’ve got to give him a name,” Jill said. -“What’ll we call him?”</p> -<p>“How about Fuzzy?” suggested Mrs. Kenton.</p> -<p>“No. Teddy!” Jill said.</p> -<p>Ted wrinkled his nose. “Then you’d get him -mixed up with me. I think he ought to have a -patriotic name because of his colors.”</p> -<p>“How about Yank, then?” Mrs. Kenton said.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_127">127</div> -<p>“That’s a good one!” Jill agreed.</p> -<p>“Yeah, that’s swell!” Ted said. “What do you -think, Randy?”</p> -<p>He shrugged and grinned. “It sounds all right -to me, but I don’t know what it means.”</p> -<p>Ted explained the word as being sort of a -nickname for America and Americans. Randy -had learned quite a bit about the United States -flag, but the word Yankee was a new one to him. -After he learned its meaning, he agreed that -Yank was a perfect name for the color bear. -When Dr. Kenton returned, Ted felt that the -final introduction to the newest member of their -family should be made.</p> -<p>“Yank, meet Dr. Kenton,” Ted said formally.</p> -<p>Ted’s father smiled and approached the little -animal. “Hi, Yank,” he said.</p> -<p>His hand went out to pat the round head, but -to everyone’s surprise, Yank drew back with a -cry of fright. Dr. Kenton’s face went red as if he -had been snubbed by a human being. Ted felt -sorry for his father. Did the bear unconsciously -know what the scientist had done to another -member of his kind?</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_128">128</div> -<p>“Don’t worry, John,” Mrs. Kenton said soothingly. -“He’ll come around to you before long.”</p> -<p>Her husband quickly changed the subject. -“I’ve made out the requisitions. I’ll send them -over to headquarters now on the video-sender.”</p> -<div class="img" id="i17"> -<img src="images/i17.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="500" height="413" /> -</div> -<p>The children watched interestedly as he went -to the video-sender, which was connected to the -radiophone. He fastened the slips face down on -a glass plate and held open a switch for several -seconds. About a minute later, a buzz came over -the radiophone.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_129">129</div> -<p>“That means it’s been received,” Dr. Kenton -said. “I asked to have it sent to us tomorrow.”</p> -<p>“Why couldn’t you just phone it in?” Ted -asked.</p> -<p>“This way there doesn’t have to be anyone on -the other end,” his father explained. “The requisition -was handled by an automatic machine.”</p> -<p>Yank was given temporary quarters in the -basement. Dr. Kenton said he could not live indefinitely -inside like this—that an outside shelter -was absolutely necessary.</p> -<p>The next afternoon after school, Dr. Kenton -brought the children home. Sitting outside the -house on the ground were two pieces of specially -formed plastic.</p> -<p>“Here are the things we ordered,” Dr. Kenton -said. “The manufacturers shaped them on molds -they already have on hand.”</p> -<p>The color bear’s house was a rounded dome -resembling an Eskimo igloo. The garden shelter -was oval and about twenty-five feet long.</p> -<p>“How are we going to lift those things?” Ted -asked. “They must be awfully heavy!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_130">130</div> -<p>“On the contrary, they’re quite light,” Dr. -Kenton said. “Each of you grab a handle on the -side of the garden top and I’ll show you.”</p> -<p>They discovered they could lift the large object -with ease. They carried it around the house, -and Dr. Kenton showed how it would fit close -to the wall. The entrance would be by way of -the back door.</p> -<p>“The dome is double-walled!” Ted said.</p> -<p>“Of course, it is,” Dr. Kenton answered. “So -is our house—and all the buildings on Mars.”</p> -<p>“Why?” Ted asked.</p> -<p>“For insulation against the cold,” was the reply. -“The outer wall gets almost as cold as the -temperature outside, but the vacuum between -it and the inner wall keeps the inside nice and -warm.”</p> -<p>“The walls are so clear in the house, I never -noticed they were double,” Ted said.</p> -<p>“Shall we get started on the garden?” Dr. Kenton -asked. “The sooner we get it in shape, the -sooner we can grow tomatoes and beans and -dwarf fruit trees.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_131">131</div> -<p>They first went into the house, where Mrs. -Kenton showed them a large pile of supplies that -had been sent along with the shelter tops.</p> -<p>“Here’s a foam-rubber mattress for Yank,” the -scientist said, pulling out two bundles, “and a -supply of food for him. Everything else is for the -garden.”</p> -<p>The first thing the four of them did outside -was set up Yank’s house, close to the front door, -and lay out his sleeping mat. When this was -done, the little animal walked cautiously inside -and sniffed all around. Then he curled up on the -soft cushion and closed his eyes.</p> -<p>“He seems satisfied with it,” said Jill.</p> -<p>First work on the garden was to air-seal it to -the rear of the house. This was done with a -strange-looking gun that shot a thick gluey liquid -out along the seams between the plastic cover -and the house. The rest of the work had to be -done under the dome itself. The workers went -back indoors and hauled all the equipment under -the garden shelter.</p> -<p>“First we bring the warm house atmosphere -into here, so that we can remove our space gear,” -Dr. Kenton said.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_132">132</div> -<p>When this was done, and with their space suits -off, the workers could move about more efficiently.</p> -<p>“After supper we’ll prepare the ground, and -tomorrow we can plant seeds,” Dr. Kenton said.</p> -<p>Ted thumped the hard, cold ground with his -shoe. “How can we work this?” he asked. “It’s -hard as stone, and it must be awfully cold.”</p> -<p>His father pulled some long steel spikes out -of the mass of equipment. Then he took out a -sledge hammer. He hammered the spikes at intervals -in the ground along the sides of the dome. -Then he attached an electrical circuit to each of -them and the whole to a generator.</p> -<p>As the generator purred in operation, he said, -“Infrared heat rays are being sent out by the -spikes into the ground, warming it. After supper -the ground will be thawed out so that we can -till it.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_133">133</div> -<p>When they returned to the garden area after -their last meal of the day, they found that the -ground could be worked easily. Electric tools -made the job quick and efficient. Fertilizer and -soil conditioner were worked into the ground -after the surface had been loosened up for several -feet down.</p> -<p>“Did you say we could plant seeds tomorrow?” -Jill asked, when they were through.</p> -<p>“That’s right,” her father replied. “The -chemicals we have put in the ground are almost -miraculous in the speed with which they work in -the soil. They can literally do the job overnight.”</p> -<p>Jill and Ted went to bed tired and untroubled -that night. But not Randy. Before Ted dropped -off, he heard Randy tossing restlessly in the bunk -below. Ted caught some of the words muttered -by the boy: “Father ... miss you ... ever -come back to me?”</p> -<p>They had been kept so busy during those first -days in their new home that Ted had almost forgotten -that Randy wasn’t his brother. Randy -seemed to have taken to the family very well, Ted -thought, but he realized no foster parents could -take the place of his real father. As Ted fell -asleep, he was thinking what an unhappy day it -was going to be for all of them when Randy -found out that his father was never going to return.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_135">135</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c12">CHAPTER TWELVE -<br /><i>Illness Strikes</i></h2> -<p>The young folks planted seeds the next -afternoon when they came home from -school. Then in the next few days, they could -scarcely wait to see the first seedlings break -through the soil. The little green crooks popped -up the morning that Dr. Kenton was to leave -on his expedition.</p> -<p>The scientist said that the plants would grow -rapidly and produce edible food within the next -ten days. He gave the children instructions for -tending the crops, and they memorized his directions.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_136">136</div> -<p>He had showed Jill, Ted, and Randy how to -attend to the mechanical functions of the home -and also how to run the boat. The three helped -him to load his gear into the boat, and then stood -by as Dr. Kenton bade farewell to his wife. There -were tears in Mrs. Kenton’s eyes as she waved -good-by from inside the house.</p> -<p>Yank watched the strange goings-on from in -front of his own dwelling. He seemed to understand -that Dr. Kenton was leaving, but he still -had not made friends with him.</p> -<p>When they were all in the boat, Jill dropped -a fuel pill into the tank, and Ted took the steering -wheel. He skillfully guided the boat along -the winding watercourse to Main Canal and -along its length to the science building. They -all helped unload the gear on the dock, and Dr. -Kenton said that this was where they must part.</p> -<p>“You three will have to run things while I’m -away,” the scientist told them. “You shouldn’t -have any trouble, but if anything does happen, -call headquarters for help. There’s one thing I -want you to be sure to attend to. Bring the empty -spare air cartridges in the closet down here and -have them filled. You never know when you’ll -need them.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_137">137</div> -<p>“We’ll bring them tomorrow on our way to -school,” Ted promised.</p> -<p>Jill hugged her father hard and long. Like her -mother, she was tearful at his leaving. Ted, himself, -felt a tug of dread. He wondered if the trip -into the Martian wilds would be a successful one -or whether, as in the case of Randy’s father, it -would end in disaster.</p> -<p>The children went on to school. Ted was glad -to be going because it would take his and Jill’s -minds off the melancholy of their father’s departure.</p> -<p>Ted found the opening lesson particularly -interesting. In it he learned facts about the extinct -native Martians. Mr. Garland showed slides -on some diggings that had unearthed bones of -these early people. The bones had been organized -to the best of Earth scientists’ ability, but -many were missing, and the reconstructed figures -were largely guesswork. Ted wondered if his father’s -expedition would uncover more information -on these mysterious ancient people.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_138">138</div> -<p>As the young Kentons and Randy started for -home in the boat that afternoon, Jill complained -of having a headache. Ted told her it was probably -due to eyestrain from looking at the slides, -and this seemed to satisfy her. But when Ted -docked the boat at the house, Jill said she felt -worse.</p> -<p>Yank came running out to greet them, but the -boys were so concerned over Jill that they paid -little attention to him. He stood off sulking and -watched Ted help his sister out of the boat and -through the air lock of their house.</p> -<p>“Mother, Jill is sick!” Ted called when they -were inside.</p> -<p>Mrs. Kenton had been spraying the hose on -the plastic floor and furniture. She turned it off -and allowed the spring on the hose to pull it back -into the wall opening. The water swirled -through the drain in the center of the floor and -disappeared in a matter of seconds.</p> -<p>“What’s wrong with her?” Mrs. Kenton asked -in alarm.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_139">139</div> -<p>Ted helped Jill off with her helmet. He was -shocked to see that her face was feverish and her -eyes strangely bright. She wandered away from -the others and slumped tiredly on the divan.</p> -<p>“Don’t lie on that rubber cushion, dear!” Mrs. -Kenton cried. “It’s still wet. What on earth has -she got?” Mrs. Kenton asked the boys.</p> -<p>“It looks to me like she’s got bog fever,” Randy -offered.</p> -<p>“How could she catch fever?” Mrs. Kenton -asked.</p> -<p>“There’s a virus that comes from the sand bogs -and sometimes gets through the air valve of space -suits,” Randy said.</p> -<p>“I’d better call a doctor at headquarters right -away!” Mrs. Kenton declared.</p> -<p>She went to the radiophone and put through -the call. She was told that all the doctors were -out on calls and that it might be an hour before -one could come. However, when a nurse on -duty in the Medical Center learned about Jill’s -symptoms, she gave instructions for caring for -the girl until the doctor could come.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_140">140</div> -<p>As Mrs. Kenton switched off the phone, she -said, “The nurse said that Jill should be put to -bed and kept warm. Come on, Honey,” she -added, helping Jill to her feet and leading her -toward the guest room.</p> -<p>“Is the disease serious?” Ted asked Randy -worriedly.</p> -<p>“It can be,” Randy answered soberly. “We’ll -probably have to be quarantined,” he added.</p> -<p>“How long does bog fever last?” Ted asked.</p> -<p>“The crisis comes pretty quickly after the first -attack,” Randy answered. “I remember, because -a friend of mine had it. If they pass the crisis, -they’re usually well in a few days.”</p> -<p>Ted was reluctant to ask the next question, -but he felt he must know.</p> -<p>“Did your friend recover, Randy?”</p> -<p>Randy shook his head, and Ted felt a cold -chill of dread run down his spine. He didn’t -know what he’d do if something happened to -Jill. She <i>had</i> to get well.</p> -<p>About twenty minutes later, Mrs. Kenton -came back to the living room. Her face was -drawn and worried.</p> -<p>“She’s sleeping fitfully and her head is burning -up!” she told the boys. “Oh, why doesn’t that -doctor come?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_141">141</div> -<p>With nothing else to do, the boys stared -through the clear plastic of the side wall at the -deepening afternoon. The purple sky was growing -darker, and the stars were gleaming steadily -brighter. On the horizon, where the miniature -sun was setting, the sky was painted in gorgeous -shades of red. Ted thought he had never seen a -more beautiful sunset, but he could not appreciate -it at this time.</p> -<p>Suddenly Ted spotted a strange yellow mass -gliding close to the ground and apparently coming -in the direction of the settlement.</p> -<p>“What’s that, Randy?” Ted asked. “Do you -know?”</p> -<p>“We’re in for trouble!” Randy answered.</p> -<p>“What do you mean?” Ted asked, alarmed.</p> -<p>“It’s a dust storm blowing this way,” Randy -said.</p> -<p>“I’m glad the house is well anchored to the -ground,” Ted muttered. He had already learned -in school that such storms were often fierce.</p> -<p>“It may be an awful blow,” Randy said. “It -may keep the doctor from getting through to us.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_142">142</div> -<div class="img" id="pic7"> -<img src="images/i18.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="731" /> -<p class="caption"><i>The whole landscape was blotted out.</i></p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_143">143</div> -<p>Once more Ted had that sinking feeling. He -wished desperately that there were something -he could do. But, against the powers of nature, -he knew he was absolutely helpless. All he and -Randy could do was wait and hope.</p> -<p>A few minutes later the dust storm struck with -howling fury. The boys watched the sand spatter -noisily against the house. The whole landscape -was blotted out in a blinding, yellowish-red haze. -Mrs. Kenton came running into the room, looking -terrified. She had not been prepared for this -latest trouble.</p> -<p>“How long will this terrible storm last?” she -asked, when Randy explained what it was.</p> -<p>“Sometimes as long as an hour,” Randy replied.</p> -<p>Mrs. Kenton’s hands twisted in frenzy. “We -can’t wait that long. We must have that doctor. -Poor Jill is twisting and turning so much, I can’t -even keep damp cloths on her forehead.”</p> -<p>“Why don’t we call headquarters again,” Ted -suggested, “and see if the doctor will be able to -come out in the storm.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_144">144</div> -<p>As Mrs. Kenton went into the hall to radiophone -again, the boys heard the storm striking -with renewed power. Fine, cutting sand whipped -against the plastic walls with the sound of sleet, -accompanied by an eerie roar.</p> -<p>Mrs. Kenton came back quickly. “There’s no -sound at all over the phone!” she cried.</p> -<p>Ted instantly thought of the aerial on top of -the house. He went to the center room and -looked through the clear ceiling. His heart sank. -The aerial was swinging loose by the single center -pole.</p> -<p>“The storm has blown the antenna loose!” -Ted told his mother. “We can’t even phone -headquarters now, and they can’t reach us -either.”</p> -<p>Mrs. Kenton left the room, moaning. They -heard her go down the hall to Jill’s room. The -only sound was the furious clatter of sand against -the house and the groaning of the terrible wind. -Ted’s eyes strained to detect some kind of break -in that awful cloud of yellow dust that surrounded -the house, hoping that the storm was -nearing its end.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_145">145</div> -<p>Suddenly Ted heard a weak sound outside, -above the roar of the wind. “Yank!” he cried. -“We forgot all about Yank! We’ve got to let him -in!”</p> -<p>They ran to the front-door air lock. There they -found the color bear clawing at the outer door. -The dust covered him so thickly that he nearly -blended completely with the yellowish background.</p> -<p>Ted flipped a switch opening the outer door. -Yank scrambled quickly inside. Then, when the -air pressure in the little outer compartment was -equal to that in the house, Ted opened the inner -door. Yank tumbled in in a flurry of scattering -sand.</p> -<p>Ted thought the Martian animal was the most -forlorn sight he had ever seen. His fur was dirty -and matted, his eyes were bloodshot, and every -step he took brought a cascade of sand down -around his feet.</p> -<p>“He looks like he needs another shower,” -Randy said.</p> -<p>“There’s nothing else we can do now,” Ted -agreed. Besides, he figured the activity would -take his mind off their troubles.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_146">146</div> -<p>Mrs. Kenton was still with Jill. The boys -marched Yank down the hallway to the bathroom. -When Yank saw what was in store for him, -he eagerly jumped into the shower basin. Ted -turned on the water, and streams of dark-red -liquid poured down Yank into the drain.</p> -<p>“He must have half the sand of Mars on him,” -Ted commented.</p> -<p>Suddenly his mother came up to the door and -looked in. “Jill’s getting worse!” she said. “Ted, -you and Randy must go out after the doctor.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_147">147</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c13">CHAPTER THIRTEEN -<br /><i>News for Randy</i></h2> -<p>Ted was not keen to venture out into the -dust storm, but thoughts of his sister lying -desperately ill quickly drove all hesitation from -his mind. He and Randy climbed into their space -suits, and as they approached the front-door air -lock, Ted was relieved to find that he could begin -to see through the thinning dust.</p> -<p>“It’ll be over in a few minutes now,” Randy -said.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_148">148</div> -<p>But if Ted expected any easy time of it outdoors, -he was mistaken. The storm still had a lot -of fight left in it. The wind struck them relentlessly, -turning them around and blinding their -gaze with whirling dust. They could not even -thrust through it to the boat. Ted signaled to -Randy that they would have to stand close to the -house until the storm had subsided even more.</p> -<p>At last the wind died to gusts. The air was -clearer now, and the stars were once again visible -overhead.</p> -<p>“I think we can make it now,” Ted said.</p> -<p>They ran over to the boat and climbed in. As -Ted dropped a pellet into the tank, Randy said, -“Look at these scratches on the boat! That sand -must cut like a file!”</p> -<p>They jetted off down the waterway, Ted pressing -the accelerator pedal down to shove the boat -along as fast as it could safely go. They whirled -into the Main Canal and sped toward the science -building where the doctors had their offices. -Along the way, the boys could see that theirs -wasn’t the only aerial that had been blown down. -They could see space-suited figures on the individual -houses working on the webs of wires and -poles.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_149">149</div> -<p>Some whee birds appeared out of nowhere and -flew down to perch on the boat and serenade Ted -and Randy with their strange chants. However, -the boys were in no mood for them now, and -presently the friendly birds flapped off as though -they realized they were not wanted.</p> -<p>Before reaching the building, the boys saw a -boat speeding right at them.</p> -<p>“Look out!” Randy warned. “He’s coming -straight at us.”</p> -<p>But the boat pulled up just beside the craft -occupied by Ted and Randy.</p> -<p>“Are you the Kenton family?” the single occupant -asked over his radio.</p> -<p>“Yes, sir!” Ted answered quickly. “Are you -the doctor?”</p> -<p>“Yes,” the man answered. “The storm has -held me up. How’s your sister, Son?”</p> -<p>“She’s bad off, sir,” Ted answered. “That’s -why I had to come for you.”</p> -<p>“Turn your boat around and don’t spare the -horses, as they used to say,” the doctor said. “I’ll -be right behind you.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_150">150</div> -<p>Ted made the fastest trip yet along the waterway -back home. True to his word, the doctor arrived -right at his heels. The doctor jumped out -of his boat at the house, grabbed up a large case, -and hurried toward the air lock. The boys went -ahead and opened the door for him.</p> -<p>When the doctor had met Mrs. Kenton inside, -he asked to see the sick girl alone. The boys and -Mrs. Kenton paced restlessly in the front room as -they waited for the doctor to come out of Jill’s -room. Finally, when Ted thought he could not -stand the waiting any longer, the doctor came -out. He was briskly shaking down a thermometer, -and his face was bland.</p> -<p>“She’ll be a sick girl for a few days,” he said, -“but she’ll be all right. I gave her a shot of some -special serum we developed to combat bog fever. -It was none too soon, either.”</p> -<p>There were tears of joy on Mrs. Kenton’s face, -and Ted felt as though he could turn handsprings. -Randy, too, looked vastly relieved. Although -he was not a true member of the family, -it seemed as though Ted and Jill were brother -and sister to him, especially since he had no -brother or sister of his own.</p> -<p>“I’m afraid all of you will have to be quarantined -for a week,” the doctor went on.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_151">151</div> -<p>“What’ll we ever find to do with ourselves -staying in the house for a whole week?” Ted -thought. Then he remembered the garden that -had to be tended, that antenna that had to be -repaired, and other mechanical duties that had -to do with the running of the house. If they kept -busy, the time would pass swiftly, he reasoned. -The boys went up on the roof to try to repair the -antenna, but there was such a tangle of wires they -did not know where to start. The doctor said he -would leave word at headquarters for a repairman -to come out.</p> -<p>“It may be a day or so before he can get out -here, though,” the doctor warned. “It looks as -though half the aerials in the settlement were -blown down.”</p> -<p>It was actually two days before a repairman -came. By that time, Jill had passed her worst -time, and she was able to sit up a little and see -the boys.</p> -<p>Ted and Randy were amazed at the rapid -growth of the plants in the garden. Already they -were eighteen inches high. Ted thought he could -almost see them growing before his eyes.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_152">152</div> -<p>As soon as the radiomen had repaired the antenna, -the boys sat down to watch the television -program in progress. It was a newscast that -showed in color the events going on all the way -back on Earth and within the settlement as well. -The huge five-by-four-foot screen was sharp and -clear.</p> -<p>Suddenly the regular telecast was interrupted. -A local announcer was switched in. He held a -paper in his hand, and by the expression on his -face, Ted knew he had something very important -to say.</p> -<p>“Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer said, -“we have just received word that several members -of the long-lost expedition to Syrtis Major -have been spotted and contacted by a routine -surveying plane. That is all the information we -can give you now, but stand by and we’ll keep -you posted on developments.”</p> -<p>Randy had sprung to his feet, and Ted could -see his body was tense as a coil of wire.</p> -<p>“Pops!” Randy burst out.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_153">153</div> -<p>“Your father’s expedition!” Ted exclaimed -at the same moment. Then before his hopes got -too high, he recalled that the announcer had said -that only some of the men had been found.</p> -<p>But Randy did not appear to be bothered by -this. His face glowed with happiness. He was convinced -his father was one of those who had been -located.</p> -<p>An hour later, another bulletin was given: “It -has been established that only six of the original -thirty-five members of the ill-fated expedition -are alive. Identity of the men has not yet been -given us. Stand by for further news.”</p> -<p>Randy bit his lip in disappointment as the -message was cut off. He and Ted remained by -the set for another hour without moving, hoping -any moment that more news would be given out. -At last it came:</p> -<p>“Our remote TV facilities will carry you to the -spot where the lost men were found,” the announcer -said. There was a gray screen for several -moments, and then the scene switched to the -interior of a rocket plane.</p> -<p>“It’ll be just like our going along with them -to the place!” Randy exclaimed happily.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_154">154</div> -<p>Ted kept his fingers crossed for Randy. It -would be a terrible shock to him if his father -were not one of the survivors. The unhappy moment -he had dreaded for so long might now be -at hand. Their screen showed the swift trip from -Lowell Harbor over red sands and lichen forests. -At last the plane came in for landing in a wild, -rocky region.</p> -<p>The man who met the TV men in the plane -was the pilot who had first sighted the missing -engineers. “Come with me,” the pilot said, “and -I’ll show you who the survivors are and we’ll hear -their story.”</p> -<p>Ted saw Randy get up and move close to the -screen. He saw Randy’s toe beat a nervous tattoo -against the floor as he waited. Mrs. Kenton had -come into the room in the meantime, when she -found what was going on. Even Jill could hardly -be restrained from leaving her bed to come in -and take part in the great discovery that meant -so much to young Randy Matthews.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_155">155</div> -<p>“The men survived by holing up in an underground -cave, and they signaled the scouting -plane,” the pilot explained, as he led the TV -men over the rocky ground. “It was a landslide -that broke up the expedition, destroying all -means of transportation and communication. -The six who lived through it gathered up all -the spare oxygen tanks and food supplies. They -had plenty along because the expedition was -to have lasted three months. They carried the -tanks underground where a hot spring kept them -warm.”</p> -<p>When the entrance to the cave was reached, -the pilot called inside, and six space-suited figures -walked tiredly out. They were not recognizable -in their space dress, for even their -helmets were too dark to show their faces.</p> -<p>“Gentlemen,” the TV announcer said to the -survivors, “I’m sure every television set, at the -colony and on faraway Earth too, is tuned to -this spot. Of course, the big question in all the -people’s minds is which of the men who were -lost are among you alive. Will each of you pass -before our camera and give your name?”</p> -<p>Ted felt his nerves tighten as the men, one by -one, faced the screen. Two, three, then four -bearded men passed and gave their names. -Randy’s father was not one of them. Two more -to go. Just then the worst possible thing happened. -The screen suddenly went gray.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_156">156</div> -<div class="img" id="pic8"> -<img src="images/i19.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="728" /> -<p class="caption"><i>The picture flashed on.</i></p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_157">157</div> -<p>Ted heard Randy groan. The seconds ticked -by. Still no picture. Finally, after five minutes, -the announcer said that picture service would be -restored in a few more minutes. Ted could see -the perspiration gleaming on Randy’s face, and -his fingers were clenching and unclenching continuously.</p> -<p>“What a frightful thing for him to be going -through!” Mrs. Kenton whispered to Ted. “I -certainly hope and pray his father is one of those -remaining two.”</p> -<p>The picture flashed on. The announcer spent -a moment or two explaining the difficulty that -had thrown the picture off; then he called the -two remaining men. The fifth showed himself. -In the close-up his smiling, grimy face was visible -through his helmet.</p> -<p>“Is—that him?” Ted asked tremulously.</p> -<p>Randy’s head wagged slowly in the negative. -Finally the last man walked up, and Randy gave -a scream of joy and sprang over to the screen.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_158">158</div> -<p>“My name is Robert Matthews,” spoke the -bearded man. He smiled and waved into the -screen. “Are you listening, Randy boy?”</p> -<p>Ted looked at Randy. His shoulders were -hunched over and were shaking with quiet sobs. -Ted could see tears of joy in his mother’s eyes. -Then he realized there was a lump in his own -throat.</p> -<p>Randy’s father was alive. To Ted, it was almost -as though it were his own father who had -been found.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_159">159</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c14">CHAPTER FOURTEEN -<br /><i>Peril in the Night</i></h2> -<p>Randy would have liked nothing better than -to have been at Lowell Harbor to welcome -his father, but the quarantine made that impossible. -However, Randy left word for his father to -phone him on arrival.</p> -<p>Hours after the sensational telecast, the radiophone -finally buzzed. Randy ran to it, flipped a -switch, and listened on the two-way microphone.</p> -<p>“Pops!” Randy exclaimed. “Yes, it’s me! How -are you?” On and on the excited conversation -went.</p> -<p>“Isn’t it wonderful, Mom?” Ted said to his -mother.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_160">160</div> -<p>“It certainly is!” she answered. “Your dad and -I really believed Randy would never see his father -alive again.”</p> -<p>Yank had been allowed into the house. He -seemed to realize that this was a moment of good -times, for he capered about like an animated ball -of fur. He even tried to make noises into the mike -himself, but Randy playfully pushed him off.</p> -<p>Feeling pretty good himself now, Ted thought -that if Yank wanted action he’d give it to him. -He cuffed the little animal gently along his head. -Yank tore after him, catching him near the air -lock. Down went the boy and color bear together. -Yank growled menacingly but did not impress -Ted with his mock ferocity. Yank got on top of -Ted, and Ted called for help.</p> -<p>Just then Randy’s long conversation with his -father ended, and he came over to join the fun. -Then the three of them were scrambling and -yelling together. Ted halted his play for a moment -to look up and see Jill standing in the doorway, -her face beaming as though she would like -to join the fun. Mrs. Kenton looked around, and -her face darkened.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_161">161</div> -<p>“You’d better get back in that bed, young -lady!” her mother threatened.</p> -<p>Jill squealed and ran off to bed. Ted saw that -his mother was not really angry. She was smiling, -and Ted knew she was glad to find that Jill was -feeling so much better.</p> -<p>The rest of the day passed on the same high -note of joy. Where several days ago, everything -had been fear and gloom, now everything was -rosy. The next day, after Randy had talked with -his father again, he was impatient to get out and -meet him. Ted, too, was beginning to feel the -pinch of the quarantine.</p> -<p>The boys went out to take a look at the garden. -The stems were high and full of broad leaves. It -looked like a miniature jungle here. And in such -a short time! Ted checked the atmosphere gauge -that showed the percentage of oxygen to carbon -dioxide in the greenhouse. The gas from the carbon -dioxide tank had to be just so, or the plants -would suffocate from an overabundance of oxygen.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_162">162</div> -<p>When the boys returned to the living room, -Mrs. Kenton said to them, “I have a surprise for -you two. Turn your heads.”</p> -<p>They did so, and when she told them to look -around they saw a fully dressed Jill standing -there, her cheeks pink and healthy again. Ted -hugged his sister as though she had been away -a long time and was just getting back.</p> -<p>At last, the day that, it had seemed, would -never arrive finally did come. Randy was up especially -early that morning, saying that he wanted -to visit his father before he went to school.</p> -<p>The children were in the living room awaiting -breakfast.</p> -<p>“I’m sure they’ll let you off from school one -more day to be with your father, Randy,” Mrs. -Kenton called from the kitchen.</p> -<p>“Even if they do, I don’t want to lose any time -seeing him,” Randy said.</p> -<p>Suddenly Jill pointed a shaky finger toward -the front door. “L-look, there’s a man at the -door?”</p> -<p>Ted turned around, startled. “I wonder who...” he -began.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_163">163</div> -<p>But Randy was not puzzled. He ran across the -room and flipped the switch that controlled the -air lock. A few minutes later a robust man in a -space suit entered and pulled off his helmet. He -had a rugged, kindly face which showed the -effects of the terrible strain he had been under so -long. But he was smiling.</p> -<p>“Pops!” Randy cried and threw his arms -around him.</p> -<p>“Boy, what a squeeze you have!” Mr. Matthews -grunted. “You’ve grown, Randy.”</p> -<p>When their prolonged greeting was over, -Randy introduced his father to the Kentons. -Ted’s hand was almost lost in the large, powerful -grip of Mr. Matthews.</p> -<p>“You’re just in time for breakfast, Mr. Matthews,” -Mrs. Kenton said.</p> -<p>“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a home-cooked -meal,” the man answered wistfully. “I’d -like to join you.”</p> -<p>As they were eating, Dr. Matthews heard the -story of his son’s adoption by the Kentons. Then -he said, “I can’t thank you folks enough for taking -care of my boy just as if he were one of your -own.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_164">164</div> -<div class="img" id="pic9"> -<img src="images/i20.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="744" /> -<p class="caption"><i>“Pops!” Randy cried.</i></p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_165">165</div> -<p>“Randy <i>has</i> been one of us,” Mrs. Kenton said -warmly.</p> -<p>“What do you say about that?” his father -asked. “Do you want to leave these nice people?”</p> -<p>Randy looked uncertain. It was a situation he -had given little thought to before. “I don’t really -like leaving them,” Randy said hesitantly. Then -he seemed to have an idea. “I’ve got it, Dad! Why -can’t you come and live here?”</p> -<p>Mr. Matthews laughed. “I’m afraid that’s -carrying hospitality too far. No, we’ll build us a -house of our own, as close by as we can. Until we -get an allotment of housing material, we’ll get a -room in headquarters.”</p> -<p>“There’s no use both of you living there,” -Mrs. Kenton said. “Why not led Randy stay on -here until your house is ready to move into?”</p> -<p>“Sure,” Ted put in. “Why can’t Randy do -that?” He had been saddened at the thought of -Randy leaving the household. It had seemed as -though Randy was going to be with them always, -for he had not believed that Randy’s father was -ever coming back.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_166">166</div> -<p>Randy thought this was a fine idea. Ted could -see that he did not like parting with the Kentons -any more than they did with him. Mr. Matthews -was reluctant to take further advantage of the -Kenton hospitality, but at last was talked into the -proposition.</p> -<p>The children went along with Randy’s father -back toward town, following along in the Kenton -boat. Mr. Matthews said he’d arrange for Randy -to have the day off from school so that the two -of them could have a good visit.</p> -<p>The young Kentons were glad to be back in -the thick of things. They found school particularly -interesting that day, because a field trip was -announced by Mr. Garland.</p> -<p>“Every year this class is given an exploring -field trip over certain areas of the planet so that -you can get a firsthand knowledge of Mars’s geography,” -the instructor declared. “The trip is by -plane and will last two days. You must have your -parents’ consent, of course.”</p> -<p>That afternoon, as Ted and Jill left school, -Ted said, “What do you think of that trip, Sis?”</p> -<p>“It sounds like fun!” she said. “I hope we can -go.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_167">167</div> -<p>“I’d like to, too, but don’t forget Mom would -be by herself.”</p> -<p>“I’d forgotten about that,” Jill said disappointedly. -“Mother would tell us to go on, if we -asked her, I know, but I still wouldn’t want to -leave her. There are so many things that could -happen.”</p> -<p>“We’ll just have to forget it then,” Ted said. -“Maybe we can make it another time.”</p> -<p>The two kept a brooding silence, and Ted -wondered if Jill was as disappointed as he was. -When Randy found out that they had decided -not to go, he said he did not care to go either.</p> -<p>That night Ted had a dream. In it he was exploring -on the great barren desert with Jill and -Randy but they wore no helmets and it seemed -as though they could hardly get their breath. -They gasped and choked, and the dream grew -into a nightmare of terror. Suddenly, Ted woke. -He sat up in bed in a cold sweat, feeling a strange -lightheadedness. His breath was coming hard -into his lungs.</p> -<p>It had not only been a dream. Something had -happened to the atmosphere in the house.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_169">169</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c15">CHAPTER FIFTEEN -<br /><i>The Peril Continued</i></h2> -<p>“Randy, wake up!”</p> -<p>Ted was jostling his bedmate. Randy -opened sleepy eyes. He seemed to be unaffected -by the reduced air pressure in the room. Ted -remembered that people vary in their reaction -to this.</p> -<p>But when Ted told him of the danger, Randy -bounced out of bed with no further prompting. -Ted switched on a light, and just as he was reading -the air-pressure gauge on the wall, he heard -a shrill whistle in the house. It was the air alarm -that had gone off automatically. Ted could see -that the gauge read dangerously low.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_170">170</div> -<p>If he and Randy and the others did not get into -space suits in a hurry they would suffer serious -consequences, one of which could be an attack -of the “bends.” At worst, they would lose consciousness -and die of anoxia—oxygen starvation.</p> -<p>Even before Ted could leave the room to -rouse his mother and sister, both were standing -at the boys’ door.</p> -<p>“We’ve got to get on space suits right away!” -Ted told them. “It looks like all the air pressure -in the house is leaking out!”</p> -<p>They went immediately to the closet and began -dragging out space dress in a mad flurry of -fear. They pulled on the suits and helmets with -haste and inflated the airtight outfits with fresh, -pressurized oxygen from the small tanks on their -backs.</p> -<p>“What do you think has happened to the air -drum in the basement?” Mrs. Kenton asked her -son over her helmet radio.</p> -<p>“I don’t know, but Randy and I can go down -there and see,” Ted answered.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_171">171</div> -<p>The boys went downstairs, made a light, and -walked over to the giant metal tank recessed in -one of the walls. Checking the gauges on the -tank, Ted turned to Randy with a frown.</p> -<p>“There’s nothing wrong with this,” Ted said.</p> -<p>“Then where is the trouble?” Randy asked.</p> -<div class="img" id="i21"> -<img src="images/i21.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="500" height="315" /> -</div> -<p>“There must be a leak somewhere in the -house,” Ted said. “We’ve got to find out.”</p> -<p>The boys went upstairs, and Ted told his -mother and sister that all of them should spread -out and search the entire house for a leak. There -were emergency sealers on hand to plug such a -leak when it was found. The sealers were only -temporary, but they would last until a full repair -could be made by a repairman.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_172">172</div> -<p>Each of them took a room and worked toward -the middle of the house in their search, all lights -having been turned on to give maximum illumination. -The job was no easy one. Even the slightest -crack anywhere would be sufficient to cause -the loss of pressure; it was just like a tire tube -with a tiny puncture. Ted was the first to finish -his assigned area. He had found nothing. Presently -Randy was through, then Mrs. Kenton, -then Jill. No one had found a leak anywhere, and -the entire house had been covered.</p> -<p>“We must have missed it somewhere!” Ted -said. “We’ve wasted a whole hour!”</p> -<p>“The spare cartridges your father told us to -have filled!” Randy suddenly exclaimed. “We -didn’t do it!”</p> -<p>“We forgot to in all the excitement after he -left!” Ted groaned.</p> -<p>“What’ll we do?” Mrs. Kenton asked, horrified. -“In another hour or so, we’ll have used up -the air in our suits!”</p> -<p>“Can’t we refill our suit cartridges from the -air drum downstairs?” Jill asked.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_173">173</div> -<p>Ted shook his head. “It’s not built that way.”</p> -<p>“Then we must phone for help right away,” -Mrs. Kenton said and rushed off to the radiophone.</p> -<p>In a few moments she was back. “They’ll send -someone from town with spare cartridges right -away,” she said, “but the man said we couldn’t -get a repairman until morning to fix the leak. -We’ll have to stay in our space suits if we don’t -find the leak.”</p> -<p>“Then let’s look for it again,” Ted suggested.</p> -<p>Once more they spread out all over the house, -but this time they changed areas, so that if a -mistake had been made before there was less -chance of repeating it this time. They renewed -their search, and it was not until all were -through, again without having found the leak, -that they realized that another hour had passed -and the man with the spare cartridges had not -shown up.</p> -<p>“The gauge in my helmet shows I’ve got only -ten minutes of air left!” Jill said.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_174">174</div> -<p>The others checked their gauges. All showed -about ten minutes’ supply remaining. And there -was no guarantee that the spare cartridges would -arrive in that time.</p> -<p>Just as Mrs. Kenton was going to the radiophone -to call the air-supply center again, the -phone buzzed and she answered it. After listening -a moment, she turned to the children with a -white face. “The man’s boat developed some -trouble on the way. He says he can’t get here for -fifteen minutes.”</p> -<p>“That’ll be too late!” Jill cried.</p> -<p>Mrs. Kenton relayed this information and -then said, “He wants to know if we have any -neighbors close by we can borrow from.”</p> -<p>“I know it’ll take us more than ten minutes to -get there and back!” Ted answered, recalling the -goodly distance to their closest neighbor.</p> -<p>Mrs. Kenton reported this and then, after -listening for several seconds, she finally hung up. -“He says that he’ll call back to headquarters and -get an emergency truck here as quickly as possible. -But he can’t be certain that it will get here -in time either.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_175">175</div> -<p>Jill began sobbing. Ted could see his mother’s -lips trembling, but she was trying to be brave. -Mrs. Kenton hugged Jill to her, trying to calm -her. Ted saw Randy fidgeting nervously. His -own stomach felt queasy, and waves of terror -went through him as he thought of the consequences -of running out of air.</p> -<p>“Come on, Ted,” Randy said finally to his -friend, going from the hall into the living room. -“We’ve just got to find that leak. If we can find it -and plug it, the house pressure will rise to -normal in a couple of minutes. I remember our -own place doing that once before!”</p> -<p>“But we’ve gone over the whole place twice!” -Ted argued. “There’s no hope!”</p> -<p>“Either we’ve passed the leak without seeing -it,” Randy went on, “or the leak is in a spot that -we didn’t look at.”</p> -<p>“But there isn’t any place we didn’t look!” -Ted said. “Of course, there are some places we -couldn’t get to, like....”</p> -<p>They both thought of it at the same time. -Both boys’ eyes shifted to the drainage hole in -the center of the plastic floor. Here was one spot -they had not been able to check. There was a -grillwork molded into the plastic that was not -easily removable.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_176">176</div> -<p>“Suppose it is the drain hole, though,” Randy -said. “How can we find out?”</p> -<div class="img" id="i22"> -<img src="images/i22.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="500" height="387" /> -</div> -<p>“I’ve got it,” Ted answered. “We’ll plug up -the whole thing with a sealer, then check the -room gauge to see if the pressure builds up.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_177">177</div> -<p>A rubberoid sealing patch was taken out of its -case and applied over the hole. They flattened -it out tightly to assist the adhesive to cling fast -in place. Then all four of them went over to -the wall to watch the pressure gauge.</p> -<p>A minute passed, and the needle failed to -move even the tiniest bit. If this did not work, -they knew they would surely be lost, because -from where they stood, they could see outside -for quite a distance, and still no one was coming.</p> -<p>Over his radio, Ted heard the nervous intake -of breath from the others. He knew his hurried -breathing must sound the same to them. Actually, -fear was hastening their doom because -the more scared they were the more oxygen they -used up.</p> -<p>Ted stole a look at his helmet gauge. Only -three minutes of air remained! His eyes turned -to the wall gauge again. He wished he could put -out his hand and push it along toward normal. -How desperately he wished for it to move!</p> -<p>Ted thought he noticed a flicker of the needle. -He blinked his eyes. Yes, it had moved! The -others had seen it too.</p> -<p>“It moved!” cried Jill, almost hysterically.</p> -<p>“It certainly did!” her mother burst out. “I -saw it!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_178">178</div> -<p>The needle continued to climb toward normal. -Ted had nothing to say. He was so filled -with relief that he was speechless for the moment.</p> -<p>They were all so concerned over the snaillike -movement of that all-important needle that they -paid no attention to the last few dwindling -draughts of air in their suits. Ted was the first -to realize that his tank was empty. He began -feeling that same lightheadedness he had experienced -in his room.</p> -<p>“Our suits,” he cried out. “Pull them off! The -room is just about normal!”</p> -<p>He unclipped his own helmet, then pulled it -off and drank in precious gulps of fresh air. The -others followed suit. Soon the needle was vertical, -indicating that normal pressure and air supply -had been restored.</p> -<p>It was five minutes before a light came swiftly -across the desert, moving in their direction. -They heard the pop of an exhaust a moment -later as a big-wheeled truck pulled up to a roaring -stop outside.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_179">179</div> -<p>Ted knew it must be the arrival of the emergency -cartridges. But they had been five minutes -late. A shudder shook him as he realized what a -close call this had been. Had they not found the -leak when they did, none of them in the house -would now be alive to greet the men.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_181">181</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c16">CHAPTER SIXTEEN -<br /><i>Disappointment</i></h2> -<p>The next afternoon, when Ted, Jill, and -Randy arrived home from school, Mrs. Kenton -told them that the repairmen had taken care -of the leak in the drain. It seemed that the hole -had been partially stopped up so that the water -had collected and frozen in it, causing the pipe to -crack.</p> -<p>Jill had been impatient to talk ever since she -had gotten in the house. Now her chance had -come. “Mother, you know what Mr. Garland -wants us to do?” she asked eagerly.</p> -<p>Mrs. Kenton smiled. “What does he want you -to do?” she asked.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_182">182</div> -<p>“He wants us to bring Yank to school for a -demonstration lesson in Martian zoology,” Ted -broke in.</p> -<p>Jill’s face clouded over with disappointment. -“I wanted to tell her,” she muttered.</p> -<p>“Sorry!” Ted said. “I didn’t know it was a -secret.”</p> -<p>Jill slapped at him playfully, but Ted ducked -in time.</p> -<p>“You little clowns stop performing and get -ready for supper,” Mrs. Kenton said. “We’re -eating early because I have a surprise for you.”</p> -<p>“A surprise!” Jill echoed. “What is it?”</p> -<p>Her mother smiled secretly but did not answer. -Jill ran off to her room and the boys went -to theirs. When the children had dressed and -washed, they seated themselves at the dining-room -table. Mrs. Kenton brought in a large -platter of real roast beef.</p> -<p>“This is the surprise!” Jill said.</p> -<p>“If it isn’t, I’ll settle for it!” Ted put in.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_183">183</div> -<p>Beef was a rarity on Martian tables. It was -brought in only occasionally on the rocket supply -ships. Most meat was of the dehydrated and -cube variety that took less space.</p> -<p>“No, this is not the surprise I was talking -about,” Mrs. Kenton said, “although it was to -me when the supply boat drove up this morning -with special rations.”</p> -<p>“Do you mean there is still another?” Jill -asked.</p> -<p>Her mother nodded and went on. “The beef -took only a few minutes to roast in the electronic -oven. I remember my grandmother making so -much of a pressure cooker. She probably would -never have believed there would be an oven of -the future that cooked in even less time than the -pressure cooker and without any heat whatsoever.”</p> -<p>When the main course of the meal was over -and apple pie was brought in, the children were -sure this was the surprise Mrs. Kenton had -promised. She said the supply boat had brought -the fresh apples with the meat. But even the -treat of apple pie was not the special surprise.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_184">184</div> -<p>When supper was over Mrs. Kenton conducted -the children into the living room and -had them gather around a recording machine -owned by their father. Mrs. Kenton set a spool -of wire rotating and told them to listen.</p> -<p>“Hello, kids!” came a voice.</p> -<p>“Father!” Jill exclaimed.</p> -<p>They listened to a message addressed especially -to them. When it was over, Mrs. Kenton -explained that their father had called by remote -broadcast from his distant work during the day. -Then he had had her make a special wire recording -for them so that they could hear it later. -Mrs. Kenton told them this was the surprise. -The children admitted that this was an even -greater one than the beef and the apple pie.</p> -<p>“I thought Father sounded sort of sad or disappointed,” -Jill commented.</p> -<p>“You were right, dear,” Mrs. Kenton replied. -“Their work hasn’t gone along as well as they -expected. They had a small landslide that -buried the best of their diggings, which will take -larger machinery than they’ve got to unearth. -On top of that, the tracks they thought would -prove to be a clue to the disappearing Martians -aren’t human at all but belong to a group of -animals they have already classified.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_185">185</div> -<p>“Gee!” Ted murmured sympathetically, remembering -how enthusiastic his father had -been before he had left. Now the greatest mystery -on Mars—that of the disappearing Martians—was -just as baffling as before.</p> -<p>“Because of this,” Mrs. Kenton said, -“they’re ending the expedition ahead of time -and coming home.”</p> -<p>“That’s why he said he’d be seeing us -shortly,” Randy said.</p> -<p>“I’m glad to hear that, anyway,” Jill murmured.</p> -<p>“When will he be back?” Ted asked.</p> -<p>“Within two or three days, he said,” his -mother replied.</p> -<p>“That will be before the class goes on -the ...” Jill burst out, then covered her -mouth with her hand as she caught herself.</p> -<p>“Before the class goes on what?” Mrs. Kenton -asked.</p> -<p>“We’ll have to tell her now,” Jill said lamely -to the boys.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_186">186</div> -<p>“The class is going on a sight-seeing rocket-plane -tour of Mars next week,” Ted explained.</p> -<p>His mother looked at Jill curiously. “But why -such a secret about it?”</p> -<p>“We just thought you wouldn’t be especially -interested,” Jill said, “since we weren’t going.”</p> -<p>“Don’t you want to?” Mrs. Kenton asked.</p> -<p>“Oh, yes!” Jill said. “Only....”</p> -<p>A knowing look came into Mrs. Kenton’s eyes. -“I see! You didn’t tell me about it and show -your interest because you didn’t want to leave -me here alone! That’s it, isn’t it?”</p> -<p>Mrs. Kenton threw an arm around each of her -children. “That was a very unselfish thing for -you to do,” she said. “But now that Father will -be back sooner than he expected, you’ll be able -to go after all.”</p> -<p>“Can we really, Mother?” Jill asked enthusiastically, -her eyes full of stars.</p> -<p>“Will it be dangerous?” Mrs. Kenton asked -cautiously.</p> -<p>“There have been lots of these trips made -already,” Randy volunteered. “There hasn’t -been any trouble yet.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_187">187</div> -<p>“Well, you have my permission,” Mrs. Kenton -said, “but your Father will have to agree too.”</p> -<p>“But tomorrow’s the last day we can make -reservations!” Jill protested. “If we wait until he -comes, we can’t make it!”</p> -<p>“Go ahead and make your reservations then,” -her mother said. “I don’t believe your father will -object if I don’t. But if he does, you can cancel -your seats.”</p> -<p>“We’ll lose our money if we do that,” Ted -said, “but I guess that can’t be helped.” Suddenly -Ted looked fearful. “Dad did leave the check-book, -didn’t he?”</p> -<p>“Yes, he left it,” his mother assured him with -a smile.</p> -<p>“Pops is coming out here tonight for a visit,” -Randy said. “Now that you and Jill are going -on the trip, Ted, I think I’ll ask Pops to let me -go along too!”</p> -<p>“That’ll be great!” Ted said. “All three of us -will go together.”</p> -<p>The next morning the children got Yank up at -an early hour so that he could go off to school -with them.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_188">188</div> -<p>“You’d better be on your good behavior today,” -Jill warned the color bear as they climbed -into the boat. “If you cut up like you do in the -house, Mr. Garland may flunk us!”</p> -<p>Yank looked at her solemnly as though he -understood. But then his broad mouth widened -in a grin as if he were telling the girl that he had -no intention of taking her remarks seriously! As -soon as the boat moved down the waterway, Yank -stood up.</p> -<p>“Sit down, Yank,” Randy told him. “You’re -rocking the boat!”</p> -<p>Yank paid no attention to this reproof. He was -enjoying himself.</p> -<p>“Stop him!” Jill squealed. “He’ll turn us -over!”</p> -<p>Randy rose unsteadily to his feet and moved -toward the rear. He made a lurch at him, but -Yank leaned out of his reach and looked back, -grinning merrily.</p> -<p>“You naughty bear!” Jill cried, half in fear -and half in anger.</p> -<p>Randy leaned forward again and pulled Yank -back on top of himself with a fierce jerk. As -Randy went down, the bear rolled off him and up -on the edge of the boat.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_189">189</div> -<div class="img" id="pic10"> -<img src="images/i23.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="711" /> -<p class="caption"><i>Yank went over the side with a splash.</i></p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_190">190</div> -<p>Randy lunged at him, but Yank’s fur slipped -from the boy’s fingers. Yank went over the side -with a splash into the frigid water. As soon as -Yank touched the water, Randy made a grab at -him and caught one of his forepaws. Yank -screeched in shock and fear at the sudden freezing -plunge.</p> -<p>Ted slowed the boat down and turned the -wheel over to Jill while he helped Randy pull the -Martian animal aboard again. Yank looked thoroughly -beaten as he flopped, dripping and cold, -into the bottom of the boat. His round little ears -were drooping sadly, and the corners of his -mouth were turned down. He looked more like -a polar bear now, because crystals of frost were -growing all over him.</p> -<p>In spite of themselves, the children had to -laugh at their little pet’s predicament. As the -shiny spikes of frost popped out on his face, Yank -would brush at them furiously with his paws. -Even his eyebrows were growing icy. This further -increased the laughter of the children.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_191">191</div> -<p>“I guess that’ll teach you to behave, Yank!” -Ted chuckled, and offered to take the wheel -back.</p> -<p>“Let me drive the rest of the way,” Jill said.</p> -<p>Ted yielded to her, and he was pleased at the -skill with which she drove and docked at the -science building.</p> -<p>The children were a little ahead of time, and -this gave them a chance before class to tell Mr. -Garland about their wish to make the trip with -the others. Randy had gotten his father’s permission -the night before.</p> -<p>Mr. Garland frowned as he looked over his list, -and Ted had a sinking feeling.</p> -<p>The teacher looked up. “Two of you can go, -but not all three, I’m afraid. Yesterday I thought -that quite a few more could go, but I found out -last night I had omitted several names from my -list. Which one of you wants to drop out?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_192">192</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c17">CHAPTER SEVENTEEN -<br /><i>Yank in School</i></h2> -<p>At this surprising remark from their teacher, -the young folks’ faces drooped with disappointment. -For several seconds none of the three -had anything to say. Mr. Garland idly fingered -the two checks they had handed him.</p> -<p>Finally Randy spoke up. “I’ll drop out,” he -said. “I’ve been on a trip like this before with -my father, but Ted and Jill haven’t.”</p> -<p>“That’s a fine decision, Randy,” Mr. Garland -said. He handed one of the checks back and -added the Kenton children’s names to his list.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_193">193</div> -<p>For the moment, all interest in the trip was -gone for Ted. He knew Randy must be keenly -disappointed. Although until late yesterday none -of them had expected to go, they had talked a -long time last night with Mr. Matthews over the -exciting things they would see. Randy had been -quite as interested as Ted and Jill about the coming -adventure.</p> -<p>Suddenly Ted said: “Take Jill’s and my name -off the list too, Mr. Garland. I don’t think two -of us should go if the third one can’t.”</p> -<p>“That’s right,” Jill agreed.</p> -<p>“That doesn’t make sense, you two,” Randy -protested.</p> -<p>Mr. Garland looked up. “There’s no sense -both of you missing the trip for the sake of one. -It’s the educational opportunity of a lifetime.”</p> -<p>Ted then gave in, although he knew it was -not going to be nearly so much fun without -Randy along.</p> -<p>The discussion ended abruptly when Ted -heard a shriek from one of the incoming pupils. -He turned and was shocked to see Yank chasing -one of the girls toward the back of the room.</p> -<p>“Yank, come back here!” Jill called, when she -saw what was going on.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_194">194</div> -<p>But Yank was once more enjoying himself. -He was grunting happily as he pursued the girl -around the back of the room, and along the -side toward the front. The bear’s three owners -caught the little fellow as he was coming around -again.</p> -<p>“I just patted him and he took out after me!” -gasped the girl who had been chased.</p> -<p>“He was just playing,” Ted told her. “He -couldn’t hurt you if he tried. His teeth are only -made for chewing soft flowers.”</p> -<p>Mr. Garland restored order and announced -that zoology would be the first subject of the -day so that the active Yank could then be taken -outside. First Mr. Garland stood Yank on the -platform at the head of the class with Ted to help -keep him still.</p> -<p>The teacher pointed out the physical characteristics -of the Martian animal, touching Yank’s -paws, head, jaws, and other parts with a pointer. -Yank followed the movement of the stick with -his eyes. Then the whole class started giggling. -The bear was looking at the stick cross-eyed.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_195">195</div> -<p>Ted had to force down a grin. He could see -that Mr. Garland was having the same trouble. -When Yank got tired of following the stick with -his eyes, he seized it in his mouth and began -gnawing on it. This brought a burst of laughter -from the pupils.</p> -<p>Ted took the stick from Yank, and the bear -thought this was a signal for them to wrestle. At -home, this was the way Ted usually got him to -play.</p> -<p>“Get off me, Yank,” Ted muttered in a low, -angry voice. “We’re at school, not home! I -thought we warned you to behave yourself here! -You’re just trying to show off!”</p> -<p>Yank seemed to get the tone of Ted’s outburst, -even if he could not understand the words. He -stopped his foolishness and actually kept as still -as a little gentleman for the next few minutes -as Mr. Garland continued to demonstrate.</p> -<p>But then he could hold off no longer. As the -instructor was leaning over close to him to point -out the peculiar upsweep of his blue-tipped eyebrows, -Yank’s big red tongue came out of his -mouth and scraped along Mr. Garland’s cheek.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_196">196</div> -<p>The teacher blushed at the renewed laughter -as he wiped his face with his handkerchief. Ted -was worried lest Mr. Garland hold Yank’s behavior -against him. But the teacher was a good -sport and said, with a grin, “You win, Yank. -Better take him outside, Ted. This will have to -conclude our study of Martian color bears for -a while!”</p> -<p>Ted took Yank outside and tied him beneath -the classroom window so that he could watch him -every now and then. Ted knew what the animal -must be thinking: “Please let me in! I’ll behave -myself.”</p> -<p>When Ted returned, the class was quiet again. -Mr. Garland set up the projector for a color -movie on American history. But this was not -merely a history lesson. The children were told -to study the costumes and architecture. It was -actually several studies in one.</p> -<p>When the picture was over an hour later, Ted -was blinking his eyes to accommodate them to -the harsh daylight again when one of the children -cried out, “Look!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_197">197</div> -<p>Every eye in the room did look. Following the -pointing finger, they turned their gaze to one of -the transparent side walls. There was Yank standing -with his button nose pressed flat against the -plastic, just like a small child looking out a glass -window. This brought another round of laughter -from the class. On this note, Mr. Garland -dismissed the class for lunch.</p> -<p>That afternoon, as Ted, Jill, and Randy were -about to leave for the day, Mr. Garland called -them back just as they reached the door.</p> -<p>“Oh-oh,” Ted murmured with dread. “He’s -going to give it to us now for bringing that little -cutup to school!”</p> -<p>Meekly the three of them stood in front of -the teacher’s desk. He looked up at them and -smiled. “I don’t think that little bit of fun hurt -us this morning. But please don’t bring Yank -back again! I’m afraid one day of him is all I can -stand.” He looked outside where they could see -Yank seated on the ground.</p> -<p>He smiled again, and the relieved children -grinned back. They had started toward the door, -when Ted, who was looking back, pulled Randy -and Jill to a stop.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_198">198</div> -<p>“Listen,” he said. He turned them around and -they heard part of a conversation Mr. Garland -was having with one of the other pupils that -might very well work to their benefit.</p> -<p>“Did I hear that boy say he couldn’t make the -trip?” Jill whispered excitedly.</p> -<p>“I thought he did,” Ted replied.</p> -<p>They waited expectantly, hoping that the -teacher would look up and call them back. Ted -felt a new surge of hope rise in him when Mr. -Garland finally motioned to them. The boy, -meanwhile, had left.</p> -<p>“I’ve just had a cancellation,” Mr. Garland -told them. “Randy, you can make that trip after -all, if you want to.”</p> -<p>“Do I?” Randy burst out, his face beaming. -He fumbled around in his pocket for the check -his father had given him. Then he pulled out -the rumpled slip of paper.</p> -<p>The instructor smoothed it out and wrote -Randy’s name on the list. The children left the -room and walked happily down the hall.</p> -<p>“That was a swell thing you did, Randy,” Jill -said, “giving up your place to one of us. I’m so -glad that you really can go!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_199">199</div> -<div class="img" id="pic11"> -<img src="images/i24.jpg" alt="" width="499" height="800" /> -<p class="caption">“<i>Please don’t bring Yank back.</i>”</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_200">200</div> -<p>“I’m glad too,” Randy admitted. “After all -we talked about last night, I sure wanted to go -badly!”</p> -<p>Yank hopped around excitedly as he saw his -friends coming up to release him.</p> -<p>“You’ll never see this place again, Yank,” Ted -said to him sternly, as he untied him. “I guess -you’re just not cut out to be a school pupil.”</p> -<p>For this remark, Ted got a juicy lick on the -side of his helmet.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_201">201</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c18">CHAPTER EIGHTEEN -<br /><i>Trouble in the Air</i></h2> -<p>Dr. Kenton arrived home the following afternoon. -Ted could see that he was a very -different person from the one who had set out. -His father looked tired and beaten. Even the -special meal of fresh fruits and vegetables from -their garden failed to interest him very much.</p> -<p>As they were eating supper, his wife asked -him, “Why was this expedition so important to -you, John?”</p> -<p>“I suppose I had counted too much on its -being a huge success,” the scientist replied. -“Then too, I thought it would solve that all-important -question of the disappearing ancient -Martians that’s been puzzling us ever since the -first landing was made here ten years ago.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_202">202</div> -<p>“There’ll be other expeditions,” Mrs. Kenton -said encouragingly. “Some day you’ll find the -answer, I’m sure.”</p> -<p>“Yes, I suppose so,” Dr. Kenton said. But Ted -could see that his father was very downcast because -of the expedition’s failure.</p> -<p>“I wish I had known you were coming when -you did,” Mrs. Kenton said to her husband. “I -would have invited Mr. Matthews to eat with -us. You knew that Randy had found his father, -didn’t you?”</p> -<p>Ted was glad to see his father smile as he -turned to Randy. “Yes, we got the news,” Dr. -Kenton said. “I’m sure glad for you, Randy. You -see, it never pays to give up hope. I’ll be pleased -to meet your father.”</p> -<p>Just then Yank came bounding in from the -living room. The bear had taken to the taste of -lettuce leaves, and Ted would occasionally slip -him a leaf from the table. Yank sidled up to Ted, -where he sat next to his father, eyeing the crisp -leaves on the boy’s plate. Yank’s other eye was -cast warily at Dr. Kenton, whom he still appeared -not to regard as a close friend.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_203">203</div> -<p>“When are you and I going to be friends, -Yank?” the scientist said as Ted handed the bear -a green leaf. He reached out to pet the little -Martian animal, but Yank drew back. “I can’t -understand your attitude, young fellow.”</p> -<p>Ted thought this the proper moment to bring -up a very important matter. “Dad,” he began, -“Jill and Randy and I have signed up for a -sight-seeing plane tour of Mars with our school -class. Mom says it’s all right for us to go if you -agree.”</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton thought a moment, and Ted felt -doubtful. Then his father said, “I think it would -be a grand thing for you. You can get a lot better -picture of this planet from the air than you ever -can from the ground.”</p> -<p>“Goody, we can go!” Jill cried out.</p> -<p>Ted felt like shouting himself, for now the -last barrier had been removed and they were -going for sure.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_204">204</div> -<p>The next week found twenty-five eager students -stepping into a sleek jet craft from the roll-away -ladder at Lowell Harbor. Randy and Ted -found a double seat together, and Jill sat with a -girl friend. When all the passengers were in, Mr. -Garland said that they could remove their space -helmets.</p> -<p>When all were seated, they waved to their -parents and relatives who stood on the ground.</p> -<p>“I’m as excited as if I’d never made a trip like -this!” Randy said.</p> -<p>“I’m excited too!” Ted admitted. He didn’t -add that he had scarcely slept the night before -because he was in such a dither of anticipation.</p> -<p>Mr. Garland told the children to fasten their -safety belts, as they were almost ready to take -off. In a few minutes they felt the ship moving -beneath them. Ted waved a final farewell to -his parents and Mr. Matthews, for he had a seat -beside the window. When they waved back, Ted -felt a little uneasy. It was the first time he had -ever been away from his folks. He wondered -fearfully if something would happen on the -flight so that he would never see them again.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_205">205</div> -<p>Swiftly the rocket plane picked up speed. -Then, with a whoosh of jets, it launched itself -into the air.</p> -<p>“We’re off!” one of the boys shouted gaily.</p> -<p>Soon Lowell Harbor was only a small circle -in the red desert behind them, and the vast -stretches of wilderness began to come into view. -Mr. Garland pointed out the important natural -formations as they cruised along. By now almost -all of Mars had been accurately mapped. There -were miles and miles of wind-ribbed sand dunes -with rows of furrows like a farmer’s carefully -seeded fields.</p> -<p>Ted had never before realized the wonder of -the canals until he saw them from this height. -They were straight as arrows, and some were -tremendous in size, even dwarfing the majesty of -the Grand Canyon of Arizona. It caused him to -wonder again about those very accomplished engineers -of the ancient past who had built them -and had since so mysteriously disappeared.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_206">206</div> -<p>Ted recognized much of the landscape from -their geography study. Some of the ocher-red -deserts and forests had been named far back in -the past before the twenty-first century. They -passed over the great oasis of Solis Lacus and the -dense woodland of Mare Sirenum. But always -there were canals, and more canals, draining the -great icecaps and supplying the entire planet.</p> -<p>“Isn’t the sky pretty?” Jill said to Ted and -Randy who were sitting behind her. “It seems -we’re closer to the stars when we’re off the -ground.”</p> -<p>Ted had to agree with her. The heavens were a -deep gorgeous violet, with the starlight pulsing -softly through. They traced the slow movement -of Phobos, the timeteller, and they could also -pick out the distant tiny moon, Deimos, that -resembled a white arc light.</p> -<p>The hours passed all too quickly for the eager -sight-seers.</p> -<p>“We’re over the Great Martian Forest,” Mr. -Garland told them late that afternoon. “It’s the -end of the line. After we’ve covered this, we’ll -start back.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_207">207</div> -<p>Ted looked groundward, seeing what resembled -a colossal, sprawling beast spread out in -all directions. Ted shuddered at the sight. Many -explorers had been trapped in this terrible wilderness -and had never come out alive. Wild animals, -blind trails, and carnivorous whip plants -were thought to have destroyed them.</p> -<p>Suddenly someone called out as he pointed -down, “Look, what’s that moving?”</p> -<p>All stared where he pointed. In an open space -inside the forest, numerous creatures were rolling -along like a tide.</p> -<p>“They’re blue rovers,” Mr. Garland said. -“They’re something like the old American bison -that roamed the plains of the United States.”</p> -<p>More strange animals were seen, and still the -plane was not out of the huge forest. If anything, -the jungle grew even more densely, and now -rocky cliffs and shallow gorges could be seen -among the thick vegetation. Mars had no extremely -deep or high natural formations such as -the Earth had.</p> -<p>“Most of the forest turns brown in the winter,” -Mr. Garland addressed his students, “but -when the polar cap melts in the spring, everything -pops out green again.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_208">208</div> -<p>Ted knew that the seasons were twice as long -on Mars as they were on Earth, even though the -days and nights were just about the same. How -frightfully cold must be the winters, he thought. -But on the other hand, what a long, nice summer -to enjoy!</p> -<p>Finally the dense growth began thinning out -again as the outer fringe of the forest was reached. -Suddenly, without warning, the plane careened -sharply on its side. Some of the students were -flung out of their seats, and they screamed in -terror. Mr. Garland, who had been standing by -a window, was thrown backward onto the floor. -When the ship had righted itself, Mr. Garland -climbed slowly to his feet.</p> -<p>“Anybody hurt?” the teacher asked.</p> -<p>No one else appeared to be, but Ted saw Mr. -Garland grimace in pain. He seemed to have -injured his ankle.</p> -<p>“Mr. Garland, <i>you’re</i> hurt!” Ted said.</p> -<p>“Never mind me!” the instructor said. “Put -your safety belts on—quickly!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_209">209</div> -<p>His students did so, and then the plane started -bucking again. Poor Mr. Garland was flung -against the wall this time, but he recovered himself -and hobbled into the pilot’s cabin to see what -was wrong. Ted heard his classmates babbling -in fright all around him. He and Randy tried to -quiet Jill’s mounting terror.</p> -<p>“Take it easy,” Ted said to her. “It may not be -anything serious.”</p> -<p>Mr. Garland was back in a few minutes, and -Ted could see that his face was grave.</p> -<p>“We’ve got to bail out, kids,” he told the class -grimly.</p> -<p>“Into that?” cried one of the boys, pointing -to the forest below.</p> -<p>“We’ve no other choice, the pilot tells me,” -Mr. Garland replied, his voice shaky. “There’s -a fire in the jets, and we can’t crash-land without -wrecking the plane.”</p> -<p>Terrified, the students stared at him, as -though they still could not believe what he was -saying.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_210">210</div> -<p>“He says there’s an open space ahead of us -where we can parachute down,” Mr. Garland -went on. “He’s sending a message for help now. -We’ve got enough supplies and air to last us until -a search party comes from Lowell Harbor. -There’s no cause for alarm.”</p> -<p>There was no more time for talk. Despite his -obviously painful injury, the teacher quickly distributed -chutes and showed the children how to -put them on. The chutes were specially designed -for use in Mars’s rare atmosphere. Next, space -helmets were donned. Then Mr. Garland lined -the children up with their rip cords fastened to -an overhead cord for automatic opening of the -chutes when they jumped. Ted, his sister, and -Randy had stayed together, and they found themselves -the first three in line to jump.</p> -<p>Chutes with supplies had been shoved out -first by hand, and then Mr. Garland signaled to -Ted for the first jump. Things had moved so -swiftly that Ted hardly had time to become -scared. Randy and Jill seemed to feel the same -way. The ship was still jerking erratically and -plumes of smoke swirled about. The oval door -was open, and Ted saw yawning space beneath -him. At Mr. Garland’s word, he took a deep -breath and sprang out. He felt the straps on his -back yank him sharply as the chute popped open.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_211">211</div> -<div class="img" id="pic12"> -<img src="images/i25.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="754" /> -<p class="caption"><i>Down, down he went.</i></p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_212">212</div> -<p>Down, down he went. Finally he glanced upward -and saw two other parachutes above him. -They would be Jill and Randy, he thought. He -looked groundward again to see where he was -heading. Just as Mr. Garland had said, a flat open -space lay beneath.</p> -<p>Once more he glanced upward. There were -still only two other chutes above. Where were -the others? Hadn’t they jumped too? Then he -spied the ship at a considerable distance away. -It was careening downward as though heading -for a crash!</p> -<p>Ted felt a sick tug in his stomach. It looked as -though the three of them were the only ones who -were going to escape alive. The ship must have -gone out of control before the others could -jump!</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_213">213</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c19">CHAPTER NINETEEN -<br /><i>Terror in the Night</i></h2> -<p>As soon as Ted reached the ground, he made -for the spot where he had seen the supply -chutes land. If these were lost, especially the one -with the spare air cartridges, Randy and Jill and -he could never survive until help came.</p> -<p>Ted ran down a dusty ravine. His eyes -searched clumps of bushes and spiky cactus, and -a momentary panic came over him. The chutes -were not in sight. Just then he was aware that -a strong wind was blowing. The chutes had -probably carried farther than he had thought. -He searched some more, and his heart quickened -with joy when he found the two parachutes -within yards of each other, half buried in the -sand beyond a big boulder.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_214">214</div> -<p>As soon as he had found these, he thought immediately -of Randy and Jill. He should have -seen them by now. He returned to the spot where -he had come down, but they were nowhere -around. A new terror crept into his breast. Could -the wind have carried them farther up into the -forest, possibly into the dangerous part where -the brush grew dense as jungle and deadly whip -plants thrived? The wind was stronger than ever -now, but he ducked into it and renewed his -search.</p> -<p>He made a thorough examination of the territory -all around, but after a half hour’s time he -still had not located Jill and Randy. For the sixth -time he returned to his original spot where he -had left the parachutes of supplies. By now the -blood red of approaching sunset was filling the -sky, and grotesque shadows were creeping over -the ground.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_215">215</div> -<p>Ted could not remember when he had felt any -more depressed and lonely than he did at this -moment. He could imagine all sorts of terrible -things happening to his sister and friend. By -now, the wind had died down. Thank goodness -the blow had not brought on one of those violent -dust storms, he thought.</p> -<p>Suddenly he heard a noise overhead that -quickened hope in him. It had sounded like the -drone of a plane! He leaped to his feet from -where he had been slumped on the ground and -searched the darkening starry sky. Yes, there was -a plane! He could hardly believe it when he saw -that the number on the wedge-shaped wing was -the same as that of the ship from which he had -bailed out. That meant that the plane had not -crashed after all!</p> -<p>As the plane roared overhead, he ran back and -forth and waved his hands frantically to get the -attention of someone in it. To his dismay the -plane kept on going and presently was lost in -the approaching twilight.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_216">216</div> -<p>He thought the world had ended for him now. -Jill and Randy were gone, and hopes of rescue -too. But then he heard a crashing of bushes near -by. His heart thudded against his ribs in fear. -He was remembering that wild animals inhabited -this district, and he was totally unarmed.</p> -<p>Then he heard his name called. A moment -later Randy and Jill came running up! He was -never so glad to see two people in his life as he -was then.</p> -<p>“What happened to you?” he asked them.</p> -<p>“The wind carried us down into the forest a -little way,” Jill answered. “Oh, Ted, I was scared -to death! Those whip plants throw out arms like -an octopus at anything that comes near them! -I almost got caught by one!”</p> -<p>Ted showed them the chutes that held spare -air cartridges and food. Unfortunately, Mr. Garland -had thrown out only a few supply chutes, -not all of them.</p> -<p>They had never eaten with space helmets on, -but they had learned about the tiny air-lock -opening in the facepiece of the helmet that made -this possible.</p> -<p>“These will last us through the night,” Ted -said. “I don’t know what we’ll do after that. A -search party probably won’t get here that quick.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_217">217</div> -<p>Just then Jill heard the plane returning. Ted -hurriedly explained that this was the one they -had been on and that it had not crashed after all. -He said that all three of them should run back -and forth and wave like everything to try to attract -their attention this time.</p> -<p>Ted thought that the plane had missed them -again, but then he saw it bank and head back -toward them. The ship circled overhead for several -minutes, and the children saw a parachute -drop out. They followed the chute to the ground -with their eyes and ran over to it.</p> -<p>“Here’s a note,” Ted said, untying an envelope -from the chute. He opened it. “It says: -‘Open the long case and you will find a walkie-talkie -radio in it. Turn it on, and we’ll speak -with you.’”</p> -<p>They did this. Then Ted spoke into the mike, -“Can you hear me?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_218">218</div> -<p>“Yes,” came Mr. Garland’s voice. “We had -just about given up hope of sighting you. The -ship went out of control just after you three -jumped. But the fire in the engine burned out -soon after, and the pilot regained control. We -should be able to get back to Lowell Harbor all -right, even though we’re crippled. Are you three -hurt?”</p> -<p>“No, sir, just scared,” Ted answered.</p> -<p>“We’ll send you down all the rest of our air -cartridges and more food and water,” the teacher -went on. “They’ll last you through tomorrow, -and by that time a search party should be back -in a helicopter. We can’t possibly land, ourselves, -because of the terrain and our damaged engine. -I’d come down myself to stay with you, but my -ankle is broken and I’m afraid I wouldn’t be -much help. However, if you want me to....”</p> -<p>“I think we’ll be all right,” Ted said bravely, -yet feeling an encroaching dread even as he said -it.</p> -<p>“There’s an electron rifle and flashlights in -with the other stuff,” Mr. Garland said. “I don’t -think anything will bother you, though; otherwise -I wouldn’t leave you alone. Most of the animals -stay back in the thickest part of the forest.”</p> -<p>“Will you be going now?” Ted asked.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_219">219</div> -<p>“Yes, there’s no way else we can help you except -send rescuers as quickly as possible,” Mr. -Garland declared. “Whatever you do, don’t leave -that spot.”</p> -<p>That ended their conversation. Presently the -other supply chutes filled the air, and Randy and -the two young Kentons retrieved them. Then, -lonesomely, the three watched the plane disappear -into the sunset.</p> -<p>“I’m afraid,” Jill murmured, casting an -anxious glance around her at the forbidding -woodland.</p> -<p>“I am too, Sis,” Ted confessed. He looked at -Randy, and his eyes were enough to tell that he -was frightened too.</p> -<p>They looked around for some place of protection -overnight. As the sun disappeared behind a -distant ridge, they found a shallow opening under -a clump of rocks that would shield them -on three sides at least. Then they ate from a -food packet, and after this they admitted that -they felt better.</p> -<p>“If we get through this night safely,” Ted -said, “we’ll probably make it all right.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_220">220</div> -<p>At last darkness set in. Phobos was making -one of his frequent trips across the heavens, -but his light was weaker than moonglow on -Earth. However, it seemed to Ted that it -wasn’t quite so lonely now, with the sky burning -with its millions of cold lights. Yet it was -still frightening to know that the three of them -were off by themselves in probably the most -perilous region of Mars.</p> -<p>They decided it was best not to use their -flashlights unnecessarily, lest they attract wild -beasts. They kept the atomic rifle handy in -case it was needed in a hurry. Ted suggested -that two of them sleep while one stood watch. -Jill said she’d like to take the first watch because -she was too nervous to sleep anyhow.</p> -<p>Ted was just about to doze off some minutes -later when Jill’s scream blasted into his radio -and brought him springing to his feet.</p> -<p>“There!” Jill said, pointing.</p> -<p>Randy too was wide awake now, and the three -of them stared, fear-stricken, across the dark -drifts at a giant creature which stood at a distance -looking at them. The light of Phobos -and the stars was bright enough to show his -awesome outline.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_221">221</div> -<p>“What is it?” Ted whispered to Randy.</p> -<p>“It’s an elephant ant,” Randy whispered -softly. “See that trunklike sucker on its head? -Get the gun, Ted. These things are mean.”</p> -<p>Ted caught up the atomic rifle and set it for -fire, thinking all the while how Mr. Garland -had missed his guess about their not being -troubled by animals. Slowly the enormous insect -approached the opening in the rocks. It -was indeed the height of an elephant. Ted could -hear the rustle of its hard-shelled body as it -walked nearer.</p> -<p>The Martian animal’s slowness up until now -deceived Ted, for, without warning, the insect -broke into a rapid run. Bravely Ted tried to -take careful aim and protect the two unarmed -ones with him. But even as he fired the gun, -Jill bumped him in her mad dash to escape -the oncoming horror.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_222">222</div> -<p>Ted saw a blinding glare that lit up the -scene for a moment as brightly as noonday. In -that shocking instant Ted got a vivid view of -the elephant ant, its brown spindly legs and -antenna shining glossily, its curling trunk out-thrust -at them menacingly. But as the blast of -the rifle died out and the ant continued to -charge, Ted knew he had missed his mark.</p> -<div class="img" id="i26"> -<img src="images/i26.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="700" height="325" /> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_223">223</div> -<p>There was no time to fire again. Ted couldn’t -carry much, but he dropped his useless weapon -and gathered up the spare air cartridges. Then -swiftly he darted after Jill and Randy, who -seemed to have found a way of escape. He saw -them disappearing through a narrow passage -beside the rock. He was glad to see that Randy -had managed to hang onto one of the flashlights -and was leading the way with it.</p> -<p>Ted didn’t know how long they ran up and -down rocky inclines and gullies. But they seemed -to be leaving their enemy behind. They ducked -in and out of clutching vines and creepers. -More than once, Ted dropped one of the bulky -air tanks, but he retrieved them, for they were -the most precious things they possessed. Finally -he caught up with Randy.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_224">224</div> -<p>“Help me take these!” he urged Randy.</p> -<p>The boy took some and they hurried on after -Jill, whose fear seemed to have given her unusual -speed. At last they reached the point where they -could punish themselves no longer. Jill had fallen -exhausted to the ground, and Ted felt as if he -were ready to drop too. If the ant reached them -now, it simply couldn’t be helped. Ted had -sacrificed the rifle for the precious air cartridges, -but he was not sorry he had done so.</p> -<p>They sprawled breathlessly on the ground, -their chests heaving, their eyes staring fearfully -in the direction they had come. Any instant -they expected to see the horrible creature bearing -down on them again. But after several -minutes, during which time the animal had not -appeared, Ted felt they had eluded it. For the -first time since the terrifying adventure, he felt -that he could relax.</p> -<p>And yet he could not relax, really, even now. -For the balance of the night still lay before them.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_225">225</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c20">CHAPTER TWENTY -<br /><i>Lost Underground</i></h2> -<p>The three of them decided it was not safe -to go back to the open area tonight. After -waiting a while longer still in the dark to see that -their attacker was not coming, they searched -the gloom around for a place to spend the rest -of the night.</p> -<p>Randy found an opening in the dense underbrush -ahead of them. Jill and Ted followed -him and his flashlight beam along the trail. -Suddenly they saw him stop dead in his tracks. -Ted walked abreast of him.</p> -<p>“What do you see?” Ted asked.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_226">226</div> -<p>Randy did not reply but instead shot his light -ahead into the darkness. Ted saw before them -a huge cave entrance.</p> -<p>“Gosh, do you suppose that’s the den of some -wild animal?” Ted asked.</p> -<p>“I don’t know,” Randy answered in a quivery -voice. “It seems like a good place to stay if it -isn’t.”</p> -<p>Jill had joined them by now. She too had -taken some of the load of the spare oxygen -cartridges.</p> -<p>“Are we going into that spooky place?” Jill -asked.</p> -<p>“We can go up to it carefully and shine our -light in,” Ted said. “But we’d better be ready to -run if something comes charging out! I wish I -had that gun now!”</p> -<p>Jill hung back as Randy and Ted moved -stealthily forward toward the black cavern entrance. -Randy had his light shining directly into -it all the time they were moving. When they -were at the threshold of the cave, they got a -good view of the interior.</p> -<p>“It’s not deep at all!” Ted said. “It just goes -back a little way.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_227">227</div> -<p>“It looks deserted too,” Randy added. “Seems -safe to me. What do you think, Ted?”</p> -<p>“Let’s go inside and see if there’s anything -lying around,” Ted suggested. “If it’s a den, -there ought to be bones and things.”</p> -<p>Cautiously they entered the cavern. Its ceiling -reached high over their heads and the opening -was festooned with trailing vines and creepers. -Even the jungle growth seemed to have taken -over, weeds and thick grass choking the floor. -Boulders of all sizes were scattered around.</p> -<p>“It looks like it hasn’t been used for years and -years,” Ted commented.</p> -<p>They flashed the light over the whole interior, -but there was no sign of recent use. There was -one other exit—a narrow passage at the rear.</p> -<p>“If we close up that rear opening with a big -stone, it ought to be safe for us to stay here,” -Randy said.</p> -<p>Ted agreed with him. They called Jill, and -the three shoved a large red boulder in front of -the narrow passage. They divided watches again, -but before relaxing for the night, they replaced -their air cartridges with new ones.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_228">228</div> -<p>Randy took first watch this time. Ted was very -tired from their exhausting race and had trouble -falling asleep, but the next thing he knew, Randy -was shaking him to change watch.</p> -<p>The rest of the night passed without further -disturbance. The boys got softhearted about -calling on Jill for her turn, and rather than wake -her, they stood her duty. Another change of air -cylinders had to be made before morning. Ted -was able to change Jill’s while she slept.</p> -<p>The orange glow of dawn was a welcome sight -to the children. Things did not seem half so -grim in the dawn as they had the night before. -The sun’s feeble rays shone directly into the -cave mouth. The boulder covering the rear -opening was still in place.</p> -<p>Ted caught Randy’s eyes staring thoughtfully -at the boulder. He wondered if Randy was -thinking the same thing that he was: <i>What was -on the other side of that mysterious opening?</i></p> -<p>“Hadn’t we better be getting back to the open -place?” Jill asked, as they were putting on fresh -air tanks again.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_229">229</div> -<p>“The search party won’t be coming until a few -hours yet,” Randy said. “Besides, it’s not very -far.”</p> -<p>Ted knew then that Randy, too, was curious -about the opening. He was stalling their return.</p> -<p>Ted then came right out with it. “I’d sure like -to know what’s on the other side of that rock.”</p> -<p>“Why don’t we go and see?” Randy said -eagerly.</p> -<p>“We could go just a little way,” Ted added, -glancing at Jill, whose face showed doubt. “Just -a few feet even.”</p> -<p>Jill gave in grudgingly, but she got the boys -to promise that they wouldn’t go far. “Don’t forget, -we’ve got some food back there,” she reminded -them, “and I’m getting hungry.”</p> -<p>They left the air cartridges in the cave and -walked through the enticing opening, Ted in -the lead. He flicked on his flashlight, for it was -pitch dark. Ahead of him he saw a narrow -passageway. Slowly he moved along it, Randy -and Jill right behind him.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_230">230</div> -<div class="img" id="pic13"> -<img src="images/i27.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="734" /> -<p class="caption"><i>They felt themselves tumbling downward.</i></p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_231">231</div> -<p>They were completely unprepared for the -shock that next came to them. Suddenly the -ground dropped away under their feet, and -they felt themselves tumbling downward!</p> -<p>All three of them cried out in terror as they -fell. Finally Ted felt his body striking a -cushioned surface. Then he was rolling down -an incline of the same soft material. Down, -down, head over heels he went—deeper and -deeper into the core of the red planet, it seemed.</p> -<p>At last his body stopped turning. Something -crashed into him from behind. Then he heard -heavy breathing and gasping and he knew that -it was either Randy or Jill who had collided with -him.</p> -<p>“Jill? Randy?” he asked in a shuddery voice, -still dazed by their rough experience.</p> -<p>“Yes,” Randy’s voice came weakly.</p> -<p>“Jill!” Ted cried. “Where are you?”</p> -<p>“Here I am,” she answered, from a few feet -away. “What happened to us?”</p> -<p>“I don’t know,” her brother answered dully. -He felt around for broken bones, but he appeared -to be uninjured.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_232">232</div> -<p>“Are you two all right?” he asked Jill and -Randy.</p> -<p>They said they thought so. By now Ted could -see their forms very faintly. There was light -coming from somewhere. Their next task was -to try to find a way out of this dismal place.</p> -<p>“I knew we should have gone back!” Jill -complained bitterly. “Now we probably never -will!”</p> -<p>“I’m sorry, Sis,” Ted said lamely. “You were -right. I’m sure glad we changed our air tanks -before we left!”</p> -<p>“Let’s start looking for a way to the top,” -Randy said. “The search party will never find -us down here.”</p> -<p>They discovered that the flashlight had been -smashed in the fall. They would have to depend -now on catlike vision to show them the way. As -nearly as Ted could make out, they were still -in a corridor. It stretched mysteriously ahead of -them, turning a bend about fifty feet away.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_233">233</div> -<p>“That seems to be the only way we can go,” -Ted said, looking forward. “We certainly can’t -climb back up the way we came down.” He -looked behind at the steep, rugged incline they -had so unexpectedly tumbled down. The slope -was covered with a matting of lichens or moss -that had broken their fall.</p> -<p>They walked along the corridor. Finally the -light at the far end began to get brighter.</p> -<p>“It looks like daylight ahead!” Jill said hopefully.</p> -<p>They increased their pace in the hope of -finding a way leading back to the surface of -the ground. They made a final turn in the -winding underground aisle. Then the corridor -abruptly blossomed into a mammoth open area, -still underground.</p> -<p>The sight that faced them quickened their -heartbeats and made their mouths sag open -in amazement. Before them stood a towering -iron gate, through which they could see evidence -of one-time human habitation!</p> -<p>“What in the world have we found?” Ted -exclaimed.</p> -<p>“It must be a city!” Randy burst out. “It is! -We’ve found an underground Martian city!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_234">234</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c21">CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE -<br /><i>A Struggle Against Time</i></h2> -<p>“A Martian city!” Ted echoed. “Wouldn’t -Dad like to be in on this!”</p> -<p>“I don’t care about an old city!” Jill complained. -“I just want to get out of here!”</p> -<p>“Maybe we can find a way to the top from in -there,” Ted proposed. “There’s no other place -we can go.”</p> -<p>The three walked up to the towering gates -and began tugging on them. At first the gates -would not budge, but after much struggling, -the children got one open wide enough on its -creaking hinges so that they could squeeze -through. Once inside, they began walking along -a rocky avenue lined with small buildings and -statues. The high dome of the city gleamed with -a light of its own, illuminating the entire grand -underground area like brilliant moonlight.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_235">235</div> -<p>“The glow has probably been burning for -thousands of years,” Randy remarked, “ever -since the first Martians built the city.”</p> -<p>“It’ll probably be thousands of years more -before it’ll go out,” Ted added. “It seems to have -the natural light that Mr. Garland said some of -the Martian caves have.”</p> -<p>They paused before a statue, and all three of -them felt chills race up their backs as they -realized they were the first Earth humans ever -to gaze on the true likeness of a Martian. The -man was not very different from Earthmen. He -had the usual number of arms and legs, but -he was short and spindly and his head was bald. -If the color of the statue was correct, the extinct -Martians had light-green skins.</p> -<p>“Dad and the other scientists will sure have -the time of their lives with this place!” Ted said. -“It may even hold the answer to the biggest -riddle about what caused the Martians to disappear.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_236">236</div> -<p>“Father won’t find out anything about it if we -don’t get out of here!” Jill said anxiously.</p> -<p>“There must be a way to the top of the ground -somewhere,” Randy answered. “I don’t see how -the Martians could have walked up that steep -incline we slid down.”</p> -<p>“Maybe the dirt has covered it over during the -years,” Ted said. “Maybe there are steps underneath. -But I don’t see how we could expect to -uncover them. Let’s go on.”</p> -<div class="img" id="i28"> -<img src="images/i28.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="700" height="255" /> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_237">237</div> -<p>They moved along, searching the uneven -rocky streets. It was not a large city, and the -three had no trouble keeping their bearings. -A check on their air supply showed only an hour -and a half of oxygen left in each of their suits. -There would be even less were they to hurry and -so breathe faster. This time they had no spare -cartridges. If they did not find their way topside -by that time, they were surely doomed.</p> -<p>After covering part of the city, the children -found that the end of it fanned out into five -separate narrow streets.</p> -<p>“One of these streets may lead to ground -level,” Ted said.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_238">238</div> -<p>“The only thing to do is try them,” Randy -came back.</p> -<p>“We’ll save time if each of us takes a different -way,” Ted suggested.</p> -<p>But Jill would have none of this plan. She -had no desire to follow a lonely underground -avenue by herself. They finally decided that -Ted and Jill would go together and Randy -agreed to go alone.</p> -<p>“We’ve got to watch out that we don’t get -lost,” Ted cautioned. “Don’t go off down any -alleyways, Randy. We won’t either.”</p> -<p>“We ought to set a time when we both meet -back here,” Randy said.</p> -<p>“I’ve got it,” Ted said. “We’ll count off ten -minutes and then start heading back whether -we’ve found anything or not. If neither of us -has found anything, we’ll try the other streets -the same way.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_239">239</div> -<p>Ted and Jill took their leave of Randy and set -off down the thorofare. They had to hurry because -of their dwindling time, and yet they dared -not go so fast that they were breathing heavily. -The way they followed carried them quite a -distance down the deserted street, on both sides -of which were crumbling buildings of plaster -set close together. By the time the ten minutes -was up, Ted and Jill had come to a dead end -against a stone wall.</p> -<p>“This way certainly can’t help us,” Ted -muttered. “Let’s go back to Randy.”</p> -<p>When they got back and Randy had not returned, -Ted became worried. Time was fleeting -steadily, and they still were no better off than -they had been before. Finally Ted heard a -scuffling along the street and saw Randy hurrying -his way.</p> -<p>“No luck!” he gasped. “I got sidetracked -on the way back. Then I had to run to get here in -time.”</p> -<p>“You shouldn’t have done that,” Ted told -him. “Now you’ve got less air than we have. -What does your gauge show?”</p> -<p>“Fifty-six minutes,” Randy answered, after -checking.</p> -<p>Ted examined his own and asked Jill about -hers. “We’ve got an hour and five,” Ted said.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_240">240</div> -<p>“We’ll have to hurry if we’re going to search -the other three streets,” Randy pointed out.</p> -<p>This time Jill agreed to help by going alone -so as to save time. They agreed to cut the search -period to five minutes, at which time they would -come back to their meeting place. Ted had been -gone about a minute when he heard someone -calling. His heart stirred with hope, and he -hustled back at moderate speed to the place -from where they had started.</p> -<p>“I think I’ve found a way out!” Jill was crying -excitedly.</p> -<p>Fortunately they were able to catch Randy -before he got very far, and the two boys followed -Jill down the street where she had made her -discovery. After a hundred feet or so they came -into a big open area and at one side of it there -rose a huge stone staircase leading upward.</p> -<p>“There!” Jill cried happily.</p> -<p>“Let’s go up!” Ted urged.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_241">241</div> -<p>They started up the steps that slowly turned -in a half spiral as they ascended. After a long -climb, the children found themselves in a large -gallery. In spite of their hurry, the three became -as hypnotized by the sight of many stone -tables or altars arranged in orderly fashion -throughout the place. Lying on top of the altars -were long oblong cases, fancily decorated.</p> -<p>“These must be coffins!” Randy burst out.</p> -<p>“Let’s get out of here!” Jill pleaded.</p> -<p>Ted’s gaze had turned from the altars to the -smooth, rounded walls of the room that were -covered with paintings from one end to the -other.</p> -<p>“Look!” he exclaimed, running over to the -wall. “The Martians had a Michelangelo too! -Those pictures seem to tell a story! Say, do you -suppose this mural shows the history of the -Martian race and what happened to them?”</p> -<p>“I don’t care what they show, Ted!” Jill retorted. -“All I want to do is get out of here before -our air is gone!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_242">242</div> -<p>Ted saw the wisdom of her remark and gave -up an impulse to look over the exciting story in -pictures. Another flight of stairs was the only -way out of the shrine, and without delay the -three hurried up. They made a final turn on the -stairs and then the subdued glare of Martian -sunlight struck their faces. They were finally -above ground.</p> -<p>They appeared to have walked into a sporting -arena which was surrounded by tiers of stone -seats, much in the manner of the ancient Roman -Coliseum. As the three of them crossed it -through deep powdery dust, they found bones -of strange animals scattered over the whole area. -There were also the remains of curved swords -and scarred shields.</p> -<p>“Ugh!” Jill shuddered. “There’s no telling -what terrible things took place on this very spot -we’re walking over!”</p> -<p>“There’s an opening over there on the other -side,” Randy indicated.</p> -<p>“Let’s go to it,” Ted suggested. “I can’t wait -to get off this gruesome field either!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_243">243</div> -<p>They moved across the arena briskly, yet not -too fast. They headed directly for the opening -in the high stone wall that encircled the ancient -field of contest. When they reached the entranceway, -they passed through and found themselves -at the fringe of a forest. A few dozen paces carried -them through green corkscrew trees to an open -plain.</p> -<p>“I guess the trees around here kept this place -from being discovered before now,” Ted said.</p> -<p>“Which way do we go now?” Jill moaned. -“We’ve got to find that cave where our air tanks -are!”</p> -<p>Ted made a quick orientation of their position -in relation to the arena and underground -city. “My guess is the cave ought to be in that -direction,” he said, pointing southward around -the bend of the arena. “What do you think, -Randy?”</p> -<p>“It sounds right,” Randy agreed. “Let’s get -started.”</p> -<p>They had no more than set out again when -Ted suddenly pulled up sharply in his tracks, -nearly toppling over backward in the motion.</p> -<p>“Gee! Look what I almost stepped on!” he -shouted, pointing in the dust ahead of him.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_244">244</div> -<p>It was a matlike object, lying flat in the red -dust, with rows and rows of fine hairs vibrating -over its surface. Ted remembered the deadly -carpet plant from his study of Martian botany -in school.</p> -<p>“Ted!” Jill screamed, as she saw the danger.</p> -<p>To study the action of the plant for himself, -Ted picked up a broken shard of pottery and -tossed it onto the plant. Instantly the voracious -plant rolled up tightly, enveloping the shard -in its sucking folds.</p> -<p>“That’s what would have happened to your -foot if you’d stepped on it, Ted,” Randy said -in a shivery voice.</p> -<p>They carefully skirted the carpet plant and -hurried on, bearing southward in the direction -they hoped would bring them to the mouth of -the cave that had been the original cause of -their trouble.</p> -<p>“How much air time, Randy?” Ted asked, -beginning to pant a little.</p> -<p>“Eighteen minutes,” Randy answered, and -Ted could hear a nervous whimper from Jill.</p> -<p>“You sure this is right, Ted?” Randy asked -worriedly, a few minutes later. “If you’re wrong -we’ll die. I’ve only got seven minutes of air left -now. It’s really going fast with us hurrying so!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_245">245</div> -<p>Ted sighed heavily and felt a clutch of dread -in his heart as he studied Jill’s pinched, anxious -expression. They <i>had</i> to be headed right! They -just couldn’t lose the battle after being so close -to salvation.</p> -<p>At last they rounded a huge face of rock that -Ted thought he remembered. The cave should -be only a few feet away beyond that clump -of vegetation, he told himself. They pushed -through the curling, tubelike leaves. To their -left lay the cave entrance!</p> -<p>Randy gave a cry of relief and dashed into -the cave. Ted and his sister entered more -slowly; they had a little more time to waste -than Randy. When they entered, they found -Randy hastily discarding his old oxygen cartridge -and replacing it with a new one. When -he was through, he helped Jill with hers while -Ted attended to his own.</p> -<p>When they were done, they sat down on the -floor of the cave and drank in deep, refreshing -draughts of the precious gas they had feared -they would never breathe again.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_246">246</div> -<p>“Isn’t this great?” Ted remarked. “Just like -a cold drink on a hot day!”</p> -<p>“Speaking of food, I could use some,” Jill -said. “I’m starved after all that!”</p> -<p>“Let’s go back and get it,” Randy proposed. -“We dropped the food case when the elephant -ant was chasing us.”</p> -<p>“Do you think it’s safe?” Jill asked.</p> -<p>“If it’s the ant you’re afraid of, they do most -of their hunting at night,” Randy reassured -her. “I don’t think there’s much chance of -meeting it.”</p> -<p>They started out over the trail they had followed -in such haste the night before. After -a while they found their food case where they -had dropped it. All made a run for it at the same -time. The sight of food settled their nerves, and -they ate nearly all of the supply in the case. When -they were through, Randy happened to look up -into the distance and jabbed Ted in the ribs.</p> -<p>“Look!” he exclaimed. “Somebody’s coming!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_247">247</div> -<p>Ted and Jill leaped to their feet. They shaded -their eyes with their gloved hands in order to see -better.</p> -<p>“It’s the search party!” Ted burst out.</p> -<p>“Father’s with them!” Jill said joyfully.</p> -<p>“I can see Pops too!” came from Randy.</p> -<p>Ted uttered a deep, long sigh. Their frightening -adventure was over at last.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_248">248</div> -<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="34" /></div><h2 id="c22">CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO -<br /><i>Of Days to Come</i></h2> -<p>The Kentons had just risen from the supper -table after a wonderful meal that had featured -fresh fruits and vegetables from their own -garden. Two days had passed since the adventure -in the Great Martian Forest. This was a night of -celebration, and Mr. Matthews was present.</p> -<p>“Now tell us the surprise you had for us, Father,” -Jill begged, as they all sat in the living -room together. Mrs. Kenton had left cleaning up -until later in order to be in on the exciting talk -of the evening.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_249">249</div> -<p>“Not until I know for sure,” Dr. Kenton replied. -“I’ll get a phone call in a few minutes -about it.”</p> -<p>“Can’t you even tell us what it’s <i>about</i>?” Jill -went on.</p> -<p>“I wouldn’t want to build up false hopes for -nothing, Jill,” her father said. “You can wait a -little while.”</p> -<p>“It was a privilege to eat in such celebrated -company tonight,” Mr. Matthews said, with a -wink at the children. “You kids will even get -your name in the schoolbooks for finding that -fabulous city.”</p> -<p>“It’s the pilot and Mr. Garland who got us -to bail out that should get the credit,” Ted said, -with a grin. “If it weren’t for them, we’d never -have found the underground city.”</p> -<p>“The mural showing the great events in the -lives of the ancient Martians was the most important -thing of all,” Dr. Kenton remarked. “I -was beginning to believe that the greatest riddle -of Mars was never going to be solved.” Dr. Kenton -had gone to the underground city as soon as -he met the young explorers and had heard about -their outstanding discovery.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_250">250</div> -<p>Ted, Jill, and Randy knew the answer now, as -did every other colonist on the red planet. The -paintings on the wall of the shrine had revealed -the baffling riddle. It was simply and clearly portrayed -in pictures, just as though the Martians -had expected someone someday to know their -story. The revelation was that hundreds of years -ago all Martians had left their world in large -space ships because of Mars’s disappearing oxygen. -Apparently there still existed somewhere -the remains of a supercivilization which had -built these space craft.</p> -<p>“Do you think the animals on Mars will finally -die out, Dad?” Ted asked, “as the rest of the oxygen -combines with the rocks?”</p> -<p>“Eventually, I would think,” Dr. Kenton replied.</p> -<p>“Where do you suppose the Martians went to -find a new home?” Mr. Matthews asked.</p> -<p>“They may still be looking,” the scientist replied. -“It’s a long way to the stars, remember, -and we’re sure they didn’t land any place in our -solar system.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_251">251</div> -<p>Just then, Yank came bounding into the room. -He too had been permitted inside for the celebration. -He had been eating his supper in the -kitchen. Ted was amazed to see the color bear -run up to his father and stand beside him while -the scientist scratched his head.</p> -<p>“You and Yank are friends!” Ted exclaimed.</p> -<p>“We sure are,” Dr. Kenton said. “After you -kids left, poor Yank was so lonely he even turned -to me. I guess he decided to bury the hatchet -when he found out I meant him no harm.”</p> -<p>“I wonder why he was so long making -friends,” Jill remarked.</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton took one of Yank’s forepaws and -rubbed back the fur, revealing a scar. “Yank is -the fellow I hurt accidentally a few years ago,” -the scientist said. “I just thought of checking his -paw the day you kids left on your trip.”</p> -<p>“He never forgot, did he?” Jill asked.</p> -<p>“Not until I’d convinced him I was sorry,” her -father replied, rumpling the soft hair of the -bear’s head. “His injury was the reason he was -alone in the world. He couldn’t keep up with -the pace of his friends.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_252">252</div> -<p>“Our family is so safe and cozy here,” Mrs. -Kenton said, “I hate to think of you going out -into that cold wilderness again on a new expedition, -John.”</p> -<p>“Maybe I won’t be going,” Dr. Kenton said, -with a mysterious smile.</p> -<p>“What do you mean?” his wife asked in surprise.</p> -<p>Just then the phone buzzed. Dr. Kenton went -into the hall to answer it. In a few moments he -was back again, and he was smiling happily.</p> -<p>“Kids, how would you like to go back to Earth -at the end of the school term?” he asked the children.</p> -<p>“Gee, do you mean that?” Ted exclaimed.</p> -<p>“Oh, Father!” Jill cried out joyously.</p> -<p>“It’s true enough,” their father said. “That’s -what the call was about and the surprise I was -hoping to have for you.”</p> -<p>“That’s the grandest surprise you could have -had,” Mrs. Kenton murmured, unspeakably -happy herself.</p> -<p>“The Science Union has offered this trip to -you, Jill, you, Randy, and you, Ted, as a reward -for your important discovery,” Dr. Kenton went -on. “They also want me to go back and give -lectures all over the country on our latest findings -about Mars. It may keep me there a long -time.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_253">253</div> -<div class="img" id="pic14"> -<img src="images/i29.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="703" /> -<p class="caption"><i>They grabbed Yank’s paws and began dancing.</i></p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_254">254</div> -<p>“That’s wonderful!” Mrs. Kenton said. “I was -afraid you’d have to stay behind here.”</p> -<p>Ted and Jill were so enthusiastic over the proposed -trip that they grabbed Yank’s paws and -began dancing around with him. Randy stood -watching them, not quite sharing their high -spirits. When Ted saw him, he grabbed Randy’s -hand and made him join in the celebration. A -moment later Randy was enjoying himself as -much as the rest.</p> -<p>Dr. Kenton said to Randy’s father: “They are -in need of some space-port engineers back on -Earth. If Randy would like to go with Ted and -Jill, would you consider a job like that?”</p> -<p>“You may not know it, John, but I’ve had my -application in for such a job for years,” Mr. Matthews -answered, highly pleased. “I’ll say I’ll take -it!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_255">255</div> -<p>“If you kids will stop jumping around a minute,” -Dr. Kenton said, “I’ve got something else -to say.”</p> -<p>They stopped and listened intently.</p> -<p>“If we go Earthward it may be a long time before -we come back to Mars,” he said. “We—or at -least you—may never get back.”</p> -<p>“That’s all right with me,” Ted said. “I’ve -seen enough of Mars to last me a lifetime! It’s -interesting here, but it’s nothing compared to -good old Earth.”</p> -<p>“That’s what I say!” Jill chimed in.</p> -<p>“There’s more here that I should like to look -into,” the scientist said, with a brooding look on -his face. “There are still many unsolved mysteries, -such as how these great canals were built, and -I’d like to be in on the discovery—if and when -it’s ever made.”</p> -<p>“We can take Yank home with us to Virginia, -can’t we?” Jill asked anxiously.</p> -<p>“I don’t see why not,” Dr. Kenton answered. -“He seemed to adapt himself to our breathing -mixture all right.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_256">256</div> -<p>Jill hugged the little Martian animal and got -a grateful lick in return. Then the Kenton children -took Randy aside and began telling him of -the wonders of Earth that he would soon be able -to see for himself.</p> -<p>“Wait until you enjoy the fun of a swim on -a hot day!” Ted said.</p> -<p>“—And the cold air turning your nose red in -the winter and the crunch of snow under your -feet!” Jill put in.</p> -<p>“It sounds great,” Randy said, his eyes sparkling -with anticipation. “I think I’m going to -like Earth.”</p> -<p>“I know you will,” Ted said earnestly. -“There’s nothing as wonderful as Earth in all -the universe!”</p> -<p>It looked as though Ted’s trip to Mars would -turn out to be nothing more than a long visit. A -few weeks from now he would be a traveler returning -home to his beloved land. What wondrous -stories he’d tell the kids back there of adventure -on the mysterious red planet which hung -in the deeps of everlasting night!</p> -<p class="tbcenter"><span class="small">THE END</span></p> -<hr class="dwide" /> -<h3 id="c23"><span class="ss">YOUNG VISITOR TO MARS</span></h3> -<p class="center"><span class="ss">By RICHARD M. ELAM, JR.</span></p> -<p class="center"><span class="ss"><span class="small">Illustrated by CHARLES H. GEER</span></span></p> -<p>Ted and Jill Kenton and their parents -are en route by space ship to Mars where -Dr. Kenton is to pursue scientific research. -As they are guided around the flying space -ship, a crisis develops. Another space ship -is bearing down on their own craft. The -ships just manage to scrape by each other, -but the Kenton ship is slightly damaged -and must make an emergency landing on -the moon for repairs.</p> -<p>Here they meet Randy Matthews, -whose father is missing on another Martian -expedition, and arrangements are -made for Randy to join the Kentons. The -ship is repaired and takes off to continue -the flight to Mars.</p> -<p>There new and exciting adventures befall -Jill, Ted, and Randy. They rescue a -color bear who becomes their pet; they discover -an air leak in their space suits and -barely escape with their lives; and eventually -after encountering hitherto unknown -dangers, they find the lost caves of the -early Martians and open the way to research -of the earlier civilization.</p> -<p>This book of continuous thrills and excitement -will hold the reader spellbound -while inspiring real thought of the scientific -possibilities of space travel.</p> -<p class="center"><span class="ss"><i>This is a Young Heroes Library Volume.</i></span></p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_258">258</div> -<h3 id="c24"><span class="ss">YOUNG SIOUX WARRIOR</span></h3> -<p class="center"><span class="ss">By FRANCIS LYNDE KROLL</span></p> -<p class="center"><span class="small"><span class="ss">Illustrated by CHARLES H. GEER</span></span></p> -<p>It was in the days when the Pawnees and -the Sioux roamed the plains in search of -buffalo herds. In the camp of the Sioux, -Chief Great Bear sat at the council fire -with his braves who planned to drive the -Pawnees from the Sioux hunting grounds.</p> -<p>But Great Bear had other problems. -His grandson, Little Bear, was beginning -to grow up. He had to be taught how to -use a bow and arrow, how to shoot -straight, how to saddle a horse, how to -ride, and the many things a young Indian -needed to learn.</p> -<p>How Great Bear trained his little grandson -and how together they tracked a horse -thief who stole their horses; how the courage, -determination, and ability of Little -Bear saved the entire tribe, make absorbing, -exciting reading, and when at length -Little Bear is finally called “warrior,” the -reader has an authentic, historically accurate -picture of the real life of a boy in -an Indian tribe.</p> -<p class="center"><span class="ss"><i>This is a Young Heroes Library Volume.</i></span></p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_259">259</div> -<h3 id="c25"><span class="ss"><i>Adventures For Young People—About Young People</i></span></h3> -<div class="img" id="i30"> -<img src="images/i30.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="350" height="236" /> -</div> -<p>All the books in the Young -Heroes Library are exciting, -wholesome books for active youngsters who want to -read about heroes in their own age group.</p> -<p>They are written by authors who understand -the interests of children, and who are capable of -writing in the clear, concise language necessary to be -easily understood.</p> -<p>The quality of these books ... the paper, large -size type, beautiful illustrations, and colorful dust -wrappers, are seldom found in this price range. The -contents have already earned the approval of librarians, -educators, and youths themselves.</p> -<p><b>YOUNG SIOUX WARRIOR</b> by Francis Lynde Kroll</p> -<blockquote> -<p>Story of Little Bear’s education in the ways of his Indian tribe. -(Selected by Junior Literary Guild)</p> -</blockquote> -<p><b>YOUNG BUCKSKIN SPY</b> by Selden Loring</p> -<blockquote> -<p>Two American boys in the Revolutionary War help General George -Washington beat the British Army.</p> -</blockquote> -<p><b>YOUNG INFIELD ROOKIE</b> by Charles Coombs</p> -<blockquote> -<p>A Little League baseball team scores twice; it wins the championship -and renews an ex-major leaguer’s faith in himself.</p> -</blockquote> -<p><b>YOUNG SAND HILLS COWBOY</b> by Francis Lynde Kroll</p> -<blockquote> -<p>A city boy visits a ranch and finds “the big race” a lot -tougher than he had expected.</p> -</blockquote> -<p><b>YOUNG PONY EXPRESS RIDER</b> by Charles Coombs</p> -<blockquote> -<p>Danger puts 14-year-old Tod Gilmer in the pony express saddle as -he roars across Indian territory.</p> -</blockquote> -<p><b>YOUNG VISITOR TO MARS</b> by Richard M. Elam, Jr.</p> -<blockquote> -<p>Fascinating adventures await Jill and Ted Kenton in the world of -tomorrow.</p> -</blockquote> -<p class="center small">All illustrated by CHARLES H. GEER</p> -<p class="tbcenter"><span class="ss">GROSSET & DUNLAP -<br /><span class="small">Publishers of WORDS: <i>The New Dictionary</i> -<br /><span class="sc">New York</span> 10, N. Y.</span></span></p> -<hr class="dwide" /> -<h2 id="tn">Transcriber’s Notes</h2><ul> -<li>Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.</li> -<li>Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.</li> -<li>In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)</li> -</ul> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Young Visitor to Mars, by Richard Mace Elam, Jr. - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG VISITOR TO MARS *** - -***** This file should be named 60133-h.htm or 60133-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/1/3/60133/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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