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diff --git a/old/60133.txt b/old/60133.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7f7a7c6..0000000 --- a/old/60133.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5309 +0,0 @@ -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: ASCII - -*** 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 - - - - - - - _A Young Heroes Library Volume_ - - - - - YOUNG VISITOR TO MARS - - - By - RICHARD M. ELAM, Jr. - -[Illustration] - - ILLUSTRATED BY CHARLES H. GEER - - _GROSSET & DUNLAP_ - NEW YORK - - Copyright 1953 - By Lantern Press, Inc. - _Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 53-10375_ - MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - - _Contents_ - - - _Beyond the Earth_ 9 - _Hurtling Danger_ 17 - _First Stop--Luna_ 25 - _The Curious Boy_ 37 - _Pelting Stones_ 47 - _Into Space Again_ 59 - _Invisible Menace_ 73 - _The New World_ 83 - _A Cry in the Night_ 99 - _School on Mars_ 111 - _Yank_ 123 - _Illness Strikes_ 135 - _News for Randy_ 147 - _Peril in the Night_ 159 - _The Peril Continued_ 169 - _Disappointment_ 181 - _Yank in School_ 193 - _Trouble in the Air_ 203 - _Terror in the Night_ 215 - _Lost Underground_ 227 - _A Struggle Against Time_ 237 - _Of Days to Come_ 251 - - - - - _List of Illustrations_ - - - _"The Earth!" She spoke in awe._ 12 - _"Hi, folks," he greeted._ 21 - _"That's the headquarters building."_ 43 - _He was going to Mars._ 65 - _Figures in weird metallic suits._ 78 - _The birds soared away._ 118 - _The whole landscape was blotted out._ 142 - _The picture flashed on._ 156 - _"Pops!" Randy cried._ 164 - _Yank went over the side with a splash._ 189 - _"Please don't bring Yank back."_ 200 - _Down, down he went._ 213 - _They felt themselves tumbling downward._ 232 - _They grabbed Yank's paws and began dancing._ 256 - - - - - CHAPTER ONE - _Beyond the Earth_ - - -The rocket ship _Shooting Star_ 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 A.D. 2003. - -"It doesn't seem as if we're moving at all, does it, Sis?" Ted asked. - -Jill shook her auburn head. "No, but it scares me to know how fast we're -going!" she replied. - -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. - -"But what if we should hit something!" Jill complained. "It would be an -awful crash!" - -"The only things we have to worry about hitting are meteors," Ted told -her. "The _Shooting Star_ has radar instruments that tell us when -they're headed straight at us." - -"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. - -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. - -"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?" - -Ted looked at her with some surprise. "Dad talked this over with us. You -said you wanted to go." - -"It didn't seem so scary then, although I didn't really _want_ 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!" - -"Does Dad or Mom know you feel this way?" Ted asked. - -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." - -"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. - -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! - -[Illustration: _"The Earth!" She spoke in awe._] - -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. - -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?" - -Ted looked, then grinned. "Don't you even know your own planet when you -see it?" - -"The Earth!" She spoke in awe. "Of course!" - -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. - -"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 -_see_ the atmosphere!" - -"I knew it," Ted said, with mock superiority. "I bet you don't know it's -hundreds of miles deep." - -"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." - -"That's not bad for a girl," Ted replied, with a tolerant grin. - -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. - -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. - -"Will we ever get used to these funny shoes?" Jill complained. - -"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." - -"It might be fun to swim around in here just like a fish," Jill mused. -"I think I'll try it." - -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. - -"Be careful!" Ted warned. "Any motion you make will be hard to stop." - -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. - -"That's lots of fun!" she said. "Why don't you try it, Ted?" - -"Uh-uh. Another time. One of us had better keep his feet." - -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. - -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." - -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. - -Suddenly Ted's heart seemed to stop dead. "Jill! Look out! You'll hit -that air vent!" - -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. - - - - - CHAPTER TWO - _Hurtling Danger_ - - -His heart pounding in anxiety at Jill's plight, Ted opened a door and -dashed into the next room of the suite. - -"Jill!" he cried. "She's hurt!" - -Dr. Kenton looked up, startled, from the desk where he had been -studying. "Let's go, Son!" the scientist said, jumping to his feet. - -"Where's Mom?" Ted asked. - -"She's down in the magazine shop," his father answered, and added, "It's -probably for the better." - -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. - -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. - -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." - -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. - -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. - -"What happened to me?" she asked in a weak voice. - -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?" - -"She wanted to go without her shoes to see what it felt like," Ted -replied. "I should have stopped her." - -"You both should be tanned for a trick like that," his father said -gravely. "Jill could have been seriously injured." - -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. - -"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." - -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. - -"I suppose the scenery _is_ getting a little monotonous for you," their -father replied. "Maybe I can arrange for you to stretch your legs a -bit." - -"You mean we can tour the ship now?" Jill asked excitedly. - -"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." - -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." - -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?" - -[Illustration: _"Hi, folks," he greeted._] - -"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. - -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!" - -He introduced himself as Lieutenant Foran and his copilot as Lieutenant -Starky, who took a moment from his work to smile a greeting. - -"On every trip we make we usually let the passengers come in a few at a -time," Lieutenant Foran said, "to look around." - -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. - -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. - -Lieutenant Starky leaned forward and twisted a dial. - -"What's he doing?" Ted asked. - -"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." - -Lieutenant Foran went over to the panel, looking up at the screen. "What -is it?" he asked his companion. - -"Seems to be a ship," replied Lieutenant Starky. "Probably the mail -rocket _Moonstone_ on its way back from Luna. The navigator said we'd -pass it." - -Lieutenant Foran slid into his seat and pressed a button on the panel. A -voice from a speaker said, "Navigation." - -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 _Moonstone_ should -have turned off course before now! It's heading straight toward us!" - -"We'll call the Commander!" Lieutenant Starky said, jabbing a button. - -Jill squeezed her father's arm. "Are we going to crash?" she whispered. - -"Don't be scared, honey," her father said soothingly. "I'm sure we'll be -all right." - -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? - - - - - CHAPTER THREE - _First Stop--Luna_ - - -"I can't understand why they don't turn off course!" Lieutenant Starky -exclaimed. "Their radar _must_ have contacted us!" - -Ted watched the blips from the _Moonstone_ slowly nearing the center of -the screen. By the time they did reach that center, the _Moonstone_ and -the _Shooting Star_ would be occupying the same area in space. - -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. - -Ted could see that the officer was trying to keep the fear out of his -voice. They must really be in a bad spot. - -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 _Shooting -Star's_ danger that he barely nodded to Dr. Kenton. - -As the Kentons returned to their quarters, golden-haired Mrs. Kenton -faced her family with stricken eyes. - -"What's happening, John?" she asked her husband. "All the crewmen are -running around like mad." - -"It's just a little trouble outside," the scientist said gently. "I'm -sure Commander Grissom and his men can handle it." - -Mrs. Kenton began pacing restlessly. "This waiting! I wish we knew -what's going on." - -"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." - -They heard first the voice of Lieutenant Starky coming over the -compartment's loud-speaker. "_The Moonstone_ has just answered, sir!" - -"What do they say?" the commander asked urgently. - -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." - -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. - -The Kentons heard the final miles being slowly called off by Commander -Grissom as the two ships hurtled toward one another: - -"Four hundred--three hundred--two--a hundred and fifty...." - -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. - -The light of thousands of stars out there seemed to burn into the boy's -brain. Would the decisive moment never come? - -Presently Ted saw the blackness of space blurred for only the briefest -instant as the _Moonstone_ drove past, its rockets streaming tongues of -flame! The side jets spurted against the hull of the _Shooting Star_, -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. - -[Illustration] - -As the ship steadied itself and drove on an even keel again, Ted grinned -weakly. "We--we made it," he managed to say. - -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 _Shooting Star_ would come -through the peril all right. - -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. - -"I never want to go through an experience like that again!" cried Mrs. -Kenton, taking a seat. - -"I don't think we need ever fear this happening again," Dr. Kenton said. -"It's quite a rare occurrence." - -"What about meteors?" Jill asked. - -"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." - -Hearing this confident remark, the children were interested in the space -ship again. "We didn't finish our tour!" Jill burst out. - -"Would you like to see the garden?" Dr. Kenton asked. - -"The garden?" Ted asked, puzzled. "What good is a garden on a space -ship?" - -"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. - -"Haven't you two wondered how you're able to breathe in the ship?" their -father asked as they walked down the corridor. - -"I know how," Ted said. "The air is pumped through the ship from -compressed-air chambers." - -"What is air?" his father asked. - -"Mostly oxygen and nitrogen," Ted answered. - -"The _Shooting Star_ 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.'" - -"But what's that to do with a garden?" Jill asked. - -"You'll see in a minute," came the reply. - -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. - -"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." - -"They yield something even more precious, though," his father said. -"Oxygen." - -"Huh?" Ted asked in surprise. - -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." - -"So that's it!" Jill said. - -"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." - -"Will our home on Mars have a garden producing air?" Ted asked. - -"No, we'll use air cartridges there because they're more efficient in -small places." - -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 _Moonstone_ damaged our hull, and we've -got to lay over on Luna for repairs." - -"Goody!" Jill exclaimed. "We'll get to land on the Moon!" - -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." - -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. - -"Those big craters look just like eyes!" Ted exclaimed. - -"It's all so terribly rough-looking down there, I don't see where we can -land!" Mrs. Kenton said. - -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." - -"Hey, we're turning around!" Ted exclaimed, as he saw the stars -beginning to blur before his eyes. - -"That's so that we can use our rear jets to brake our landing," the -scientist said. - -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. - -Presently a crewman stuck his head in the door to make sure they were -ready for the strain of landing. - -Some time later, when he had the sensation of going down in a suddenly -dropping elevator, Ted knew the moment of deceleration had begun. - -In his mind's eye he could picture what was going on. He imagined the -long sleekness of the _Shooting Star_ 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. - -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. - -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 _Shooting Star_ and _Moonstone_ approaching -one another in the heavens. Then he thought what a frightful crash it -would have been had they met. - -It made him wonder, now, if the _Shooting Star_ could check its downward -plunge in time, or if it would be dashed to atoms on the hard gray soil -of Luna. - - - - - CHAPTER FOUR - _The Curious Boy_ - - -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! - -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. - -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. - -"Hey, it's time to get up!" he said to the others. - -Dr. Kenton unstrapped himself and then assisted Mrs. Kenton. Ted helped -get Jill loose. - -"Whew! That was awful!" Mrs. Kenton complained. - -"I--I think I left my stomach up in the sky!" Jill said. - -Ted started toward the side window. "I feel so heavy!" he said. "I can -hardly lift my feet!" - -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." - -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. - -Jill and her mother, having taken longer to get their bearings, finally -joined the other two at the window. - -"What makes it so awfully bright out there?" asked Jill, squinting her -eyes. - -"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. - -"Talk about a sunburn!" Ted said, with a whistle. - -"You couldn't stand it long," Dr. Kenton said, chuckling grimly. "It's -hot enough to boil water out there right now!" - -"Then when the sun is down, it must be nice," put in Mrs. Kenton -innocently. - -Her husband grinned. "If you call over two hundred degrees below zero -centigrade nice!" - -A crisp voice came over the speaker: "All passengers to the dressing -room to don space gear!" - -"You mean we have to go out in that?" Mrs. Kenton asked, shocked. - -"I don't know any other way of getting to the settlement across the -way," was Dr. Kenton's gentle reply. - -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." - -"I feel like a feather!" Jill said, dancing along. - -"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!" - -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. - -Dr. Kenton, who had put on much space gear in his time, helped his -family into theirs. - -"Climb into the flexible suit first," he said, as he demonstrated. "Then -all you have to do is to zip it up--so!" - -"What are these tubes on our backs?" Jill asked, after the -asbestos-covered suits were donned. - -"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." - -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. - -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. - -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 _Shooting Star's_ 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. - -"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. - -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. - -"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." - -"Why are the buildings connected with one another?" Jill wanted to know. - -"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 _Shooting Star_." - -Ted thought his father's voice sounded queer coming over his helmet -receiver, but he guessed he would get used to it in time. - -[Illustration: "_That's the headquarters building._"] - -The party from the _Shooting Star_ 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. - -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. - -"Did they haul all these stones from Earth to build this place?" Ted -asked, as they went down one of the long rock passageways. - -"Goodness no!" his father replied with a laugh. "The whole colony is -built of lunar rock, quarried near by." - -When the Wheel had been circled by the sightseers and it was learned -that the _Shooting Star_ 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. - -"I have an astronomer friend who runs an observatory not far from here," -he said. "Would you kids like to visit it?" - -Their eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and they both nodded as one. Mrs. -Kenton, however, was not so ambitious. - -"Not I," she sighed. "That long walk around this building will last me -for a good while." - -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. - -"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." - -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? - - - - - CHAPTER FIVE - _Pelting Stones_ - - -Ted decided he would find out just why the boy was watching them. -"Hello," Ted greeted. - -"Hi," the boy answered. - -"What's your name?" Ted asked. - -"Randy Matthews," the boy returned. - -Before Ted could go on with his questioning, Dr. Kenton spoke up. -"Randy, would you like to go with us to visit the observatory?" - -"Yes, sir, I would," was the ready reply. - -"You'd better check with your folks first," Dr. Kenton advised. - -"I don't have any folks here," Randy said. "Mr. Collins is taking care -of me. He's an engineer." - -"Then check with him and come on back if you can," Dr. Kenton said. - -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." - -"I've noticed it, too," his father said. "I wonder what he meant when he -said he has no folks _here_?" - -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. - -The four of them left the building and went outside where an odd vehicle -awaited them. - -"What a funny-looking car!" Jill exclaimed, and Ted could hear her merry -laugh ring in his helmet receiver. - -"A fresh-air taxi!" Ted put in. - -The car had enormous tires and an open top. It looked more like a -tractor than anything else. - -"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. - -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. - -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. - -"It makes me homesick seeing it," Jill said, and Ted detected a tremor -in her voice. - -Ted couldn't help admiring Jill for her courage in agreeing to come -along against her wishes, just to keep the family together. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"This column of rock has always been hollow," he explained, "so it was -easy to run an elevator up through it." - -He unfastened his helmet and took it off. "You can take off your hats -now," he told the children. "There's air in here." - -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. - -"Hello!" Dr. Kenton called. "Is anyone home?" - -[Illustration] - -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. - -"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?" - -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. - -"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?" - -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. - -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. - -"Oooh--it's beautiful!" Jill cried with a gasp. - -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. - -"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." - -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. - -Dr. Beeler and her father came running to her. - -"What's the matter, honey?" Dr. Kenton asked. - -"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?" - -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. - -Dr. Beeler stood by, fidgeting as though he wanted to say something but -didn't know just what. - -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 _Shooting Star_ may be nearly ready to take off." - -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. - -"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." - -As the four went down in the elevator, Jill said, "I'm sorry I was such -a baby." - -"Nonsense," her father returned. "I must confess I've been a little -homesick myself since leaving Earth. How about you, Ted, and you, -Randy?" - -Ted had to admit to a certain amount himself, but the Kentons were -surprised to hear Randy's opinion. - -"No sir," Randy said, "I'm not homesick for Earth." - -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. - -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. - -"Everybody out," Dr. Kenton said. "Put on your helmets and turn on your -air valves." - -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. - -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. - -Suddenly the scientist jammed the brakes on so suddenly that the -children were pitched forward. - -"What's wrong?" Ted asked, when he had regained his wits. - -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. - -His insistent voice brought them tumbling out of the car to the ground. - -"What is it?" Jill cried frantically. - -"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!" - -He looked around. "We've got to find some shelter," he told them. "A -cave--a clump of rocks--anything." - -"There's a bunch of rocks!" Randy said, indicating a clump off to their -left. - -[Illustration] - -"That seems to be the closest place!" Dr. Kenton said. "Let's go!" - -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. - -When the "air" cleared, Ted was shocked to find Randy missing. - -"Where's Randy?" he cried. - -"There he is--on the ground," Jill shrieked, pointing behind them. - -Ted turned, and his heart seemed to stop beating for a moment. Randy was -stretched out flat. He was unmoving, still as death! - - - - - CHAPTER SIX - _Into Space Again_ - - -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. - -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. - -Presently Randy's eyes opened, and he pushed himself up into a sitting -position. - -"What happened?" he asked, almost in a whisper. - -"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." - -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. - -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. - -Soon the broadcasting loud-speakers announced that the _Shooting Star_ -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. - -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. - -"We'll sure miss you, Randy," Jill was saying. - -"Yes, we will," Mrs. Kenton said kindly. "Too bad you can't go along -with us." - -At this last remark, Randy looked up wistfully. Ted had an idea that -Randy would like nothing better than to go with them. - -"Have you ever been to Mars, Randy?" Ted asked. - -"Of course," he replied gently. "I was born there." - -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. - -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?" - -Randy's eyes dropped, and his slender fingers began twisting. - -"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." - -"Son, do you know which expedition your father is with?" Dr. Kenton -asked. - -"Yes, sir," Randy answered. "It's the Number Five Syrtis Major -Expedition." - -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. - -"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." - -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. - -"Randy, how would you like to go to Mars with us?" Dr. Kenton asked -presently. - -Ted saw the sunshine of joy flare up in the boy's face. "C--could I?" he -asked. "Really?" - -"Of course," the scientist said. "We'd be glad to have you, wouldn't we, -Mom?" - -Mrs. Kenton smiled softly at the boy. "We certainly would, Randy." - -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. - -"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." - -"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." - -"It's a grand thing you're doing," Mr. Collins said. - -When Mr. Collins left, Mrs. Kenton said to her husband, "We'll have to -tell Randy about his father ourselves, won't we?" - -"In due time," Dr. Kenton replied, "after he comes to know us better. -It'll be easier that way." - -"Randy will be able to tell us all about Mars, since he's from there," -Jill said excitedly. - -Ted agreed with his sister and decided then that Randy was going to make -a very welcome addition to the Kenton household. - -Less than an hour later, the _Shooting Star_ was in the heavens again, -powering toward the distant red beacon of Mars and leaving behind the -rugged wastelands of the Moon. - -[Illustration: _He was going to Mars._] - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"It looks like a comet!" Dr. Kenton said. "I'll check with the -commander." - -The scientist tuned in a two-way speaker system and asked about Ted's -find. - -"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." - -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. - -"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. - -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!" - -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. - -"Why won't the gravitation of the comet pull us into it?" Ted asked. - -"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." - -"How big is it?" Jill asked. - -"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." - -When the day of the arrival of the comet's nucleus came, every eye on -the _Shooting Star_ 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. - -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. - -"The head is past," Dr. Kenton said. "From now on, the light will grow -weaker and weaker as the tail goes by." - -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. - -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. - -"Will we see the comet after it swings around the sun, and heads out -into space again?" Ted asked. - -"Yes, from a greater distance," his father answered. "Then it will look -more like a comet to you." - -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?" - -"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." - -Their chance came shortly later. The Kentons and Randy were summoned -forward, and they entered the pilots' roost. - -"Want to see something?" the commander asked. "Look out the forward -window." - -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. - - - - - CHAPTER SEVEN - _Invisible Menace_ - - -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. - -Randy unconsciously shoved forward ahead of the Kentons. "Isn't it -beautiful!" he murmured. - -"I wonder when we'll be landing," Jill said. - -The commander, who had heard her, answered, "In fifty hours, young -lady." - -"I guess we'd better get back to our suite so that some of the other -passengers can come in," Dr. Kenton said. - -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?" - -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!" - -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. - -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." - -"My goodness!" exclaimed Mrs. Kenton. "What does that mean?" - -"There'll be time for explanations later," replied Dr. Kenton. "The -first thing is to do as he says." - -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. - -The Kentons and Randy crowded into the farthest rear room of the -_Shooting Star_ with the other passengers, all of whom were chattering -excitedly. When the last passenger was in, the transparent door was -fastened shut. - -"Why did we have to come way back here, Father?" Jill asked. - -"Because rays are loose in the ship," her father replied. "The farther -we are from the atomic engines up front, the safer we are." - -"Are they dangerous?" his wife asked. - -"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!" - -"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!" - -"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." - -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. - -Presently figures clothed in weird metallic suits and carrying shiny -instruments were seen in the corridor. - -"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." - -"Look!" Jill said suddenly. "The red light has gone out!" - -"We've nothing to worry about, then." The scientist spoke with relief. -"I would say those men got to us just in time." - -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." - -[Illustration: _Figures in weird metallic suits._] - -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. - -"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!" - -"At least you can't say the trip is boring, Mother," Jill piped up, and -this brought a relaxing laugh from the others. - - * * * * * * * * - -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. - -"There's the Prime Canal," Randy said, pointing to the largest chasm of -all. "It feeds all the little canals in this section." - -"Aren't those trees growing along the canals?" Jill asked. - -Randy nodded. "Evergreens," he said. - -"What's that white stuff in the bottom of the canals and near the roots -of the trees?" Ted wanted to know. - -"That's frost," Randy answered. "The sun never melts it completely. It -never even gets up to zero in this latitude." - -Dr. Kenton, whose interest was beyond Mars at the moment, said, "Look, -kids, there's our comet again!" - -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. - -"Now it really looks like a comet!" Ted declared. - -"It's beautiful!" Jill murmured. - -"We'll be able to see it from Mars for several days," Dr. Kenton told -them. "Then it'll gradually disappear from view." - -At this point the _Shooting Star_ began its turnabout for rearward -landing. Then, still later, the order that all those aboard the -_Shooting Star_ had been waiting a long time to hear came over the -loud-speakers. "Strap down on couches, everyone! Next stop--Lowell -Harbor!" - -The end of their journey was at hand. - - - - - CHAPTER EIGHT - _The New World_ - - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"What a beautiful spaceport!" said Mrs. Kenton, who had come over to the -window with the other members of the family. - -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. - -"What makes Mars so red?" Jill asked her father. - -"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." - -"Is there any oxygen left?" Ted asked. - -"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." - -"But there're birds and animals and insects," Ted said. "Why didn't they -suffocate too?" - -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." - -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. - -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. - -[Illustration] - -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." - -As the party walked buoyantly over the ground toward the bridge, Jill -said, "I sure feel light-footed." - -"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." - -"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. - -Crossing the bridge, Ted looked over the side at the calm waters of the -canal. - -"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." - -"Look! Aren't those the little boats you were telling us about?" Jill -asked, pointing. - -There were a number of tributaries extending out from the canal. It was -along these that the individual houses were located. - -"That's right," her father said. "We'll have a boat of our own, too." - -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. - -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. - -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." - -After registering, the Kentons were assigned their new home. - -"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." - -"That's all right," Dr. Kenton replied. "I knew about that." - -"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." - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"Is that all there is to it?" Ted asked in amazement. - -"That's all," Mr. Cooper answered. - -"But how does it work?" Ted wanted to know. - -"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." - -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. - -"This is like the 'Old Mill' run at the carnival!" Jill said, as the -craft wound in and out along the irregular course. - -"This boat is great fun!" Ted said. "May Jill and I run it some time, -Dad?" - -"I guess you'll have to when I've gone off on my expedition," Dr. Kenton -answered. - -"Why doesn't this water freeze?" Ted asked. - -"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." - -[Illustration] - -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. - -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. - -"End of the line!" Mr. Cooper sang out gaily. "Everyone out!" - -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!" - -"It's not glass--it's strong plastic like that in the main buildings," -Dr. Kenton explained. - -"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." - -"I'm glad to hear that!" Mrs. Kenton said with relief. - -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?" - -"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." - -Jill wanted to know what the solar mirror was. - -"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." - -While these explanations were going on, Randy stood fidgeting. All this -was old stuff to him, and the explanations seemed to bore him. - -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. - -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. - -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." - -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. - -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. - -When all had gotten acquainted with their bedrooms, Dr. Kenton took them -into the basement, which was just as large as the main floor. - -"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." - -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. - -"What's this?" Jill asked. - -"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." - -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." - -His shivering companions took a moment to look inside. Ted saw a room as -large as the upstairs living room. It was empty. - -"When they bring our food, this place will be a third full," Dr. Kenton -said. - -"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. - -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. - -"This is our regular refrigerator," Dr. Kenton said. "It connects by -pipe to the basement freezer." - -"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." - -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? - - - - - CHAPTER NINE - _A Cry in the Night_ - - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"I'm sorry, Randy," Ted said. "I thought I heard something outdoors." - -[Illustration] - -"I heard it, too," Randy said. - -The two looked outside, straining their eyes to pierce the shadowy -night. Suddenly Randy Whispered tensely, "There!" - -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. - -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. - -"Did you hear it again?" Ted asked as he swept his glasses over the -landscape. - -Randy nodded. "It sounded like a color bear. He must be in trouble." - -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. - -"It's a color bear," Randy whispered. "He's stuck in the bog. He'll -never get out by himself." - -Ted saw a wistful look on Randy's face. "I sure hate to see anything -happen to those little fellows. They're so friendly." - -"You mean they make good pets?" Ted wanted to know. - -"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." - -"I wonder if we could help him," Ted suggested. - -"It may be dangerous," Randy warned. "If we should slip...." - -"You've been around them before, haven't you?" - -"Yes." - -"I'm willing to try it if you are," Ted said. - -"Let's go then." - -"We'll have to be careful not to wake the others," Ted said. - -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. - -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. - -"We'd better hurry," Randy said. "He may go down any moment." - -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. - -As they knelt beside him, they saw his violet button eyes turned -pleadingly up to them. - -"The bank seems firm," Randy said. "Let's brace ourselves and each take -one of his paws." - -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. - -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! - -[Illustration] - -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. - -"What'll we do with him?" Randy asked. - -"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." - -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. - -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. - -"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?" - -"Just like babies," Randy said. - -"I forgot, though," Ted said. "They can't breathe our air mixture, can -they?" - -"Yes, they can." Randy told him. "They have a valve in their bodies that -takes care of that." - -"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." - -They let the bear in, and in appreciation he licked their helmets again. - -"If you want to stay in here, you'll have to be quiet," Randy warned, -just as though the animal could understand. - -"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. - -"They always do that the first few times they enter our atmosphere," -Randy answered. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"See what I mean?" Randy said, grinning. "They're almost human." - -"I wish we could keep him," Ted said longingly. "He seems like lots of -fun. I think I'll ask Dad about it." - -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. - - - - - CHAPTER TEN - _School on Mars_ - - -"What in the world are you two doing?" Dr. Kenton asked. - -Ted told him the whole story of the rescue, ending up with a request -that they keep the Martian animal for a pet. - -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." - -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. - -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." - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"I guess he finally gave up," said Ted unhappily. - -"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." - -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?" - -"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." - -"I've heard of a dangerous plant in the Great Forest," Ted said. "What's -it called?" - -"The whip tree," Randy answered. "It throws tentacles around anything -that's near and draws it into its center mouth." - -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. - -"I wish we could have kept that little animal!" Jill sighed. "He sounds -wonderful!" - -"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." - -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. - -"Are the schools like they are back home?" Jill asked. - -"They sure are," her father said. "Just as modern as you'll find -anywhere." - -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. - -Ted noticed that Dad seemed reluctant to leave Mom by herself, but she -did not seem to mind. - -"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 _four_ children!" - -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. - -Dr. Kenton looked into the purple sky through which the stars gleamed. -"It's exactly six-fifteen now," he said. - -"How did you know that?" Ted asked in surprise. "You didn't look at your -watch." - -"I didn't have to," his father answered. "That little disk in the sky -gives it to me." - -"That's Phobos," Ted supplied. - -"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." - -"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. - -"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?" - -"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." - -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 _is_ six-thirty." - -Suddenly Jill cried, "Ooo--look!" - -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." - -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. - -"Don't they sound funny!" Ted said. - -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. - -"We're going to the science building today," the scientist explained. - -"Why is that as big as the administration building?" Jill asked. - -[Illustration: _The birds soared away._] - -"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." - -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. - -"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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -Ted was glad when the recreation period came and he could exercise. - -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. - -When school was out, the young Kentons and Randy reported to the -science-building office, where Dr. Kenton was waiting for them. - -"Did you get your assignment?" Jill asked. - -"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." - -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. - -"Look!" he exclaimed. "There's the color bear again!" - -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. - - - - - CHAPTER ELEVEN - _Yank_ - - -"Isn't he the cutest thing!" exclaimed Jill, as she saw the -red-white-and-blue creature. - -"I thought we were rid of him," Dr. Kenton groaned. - -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. - -"It looks like we just can't get rid of him," Ted said, renewing his -hope for possession of the animal. - -"Oh, Father, can't we keep him?" Jill pleaded, stroking the color bear. - -Randy patted the little round head, and the bear made a sort of purring, -contented sound as the children fondled him. - -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." - -"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. - -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. - -"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?" - -They nodded. - -"We'll order it the same time as we do supplies for the garden," the -scientist said. - -"We're going to have a garden?" Jill burst out. - -"I thought we'd try it," her father said. "That's the only way we can -get fresh vegetables." - -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." - -"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." - -"Maybe he'll change after the bear has been around for a while," Jill -put in. - -The air-lock door opened, and Randy stuck his head in. - -"We'd forgotten all about you, Randy!" Jill exclaimed. - -"Are we going to keep him?" Randy asked anxiously. - -"We sure are!" Jill piped. "Bring him in and let's introduce him to -Mother." - -Randy let the color bear inside. When he began staggering about, Mrs. -Kenton exclaimed with horror: "He's dying, the poor little fellow." - -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. - -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. - -"We've got to give him a name," Jill said. "What'll we call him?" - -"How about Fuzzy?" suggested Mrs. Kenton. - -"No. Teddy!" Jill said. - -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." - -"How about Yank, then?" Mrs. Kenton said. - -"That's a good one!" Jill agreed. - -"Yeah, that's swell!" Ted said. "What do you think, Randy?" - -He shrugged and grinned. "It sounds all right to me, but I don't know -what it means." - -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. - -"Yank, meet Dr. Kenton," Ted said formally. - -Ted's father smiled and approached the little animal. "Hi, Yank," he -said. - -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? - -"Don't worry, John," Mrs. Kenton said soothingly. "He'll come around to -you before long." - -Her husband quickly changed the subject. "I've made out the -requisitions. I'll send them over to headquarters now on the -video-sender." - -[Illustration] - -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. - -"That means it's been received," Dr. Kenton said. "I asked to have it -sent to us tomorrow." - -"Why couldn't you just phone it in?" Ted asked. - -"This way there doesn't have to be anyone on the other end," his father -explained. "The requisition was handled by an automatic machine." - -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. - -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. - -"Here are the things we ordered," Dr. Kenton said. "The manufacturers -shaped them on molds they already have on hand." - -The color bear's house was a rounded dome resembling an Eskimo igloo. -The garden shelter was oval and about twenty-five feet long. - -"How are we going to lift those things?" Ted asked. "They must be -awfully heavy!" - -"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." - -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. - -"The dome is double-walled!" Ted said. - -"Of course, it is," Dr. Kenton answered. "So is our house--and all the -buildings on Mars." - -"Why?" Ted asked. - -"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." - -"The walls are so clear in the house, I never noticed they were double," -Ted said. - -"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." - -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. - -"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." - -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. - -"He seems satisfied with it," said Jill. - -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. - -"First we bring the warm house atmosphere into here, so that we can -remove our space gear," Dr. Kenton said. - -When this was done, and with their space suits off, the workers could -move about more efficiently. - -"After supper we'll prepare the ground, and tomorrow we can plant -seeds," Dr. Kenton said. - -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." - -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. - -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." - -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. - -"Did you say we could plant seeds tomorrow?" Jill asked, when they were -through. - -"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." - -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?" - -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. - - - - - CHAPTER TWELVE - _Illness Strikes_ - - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"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." - -"We'll bring them tomorrow on our way to school," Ted promised. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"Mother, Jill is sick!" Ted called when they were inside. - -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. - -"What's wrong with her?" Mrs. Kenton asked in alarm. - -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. - -"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. - -"It looks to me like she's got bog fever," Randy offered. - -"How could she catch fever?" Mrs. Kenton asked. - -"There's a virus that comes from the sand bogs and sometimes gets -through the air valve of space suits," Randy said. - -"I'd better call a doctor at headquarters right away!" Mrs. Kenton -declared. - -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. - -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. - -"Is the disease serious?" Ted asked Randy worriedly. - -"It can be," Randy answered soberly. "We'll probably have to be -quarantined," he added. - -"How long does bog fever last?" Ted asked. - -"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." - -Ted was reluctant to ask the next question, but he felt he must know. - -"Did your friend recover, Randy?" - -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 -_had_ to get well. - -About twenty minutes later, Mrs. Kenton came back to the living room. -Her face was drawn and worried. - -"She's sleeping fitfully and her head is burning up!" she told the boys. -"Oh, why doesn't that doctor come?" - -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. - -Suddenly Ted spotted a strange yellow mass gliding close to the ground -and apparently coming in the direction of the settlement. - -"What's that, Randy?" Ted asked. "Do you know?" - -"We're in for trouble!" Randy answered. - -"What do you mean?" Ted asked, alarmed. - -"It's a dust storm blowing this way," Randy said. - -"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. - -"It may be an awful blow," Randy said. "It may keep the doctor from -getting through to us." - -[Illustration: _The whole landscape was blotted out._] - -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. - -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. - -"How long will this terrible storm last?" she asked, when Randy -explained what it was. - -"Sometimes as long as an hour," Randy replied. - -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." - -"Why don't we call headquarters again," Ted suggested, "and see if the -doctor will be able to come out in the storm." - -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. - -Mrs. Kenton came back quickly. "There's no sound at all over the phone!" -she cried. - -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. - -"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." - -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. - -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!" - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"He looks like he needs another shower," Randy said. - -"There's nothing else we can do now," Ted agreed. Besides, he figured -the activity would take his mind off their troubles. - -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. - -"He must have half the sand of Mars on him," Ted commented. - -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." - - - - - CHAPTER THIRTEEN - _News for Randy_ - - -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. - -"It'll be over in a few minutes now," Randy said. - -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. - -At last the wind died to gusts. The air was clearer now, and the stars -were once again visible overhead. - -"I think we can make it now," Ted said. - -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!" - -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. - -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. - -Before reaching the building, the boys saw a boat speeding right at -them. - -"Look out!" Randy warned. "He's coming straight at us." - -But the boat pulled up just beside the craft occupied by Ted and Randy. - -"Are you the Kenton family?" the single occupant asked over his radio. - -"Yes, sir!" Ted answered quickly. "Are you the doctor?" - -"Yes," the man answered. "The storm has held me up. How's your sister, -Son?" - -"She's bad off, sir," Ted answered. "That's why I had to come for you." - -"Turn your boat around and don't spare the horses, as they used to say," -the doctor said. "I'll be right behind you." - -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. - -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. - -"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." - -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. - -"I'm afraid all of you will have to be quarantined for a week," the -doctor went on. - -"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. - -"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." - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"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." - -Randy had sprung to his feet, and Ted could see his body was tense as a -coil of wire. - -"Pops!" Randy burst out. - -"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. - -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. - -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." - -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: - -"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. - -"It'll be just like our going along with them to the place!" Randy -exclaimed happily. - -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. - -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." - -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. - -"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." - -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. - -"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?" - -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. - -[Illustration: _The picture flashed on._] - -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. - -"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." - -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. - -"Is--that him?" Ted asked tremulously. - -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. - -"My name is Robert Matthews," spoke the bearded man. He smiled and waved -into the screen. "Are you listening, Randy boy?" - -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. - -Randy's father was alive. To Ted, it was almost as though it were his -own father who had been found. - - - - - CHAPTER FOURTEEN - _Peril in the Night_ - - -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. - -Hours after the sensational telecast, the radiophone finally buzzed. -Randy ran to it, flipped a switch, and listened on the two-way -microphone. - -"Pops!" Randy exclaimed. "Yes, it's me! How are you?" On and on the -excited conversation went. - -"Isn't it wonderful, Mom?" Ted said to his mother. - -"It certainly is!" she answered. "Your dad and I really believed Randy -would never see his father alive again." - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"You'd better get back in that bed, young lady!" her mother threatened. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -When the boys returned to the living room, Mrs. Kenton said to them, "I -have a surprise for you two. Turn your heads." - -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. - -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. - -The children were in the living room awaiting breakfast. - -"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. - -"Even if they do, I don't want to lose any time seeing him," Randy said. - -Suddenly Jill pointed a shaky finger toward the front door. "L-look, -there's a man at the door?" - -Ted turned around, startled. "I wonder who..." he began. - -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. - -"Pops!" Randy cried and threw his arms around him. - -"Boy, what a squeeze you have!" Mr. Matthews grunted. "You've grown, -Randy." - -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. - -"You're just in time for breakfast, Mr. Matthews," Mrs. Kenton said. - -"It's been a long time since I've had a home-cooked meal," the man -answered wistfully. "I'd like to join you." - -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." - -[Illustration: _"Pops!" Randy cried._] - -"Randy _has_ been one of us," Mrs. Kenton said warmly. - -"What do you say about that?" his father asked. "Do you want to leave -these nice people?" - -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?" - -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." - -"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?" - -"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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"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." - -That afternoon, as Ted and Jill left school, Ted said, "What do you -think of that trip, Sis?" - -"It sounds like fun!" she said. "I hope we can go." - -"I'd like to, too, but don't forget Mom would be by herself." - -"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." - -"We'll just have to forget it then," Ted said. "Maybe we can make it -another time." - -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. - -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. - -It had not only been a dream. Something had happened to the atmosphere -in the house. - - - - - CHAPTER FIFTEEN - _The Peril Continued_ - - -"Randy, wake up!" - -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. - -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. - -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. - -Even before Ted could leave the room to rouse his mother and sister, -both were standing at the boys' door. - -"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!" - -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. - -"What do you think has happened to the air drum in the basement?" Mrs. -Kenton asked her son over her helmet radio. - -"I don't know, but Randy and I can go down there and see," Ted answered. - -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. - -"There's nothing wrong with this," Ted said. - -"Then where is the trouble?" Randy asked. - -[Illustration] - -"There must be a leak somewhere in the house," Ted said. "We've got to -find out." - -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. - -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. - -"We must have missed it somewhere!" Ted said. "We've wasted a whole -hour!" - -"The spare cartridges your father told us to have filled!" Randy -suddenly exclaimed. "We didn't do it!" - -"We forgot to in all the excitement after he left!" Ted groaned. - -"What'll we do?" Mrs. Kenton asked, horrified. "In another hour or so, -we'll have used up the air in our suits!" - -"Can't we refill our suit cartridges from the air drum downstairs?" Jill -asked. - -Ted shook his head. "It's not built that way." - -"Then we must phone for help right away," Mrs. Kenton said and rushed -off to the radiophone. - -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." - -"Then let's look for it again," Ted suggested. - -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. - -"The gauge in my helmet shows I've got only ten minutes of air left!" -Jill said. - -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. - -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." - -"That'll be too late!" Jill cried. - -Mrs. Kenton relayed this information and then said, "He wants to know if -we have any neighbors close by we can borrow from." - -"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. - -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." - -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. - -"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!" - -"But we've gone over the whole place twice!" Ted argued. "There's no -hope!" - -"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." - -"But there isn't any place we didn't look!" Ted said. "Of course, there -are some places we couldn't get to, like...." - -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. - -"Suppose it is the drain hole, though," Randy said. "How can we find -out?" - -[Illustration] - -"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." - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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! - -Ted thought he noticed a flicker of the needle. He blinked his eyes. -Yes, it had moved! The others had seen it too. - -"It moved!" cried Jill, almost hysterically. - -"It certainly did!" her mother burst out. "I saw it!" - -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. - -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. - -"Our suits," he cried out. "Pull them off! The room is just about -normal!" - -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. - -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. - -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. - - - - - CHAPTER SIXTEEN - _Disappointment_ - - -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. - -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. - -Mrs. Kenton smiled. "What does he want you to do?" she asked. - -"He wants us to bring Yank to school for a demonstration lesson in -Martian zoology," Ted broke in. - -Jill's face clouded over with disappointment. "I wanted to tell her," -she muttered. - -"Sorry!" Ted said. "I didn't know it was a secret." - -Jill slapped at him playfully, but Ted ducked in time. - -"You little clowns stop performing and get ready for supper," Mrs. -Kenton said. "We're eating early because I have a surprise for you." - -"A surprise!" Jill echoed. "What is it?" - -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. - -"This is the surprise!" Jill said. - -"If it isn't, I'll settle for it!" Ted put in. - -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. - -"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." - -"Do you mean there is still another?" Jill asked. - -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." - -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. - -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. - -"Hello, kids!" came a voice. - -"Father!" Jill exclaimed. - -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. - -"I thought Father sounded sort of sad or disappointed," Jill commented. - -"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." - -"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. - -"Because of this," Mrs. Kenton said, "they're ending the expedition -ahead of time and coming home." - -"That's why he said he'd be seeing us shortly," Randy said. - -"I'm glad to hear that, anyway," Jill murmured. - -"When will he be back?" Ted asked. - -"Within two or three days, he said," his mother replied. - -"That will be before the class goes on the ..." Jill burst out, then -covered her mouth with her hand as she caught herself. - -"Before the class goes on what?" Mrs. Kenton asked. - -"We'll have to tell her now," Jill said lamely to the boys. - -"The class is going on a sight-seeing rocket-plane tour of Mars next -week," Ted explained. - -His mother looked at Jill curiously. "But why such a secret about it?" - -"We just thought you wouldn't be especially interested," Jill said, -"since we weren't going." - -"Don't you want to?" Mrs. Kenton asked. - -"Oh, yes!" Jill said. "Only...." - -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?" - -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." - -"Can we really, Mother?" Jill asked enthusiastically, her eyes full of -stars. - -"Will it be dangerous?" Mrs. Kenton asked cautiously. - -"There have been lots of these trips made already," Randy volunteered. -"There hasn't been any trouble yet." - -"Well, you have my permission," Mrs. Kenton said, "but your Father will -have to agree too." - -"But tomorrow's the last day we can make reservations!" Jill protested. -"If we wait until he comes, we can't make it!" - -"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." - -"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?" - -"Yes, he left it," his mother assured him with a smile. - -"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!" - -"That'll be great!" Ted said. "All three of us will go together." - -The next morning the children got Yank up at an early hour so that he -could go off to school with them. - -"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!" - -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. - -"Sit down, Yank," Randy told him. "You're rocking the boat!" - -Yank paid no attention to this reproof. He was enjoying himself. - -"Stop him!" Jill squealed. "He'll turn us over!" - -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. - -"You naughty bear!" Jill cried, half in fear and half in anger. - -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. - -[Illustration: _Yank went over the side with a splash._] - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"I guess that'll teach you to behave, Yank!" Ted chuckled, and offered -to take the wheel back. - -"Let me drive the rest of the way," Jill said. - -Ted yielded to her, and he was pleased at the skill with which she drove -and docked at the science building. - -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. - -Mr. Garland frowned as he looked over his list, and Ted had a sinking -feeling. - -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?" - - - - - CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - _Yank in School_ - - -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. - -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." - -"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. - -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. - -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." - -"That's right," Jill agreed. - -"That doesn't make sense, you two," Randy protested. - -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." - -Ted then gave in, although he knew it was not going to be nearly so much -fun without Randy along. - -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. - -"Yank, come back here!" Jill called, when she saw what was going on. - -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. - -"I just patted him and he took out after me!" gasped the girl who had -been chased. - -"He was just playing," Ted told her. "He couldn't hurt you if he tried. -His teeth are only made for chewing soft flowers." - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"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!" - -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. - -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. - -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!" - -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." - -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. - -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!" - -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. - -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. - -"Oh-oh," Ted murmured with dread. "He's going to give it to us now for -bringing that little cutup to school!" - -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. - -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. - -"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. - -"Did I hear that boy say he couldn't make the trip?" Jill whispered -excitedly. - -"I thought he did," Ted replied. - -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. - -"I've just had a cancellation," Mr. Garland told them. "Randy, you can -make that trip after all, if you want to." - -"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. - -The instructor smoothed it out and wrote Randy's name on the list. The -children left the room and walked happily down the hall. - -"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!" - -[Illustration: "_Please don't bring Yank back._"] - -"I'm glad too," Randy admitted. "After all we talked about last night, I -sure wanted to go badly!" - -Yank hopped around excitedly as he saw his friends coming up to release -him. - -"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." - -For this remark, Ted got a juicy lick on the side of his helmet. - - - - - CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - _Trouble in the Air_ - - -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. - -As they were eating supper, his wife asked him, "Why was this expedition -so important to you, John?" - -"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." - -"There'll be other expeditions," Mrs. Kenton said encouragingly. "Some -day you'll find the answer, I'm sure." - -"Yes, I suppose so," Dr. Kenton said. But Ted could see that his father -was very downcast because of the expedition's failure. - -"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?" - -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." - -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. - -"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." - -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." - -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." - -"Goody, we can go!" Jill cried out. - -Ted felt like shouting himself, for now the last barrier had been -removed and they were going for sure. - -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. - -When all were seated, they waved to their parents and relatives who -stood on the ground. - -"I'm as excited as if I'd never made a trip like this!" Randy said. - -"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. - -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. - -Swiftly the rocket plane picked up speed. Then, with a whoosh of jets, -it launched itself into the air. - -"We're off!" one of the boys shouted gaily. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"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." - -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. - -The hours passed all too quickly for the eager sight-seers. - -"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." - -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. - -Suddenly someone called out as he pointed down, "Look, what's that -moving?" - -All stared where he pointed. In an open space inside the forest, -numerous creatures were rolling along like a tide. - -"They're blue rovers," Mr. Garland said. "They're something like the old -American bison that roamed the plains of the United States." - -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. - -"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." - -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! - -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. - -"Anybody hurt?" the teacher asked. - -No one else appeared to be, but Ted saw Mr. Garland grimace in pain. He -seemed to have injured his ankle. - -"Mr. Garland, _you're_ hurt!" Ted said. - -"Never mind me!" the instructor said. "Put your safety belts -on--quickly!" - -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. - -"Take it easy," Ted said to her. "It may not be anything serious." - -Mr. Garland was back in a few minutes, and Ted could see that his face -was grave. - -"We've got to bail out, kids," he told the class grimly. - -"Into that?" cried one of the boys, pointing to the forest below. - -"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." - -Terrified, the students stared at him, as though they still could not -believe what he was saying. - -"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." - -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. - -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. - -[Illustration: _Down, down he went._] - -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. - -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! - -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! - - - - - CHAPTER NINETEEN - _Terror in the Night_ - - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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! - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"What happened to you?" he asked them. - -"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!" - -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. - -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. - -"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." - -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. - -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. - -"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.'" - -They did this. Then Ted spoke into the mike, "Can you hear me?" - -"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?" - -"No, sir, just scared," Ted answered. - -"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...." - -"I think we'll be all right," Ted said bravely, yet feeling an -encroaching dread even as he said it. - -"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." - -"Will you be going now?" Ted asked. - -"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." - -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. - -"I'm afraid," Jill murmured, casting an anxious glance around her at the -forbidding woodland. - -"I am too, Sis," Ted confessed. He looked at Randy, and his eyes were -enough to tell that he was frightened too. - -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. - -"If we get through this night safely," Ted said, "we'll probably make it -all right." - -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. - -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. - -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. - -"There!" Jill said, pointing. - -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. - -"What is it?" Ted whispered to Randy. - -"It's an elephant ant," Randy whispered softly. "See that trunklike -sucker on its head? Get the gun, Ted. These things are mean." - -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. - -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. - -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. - -[Illustration] - -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. - -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. - -"Help me take these!" he urged Randy. - -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. - -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. - -And yet he could not relax, really, even now. For the balance of the -night still lay before them. - - - - - CHAPTER TWENTY - _Lost Underground_ - - -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. - -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. - -"What do you see?" Ted asked. - -Randy did not reply but instead shot his light ahead into the darkness. -Ted saw before them a huge cave entrance. - -"Gosh, do you suppose that's the den of some wild animal?" Ted asked. - -"I don't know," Randy answered in a quivery voice. "It seems like a good -place to stay if it isn't." - -Jill had joined them by now. She too had taken some of the load of the -spare oxygen cartridges. - -"Are we going into that spooky place?" Jill asked. - -"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!" - -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. - -"It's not deep at all!" Ted said. "It just goes back a little way." - -"It looks deserted too," Randy added. "Seems safe to me. What do you -think, Ted?" - -"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." - -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. - -"It looks like it hasn't been used for years and years," Ted commented. - -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. - -"If we close up that rear opening with a big stone, it ought to be safe -for us to stay here," Randy said. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -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. - -Ted caught Randy's eyes staring thoughtfully at the boulder. He wondered -if Randy was thinking the same thing that he was: _What was on the other -side of that mysterious opening?_ - -"Hadn't we better be getting back to the open place?" Jill asked, as -they were putting on fresh air tanks again. - -"The search party won't be coming until a few hours yet," Randy said. -"Besides, it's not very far." - -Ted knew then that Randy, too, was curious about the opening. He was -stalling their return. - -Ted then came right out with it. "I'd sure like to know what's on the -other side of that rock." - -"Why don't we go and see?" Randy said eagerly. - -"We could go just a little way," Ted added, glancing at Jill, whose face -showed doubt. "Just a few feet even." - -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." - -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. - -[Illustration: _They felt themselves tumbling downward._] - -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! - -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. - -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. - -"Jill? Randy?" he asked in a shuddery voice, still dazed by their rough -experience. - -"Yes," Randy's voice came weakly. - -"Jill!" Ted cried. "Where are you?" - -"Here I am," she answered, from a few feet away. "What happened to us?" - -"I don't know," her brother answered dully. He felt around for broken -bones, but he appeared to be uninjured. - -"Are you two all right?" he asked Jill and Randy. - -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. - -"I knew we should have gone back!" Jill complained bitterly. "Now we -probably never will!" - -"I'm sorry, Sis," Ted said lamely. "You were right. I'm sure glad we -changed our air tanks before we left!" - -"Let's start looking for a way to the top," Randy said. "The search -party will never find us down here." - -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. - -"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. - -They walked along the corridor. Finally the light at the far end began -to get brighter. - -"It looks like daylight ahead!" Jill said hopefully. - -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. - -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! - -"What in the world have we found?" Ted exclaimed. - -"It must be a city!" Randy burst out. "It is! We've found an underground -Martian city!" - - - - - CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - _A Struggle Against Time_ - - -"A Martian city!" Ted echoed. "Wouldn't Dad like to be in on this!" - -"I don't care about an old city!" Jill complained. "I just want to get -out of here!" - -"Maybe we can find a way to the top from in there," Ted proposed. -"There's no other place we can go." - -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. - -"The glow has probably been burning for thousands of years," Randy -remarked, "ever since the first Martians built the city." - -"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." - -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. - -"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." - -"Father won't find out anything about it if we don't get out of here!" -Jill said anxiously. - -"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." - -"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." - -[Illustration] - -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. - -After covering part of the city, the children found that the end of it -fanned out into five separate narrow streets. - -"One of these streets may lead to ground level," Ted said. - -"The only thing to do is try them," Randy came back. - -"We'll save time if each of us takes a different way," Ted suggested. - -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. - -"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." - -"We ought to set a time when we both meet back here," Randy said. - -"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." - -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. - -"This way certainly can't help us," Ted muttered. "Let's go back to -Randy." - -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. - -"No luck!" he gasped. "I got sidetracked on the way back. Then I had to -run to get here in time." - -"You shouldn't have done that," Ted told him. "Now you've got less air -than we have. What does your gauge show?" - -"Fifty-six minutes," Randy answered, after checking. - -Ted examined his own and asked Jill about hers. "We've got an hour and -five," Ted said. - -"We'll have to hurry if we're going to search the other three streets," -Randy pointed out. - -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. - -"I think I've found a way out!" Jill was crying excitedly. - -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. - -"There!" Jill cried happily. - -"Let's go up!" Ted urged. - -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. - -"These must be coffins!" Randy burst out. - -"Let's get out of here!" Jill pleaded. - -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. - -"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?" - -"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!" - -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. - -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. - -"Ugh!" Jill shuddered. "There's no telling what terrible things took -place on this very spot we're walking over!" - -"There's an opening over there on the other side," Randy indicated. - -"Let's go to it," Ted suggested. "I can't wait to get off this gruesome -field either!" - -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. - -"I guess the trees around here kept this place from being discovered -before now," Ted said. - -"Which way do we go now?" Jill moaned. "We've got to find that cave -where our air tanks are!" - -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?" - -"It sounds right," Randy agreed. "Let's get started." - -They had no more than set out again when Ted suddenly pulled up sharply -in his tracks, nearly toppling over backward in the motion. - -"Gee! Look what I almost stepped on!" he shouted, pointing in the dust -ahead of him. - -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. - -"Ted!" Jill screamed, as she saw the danger. - -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. - -"That's what would have happened to your foot if you'd stepped on it, -Ted," Randy said in a shivery voice. - -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. - -"How much air time, Randy?" Ted asked, beginning to pant a little. - -"Eighteen minutes," Randy answered, and Ted could hear a nervous whimper -from Jill. - -"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!" - -Ted sighed heavily and felt a clutch of dread in his heart as he studied -Jill's pinched, anxious expression. They _had_ to be headed right! They -just couldn't lose the battle after being so close to salvation. - -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! - -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. - -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. - -"Isn't this great?" Ted remarked. "Just like a cold drink on a hot day!" - -"Speaking of food, I could use some," Jill said. "I'm starved after all -that!" - -"Let's go back and get it," Randy proposed. "We dropped the food case -when the elephant ant was chasing us." - -"Do you think it's safe?" Jill asked. - -"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." - -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. - -"Look!" he exclaimed. "Somebody's coming!" - -Ted and Jill leaped to their feet. They shaded their eyes with their -gloved hands in order to see better. - -"It's the search party!" Ted burst out. - -"Father's with them!" Jill said joyfully. - -"I can see Pops too!" came from Randy. - -Ted uttered a deep, long sigh. Their frightening adventure was over at -last. - - - - - CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - _Of Days to Come_ - - -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. - -"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. - -"Not until I know for sure," Dr. Kenton replied. "I'll get a phone call -in a few minutes about it." - -"Can't you even tell us what it's _about_?" Jill went on. - -"I wouldn't want to build up false hopes for nothing, Jill," her father -said. "You can wait a little while." - -"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." - -"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." - -"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. - -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. - -"Do you think the animals on Mars will finally die out, Dad?" Ted asked, -"as the rest of the oxygen combines with the rocks?" - -"Eventually, I would think," Dr. Kenton replied. - -"Where do you suppose the Martians went to find a new home?" Mr. -Matthews asked. - -"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." - -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. - -"You and Yank are friends!" Ted exclaimed. - -"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." - -"I wonder why he was so long making friends," Jill remarked. - -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." - -"He never forgot, did he?" Jill asked. - -"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." - -"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." - -"Maybe I won't be going," Dr. Kenton said, with a mysterious smile. - -"What do you mean?" his wife asked in surprise. - -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. - -"Kids, how would you like to go back to Earth at the end of the school -term?" he asked the children. - -"Gee, do you mean that?" Ted exclaimed. - -"Oh, Father!" Jill cried out joyously. - -"It's true enough," their father said. "That's what the call was about -and the surprise I was hoping to have for you." - -"That's the grandest surprise you could have had," Mrs. Kenton murmured, -unspeakably happy herself. - -"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." - -[Illustration: _They grabbed Yank's paws and began dancing._] - -"That's wonderful!" Mrs. Kenton said. "I was afraid you'd have to stay -behind here." - -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. - -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?" - -"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!" - -"If you kids will stop jumping around a minute," Dr. Kenton said, "I've -got something else to say." - -They stopped and listened intently. - -"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." - -"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." - -"That's what I say!" Jill chimed in. - -"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." - -"We can take Yank home with us to Virginia, can't we?" Jill asked -anxiously. - -"I don't see why not," Dr. Kenton answered. "He seemed to adapt himself -to our breathing mixture all right." - -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. - -"Wait until you enjoy the fun of a swim on a hot day!" Ted said. - -"--And the cold air turning your nose red in the winter and the crunch -of snow under your feet!" Jill put in. - -"It sounds great," Randy said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I -think I'm going to like Earth." - -"I know you will," Ted said earnestly. "There's nothing as wonderful as -Earth in all the universe!" - -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! - - - THE END - - - YOUNG VISITOR TO MARS - - By RICHARD M. ELAM, JR. - - Illustrated by CHARLES H. GEER - -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. - -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. - -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. - -This book of continuous thrills and excitement will hold the reader -spellbound while inspiring real thought of the scientific possibilities -of space travel. - - _This is a Young Heroes Library Volume._ - - - YOUNG SIOUX WARRIOR - - By FRANCIS LYNDE KROLL - - Illustrated by CHARLES H. GEER - -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. - -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. - -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. - - _This is a Young Heroes Library Volume._ - - - _Adventures For Young People--About Young People_ - -[Illustration] - -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. - -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. - -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. - -YOUNG SIOUX WARRIOR by Francis Lynde Kroll - - Story of Little Bear's education in the ways of his Indian tribe. - (Selected by Junior Literary Guild) - -YOUNG BUCKSKIN SPY by Selden Loring - - Two American boys in the Revolutionary War help General George - Washington beat the British Army. - -YOUNG INFIELD ROOKIE by Charles Coombs - - A Little League baseball team scores twice; it wins the championship - and renews an ex-major leaguer's faith in himself. - -YOUNG SAND HILLS COWBOY by Francis Lynde Kroll - - A city boy visits a ranch and finds "the big race" a lot tougher than - he had expected. - -YOUNG PONY EXPRESS RIDER by Charles Coombs - - Danger puts 14-year-old Tod Gilmer in the pony express saddle as he - roars across Indian territory. - -YOUNG VISITOR TO MARS by Richard M. Elam, Jr. - - Fascinating adventures await Jill and Ted Kenton in the world of - tomorrow. - - All illustrated by CHARLES H. GEER - - - GROSSET & DUNLAP - Publishers of WORDS: _The New Dictionary_ - New York 10, N. Y. - - - - - Transcriber's Notes - - ---Copyright notice provided as in the original--this e-text is public - domain in the country of publication. - ---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and - dialect unchanged. - ---In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the - HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.) - - - - - - - -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.txt or 60133.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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