Tom Swift in the Caves of Nuclear Fire by Victor Appleton II Page A
Authors: Victor Appleton II
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The two continued to glare at each other. Tom almost felt as if he were being hypnotized. I mustn’t let that happen! he cautioned himself grimly.
Suddenly he realized that the situation had changed. It seemed that he had hypnotized the leopard! A moment later the big cat turned her back on him, jumped down from the tree, and loped off through the bush!
"Whew!" said Tom, not only relieved but amazed. He hurried back to the tank.
When the young inventor told what had happened, Craig rebuked him. "Man, you took an awful chance!"
"Oh no he didn’t," Bud countered. "Tom is an old hand at hypnotizing the girls—even lady leopards!" Tom picked up an extra radiation helmet and pitched it playfully at his pal.
The explorers resumed their journey. The slope was ascended with remarkable ease and the tank negotiated the downgrade equally well. Tom was pleased with their progress.
Occasionally they caught fleeting glimpses of chattering monkeys and once they stared in wary fascination at a huge python coiled about a low-hanging limb. At one point an elephant came crashing through the jungle, and Tom remembered the tale of how his great-grandfather and namesake had used the original electric rifle to stop an elephant.
Shortly after eleven that morning the brush thinned out, then the vegetation vanished completely. A short distance beyond towered their destination—the mysterious "mountain of the spirit-gods," Goaba. Its snow-capped peak soared up through a ring of cumulus clouds.
"What a sight!" Tom exclaimed.
"Snow above, fire below," said Bud. "By the way, where is the crevice?"
"About a mile from here," answered Craig. "I see a rock formation I recognize."
Tom recommended that they put on their antiradiation suits before driving closer. The three climbed into them and adjusted the helmets. Then Tom drove forward.
"There’s the crevice!" Craig pointed to the right. A black, narrow gash cut between two upthrusting rocks.
Tom brought the vehicle to a halt. The various types of self-sealing containers to collect the gas were unpacked. He divided the supply among himself and his two companions.
The three climbed out of the tank and Craig led the way to the narrow opening.
"So this is the crack we traveled halfway around the world to see," Bud remarked, unimpressed. "It sure doesn’t look important."
"Maybe not," Craig responded. "But what’s going on underneath is mighty important."
"Let’s get started with our job so we can find out," Tom urged impatiently.
One by one the various bottles were positioned over the crevice. The vacuum-sealed containers had automatic valves. At the first sign of the gas a release would open them. The higher air pressure outside the containers would force samples of the gas inside, then the automatic device would reseal the vessels.
When the task was completed, Tom gazed at the row of glass, lead, and Tomasite-covered containers that bordered the crevice, all securely anchored down into the rock. "That should do it!" he declared. "I wonder how long we’ll have to wait."
The group returned to the tank and removed the headpieces of their antiradiation suits.
"You don’t know how often the gas appears?" Bud queried Craig, gazing at the mountain.
"No," he replied. "I was never able to establish a definite timetable."
"It’s possible we’ll have to wait for days," said Tom.
Morning merged into afternoon. Then the sun began to sink. Nothing had happened at the mountain.
"We’d better return to the Sky Queen," said Tom. "I’m a little anxious about Hanson. I want to make sure the medicine man’s cure was permanent. We’ll come back in the morning."
The containers were left in position while the three travelers backtracked along the swath they had cut through the bush and jungle.
Sterling ran from the plane to meet them. At the same instant Tom asked, "How’s Hanson?" and Sterling said, "How did you make out?"
"Arv’s fine."
"No luck yet on our side."
The following
The two continued to glare at each other. Tom almost felt as if he were being hypnotized. I mustn’t let that happen! he cautioned himself grimly.
Suddenly he realized that the situation had changed. It seemed that he had hypnotized the leopard! A moment later the big cat turned her back on him, jumped down from the tree, and loped off through the bush!
"Whew!" said Tom, not only relieved but amazed. He hurried back to the tank.
When the young inventor told what had happened, Craig rebuked him. "Man, you took an awful chance!"
"Oh no he didn’t," Bud countered. "Tom is an old hand at hypnotizing the girls—even lady leopards!" Tom picked up an extra radiation helmet and pitched it playfully at his pal.
The explorers resumed their journey. The slope was ascended with remarkable ease and the tank negotiated the downgrade equally well. Tom was pleased with their progress.
Occasionally they caught fleeting glimpses of chattering monkeys and once they stared in wary fascination at a huge python coiled about a low-hanging limb. At one point an elephant came crashing through the jungle, and Tom remembered the tale of how his great-grandfather and namesake had used the original electric rifle to stop an elephant.
Shortly after eleven that morning the brush thinned out, then the vegetation vanished completely. A short distance beyond towered their destination—the mysterious "mountain of the spirit-gods," Goaba. Its snow-capped peak soared up through a ring of cumulus clouds.
"What a sight!" Tom exclaimed.
"Snow above, fire below," said Bud. "By the way, where is the crevice?"
"About a mile from here," answered Craig. "I see a rock formation I recognize."
Tom recommended that they put on their antiradiation suits before driving closer. The three climbed into them and adjusted the helmets. Then Tom drove forward.
"There’s the crevice!" Craig pointed to the right. A black, narrow gash cut between two upthrusting rocks.
Tom brought the vehicle to a halt. The various types of self-sealing containers to collect the gas were unpacked. He divided the supply among himself and his two companions.
The three climbed out of the tank and Craig led the way to the narrow opening.
"So this is the crack we traveled halfway around the world to see," Bud remarked, unimpressed. "It sure doesn’t look important."
"Maybe not," Craig responded. "But what’s going on underneath is mighty important."
"Let’s get started with our job so we can find out," Tom urged impatiently.
One by one the various bottles were positioned over the crevice. The vacuum-sealed containers had automatic valves. At the first sign of the gas a release would open them. The higher air pressure outside the containers would force samples of the gas inside, then the automatic device would reseal the vessels.
When the task was completed, Tom gazed at the row of glass, lead, and Tomasite-covered containers that bordered the crevice, all securely anchored down into the rock. "That should do it!" he declared. "I wonder how long we’ll have to wait."
The group returned to the tank and removed the headpieces of their antiradiation suits.
"You don’t know how often the gas appears?" Bud queried Craig, gazing at the mountain.
"No," he replied. "I was never able to establish a definite timetable."
"It’s possible we’ll have to wait for days," said Tom.
Morning merged into afternoon. Then the sun began to sink. Nothing had happened at the mountain.
"We’d better return to the Sky Queen," said Tom. "I’m a little anxious about Hanson. I want to make sure the medicine man’s cure was permanent. We’ll come back in the morning."
The containers were left in position while the three travelers backtracked along the swath they had cut through the bush and jungle.
Sterling ran from the plane to meet them. At the same instant Tom asked, "How’s Hanson?" and Sterling said, "How did you make out?"
"Arv’s fine."
"No luck yet on our side."
The following
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