We don’t want him to have a relapse!"
Chow gave Bud a dark look and stamped out of the infirmary so vigorously that the giant plane seemed to rattle. "And how d’you like your caterpillars, buddy boy?" he asked threateningly as he left.
Bud gulped. "Scrambled, please."
But when mealtime arrived, Chow served orange juice, bacon, waffles, and tall glasses of iced cocoa in preparation for Tom’s first journey with Bud and Craig to the mysterious mountain. He also packed a kit of food to last for a couple of days if they should decide to stay away.
"Thanks, Chow," said Tom, and grinned. "In return I’ll bring you back some containers of gas."
"Some of that stuff what blows things up?" the cook gasped. Then, seeing the twinkle in Tom’s eyes, he added, "Brand my rusty spurs, if you ain’t as bad as that Barclay feller!"
Dr. Simpson plopped down at the table, rubbing his eyes wearily. "I’m glad I had a chance to witness that bit of native magic," he said. "But I’m worried as to what we’ll do if the cure isn’t permanent. I wish the equipment failure hadn’t cut us off from the world so totally."
"Haven’t you noticed that the lights are working, and steady?" said Tom happily. It developed that the mysterious electrical problem had completely disappeared hours before, and all equipment was working again.
"Like magic!" Bud muttered.
After hours of much-needed sleep the terrasphere tank section was driven down the ramp from the Flying Lab’s hangar and out into the clearing, leaving the sphere section behind. The boys climbed in and checked the equipment.
"Let’s go!" Tom urged, and a few moments later the great hoop-like treads began to eat their way through the bush. Tom and the rest took turns in the elevated turret-dome driving the tank, while those not driving occupied the larger quonset-hut-shaped compartment further back on the mobile platform.
"There’s a lot of rough terrain between us and the mountain," Craig warned. "This could be quite a long trip."
The vehicle surged ahead. Ravines, rocky surfaces, deep mud, forest, bush failed to halt their advance. By swiveling the ring-tracks parallel to the body of the tank, the entire vehicle was narrow enough to drive between the great tree trunks of the forest—and powerful enough to drive over the smaller brush. After a while the explorers came to a region of denser jungle. Tom shifted to a lower gear. Small trees and thick vines snapped out of their path or fell beneath the treads.
Eventually they came to what appeared to be a difficult upward slope. Its real steepness was obscured by heavy vegetation. Tom brought the tank to a stop.
"I don’t know whether to try that incline or not," he said over the intercom, peering out the dome. "I’m going up it a little ways on foot."
Tom climbed from the vehicle. "Watch out for snakes and wild animals!" Craig warned.
"Okay." Tom’s eyes quickly swept the area in every direction and he kept his right hand on the holster of the small impulse pistol, or i-gun, he carried for protection, which was now operational again.
After forcing his way through the dense brush, he reached the incline. Making a careful survey of it, Tom felt that the tank could negotiate the ascent.
The young scientist turned to rejoin his friends, then froze in his tracks. Two yellow gleaming eyes glared at him from a tree ahead. Crouched on a low limb was a black female leopard! Anger—or hunger—in its eyes, the large cat was ready to spring!
There was no chance for him to escape and Tom’s first impulse was to raise his gun. But instead he remained motionless, thinking, I hate to shoot that beautiful specimen if I can. avoid it. Though the weapon had a stun setting, its effect on animals was never entirely certain and might prove injurious..
The leopard was as immobile as an ebony statue, yet poised for the kill. Tom’s position was the same, but his heartbeat was fast. Would he regret having waited to make the first
Chow gave Bud a dark look and stamped out of the infirmary so vigorously that the giant plane seemed to rattle. "And how d’you like your caterpillars, buddy boy?" he asked threateningly as he left.
Bud gulped. "Scrambled, please."
But when mealtime arrived, Chow served orange juice, bacon, waffles, and tall glasses of iced cocoa in preparation for Tom’s first journey with Bud and Craig to the mysterious mountain. He also packed a kit of food to last for a couple of days if they should decide to stay away.
"Thanks, Chow," said Tom, and grinned. "In return I’ll bring you back some containers of gas."
"Some of that stuff what blows things up?" the cook gasped. Then, seeing the twinkle in Tom’s eyes, he added, "Brand my rusty spurs, if you ain’t as bad as that Barclay feller!"
Dr. Simpson plopped down at the table, rubbing his eyes wearily. "I’m glad I had a chance to witness that bit of native magic," he said. "But I’m worried as to what we’ll do if the cure isn’t permanent. I wish the equipment failure hadn’t cut us off from the world so totally."
"Haven’t you noticed that the lights are working, and steady?" said Tom happily. It developed that the mysterious electrical problem had completely disappeared hours before, and all equipment was working again.
"Like magic!" Bud muttered.
After hours of much-needed sleep the terrasphere tank section was driven down the ramp from the Flying Lab’s hangar and out into the clearing, leaving the sphere section behind. The boys climbed in and checked the equipment.
"Let’s go!" Tom urged, and a few moments later the great hoop-like treads began to eat their way through the bush. Tom and the rest took turns in the elevated turret-dome driving the tank, while those not driving occupied the larger quonset-hut-shaped compartment further back on the mobile platform.
"There’s a lot of rough terrain between us and the mountain," Craig warned. "This could be quite a long trip."
The vehicle surged ahead. Ravines, rocky surfaces, deep mud, forest, bush failed to halt their advance. By swiveling the ring-tracks parallel to the body of the tank, the entire vehicle was narrow enough to drive between the great tree trunks of the forest—and powerful enough to drive over the smaller brush. After a while the explorers came to a region of denser jungle. Tom shifted to a lower gear. Small trees and thick vines snapped out of their path or fell beneath the treads.
Eventually they came to what appeared to be a difficult upward slope. Its real steepness was obscured by heavy vegetation. Tom brought the tank to a stop.
"I don’t know whether to try that incline or not," he said over the intercom, peering out the dome. "I’m going up it a little ways on foot."
Tom climbed from the vehicle. "Watch out for snakes and wild animals!" Craig warned.
"Okay." Tom’s eyes quickly swept the area in every direction and he kept his right hand on the holster of the small impulse pistol, or i-gun, he carried for protection, which was now operational again.
After forcing his way through the dense brush, he reached the incline. Making a careful survey of it, Tom felt that the tank could negotiate the ascent.
The young scientist turned to rejoin his friends, then froze in his tracks. Two yellow gleaming eyes glared at him from a tree ahead. Crouched on a low limb was a black female leopard! Anger—or hunger—in its eyes, the large cat was ready to spring!
There was no chance for him to escape and Tom’s first impulse was to raise his gun. But instead he remained motionless, thinking, I hate to shoot that beautiful specimen if I can. avoid it. Though the weapon had a stun setting, its effect on animals was never entirely certain and might prove injurious..
The leopard was as immobile as an ebony statue, yet poised for the kill. Tom’s position was the same, but his heartbeat was fast. Would he regret having waited to make the first
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