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-The Project Gutenberg EBook of Young Stowaways in Space, by Richard Mace Elam

-

-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

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-to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.

-

-Title: Young Stowaways in Space

-

-Author: Richard Mace Elam

-

-Release Date: April 14, 2017 [EBook #54547]

-

-Language: English

-

-Character set encoding: UTF-8

-

-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG STOWAWAYS IN SPACE ***

-

-

-

-

-Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed

-Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

-

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-

-

-                                 YOUNG

-                               STOWAWAYS

-                                IN SPACE

-

-

-                           By RICHARD M. ELAM

-         Author of Young Readers Science Fiction Stories, etc.

-

-                     ILLUSTRATED BY GERALD MC CANN

-

-

-                   _LANTERN PRESS, INC., PUBLISHERS_

-                         257 PARK AVENUE SOUTH

-                           NEW YORK 10, N. Y.

-

-                Copyright © 1960 by Lantern Press, Inc.

-

-           LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 60-13785

-

-                 PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN CANADA BY

-                    GEORGE J. MC LEOD, LTD., TORONTO

-

-              MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

-

-

-

-

-                                CONTENTS

-

-

-  1. Space Ship _Orion_                                                9

-  2. Blast-off                                                        16

-  3. Stowaways in Space                                               25

-  4. Adrift in the Deeps                                              36

-  5. A “Flying Tin Can”                                               47

-  6. A _Carefree_ World                                               56

-  7. A Shock in the Night                                             65

-  8. Garry Has a Scare                                                75

-  9. Satellite Zone                                                   85

-  10. The Lady Goes Wild                                              94

-  11. A Friend Is Lost                                               107

-  12. A Startling Discovery                                          116

-  13. Abandon Ship!                                                  124

-  14. First Hours on Luna                                            133

-  15. A Dark Outlook                                                 142

-  16. A Sad Parting                                                  150

-  17. Dark Peril                                                     160

-  18. Strange Discovery                                              169

-  19. A New Life                                                     181

-

-

-

-

-                                 YOUNG

-                               STOWAWAYS

-                                IN SPACE

-

-

-

-

-                         1. SPACE SHIP _ORION_

-

-

-The orphanage dormitory was locked in the stillness of slumber. Light

-from the full moon filtered through the large window which ran the

-entire length of the boys sleeping quarters.

-

-Twenty cots filled the dormitory, and all but one held its sleeper.

-Dark-haired Garry Coleman was standing beside his cot, quietly dressing.

-Every now and then he would cast an anxious glance toward the darkened

-door at the end of the dormitory. Above all, he must not disturb the

-charge-of-quarters, or all would be lost.

-

-As he sat on the edge of the cot to put on his shoes, Garry heard a

-squeak from one of the cots. He stiffened, his heart thumping fearfully.

-

-Then Garry breathed easily. He saw that it was only Patch, who occupied

-the bunk next to his.

-

-“Hey, Garry, where are you going?” Patch asked interestedly.

-

-Patch was short and towheaded. He was Garry’s best friend, and so Garry

-did not mind telling him.

-

-“I’m going to the spaceport and watch the _Orion_ blast off for the Von

-Braun Space Station. Want to go?”

-

-“Sure thing!” Patch said.

-

-“You’ll have to take the same chance that I do,” Garry reminded him.

-

-“That’s okay by me.” Patch grinned. “If we do get caught, we’ll just be

-restricted to the grounds for two weeks. That won’t keep us out of the

-science lab where we spend a lot of time anyhow.”

-

-It was a warm April night. The sky was thick with stars as bright as

-diamond dust.

-

-“I’d give anything to be out there in the deeps among the planets,”

-Garry said, as they hurried across the newly sprouting lawn of the

-orphanage a few minutes later. “The life of a spaceman must be the most

-exciting thing in the world.”

-

-“Yeah,” Patch agreed. “But I guess we’ll never make it, Garry, at least

-not for many years. And they say you sure have to know science and

-navigation. That takes a lot of study.”

-

-“I wouldn’t care what it takes,” Garry said. “I’d be willing to study

-for as long as it would take, because the reward would be worth the

-effort.”

-

-Their rapid steps took them onto one of the main streets of the city

-where moving sidewalks, called “Ped-A-Rides,” were operating. The

-sidewalk was a continuous belt, about six feet wide, and there were

-benches located at intervals upon it where the pedestrians could sit. A

-railing was on both sides of the Ped-A-Ride, but at intervals of about

-half a block there were gates where pedestrians could enter.

-

-Patch and Garry went to the nearest gate, and Garry pulled the lever

-which slowed the sidewalk down so that they could board it. When Garry

-had deposited their fare in the meter, a bar slid away so that they

-could enter. It was about 2230 o’clock, an hour and a half before

-midnight, and not many people were on the Ped-A-Ride.

-

-The boys took seats, and the sidewalk carried them along into the night.

-

-As the Ped-A-Ride topped the crest of a hill, Garry pointed into the

-distance.

-

-“There she is, Patch—the _Orion_, smoking and straining like a race

-horse, just as if she can’t wait to get going!”

-

-“She sure is a beauty,” Patch agreed. “The earth-bound ships are a whole

-lot trimmer and better looking than the ships that never touch down.”

-

-“The earth-bound ships have to be streamlined so that they can slide

-smoothly through the earth’s atmosphere,” Garry said, “but the ships

-that remain in space look like a bunch of globes and girders, because

-they never meet the friction of any planet’s atmosphere and they don’t

-need the sturdiness and rocket power.”

-

-Patch laughed. “You sound like one of our schoolbooks, Garry,” he said.

-

-As the Ped-A-Ride neared the spaceport, the brilliant lights of the busy

-area merged into a hazy glare that brightened the night until it was

-almost as light as day. The slim prow of the _Orion_ reached higher into

-the sky than any other object on the vast field, even loftier than the

-giant control tower.

-

-“They say the _Orion_ is more space scarred than any other ship in the

-Space Service,” Garry remarked. “Meteor dust has grooved her sides so

-much that they look like the scratches on a rifle bullet.”

-

-“I knew she was one of the oldest crafts in the Service,” Patch said. “I

-guess she’s carried many a person to the Von Braun Station on their way

-to Luna and the other planets.”

-

-The Ped-A-Ride had nearly reached the gate of the spaceport when Garry

-said to his friend, “Patch, we’d better move down among those people

-ahead of us. It looks like they’re going to get off at the port.”

-

-“Why?”

-

-“If one of the port police spots us, he might get suspicious seeing a

-couple of kids alone at this time of night. If we mingle with the crowd,

-the police may think we are with them.”

-

-They got up and began walking forward along the moving platform. Then

-they took seats behind a man who wore the uniform of the Space Service.

-He had several bags, and it seemed likely that he was going to board the

-_Orion_.

-

-As the Ped-A-Ride neared the port gate, Garry closely studied the

-stalwart young man seated before them. Garry wondered at the many

-experiences that must have been encountered by this spaceman during his

-career.

-

-Garry leaned over and touched the spaceman on the shoulder.

-

-“Excuse me, Sir,” he said. “Are you boarding the _Orion_?”

-

-Garry saw a pleasant but deeply lined face turned upward toward his own.

-

-“Yes,” the astronaut replied, then asked, “Are you?”

-

-“Er, no, Sir,” Garry replied. “We—my friend and I—we just want to see

-her blast off.”

-

-The spaceman smiled. “Guess you are pretty interested in space to be

-coming all the way to the port just to see an old crate like the _Orion_

-blast off.”

-

-“Yes, we are, Sir,” Garry replied. “I’m very interested in it. I hope to

-be a spaceman someday.”

-

-“I think you will be, too,” the man said confidently. “I can see the

-enthusiasm in your eyes.”

-

-“Thanks,” Garry returned. “Have you made many trips spaceward?”

-

-“A dozen or so,” was the reply. “The number is not important, though,

-you must understand. Usually, one voyage can last quite a while.”

-

-The spaceman extended a big, sunburned hand to Garry. “I’m First Space

-Officer Mulroy. What’s your name?”

-

-“Garry, Sir. Garry Coleman. My friend here is Patrick Foster, but he’s

-called Patch for short.”

-

-As the Ped-A-Ride neared the gate of the spaceport, Garry had an idea by

-which he and Patch might get inside without being questioned by the port

-police.

-

-“Mr. Mulroy,” Garry said, “I notice that you have some baggage. I wonder

-if Patch and I could help you carry it—maybe aboard the _Orion_.”

-

-The officer smiled. “You want to see what she looks like, eh? Okay, it’s

-a deal.”

-

-“Thank you, Sir,” Garry said.

-

-Presently Officer Mulroy stood up. “Here we are, fellows,” he said.

-“Let’s get our things together quickly. I can’t afford to miss my

-blast-off on the _Orion_. I have a sailing date for Mars in a few weeks,

-and the stars wait for no man!”

-

-

-

-

-                              2. BLAST-OFF

-

-

-Once inside the gate, Mr. Mulroy spoke to a uniformed officer, who

-saluted. The officer turned a tiny dial on a lapel button he wore and

-spoke into it. Garry knew this to be a subminiature radio transmitter

-which was in wide use.

-

-Presently, a square little “T-Car,” or tote car, drove up. It was

-painted green and white, streamlined, and had seats inside. It had a

-convertible top which was opened now because of the pleasant weather.

-

-The baggageman put the spaceman’s things in the compartment, then

-invited his passengers to enter at the door he held open. Garry and

-Patch felt very important as Officer Mulroy motioned them in ahead of

-himself. They felt even more important as they sank down into the soft

-seats and were joined a moment later by this high-ranking officer of the

-Space Service.

-

-The swift little car whisked them off to the Operations Building, to

-which Officer Mulroy had to report before his flight.

-

-When the baggage had been unloaded outside and the T-Car had moved off,

-the spaceman said to the boys, “Wait out here, until I sign up and get

-my instructions. Then we’ll carry my things aboard the _Orion_.”

-

-While they waited, they turned their attention to the space craft some

-distance away. Its blue, satiny sides reflected the glow of thousands of

-lights on the field. Red smoke still curled up into the night, warning

-of the approach of blast-off time. And yet there was still a little

-while to go, for the spiderwebs of the gantry cranes still hugged the

-sides of the three-stage space vessel. Workmen were swarming all over

-the platforms, making last-minute checks on the ship.

-

-There was a high wire fence around the _Orion_ and only one entrance

-through it. A uniformed official was checking tickets as the passengers

-went through the gate. The official checked Officer Mulroy’s ticket, and

-Mr. Mulroy told him it would be all right for the boys to help him carry

-his baggage aboard.

-

-The boys’ new friend took them down some steps into a concrete tunnel

-that led to the launching pad. On the way they stopped at a little room

-where Mr. Mulroy was weighed.

-

-“Weight is a very important factor on a space ship,” Mr. Mulroy said, as

-they were on their way again.

-

-The tunnel led to an elevator that ran up the side of the rocket. The

-elevator cab rose and rose, high into the black night. Finally, Officer

-Mulroy pressed a button and said this was where they were to get off.

-

-Garry and Patch followed their friend out into a corridor of the space

-ship. Officer Mulroy searched the doors they passed, then recognized his

-own, Stateroom 17. He drew out a key and unlocked the door, then

-preceded the boys into the room.

-

-“Gee, what a tiny room!” Patch exclaimed.

-

-“It has to be this small,” Mr. Mulroy said. “Every inch of area on a

-space ship is at a premium, you know. For most travelers, the Von Braun

-Space Station is only a stopover on a longer trip into space. Sometimes

-the layover is for several days or even a week or two. Since rooms

-aboard the space station are very limited, most of the passengers are

-quartered in staterooms in the rocket in which they left earth.”

-

-Suddenly, a voice came over a speaker in the room: “Blast-off in ten

-minutes. All nonpassengers are requested to leave the ship.”

-

-“That’s us,” Garry said unhappily.

-

-How he envied Officer Mulroy on his coming trip into the deeps of space!

-He wanted to go so badly that his heart ached. But he realized that not

-for many years could his fondest dream come true.

-

-Officer Mulroy noticed Garry’s reluctance to leave, and placed a

-friendly arm around his shoulder. “Don’t take it so hard, Garry,” he

-said. “Be the very best student you can. The years will go by fast, and

-then one day you will wake up to find that you are eligible to be a

-spaceman.”

-

-“Thanks,” Garry said, trying to smile convincingly, although he did not

-feel happy. The idea of the future did not interest him now, but only

-the present, because the queen of the spaceways was about to blast off,

-and he wanted so desperately to remain aboard her.

-

-“Let’s go, Garry,” Patch said. “We don’t want to get Officer Mulroy into

-trouble by us being caught aboard at blast-off.”

-

-“That’s right,” Officer Mulroy said with a smile. “Being a stowaway on a

-rocket is really a serious matter. You see, for every pound of pay load

-on a rocket, there must be many more pounds of fuel, so if an extra

-person remained aboard, the ship might not be able to reach its

-destination.”

-

-“Thank you for letting us come aboard with you, Mr. Mulroy,” Garry said.

-“And I’ll remember what you told me.”

-

-The space officer insisted on tipping the boys, and it was a generous

-tip at that. As the two left the room he called to them, “Good-by,

-fellows. I’ll send you a post card from Mars. That’s a promise.”

-

-Garry and Patch said good-by and followed the directions that Officer

-Mulroy had given them for leaving the ship.

-

-Garry pressed the button of the elevator in which they had ridden

-earlier. As the doors parted and he and Patch went in, he said to his

-friend, “Gee, I hate to leave. I don’t know what’s the matter with me,

-Patch. Maybe I’m just tired of having to do the same thing every day,

-over and over.”

-

-“I feel kind of the same way, Garry,” Patch admitted, “but I guess we’ll

-just have to sweat out the old grind for a few more years.”

-

-They had no sooner started to descend than the light in the elevator

-went off, and then the elevator itself stopped.

-

-“Hey, what’s going on!” Garry exclaimed.

-

-“The power’s off!” Patch said.

-

-Presently, the light came on again, and the boys felt a lot better.

-

-“Whew, for a minute I was scared!” Patch said.

-

-“Me too. Hey, we’re still not moving, though!” Garry pressed harder on

-the button, but the elevator refused to move.

-

-“We’re stuck here, Garry!” Patch burst out.

-

-Garry started banging furiously on the walls of the elevator. “We’ve

-just _got_ to make ourselves heard, Patch!” he cried.

-

-The din was very loud in the cramped compartment, as both boys hammered

-on the wall.

-

-No one came to their rescue, but then a voice spoke over the

-public-address speaker in the ceiling of the elevator: “Don’t be

-alarmed, folks. A short circuit in the fuel-pump relay caused us to lose

-electric power momentarily. But everything has been restored to

-normalcy. Warning: Three minutes to blast-off.”

-

-“It _hasn’t_ been restored!” Garry burst out desperately.

-

-The boys pounded on the metal walls until their knuckles hurt.

-

-In a final desperate action, Garry slammed his closed fist against the

-stubborn power button. Instantly, he felt the elevator throb underfoot

-and begin to descend once more.

-

-“Thank goodness!” Garry breathed prayerfully. “But we’ve still got to

-hurry in order to get off in time! No telling how long we’ve been stuck

-in this thing!”

-

-When the elevator stopped, the doors slid open and the boys ran out. But

-they found themselves in a strange corridor.

-

-“We’re not out of the ship yet!” Garry exclaimed. “We’ve only gone down

-a deck or two. The elevator must still be fouled up.”

-

-“What’ll we do now?” Patch asked in desperation.

-

-“Go back into the elevator and try to get to the ground. We’ll have to

-hurry! The elevator is part of the gantry crane, and it’ll be rolled

-away any moment!”

-

-They rushed back to the closed doors of the elevator. But a sign in red

-lights on the door read: “DO NOT ENTER. ELEVATOR REMOVED.”

-

-“They’ve already taken it away!” Patch said in dismay.

-

-“We’ve got to find a place to strap down, or every bone in our bodies

-will be broken on the blast-off!” Garry said.

-

-A speaker along the corridor next gave out with the dread words:

-“Blast-off in ninety seconds, ladies and gentlemen. Secure your seat

-harness and listen to the instructions of the stewards. Failure to obey

-directions could cost you your lives. In the first few moments of

-acceleration in a rocket ship, there is a crushing blow to the human

-body. This jolt will occur twice more as the second and third stages

-blast off. For that reason, it is absolutely necessary that everyone be

-strapped down securely to his G-couch.”

-

-Patch grabbed his friends arm in a fierce grip. “Garry, we’re going to

-die! We’re going to die!” he cried.

-

-Garry shook off Patch and desperately began throwing open doors along

-the corridor, looking into one room after another. “There must be some

-G-couches along here,” he said. “I read somewhere that space law says

-there must be emergency couches on all decks of a rocket ship.”

-

-Patch tagged along after Garry, complaining. Garry could not afford to

-be sympathetic now. Both their lives depended on what he did within the

-next minute.

-

-Then Garry found it. Printed on the door was the heartening word:

-“G-COUCHES.”

-

-He flung open the door and saw a row of six S-shaped reclining seats.

-

-Garry grabbed the arm of his quaking friend in a tight grip and told

-him, “Listen to me, Patch, and do what I tell you. Jump on a couch just

-as fast as you can and don’t waste a second getting those buckles

-fastened across your chest, body, and legs. Now get going!”

-

-Garry helped him along with a shove, then dove for one of the couches

-close by.

-

-As he hastily fastened his own straps in place, Garry cast worried

-glances at his friend, who was fumbling as best he could in his nervous

-state.

-

-A speaker warned of the passing moments: “Zero minus twenty seconds,

-nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen....”

-

-A few seconds more, and Garry’s straps were securely fastened. He

-twisted his head to see how Patch was doing. Patch had almost all his

-straps in place, but he could not seem to get the chest buckle

-tightened.

-

-“Hurry, Patch, please hurry!” Garry cried.

-

-“I—I’m doing the best I can,” Patch said, and Garry could see the

-streams of sweat trickling down his round face.

-

-Then, with a final lucky tug, Patch had it. Turning his weakly smiling

-face to Garry, he murmured, “Garry, I guess I just barely did....”

-

-Garry never heard the rest of the words, for at that moment the _Orion_

-shook herself like a big dog, began a slow tug upward into the black

-night, and then, a few seconds later, with a deafening roar tore free of

-her earthly bonds and flung herself into space.

-

-

-

-

-                         3. STOWAWAYS IN SPACE

-

-

-Garry had read about the rough effects of blast-off, but the real thing

-was even worse than he had imagined. He felt like one of those

-characters in movie cartoons who gets flattened to the thickness of

-paper when run over. His lungs felt as though they had collapsed, and he

-could suck in only the barest trace of breath.

-

-But the discomfort did not last long. His body seemed to fill out like

-an inflated balloon, although he still felt the ache of having been

-nearly squashed. His stomach felt as though it had been stirred up with

-an egg beater, and his head swam.

-

-But no sooner had he recovered from the first violent thrust than it

-came again as the rocket’s second stage began firing. Then the crushing

-pressure eased once more, only to return once again as the third stage,

-the occupied section of the _Orion_, began firing away. When this force

-let up, Garry knew it was the last.

-

-The ship did not appear to be moving, but Garry knew it must be

-traveling many thousands of miles an hour.

-

-Garry’s shaky hands groped for the belts of the harness that snugly

-fitted his body. He worked the buckles loose from his upper body and sat

-up on his G-couch. He did not release his legs, because he was already

-feeling the dizzying effects of weightlessness. He looked across at

-Patch on the next couch.

-

-Patch was still lying flat, and his face was pasty white. His eyes were

-closed, and this alarmed Garry.

-

-“Patch!” Garry called, repeating the name over and over.

-

-Patch had blacked out, but after a few minutes he came back to

-consciousness.

-

-“Wh—what happened?” Patch asked in a weak voice.

-

-“We’re in space, Patch,” Garry replied. “They’ll probably think we’re

-stowaways and send us to jail. Maybe Officer Mulroy will get in trouble

-too.”

-

-But this was the least of Patch’s worries right now. He put his hand to

-his head, complaining, “Gee, I feel terrible. Everything’s going around!

-And I had the worst nightmare all night long!”

-

-Garry had to grin at this. “We haven’t been here all night, just a few

-minutes. It just seems like a long time.”

-

-Patch fumbled loose his upper straps and struggled to a sitting

-position, but fell back down onto his contour seat. “Wow, I can’t make

-it!” he said thickly.

-

-“There’s no use trying to get up,” Garry said. “We’re weightless and

-would never be able to get about. It’s funny how I wanted so terribly to

-go into space, but now that I’m out here I’m not enjoying it. I guess

-it’s because I’m afraid of what’s coming.”

-

-Garry wondered what they should do. Should they turn themselves in and

-take their chances on being believed that their being aboard the _Orion_

-was due to an accident? But if they did this, then Mr. Mulroy might be

-held responsible for not seeing that the boys had left the ship. And

-yet, Garry realized, he and Patch could not stay in hiding indefinitely.

-Sooner or later they must be found out. If they did not turn themselves

-in, and they were discovered, they would surely be regarded as

-stowaways.

-

-Then a new fear came to Garry. What if his and Patch’s combined weight

-was over the ship’s allowable limit? What if their being aboard would

-keep them from reaching the space station and, instead, cause the

-earth’s gravity to pull the _Orion_ back down? In that case the two of

-them could possibly cost the space-ship line a new rocket worth

-millions, not to mention the lives of all the persons aboard in case a

-safe landing could not be made!

-

-Garry was occupied with these grave thoughts until he heard the

-public-address system saying: “We are now in braking orbit.”

-

-Garry knew this meant that the ship had reached the vicinity of the

-space station and was beginning to circle the station while the braking

-rockets were cut in. This procedure would slow down the _Orion_ so that

-she would be moving at the same orbital speed as the space station. Then

-it would be easy for her to slip into dock.

-

-Garry and Patch felt the tug of the ship’s gradually diminishing speed,

-but this was not nearly as rough as the blast-off had been. As the

-_Orion_ moved into dock, the boys felt their weight returning. This was

-due to the station’s rotation and artificial gravity.

-

-“Well, it looks like the ship has made it all right,” Patch said,

-relieved. “They must not have had a full load.”

-

-The boys heard the technical language of the docking procedure. Garry

-listened closely, even though he could not understand much of it. But

-this was all part of the spaceman’s education, and he was eager to learn

-it, even at such a crucial moment as this.

-

-Yet as he listened, he had another unpleasant thought. Now that he and

-Patch had the blot of “stowaway” against them, would this misconduct

-prevent them from realizing their dream of being future spacemen?

-

-Finally, the ship’s motion stopped altogether. The _Orion_ had nestled

-into her dock on the big Von Braun Space Station, named after the great

-space scientist of the past century.

-

-“Now where do we go from here?” Patch asked, as the two removed their

-harness straps and got to their feet. “Garry, I’m scared, plenty scared!

-Wow, I’m a little wobbly too!”

-

-“Let’s stay put until we hear further announcements over the speaker,”

-Garry suggested. “It’ll give us time to think this through a little

-longer.”

-

-“We’re just stalling, that’s what we’re doing, aren’t we, Garry? We

-don’t want to turn ourselves in because we’re afraid of what will happen

-to us,” Patch said.

-

-Garry hung his head. “I guess that’s what it does amount to, Patch. I

-keep thinking what this will do to our hopes of being spacemen. I’m

-afraid we’ll never make it now.”

-

-They stayed in hiding for another half hour. Then Garry said: “We’ve got

-to have something to live on until we make up our minds what we’re going

-to do, Patch. I think space ships have emergency-ration compartments

-located along the corridors. I’m in favor of looking for one.”

-

-“That’s better than just waiting here and doing nothing,” Patch agreed.

-

-“I’ll look out and see if the coast is clear,” Garry said.

-

-He looked around outside and then motioned to Patch. They started off

-quietly down the corridor, but after a moment they heard footsteps

-approaching from around the corner behind them.

-

-“Garry, we’ve got to hide!” Patch whispered urgently. “Somebody’s

-coming!”

-

-Garry saw a door up ahead. “That leads into an air lock, Patch. We may

-be safe in there.”

-

-Garry turned a wheel on the door, and it swung open. They found

-themselves in a short tunnel, at the other end of which was another

-door. The air lock was used for entering and leaving the ship while it

-was in space. The spaceman would enter the chamber and wait for the air

-pressure to equalize before he left the air lock.

-

-Garry quickly turned another wheel on the inside of the door, closing

-it.

-

-“We can’t stay in here very long without air,” Garry said. “The other

-end of this air lock probably leads directly into the space station.

-Shall we try it?”

-

-“This running and hiding has got to end somewhere,” Patch replied with

-discouragement. “Lead on.”

-

-Garry checked the pressure gauge on the far door and saw that there was

-normal pressure on the other side. He turned the wheel on the door, and

-it swung open. The boys went through, and Garry wheeled the door shut

-behind them.

-

-They were in a huge enclosed dock of the space station. Lined up ahead

-were several space taxis, or fliers, which were used for trips outside

-the station and also doubled as lifeboats in time of emergency.

-

-“Gee, it’s cold in here!” Patch said.

-

-“The main thing, though, is that there’s no one around,” Garry said.

-“It’ll give us time to collect our thoughts.”

-

-“That’s what you think,” Patch whispered, tugging at Garry’s arm. “There

-come a couple of men down that corridor across the way!”

-

-Garry moved quickly and quietly, pulling Patch along. As the men entered

-the dock, the boys ducked out of sight behind one of the space fliers.

-

-The men approached the flier next to the outer door of the dock and

-pressed a button on the taxi’s surface. Its door sprang open, and the

-men entered the flier.

-

-They were in there for fully five minutes. During that time, Garry began

-to shiver, but it was not from fright so much as it was the coldness of

-the dock. Garry felt Patch shaking beside him and knew his friend was

-just as uncomfortable as he. But they had to stay put. There was no

-other place they could go at this moment.

-

-Finally, the men came out of the space taxi, closed the door, and, to

-the relief of Garry and Patch, disappeared up the corridor.

-

-Garry stood up and hugged himself.

-

-“Garry, I—I’m freezing to death,” Patch chattered.

-

-“So am I. We sure can’t stay here like this,” Garry replied.

-

-“Why don’t we try getting into one of these ships?” Patch suggested.

-“Maybe they’ve got heaters inside.”

-

-Garry pressed the button of the ship which they had been hiding behind,

-but the door did not open.

-

-“The power is off or something,” Garry groaned.

-

-“Maybe the first one will open,” Patch said. “It worked for those men.”

-

-Garry went over to the first craft and pressed the door button.

-Instantly, the door sprang open. A tiny air-lock chamber faced them.

-

-“Thank goodness,” Patch murmured. “Let’s go in.”

-

-“What if the men come back?” Garry cautioned. “They may be preparing for

-a trip.”

-

-“There are windows facing the corridor,” Patch said. “We can keep an eye

-out for them and duck for cover again if they return. Gee, let’s try it

-anyhow, Garry! I feel like a penguin that’s lost all its feathers!”

-

-Garry agreed and entered the flier, Patch climbing in behind. A second

-door led from the air lock chamber into the flier proper. Besides the

-pilot’s seat, there were six other seats, three on a side. It was warmer

-in here than outside, and Garry felt heat gently blowing. This made him

-suspect that the men had just turned it on and that they were going to

-return for a trip in the craft.

-

-“I’m afraid we won’t have long to stay in here,” Garry told his friend

-and mentioned his suspicion to him.

-

-“I guess you’re right,” Patch agreed. “Where will we go from here?

-Garry, I’m tired of running. And I’m getting more scared by the minute

-because of what we’re doing. Why don’t we just turn ourselves in and

-face the music, whatever it is?”

-

-Through a window of the taxi, Garry was watching the corridor for signs

-of the returning men. “I guess you’re right, Patch,” he said. “We’ll

-give ourselves up when those men return.”

-

-“I don’t think we should wait until then,” Patch objected. “It will go a

-lot easier for us if we give ourselves up voluntarily instead of looking

-as if we had been caught.”

-

-Once again Garry agreed, but, as he was reaching for the button to open

-the door, he heard a click.

-

-“What was that?” Patch asked in alarm. “What did you do?”

-

-“Nothing,” Garry said. “Something was operating all by itself.”

-

-A soft purring sound began to be heard inside the craft, and Garry felt

-the little ship vibrating ever so softly.

-

-“Patch,” Garry said tensely, “I don’t like this.” He tried the door

-button, but it would not work.

-

-“What’s happening?” Patch asked, and there was fright in his voice.

-

-A movement outside in the dock caught the boys’ eyes. Through the wide

-front port of the ship, they watched a big door slide open, revealing a

-dark air-lock tunnel—a tunnel large enough to hold the craft which they

-were occupying!

-

-“Garry,” Patch repeated, “what’s happening!”

-

-Garry slumped into one of the seats, fear numbing his heart.

-

-“Now I know what kind of ship this is, Patch,” he murmured. “It’s remote

-controlled, guided by an operator inside the space station. We’re

-heading straight out into space, Patch!”

-

-

-

-

-                         4. ADRIFT IN THE DEEPS

-

-

-Trapped within the space taxi, Garry and Patch watched the darkness of

-space enlarge before their eyes as the ship emerged from the air-lock

-tunnel of the space station. The stars about them were countless lights,

-some packed so closely together that they trailed across the sky like

-distant streaming veils. But the boys had no eye for their beauty at

-this time.

-

-“Garry,” Patch asked in a dismal voice, “what’s going to happen to us?”

-

-“As long as they have control of the ship, I guess we’ll be all right,”

-Garry replied. “Maybe they are just sending the ship out on a practice

-run or possibly to pick someone up.”

-

-“Pick someone up?” Patch asked, puzzled.

-

-“I was thinking of satellite workers or repairmen. The skies out here

-are flooded with satellites, you know. They must have men working on

-them all the time,” Garry explained.

-

-Garry heard a hissing sound. He found a slit in the wall from which it

-was coming. Near the opening was a gauge.

-

-“That’s an oxygen mixture coming in,” Garry said. “It’s probably

-automatic. It turns on whenever the air pressure drops or becomes

-fouled.”

-

-“That’s something in our favor,” Patch said grudgingly.

-

-Garry found his feet beginning to lift weightlessly off the floor. His

-body sagged off balance, and he had to hold onto a handle on one of the

-seats.

-

-“Garry, what’ll we do?” Patch exclaimed frantically. “We’re going

-weightless!”

-

-“Let’s look for a wardrobe compartment,” Garry suggested. “Since these

-fliers are used as lifeboats sometimes, there must be space suits and

-things. Maybe we’ll find magnetic shoes, too.”

-

-“How’ll we ever get around in here to look for anything?” Patch

-sputtered. By now he was floating, his legs and arms flailing helplessly

-like a bug on its back.

-

-Using the handles on the backs of the seats, Garry worked his way across

-to a cabinet set in the wall. Then he moved from the last seat handle to

-the wall rail and worked himself down it to the plastic case. Through

-the clear window Garry could see space suits and accessories. He pressed

-a button, and the door popped open.

-

-“We’re in luck, Patch,” Garry reported. “There are magnetic shoes in

-here. I hope the gravity plates in the floor are working.”

-

-Garry managed to pick up two pairs of the shoes, tucking one pair under

-one arm. That left one hand holding the second pair and the other hand

-free.

-

-Even then, it took quite some doing for him to work his way across to

-Patch, who looked like a pennant floating in the breeze as he hung

-crossways in the air, one hand tightly clutching a seat handle.

-

-“Garry, I don’t feel so good,” Patch complained. “Everything in me feels

-like its pushing upward. Even my brain seems to be floating.”

-

-“It’s lack of gravity doing that,” Garry said. “You are used to gravity

-always pulling down on you. When that pull is gone, it makes you feel as

-if your body is moving up. At least that’s what all the books say. And I

-believe them, because I feel that way myself. Here are your shoes.

-They’re pretty big, but they’ll be better than nothing.”

-

-“Garry, how’ll I ever get them on?” Patch protested.

-

-“I’ll hold onto you while you put them on,” Garry offered. “That’ll make

-it easier—I guess.”

-

-Garry got behind Patch and held him by the collar. Then began Patch’s

-struggles with the shoes. It was comical for Garry to see his friend

-having such a hard time, but he knew Patch would have the laugh on him

-later.

-

-It took them both a good while to get the shoes on. When the floor

-current of the gravity plates finally held them down, the boys laughed

-at each other in their oversized equipment.

-

-“I guess we look like snowshoe rabbits with our big feet!” Patch said

-with a laugh. “Good thing those straps pulled up tight, or we’d never be

-able to keep them on.”

-

-The craft had been moving along smoothly, but before long it began to

-shudder irregularly.

-

-“The jets have cut out, Patch,” Garry said. “We’re coasting. Without any

-air friction out here in space, we _could_ coast along forever.”

-

-“Garry, don’t say that!” Patch gasped.

-

-But Garry found out that his guess was wrong, and he was glad that it

-had been. Presently, twin jets of flame were seen pouring from the front

-of the craft.

-

-“Garry, we’re on fire!” Patch shouted.

-

-“No, they’re the braking jets,” Garry corrected. “We’re being slowed

-down, Patch! I think we’ll find out very soon now what our destination

-is.”

-

-“Thank goodness for that,” Patch replied. “You know, you got me plenty

-worried when you said that we might coast forever out here. Although

-after about a hundred years I probably wouldn’t mind any longer!”

-

-“Look, Patch,” Garry cried. “Up ahead—a satellite! That must be where

-we’re headed!”

-

-As they approached, the craft still being slowed by the braking jets,

-Garry and Patch took in the scene before them. The satellite itself

-somewhat resembled a giant radio speaker. Its largest area was a huge

-reflecting surface, and this surface was made up of adjustable panels

-that could be banked in any direction. The boys could see around the

-side of the satellite, and backing up the front broad surface was a

-block-shaped structure with windows.

-

-As the tiny space craft drew closer, the boys saw a hatch open in the

-rear structure, and two men in space suits emerged, holding onto hand

-rails on the outside of the satellite.

-

-“That’s one of the radio and TV relay satellites, Patch,” Garry said.

-“There are three of them, spaced equally around the earth, for relaying

-TV and radio all over the world. Our ship has probably been sent out to

-pick up these men and bring them back to the station.”

-

-“Won’t they be surprised when they see us aboard?” Patch remarked.

-

-Garry noticed that the space taxi seemed to be moving a little off

-course, and this disturbed him, especially since one of the forward jets

-had cut off but the other hadn’t.

-

-The craft was veering steadily away from the satellite and slowing

-rapidly. Finally, it came to a dead stop several hundred yards from the

-satellite, but then it began backing up. As the craft gained speed in

-reverse, Garry and Patch were nearly knocked off their feet from the

-acceleration.

-

-“The front jet is propelling us backward!” Garry cried. “There’s

-something wrong with the remote control!”

-

-The craft began going into a dizzy spin. The boys had to hold on tightly

-to some anchored support to keep from being flung against the wall.

-

-Garry watched the satellite become lost against the sprawling background

-of stars. He knew they were hurtling farther out into space, out of

-control, headed for a destination now that even the space-station

-operators might not know.

-

-The boys were so disheartened by the latest bad break that, for the time

-being, they did not care what happened to them. This lowering of their

-spirits seemed to remind them that they were a long time past their

-slumber time, and they suddenly became very sleepy. By earth time, it

-would be the dark hours before dawn.

-

-They went to sleep on their feet, because in the zero gravity there was

-no need for them to lie down. Their magnetic soles held them in place to

-keep them from drifting about as they slept.

-

-Garry was the first to wake up, hours later. There was no way for him to

-know how much time had passed. He woke his friend, who stretched and

-yawned.

-

-“I never thought I’d be able to sleep standing up,” Patch said. “I feel

-like a horse.”

-

-“We got a good rest,” Garry said. “I guess that’s because of the zero

-gravity.”

-

-Patch looked gloomily out of the front port of the flier. “We’re still

-no better off than we were before, though, Garry, but, I think we have

-stopped moving.”

-

-Garry shook his head. “It just seems like we’re not moving because the

-stars and everything else around us are so still. We’re moving all

-right—and fast. This ship may still be moving after we’re dead, even if

-we could live for a hundred years, because there’s nothing ever to slow

-us down out here; that is, unless we happened to move into the gravity

-field of some planet, which would pull us down.”

-

-“I knew we should have turned ourselves in when we had the chance,”

-Patch said mournfully. “If we had, we wouldn’t be in this fix now.”

-

-Garry agreed. “It’s all my fault for trying to hold out so long.”

-

-“Well, too late now to do anything,” Patch said.

-

-“I don’t think we should give up hope,” Garry said. “They might still

-send out a ship to try to pick up this one. They know it’s lost, but of

-course they don’t know there’s anybody in it, and they may not know

-where to look for it.”

-

-He investigated the sloping wall between him and the front window. The

-middle of it was shaped something like an old-fashioned roll-top desk,

-closed up.

-

-“Hmm,” Garry thought to himself. “This ship has been run by remote

-control until now, but why shouldn’t it have controls of its own? If it

-does have them, they should be right here in front of me.”

-

-Garry’s hopes soared again as he ran his hands over the light-green

-plastic slope in front of him.

-

-“A button,” he whispered. “There must be a button or something that

-opens this thing up.”

-

-“Hey, what’re you mumbling about?” Patch asked.

-

-Garry was too concerned with what he was doing to answer his friend.

-Suddenly, he found something on the left side of the instrument. It was

-a button. He pressed it.

-

-Two covers began swinging open in front of him, as stage curtains would

-do, revealing a bank of dials and levers.

-

-“Patch!” Garry shouted. “Look what!”

-

-Patch came clicking over in his magnetic shoes. “Hey, they’re

-instruments for running this crate! Why didn’t we think of looking for

-them before?” he cried.

-

-“Probably because we don’t know how to operate them,” Garry replied.

-

-There was a half-circle steering wheel that pulled out, and the boys

-were sure what this was for.

-

-“Garry,” Patch said happily, “the steering wheel—that may be all that

-we’ll need! Since the ship is moving under its own power, all we have to

-do is turn her around and head back for the space station. We can keep

-circling it until one of the ships from the station intercepts us!”

-

-Garry tried the wheel. It was locked tight.

-

-“It’s not that easy, Patch,” he said. “First we’ve got to find how to

-unlock the wheel.”

-

-“That ought not to be hard,” Patch replied. “A button or switch....”

-

-They both began carefully examining the steering column and wheel, but

-did not find anything that would release the wheel. Then they went over

-the console panel very closely. They found switches and levers that

-could not be identified, but they decided to try them anyhow and see

-what they controlled.

-

-They got no result at first, but, when the fourth switch was thrown, the

-console lighted up and the ship began to throb with a new life.

-

-“That must have been one of the power levers,” Garry said. “Look—the

-steering wheel is free! The power had to be on before it would unlock

-the wheel.”

-

-“Garry!” Patch exclaimed, “we’re on our way! We’re on our way.”

-

-“I hope my sense of direction is correct,” Garry said, “because I can’t

-read those directional meters. I think we’ll be headed in the general

-direction of the station if we make a half turn. I remember the position

-of that brilliant nebula over there and also the planet Venus.”

-

-Garry was beginning to turn the wheel slowly for their gradual turnabout

-in the sky when the smell of something burning issued from the console.

-

-“Hey, something seems to be shorting out,” Patch said in alarm. “Look!

-There’s smoke coming from the panel!”

-

-No sooner had he spoken than there was a small explosion inside the

-console, a strong odor of ozone filled the boys’ nostrils, and all the

-lights went out. But what was worse, the steering wheel froze in Garry’s

-hands and locked again.

-

-“Patch, we’re ruined!” Garry groaned loudly. “I must have done something

-wrong!”

-

-Garry put his hands over his face in despair. “Patch, we were so close,

-so very close....”

-

-“It looks like something just doesn’t want us to get out of this alive,”

-Patch said bitterly. “We’re jinxed, Garry!”

-

-“It’ll do no good to start feeling sorry for ourselves again,” Garry

-said. “Remember, we thought we were goners before. Something may turn up

-to save us—something maybe like a Good Samaritan flying around in a

-space ship just looking for wandering boys. But how many of those do you

-think you would find in all the millions of miles of space that surround

-us?”

-

-Suddenly Garry stood upright, staring intently straight out the forward

-port. “Speaking of Good Samaritans, Patch, that might not be so

-farfetched after all. Look out there, straight ahead. There’s a light

-moving against the stars. It just might be a space ship!”

-

-“I see it,” Patch said, with a trace of hope returning, “but it’s most

-likely a Sputnik or Tiros or some other satellite.”

-

-“I don’t think so. Its movement isn’t perfectly straight. I’m sure I

-just saw it change direction as if heading this way. Patch, if you’ve

-ever prayed, do it now. The next few minutes may decide whether we live

-or die out here in space!”

-

-

-

-

-                         5. A “FLYING TIN CAN”

-

-

-The boys watched intently as the object neared them. Although it was

-still pretty far off, they knew that it was not a true celestial object,

-because they could determine already that it was shaped like nothing

-usually found in space. In fact, it looked remarkably like a tin can! It

-was an odd shape for a space ship, but the boys were sure that was what

-it was.

-

-“That’s not like anything I’ve ever seen!” Garry said. “And I’ve seen

-all kinds of pictures of space ships in magazines and books.”

-

-“It must be a special kind of ship,” Patch suggested. “But just so it

-really is a space ship with living people in it, it can be shaped like a

-barbecue pit for all I care!”

-

-“Patch!” Garry said in a stricken voice. “What if it’s from another

-planet and carries strange people? Maybe even _unfriendly_ passengers!”

-

-Patch’s eyes shone like bright marbles. “Gee, you don’t really think so,

-do you? I—I mean, how could it be possible? We’ve already explored Mars

-and Venus, and those planets aren’t inhabited. How could anything

-possibly live on those big cold planets farther out?”

-

-“Maybe they are from another star,” Garry said in a solemn tone.

-

-They would know pretty soon where the flying object was from, because it

-was still heading in their direction, and its passengers could not

-possibly miss seeing them.

-

-Garry and Patch were silent as the object drew steadily closer, each of

-them engrossed in his own thoughts.

-

-“It really does look like a tin can,” Patch said. “A tin can with a big

-eye in front! But what a big tin can! It’s big as one of those ancient

-dirigibles.”

-

-“Patch, I can begin to make out some writing over the eye. See it?”

-

-“Yes. Just a moment. It’s coming into focus. It says ‘CAREFREE!’ I don’t

-know what it means, but it _sounds_ friendly.”

-

-“That must be the name of it,” Garry suggested. “No ship with a name

-like that could be carrying unfriendly passengers.”

-

-“It also means that there must be earthmen aboard, because it’s an earth

-word.”

-

-“I don’t think we have anything to worry about, Patch,” Garry said

-confidently.

-

-“Now they’re turning around,” Patch said. “They—they’re pulling even

-with us. I guess they’ll anchor to us with magnetic grapples.”

-

-Carefully, the _Carefree_ edged closer so that it could latch on. The

-big circular space ship dwarfed the tiny taxi so greatly that it seemed

-like David and Goliath.

-

-Garry and Patch heard a soft bump as the _Carefree_ coupled onto the

-side of their craft on which the door was located. Garry knew now that

-the ships were joined as one.

-

-Garry looked at Patch, and Patch looked at Garry. They knew all they had

-to do now was open the air locks between the ships. But they hesitated

-as if there were still some doubt in their minds as to the friendliness

-of those in the other space ship.

-

-There came a rap on their air-lock door. Once again Garry looked at

-Patch, and Patch looked at Garry. Then, after another few moments of

-hesitation, Garry shrugged and clicked over to the door.

-

-“We may as well open up,” he said. “Whether or not they’re friendly,

-they’ve certainly got the upper hand.”

-

-Garry pressed the button that controlled the outer door of the air lock.

-Then he pressed another that opened the inner door.

-

-Garry and Patch looked through the double air locks into the face of a

-man who wore a small, neat white beard. He appeared to be in his early

-sixties, and he was clinging to a webbing of ropes that completely

-covered the walls of a giant tube or tunnel.

-

-“Hello,” the man said, with a smile.

-

-“Hello,” Garry and Patch replied together. And they smiled too, because

-they were very glad that it was an earthman who faced them.

-

-“I must say I didn’t expect to find a couple of boys alone in here,” the

-man went on. “What’s happened to the adults with you? You didn’t heave

-them out the waste hatch, did you?” The elderly man laughed.

-

-“Uh, no, Sir,” Garry replied with hesitation. “We’ve been by ourselves

-ever since this flier left the Von Braun Space Station. It’s a pretty

-long story, Sir.”

-

-“The name is Captain Eaton, boys.” The man winked at them, showing his

-white teeth in another smile. “Oh, I’m not really a space captain. I

-wouldn’t deceive you. The _Carefree_ is a private ship, and the men call

-me ‘Captain’ because I’m the owner.”

-

-Captain Eaton’s dark, alert eyes flickered over the interior of the

-flier.

-

-“I thought whoever was in this ship must be in some sort of trouble,” he

-said, “because of your erratic flight. That’s why we latched onto you,

-to see if we could be of some help.”

-

-“We _do_ need help, Captain,” Patch said earnestly. “We don’t know the

-first thing about running this thing. We had just about given ourselves

-up for lost.”

-

-“How in the world did you get into such a spot as this?” Captain Eaton

-asked.

-

-“Well, Sir,” Garry explained, lowering his eyes, “you see, we’re

-stowaways, although we’ve been able to escape being caught all this

-time. We didn’t _mean_ to be stowaways, Captain. We were helping an

-officer aboard the _Orion_ with his gear, and the rocket blasted off

-before we could get out.”

-

-“Say, I’ll bet your parents are worried to death about you,” Captain

-Eaton said.

-

-“No, Sir,” Patch answered. “You see, we’re orphans, and we lived in an

-orphanage back in the United States.”

-

-“I see,” the elderly man replied, stroking his short, snowy beard. Then

-suddenly he grinned broadly. “Well, fellows, how would you like to be

-rescued?”

-

-“We’re all for it!” Garry answered, and Patch nodded his head

-vigorously.

-

-“Come aboard then. The _Carefree_ welcomes you!”

-

-“What about the flier?” Garry asked. “We don’t want to be charged with

-stealing a space craft.”

-

-“I’ll have Ben Dawes come aboard and set her adrift toward the satellite

-so that she can be picked up easily,” the captain said.

-

-“I think we blew something out when we tried to start her,” Patch said.

-

-“Ben’s a genius,” Captain Eaton replied. “He’ll get her to running, no

-matter what’s wrong with her.”

-

-With this taken care of, the boys were anxious to board the _Carefree_

-and see if her interior were as strange and unusual looking as her outer

-hull. They removed their bulky magnetic shoes and entered the air lock

-of the _Carefree_.

-

-Captain Eaton first explained the purpose of the webbing that lined the

-walls of the tube.

-

-“As you boys saw us move in, you probably know that this is the rear of

-the ship, and this tunnel is in the center. It goes the full length of

-our ‘tin can’ and comes out front into the flight deck. We have to leave

-and enter the ship through the rear end of this tube. Understand?”

-

-“Yes, Sir,” the boys answered together.

-

-“The outer round surface of our ‘tin can’ revolves around this center

-tube as though it were a wheel around an axis,” the captain went on. “By

-so doing, an artificial gravity is induced along the inside rim of the

-‘can.’” Captain Eaton frowned. “Am I getting too deep for you?”

-

-“I don’t think so, Sir,” Garry replied. “The gravity you are talking

-about is the result of centrifugal action—the same action that makes a

-ball swing out on the end of a string when a person swings it around his

-head. It’s the same kind of artificial gravity they use on the manned

-space stations.”

-

-“You’re pretty sharp, son. I like a boy who doesn’t think that facts

-belong only in a schoolroom.”

-

-“I’ve always been very interested in space, Sir,” Garry said. “I’ll bet

-I’d surprise you with all I know about it.”

-

-“I’m sure you would,” Captain Eaton admitted. “Say, I don’t even know

-your names. I’ve told you mine. Now let’s have yours.”

-

-“I’m Garry Coleman,” Garry answered, “and this is my best friend, Patch

-Foster.”

-

-Since the center tube of the _Carefree_ was not affected by the

-centrifugal force of the rotating “tin can,” its gravity was zero. For

-that reason the webbing was used to pull oneself along with and not

-really for the purposes of climbing and descending.

-

-Captain Eaton turned around on the webbing so that he could lead the way

-along the tunnel into the living quarters of the _Carefree_. His slim,

-agile legs swung free in the zero gravity as he made the turn. Glossy

-black space boots covered his feet.

-

-The captain showed Garry where to pull a lever which closed a series of

-air-lock doors between the _Carefree_ and the taxi.

-

-The ship’s master and the boys pulled themselves along the tunnel. Then

-Captain Eaton stopped and said, “Hold on tightly, fellows. We’re going

-round and round for a few turns.”

-

-He pushed a lever beneath the webbing, and Garry felt the tube begin to

-revolve slowly.

-

-“Hey, what’s happening?” Patch called out.

-

-“I had to set the tunnel in rotation so that it could catch up with the

-rest of the ship, which is always turning. As soon as you’ve become used

-to the spinning, we’ll go into the ship.”

-

-When the boys said they thought they could navigate, the captain pointed

-to an open hatch that had appeared in the wall near them.

-

-“We’ll turn around and back down these stairs,” the skipper said. “As we

-descend, the gravity will become stronger, so that by the time we’re at

-the bottom we’ll be nearly at our earth weights.”

-

-Garry and Patch followed their new friend down the stairs, moving

-carefully and holding onto the railing, for they still felt giddy from

-the rotation of the central tube. By the time they were at the bottom,

-their heads had begun to clear.

-

-That is, they _thought_ their heads had begun to clear. But no sooner

-had they gotten this impression than they became giddy all over again at

-the sight that met their eyes. For it was just as if they had entered a

-tropical paradise! There were real flowers in bloom all about, and

-aquariums full of live fishes were set into the surrounding walls.

-

-The boys were too surprised to say anything. All they could do was just

-stare and stare in disbelief.

-

-

-

-

-                         6. A _CAREFREE_ WORLD

-

-

-“How do you like my garden, fellows?” Captain Eaton asked. “It helps

-keep me from getting homesick. I used to have a most luxuriant garden

-back on earth.”

-

-“I can’t believe it!” Garry burst out. “It’s just as if we were outdoors

-on a summer day, it’s so real.”

-

-“There’s a goldfish pond, Garry,” Patch said, “with lily pads floating

-on top and a bench beside it.”

-

-“I never saw so many kinds of flowers,” Garry said, “and shrubs too.”

-

-“The flowers and shrubs serve a double purpose,” Captain Eaton

-explained. “They not only provide homelike pleasure to me and my

-friends, but they also help keep the air in the _Carefree_ supplied with

-oxygen.”

-

-“I remember,” Garry replied. “Plants in light breathe exactly opposite

-from the way we do. They breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out

-oxygen.”

-

-Patch stooped down, examining the roots of a shrub. “Hey, the roots

-aren’t growing in soil! How can they live?”

-

-“The plants grow in richly fertilized liquid,” the captain answered. “In

-that way, they can be placed much closer together. Besides, some of the

-water making up the fertilized liquid comes from waste products within

-the ship. There are other reasons too.”

-

-Captain Eaton led the way along the aisle that ran beside the colorfully

-lighted aquariums. He stopped in front of a twenty-gallon tank which was

-in the process of being cleaned by two men.

-

-One of them was very tall, over six and a half feet. He was very thin

-and appeared to be in his late fifties. But the oddest thing about him,

-which made Garry and Patch stare at him in surprise, was the fact that

-he was in the full dress of a butler, complete with newly starched white

-shirt and neatly pressed coat and trousers! Although he was holding a

-bucket that was catching water from a draining aquarium, his clothing

-wasn’t in the least mussed.

-

-Captain Eaton saw the boys staring at the tall gentleman and said,

-“Boys, I want you to meet Mr. Klecker, the Eaton family butler for many

-years. When I decided to set out into space on my permanent cruise, he

-would not think of being left behind. Klecker, this is Garry and this is

-Patch. They will be our guests for awhile.”

-

-Mr. Klecker looked at them with heavy-lidded eyes. Then, bowing, he said

-in a deep stately voice, “Pleased, young gentlemen.”

-

-“Glad to know you, Mr. Klecker,” Garry said.

-

-“Me too,” Patch added.

-

-The other person attending to the fish tank was a young man. He rose

-from a squatting position and smiled at the boys. He had crew-cut black

-hair and the kind of happy features which indicate a friendly nature. He

-wiped his damp hands on his trousers and offered a palm to Garry first,

-then to Patch.

-

-“Hi, boys. I’m Ben Dawes. Glad to have you aboard,” he said. “It sure is

-a surprise meeting fellows as young as yourselves out here in space.”

-

-“It’ll probably be more of a surprise, Ben, to know that they are

-alone,” the captain said.

-

-“Not really!” Ben said. “Say, I’ll bet you two have a long story

-explaining that!”

-

-“We do,” Garry answered, “and we’ll tell you when we have lots of time.”

-

-“Ben is my right-hand man, whom I wouldn’t part with for all the

-millions I own,” Captain Eaton said proudly. “He could build a space

-ship out of a safety pin if he had to. He had a big hand in designing

-the _Carefree_, and he knows every bolt and rivet in her.”

-

-It was interesting to Garry to hear that the captain was a millionaire.

-That probably explained how he could afford to take such a leisurely

-cruise through space in something akin to a flying palace.

-

-“While Klecker and Ben are changing the water in this aquarium,” Captain

-Eaton said, “how would you like to meet the rest of my friends?”

-

-“We would, Sir,” Garry replied, “but are you sure you don’t have things

-to do?” It was hard for Garry to believe that as important a person as a

-millionaire would be willing to devote so much time to a couple of

-orphans who were lost in space.

-

-“Here my time is my own,” Captain Eaton said. “Back home there were

-hundreds of little details that always had to be attended to, and as I

-grew older the grind began to keep me in a state of tension and boredom.

-That’s when I made up my mind that I would spend the rest of my life the

-way that I wanted to—without constant interruption and without ever

-hurrying. I sold everything I owned and came into space. That was four

-years ago.”

-

-“Why are you so interested in space, Captain?” Garry asked.

-

-“In my early days I had a very keen interest in space travel. I became a

-space cadet, but after only four months’ service I was hurt, and my

-injury was such that I had to give up any thoughts of a future in the

-Space Service. But my keen interest in space stayed with me through the

-years, and I never gave up hope of returning to the spaceways. So, you

-see, my hope was realized, and here I am as carefree as the name of my

-ship.”

-

-“Then you never plan to return to earth, Captain Eaton, ever?” Garry

-asked.

-

-“No, I don’t think so. In the first place, the _Carefree_ was built in

-space and could not stand the atmospheric friction of an earth return.

-Of course, I could get back if I really wanted to. But I don’t believe I

-want to. My simple life out here is very satisfying. I never had any

-children, and my wife is now dead. No, no close relatives. It takes a

-little money to survive out here and pay my friends aboard ship, but it

-does not take too much. Yes, this is the good life, and it is enough for

-me.”

-

-As Captain Eaton paced the boys by a couple of steps, Garry had to

-marvel at the youthful stride of their host. His body was as lean and

-spare as a man half his age, and Garry was sure he must have kept

-himself in good condition all his life.

-

-As the trio left the garden and moved into the next section, Garry and

-Patch heard a fine tenor voice singing a lusty aria from an opera. A

-quick study of their surroundings told Garry that they were in the

-galley.

-

-As the fragrance of good food reached the boys’ noses, they suddenly

-remembered how hungry they were. They hadn’t eaten since they left the

-orphanage!

-

-“That’s Gino you hear,” Captain Eaton explained.

-

-The boys presently saw a short, fat little Italian throwing a huge, flat

-wad of dough into the air. He stopped when he saw the boys and grinned

-so widely that his eyes disappeared and his mouth seemed as broad as

-that of a jack-o’-lantern.

-

-Captain Eaton exchanged names so that everyone quickly knew everyone

-else. Gino was the ship’s cook, and his full name was Gino Spondini.

-

-Gino kept tossing the dough into the air, and each time he tossed it up

-it became thinner and bigger.

-

-“You _bambini_ chose a good day to come to the _Carefree_,” Gino said.

-“This is a special day for good food, only once every two weeks, eh,

-Captain?”

-

-Captain Eaton nodded. “Unfortunately, there isn’t a grocery store just

-around the corner, and so we fill our food room and deep freeze only a

-few times a year from the commissary satellite which supplies food to

-all the manned satellites around earth. But when we do have an

-exceptionally good meal, we enjoy it even more.”

-

-“I don’t know what you’re making, Gino,” Garry said, “but I’m hungry

-enough to eat it raw.”

-

-Gino looked shocked. “You don’t know pizza when you see it? Where have

-you been all your life, _bambino_?”

-

-“Gino makes the best pizza pie in the world—or should I say the best in

-the solar system?” the captain said. “Now, boys, shall we move on and

-meet the others?”

-

-They left the galley and proceeded on to the next section within the

-_Carefree_, leaving Gino singing another operatic air. The boys wondered

-if they could hold out until lunch time.

-

-“Up ahead of us,” Captain Eaton said presently, after passing through a

-short hallway, “is the dormitory. Since the dorm is used solely for

-sleeping, we made it small so that we could give more area over to the

-other parts of the ship where we spend more of our time.”

-

-Garry found the dormitory indeed small and quite simple. There were

-three-tiered bunks along the walls, with ladders leading up to the

-second and third levels.

-

-The captain smiled. “Patch, you seem to be looking over those bunks

-carefully to see if you find any that aren’t made up.” Patch blushed.

-“Yes, Sir. I was wondering if....”

-

-“If we have room for you two? Well, breathe easily, for we do have

-extras. The ship will sleep twelve, and special cots can be set up to

-accommodate more when necessary.”

-

-“They look cozy,” Garry said, “but how do you know when to sleep out

-here in space, without any real night or day?”

-

-“We observe a twenty-four-hour day just as they do on earth. Scientists

-have found out that space travelers get along much better if they keep

-the same hourly habits to which they are accustomed. We even simulate

-the appearance of night, turning down the lights and observing quiet.

-You’ll find out that you get sleepy at just the right time and that you

-wake the ‘next morning’ feeling just as refreshed as you did on earth.”

-

-Suddenly, they heard a stirring in one of the top bunks. A deeply tanned

-man with a thick shock of auburn hair raised up sleepily.

-

-“Oh, it’s you, Captain,” the man said with a yawn. Then he perked up.

-“Who is it with you, Sir?” The man’s accent was a thick Scottish brogue.

-

-“We have guests, Mac,” the captain replied. “These are Garry and Patch.

-Fellows, meet Mr. McIntosh, pilot, navigator, engineer, and what have

-you. He likes to be called Mac.”

-

-“Hi, fellows, glad to have you aboard,” Mac said cordially, then yawned

-again.

-

-“Sorry we woke you, Mac,” the captain said.

-

-“I’m just about due to relieve Isaac upstairs, Sir. That’s all right.”

-

-“I was just showing the boys the ship. We’ll move on so you can get

-dressed.”

-

-As they left the dormitory to pass into another hallway, Captain Eaton

-asked, “You’ve heard of Isaac Newton, haven’t you, boys?”

-

-“Oh yes, Sir,” Garry responded eagerly. “He was one of the very greatest

-scientists. He died a long time ago.”

-

-The captain winked at them. “Well, we’re going to meet him,” he said.

-

-

-

-

-                        7. A SHOCK IN THE NIGHT

-

-

-Captain Eaton’s announcement that Garry and Patch were about to meet

-Isaac Newton, the great scientist, filled the boys with astonishment.

-

-“We’re going back to the central tube,” the skipper said, “and from

-there to the navigation room.”

-

-They climbed a steep staircase, as they had done earlier. Garry felt the

-comfortable feel of artificial gravity leaving him as they went higher.

-The light-headed, floating sensation of zero gravity was returning.

-

-The captain shoved a lever so that the central tunnel would start

-revolving. When a doorway appeared in the tube, the three climbed

-through. Then the rotation of the tunnel was stopped. The captain then

-led the boys along the stationary axle of the _Carefree_, in the

-direction opposite from where they had first entered the ship. The three

-pulled themselves along the webbing as their legs swung free,

-weightlessly. They reached a platform outside a door at the nose of the

-ship. Holding onto the platform rail, Captain Eaton fished into a

-cabinet built into the platform and came out with two pairs of slippers.

-

-“You can attach these magnetic-soled slippers to your shoes, fellows,”

-their host said. “Because of the zero gravity in the navigation room, we

-have to use gravity plates. The rest of us wear these attached to our

-boots all the time because we are always going back and forth up here,

-and they are light and comfortable.”

-

-After the boys had donned the slippers, Captain Eaton pressed a button,

-the door slid open, and the three of them walked through.

-

-Garry and Patch found themselves in a domed room, which had a wide front

-port that looked out into space. Below the port extended a long

-instrument panel, or console, with two seats in front of it, one of

-which was occupied.

-

-“This is the flight deck!” Garry said. “It’s the part that looked like a

-big eye on the front of the ship.”

-

-The pilot turned around in his swivel seat. He was a huge, muscular man

-with rugged features that suggested he might once have been a vigorous

-athlete.

-

-“Boys, meet Isaac Newton,” Captain Eaton said.

-

-Garry could not help but laugh, because this Isaac Newton looked nothing

-whatsoever like pictures of the great scientist. But then Garry

-remembered that he was being impolite, and he apologized.

-

-“That’s all right,” Isaac Newton said good naturedly. “Everybody who

-ever heard of that scientist laughs. I’ve been defending my name ever

-since I was a kid. That’s how I got to be a professional fighter, which

-I was until I got tired of bashing people and the good captain took me

-on as his chauffeur. I stayed on with him, and he said I could come into

-space with him if I wanted to. I’ve picked up navigation since I’ve been

-out here.”

-

-“How did you get a name like Isaac Newton?” Patch asked.

-

-“Well, naturally my father was named Newton,” Isaac explained, “and he

-was also a science teacher. He wanted me to be a scientist too, and

-thought he was helping me by giving me the name of one of the greatest

-scientists of all time. But, as I said, I got into so many fights

-because of being teased about my name that I had more practice as a

-fighter.”

-

-He laughed, showing a two-tooth vacancy in the front of his mouth.

-“Funny thing is that I might’ve been a scientist if I hadn’t been given

-the name of one!”

-

-With that, Isaac Newton turned back to check on how the ship was

-running. The captain went over to converse with him, and this gave the

-boys an opportunity to look around the navigation room.

-

-Of particular interest was a huge chart on the back wall near the

-entrance. On the map were countless globes of various sizes, and running

-through the globes were long curving lines.

-

-“What’s that, do you suppose?” Patch asked his friend.

-

-Garry looked closely at the printed names beside the round symbols.

-

-“Hermes—Vanguard II—Adonis—Derelict Space Ship _Oberon_,” he read.

-“These seem to be objects floating about in space,” he said, “and the

-lines through them must be their orbits.”

-

-“You’re very observant, Garry.”

-

-Garry looked back and saw that Captain Eaton had come over.

-

-“That’s exactly what they are, and we have to know exactly where each

-one of them is at all times,” the captain said. “If we missed keeping up

-with one, we might run into a collision orbit with it, and then it would

-be quickly over for all of us. Some of the objects are asteroids, some

-man-made satellites, some large meteor fragments whose orbits we have

-already plotted. And a few are derelicts, or empty shells of what were

-once proud space liners. Any one of them could destroy the _Carefree_ if

-it should hit us. In fact, a meteor as large as an orange could wreck us

-because of the terrific velocity at which it would strike.”

-

-“Gee,” Patch said, “you must be anxious all the time about being hit by

-something.”

-

-“No. It’s a risk, of course, but space is so very, very huge that

-actually there is little chance of being hit by anything any larger than

-a grain of sand. But of course there is always the chance that someday

-the big, unexpected one will come. Still, we don’t worry about it

-because it would keep us from enjoying our life in space.”

-

-Captain Eaton showed the boys some of the other things in the room. He

-explained the purpose of the various dials and switches on the

-console—facts that the boys would have given anything to know when they

-were so desperately trying to steer the space taxi. The skipper of the

-_Carefree_ told them that usually there was only one pilot on duty but

-that, in case of tricky navigation or on other special occasions, both

-Mac and Isaac or Ben would be on together. The captain added that he was

-quite a pilot himself and liked to take over the controls now and then.

-

-Suddenly chimes were heard over a loud-speaker.

-

-“That’s the signal for us to get ready for lunch,” Captain Eaton said.

-“Let’s go, fellows, and wash up.”

-

-“Tell Mac to shake a leg and get up here to relieve me, will you,

-Captain?” Isaac asked. “I’m starved. It’s been a long shift.”

-

-“I will, Isaac,” the captain promised, and pushed the button which

-opened the door.

-

-A few minutes later, Garry and Patch sat down to the best meal they had

-had in a long time. Not even Thanksgiving at the orphanage could beat

-this, Garry told his friend. The boys had their first taste of pizza

-pie, and they were hoping it would not be their last, especially if Gino

-was the one who prepared it. They were sure he was the best chef in all

-the solar system.

-

-After lunch the patient Captain Eaton spent most of the afternoon

-showing the boys more of the ship. They saw the gym and swimming pool

-and the library filled with many recording tapes and films. There were

-also books for those who preferred reading instead of reclining in a

-soft contour chair and listening to tapes over earphones.

-

-As they passed from one section to another, Garry noticed that the

-indirect daylight effect, that filled every part of the _Carefree_, was

-fading steadily but slowly. He asked the captain about this.

-

-“It’s an automatic control that helps put us in the mood for night,” the

-skipper said. “Remember my telling you about how much better man works

-in a properly spaced twenty-four-hour day? Soon now, the main lights

-will be very low, with only an occasional lamp making things bright. It

-is just like the coming of night back at home. You will see.”

-

-The space travelers had only a light snack for dinner because of the big

-meal earlier in the day. Soon afterward, the boys began to yawn and get

-sleepy as they watched the artificial daylight continue to fade. They

-were looking forward to sleeping lying down for a change.

-

-“Your minds are telling you it’s time for bed, eh?” Captain Eaton said

-with a laugh. “Well, so is mine. I still haven’t shown you the

-observatory, which is my favorite spot aboard ship. But that can wait

-until tomorrow. Let’s go to the dorm and get you two settled before the

-fellows in there are ready to turn out the lights.”

-

-The boys found all the people they had met today getting ready for bed.

-That is, all but two of them.

-

-“Mac is on pilot duty, isn’t he, Captain?” Garry asked. “But where is

-Ben?”

-

-Captain Eaton was pulling off his shiny boots. He may have been the boss

-of the _Carefree_, with all the say-so, but he was not too proud to

-share the same sleeping quarters with those whom he called his

-“friends.”

-

-“There are always two on duty at night, Garry,” Captain Eaton replied to

-Garry’s question. “One acts as pilot, while the other makes the rounds

-several times a night to be sure that the automatic controls are

-functioning properly. We all take turns sharing these duties.”

-

-When everyone had climbed into his bunk and pulled the covers up,

-Captain Eaton called out from his own bunk, “Check?”

-

-There came answering “checks” from all the fellows, and the next moment

-Garry found the room plunged in darkness.

-

-Within only a few minutes’ time, Garry began hearing the quiet breathing

-of those around him already in deep sleep. But he was too excited to

-drop off just yet. As he lay there staring into the darkness, he

-wondered if such a thrilling adventure as this could really be happening

-to him and Patch. Why, only a few hours ago they were in despair for

-their very lives. Now a whole new experience had been opened to them. It

-was almost as if the _Carefree_ had been sent by Providence to him and

-Patch alone.

-

-As Garry’s thoughts roved, his eyelids began to feel heavy and the

-clutch of sleep was groping for him. He finally drifted off into

-slumber, only to wake—he didn’t know how many hours later—with a

-parching thirst. He sat upright in his bunk and threw back the covers

-that cloaked him like a sweat-box. He found that he was breathing

-heavily and then suddenly remembered the end of a nightmare he had been

-having.

-

-As he sat in the quietness and darkness, he began to relax, and his

-heartbeats slowed to normal. But he was still very thirsty. He

-remembered that there was a water fountain in the hallway outside the

-dormitory.

-

-Slowly and carefully, so as to make no noise to disturb the others,

-Garry left his third-level bunk and made his way down the metal ladder

-to the floor. A dim night light, kept burning all the time, showed the

-way to the door. Garry pressed the button, and the door slid open

-silently.

-

-Garry went out into the faintly lighted hallway. He shivered as he made

-his way along the corridor. It was not that he was cold but that it was

-so creepy and lonesome with everything so quiet. The fountain was like a

-white ghost crouching against the wall a couple of dozen feet away.

-Garry made his way toward it. He leaned over it, pressed the lever, and

-felt the icy stream against his dry lips.

-

-“Boy, that’s good,” he said to himself, and he drank and drank as though

-he hadn’t had water in all his lifetime.

-

-When he finally got his fill, he rubbed his sleeve across his mouth and

-turned to start back toward the dormitory.

-

-Then it seemed that all the blood flowed out of his head in one wild

-rush. His heart began to thump rapidly, and his legs went weak.

-

-It was due to a startling sight that faced him.

-

-

-

-

-                          8. GARRY HAS A SCARE

-

-

-A huge woman was lumbering toward him down the dim corridor. There was

-something strange and unreal about her face and her awkward movements

-that gave Garry chills.

-

-Garry started running. He slammed into the water fountain, bruising his

-side. But he kept moving, and so did the woman stalker.

-

-Garry knew that the corridor was in the shape of a square and that if he

-kept turning corners he would arrive back at the dormitory. He wondered

-why a woman should frighten him, and it embarrassed him when he thought

-what the others would say when they found out. But the creature was so

-hostile—and somehow monstrous in her looks—that Garry was sure she meant

-to attack him.

-

-As he ran, Garry did not even look back to see if his adversary were

-still in pursuit. Finally, he turned the last corner and saw the

-dormitory straight ahead at the end of the corridor. He looked back

-around the corner in the direction from which he had just come. He’d

-outdistanced her. She wasn’t even in sight.

-

-By now his nerves were a little calmer, although his heart still drummed

-faster than usual. He began walking briskly, every now and then casting

-a look back over his shoulder.

-

-There was the dormitory at last. He felt a little silly now, as he

-reached for the button to open the door. He decided that he would not

-tell the others of his run and his fright lest they tease him about the

-incident. He would just tell them that he had _seen_ the strange woman

-but would not reveal the embarrassing circumstances. He still wondered

-who she could be, especially since Captain Eaton had not even mentioned

-her before.

-

-Just as Garry pressed the door button, he heard a metallic clanking

-behind him.

-

-There was the woman, coming very fast, the dim lights revealing the dark

-hollows of her eyes. Garry saw her tight-lipped mouth, her

-hugeness—fully as tall as Mr. Klecker and almost as broad, it seemed.

-

-The unexpectedness of it caused Garry to cry out for the first time. As

-the door of the dormitory slid back, he scrambled inside, hurriedly

-pressed the button closing the door, then sank back against it, panting.

-

-The bright lights went on in the room. Garry’s eyes blurred in the

-sudden sharp brilliance. When they came into focus, Garry saw everyone

-sitting straight up in their bunks, their eyes squinting and staring at

-him in amazement.

-

-After a few tense moments, Captain Eaton asked from his bunk, “Garry,

-what’s the matter?”

-

-“A woman—a big woman’s out there!” he blurted. “She was after me!”

-

-Garry heard the men begin to laugh.

-

-“Garry, that’s Katrinka,” the captain explained. “She wouldn’t hurt a

-thing. She _couldn’t_. She’s not _built_ that way.”

-

-“Not _built_ that way?” Garry echoed. “What do you mean? She’s built

-pretty strong I think!”

-

-Captain Eaton chuckled. “She’s a robot, Garry.”

-

-“A robot!” Garry said. “So that’s why she looks so different!”

-

-“Yes, I made her as lifelike as possible,” Captain Eaton went on, “but

-I’m afraid I’m no Michelangelo as a sculptor.”

-

-“You _built_ her?” Garry asked in surprise.

-

-“Yes. We needed someone to do our chores—you know, the things that men

-dislike doing in the nature of housework and cleaning up. But she’s

-quite controllable, Garry. She wouldn’t have harmed you. Something must

-have slipped in her mechanism so that she became activated. It happens

-once in awhile. I’ll go take a look at her.”

-

-“You don’t have to go far, Sir,” Garry said, rubbing away the sweat that

-had gathered on his forehead. “She’s right outside the door.”

-

-As the captain climbed from his bunk and slipped into his robe, Garry

-avoided the eyes of the others in the dormitory. He had done just what

-he had hoped he would not do—shown his fear of a harmless robot. He knew

-they must think him squeamish, but they were not laughing now.

-

-Patch seemed to have been the only one who was not aroused by the

-excitement. Garry could see that he was still asleep in his bunk.

-

-Captain Eaton passed Garry, opened the door, and went outside. Garry

-followed a few steps behind.

-

-The robot still looked menacing to Garry. It stood, big and dark and

-unmoving, in the dimness of the corridor.

-

-Captain Eaton faced Katrinka and spoke in a clear, loud voice: “Closet!

-Closet!”

-

-Garry heard a humming sound coming from the robot. It shuffled about

-slowly on its ponderous feet and started walking away.

-

-“She’s obeying!” Garry gasped.

-

-“Yes, she’s all right,” Captain Eaton replied. “Probably just a crossing

-of the wires in her mechanical brain that activated her. Maybe a slight

-lurch of the ship did it. I’ll look her over thoroughly in the morning.”

-

-“I don’t see how you did it,” Garry said, still amazed. “How can a

-machine like that take orders like a person, just as if it had a brain

-like us?”

-

-“Katrinka’s brain is made up of electrical impulses in certain codes,”

-Captain Eaton replied. “There is a code disk for everything that she is

-able to do. For instance, there is one for making up the bunks, every

-step in that operation. There’s one for washing the dishes, mopping the

-floor, and so on. When I have the time, I make her even smarter by

-adding new codes and duties.”

-

-“But all you said was the word ‘closet,’ and off she went,” Garry said.

-

-“That was the code for her heading for the closet down the corridor

-where she stays when we have no need for her. When she goes inside the

-closet, an automatic switch will cut off her mechanism, and she will

-remain dormant until we need her. Just as if I gave you an order to go

-somewhere and your muscles would carry you to that place, so it is with

-Katrinka. The code words I give her activate the wires that control her

-movement in a certain way, whatever that activity is.”

-

-Garry nodded. “I understand it, but it sure must be a complicated thing

-the way she works.”

-

-“It’s complicated, all right,” Captain Eaton agreed. “Katrinka

-represents many years of scientific study, long before I ever thought of

-venturing into space. It was a hobby of mine, in between my duties as a

-teacher and head of a space shipping corporation. My first models were

-very clumsy and crude, but I have developed them over the years and have

-finally come up with Katrinka, my finest yet. Many people are interested

-in her—manufacturers and the government too.”

-

-The next morning Garry told Patch about Katrinka, and Captain Eaton gave

-them permission to watch him check out the robot.

-

-After breakfast the three went to the closet where the robot was kept.

-The captain pressed the door button, and the door slid open, revealing

-the hulking monster that had frightened Garry the night before. Even

-now, Garry felt chills along his spine.

-

-Captain Eaton spoke one word, “Follow,” and then turned on his heel,

-heading on down the corridor. The boys tagged along and were amazed to

-see and hear Katrinka clomping behind.

-

-“She _is_ following, Garry!” Patch said.

-

-“Yeah, and I still don’t understand it,” his friend replied, with a

-shake of his head.

-

-“Why, that’s the easiest command of all I’ve given her to do,” Captain

-Eaton said. “The word ‘follow’ activates a sort of radar device in her

-and makes her follow the closest moving object. I believe that was what

-happened when she chased you last night, Garry. Something slipped,

-causing her to follow that particular action.”

-

-The captain chuckled. “She could have pursued you all night, but she

-never would have come closer than three feet.”

-

-The _Carefree_’s skipper entered a doorway leading off the corridor.

-“Here’s my workshop. I’ll have a look at Katrinka’s workings now,” he

-said.

-

-The shop was untidy, cluttered from top to bottom with electronic parts,

-tools, and metal plates.

-

-Captain Eaton gave Katrinka the command to stop and then with a screw

-driver removed a large plate from her back. He nosed about inside the

-robot for several minutes, making adjustments within the complicated

-network of wires and miniature parts. Then he replaced the plate.

-

-“Just a couple of wires got too close,” he said. “She won’t be chasing

-you any more, Garry.”

-

-“That’s a relief,” Garry replied with a nervous smile. “I wouldn’t want

-to go through that again, even if she _is_ harmless!”

-

-“I’ll show you how I build commands into her system,” the captain said.

-“Let’s have a simple command, fellows.”

-

-“I know,” Garry replied. “Have her lift up Patch.”

-

-Patch backed off hastily. “Oh no you don’t!” he objected.

-

-The master of the _Carefree_ laughed. “Be a sport, Patch. She’s very

-gentle. She won’t hurt you,” he said.

-

-Patch thought a moment, then replied, “Okay, if you promise it will be

-all right.”

-

-“I promise,” the captain said, and he set to work.

-

-He brought out tools and equipment of every kind. Then he removed some

-plates from various parts of the robot’s body. But instead of tinkering

-around inside, as he had done before, he opened up a big chart and began

-working from it, using pencil and paper.

-

-“What are you doing, Captain?” Garry asked after a few moments.

-

-“This is a map of Katrinka’s system, like the diagram of a radio or TV,”

-was the reply. “I have to figure out what connections I must bring

-together. You see, I must give her several actions that make up the

-command we have given her. There must be the action of walking over to

-Patch, of bending certain parts that serve as her muscles, and finally

-the action of lifting him up. Then I must activate these through the use

-of spoken words.” The captain worked for about an hour. The last thing

-he did was to take a small disk out of stock and drill holes in it at

-very carefully measured positions. Then he slipped the disk into place

-inside the robot.

-

-“Now let’s try her out,” the captain said.

-

-Captain Eaton faced the robot and spoke in a loud clear voice: “Lift.”

-

-Patch remained where he stood, but Garry could see that he was a little

-nervous as Katrinka began lumbering toward him. The robot stooped over

-and lifted the boy in her big metal arms. She stood motionless, holding

-him in a firm grip as Patch began to struggle impatiently after about

-fifteen seconds.

-

-“Tell her to put me down, Captain,” Patch begged.

-

-The captain winked at Garry mischievously. “My goodness, Patch, I forgot

-to give her a command to release you!”

-

-Patch began struggling vigorously, but he could not escape the robot’s

-iron grip.

-

-“Hey, somebody, get me out of this!” Patch cried, his face reddening

-from his exertions.

-

-Seeing that his fun had gone far enough, Captain Eaton barked out, as if

-he were a military commander: “Atten-tion!”

-

-The robot’s arms slipped straight down to her sides, and her body

-stiffened rigidly. Patch tumbled unharmed to the floor.

-

-Patch sat up. He turned and looked up at Garry and the captain. Fear

-still showed in his eyes, but, as he saw the playful smile on the

-captain’s face, a grin spread over his own.

-

-The captain laughed out loud. Then Garry joined in.

-

-Finally, Patch himself began laughing, having enjoyed the harmless

-experiment even if the captain _had_ played a little joke on him.

-

-

-

-

-                           9. SATELLITE ZONE

-

-

-Although Ben seemed to be one of the busiest persons aboard the

-_Carefree_, he still took time out to chat with the boys early that

-afternoon.

-

-“Have you been at the orphanage all your lives?” Ben asked Garry and

-Patch.

-

-“Almost that long,” Garry replied.

-

-“Our parents were good friends,” Patch added. “All four of them were

-killed at one time in a rocket-plane crash near Salt Lake City. We were

-only three then and were placed in the orphanage at the same time.”

-

-“How long have you been in space, Ben?” Garry asked.

-

-“Oh, about eight years now, off and on. I started when I was in my

-teens. I was a sort of cabin boy aboard the old Mars exploration ship,

-the _Jules Verne_. We spent a year there. Boy, what a life! It was like

-living in a deep freeze. Since then I’ve traveled to Venus, Luna—the

-moon, you know—and there’s no counting the trips I’ve made among the

-satellites.”

-

-“How did you get in with Captain Eaton and the _Carefree_?” Patch wanted

-to know.

-

-“A few years ago I took time to go to school and learn space-ship

-engineering and design,” Ben replied. “My teacher was Captain Eaton—or

-Professor Eaton, as he was called then. He was also a millionaire and

-president of Space Shipping Incorporated. He helped build the sturdiest

-ships ever to fly the solar system. I graduated stone broke and had to

-go back to flying the spaceways.

-

-“I thought I’d never be an engineer or designer, but then Professor

-Eaton got in touch with me and said he was going to design a space ship

-for his own use. He said I was the best pupil he had ever taught and

-asked if I would work with him on the project. Of course I jumped at the

-idea. We assembled the ship out here in space, and I’ve been with him

-ever since.”

-

-“Captain Eaton is a grand person, isn’t he?” Garry asked.

-

-A fond look came into Ben’s dark eyes. “He’s the wisest, kindest, and

-most generous person I’ve ever known or heard about. You may think he

-selfishly spends all his money for his own enjoyment as he cruises the

-spaceways, but that isn’t the case. He gives far more than he spends out

-here to charities and churches back on earth. And he has built countless

-scientific libraries, but he’s too modest to let them be named after

-himself.”

-

-“The _Carefree_ is such a big ship, Ben,” Patch said, “that I don’t

-understand how it can be run by so few men.”

-

-“It’s due to the captain’s genius,” Ben explained. “Practically

-everything you can think of is automatic, and our batteries are

-constantly recharged by sunlight. Of course, once in a while something

-goes wrong, and we have to dock at a repair satellite. And we also have

-to refuel about every six months at a service station. But we don’t use

-very much fuel ordinarily because we mostly just cruise about in the

-‘satellite zone,’ as it’s called.”

-

-Ben had to go back to work, and the boys joined Captain Eaton in the

-library, where he was waiting for a TV newscast to come on.

-

-Garry and Patch got the shock of their lives at the first feature to

-come over the telecast. For the subjects were _themselves_.

-

-They quickly discovered that they were the most celebrated missing

-persons on earth. The orphanage had first reported their absence, and

-then Mr. Mulroy had given his version of their disappearance. It seemed

-that Mr. Mulroy was in very hot water because he had not made sure that

-the boys had gotten off the _Orion_ before the blast-off. In fact, he

-was in such hot water that he faced court-martial unless Garry and Patch

-were found.

-

-“Well, I guess the vacation is over, Patch,” Garry said sadly. “We can’t

-let Mr. Mulroy be court-martialed for what we did.”

-

-“We’ve got to tell them where we are, haven’t we?” Patch replied.

-“Although I’d give _anything_ to stay aboard the _Carefree_—that is, if

-Captain Eaton would have us.”

-

-“I’d like nothing better than to have you two stay on,” the captain

-said. “But you must consider Mr. Mulroy and all the police forces who

-are working to uncover the mystery of your disappearance. Right,

-fellows?”

-

-“Yes, Sir,” they both agreed reluctantly.

-

-“We must make full use of the time left you to finish seeing the marvels

-of the _Carefree_. I said I’d show you the observatory today. What do

-you say we go there now? I’ve got some double-star photos I want to

-check on.”

-

-The boys liked the idea and went with their host along the zero-gravity

-tunnel toward the observatory.

-

-The observatory was a “bubble” attached to the _Carefree_’s center tube

-or axle, just a short distance from the air lock through which Garry and

-Patch had first entered the ship. The observatory was such that it never

-rotated with the tube or the rest of the ship. In this way its

-telescopes could always keep focus on objects in space.

-

-Three pairs of magnetic shoes clicked along the metal floor of the

-observatory as Captain Eaton led the boys to the reflector telescope,

-whose big six-inch eye was pointed out into space. Captain Eaton looked

-over a camera which was attached to the eyepiece of the telescope. Then

-he unfastened the camera and took it off.

-

-“The picture has been exposed long enough,” the skipper said. “It takes

-a pretty long time for a photograph to be made in the heavens, you know.

-But when you give it full exposure, it shows you much more than your

-naked eye can do.”

-

-Garry studied a satellite chart on the wall. “I didn’t know there were

-so many satellites whirling around the earth. So many different kinds

-and sizes too!” he said.

-

-“Yes, there are many more than one would imagine,” the captain agreed.

-“Here, let me show you some of them on the chart. The pictures you see

-are exactly the way each satellite looks, and they are all drawn in

-proportion.”

-

-Garry and Patch studied the chart with its multitude of different shapes

-and sizes. There were satellites that resembled drums and others like

-round balls. Some were torpedo shaped, and some were circular and flat

-like “flying saucers.” There were giant satellites, wherein people lived

-and worked, and many of them were in the shape of huge revolving wheels.

-Some of them had no regularity at all, appearing to Garry to resemble

-more than anything else huge space insects, bristling with antennas and

-sun mirrors.

-

-“As you probably know, fellows,” Captain Eaton said, “the Von Braun

-Space Station is our largest satellite of all. But there are a few

-others that approach it in size. For example, here is Quartermaster 10,

-the biggest of the depot satellites that furnish supplies to men who

-live in the world of the artificial moons. Here is a big fueling

-satellite, and over here is another big one—Spaceharbor—which is really

-a network of smaller moons joined together. This is a shipyard satellite

-where space ships are built and repaired. The _Carefree_ was built in

-Spaceharbor.”

-

-“Gee, with so many of those things orbiting earth every minute of the

-day, it seems that space ships are always in danger of hitting one of

-them,” Patch remarked.

-

-“That is a very real danger,” Captain Eaton said, “especially for us,

-since we usually cruise in that area above earth called the ‘satellite

-zone.’ For this reason, every person on pilot duty is responsible for

-knowing the position of every satellite within dangerous range of the

-_Carefree_. This requires constant study and figuring of orbit paths. It

-really is the biggest job the pilot has to do, because generally the

-_Carefree_ is on automatic pilot and runs itself, you might say.”

-

-“What are some of these smaller satellites?” Garry asked.

-

-“Well, there, there, and there are some of the observation satellites

-called ‘Tiros.’ They are used to photograph part of the earth for

-different reasons. Some of the reasons are prediction of weather,

-mapping, and for military purposes to see that the countries of the

-world do not start arming themselves for aggression.”

-

-“The Tiros moons were first put into orbit in the 1960’s, weren’t they?”

-Garry asked.

-

-Captain Eaton nodded. “Also these, Garry—the Transit satellites, which

-are used for navigation, both in space and on earth. This odd-looking

-little moon over here is one I’m sure you’ve heard about. It is WAS,

-which means weather-alteration satellite. Know what it does?”

-

-“Sure,” Garry replied. “It’s used to seed storm clouds with chemicals.

-If the seeding works, hurricanes and tornadoes can be broken up before

-they cause damage. I believe they were first put into orbit in the late

-1960’s.”

-

-“Very good,” the captain complimented. “Of course there are many other

-kinds of man-made moons, some too technical to explain. But, in spite of

-their great number and complexity, each has its use, and they are a

-tribute to man’s great achievements in the world of science. One of our

-big jobs aboard the _Carefree_ is to see that they remain in orbit,

-doing their duty for the people of earth. If we should ever change their

-orbit, for instance by colliding with one of them, we not only would

-destroy their usefulness but we would, in all likelihood, destroy the

-_Carefree_ as well.”

-

-Garry did not even want to think about the possibility of such a

-disaster.

-

-After the visit to the observatory, the captain asked the boys if they

-would care to try out the swimming pool.

-

-“Hey, would we!” Garry and Patch said together.

-

-A few minutes later, as they were heading down the corridor toward the

-gym, they passed Mr. Klecker walking along stiffly—in full dress of

-course—and carrying a stack of books.

-

-“Hello, gentlemen,” the tall man greeted them cordially, and the boys

-returned his greeting.

-

-As he passed, Patch whispered to Garry, “Bet those books are about the

-circus.”

-

-Garry smiled and nodded.

-

-The boys had learned that Mr. Klecker had a hobby. He was very much

-interested in the circus of the old days. He had many books on the

-subject, and whenever he talked to anyone it was about the circus.

-

-Garry and Patch had heard from the others that Mr. Klecker still looked

-after the captain as if he were serving him in his mansion. He would lay

-out his clothes for him and attend to other small details. Once in

-awhile Mr. Klecker would be called on to assist in things of a

-mechanical nature, but he hated to get out of his full dress and don

-greasy coveralls.

-

-The boys proceeded to the gym. They were anticipating a good time. But

-something of a decisive nature was to happen which would have an

-important bearing on their future life aboard the _Carefree_.

-

-

-

-

-                         10. THE LADY GOES WILD

-

-

-“Beat you into the pool,” Patch called a little while later.

-

-He dashed out of the dressing room and dove, with hands outstretched,

-into the water. Garry followed right behind, tumbling into the spray

-left by Patch’s dive.

-

-“Say, this is nice and warm!” Garry said. “And we’ve got it all to

-ourselves!”

-

-A little way back from the pool’s edge, Mac and Isaac were lifting

-weights. This exercise was to help them keep in good physical trim.

-

-Garry and Patch swam and splashed to their hearts’ content. It was the

-most fun they had had in a long time. They knew no one would ever

-believe their story of swimming in a pool in deep space! It was almost

-too difficult for them to believe themselves. But they did not care if

-they were never believed.

-

-They frolicked in the water for about an hour and then climbed up on the

-pool’s edge to catch their breath for a few minutes.

-

-“Boy, I could spend twenty-four hours a day in there,” Patch said,

-flicking water from his face.

-

-“I could too, almost,” Garry agreed. “But I would be satisfied if I

-could spend twenty-four hours a day aboard the _Carefree_ doing

-anything. Gee, it’s going to be hard leaving here to go back to the

-orphanage.”

-

-“Yeah,” Patch said sourly. “Gee whiz, Garry, why can’t they let a couple

-of guys live the way they want to?”

-

-“We can someday, when we are old enough,” Garry said. “But the only way

-we could get around having to go back now would be for Captain Eaton to

-adopt us.”

-

-“Say, that’s the answer!” Patch replied excitedly. “Why don’t we ask

-him?”

-

-“I don’t think it’s as easy as that, Patch. In the first place, I don’t

-think _we_ should ask _him_. He knows how much we like the _Carefree_,

-and he may have thought of adoption. But he should be the one who

-suggests it.”

-

-“Maybe we could drop a hint or something,” Patch said.

-

-“I don’t think they’d let him adopt us, Patch. Don’t forget, when they

-find out where we are, they’ll think we stowed away aboard the _Orion_,

-and that would ruin any chances we might have had.”

-

-“But we didn’t deliberately stow away!” Patch protested.

-

-“I know that, but how can we get them to believe us? I don’t think

-they’d even consider adoption at this time, and I think Captain Eaton

-must feel that way too.”

-

-Patch sighed. “Maybe later, then. Maybe someday Captain Eaton will want

-us back. Gosh, I hate to leave here, though.”

-

-“Life won’t be the same any more,” Garry said. “Nothing can ever be as

-exciting as the adventure we’ve had.”

-

-They heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Captain Eaton

-coming their way. Missing now was his usual sunny smile. He carried a

-piece of paper in his hand.

-

-“Well, fellows, the answer has come,” Captain Eaton said, and his voice

-was laden with dejection. “I radioed that you two had been picked up,

-and they’ve already replied.”

-

-Garry hated to ask, “Wh—what did they say?”

-

-“Just as I suspected. We must return to the Von Braun Space Station.”

-

-“I was hoping we had a _few_ more days at least,” Patch groaned.

-

-“I think that the sooner we straighten this matter out, the better it

-will be for everyone,” Captain Eaton replied. “And another thing, you

-boys are still A.W.O.L. from the orphanage, you know. However, it will

-take a couple of days for us to work out a navigation plan and get a

-clearance approach to the station. Sorry, fellows. I wish you could have

-stayed on with us indefinitely, but....”

-

-As the captain’s voice trailed off, Garry had a flicker of hope. The

-captain was looking at them as if debating something in his mind. Would

-he bring up the subject of adoption?

-

-But, saying nothing further, the captain turned and began walking toward

-the outer door of the gym.

-

-Then he seemed to think of something else and came back. The boys held

-their breath hopefully. Would he mention adoption now?

-

-“There’s something else they told me that I thought you’d want to know,”

-the captain said. “I told them the story of your being stowaways

-accidentally, just as you told me. They checked back and found that the

-elevator attached to the _Orion_ was defective, as you said, and they

-are convinced of the truth of your story. As a result, Officer Mulroy

-has been cleared of any negligence.”

-

-“I’m glad to know that, Sir,” Garry said.

-

-Once more the captain left them, but this time for good.

-

-“Well, that’s that,” Patch commented unhappily. “No adoption. When he

-came back I thought he....”

-

-“I was hoping too,” Garry replied, “but we’ve got to go back, and that’s

-all there is to it.”

-

-Mac and Isaac came over, still breathing hard from their exercises.

-

-“We couldn’t help but overhear the bad news,” Mac said. “We’re going to

-hate to see you fellows go.”

-

-“Yes, that’s right,” Isaac added.

-

-“Thanks,” Garry replied. “We were getting to like this old ship.”

-

-“In a way I’d almost like to go with you,” Mac said, with a faraway look

-in his eyes.

-

-Garry guessed that the Scotsman was a little homesick. His hunch proved

-correct, because Mac began to reminisce about his homeland. He described

-the heather on the hillsides, the flowing streams, and the green vales.

-And yet, Mac admitted finally that space was still a good second home to

-him, and he enjoyed his life in the deeps.

-

-Isaac had no home he would rather live in than the _Carefree_. As he

-talked about his good friends aboard ship and the kindly captain, Garry

-noticed the softness of the big man’s eyes.

-

-Garry had heard that Isaac was really quite a sentimental fellow.

-Whenever he learned of a tragedy over the TV, it would depress him.

-Later, the boys were to learn that Isaac had a secret liking for good

-poetry.

-

-Both Mac and Isaac seemed genuinely sorry that the boys were having to

-leave. It made Garry and Patch feel good that they were so popular, but

-it made them a little sad, too.

-

-The next morning Garry and Patch woke earlier than the others and were

-heading toward the washroom.

-

-Suddenly Garry stopped and caught Patch by the arm. “Patch, do you hear

-that? There’s noise coming from the laundry room up ahead!”

-

-Patch listened and heard the sound of splashing and a machine laboring

-hard.

-

-“Yeah,” Patch said. “Let’s see what’s going on!”

-

-Running, Garry led the way into the laundry room. But then he wished he

-had not been coming so fast. His feet skidded on the floor, that was

-covered with thick soapsuds, and he skated several feet forward on his

-bottom. Patch, coming right behind, could not help laughing at his

-friend’s misfortune. But then he too went down and skidded alongside

-Garry.

-

-“Hey, what goes on here!” Garry gasped, trying to get to his feet. The

-entire floor was a miniature sea of soapsuds.

-

-In his efforts to get up, Garry’s feet slid apart, and he hit the floor

-again. Patch had no better luck than Garry. When this happened, both

-boys broke into laughter.

-

-They struggled several times to their feet, half playing all the while,

-but did not succeed in keeping their feet until the fourth attempt. Then

-they held onto one another to steady themselves. Only now did they see

-what was causing the strange disorder.

-

-They looked over at the big washing machine against the wall and saw

-Katrinka standing over the open tank, pitching clothes right and left

-out of the machine and into the air! It was as if she were having the

-time of her life.

-

-“Look, Patch—Katrinka!” Garry burst out laughing once more. “She’s gone

-crazy! Something must have flipped in her mechanism again.”

-

-The machine was still making mountains of suds, and they were flooding

-out of the top like a flow of white lava. Katrinka’s metal wrists

-clanged against the edge of the machine as she went up and down with her

-flinging motion, making a rhythmic clatter.

-

-“Hey, can’t we give her some words to make her stop this?” Patch spoke

-loudly to be heard over all the noise. “She’ll wreck the place!”

-

-“I remember one of the commands,” Garry said. Then loudly he called out:

-“Atten-tion! Atten-tion!”

-

-“She’s not paying any mind!” Patch said.

-

-“She must be short-circuited again,” Garry said. “Let’s go for Captain

-Eaton!”

-

-“I hate to wake him up after the hard day he had yesterday,” Patch said,

-as he returned along the corridor with Garry, “but this is an

-emergency.”

-

-It turned out that they did not have to wake the captain. He met them,

-clad in his robe, at the door of the dorm, having already been aroused

-by the commotion going on down the corridor.

-

-Captain Eaton yawned. “It’s Katrinka, isn’t it? Ben set her for laundry

-duty this morning, but I guess her wires got crossed again.”

-

-The boys cautioned Captain Eaton to be careful about going into the

-slippery room. The captain promised he would be careful and promptly

-fell down as soon as he walked through the door. Garry and Patch tried

-to help the captain to his feet, but only succeeded in falling again

-themselves. They scrambled around, slipping and sliding. Then slowly

-learning how to become expert at moving about in soapsuds, they finally

-managed to stand up and stay up.

-

-Carefully, the three made their way toward the washing machine where

-Katrinka was still merrily flipping clothes through the air. But by now

-she was out of ammunition and was merely flailing her metal arms. The

-captain used the command, “Atten-tion!” several times, trying to stop

-Katrinka’s wild actions, but he had no better luck with this than Garry

-had had.

-

-Captain Eaton moved forward over the slippery floor and groped for the

-control knob on the robot’s back. But then, losing his footing, he hung

-on to the robot to keep from falling again. This brought Katrinka

-crashing down onto the floor along with the captain himself.

-

-Garry and Patch each offered the captain a hand and presently managed to

-get him upright again. Garry had a hard time keeping a straight face.

-Captain Eaton’s face was red, and his beard was straggly and sudsy. His

-soggy bathrobe stuck to his thin legs, giving him the appearance of a

-saddened, snow-covered elf.

-

-In the meanwhile, Katrinka was still having her fun, swinging her arms

-gaily against the floor as she lay on her back.

-

-“We’ve got to turn her over,” Captain Eaton said, crawling nearer the

-robot. “Be careful of her arms. She can knock you over with them.”

-

-Garry thought he saw how the job could be done.

-

-“Let’s both grab her right leg, Patch,” he said. “Then we’ll give a good

-heave-ho and flip her over on her stomach. Careful you don’t slip.”

-

-They did as Garry had suggested, yanking fiercely on the robot’s leg and

-flipping the metal creature over, face down. But the motion also brought

-Garry and Patch down in the soap again, this time getting the suds all

-over their faces, causing them to make wry grimaces and blow away the

-froth from their lips even as they laughed.

-

-But what was funniest of all to Garry was when he saw Captain Eaton

-suddenly see an opening and scramble furiously, on all fours, over to

-the flailing robot. He threw himself upon her back, fighting her as a

-cowboy would wrestle a steer. He finally subdued her with a turn of the

-switch on her back, which he was at last able to grab and twist.

-

-Worn out by his exertions, the captain simply flopped back on his hands

-in the soapy billows, sighing heavily. Then the good-natured man caught

-Garry’s eye and smiled. The smile turned into laughter, and presently

-all three of them joined in.

-

-The captain later determined what had happened. He found out that

-Katrinka, in doing her washing chores, had gotten water into her

-electronic parts, and this had caused trouble in her mechanism. Captain

-Eaton made the repair easily, and the robot maid was once more in proper

-working order.

-

-The boys were with the captain while he was making the repairs on

-Katrinka in the workshop. When the captain had put away his tools, he

-sent the robot on her way. Then he looked at Garry, as he washed his

-hands at the sink, and said in a sad voice, “Fellows, I’ve received a

-docking date at the Von Braun Space Station. We’ll dock at 2100 tomorrow

-night. That isn’t much time left, is it?”

-

-“No, Sir, it isn’t,” Garry replied unhappily.

-

-The captain did not look up again.

-

-Garry half expected him to say something else, but, instead, he remained

-silent. Garry tugged at Patch’s sleeve, motioning for them to go.

-

-The boys made their way slowly toward the door of the workshop. As Garry

-pressed the button to open the sliding door, Captain Eaton spoke again.

-

-“Wait—just a minute.”

-

-The boys turned. Garry gulped. He could see the sadness in the elderly

-man’s eyes.

-

-“Boys, I haven’t told you how much I’ve enjoyed having you with us for

-this short time,” the captain said, holding his dripping hands over the

-sink, not bothering to dry them.

-

-Garry had a lump in his throat. “We’ve enjoyed it too, haven’t we,

-Patch?”

-

-“Sure thing,” Patch murmured.

-

-Captain Eaton continued: “You two have been a great big lift in our

-lives. It’s been so long since we’ve seen young fellows, and you’ve made

-us feel younger ourselves once more. I think you know how we feel about

-your leaving us. But I don’t want to get sentimental about it and make

-you feel worse. So this won’t be good-by. We’ll see each other again—I

-know we shall.”

-

-Garry cleared his throat, trying to dissolve that lump. “You’d better

-dry your hands, Sir.”

-

-Captain Eaton smiled, reaching for a towel. “Oh, of course,” he said.

-

-“We’ll miss all of you very much, Sir,” Garry said, before starting

-through the door. “The _Carefree_ has been like a home to us.”

-

-The boys were silent as they went on to the dormitory. They were

-overcome by sadness at having to leave the ship and her friendly people.

-

-As the boys were getting together the clothing and toilet articles they

-had been given, Patch remarked to Garry, “Maybe the captain doesn’t like

-us enough for adoption. He may not care for the idea of being saddled

-with us permanently.”

-

-“I hope it’s not that,” Garry answered, “but I still can’t think of any

-other reason, now that the stowaway business is straightened out.”

-

-Patch didn’t answer. He had no explanation either.

-

-

-

-

-                          11. A FRIEND IS LOST

-

-

-That night, on their way to dinner in the galley, the boys were

-overtaken by the long-striding Mr. Klecker.

-

-“I heard you’re leaving us, gentlemen,” he said to them.

-

-“Yes, that’s right, Mr. Klecker,” Garry replied.

-

-“Too bad. I was hoping I would have the opportunity to talk to you about

-the old circus days. Yes, it’s too bad.”

-

-Gino, too, showed how much he liked the boys. He baked them special pies

-and told them that they were his going-away presents to them.

-

-After supper, Patch said to Garry, as they were leaving the galley,

-“Gee, they’re not making our leaving very easy, are they?”

-

-“No, Patch, they’re not making it very easy at all,” Garry agreed.

-

-“We’re not making what very easy?” asked a voice behind them.

-

-They turned and saw the smiling face of Ben. Garry explained to him what

-they were talking about.

-

-“Then I guess you don’t want me to say I’m sorry to see you go either,

-do you?” Ben said.

-

-“Of course we really _do_ care,” Garry admitted. “But it makes us sad

-when everybody tells us.”

-

-“Then, I won’t tell you good-by, fellows,” Ben said. “I’ll just say ‘so

-long’ for awhile. Before you know it, you’ll come back into space and

-find us still cruising through the deeps in the _Carefree_. Yes, we’ll

-all be here.”

-

-“It does sound better that way, Ben,” Garry replied. “But until then,

-we’ll still miss all of you terribly.”

-

-“We’ll miss you too,” Ben said quietly, “but we’ll never forget you.”

-

-The boys went to bed with a feeling of melancholy that night, for this

-was their last sleep aboard Captain Eaton’s wonderland space ship. The

-thought of leaving these good friends, possibly forever, brought a pang

-to Garry’s heart. But no matter how sorrowful he felt, he was determined

-to be brave about it.

-

-Garry fell asleep thinking of all the fun he and Patch had had in the

-brief happy hours of their stay aboard the _Carefree_. Since the time

-passes quickly during slumber, the boy expected he would be awake before

-he knew it on another quiet morning, and that very soon thereafter he

-would be bidding good-by to his friends as he and Patch made

-preparations for the voyage back to earth and the orphanage.

-

-But Garry woke far sooner than he expected. It was not morning, nor was

-it quiet; the air was charged with confusion and alarm.

-

-Garry was aware of bustling footsteps and urgent voices in the

-dormitory. His eyes popped open in the bright glare of the lights that

-had been turned on fully. He had a feeling that it was the middle of the

-night and not morning, although he was not to find this out until a

-little later.

-

-Garry sat bolt upright in his bunk. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

-

-Gino, hastily pulling on his shirt, paused at Garry’s bunk. His eyes

-showed the anxiety he felt.

-

-“Hurry and get dressed, Garry!” he said. “You and Patch. We’re in great

-danger. We’ve got to get ready for the captain’s orders.”

-

-Garry leaped out of bed, his heart thumping swiftly. The cold floor on

-the soles of his feet shocked him fully awake. He seized his peacefully

-sleeping buddy and yanked him without mercy.

-

-“Patch, get up! There’s trouble—I don’t know just what kind yet!”

-

-Patch’s eyes were still drugged with sleep, but he struggled to a

-sitting position.

-

-“Trouble? Wh—what trouble?” Patched muttered.

-

-“I told you I don’t know, but Gino warned us to get ready for the

-captain’s orders. Hurry! Everyone else is already dressed and out of the

-dorm!”

-

-Patch needed no more urging and popped out of bed. He and Garry quickly

-dressed and hurried out into the corridor to see what was going on.

-

-There was no one in sight. The boys went farther along. Then, at the

-foot of the stairs leading into the center tube, they heard excited

-voices.

-

-“Whatever it is, it seems to be up in the tunnel,” Garry said. “Let’s

-go.”

-

-They hurried up the stairs. Reaching the top, Garry, who was in the

-lead, looked down the tunnel from which most of the sounds were coming.

-He saw Ben, Captain Eaton, Mr. Klecker, and Gino on or near the platform

-outside the flight deck, the door of which was closed.

-

-Garry and Patch pulled their weightless bodies along the webbing of the

-tube. As they approached the men, they heard Ben saying:

-

-“This is terrible! Poor Mac! And what’s going to happen to the rest of

-us?”

-

-“What is going to happen?” Garry asked, as he and Patch came upon the

-scene.

-

-Captain Eaton turned to them with a distraught look. “I’m sorry, boys.

-If I had hastened to get you back to the space station promptly, you

-would have survived this—this disaster.”

-

-“Disaster?” Garry echoed, with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

-

-“Yes,” Captain Eaton answered, his voice shaking. “Mac is already done

-for, and we shall soon follow after him.”

-

-“What happened?” Patch asked Mr. Klecker.

-

-The boys could see pain on the men’s faces.

-

-“The _Carefree_ collided with an _Explorer_ satellite,” the butler

-replied. “It destroyed the flight deck while Mac was on duty. It looks

-as if he had managed to close the door before he was swept off into

-space. The collision knocked us off course, and we’re plunging into

-space—toward where, no one knows. We can’t so much as lift a finger to

-bring her under control, and our antenna disk has been damaged so that

-we can’t even send an SOS.”

-

-“Oh, no!” was all Garry could say, sickened at the sudden fateful turn

-of events.

-

-Actually, he was thinking more of poor Mac than he was of their own grim

-outlook. He remembered how much the likable Scotsman wanted to return to

-the heather of his own land after his stint in space. Now he would never

-see Scotland again. Garry absently watched Ben squirting a thick liquid

-around the cracks of the flight-deck door, probably as a safeguard

-against air escaping from the ship.

-

-“Ben has been outside in a pressure suit to look over the damage,”

-Captain Eaton said.

-

-Patch turned away from the others, hanging his head in grief and

-despair. Captain Eaton put an arm around Garry’s shoulder, but there was

-a helpless look on his face that seemed to show the uselessness of

-saying anything. Gino had lost his usual cheery smile and could only

-stare numbly at the closed door of the flight deck, where their friend

-had been the victim of such a cruel act of fate.

-

-Garry looked around at the ship’s company. Everyone was accounted for

-except Isaac.

-

-“Where’s Mr. Newton?” he asked.

-

-“Poor Isaac is completely crushed,” Captain Eaton replied. “He had just

-changed shifts with Mac at the pilot’s chair only a few moments before

-the accident. He’s blaming himself for the whole thing. It seems he

-overlooked the position of the satellite that hit us. He missed it on

-his last check, and Mac did not see it in time. Isaac’s gone off

-somewhere.”

-

-It was indeed a dark moment aboard the once-happy vessel. Things had

-happened so swiftly that everyone appeared to be still in shock. No one

-spoke again for several minutes. Everyone just stood around idly, as if

-not knowing what to do next and not really caring.

-

-Ben was the first to try to rally everyone’s deadened spirits. He had

-just finished sealing the cracks in the door.

-

-“It’ll be some time before we can tell which way the ship is heading.

-The collision changed our course completely. Even when we do find out,

-there’s nothing we can do to control the _Carefree_. She’s just a

-runaway. But I still think there’s hope for us.”

-

-All eyes turned upon Ben questioningly.

-

-“That flier you two arrived in, Garry,” Ben continued. “I’ve only had a

-quick look inside it, and the console seemed in pretty bad shape from

-your and Patch’s efforts to start the engines. However, if I’m lucky and

-we have time before the _Carefree_ hits another satellite or something,

-I may be able to fix it up so that we can escape in it.”

-

-“It’s our only hope,” Captain Eaton replied. “I suggest you get right on

-the job, Ben, and call on anyone you need to help you. Meanwhile, we’ll

-sweat out the flight, although I must say I feel like a duck in a

-shooting gallery because of all the flying objects whirling out there

-all around us.”

-

-“If we are able to escape in the flier,” Mr. Klecker said, “we can use

-its radio to send for help.”

-

-Ben shook his head. “The radio was removed for some reason. There’s only

-the empty compartment it came out of.”

-

-With faint hope of survival, some measure of good spirits was restored

-to the astronauts. Ben called upon Mr. Klecker to help him work on the

-space taxi, and Captain Eaton said he would go to the observatory to

-take a “fix” and try to determine the course the _Carefree_ had taken.

-

-“I’ll have to change clothes,” Mr. Klecker said. “I don’t want to get my

-uniform soiled.”

-

-“Guess I’ll go and whip up some breakfast,” Gino said. “That’s about all

-_I_ can do, although maybe nobody will be hungry.”

-

-Captain Eaton turned to Garry and Patch before he left. “I know it’s

-going to be hard for you,” he said, “but try to feel hopeful about this

-situation. A terrible misfortune has come our way, but try to believe

-that things will work out for us. Chins up, eh, fellows?”

-

-He forced a smile. The boys gave him a brave smile in return, although

-they did not feel it any more than he had.

-

-“May we go with you to the observatory, Captain?” Patch asked. “Maybe we

-can help.”

-

-“Yes, if you like. I know how hard it will be to remain idle at a time

-like this. Let’s go.”

-

-In the observatory, Garry and Patch watched the captain at his telescope

-and other instruments. He worked for a little while, then turned away

-from his work with a brooding, disturbed look on his face. He stroked

-his neat beard. Then he worked again for several more minutes.

-

-He stopped once more, but then resumed his watching. He kept this up for

-some time, and, as the minutes passed, his face grew more and more

-serious.

-

-Garry was afraid to ask, but he felt that he had to know. “Captain,

-is—is it bad?” he said softly.

-

-Captain Eaton shook his head grimly, the look of despair in his eyes.

-

-“You may as well know,” he replied. “I’ve been hoping I was wrong, but

-now I know I’m not. We’re moving into the gravity field of the moon. My

-guess is that we’re only a few hours away from collision.”

-

-

-

-

-                       12. A STARTLING DISCOVERY

-

-

-This latest bad news filled Garry with a new dread. But he refused to

-give up hope. He remembered that Ben was working in the flier, trying to

-put it in shape.

-

-“Captain Eaton,” he asked, “do you think Ben will have the flier ready

-by the time we begin falling to the moon?”

-

-“I couldn’t even guess at that. If there’s not too much wrong with the

-flier, he may get it repaired in short order. But a major repair—I just

-don’t know. I guess the next thing now is to inform the men of our

-course and get Ben’s estimate of the flier’s damage.”

-

-The three of them joined Ben and Mr. Klecker in the flier a few moments

-later. The small rocket ship was still held fast to the bigger

-_Carefree_, their two air locks joined as if they were one ship.

-

-When Captain Eaton had told the men that they were headed for the moon,

-whether they liked it or not, Ben replied, “Well, Captain, I suppose

-we’ve just _got_ to get the space taxi in shape in mighty short order. I

-don’t imagine the _Carefree_ will bounce very well on the moon’s hard,

-rocky surface.”

-

-“Do you really think you can get it repaired in time, Ben?” Captain

-Eaton asked gravely.

-

-“How much time do you think you can give me?” Ben asked.

-

-“I’ll have to do some more calculating before I can estimate exactly how

-long it will be before we go into final fall,” was the reply, “but,

-offhand, I would say you’ve got no longer than six hours.”

-

-Ben looked at the damaged control panel of the flier and shook his head.

-

-“Impossible,” he said, “but I’ll do it. I’ve _got_ to do it.”

-

-“Everyone on the ship will be at your disposal, Ben,” Captain Eaton

-said. “Call for anyone and anything at all that you need in order to

-hurry those repairs. Ben, there’s no one else I’d rather trust with the

-lives of us all than you. You can’t let us down.”

-

-“That confidence means a lot, Captain,” Ben replied, his expression

-showing the appreciation he felt. “Mac gave his life for the ship. I’d

-do no less if it meant saving the _Carefree_ and all you guys.”

-

-“I know you mean what you say, Ben,” Captain Eaton said, “but we won’t

-call on you to go that far. Just get the flier in shape so that we can

-escape in it and not share the _Carefree_’s fate in crashing on the

-moon.”

-

-Ben shook his head sadly. “I hadn’t thought of the _Carefree_ plunging

-to her destruction. But we _know_ that’s got to happen, don’t we,

-because there’s no way of saving her. Captain, this ship has become such

-a part of my life that I’d almost want to go down with her.”

-

-“I feel the same way, Ben,” Captain Eaton replied. “Life will never be

-the same again without the _Carefree_. I don’t know how I’ll get along

-without her deck beneath my feet.”

-

-“If we get out of this alive,” Mr. Klecker said, “we’ll just have to

-return to earth and spend the rest of our days there.”

-

-“That’s true,” the captain agreed sadly. “Even a millionaire is allowed

-a space ship as grand as this only once in a lifetime. I couldn’t afford

-another.”

-

-Ben seemed to realize that precious time was going to waste as they

-talked, and he began getting his tools together.

-

-“I know everyone wants to help,” he said, “but I think that Kleck and I

-can work better together by ourselves just now. There’ll be less

-confusion. I’ll be sure to call on anyone else if he’s needed.”

-

-Mr. Klecker had donned some old clothes, but he did not look comfortable

-in them.

-

-Ben listed more tools and equipment he would need, and Captain Eaton

-gave the list to Garry.

-

-“Take this to Isaac, will you, Garry, and ask him to round these up as

-quickly as possible. I’ve got to get back to the observatory and see how

-much time there is to zero hour.”

-

-“Isaac has taken Mac’s loss pretty badly, Captain,” Ben said. “Do you

-think he’ll be working at top efficiency?”

-

-“I think it will do him good to have something to do,” the captain

-replied. “He’ll be of no use to himself, or us either, if he just keeps

-on brooding.”

-

-Captain Eaton and the boys left the flier and went their separate ways

-to take care of their respective duties. Garry and Patch went to the

-dormitory and found Isaac Newton sitting on one of the lower bunks, his

-head in his hands. They stood beside the bunk for several moments,

-waiting for Isaac to look up, but he did not seem to know that there was

-anyone else around.

-

-“Isaac,” Garry then said, “Ben needs a few things for the repair of the

-flier. The captain thought you could round them up for us.”

-

-Isaac still did not look up.

-

-“Isaac, we’re headed for the moon,” Patch said urgently. “We’ve _got_ to

-get the flier repaired within six hours, or we’re all goners!”

-

-Finally, Isaac looked up, his gentle eyes red. “It’s all my fault,” he

-said. “It’s all my fault that Mac is dead! I didn’t tell him about the

-satellite, and I should have. I ought to be shot like a soldier for

-neglecting his duty.”

-

-“You shouldn’t blame yourself, Isaac,” Garry said gently. “Anyone could

-have made the same mistake.”

-

-Isaac shook his head, as if pulling himself together, and held out his

-hand. “Let me have the list.”

-

-He looked it over, climbed to his feet, and started out of the

-dormitory.

-

-“Gee, he _is_ taking it hard, isn’t he?” Patch asked.

-

-Garry nodded. “I can imagine how he feels. How many times have you made

-a mistake that you’d give anything in the world to correct if you could?

-But with us, our mistakes have never cost a person his life.”

-

-Isaac came back into the room. “One of the things on this list is the

-sealer gun. It must still be up there by the flight-deck door that was

-sealed to prevent the air leaking out. Will you fellows get it?”

-

-“Sure, Isaac,” Garry replied. “Come on, Patch.”

-

-As they pulled themselves along the center tunnel, Patch remarked,

-“Isaac didn’t want to go back up there. That’s why he asked us to get

-the sealer gun.”

-

-“I think you’re right,” Garry replied. “But it will save him some time

-just the same.”

-

-Reaching the platform in front of the flight deck, the boys stepped up

-onto the magnetized area. All at once Garry was struck by the awesome

-silence of this part of the ship. Along with this was the remembrance of

-the tragedy that had taken place beyond the door in front of them, and

-he had a lonesome, shivery feeling.

-

-Patch seemed to feel it too.

-

-“Let’s hurry up and get out of here,” he said. “It’s kind of spooky here

-all by ourselves.”

-

-“I don’t see the sealer gun anywhere, do you?” Garry asked.

-

-“No. Maybe somebody carried it away with them.”

-

-There was a well of darkness beneath the platform. Both boys glanced at

-one another. They knew that was the next place to look.

-

-“It may be down there someplace,” Garry said. “We’ll have to take a

-look.”

-

-“How could it be down there?” Patch argued, not enjoying the prospect.

-“There’s no gravity here in the tube. Things don’t _fall_ in here like

-they do in the rest of the ship.”

-

-“It may have been shoved off in that direction,” Garry said. “That could

-easily have happened in all the excitement up here. Time’s wasting,

-Patch. If you’re scared, I’ll poke around down there.”

-

-“It’s not that I’m exactly scared,” Patch protested weakly.

-

-Garry held onto the railing and swung his feet off the

-magnetized-platform floor so that he floated weightlessly in the air.

-Then he began pulling himself down into the darkness, using the metal

-lattice-work that extended below the platform.

-

-“How can you see down there?” Patch called from above. “Want me to get a

-light for you?”

-

-“I’ll feel around a little first,” Garry answered. “I may put my hand

-right on it.”

-

-With one hand holding onto the metal stripping, Garry fanned his free

-arm back and forth along the floor. All he felt was cold smooth metal—at

-first.

-

-Then, suddenly, he felt something soft to his touch. A chill raced up

-his backbone, ending in a prickle at the top of his head. He swallowed,

-then courageously began feeling around again on the object, trying to

-identify it. His hand touched flesh, warm flesh, and he could trace the

-outline of five fingers. He felt that chill again, but he fought to keep

-his nerves under control.

-

-“Hey, What’s going on?” Patch called. “Have you found something?”

-

-Garry pulled himself back up to the platform and hung onto the rail,

-shaking.

-

-“Garry,” Patch said, “you’re white as you can be!”

-

-“I found something all right, Patch. There’s a _person_ down there,”

-Garry whispered.

-

-

-

-

-                           13. ABANDON SHIP!

-

-

-Leaving a bewildered and frightened Patch behind him, Garry left the

-platform and began pulling himself as rapidly as possible along the

-webbing of the tube toward the ship’s stern. Reaching the observatory

-bubble, he went in.

-

-“Captain Eaton!” Garry gasped. “I think I’ve found him! I think I’ve

-found Mac!”

-

-The captain swung from an instrument he was using, and looked at Garry

-in amazement. “You _what_?” he cried.

-

-Garry pulled himself into the observatory, the floor taking hold of the

-soles of his shoes by its magnetic attraction. “Yes, Sir!” he declared.

-“Patch and I were looking for the sealing gun in front of the flight

-deck, and I found a body in the darkness below the platform!”

-

-Captain Eaton clicked across the floor and entered the tube. Garry

-tagged along behind, as the skipper of the _Carefree_ set out toward the

-bow of the ship.

-

-A few minutes later, Captain Eaton was checking on Garry’s discovery.

-Then he came back onto the platform, excitement showing on his face.

-

-“It _is_ Mac!” he burst out. “His body is warm, and I think he may be

-alive! We must call some of the others so that we can get him up from

-there. In this zero gravity it will take several of us.”

-

-Garry and Patch were sent by the captain to round up the others.

-

-Then several began helping to get Mac onto the platform. Of course he

-weighed nothing, but, in the zero gravity, the difficulty in moving him

-lay in the fact that the others could not push him without bracing some

-part of their own body against something. Otherwise, they would only

-succeed in pushing themselves backward.

-

-Mac was finally moved onto the platform and stretched out. He lay,

-suspended in air, a few inches above the platform. Captain Eaton looked

-at the Scotsman’s eyes and tested his pulse.

-

-“His pulse is a little slow,” he stated, “but his color is good, and I

-think he’ll come around pretty soon. That bad gash on his forehead must

-have knocked him out.”

-

-They worked over Mac. Finally, he stirred and then opened his eyes. He

-stared as if unseeing for several moments, but then, as he began to

-recognize everybody, a weak smile formed on his lips.

-

-“What happened?” he murmured.

-

-“We don’t know what happened, Mac,” Captain Eaton replied. “Can you tell

-us? Can you remember what did happen before you blacked out?”

-

-Mac frowned, as if concentrating very hard. Then his face relaxed.

-

-“I remember,” he said softly. “I was near the door when it hit

-us—whatever it was. If I’d been in the pilot’s chair I would have been a

-goner. But I had gotten up only a moment before to check the chart. The

-door was open. I heard a terrific roar and saw the whole console burst

-into a sheet of fire. At the same time I felt myself being blown

-backward and right through the door onto the platform. I was dazed, but

-somehow I had the presence of mind to know I had to get that door shut

-or the ship would lose all her air. I managed to press the button and

-saw it slide shut. But then my head began to hurt terrifically and I

-felt dizzy. I reached out for the railing to hold on, but I guess I

-missed it then and unconsciously floated off to wherever you found me.”

-

-“Garry found you,” Captain Eaton said. “We thought you had been blown

-into space by the collision.”

-

-“Thanks, Garry,” Mac said, winking at him with gratitude.

-

-“That’s all right,” Garry replied. “We’re just so glad to see that

-you’re still alive.”

-

-“Mac, don’t ever scare me again like that!” Isaac put in, his voice

-shaky with emotion. “It was my fault the collision happened, because I

-overlooked the satellite that hit us. I knew your death was on me, and I

-was so torn up I don’t think I’d ever have gotten over it. Thanks,

-buddy, for turning up as you did!”

-

-“Forget it, Isaac,” Mac joked. “Maybe you can return the favor

-sometime.”

-

-They told Mac about the existing crisis. He wanted to do something to

-help, but Captain Eaton insisted that he go to the dormitory to rest.

-Garry and Patch went with Captain Eaton to the observatory to recheck

-and see how much time the _Carefree_ had left.

-

-After another period of figuring and using his instruments, the skipper

-turned to the boys. “I wish I had better news, but it looks as if we

-have less time than I had thought at first.”

-

-The boys returned with Captain Eaton to the flier. Isaac had taken over

-helping Ben, since he knew more about this kind of thing than Mr.

-Klecker.

-

-Captain Eaton stood at the door of the air lock. “How are you coming in

-there?” he asked.

-

-Ben gave him a report of their progress. The captain’s face was lined

-and grave. “You may have to do better than that if we’re going to get

-out of this alive,” he said. “The moon is very close.”

-

-Captain Eaton and the boys spent the time that followed in the

-observatory dome, watching the steadily growing disk of the moon. It was

-like a mocking face in the sky, luring the travelers to destruction.

-

-No telescope was needed, for the big, rocky satellite of earth appeared

-to take up the whole heavens. Garry and Patch studied the knife-edged

-mountaintops, the dry, gray wildernesses that were once thought to be

-seas, and the mysterious bowl-like craters. Where would the _Carefree_

-plunge to her death on the fierce moonscape, Garry wondered. And would

-he and the others still be aboard her when she crashed? Garry shuddered

-at the thought. As Captain Eaton had said, Luna was now so frightfully

-close.

-

-The captain made a final check of his instruments. Then he turned

-abruptly, heading for the door. The boys followed him out.

-

-In the flier, moments later, the captain said, “Ben, we’re in our last

-hour. How do things look in here?”

-

-Garry could see Ben’s grimy, tired face turned toward Captain Eaton.

-

-“It’ll be close, Captain, awfully close,” Ben answered, and immediately

-turned back to the network of wiring in the instrument panel.

-

-“Anything I can do, Ben?” Captain Eaton asked.

-

-“Just hope and pray,” was the reply. “I think it’ll be all up to me now.

-It’s a one-man job getting these wires hooked up.”

-

-“We could take one last look around the ship during this last hour,” Mr.

-Klecker proposed. “I have some books I want to take along.”

-

-“Sorry, Kleck,” Ben said, “but we won’t have room for them. The flier

-will be crowded as it is. We won’t be able to take belongings of any

-kind, not even for survival, except for the emergency supplies the flier

-itself carries. The weight is that critical.”

-

-“I don’t want a last look,” Gino spoke up. “Otherwise I might not want

-to leave the good old _Carefree_, even if she is going to crash.”

-

-“Me either,” Isaac Newton added. “I want to remember her the way she was

-when all of us were very happy and really carefree.”

-

-“One thing about Patch and me,” Garry put in. “We came aboard without

-anything but the clothes we’re wearing, and we’ll be leaving the same

-way.”

-

-“There’s one thing I surely hate to leave behind,” Captain Eaton said.

-“Katrinka. She’s only a robot, but I’ve had her for so long that she’s

-almost like a member of the family.”

-

-From now on, every minute was beginning to count desperately. Garry

-wished he could hold back the hands of the clock. He wished he could

-give Ben an extra hour. But this could not be.

-

-A little later there came the announcement that Garry had known must be

-coming finally. Captain Eaton had been in the observatory for the last

-time, and now he had returned with a final announcement: “It’s now or

-never, Ben. Which is it?”

-

-Ben straightened up, and there was a pleased look on his weary face.

-“Just finished, Captain. The instrument panel isn’t as good as new, but

-I’m pretty sure the flier can be navigated by it, at least long enough

-for a safe landing on Luna. Come here, Mac. Let me show you a few things

-about the console.”

-

-Garry wondered why Ben was taking time to instruct Mac in the navigation

-of the ship. Why couldn’t he do the piloting himself? Garry could see

-that Mac was a little puzzled too, as he went over to the instrument

-panel.

-

-Captain Eaton was looking at his wrist watch. “Ben, there’s no more

-time. We’ve got to get off the _Carefree_ within five minutes, not a

-second longer.”

-

-After a few more hurried moments of instruction, Ben said, “We’re ready,

-Captain. Everybody into the rocket.”

-

-Those who were not already in filed into the rocket and belted down into

-the seats. That is, everybody but one—Ben.

-

-“Ben, where are you going?” Captain Eaton asked.

-

-“To check on the air lock, Sir,” Ben answered, and walked through the

-flier’s doorway into the air lock between the two ships.

-

-Mac had belted down in the pilot’s seat, as Ben had asked him to do.

-

-“How are you going to ride without a seat, Ben?” Mac called.

-

-“Everybody ready?” Ben called from the air lock.

-

-All answered that they were.

-

-“Start the motors, Mac,” Ben said.

-

-Mac started the rocket motors, at the same time calling, “Hurry up,

-Ben!”

-

-Garry heard a whirring sound, and the outer door of the flier slid shut,

-with Ben still in the air lock beyond!

-

-“Hey, wait!” Isaac shouted. “Ben’s in the air lock, and the door’s

-closed!”

-

-No one could do anything, for in the very next moment the flier kicked

-out violently sideways, bending everyone over in his seat. There was

-another jerk forward as the flier went into motion.

-

-“What’s happened?” Captain Eaton called.

-

-“Ben’s tricked us!” Mac replied. “He cut off the magnetic grapples from

-the air lock that held us fast to the _Carefree_. How stupid I was! He

-told me to take over while he checked on some last-minute things.”

-

-“I see it all,” Isaac added. “If we check the weights we’ll probably

-find out that we would be overloaded with one more passenger. Ben was

-that one more, and he chose not to come aboard rather than risk the

-safety of the rest of us!”

-

-“Yes,” the captain said in a choked voice, “it seems that Ben elected to

-go down with the _Carefree_.”

-

-

-

-

-                        14. FIRST HOURS ON LUNA

-

-

-Ben lost to them!

-

-Garry could hardly believe it. Surely Ben could have found _some_ way to

-save himself. Did he really have to make such a costly sacrifice?

-

-No one aboard the flier cared to speak for several minutes after Mac’s

-tragic announcement. It had come as a devastating blow to all of them.

-

-Finally, Isaac broke the solemn quiet: “It won’t be the same with good

-old Ben gone. He was a smart, brave guy. I’d like to have an ounce of

-all the scientific and mechanical knowledge he had.”

-

-They had been so concerned over Ben’s fate that they had almost

-overlooked the fact that the rocky wilderness of the moon was staring

-them in the face; that in a few moments the flier would be either

-touching down on her surface or crashing along with the _Carefree_ and

-Ben, her only human occupant.

-

-Mac was guiding the craft into a slowly descending spiral. This would

-give the flier’s braking rockets time to reduce speed to safe level for

-the touchdown.

-

-The _Carefree_ was not in sight, although Garry searched the starry sky

-through the plastic walls of the flier. He was glad he could not find

-her. He would not have liked to see her crash.

-

-Down below, Garry could see the huge dish of a giant crater. It was

-within this area that Mac was circling. As if anticipating Garry’s

-question, Mac explained: “Ben suggested that we try landing on the floor

-of this crater, which is called Hornfield. It was discovered by a lunar

-explorer in 1983. It is supposed to be covered by several inches of

-pumice dust, and that may help to break our fall if we make a bad

-touchdown.”

-

-From high up, the walls of the crater did not appear very impressive,

-but as the flier spiraled lower, they looked like lofty battlements of

-ancient castles.

-

-As they dipped lower still, Garry watched those grim crater walls close

-in around the small space craft. Spread out below was the ocean of gray

-dust that carpeted the crater floor. Part way up, above the horizon, was

-seen the distant globe of earth. It cast ghostly greenish shadows around

-the walls, pits, and rock formations. This was the two-week period of

-night on Luna, and the temperature down there, in a nearly airless

-atmosphere, Garry knew, was more than two hundred degrees below zero.

-

-“Everyone make sure his restraining belts are tight,” Mac called. “We’re

-about to touchdown.”

-

-The ground rushed up to meet them, as Garry felt himself tipped forward

-in his seat. The belly of the little flier skimmed the ocean of dust,

-sending it up in a giant cloud along both sides of the craft. The flier

-continued to plow along through the pumice until friction finally

-brought it to a halt.

-

-It was strange being still again, Garry thought. Another strange feeling

-was the gravity pull of the moon, which he knew to be only one sixth as

-strong as that of earth.

-

-“Is everybody all right?” Captain Eaton asked.

-

-No one said that he _wasn’t_ all right. Garry and Patch began

-unfastening their restraining belts, as did the others.

-

-Captain Eaton was the first to his feet. He moved over to the window

-with a strange floating sort of step owing to his reduced moon weight.

-Then he looked out.

-

-“Where are we, Mac?” he asked.

-

-“Inside the Hornfield crater,” Mac answered.

-

-“Are there any settlements close by?” the captain asked. “Anybody who

-can come to our rescue?”

-

-“About twenty-five miles to the southwest, captain,” Mac answered. “Ben

-told me just where it was and advised me to land as close to it as

-possible. I thought this was as close as we dared approach, because the

-ground is treacherous between Hornfield and the settlement.”

-

-“What sort of settlement is it, Mac?” Isaac asked.

-

-“An oxygen-mining outfit in the Taurus Mountains. They’re mining for ore

-rich in oxygen to provide pressurized air for the underground terminal

-of Luna City, five hundred miles farther to the south. Ben said he

-thought they would have fliers that could get here in a short time as

-soon as they got our radio message.”

-

-“But we don’t have any radio,” Mr. Klecker said.

-

-“Yes we do, and we can thank the flier’s lifesaving equipment for that,”

-Captain Eaton said.

-

-He went to a cabinet built into the wall and pulled out an oblong box.

-On the top of it were the words: “SOS Automatic Transmitter.”

-

-“You mean that was in the flier all this time and that we could have

-used it earlier ourselves?” Garry asked in surprise.

-

-“Yes, you could have,” Captain Eaton replied.

-

-“I’m familiar with this transmitter,” the captain went on. “Let’s get

-the radio kit down.”

-

-When this was done, Captain Eaton donned one of the two space suits

-which the flier carried. When he was dressed, he entered the flier’s air

-lock, carrying the radio kit. Those inside the ship watched Captain

-Eaton walk about fifty feet from the flier and open the box containing

-the transmitter.

-

-“Gee, why does he have to open it up out there?” Patch wanted to know.

-“Couldn’t he transmit from inside the ship just as easy?”

-

-“No, not nearly as well,” Mac explained. “Just watch, and you’ll see

-why!”

-

-Captain Eaton took some things out of the box, and then, after tinkering

-with them for a few minutes, he set the transmitter in the pumice dust

-and ran back toward the flier as if he had just lighted a bomb fuse. A

-few seconds later the boys were surprised to see something resembling a

-giant snake spring from the ground beside the transmitter and extend

-straight up in the dark sky!

-

-“What in the world was that?” Patch asked in amazement.

-

-“That’s the antenna for the transmitter, isn’t it, Mac?” Garry asked.

-

-Mac nodded. “That long ropelike thing is hollow, and the antenna is in

-the middle of it. Captain Eaton released a switch that caused the casing

-to fill with compressed air, and that is what keeps it extended into the

-sky. That gives us a much better antenna than we could possibly have in

-here. Also, being as tall as it is, the radio waves leaving it can

-travel great distances and cross high places which they could not do if

-it were short. Understand?”

-

-The boys nodded.

-

-“The transmitter is a very light and simple one,” Mac went on. “All it

-can do is send out an SOS signal from time to time; it can’t transmit

-words. Yet whoever picks it up can easily trace it. I hope our signal

-will carry as far as the mining settlement and that there’s no

-interference between to block our radio waves. Those mountains could

-block the waves.”

-

-“How long do you think we can hold out, just in case our rescue is slow

-in coming?” Garry asked Mac.

-

-“If we carefully ration food, water, and air, I’d say we could last

-about five days, earth time,” Mac replied. “I’m pretty sure the captain

-will start rationing right away, just to make sure, but I can’t see any

-reason why we won’t see a rescue flier heading this way pretty soon,

-certainly by tomorrow.”

-

-Captain Eaton presently came back inside and began taking off his space

-suit.

-

-“If we get out of this alive, we’ll owe it all to Ben,” Isaac remarked.

-

-Garry noticed the sudden sadness on the faces of the others at the

-mention of Ben’s name. Presently, everyone in turn began saying

-something good about their friend; that is, everyone except Captain

-Eaton, whom Garry knew had been closer to Ben than any of the others.

-

-The captain was still plainly too broken up to say anything about Ben at

-this time. He just quietly finished removing his pressure-suit gear, and

-Garry could see the tragedy in his eyes. Garry was glad when Captain

-Eaton changed the subject, because he himself had grown very fond of the

-brilliant young spaceman.

-

-“We should take inventory of our stock,” the captain was saying, “and

-then start a rationing schedule. We can’t be sure how long we’ll have to

-wait before help comes. I don’t want to alarm everybody, but there’s

-always the possibility of radioactivity or mineral deposits in the hills

-beyond the crater which would keep our SOS from going through. The moon

-is full of those things.”

-

-Mac’s prediction as to how long the food and water would last turned out

-to be fairly close, although it turned out to be four days instead of

-five. No one expected the fourth day to roll around with their still

-being trapped in the flier, but Captain Eaton was playing safe, as Mac

-had said he probably would do.

-

-Those who had invented the equipment making up the escape flier’s

-emergency kit had seemingly thought of everything to ease the plight of

-those trapped on strange planets. They had not overlooked the boredom of

-those awaiting rescue. There was a special cabinet containing tiny

-games, and there were also miniature books.

-

-When the inventory was completed and everything was done that could be

-done, Captain Eaton distributed the games and books, and everyone

-settled down in the flight chairs.

-

-“This isn’t so bad,” Isaac said, sighing and stretching out comfortably

-with one of the little books. “I’ve always wanted to read this book on

-great poetry, but up to now I just haven’t had the time because it’s so

-long. It looks like I’ve finally gotten my chance to read it.”

-

-“There aren’t any books about the circus,” Mr. Klecker said

-disappointedly. “I guess I’ll just have to settle for what’s left.”

-

-The butler straightened his bow tie. He had changed back into his full

-dress after Isaac had taken over as Ben’s helper.

-

-Garry and Patch started a game of chess, and the rest of the

-_Carefree_’s passengers took whatever game or book interested them.

-Except for the sadness of Ben’s not being with them, Garry noticed that

-there was an air of contentment and optimism on the part of everyone.

-

-Later, he was to be glad that he did not have the talent of seeing into

-the future, for if those who were so relaxed now in their cozy hideaway

-on the dark moon had only known what was in store for them, they would

-not have been in the mood for enjoying _anything_ at this moment.

-

-

-

-

-                           15. A DARK OUTLOOK

-

-

-The idea of stretching out comfortably with a good book and plenty of

-spare time did not seem so satisfying after several hours. After this

-period, everyone began to get restless, with a desire to get up and

-stretch his legs, as they could have done if they were back on the

-_Carefree_.

-

-“I know how you feel, fellows,” Captain Eaton said sympathetically, as

-he noticed how tired everyone had become of just sitting around. “I’d

-like to take a romp myself outside in a space suit, but without knowing

-how soon we’ll be rescued and having no surplus of supplies, I don’t

-think we should use up our oxygen that fast. Everyone agree?”

-

-Everyone did.

-

-Then to while away the hours that were beginning to drag slowly along,

-the captain suggested that they talk among themselves and exchange

-stories. This activity occupied the group for some time. Garry was glad

-that poor Ben was not mentioned again to further depress everyone.

-

-Finally, all became “talked out,” just as they had become “read out”

-before that. And by this time some were ready for a nap and began dozing

-in their seats.

-

-Garry watched the captain settle back in his seat, sighing tiredly.

-

-“I suppose I should be grateful for being alive,” he said, “but I feel

-almost as if I had died myself. Yes, this is a sad day for an old man

-who has lost at the same time the dearest things to his heart—one of his

-best friends and a funny-looking space ship that had come to be even

-homier than his earthly home.”

-

-Garry noticed how much the conversation kept returning to Ben. He

-guessed that the unselfish spaceman would be on their minds for a long

-time to come.

-

-“I wonder where they went down, Captain?” Mac asked. “I didn’t even see

-the _Carefree_, once Ben cut us free.”

-

-“None of us saw her,” the captain replied, “and I’m glad. I hope they

-never find her remains on the moon, because I would feel compelled to go

-to the site of the crash and I would not want to do that. No, it’s

-better this way.”

-

-Before long, someone mentioned food. There was some mild enthusiasm from

-the others, but not much. Everyone knew that all there was to eat were

-capsules that would provide nourishment but little enjoyment.

-

-Gino made a face when the capsule bottle was passed to him and he shook

-two of the pellets out into his hand.

-

-“To think that I would ever have to make a meal of these things,” he

-said sadly, “I, who at one time or another, have served up the grandest

-dishes ever put together.”

-

-All ate silently. Since the additional talk about Ben, it was as if cold

-water had been poured over their spirits.

-

-After the brief meal the captain suggested that the lights be turned

-down and everyone try to get a “night” of sleep.

-

-“I think all of us are brain fagged and bored after all that has

-happened,” he said. “Maybe there’ll be someone knocking on our air-lock

-door before we wake up.”

-

-No one objected to the idea, as it seemed to be the only thing left for

-them to do.

-

-When everyone was settled down for the “night,” Captain Eaton cut off

-all lights within the flier. It was still not very dark in the flier

-because outdoors it was brighter than the brightest moonlight night on

-earth, owing to the brilliant glow of earthshine.

-

-“If our rescuers do not show up some time tomorrow,” Captain Eaton said,

-“we had better start cutting back on our battery power. That will mean

-no lights inside, except use of the flashlight in the cabinet, and less

-warmth. I have a feeling that our batteries will play out before any of

-our other supplies do.”

-

-When Garry woke the next “morning,” he heard some of the others stirring

-about. Patch was standing over him with two tablets and Garry’s personal

-water bottle which squeezed the liquid into one’s mouth.

-

-“What’s this?” Garry mumbled. “Time for my medicine?”

-

-“Medicine nothing,” Patch replied. “This, son, is breakfast. Or would

-you prefer nice crisp bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs?”

-

-“Aw, Patch, cut it out,” Garry pleaded. “You don’t have to make this any

-tougher than it is!”

-

-Garry took the food pills, chewing them slowly to get what little flavor

-there was in them. Then he finished off with the water, which was little

-more than enough to wet his throat.

-

-“Gee, the captain has really rationed the water, hasn’t he?” Garry

-whispered.

-

-“He cut it back even further this morning,” Patch replied. “Know why?

-Because nobody came knocking on our air lock as he had hoped maybe they

-would. On top of that, I heard him say he was going to run another close

-inventory on all our life-supporting items to see how much is left.”

-

-“Gosh, do you think he’s afraid _no_ one will be knocking any time

-soon?”

-

-“I don’t know,” Patch replied, “but he has been frowning quite a bit

-this morning.”

-

-The captain presently made it clear to all why he had been doing so much

-frowning.

-

-“Frankly,” he said, “I thought those people at the mining settlement

-would have had plenty of time while we slept to pay us a visit. If our

-SOS reached them soon after we began sending, as it should have, they

-should have had a flier over here within a few hours’ time. Our chief

-essentials for staying alive are our food, water, air, and power supply

-which is necessary to keep us warm. It’s several hundred degrees below

-zero outside, in case you haven’t thought about it.”

-

-They took another inventory, and the results were not very heartening.

-

-“We’re using up much too much of our battery power,” Captain Eaton said.

-“That’s the weakest link in our chain of existence. I didn’t realize

-that yesterday when we had the lights on for reading. From now on until

-someone comes, we’ll have to do without light altogether except when

-necessary. That means we’ll have to do our reading by earthshine and our

-one flashlight. We may have some strained eyes, but that’s the best we

-can do. We’ll also have to reduce our heat a little to save on power

-that way too.”

-

-“Captain, do you think we should check the condition of the battery in

-the outside transmitter?” Isaac asked.

-

-“It’s supposed to have a useful life of seventy-two hours, operating

-automatically for a few minutes every half hour,” the captain said, “but

-the battery may have lost a lot of its power in storage. I think it

-would be a good idea to check it. It has a test meter on it, Isaac.”

-

-“I’ll go out and check it, Captain,” Isaac said.

-

-When he had pulled on one of the space suits, Isaac checked the air and

-pressure and went outside.

-

-Garry and Patch watched him move in a light-footed gliding motion toward

-the spot where the antenna had been set up. He spent several minutes

-with the rig and then came back into the flier.

-

-As he lifted his helmet off, he said with a shake of his head, “It’s

-quit sending, Captain. You were right. The battery must have been in bad

-shape to start with.”

-

-“Not sending,” Captain Eaton muttered to himself, a dark worried frown

-on his face. “That means that if our SOS was not picked up earlier, it

-never will be, and no one will know where we are.”

-

-Garry’s heart chilled at hearing this. What the captain really meant,

-but did not say, was that they were doomed to a slow death as their heat

-and air were depleted and they froze in the moon’s incredible cold. That

-would happen long before their food and water gave out.

-

-Captain Eaton placed a fatherly arm around each of the boys and said,

-“Fellows, I wish there were something I could do. Believe me, if I could

-give my life to save you two, as Ben did, I would gladly do it. Do you

-believe that?”

-

-“Yes, Sir, I do believe it,” Garry answered sincerely. “But can’t we

-really do something—anything at all? It—it’s better than waiting, isn’t

-it?”

-

-“You’re trembling, both of you,” the captain said, “and I can’t blame

-you. If it’s any comfort to you, I think you’re the bravest two boys I

-ever knew. I would have been proud to have had a couple of sons like

-you.”

-

-The captain pressed their arms affectionately. Garry knew how he felt

-about his helplessness to do anything.

-

-“You ask if there’s anything we could do,” Captain Eaton said. “Of

-course we’re not giving up hope completely at this early stage, but

-things do look bad. We could ration ourselves severely and maybe prolong

-our existence a few days, but after that....”

-

-Garry finished the gloomy sentence in his own mind.

-

-

-

-

-                           16. A SAD PARTING

-

-

-They _did_ wait—all the long day to follow.

-

-And in all that time, no one came.

-

-They did the same things that they had done the day before—reading by

-the light of the earth, which they feared they would never see again;

-reading until their eyes blurred and the battery had gone dead in their

-only flashlight.

-

-Garry and Patch did not read much. Instead, they spent most of their

-time looking out over the cold gray dust, and up into the black sky,

-looking hopefully for some moving object against the bleak wilderness

-and wanting to be the first to spot it should it appear. But it never

-appeared, and bed-time came, but no one was in the spirit for sleep. And

-yet, since there was little else to do, everyone prepared for bed.

-

-Garry and Patch lay awake in their adjoining seats, talking in low

-voices to each other.

-

-“Garry, we’ve been through a lot of close calls since we left the

-orphanage,” Patch was saying, “but this looks like _it_, doesn’t it?”

-

-“I don’t know, Patch. I just don’t know,” his friend replied with a

-troubled sigh. “It sure doesn’t look good. I won’t ever really give up

-hope, though. There’s still a chance that a rescue ship will come—maybe

-during the night.”

-

-“But what if it doesn’t?” Patch asked. “What if it doesn’t come tonight

-or tomorrow—or the next night? How will we feel when we finally _know_

-that we won’t be saved?”

-

-“You shouldn’t think like that, Patch. It’ll make you miserable. You’ve

-got to keep hoping, even when it doesn’t make sense,” Garry said.

-

-“It’s funny about Ben,” Patch went on. “I mean about what he did. He

-meant to save us, but it’s turned out that he’s made it worse for us. It

-would have been better if we had crashed along with the _Carefree_,

-because then it would have been over quickly.”

-

-“You know the saying, Patch: ‘Where there’s life there’s hope.’ And I

-believe that.”

-

-Patch said no more, and before long Garry heard him snoring softly. This

-made Garry feel better, and presently he too fell asleep.

-

-Garry and Patch woke the next morning to the sound of subdued voices

-around them. For a brief moment Garry wondered if help had come during

-the night. He searched the faces he saw, and quickly his hopes were

-dashed. Instead of happy faces, they were haggard ones that showed the

-lack of sleep, and there were no new faces among them.

-

-“No one came last night, did they?” Patch asked Captain Eaton.

-

-The skipper shook his head and tugged at his beard that, by now, had

-become scraggly and untidy looking. The others moved in close, and Garry

-noticed all at once that he and Patch were the center of attention. He

-had a feeling then that something important was about to be said.

-

-“Garry, Patch,” Captain Eaton said slowly, “you respect my judgment and

-my experience, don’t you?”

-

-“Sure,” the boys answered together, puzzled looks on their faces.

-

-“Well then, you do believe I would do the best I knew for all of us,

-don’t you?”

-

-Garry and Patch nodded again.

-

-“I’ve got something to say to the two of you,” the captain continued,

-“and it’s very important to me that you abide by my decision. Will you

-promise to do so if I tell you it will be to your best interests?”

-

-The boys thought a moment, then nodded together, trusting the man they

-had come to admire and respect.

-

-Just then Garry noticed the pair of space suits lying on the floor

-nearby, and they looked as if work had been done on them. They seemed to

-have been made smaller by the adjustable straps with which all such

-space suits were equipped.

-

-“As you can see, fellows,” the captain said, “the rest of us didn’t

-sleep much, but we were grateful that the two of you could, because it

-gave us time to come to our decision.”

-

-Garry and Patch watched the captain’s face intently, the suspense

-building up in them moment by moment. Garry had a hunch that he and

-Patch would not like what they were going to hear.

-

-The captain took a deep breath and said, “I’ll come right out with it.

-The rest of us are forced to face the sad fact that rescue isn’t coming.

-But there’s no reason for everyone to perish. Garry, we decided that you

-and Patch....”

-

-As his voice trailed off, Garry saw the picture. “You want us to take

-the space suits and—and go out there.”

-

-“It wasn’t an easy decision to reach, Garry,” Mac spoke. “We may be

-sending the two of you to a worse fate than would happen to you here.

-But in that way there lies a _chance_ for you. Here the chances would be

-very little. We are all agreed on that.”

-

-“But why us?” Garry protested. “Why not two of the rest of you? We

-thought we had become one of you by now. We should all have drawn lots

-to see who would go. It’s not democratic this way.”

-

-“It’s because we’re kids, isn’t it?” Patch asked. “You’re packing us off

-like children to bed! We won’t leave you here!”

-

-“Remember your promise, fellows,” Captain Eaton said. “This is the way

-we want it. Believe us, we really do—unanimously.”

-

-“There’s even a chance you might make heroes of yourselves,” Isaac

-added. “You may find someone who can come and rescue us before it’s too

-late.”

-

-“We realize it won’t be easy for you to leave us behind, and it won’t be

-easy to set out across unknown country for an unknown destination. It’ll

-take courage, gentlemen, plenty of courage, more courage than it will

-require for us to stay on here,” Mr. Klecker said.

-

-Garry could find no further argument. The others were too much against

-him and Patch. They simply would not have it any other way. In the end

-the boys gave in, but they felt guilty for accepting what was seemingly

-the only way to survival.

-

-Some time later the boys were ready to start out. The space suits still

-were a little large, but they would serve. Garry wore the luminous green

-suit, Patch the luminous orange one. The boots were so large that Garry

-and Patch had to wear them over their shoes. The helmets were big and

-bulky, but in the moon’s light gravity they were not too heavy.

-

-When the boys were sealed in the suits completely, Captain Eaton ran a

-careful check on them—the air pressure and temperature, and the

-“walkie-talkie” radios that would enable the boys to talk to each other.

-Finally, the fellows were loaded down with all the supplies they could

-be expected to need. This included spare oxygen tanks, water bottles,

-and liquid food in tubes. These tubes could be squeezed through an

-opening in the helmet so that one in a space suit could take nourishment

-without opening his helmet.

-

-Garry argued against taking nearly all of the spare supplies and leaving

-their friends with very little.

-

-“You must take them,” Captain Eaton insisted. “If you do not have enough

-to get you to the settlement, there is no purpose in starting out at

-all. Now, no more arguments.”

-

-There finally came the moment of parting, which everyone dreaded.

-Garry’s heart was heavy at the thought of leaving these people he had

-grown so fond of in such a short time. Very likely he and Patch would

-never see any of them again.

-

-Garry could see that the men’s eyes were troubled and sorrowful. They

-didn’t seem to know just how to say farewell. Isaac and Gino gave a

-little nervous wave of their hands. Mr. Klecker shook hands formally.

-Mac gave them a warm pat on the back.

-

-Captain Eaton walked slowly over to the air lock with the boys—slowly,

-as if he did not want to let them go. Garry and Patch had removed their

-helmets and held them in their hands. The captain had his arms around

-their shoulders, embracing them like a father.

-

-“Well, don’t let’s be sissies about this,” the captain said with forced

-lightheartedness. “Let’s just pretend that you boys are going on a short

-trip and that you’ll be back in a little while. No sad words, no tears,

-eh?”

-

-“That’s how we want it, Captain Eaton,” Garry answered, but his throat

-was so tight he could hardly speak.

-

-“Whatever you do, don’t give up,” their older friend advised. “Take care

-of yourselves and don’t lose your heads if you meet a crisis. And don’t

-come back, whatever happens. It won’t help.”

-

-The captain took a piece of paper from Mac and gave it to Garry. “Mac

-and I have plotted your course as nearly as we can from what we remember

-of this territory. We both had a course in lunar study at one time.

-Follow these landmarks closely. You will be heading straight for the

-mining settlement, and if, by chance, a search flier should be coming

-from that direction, try to catch their attention by waving. They will

-probably be looking for you, and your bright-colored suits will make you

-stand out pretty strong against the gray ground.”

-

-Garry was studying the penciled map. “What is this gray part that you’ve

-shown here, Captain?”

-

-“It’s an area of rugged rock formations,” the captain explained. “You’ve

-got to go through it, as there is no way around. You must proceed with

-extreme caution, because we haven’t any flashlights left to give you.

-And, owing to the fact that there is just a trace of air on Luna, the

-earthshine can’t penetrate into the shadows. You will literally have to

-inch yourselves along until you’re in the open again.”

-

-The captain explained more of the dangers in this area and showed Garry

-and Patch other points on the map and what they stood for.

-

-Finally, the boys had their last look at the man who had been the best

-friend to them that they had ever known. Garry studied the captain’s

-brave, forced smile, and he could see the elderly man’s efforts to keep

-himself under control.

-

-Captain Eaton wiped his moist palm on his trousers and then pushed the

-button that swung open the inner door of the air lock.

-

-“There’s something I must tell both of you before you go,” he said. “I

-made application for adoption of you two as my sons just before we had

-the accident. I have a friend in a high position back on earth who, I

-felt, could put through the papers quickly if they were approved. I

-never told you this, though, because I did not want to raise your hopes

-falsely in case the adoption was not approved. But I couldn’t let you go

-not knowing what I had tried to do.”

-

-“We would have liked you for a father,” Patch said.

-

-Garry was too choked up to say anything except, “Let’s go, Patch, before

-we change our minds and never go at all.”

-

-“Yes, that is better,” the captain said. “Good-by, boys, and may God go

-with you.”

-

-The boys pulled on their helmets, and Captain Eaton helped fit them

-tightly. Then he made a little farewell wave with his hand and motioned

-the boys into the air lock. A moment later the door swished shut. The

-outer door opened, and the bleak face of Luna beckoned to them. They

-stepped out into the gray dust, and the “snowshoe” plates added to the

-bottom of their boots kept them from sinking too deeply into the moon

-dust.

-

-They were now on their own.

-

-

-

-

-                             17. DARK PERIL

-

-

-Because of the light moon gravity, the boys found that they could move

-easily in spite of the deep dust and of the equipment strapped to their

-backs. The equipment took up as much room as it would have on earth, but

-here it weighed only one sixth of its earth weight and so was not much

-of a burden.

-

-In a short while they were out of sight of the flier. They had mounted a

-low-lying hill and crossed down the other side. It would still be a long

-time before they got out of the giant crater in which the flier had

-landed, but by the time they did get out they would be well along toward

-their destination.

-

-“We seem to be making good time, Patch,” Garry said over his helmet

-radio.

-

-“Yeah,” Patch replied. “It’s so much easier walking on the moon than it

-is on the earth, once you get the hang of it.”

-

-“Just think, Patch. Captain Eaton really was going to try to adopt us,”

-Garry said. “And all the time we thought he didn’t care enough.”

-

-“He’s one in a million, Garry. He would have been the grandest father a

-guy could ever have.”

-

-“What do you mean he _would_ have?” Garry protested. “He _will_ be our

-father. We’re going to _save_ him, Patch. We’re going to save all of

-them.”

-

-“I want to save them too,” Patch said earnestly. “I’d sure hate for us

-to make it and them not to.”

-

-“Maybe we shouldn’t talk so much,” Garry advised. “It uses up more

-oxygen, and I don’t think we have a surplus of it.”

-

-They slogged silently through the gray dust in the bouncy, light-footed

-motion that they had become accustomed to by now. Every once in a while

-Garry would glance about him at the forbidding countryside of this dead

-world. Sight of the desolation chilled his soul. He wondered at first

-why this was so. Then he supposed that it must be because there was so

-much absolute _deadness_ all about. For nothing could live in the

-numbing cold and the boiling-hot temperatures that came to this

-landscape periodically. No, he and Patch were the only living creatures

-from one horizon to the other, and this fact was enough to give anyone

-the shivers.

-

-Finally Garry broke the long silence.

-

-“Patch, do you notice we’re able to move along easier now?” he asked.

-

-“It’s because the dust is thinning out, isn’t it?” Patch replied. “But I

-see the rocky country up ahead that the captain was telling us about.”

-

-“Yes,” Garry said, “and from the way he talked, it’s going to be plenty

-rugged getting through there.”

-

-They increased their speed, now that the going was easier.

-

-Garry stole a look at the big green jewel of earth afloat in the black

-sea of space, for it alone seemed to lend an air of friendliness and

-security to the otherwise lonely, sinister surroundings. The walls of

-Hornfield Crater about them were jagged as sharks’ teeth as they reached

-up into the darkness. The stars seemed to Garry like sparkling

-snowflakes dusted across the entire vault of the sky. The nebulae were

-like misty clouds, and there was the long arch of a great comet crossing

-just above the horizon and standing out remarkably because of its being

-so different from everything else in the whole visible sweep of the

-heavens.

-

-After a few hours of steady hiking, Patch suggested that they take a

-short break to rest and eat. Garry was ready for the same.

-

-Garry checked their map and compared the markings on it to their true

-surroundings. “We seem to be still on course, Patch,” he said.

-

-By now they had moved up on a higher plateau within the crater, and the

-dust had thinned so that solid rock could be felt underfoot. But not far

-beyond lay the wilderness of rock they had seen earlier at a distance.

-How huge and forbidding the region looked!

-

-Garry stopped walking and plopped down in his tracks, heaving a sigh.

-Patch sat down beside him.

-

-Garry took tubes of liquid food and a couple of water bottles from the

-pack he carried. He offered Patch his share and took some for himself.

-

-Each boy unscrewed a plate that covered the mouth of his helmet. Behind

-this was a rubber disk with a self-sealing opening in the middle of it.

-All the boys had to do was thrust the tubes of food and water through

-these openings and take them between their lips. By squeezing the tubes,

-they forced the contents into their mouths.

-

-“Got a napkin?” Patch joked, when they were through. “I’d like to wipe

-my mouth.”

-

-“Sorry,” Garry answered, “but they haven’t figured out a way to do that

-yet.”

-

-Patch climbed to his feet, screwing his outer mouthplate back on. “Well,

-that wasn’t exactly like carving into a steak, but I guess it’ll do

-until we can get something better,” he said.

-

-They started out again, and soon approached the forbidding rocky region

-they had dreaded. The ground was rough and uneven. Garry looked ahead,

-and it was like staring into the mouth of a vast cavern.

-

-“We’ve got to be careful, Patch,” Garry warned, as he slowed down and

-held back his friend. “There may be bad crevasses across our path, and

-they could be the end of us if we should fall in.”

-

-Garry took the responsibility of going first. Patch was right behind,

-holding on to a strap on Garry’s suit.

-

-It was like going into a dark underworld thriving with all kinds of

-unknown dangers. Although he was following very closely, Patch could

-barely see Garry’s outline ahead of him. Garry would carefully slide one

-foot ahead of him to be sure he had solid ground underfoot.

-

-After what seemed a very long time, Patch complained: “This is giving me

-the willies, Garry. How much farther do you think we’ve got to go?

-Besides, this is slowing us down almost to a crawl.”

-

-“I think I see a break up ahead,” Garry encouraged. “It seems we’re

-making a wide turn, and the farther we go the more earthshine I think I

-can make out.”

-

-“Gee, I’d give anything I’ve got for a light of some kind,” Patch

-groaned.

-

-“That’s about the only thing they couldn’t provide for us,” Garry said.

-“Remember we used up our flashlight when we cut down on our power supply

-in the flier.”

-

-“I remember,” Patch returned.

-

-Patch felt that Garry was slowly descending as he walked.

-

-“Hey, where are you going?” Patch asked.

-

-“There seems to be an incline going down,” Garry replied. “I sure hope

-it comes back up and doesn’t drop off so that we can’t cross to the

-other side.”

-

-“Ugh,” Patch shuddered. “Don’t even _think_ about that. Remember,

-Captain Eaton told us not to come back.”

-

-“Just keep up with me and go slowly,” Garry instructed. “We’ll find out

-what’s ahead in a few minutes.”

-

-Down, down they went on a gentle slope.

-

-“When are we going to start up?” Patch asked worriedly.

-

-“I don’t know,” Garry replied, a little anxious himself.

-

-Suddenly Garry moved too fast for Patch to keep up and lost contact with

-him. Patch lost his head momentarily and cried out, dashing forward to

-regain touch with Garry. In his haste, Patch tripped and fell on the

-jagged rocks. On the earth this would have been a bad fall, but the

-weaker gravity here saved him from serious injury. But the weaker

-gravity also gave him a longer sprawl and carried him down the slope.

-

-As soon as Garry heard Patch’s frantic cry, he grabbed wildly in the

-darkness, hoping by chance to reach his friend. But his hands met only

-empty air.

-

-Patch’s shrieks were cut off abruptly, and stark silence filled Garry’s

-ears.

-

-“Patch!” Garry called, dread making him tremble all over. “Patch, where

-are you?”

-

-He had a mad impulse to leap down the incline, grabbing desperately at

-anything within reach. But he knew this could be disastrous for both

-himself and Patch.

-

-Slowly, Garry inched farther downward, heartsick as he considered the

-things that might have happened to his friend—a fall knocking him out or

-worse, or a tumble down a deep, treacherous pit.

-

-“Patch!” he kept calling. “Patch!”

-

-The frightening moments of anguish were relieved when Garry finally

-heard a faint voice.

-

-“Patch, where are you?” Garry asked over and over, as he inched

-downward, ever downward.

-

-“Here, Garry,” came the very weak voice.

-

-Thinking Patch was still far off, Garry slid his feet with more urgent

-speed through the utter blackness. Then the toe of his boot kicked

-something soft.

-

-“Garry, don’t!” came a low-pitched, terrified voice. “You’re kicking the

-hand I’m holding on by!”

-

-Then Garry realized what had happened, and the thought of the costly

-mistake he had almost made sickened him for a moment. Patch’s radio

-antenna had evidently been damaged in his fall, making his call for help

-seem farther off than he really was.

-

-Garry stooped down, his hands closing over the gloved hand he had nearly

-knocked from its precarious position.

-

-“Garry!” Patch said, his voice still a little hysterical. “I’m hanging

-on a cliff of some kind, and my feet aren’t touching anything! Please,

-Garry, get me up before I let go! I feel my hands slipping!”

-

-“Hold on, Patch! Try to keep holding! I’ve got to get a foothold or we

-both may go over!”

-

-Garry quickly kicked loose dust from underfoot and brushed it some more

-with his gloved hands. Then he leaned over and reached for Patch’s

-clinging hands. He slid his own hands below Patch’s wrists, closing his

-fingers about those wrists for dear life.

-

-“I’ve got a good hold, Patch,” Garry panted. “Brace your feet and help

-me as I try to pull you up. Ready?”

-

-“Ready, Garry!” came Patch’s weak voice.

-

-Making sure his feet were well anchored, Garry pulled with all his

-might. For an instant Patch’s body resisted him like a dead weight.

-Then, with an almost superhuman effort, Garry was able to hoist him up

-... up ... up and over onto the ledge safely. Then both of them slumped

-exhaustedly on the rocky brink.

-

-The boys were quiet for several seconds as they caught their breath in

-the pitch darkness and considered how close it had come to being all

-over for Patch.

-

-“Garry,” his grateful friend managed to say finally, “I’ll make it up to

-you. If we ever get out of this alive, I’ll make it up to you.”

-

-“Never mind that,” Garry said. “You didn’t lose anything when you fell?

-You’ve still got the extra oxygen tanks?”

-

-A dead silence followed, and that silence caused Garry to feel a clutch

-of dread.

-

-“You lost them, didn’t you?” he asked with a hopeless groan.

-

-Garry heard a faint sob over his helmet receiver. Then Patch fairly wept

-out the words he next spoke: “Yes, yes, I did! Push me back in, Garry!

-Push me back in! We’re lost for sure now!”

-

-

-

-

-                         18. STRANGE DISCOVERY

-

-

-It took a long time for the boys to pull themselves together after

-experiencing this final fateful blow. Down into the depths with those

-precious air cylinders had gone whatever chance the boys had for

-escaping alive from the cruel moon and for saving their friends. Patch

-broke down and Garry felt just as badly himself, but he managed to hold

-back the tears.

-

-“Garry,” Patch burst out, “we may as well go back and die with the

-others now! There’s no use at all in going on any farther!” His voice

-still sounded far off to Garry because of the damaged antenna.

-

-“If we went back, then _they_ would no longer have any hope,” Garry

-argued. “We took everything else they had. We’ve got to leave them

-hope—even until the end. Besides, we couldn’t accomplish anything by

-going back. Maybe, Patch, there’s just the barest chance that we have

-enough oxygen to reach the settlement. Or enough to get out into the

-open again and wait to see if a rescue flier comes over.”

-

-“I’m not moving, Garry!” Patch snapped in utter despair. “I’m not going,

-do you hear?”

-

-“You _are_ going,” Garry said determinedly. “You’re going if I have to

-carry you! It’s no time to quit, Patch.”

-

-“Then when _is_ it time?” Patch shot back. “You and your hopes, Garry!

-Always hoping, even when there isn’t a smidgin of a chance.”

-

-“It may be only a smidgin,” Garry said firmly, “but sometimes that’s

-enough. Now stop being a quitter and get to your feet.”

-

-There was only silence over Garry’s receiver for several tense seconds.

-Garry didn’t know what he would do if Patch chose to defy him again. He

-knew he could not really make his friend do anything his heart refused

-to do.

-

-But Patch solved this latest problem himself. Garry heard rustling

-sounds as Patch climbed slowly to his feet.

-

-“I’m sorry I talked rough, Patch,” Garry apologized. “I don’t think

-we’ve quarreled twice in all our lives, have we? But we’re in this thing

-together, and we’ve got to keep going, no matter how bad things look.

-We’ve just _got_ to, don’t you see?”

-

-“We’re talking about keeping going,” Patch returned, “but we can’t even

-get across this crevasse. How do you propose to do that? Besides that,

-we can’t even see as well as moles in this darkness.”

-

-“Let’s walk along the edge, first in one direction and then the other,”

-Garry said. “Maybe the crevasse narrows and disappears before too far!”

-

-They began exploring the treacherous cliff edge, moving slowly and

-carefully along in one direction. Every once in a while they tested the

-width of the chasm. Garry would get down on hands and knees and reach

-out, feeling with his hand to see if he could contact the other side.

-Time after time this was done, but each time his hands met empty air.

-

-After a tedious hour, Patch complained bitterly, “Can’t you see it’s

-hopeless, Garry? Gee whiz, what does it take to convince you?”

-

-“Let’s try a few more times,” Garry replied doggedly. “Then if we still

-can’t find a way across, we’ll start going along the crevasse in the

-other direction.”

-

-Patch did not reply to this, and Garry knew how bitter his friend must

-feel toward him after so many setbacks.

-

-The next time Garry got down on his hands and knees and reached out, his

-probing hand touched hard, firm rock on the other side!

-

-“Patch!” he shouted. “I’ve found a place where we can cross!”

-

-Even Patch was heartened by this and made an enthusiastic comment. In

-the hope of finding the crevasse even narrower and safer farther along,

-Garry followed the ledge, and, sure enough, it grew narrower and

-narrower until it was a crack in the ground only a few inches across.

-

-Making the crossing to the other side, the boys, in feeling their way

-along, found that the ground began to rise again. Garry still maintained

-the lead, with Patch holding onto him and following blindly only a step

-behind.

-

-Up, up the slope they went, and before long they could see rays of light

-flickering down into their eyes.

-

-Soon there was enough light so that they could see a little distance

-ahead. They quickened their steps, although it still required some care

-on their part to avoid the sharp-edged stones and rugged underfooting

-that still lay in front of them.

-

-But the light grew steadily brighter and the trail flatter.

-

-“Look, Patch, I can see the stars again!” Garry was soon able to say.

-

-Then, scarcely before they realized it, they were completely out of the

-shadows of the rocky formation that had very nearly finished them. Above

-and behind them once more shone the big bright ball of earth floating

-among the stars.

-

-“Good old earth!” Patch exclaimed, with new hope. “I never thought I’d

-see it again!”

-

-“It’s a great sight!” Garry agreed.

-

-“Garry,” Patch said, “we can see right over the top of the crater wall

-in the distance. We seem to be higher than we were when we started.”

-

-“I’ve noticed that too,” Garry replied. “I’ll check the map again.”

-

-Garry did so, then told Patch that they were still on course.

-

-They moved on and presently stood at the raised edge of a gradually

-lowering basin that stretched out very far and flat ahead of them. They

-could see a break in the crater wall a few miles away, which the captain

-had pointed out to them on the map.

-

-“It looks like we’ll have easy traveling for awhile,” Garry said, “and

-we’ll be right out in the open in case a flier comes over. They’ll be

-sure to see us unless they’re completely blind.”

-

-“Garry,” Patch said in a thoughtful voice, “I’m sorry.”

-

-“Huh?” Garry asked in surprise.

-

-“I’m sorry for the way I acted. I lost my head completely. When I found

-out I’d lost the air cylinders over the ledge, I just seemed to go to

-pieces. It’s a good thing one of us knows how to keep his head.”

-

-“Forget it, Patch,” Garry soothed. “It could have been me just as easy

-as you. Besides, that’s not important now. We’ve still got a long way to

-go, and time is running short.”

-

-Suddenly, Patch ran past Garry in great haste and stood staring over the

-plain below, shielding his eyes with his hands.

-

-Garry joined him. “Patch, what is it? Do you see something?”

-

-“It’s impossible!” Patch gasped. “It’s completely impossible!”

-

-“What?” Garry begged, his own excitement growing.

-

-“Look! There’s somebody walking around down there or else I’m seeing

-things!”

-

-Garry looked where Patch pointed, and he too found it hard to believe

-his eyes. There _was_ someone or something moving around.

-

-“I see it!” Garry said. “Come on, let’s go down and get a closer look!”

-

-“I just hope it isn’t in as bad shape as we are!” Patch exclaimed.

-

-They hurried as fast as they dared over the bumpy ground, heading

-straight for the person or thing that was moving about in seemingly

-aimless fashion on the plain below.

-

-“He sees us!” Patch said. “He’s coming toward us!”

-

-Swiftly the distance closed between the boys and the lone stranger. And

-then Garry and Patch received the surprise of their lives.

-

-“Katrinka!” they shouted together, not believing what they saw.

-

-“It can’t be!” Patch cried in amazement. “Garry, we must be seeing a

-mirage or something! How could Katrinka...?”

-

-“It’s Katrinka all right!” Garry said, as the robot drew close enough to

-be fully recognized. “But I don’t understand it. I don’t understand it

-at all! Katrinka crashed with the _Carefree_ and poor Ben! But even if

-she didn’t crash, how is it she’s wandering around out here on the

-moon?”

-

-“And what could make her start moving toward us?” Patch asked, as the

-mystery deepened. “You’ll never make me believe she’s _really_ human,

-although at times it seemed that she was.”

-

-The big robot stopped in front of the boys and remained still. Garry and

-Patch felt almost as if they should say “Hello,” because indeed it was

-like meeting an old friend.

-

-After a few moments of remaining stock still, Katrinka turned and

-started shuffling off with great long strides.

-

-“What’ll we do, Garry?” Patch asked. “Follow her? But that would be

-silly! She’s still an unthinking machine.”

-

-“I don’t know, Patch. This whole thing seems very strange, although it

-may be that she was merely thrown clear when the _Carefree_ crashed and

-somehow her works were activated by the jolt. And yet I have the feeling

-that she almost knows what she’s doing, as if she wants us to follow

-her.”

-

-“Now you’re talking spooky,” Patch said. “You don’t really believe that

-Katrinka can _think_!”

-

-“I don’t know what to believe,” Garry replied. “But I sure would like to

-follow her a little way to see just what she’s going to do next.”

-

-“But our air, Garry! We don’t have enough to waste on playing ‘follow

-the leader’!”

-

-“Just a little way, Patch. Who knows—this might even lead to something

-important.”

-

-“I think you’re way off base, Garry, but I’ll admit I’m curious too.

-Let’s go.”

-

-Katrinka had already gained some distance on them while they were

-debating what to do, and she did not wait for them. They started running

-to catch up and presently did so. But the robot traveled at such a fast

-pace that they still had to move in long, antelopelike jumps to keep up.

-

-Katrinka was definitely headed in one particular direction because she

-varied hardly any in her line of motion. She seemed to be going toward

-an area where the rocks rose high and ominous looking. It was much like

-the spot where the boys had had their recent harrowing experience.

-

-“Garry, please,” Patch begged, panting for breath, “let’s call this

-crazy chase off! That athletic gal is running me ragged! Besides, she

-seems to be taking us straight into those rocky walls!”

-

-“Well, there’s one thing certain,” Garry replied. “She’s _got_ to change

-direction pretty quick, or she’ll crash into something. Let’s stick it

-out a few more minutes.”

-

-They drew closer to the shadowy outcropping. But the robot did not even

-slow her pace. The boys knew she was heading for a collision, but there

-was nothing they could do but watch.

-

-Somehow she got past the first row of stones, tripping and nearly

-falling, then recovering automatically. But her luck was short lived.

-The path went downhill beyond this spot, and her big metal foot slammed

-against a boulder. The robot arched through the air and crashed

-headfirst into a rocky wall. It crumpled her metal cranium, spewing out

-wires and electronic parts.

-

-The boys came running up and stood looking at the fallen giant.

-

-“Poor old Katrinka,” Garry said. “She was almost like one of us. It’s

-nearly as if another one of us had died.”

-

-“Yeah, I liked the old gal,” Patch replied. “She may have survived a

-crash on the moon, but it’s a cinch she’s reached the end of her rope

-now.”

-

-Garry cast a look around to see what sort of area they had come into.

-His eyes followed the downhill trail ahead that Katrinka would still be

-following had she not had her accident.

-

-What he saw brought a gasp of astonishment from him, and a nervous

-tremor coursed through his body.

-

-“Patch, look!” he shouted. “The _Carefree_! There’s the _Carefree_ down

-there, half buried in moon dust!”

-

-They rushed down the trail to get a closer look. The giant space ship

-was indeed buried half of her depth in pumice dust. The rear air lock

-was level with the ground, and extending from the air lock was a

-gangplank!

-

-The boys moved up to the edge of the gangplank, looking it over in

-bafflement.

-

-“Don’t tell me Katrinka put that down and walked out of the ship on it!”

-Patch challenged. “You can’t get me to believe that, Garry.”

-

-“No, you’re right; she couldn’t possibly have done that on her own. She

-might have done it, Patch, but she would have had to be guided by an

-intelligent _human_ brain.”

-

-“Garry, what are you saying? Are you trying to say that Ben might have

-survived that crash and rigged up Katrinka so that she could go out

-looking for us? Why, that’s fantastic!”

-

-“We’ll soon find out if it’s so fantastic,” Garry said. “The ship is

-nearly undamaged, as you can see.”

-

-“What are you going to do?” Patch asked, as Garry moved ahead.

-

-“I’m going to walk that gangplank up to the air lock and see if Ben is

-inside.”

-

-They could see that the gangplank had been put down because of the depth

-of the Lunar dust. It was obviously quite deep in this area, since the

-_Carefree_ itself was half buried in it. Deep, enormous dust pits were

-very common on the moon and were among the most dangerous obstacles to

-travel, because they never gave any indication of how deep they were

-until someone fell in and was suffocated.

-

-Carefully, Garry, with Patch right behind him, stepped out on the narrow

-gangplank and moved slowly forward toward the air lock at the other end.

-It was a little unsteady underfoot, but it was rigid and did not sink

-beneath the boys’ light lunar weight. Besides, Garry felt pretty sure

-now that Katrinka had crossed it, and she was far heavier than both of

-them together.

-

-Garry reached the air lock, his heart thumping rapidly with hope and

-expectation. He raised his gloved hand and began pounding on the outer

-door.

-

-They waited. Five seconds, then ten, fifteen....

-

-Garry’s hopes began to dim. It didn’t look as if there were anyone alive

-inside after all.

-

-But then the air-lock door began to swing open. The boys scrambled

-inside, too tense and excited to speak to one another. They heard air

-swishing into the air lock. Then, after another half minute, the inner

-door swung open.

-

-Standing there inside facing them was—Ben.

-

-

-

-

-                             19. A NEW LIFE

-

-

-“Ben!” Garry exclaimed jubilantly, rushing into the main part of the

-ship. “Is it really you?”

-

-“I’m not a ghost,” Ben said with a grin, “if that’s what you mean.”

-

-“How did you ever do it?” Patch asked, amazement written all over his

-chubby features. “I mean crash-land the _Carefree_.”

-

-“First tell me how the others are,” Ben asked anxiously.

-

-Garry told him that they were all right, at least for the time being.

-

-Ben was limping as he moved about. Patch asked about this, and Ben said

-it would come out in his story. The boys had entered into the central

-tunnel of the _Carefree_, with its webbing network, and Garry noticed

-that Ben had laid down metallic sheets over the webbing so that it could

-be more easily stood upon.

-

-Ben sat down on this and began his story.

-

-“I had made plans to remain aboard the _Carefree_ before we even started

-working on the flier. When I found that the space taxi would hold only

-seven passengers safely, I knew someone had to stay behind. I was afraid

-the captain would realize that the flier would be overcrowded, but I

-guess he was too busy thinking about other things. The likely one to bow

-out was myself, because I felt that quite possibly I might be able to

-bring the _Carefree_ down in one piece. I knew this region of Hornfield

-was full of huge dust pits that could cushion the fall of a ship if she

-belly-landed in one of them just right. But don’t think I wasn’t scared

-even thinking of trying such a thing! Don’t get me wrong, fellows—I

-wasn’t out to make a hero of myself!”

-

-“You must have had some control over the ship,” Garry said, “otherwise

-she would have crashed headlong onto the moon.”

-

-“I had some control,” Ben explained. “As soon as I released the flier

-from the _Carefree_, I started my attempt to save the ship and myself as

-well. I donned a pressure suit and went into the flight deck. Remember,

-I had gone in there before, soon after the collision. I had noticed then

-that most of the instrument panel had been destroyed.”

-

-“I remember too, Ben, that you helped build the _Carefree_,” Garry said,

-“so you must’ve known a lot about her.”

-

-“I tore out the cover of the console and began working in the section

-beneath. With tools, I was able to get the braking jets to functioning.

-This slowed the ship down to a slow orbit around the moon and gave me

-time to work on the steering controls. I couldn’t do much with them, but

-I was able to move the ship a little to the port or starboard side, as I

-wished. I knew this was as far as I could go, but with some luck I felt

-there was a chance of bringing her down safely.”

-

-“Why didn’t you try this before we all left the ship?” Patch wanted to

-know.

-

-Ben shook his head. “Risk everybody’s life on some crazy plan of my own?

-No, it was too farfetched in the first place, and I guess I would not

-even have tried it myself unless I’d had to. The flier was much the

-safer route to safety, and that’s why getting it to go was my first

-concern. With you guys out of the way, I had no one’s life to risk but

-my own.”

-

-“How did you manage to land as close to the flier as you did?” Garry

-asked.

-

-“My first thought was to land near one of the settlements, because if I

-did make it, then I would immediately send out a search party for the

-rest of you. But I knew I _had_ to land in one of the vast dust pits on

-Luna, because the ship would be destroyed by friction if it skidded

-along the bare ground. I made one orbit of the moon as the ship slowed

-down more and more and lost altitude. I knew roughly in what area the

-flier would likely come down, and I remembered Hornfield Crater as one

-being full of dust pits. As the ship glided lower and lower, I figured

-this would be where I would try to bring her down. The pit we’re in now

-is a very large, long trough, maybe a quarter of a mile long and a

-hundred feet wide. I therefore had a pretty good chance of landing in

-it.”

-

-“Gee, you had a lot of nerve to try something like that!” Patch

-exclaimed.

-

-“I took one last look out where I hoped to come down,” Ben said, “and

-then went under the console into the working parts again. I cut out a

-few of the upper braking jets, and this caused the ship to nose down. I

-felt it plough into the dust as if into a big flour barrel. The ship

-heated up from the friction created, but it slowed her down rapidly, and

-she came to rest on this spot, half buried in pumice. Even so, I nearly

-missed the dust pit, landing only about thirty feet from the edge of

-it.”

-

-“Now what about Katrinka?” Garry asked. “You did send her out, didn’t

-you?”

-

-“Right. I sprained my ankle when the ship landed and I was thrown

-against some machinery. I could hardly walk, but I wanted to make

-contact with the rest of you if it were possible. I then figured that

-the old gal might be able to help me. I worked her over so that I could

-operate her by remote control. I also made for her a command disk, so

-that when she moved near one of you or the flier she would give a radio

-signal to me. I laid down the gangplank myself over the pit, because I

-knew Katrinka would sink down in the dust. It nearly killed me getting

-about and using a hoist to lower the gangplank to the opposite bank, but

-I finally managed it.”

-

-“Then you sent her out?” Patch asked.

-

-“Yes. I used a small telescope to keep track of her. I couldn’t be sure

-where the rest of you had come down, but my plan was to start her moving

-about in a gradually enlarging circle. I was hoping that some of you

-would see her and come over to investigate. Once you had done that, I

-felt sure you would have the curiosity to follow her wherever she led

-you. And this you two fortunately did.”

-

-“We nearly didn’t,” Patch said. “We thought Katrinka had been thrown

-clear of the _Carefree_ after it had crashed and somehow had gotten

-accidentally activated as she had done once on the ship.”

-

-They heard a rap on the outer air-lock door. Patch and Garry exchanged

-bewildered glances, but Ben did not seem very surprised.

-

-“That must be the men from the settlement,” he said, limping over to the

-air lock and shoving the lever that opened the outer door. “I haven’t

-had time to tell you yet that I got through a message to them. You see,

-before I even thought of the trick with Katrinka, I was working on that

-damaged antenna dish that had prevented our sending an SOS after our

-collision in space. At first I didn’t have any replies, and I figured

-there must be interference from the Taurus Mountains beyond.”

-

-“That must be why _our_ SOS didn’t go through!” Patch said.

-

-Ben went on: “I increased my transmitting power and finally got through.

-It’s been less than an hour ago that they said they would send over a

-Service flier rocket immediately.”

-

-The two men who entered the air lock a few moments later were Commander

-Staples and his lieutenant, both members of the Space Service. They had

-been making a routine flight over the moon when they had been contacted

-by the mining scientists who had picked up Ben’s SOS.

-

-The two men had arrived in a big space flier that could easily take care

-of Captain Eaton and the others. Ben and the boys were anxious to get

-started so that the long-drawn-out ordeal their friends had been

-undergoing could be ended as quickly as possible. Commander Staples said

-they could leave immediately.

-

-The boys pulled on their helmets, and the officers helped Ben get into a

-pressure suit. This was painful for Ben because of his swollen ankle.

-Then, with everyone dressed to go out onto the moon’s surface, Ben

-pushed the lever that opened the inner air-lock door. Once outside, they

-started in single file across the gangplank. Ben was in the middle and

-limped along slowly with his hands on the shoulders of the officer in

-front of him to steady himself.

-

-On the way to the flier, they passed the smashed metal body of Katrinka.

-The officers looked at the strange robot with great interest, and Ben

-explained her to them.

-

-“She won’t remain out here to die,” Ben said over his suit radio, as if

-he were talking about a human being. “When we return to the _Carefree_

-one of these days, we’ll rebuild her, and she’ll be as good as new.”

-

-The boys were glad to hear this because now they realized that every one

-of their little group on the _Carefree_ would survive the frightening

-adventure and that once again they would all be together, including

-their robot friend.

-

-“Ben,” Patch asked, “will the _Carefree_ ever fly again?”

-

-“That’s up to Captain Eaton,” Ben replied. “It will take a lot of money

-to put her in shape again, and that includes a powerful set of rockets

-to lift her into space. But knowing how much the captain likes her, I

-believe he’ll spare no expense making her space borne again.”

-

-Commander Staples said to Ben: “I heard you mention Captain Eaton. Our

-radio picked up a spacegram that was addressed to a Captain Eaton. We

-tape those messages routinely, and I’ll be able to give it to him when

-we see him.”

-

-The Service flier was a sleek, streamlined rocket with fins that were

-built to support the craft in the earth’s atmosphere, if need be. She

-also had powerful jets for lifting her up off the surface of any of the

-minor planets.

-

-Commander Staples asked the boys to point out to him on a chart the

-approximate location of their flier, and Garry estimated the position as

-accurately as he could.

-

-Then, with everyone belted down, the flier’s rocket roared into action,

-and the craft lifted into the dark sky. It was a very short trip, and

-the ship did not have to fly too high. Commander Staples’ assistant

-spied the flier and pointed it out to his superior. The ship circled the

-area in a gradually lowering spiral and came to rest about a hundred

-feet from the small grounded space taxi.

-

-A few moments later, Ben and the boys were hurrying across the rough

-ground toward the flier. Garry’s heart was pounding so hard with joy and

-excitement that he could hear its thumping over his helmet receiver.

-

-Those inside had evidently seen their rescuers arrive, because the outer

-door of the air lock was open to receive them.

-

-Garry would never forget the old captain’s happy face when he saw the

-three of them enter. Nor would he forget the tears glistening in the

-corners of Captain Eaton’s eyes as he clasped the boys to his chest in a

-great bear hug that nearly squeezed the life out of them.

-

-“Thank God for this great moment!” the old man said in a husky voice.

-“And Ben—even you, whom we had long ago given up for dead! What have I

-ever done to deserve a happy moment like this?”

-

-He released the boys and clasped Ben to him as if he were another lost

-son. Then the others came forward, their faces gleaming with the

-overwhelming joy they felt at seeing the lost ones returning.

-

-“Ben, you old trickster you!” Mac shouted, pounding his friend on the

-back. “How in the world you came out of that thing alive I’ll never

-know. But right now I don’t care _how_ you did it!”

-

-“Welcome home, stranger!” Isaac said, shaking Ben’s hand vigorously as

-only Isaac could do.

-

-“It’s most gratifying to see you, Ben,” Mr. Klecker said in his butler’s

-tone of voice, which, however, did not mean that he was any less deeply

-moved than the others.

-

-Gino then came forward and took his turn at greeting Ben and the boys.

-The celebration went on for several more minutes, and the little flier

-was pleasantly noisy with joking and happy talk.

-

-But, finally, Commander Staples had to interrupt the celebration with a

-smiling, apologetic voice: “I hate to break up this little party, but

-we’ve got to start back to the mining settlement. You see, I’m on duty

-and I’ve got a busy schedule. They have accommodations for all of you at

-the settlement, and you can make your future plans as soon as you’ve

-arrived there.”

-

-The prisoners of so long a time in the cramped quarters of the flier

-were only too willing to get out of their prison. The commander and his

-assistant went back to the Service flier to get space suits for those

-who did not have them.

-

-After the suits had been distributed, Commander Staples gave a piece of

-paper to Captain Eaton. “Here’s a message for you, Sir, that our radio

-picked up.” He winked at the boys. “Something tells me they’ll be as

-interested in it as you will be.”

-

-The captain read the message and then turned to Garry and Patch with a

-warm expression. “Boys, it looks as though the adoption will go through

-as soon as we go back for a short time and make the arrangements.”

-

-“Gee, I—I don’t know what to say,” Garry murmured, almost too excited

-and happy for words. “It sounds too good to be true!”

-

-“They’re the best words you could have said to us, Sir,” Patch added.

-“Isn’t it just great, Garry!” His sparkling eyes showed how much he

-meant it.

-

-“It’ll be a little strange being called, ‘Father,’” the captain said,

-smiling, “but I think I’ll get used to it pretty quickly.”

-

-Captain Eaton stared off with a faraway look. “We’ll make up for lost

-time, boys. We’ll see as much of the universe as the old _Carefree_ will

-carry us to. Yes, we’ll fix her up again if it takes the rest of my

-fortune. You’ll get your education among the stars, my sons, and you’ll

-be that much wiser because of it.”

-

-Garry and Patch exchanged happy glances. Garry thought they were wiser

-already, just from knowing the grand skipper of the _Carefree_.

-

-

-

-

-                          Transcriber’s Notes

-

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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 54547 ***
+
+                                 YOUNG
+                               STOWAWAYS
+                                IN SPACE
+
+
+                           By RICHARD M. ELAM
+         Author of Young Readers Science Fiction Stories, etc.
+
+                     ILLUSTRATED BY GERALD MC CANN
+
+
+                   _LANTERN PRESS, INC., PUBLISHERS_
+                         257 PARK AVENUE SOUTH
+                           NEW YORK 10, N. Y.
+
+                Copyright © 1960 by Lantern Press, Inc.
+
+           LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 60-13785
+
+                 PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN CANADA BY
+                    GEORGE J. MC LEOD, LTD., TORONTO
+
+              MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
+
+
+
+
+                                CONTENTS
+
+
+  1. Space Ship _Orion_                                                9
+  2. Blast-off                                                        16
+  3. Stowaways in Space                                               25
+  4. Adrift in the Deeps                                              36
+  5. A “Flying Tin Can”                                               47
+  6. A _Carefree_ World                                               56
+  7. A Shock in the Night                                             65
+  8. Garry Has a Scare                                                75
+  9. Satellite Zone                                                   85
+  10. The Lady Goes Wild                                              94
+  11. A Friend Is Lost                                               107
+  12. A Startling Discovery                                          116
+  13. Abandon Ship!                                                  124
+  14. First Hours on Luna                                            133
+  15. A Dark Outlook                                                 142
+  16. A Sad Parting                                                  150
+  17. Dark Peril                                                     160
+  18. Strange Discovery                                              169
+  19. A New Life                                                     181
+
+
+
+
+                                 YOUNG
+                               STOWAWAYS
+                                IN SPACE
+
+
+
+
+                         1. SPACE SHIP _ORION_
+
+
+The orphanage dormitory was locked in the stillness of slumber. Light
+from the full moon filtered through the large window which ran the
+entire length of the boys sleeping quarters.
+
+Twenty cots filled the dormitory, and all but one held its sleeper.
+Dark-haired Garry Coleman was standing beside his cot, quietly dressing.
+Every now and then he would cast an anxious glance toward the darkened
+door at the end of the dormitory. Above all, he must not disturb the
+charge-of-quarters, or all would be lost.
+
+As he sat on the edge of the cot to put on his shoes, Garry heard a
+squeak from one of the cots. He stiffened, his heart thumping fearfully.
+
+Then Garry breathed easily. He saw that it was only Patch, who occupied
+the bunk next to his.
+
+“Hey, Garry, where are you going?” Patch asked interestedly.
+
+Patch was short and towheaded. He was Garry’s best friend, and so Garry
+did not mind telling him.
+
+“I’m going to the spaceport and watch the _Orion_ blast off for the Von
+Braun Space Station. Want to go?”
+
+“Sure thing!” Patch said.
+
+“You’ll have to take the same chance that I do,” Garry reminded him.
+
+“That’s okay by me.” Patch grinned. “If we do get caught, we’ll just be
+restricted to the grounds for two weeks. That won’t keep us out of the
+science lab where we spend a lot of time anyhow.”
+
+It was a warm April night. The sky was thick with stars as bright as
+diamond dust.
+
+“I’d give anything to be out there in the deeps among the planets,”
+Garry said, as they hurried across the newly sprouting lawn of the
+orphanage a few minutes later. “The life of a spaceman must be the most
+exciting thing in the world.”
+
+“Yeah,” Patch agreed. “But I guess we’ll never make it, Garry, at least
+not for many years. And they say you sure have to know science and
+navigation. That takes a lot of study.”
+
+“I wouldn’t care what it takes,” Garry said. “I’d be willing to study
+for as long as it would take, because the reward would be worth the
+effort.”
+
+Their rapid steps took them onto one of the main streets of the city
+where moving sidewalks, called “Ped-A-Rides,” were operating. The
+sidewalk was a continuous belt, about six feet wide, and there were
+benches located at intervals upon it where the pedestrians could sit. A
+railing was on both sides of the Ped-A-Ride, but at intervals of about
+half a block there were gates where pedestrians could enter.
+
+Patch and Garry went to the nearest gate, and Garry pulled the lever
+which slowed the sidewalk down so that they could board it. When Garry
+had deposited their fare in the meter, a bar slid away so that they
+could enter. It was about 2230 o’clock, an hour and a half before
+midnight, and not many people were on the Ped-A-Ride.
+
+The boys took seats, and the sidewalk carried them along into the night.
+
+As the Ped-A-Ride topped the crest of a hill, Garry pointed into the
+distance.
+
+“There she is, Patch—the _Orion_, smoking and straining like a race
+horse, just as if she can’t wait to get going!”
+
+“She sure is a beauty,” Patch agreed. “The earth-bound ships are a whole
+lot trimmer and better looking than the ships that never touch down.”
+
+“The earth-bound ships have to be streamlined so that they can slide
+smoothly through the earth’s atmosphere,” Garry said, “but the ships
+that remain in space look like a bunch of globes and girders, because
+they never meet the friction of any planet’s atmosphere and they don’t
+need the sturdiness and rocket power.”
+
+Patch laughed. “You sound like one of our schoolbooks, Garry,” he said.
+
+As the Ped-A-Ride neared the spaceport, the brilliant lights of the busy
+area merged into a hazy glare that brightened the night until it was
+almost as light as day. The slim prow of the _Orion_ reached higher into
+the sky than any other object on the vast field, even loftier than the
+giant control tower.
+
+“They say the _Orion_ is more space scarred than any other ship in the
+Space Service,” Garry remarked. “Meteor dust has grooved her sides so
+much that they look like the scratches on a rifle bullet.”
+
+“I knew she was one of the oldest crafts in the Service,” Patch said. “I
+guess she’s carried many a person to the Von Braun Station on their way
+to Luna and the other planets.”
+
+The Ped-A-Ride had nearly reached the gate of the spaceport when Garry
+said to his friend, “Patch, we’d better move down among those people
+ahead of us. It looks like they’re going to get off at the port.”
+
+“Why?”
+
+“If one of the port police spots us, he might get suspicious seeing a
+couple of kids alone at this time of night. If we mingle with the crowd,
+the police may think we are with them.”
+
+They got up and began walking forward along the moving platform. Then
+they took seats behind a man who wore the uniform of the Space Service.
+He had several bags, and it seemed likely that he was going to board the
+_Orion_.
+
+As the Ped-A-Ride neared the port gate, Garry closely studied the
+stalwart young man seated before them. Garry wondered at the many
+experiences that must have been encountered by this spaceman during his
+career.
+
+Garry leaned over and touched the spaceman on the shoulder.
+
+“Excuse me, Sir,” he said. “Are you boarding the _Orion_?”
+
+Garry saw a pleasant but deeply lined face turned upward toward his own.
+
+“Yes,” the astronaut replied, then asked, “Are you?”
+
+“Er, no, Sir,” Garry replied. “We—my friend and I—we just want to see
+her blast off.”
+
+The spaceman smiled. “Guess you are pretty interested in space to be
+coming all the way to the port just to see an old crate like the _Orion_
+blast off.”
+
+“Yes, we are, Sir,” Garry replied. “I’m very interested in it. I hope to
+be a spaceman someday.”
+
+“I think you will be, too,” the man said confidently. “I can see the
+enthusiasm in your eyes.”
+
+“Thanks,” Garry returned. “Have you made many trips spaceward?”
+
+“A dozen or so,” was the reply. “The number is not important, though,
+you must understand. Usually, one voyage can last quite a while.”
+
+The spaceman extended a big, sunburned hand to Garry. “I’m First Space
+Officer Mulroy. What’s your name?”
+
+“Garry, Sir. Garry Coleman. My friend here is Patrick Foster, but he’s
+called Patch for short.”
+
+As the Ped-A-Ride neared the gate of the spaceport, Garry had an idea by
+which he and Patch might get inside without being questioned by the port
+police.
+
+“Mr. Mulroy,” Garry said, “I notice that you have some baggage. I wonder
+if Patch and I could help you carry it—maybe aboard the _Orion_.”
+
+The officer smiled. “You want to see what she looks like, eh? Okay, it’s
+a deal.”
+
+“Thank you, Sir,” Garry said.
+
+Presently Officer Mulroy stood up. “Here we are, fellows,” he said.
+“Let’s get our things together quickly. I can’t afford to miss my
+blast-off on the _Orion_. I have a sailing date for Mars in a few weeks,
+and the stars wait for no man!”
+
+
+
+
+                              2. BLAST-OFF
+
+
+Once inside the gate, Mr. Mulroy spoke to a uniformed officer, who
+saluted. The officer turned a tiny dial on a lapel button he wore and
+spoke into it. Garry knew this to be a subminiature radio transmitter
+which was in wide use.
+
+Presently, a square little “T-Car,” or tote car, drove up. It was
+painted green and white, streamlined, and had seats inside. It had a
+convertible top which was opened now because of the pleasant weather.
+
+The baggageman put the spaceman’s things in the compartment, then
+invited his passengers to enter at the door he held open. Garry and
+Patch felt very important as Officer Mulroy motioned them in ahead of
+himself. They felt even more important as they sank down into the soft
+seats and were joined a moment later by this high-ranking officer of the
+Space Service.
+
+The swift little car whisked them off to the Operations Building, to
+which Officer Mulroy had to report before his flight.
+
+When the baggage had been unloaded outside and the T-Car had moved off,
+the spaceman said to the boys, “Wait out here, until I sign up and get
+my instructions. Then we’ll carry my things aboard the _Orion_.”
+
+While they waited, they turned their attention to the space craft some
+distance away. Its blue, satiny sides reflected the glow of thousands of
+lights on the field. Red smoke still curled up into the night, warning
+of the approach of blast-off time. And yet there was still a little
+while to go, for the spiderwebs of the gantry cranes still hugged the
+sides of the three-stage space vessel. Workmen were swarming all over
+the platforms, making last-minute checks on the ship.
+
+There was a high wire fence around the _Orion_ and only one entrance
+through it. A uniformed official was checking tickets as the passengers
+went through the gate. The official checked Officer Mulroy’s ticket, and
+Mr. Mulroy told him it would be all right for the boys to help him carry
+his baggage aboard.
+
+The boys’ new friend took them down some steps into a concrete tunnel
+that led to the launching pad. On the way they stopped at a little room
+where Mr. Mulroy was weighed.
+
+“Weight is a very important factor on a space ship,” Mr. Mulroy said, as
+they were on their way again.
+
+The tunnel led to an elevator that ran up the side of the rocket. The
+elevator cab rose and rose, high into the black night. Finally, Officer
+Mulroy pressed a button and said this was where they were to get off.
+
+Garry and Patch followed their friend out into a corridor of the space
+ship. Officer Mulroy searched the doors they passed, then recognized his
+own, Stateroom 17. He drew out a key and unlocked the door, then
+preceded the boys into the room.
+
+“Gee, what a tiny room!” Patch exclaimed.
+
+“It has to be this small,” Mr. Mulroy said. “Every inch of area on a
+space ship is at a premium, you know. For most travelers, the Von Braun
+Space Station is only a stopover on a longer trip into space. Sometimes
+the layover is for several days or even a week or two. Since rooms
+aboard the space station are very limited, most of the passengers are
+quartered in staterooms in the rocket in which they left earth.”
+
+Suddenly, a voice came over a speaker in the room: “Blast-off in ten
+minutes. All nonpassengers are requested to leave the ship.”
+
+“That’s us,” Garry said unhappily.
+
+How he envied Officer Mulroy on his coming trip into the deeps of space!
+He wanted to go so badly that his heart ached. But he realized that not
+for many years could his fondest dream come true.
+
+Officer Mulroy noticed Garry’s reluctance to leave, and placed a
+friendly arm around his shoulder. “Don’t take it so hard, Garry,” he
+said. “Be the very best student you can. The years will go by fast, and
+then one day you will wake up to find that you are eligible to be a
+spaceman.”
+
+“Thanks,” Garry said, trying to smile convincingly, although he did not
+feel happy. The idea of the future did not interest him now, but only
+the present, because the queen of the spaceways was about to blast off,
+and he wanted so desperately to remain aboard her.
+
+“Let’s go, Garry,” Patch said. “We don’t want to get Officer Mulroy into
+trouble by us being caught aboard at blast-off.”
+
+“That’s right,” Officer Mulroy said with a smile. “Being a stowaway on a
+rocket is really a serious matter. You see, for every pound of pay load
+on a rocket, there must be many more pounds of fuel, so if an extra
+person remained aboard, the ship might not be able to reach its
+destination.”
+
+“Thank you for letting us come aboard with you, Mr. Mulroy,” Garry said.
+“And I’ll remember what you told me.”
+
+The space officer insisted on tipping the boys, and it was a generous
+tip at that. As the two left the room he called to them, “Good-by,
+fellows. I’ll send you a post card from Mars. That’s a promise.”
+
+Garry and Patch said good-by and followed the directions that Officer
+Mulroy had given them for leaving the ship.
+
+Garry pressed the button of the elevator in which they had ridden
+earlier. As the doors parted and he and Patch went in, he said to his
+friend, “Gee, I hate to leave. I don’t know what’s the matter with me,
+Patch. Maybe I’m just tired of having to do the same thing every day,
+over and over.”
+
+“I feel kind of the same way, Garry,” Patch admitted, “but I guess we’ll
+just have to sweat out the old grind for a few more years.”
+
+They had no sooner started to descend than the light in the elevator
+went off, and then the elevator itself stopped.
+
+“Hey, what’s going on!” Garry exclaimed.
+
+“The power’s off!” Patch said.
+
+Presently, the light came on again, and the boys felt a lot better.
+
+“Whew, for a minute I was scared!” Patch said.
+
+“Me too. Hey, we’re still not moving, though!” Garry pressed harder on
+the button, but the elevator refused to move.
+
+“We’re stuck here, Garry!” Patch burst out.
+
+Garry started banging furiously on the walls of the elevator. “We’ve
+just _got_ to make ourselves heard, Patch!” he cried.
+
+The din was very loud in the cramped compartment, as both boys hammered
+on the wall.
+
+No one came to their rescue, but then a voice spoke over the
+public-address speaker in the ceiling of the elevator: “Don’t be
+alarmed, folks. A short circuit in the fuel-pump relay caused us to lose
+electric power momentarily. But everything has been restored to
+normalcy. Warning: Three minutes to blast-off.”
+
+“It _hasn’t_ been restored!” Garry burst out desperately.
+
+The boys pounded on the metal walls until their knuckles hurt.
+
+In a final desperate action, Garry slammed his closed fist against the
+stubborn power button. Instantly, he felt the elevator throb underfoot
+and begin to descend once more.
+
+“Thank goodness!” Garry breathed prayerfully. “But we’ve still got to
+hurry in order to get off in time! No telling how long we’ve been stuck
+in this thing!”
+
+When the elevator stopped, the doors slid open and the boys ran out. But
+they found themselves in a strange corridor.
+
+“We’re not out of the ship yet!” Garry exclaimed. “We’ve only gone down
+a deck or two. The elevator must still be fouled up.”
+
+“What’ll we do now?” Patch asked in desperation.
+
+“Go back into the elevator and try to get to the ground. We’ll have to
+hurry! The elevator is part of the gantry crane, and it’ll be rolled
+away any moment!”
+
+They rushed back to the closed doors of the elevator. But a sign in red
+lights on the door read: “DO NOT ENTER. ELEVATOR REMOVED.”
+
+“They’ve already taken it away!” Patch said in dismay.
+
+“We’ve got to find a place to strap down, or every bone in our bodies
+will be broken on the blast-off!” Garry said.
+
+A speaker along the corridor next gave out with the dread words:
+“Blast-off in ninety seconds, ladies and gentlemen. Secure your seat
+harness and listen to the instructions of the stewards. Failure to obey
+directions could cost you your lives. In the first few moments of
+acceleration in a rocket ship, there is a crushing blow to the human
+body. This jolt will occur twice more as the second and third stages
+blast off. For that reason, it is absolutely necessary that everyone be
+strapped down securely to his G-couch.”
+
+Patch grabbed his friends arm in a fierce grip. “Garry, we’re going to
+die! We’re going to die!” he cried.
+
+Garry shook off Patch and desperately began throwing open doors along
+the corridor, looking into one room after another. “There must be some
+G-couches along here,” he said. “I read somewhere that space law says
+there must be emergency couches on all decks of a rocket ship.”
+
+Patch tagged along after Garry, complaining. Garry could not afford to
+be sympathetic now. Both their lives depended on what he did within the
+next minute.
+
+Then Garry found it. Printed on the door was the heartening word:
+“G-COUCHES.”
+
+He flung open the door and saw a row of six S-shaped reclining seats.
+
+Garry grabbed the arm of his quaking friend in a tight grip and told
+him, “Listen to me, Patch, and do what I tell you. Jump on a couch just
+as fast as you can and don’t waste a second getting those buckles
+fastened across your chest, body, and legs. Now get going!”
+
+Garry helped him along with a shove, then dove for one of the couches
+close by.
+
+As he hastily fastened his own straps in place, Garry cast worried
+glances at his friend, who was fumbling as best he could in his nervous
+state.
+
+A speaker warned of the passing moments: “Zero minus twenty seconds,
+nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen....”
+
+A few seconds more, and Garry’s straps were securely fastened. He
+twisted his head to see how Patch was doing. Patch had almost all his
+straps in place, but he could not seem to get the chest buckle
+tightened.
+
+“Hurry, Patch, please hurry!” Garry cried.
+
+“I—I’m doing the best I can,” Patch said, and Garry could see the
+streams of sweat trickling down his round face.
+
+Then, with a final lucky tug, Patch had it. Turning his weakly smiling
+face to Garry, he murmured, “Garry, I guess I just barely did....”
+
+Garry never heard the rest of the words, for at that moment the _Orion_
+shook herself like a big dog, began a slow tug upward into the black
+night, and then, a few seconds later, with a deafening roar tore free of
+her earthly bonds and flung herself into space.
+
+
+
+
+                         3. STOWAWAYS IN SPACE
+
+
+Garry had read about the rough effects of blast-off, but the real thing
+was even worse than he had imagined. He felt like one of those
+characters in movie cartoons who gets flattened to the thickness of
+paper when run over. His lungs felt as though they had collapsed, and he
+could suck in only the barest trace of breath.
+
+But the discomfort did not last long. His body seemed to fill out like
+an inflated balloon, although he still felt the ache of having been
+nearly squashed. His stomach felt as though it had been stirred up with
+an egg beater, and his head swam.
+
+But no sooner had he recovered from the first violent thrust than it
+came again as the rocket’s second stage began firing. Then the crushing
+pressure eased once more, only to return once again as the third stage,
+the occupied section of the _Orion_, began firing away. When this force
+let up, Garry knew it was the last.
+
+The ship did not appear to be moving, but Garry knew it must be
+traveling many thousands of miles an hour.
+
+Garry’s shaky hands groped for the belts of the harness that snugly
+fitted his body. He worked the buckles loose from his upper body and sat
+up on his G-couch. He did not release his legs, because he was already
+feeling the dizzying effects of weightlessness. He looked across at
+Patch on the next couch.
+
+Patch was still lying flat, and his face was pasty white. His eyes were
+closed, and this alarmed Garry.
+
+“Patch!” Garry called, repeating the name over and over.
+
+Patch had blacked out, but after a few minutes he came back to
+consciousness.
+
+“Wh—what happened?” Patch asked in a weak voice.
+
+“We’re in space, Patch,” Garry replied. “They’ll probably think we’re
+stowaways and send us to jail. Maybe Officer Mulroy will get in trouble
+too.”
+
+But this was the least of Patch’s worries right now. He put his hand to
+his head, complaining, “Gee, I feel terrible. Everything’s going around!
+And I had the worst nightmare all night long!”
+
+Garry had to grin at this. “We haven’t been here all night, just a few
+minutes. It just seems like a long time.”
+
+Patch fumbled loose his upper straps and struggled to a sitting
+position, but fell back down onto his contour seat. “Wow, I can’t make
+it!” he said thickly.
+
+“There’s no use trying to get up,” Garry said. “We’re weightless and
+would never be able to get about. It’s funny how I wanted so terribly to
+go into space, but now that I’m out here I’m not enjoying it. I guess
+it’s because I’m afraid of what’s coming.”
+
+Garry wondered what they should do. Should they turn themselves in and
+take their chances on being believed that their being aboard the _Orion_
+was due to an accident? But if they did this, then Mr. Mulroy might be
+held responsible for not seeing that the boys had left the ship. And
+yet, Garry realized, he and Patch could not stay in hiding indefinitely.
+Sooner or later they must be found out. If they did not turn themselves
+in, and they were discovered, they would surely be regarded as
+stowaways.
+
+Then a new fear came to Garry. What if his and Patch’s combined weight
+was over the ship’s allowable limit? What if their being aboard would
+keep them from reaching the space station and, instead, cause the
+earth’s gravity to pull the _Orion_ back down? In that case the two of
+them could possibly cost the space-ship line a new rocket worth
+millions, not to mention the lives of all the persons aboard in case a
+safe landing could not be made!
+
+Garry was occupied with these grave thoughts until he heard the
+public-address system saying: “We are now in braking orbit.”
+
+Garry knew this meant that the ship had reached the vicinity of the
+space station and was beginning to circle the station while the braking
+rockets were cut in. This procedure would slow down the _Orion_ so that
+she would be moving at the same orbital speed as the space station. Then
+it would be easy for her to slip into dock.
+
+Garry and Patch felt the tug of the ship’s gradually diminishing speed,
+but this was not nearly as rough as the blast-off had been. As the
+_Orion_ moved into dock, the boys felt their weight returning. This was
+due to the station’s rotation and artificial gravity.
+
+“Well, it looks like the ship has made it all right,” Patch said,
+relieved. “They must not have had a full load.”
+
+The boys heard the technical language of the docking procedure. Garry
+listened closely, even though he could not understand much of it. But
+this was all part of the spaceman’s education, and he was eager to learn
+it, even at such a crucial moment as this.
+
+Yet as he listened, he had another unpleasant thought. Now that he and
+Patch had the blot of “stowaway” against them, would this misconduct
+prevent them from realizing their dream of being future spacemen?
+
+Finally, the ship’s motion stopped altogether. The _Orion_ had nestled
+into her dock on the big Von Braun Space Station, named after the great
+space scientist of the past century.
+
+“Now where do we go from here?” Patch asked, as the two removed their
+harness straps and got to their feet. “Garry, I’m scared, plenty scared!
+Wow, I’m a little wobbly too!”
+
+“Let’s stay put until we hear further announcements over the speaker,”
+Garry suggested. “It’ll give us time to think this through a little
+longer.”
+
+“We’re just stalling, that’s what we’re doing, aren’t we, Garry? We
+don’t want to turn ourselves in because we’re afraid of what will happen
+to us,” Patch said.
+
+Garry hung his head. “I guess that’s what it does amount to, Patch. I
+keep thinking what this will do to our hopes of being spacemen. I’m
+afraid we’ll never make it now.”
+
+They stayed in hiding for another half hour. Then Garry said: “We’ve got
+to have something to live on until we make up our minds what we’re going
+to do, Patch. I think space ships have emergency-ration compartments
+located along the corridors. I’m in favor of looking for one.”
+
+“That’s better than just waiting here and doing nothing,” Patch agreed.
+
+“I’ll look out and see if the coast is clear,” Garry said.
+
+He looked around outside and then motioned to Patch. They started off
+quietly down the corridor, but after a moment they heard footsteps
+approaching from around the corner behind them.
+
+“Garry, we’ve got to hide!” Patch whispered urgently. “Somebody’s
+coming!”
+
+Garry saw a door up ahead. “That leads into an air lock, Patch. We may
+be safe in there.”
+
+Garry turned a wheel on the door, and it swung open. They found
+themselves in a short tunnel, at the other end of which was another
+door. The air lock was used for entering and leaving the ship while it
+was in space. The spaceman would enter the chamber and wait for the air
+pressure to equalize before he left the air lock.
+
+Garry quickly turned another wheel on the inside of the door, closing
+it.
+
+“We can’t stay in here very long without air,” Garry said. “The other
+end of this air lock probably leads directly into the space station.
+Shall we try it?”
+
+“This running and hiding has got to end somewhere,” Patch replied with
+discouragement. “Lead on.”
+
+Garry checked the pressure gauge on the far door and saw that there was
+normal pressure on the other side. He turned the wheel on the door, and
+it swung open. The boys went through, and Garry wheeled the door shut
+behind them.
+
+They were in a huge enclosed dock of the space station. Lined up ahead
+were several space taxis, or fliers, which were used for trips outside
+the station and also doubled as lifeboats in time of emergency.
+
+“Gee, it’s cold in here!” Patch said.
+
+“The main thing, though, is that there’s no one around,” Garry said.
+“It’ll give us time to collect our thoughts.”
+
+“That’s what you think,” Patch whispered, tugging at Garry’s arm. “There
+come a couple of men down that corridor across the way!”
+
+Garry moved quickly and quietly, pulling Patch along. As the men entered
+the dock, the boys ducked out of sight behind one of the space fliers.
+
+The men approached the flier next to the outer door of the dock and
+pressed a button on the taxi’s surface. Its door sprang open, and the
+men entered the flier.
+
+They were in there for fully five minutes. During that time, Garry began
+to shiver, but it was not from fright so much as it was the coldness of
+the dock. Garry felt Patch shaking beside him and knew his friend was
+just as uncomfortable as he. But they had to stay put. There was no
+other place they could go at this moment.
+
+Finally, the men came out of the space taxi, closed the door, and, to
+the relief of Garry and Patch, disappeared up the corridor.
+
+Garry stood up and hugged himself.
+
+“Garry, I—I’m freezing to death,” Patch chattered.
+
+“So am I. We sure can’t stay here like this,” Garry replied.
+
+“Why don’t we try getting into one of these ships?” Patch suggested.
+“Maybe they’ve got heaters inside.”
+
+Garry pressed the button of the ship which they had been hiding behind,
+but the door did not open.
+
+“The power is off or something,” Garry groaned.
+
+“Maybe the first one will open,” Patch said. “It worked for those men.”
+
+Garry went over to the first craft and pressed the door button.
+Instantly, the door sprang open. A tiny air-lock chamber faced them.
+
+“Thank goodness,” Patch murmured. “Let’s go in.”
+
+“What if the men come back?” Garry cautioned. “They may be preparing for
+a trip.”
+
+“There are windows facing the corridor,” Patch said. “We can keep an eye
+out for them and duck for cover again if they return. Gee, let’s try it
+anyhow, Garry! I feel like a penguin that’s lost all its feathers!”
+
+Garry agreed and entered the flier, Patch climbing in behind. A second
+door led from the air lock chamber into the flier proper. Besides the
+pilot’s seat, there were six other seats, three on a side. It was warmer
+in here than outside, and Garry felt heat gently blowing. This made him
+suspect that the men had just turned it on and that they were going to
+return for a trip in the craft.
+
+“I’m afraid we won’t have long to stay in here,” Garry told his friend
+and mentioned his suspicion to him.
+
+“I guess you’re right,” Patch agreed. “Where will we go from here?
+Garry, I’m tired of running. And I’m getting more scared by the minute
+because of what we’re doing. Why don’t we just turn ourselves in and
+face the music, whatever it is?”
+
+Through a window of the taxi, Garry was watching the corridor for signs
+of the returning men. “I guess you’re right, Patch,” he said. “We’ll
+give ourselves up when those men return.”
+
+“I don’t think we should wait until then,” Patch objected. “It will go a
+lot easier for us if we give ourselves up voluntarily instead of looking
+as if we had been caught.”
+
+Once again Garry agreed, but, as he was reaching for the button to open
+the door, he heard a click.
+
+“What was that?” Patch asked in alarm. “What did you do?”
+
+“Nothing,” Garry said. “Something was operating all by itself.”
+
+A soft purring sound began to be heard inside the craft, and Garry felt
+the little ship vibrating ever so softly.
+
+“Patch,” Garry said tensely, “I don’t like this.” He tried the door
+button, but it would not work.
+
+“What’s happening?” Patch asked, and there was fright in his voice.
+
+A movement outside in the dock caught the boys’ eyes. Through the wide
+front port of the ship, they watched a big door slide open, revealing a
+dark air-lock tunnel—a tunnel large enough to hold the craft which they
+were occupying!
+
+“Garry,” Patch repeated, “what’s happening!”
+
+Garry slumped into one of the seats, fear numbing his heart.
+
+“Now I know what kind of ship this is, Patch,” he murmured. “It’s remote
+controlled, guided by an operator inside the space station. We’re
+heading straight out into space, Patch!”
+
+
+
+
+                         4. ADRIFT IN THE DEEPS
+
+
+Trapped within the space taxi, Garry and Patch watched the darkness of
+space enlarge before their eyes as the ship emerged from the air-lock
+tunnel of the space station. The stars about them were countless lights,
+some packed so closely together that they trailed across the sky like
+distant streaming veils. But the boys had no eye for their beauty at
+this time.
+
+“Garry,” Patch asked in a dismal voice, “what’s going to happen to us?”
+
+“As long as they have control of the ship, I guess we’ll be all right,”
+Garry replied. “Maybe they are just sending the ship out on a practice
+run or possibly to pick someone up.”
+
+“Pick someone up?” Patch asked, puzzled.
+
+“I was thinking of satellite workers or repairmen. The skies out here
+are flooded with satellites, you know. They must have men working on
+them all the time,” Garry explained.
+
+Garry heard a hissing sound. He found a slit in the wall from which it
+was coming. Near the opening was a gauge.
+
+“That’s an oxygen mixture coming in,” Garry said. “It’s probably
+automatic. It turns on whenever the air pressure drops or becomes
+fouled.”
+
+“That’s something in our favor,” Patch said grudgingly.
+
+Garry found his feet beginning to lift weightlessly off the floor. His
+body sagged off balance, and he had to hold onto a handle on one of the
+seats.
+
+“Garry, what’ll we do?” Patch exclaimed frantically. “We’re going
+weightless!”
+
+“Let’s look for a wardrobe compartment,” Garry suggested. “Since these
+fliers are used as lifeboats sometimes, there must be space suits and
+things. Maybe we’ll find magnetic shoes, too.”
+
+“How’ll we ever get around in here to look for anything?” Patch
+sputtered. By now he was floating, his legs and arms flailing helplessly
+like a bug on its back.
+
+Using the handles on the backs of the seats, Garry worked his way across
+to a cabinet set in the wall. Then he moved from the last seat handle to
+the wall rail and worked himself down it to the plastic case. Through
+the clear window Garry could see space suits and accessories. He pressed
+a button, and the door popped open.
+
+“We’re in luck, Patch,” Garry reported. “There are magnetic shoes in
+here. I hope the gravity plates in the floor are working.”
+
+Garry managed to pick up two pairs of the shoes, tucking one pair under
+one arm. That left one hand holding the second pair and the other hand
+free.
+
+Even then, it took quite some doing for him to work his way across to
+Patch, who looked like a pennant floating in the breeze as he hung
+crossways in the air, one hand tightly clutching a seat handle.
+
+“Garry, I don’t feel so good,” Patch complained. “Everything in me feels
+like its pushing upward. Even my brain seems to be floating.”
+
+“It’s lack of gravity doing that,” Garry said. “You are used to gravity
+always pulling down on you. When that pull is gone, it makes you feel as
+if your body is moving up. At least that’s what all the books say. And I
+believe them, because I feel that way myself. Here are your shoes.
+They’re pretty big, but they’ll be better than nothing.”
+
+“Garry, how’ll I ever get them on?” Patch protested.
+
+“I’ll hold onto you while you put them on,” Garry offered. “That’ll make
+it easier—I guess.”
+
+Garry got behind Patch and held him by the collar. Then began Patch’s
+struggles with the shoes. It was comical for Garry to see his friend
+having such a hard time, but he knew Patch would have the laugh on him
+later.
+
+It took them both a good while to get the shoes on. When the floor
+current of the gravity plates finally held them down, the boys laughed
+at each other in their oversized equipment.
+
+“I guess we look like snowshoe rabbits with our big feet!” Patch said
+with a laugh. “Good thing those straps pulled up tight, or we’d never be
+able to keep them on.”
+
+The craft had been moving along smoothly, but before long it began to
+shudder irregularly.
+
+“The jets have cut out, Patch,” Garry said. “We’re coasting. Without any
+air friction out here in space, we _could_ coast along forever.”
+
+“Garry, don’t say that!” Patch gasped.
+
+But Garry found out that his guess was wrong, and he was glad that it
+had been. Presently, twin jets of flame were seen pouring from the front
+of the craft.
+
+“Garry, we’re on fire!” Patch shouted.
+
+“No, they’re the braking jets,” Garry corrected. “We’re being slowed
+down, Patch! I think we’ll find out very soon now what our destination
+is.”
+
+“Thank goodness for that,” Patch replied. “You know, you got me plenty
+worried when you said that we might coast forever out here. Although
+after about a hundred years I probably wouldn’t mind any longer!”
+
+“Look, Patch,” Garry cried. “Up ahead—a satellite! That must be where
+we’re headed!”
+
+As they approached, the craft still being slowed by the braking jets,
+Garry and Patch took in the scene before them. The satellite itself
+somewhat resembled a giant radio speaker. Its largest area was a huge
+reflecting surface, and this surface was made up of adjustable panels
+that could be banked in any direction. The boys could see around the
+side of the satellite, and backing up the front broad surface was a
+block-shaped structure with windows.
+
+As the tiny space craft drew closer, the boys saw a hatch open in the
+rear structure, and two men in space suits emerged, holding onto hand
+rails on the outside of the satellite.
+
+“That’s one of the radio and TV relay satellites, Patch,” Garry said.
+“There are three of them, spaced equally around the earth, for relaying
+TV and radio all over the world. Our ship has probably been sent out to
+pick up these men and bring them back to the station.”
+
+“Won’t they be surprised when they see us aboard?” Patch remarked.
+
+Garry noticed that the space taxi seemed to be moving a little off
+course, and this disturbed him, especially since one of the forward jets
+had cut off but the other hadn’t.
+
+The craft was veering steadily away from the satellite and slowing
+rapidly. Finally, it came to a dead stop several hundred yards from the
+satellite, but then it began backing up. As the craft gained speed in
+reverse, Garry and Patch were nearly knocked off their feet from the
+acceleration.
+
+“The front jet is propelling us backward!” Garry cried. “There’s
+something wrong with the remote control!”
+
+The craft began going into a dizzy spin. The boys had to hold on tightly
+to some anchored support to keep from being flung against the wall.
+
+Garry watched the satellite become lost against the sprawling background
+of stars. He knew they were hurtling farther out into space, out of
+control, headed for a destination now that even the space-station
+operators might not know.
+
+The boys were so disheartened by the latest bad break that, for the time
+being, they did not care what happened to them. This lowering of their
+spirits seemed to remind them that they were a long time past their
+slumber time, and they suddenly became very sleepy. By earth time, it
+would be the dark hours before dawn.
+
+They went to sleep on their feet, because in the zero gravity there was
+no need for them to lie down. Their magnetic soles held them in place to
+keep them from drifting about as they slept.
+
+Garry was the first to wake up, hours later. There was no way for him to
+know how much time had passed. He woke his friend, who stretched and
+yawned.
+
+“I never thought I’d be able to sleep standing up,” Patch said. “I feel
+like a horse.”
+
+“We got a good rest,” Garry said. “I guess that’s because of the zero
+gravity.”
+
+Patch looked gloomily out of the front port of the flier. “We’re still
+no better off than we were before, though, Garry, but, I think we have
+stopped moving.”
+
+Garry shook his head. “It just seems like we’re not moving because the
+stars and everything else around us are so still. We’re moving all
+right—and fast. This ship may still be moving after we’re dead, even if
+we could live for a hundred years, because there’s nothing ever to slow
+us down out here; that is, unless we happened to move into the gravity
+field of some planet, which would pull us down.”
+
+“I knew we should have turned ourselves in when we had the chance,”
+Patch said mournfully. “If we had, we wouldn’t be in this fix now.”
+
+Garry agreed. “It’s all my fault for trying to hold out so long.”
+
+“Well, too late now to do anything,” Patch said.
+
+“I don’t think we should give up hope,” Garry said. “They might still
+send out a ship to try to pick up this one. They know it’s lost, but of
+course they don’t know there’s anybody in it, and they may not know
+where to look for it.”
+
+He investigated the sloping wall between him and the front window. The
+middle of it was shaped something like an old-fashioned roll-top desk,
+closed up.
+
+“Hmm,” Garry thought to himself. “This ship has been run by remote
+control until now, but why shouldn’t it have controls of its own? If it
+does have them, they should be right here in front of me.”
+
+Garry’s hopes soared again as he ran his hands over the light-green
+plastic slope in front of him.
+
+“A button,” he whispered. “There must be a button or something that
+opens this thing up.”
+
+“Hey, what’re you mumbling about?” Patch asked.
+
+Garry was too concerned with what he was doing to answer his friend.
+Suddenly, he found something on the left side of the instrument. It was
+a button. He pressed it.
+
+Two covers began swinging open in front of him, as stage curtains would
+do, revealing a bank of dials and levers.
+
+“Patch!” Garry shouted. “Look what!”
+
+Patch came clicking over in his magnetic shoes. “Hey, they’re
+instruments for running this crate! Why didn’t we think of looking for
+them before?” he cried.
+
+“Probably because we don’t know how to operate them,” Garry replied.
+
+There was a half-circle steering wheel that pulled out, and the boys
+were sure what this was for.
+
+“Garry,” Patch said happily, “the steering wheel—that may be all that
+we’ll need! Since the ship is moving under its own power, all we have to
+do is turn her around and head back for the space station. We can keep
+circling it until one of the ships from the station intercepts us!”
+
+Garry tried the wheel. It was locked tight.
+
+“It’s not that easy, Patch,” he said. “First we’ve got to find how to
+unlock the wheel.”
+
+“That ought not to be hard,” Patch replied. “A button or switch....”
+
+They both began carefully examining the steering column and wheel, but
+did not find anything that would release the wheel. Then they went over
+the console panel very closely. They found switches and levers that
+could not be identified, but they decided to try them anyhow and see
+what they controlled.
+
+They got no result at first, but, when the fourth switch was thrown, the
+console lighted up and the ship began to throb with a new life.
+
+“That must have been one of the power levers,” Garry said. “Look—the
+steering wheel is free! The power had to be on before it would unlock
+the wheel.”
+
+“Garry!” Patch exclaimed, “we’re on our way! We’re on our way.”
+
+“I hope my sense of direction is correct,” Garry said, “because I can’t
+read those directional meters. I think we’ll be headed in the general
+direction of the station if we make a half turn. I remember the position
+of that brilliant nebula over there and also the planet Venus.”
+
+Garry was beginning to turn the wheel slowly for their gradual turnabout
+in the sky when the smell of something burning issued from the console.
+
+“Hey, something seems to be shorting out,” Patch said in alarm. “Look!
+There’s smoke coming from the panel!”
+
+No sooner had he spoken than there was a small explosion inside the
+console, a strong odor of ozone filled the boys’ nostrils, and all the
+lights went out. But what was worse, the steering wheel froze in Garry’s
+hands and locked again.
+
+“Patch, we’re ruined!” Garry groaned loudly. “I must have done something
+wrong!”
+
+Garry put his hands over his face in despair. “Patch, we were so close,
+so very close....”
+
+“It looks like something just doesn’t want us to get out of this alive,”
+Patch said bitterly. “We’re jinxed, Garry!”
+
+“It’ll do no good to start feeling sorry for ourselves again,” Garry
+said. “Remember, we thought we were goners before. Something may turn up
+to save us—something maybe like a Good Samaritan flying around in a
+space ship just looking for wandering boys. But how many of those do you
+think you would find in all the millions of miles of space that surround
+us?”
+
+Suddenly Garry stood upright, staring intently straight out the forward
+port. “Speaking of Good Samaritans, Patch, that might not be so
+farfetched after all. Look out there, straight ahead. There’s a light
+moving against the stars. It just might be a space ship!”
+
+“I see it,” Patch said, with a trace of hope returning, “but it’s most
+likely a Sputnik or Tiros or some other satellite.”
+
+“I don’t think so. Its movement isn’t perfectly straight. I’m sure I
+just saw it change direction as if heading this way. Patch, if you’ve
+ever prayed, do it now. The next few minutes may decide whether we live
+or die out here in space!”
+
+
+
+
+                         5. A “FLYING TIN CAN”
+
+
+The boys watched intently as the object neared them. Although it was
+still pretty far off, they knew that it was not a true celestial object,
+because they could determine already that it was shaped like nothing
+usually found in space. In fact, it looked remarkably like a tin can! It
+was an odd shape for a space ship, but the boys were sure that was what
+it was.
+
+“That’s not like anything I’ve ever seen!” Garry said. “And I’ve seen
+all kinds of pictures of space ships in magazines and books.”
+
+“It must be a special kind of ship,” Patch suggested. “But just so it
+really is a space ship with living people in it, it can be shaped like a
+barbecue pit for all I care!”
+
+“Patch!” Garry said in a stricken voice. “What if it’s from another
+planet and carries strange people? Maybe even _unfriendly_ passengers!”
+
+Patch’s eyes shone like bright marbles. “Gee, you don’t really think so,
+do you? I—I mean, how could it be possible? We’ve already explored Mars
+and Venus, and those planets aren’t inhabited. How could anything
+possibly live on those big cold planets farther out?”
+
+“Maybe they are from another star,” Garry said in a solemn tone.
+
+They would know pretty soon where the flying object was from, because it
+was still heading in their direction, and its passengers could not
+possibly miss seeing them.
+
+Garry and Patch were silent as the object drew steadily closer, each of
+them engrossed in his own thoughts.
+
+“It really does look like a tin can,” Patch said. “A tin can with a big
+eye in front! But what a big tin can! It’s big as one of those ancient
+dirigibles.”
+
+“Patch, I can begin to make out some writing over the eye. See it?”
+
+“Yes. Just a moment. It’s coming into focus. It says ‘CAREFREE!’ I don’t
+know what it means, but it _sounds_ friendly.”
+
+“That must be the name of it,” Garry suggested. “No ship with a name
+like that could be carrying unfriendly passengers.”
+
+“It also means that there must be earthmen aboard, because it’s an earth
+word.”
+
+“I don’t think we have anything to worry about, Patch,” Garry said
+confidently.
+
+“Now they’re turning around,” Patch said. “They—they’re pulling even
+with us. I guess they’ll anchor to us with magnetic grapples.”
+
+Carefully, the _Carefree_ edged closer so that it could latch on. The
+big circular space ship dwarfed the tiny taxi so greatly that it seemed
+like David and Goliath.
+
+Garry and Patch heard a soft bump as the _Carefree_ coupled onto the
+side of their craft on which the door was located. Garry knew now that
+the ships were joined as one.
+
+Garry looked at Patch, and Patch looked at Garry. They knew all they had
+to do now was open the air locks between the ships. But they hesitated
+as if there were still some doubt in their minds as to the friendliness
+of those in the other space ship.
+
+There came a rap on their air-lock door. Once again Garry looked at
+Patch, and Patch looked at Garry. Then, after another few moments of
+hesitation, Garry shrugged and clicked over to the door.
+
+“We may as well open up,” he said. “Whether or not they’re friendly,
+they’ve certainly got the upper hand.”
+
+Garry pressed the button that controlled the outer door of the air lock.
+Then he pressed another that opened the inner door.
+
+Garry and Patch looked through the double air locks into the face of a
+man who wore a small, neat white beard. He appeared to be in his early
+sixties, and he was clinging to a webbing of ropes that completely
+covered the walls of a giant tube or tunnel.
+
+“Hello,” the man said, with a smile.
+
+“Hello,” Garry and Patch replied together. And they smiled too, because
+they were very glad that it was an earthman who faced them.
+
+“I must say I didn’t expect to find a couple of boys alone in here,” the
+man went on. “What’s happened to the adults with you? You didn’t heave
+them out the waste hatch, did you?” The elderly man laughed.
+
+“Uh, no, Sir,” Garry replied with hesitation. “We’ve been by ourselves
+ever since this flier left the Von Braun Space Station. It’s a pretty
+long story, Sir.”
+
+“The name is Captain Eaton, boys.” The man winked at them, showing his
+white teeth in another smile. “Oh, I’m not really a space captain. I
+wouldn’t deceive you. The _Carefree_ is a private ship, and the men call
+me ‘Captain’ because I’m the owner.”
+
+Captain Eaton’s dark, alert eyes flickered over the interior of the
+flier.
+
+“I thought whoever was in this ship must be in some sort of trouble,” he
+said, “because of your erratic flight. That’s why we latched onto you,
+to see if we could be of some help.”
+
+“We _do_ need help, Captain,” Patch said earnestly. “We don’t know the
+first thing about running this thing. We had just about given ourselves
+up for lost.”
+
+“How in the world did you get into such a spot as this?” Captain Eaton
+asked.
+
+“Well, Sir,” Garry explained, lowering his eyes, “you see, we’re
+stowaways, although we’ve been able to escape being caught all this
+time. We didn’t _mean_ to be stowaways, Captain. We were helping an
+officer aboard the _Orion_ with his gear, and the rocket blasted off
+before we could get out.”
+
+“Say, I’ll bet your parents are worried to death about you,” Captain
+Eaton said.
+
+“No, Sir,” Patch answered. “You see, we’re orphans, and we lived in an
+orphanage back in the United States.”
+
+“I see,” the elderly man replied, stroking his short, snowy beard. Then
+suddenly he grinned broadly. “Well, fellows, how would you like to be
+rescued?”
+
+“We’re all for it!” Garry answered, and Patch nodded his head
+vigorously.
+
+“Come aboard then. The _Carefree_ welcomes you!”
+
+“What about the flier?” Garry asked. “We don’t want to be charged with
+stealing a space craft.”
+
+“I’ll have Ben Dawes come aboard and set her adrift toward the satellite
+so that she can be picked up easily,” the captain said.
+
+“I think we blew something out when we tried to start her,” Patch said.
+
+“Ben’s a genius,” Captain Eaton replied. “He’ll get her to running, no
+matter what’s wrong with her.”
+
+With this taken care of, the boys were anxious to board the _Carefree_
+and see if her interior were as strange and unusual looking as her outer
+hull. They removed their bulky magnetic shoes and entered the air lock
+of the _Carefree_.
+
+Captain Eaton first explained the purpose of the webbing that lined the
+walls of the tube.
+
+“As you boys saw us move in, you probably know that this is the rear of
+the ship, and this tunnel is in the center. It goes the full length of
+our ‘tin can’ and comes out front into the flight deck. We have to leave
+and enter the ship through the rear end of this tube. Understand?”
+
+“Yes, Sir,” the boys answered together.
+
+“The outer round surface of our ‘tin can’ revolves around this center
+tube as though it were a wheel around an axis,” the captain went on. “By
+so doing, an artificial gravity is induced along the inside rim of the
+‘can.’” Captain Eaton frowned. “Am I getting too deep for you?”
+
+“I don’t think so, Sir,” Garry replied. “The gravity you are talking
+about is the result of centrifugal action—the same action that makes a
+ball swing out on the end of a string when a person swings it around his
+head. It’s the same kind of artificial gravity they use on the manned
+space stations.”
+
+“You’re pretty sharp, son. I like a boy who doesn’t think that facts
+belong only in a schoolroom.”
+
+“I’ve always been very interested in space, Sir,” Garry said. “I’ll bet
+I’d surprise you with all I know about it.”
+
+“I’m sure you would,” Captain Eaton admitted. “Say, I don’t even know
+your names. I’ve told you mine. Now let’s have yours.”
+
+“I’m Garry Coleman,” Garry answered, “and this is my best friend, Patch
+Foster.”
+
+Since the center tube of the _Carefree_ was not affected by the
+centrifugal force of the rotating “tin can,” its gravity was zero. For
+that reason the webbing was used to pull oneself along with and not
+really for the purposes of climbing and descending.
+
+Captain Eaton turned around on the webbing so that he could lead the way
+along the tunnel into the living quarters of the _Carefree_. His slim,
+agile legs swung free in the zero gravity as he made the turn. Glossy
+black space boots covered his feet.
+
+The captain showed Garry where to pull a lever which closed a series of
+air-lock doors between the _Carefree_ and the taxi.
+
+The ship’s master and the boys pulled themselves along the tunnel. Then
+Captain Eaton stopped and said, “Hold on tightly, fellows. We’re going
+round and round for a few turns.”
+
+He pushed a lever beneath the webbing, and Garry felt the tube begin to
+revolve slowly.
+
+“Hey, what’s happening?” Patch called out.
+
+“I had to set the tunnel in rotation so that it could catch up with the
+rest of the ship, which is always turning. As soon as you’ve become used
+to the spinning, we’ll go into the ship.”
+
+When the boys said they thought they could navigate, the captain pointed
+to an open hatch that had appeared in the wall near them.
+
+“We’ll turn around and back down these stairs,” the skipper said. “As we
+descend, the gravity will become stronger, so that by the time we’re at
+the bottom we’ll be nearly at our earth weights.”
+
+Garry and Patch followed their new friend down the stairs, moving
+carefully and holding onto the railing, for they still felt giddy from
+the rotation of the central tube. By the time they were at the bottom,
+their heads had begun to clear.
+
+That is, they _thought_ their heads had begun to clear. But no sooner
+had they gotten this impression than they became giddy all over again at
+the sight that met their eyes. For it was just as if they had entered a
+tropical paradise! There were real flowers in bloom all about, and
+aquariums full of live fishes were set into the surrounding walls.
+
+The boys were too surprised to say anything. All they could do was just
+stare and stare in disbelief.
+
+
+
+
+                         6. A _CAREFREE_ WORLD
+
+
+“How do you like my garden, fellows?” Captain Eaton asked. “It helps
+keep me from getting homesick. I used to have a most luxuriant garden
+back on earth.”
+
+“I can’t believe it!” Garry burst out. “It’s just as if we were outdoors
+on a summer day, it’s so real.”
+
+“There’s a goldfish pond, Garry,” Patch said, “with lily pads floating
+on top and a bench beside it.”
+
+“I never saw so many kinds of flowers,” Garry said, “and shrubs too.”
+
+“The flowers and shrubs serve a double purpose,” Captain Eaton
+explained. “They not only provide homelike pleasure to me and my
+friends, but they also help keep the air in the _Carefree_ supplied with
+oxygen.”
+
+“I remember,” Garry replied. “Plants in light breathe exactly opposite
+from the way we do. They breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out
+oxygen.”
+
+Patch stooped down, examining the roots of a shrub. “Hey, the roots
+aren’t growing in soil! How can they live?”
+
+“The plants grow in richly fertilized liquid,” the captain answered. “In
+that way, they can be placed much closer together. Besides, some of the
+water making up the fertilized liquid comes from waste products within
+the ship. There are other reasons too.”
+
+Captain Eaton led the way along the aisle that ran beside the colorfully
+lighted aquariums. He stopped in front of a twenty-gallon tank which was
+in the process of being cleaned by two men.
+
+One of them was very tall, over six and a half feet. He was very thin
+and appeared to be in his late fifties. But the oddest thing about him,
+which made Garry and Patch stare at him in surprise, was the fact that
+he was in the full dress of a butler, complete with newly starched white
+shirt and neatly pressed coat and trousers! Although he was holding a
+bucket that was catching water from a draining aquarium, his clothing
+wasn’t in the least mussed.
+
+Captain Eaton saw the boys staring at the tall gentleman and said,
+“Boys, I want you to meet Mr. Klecker, the Eaton family butler for many
+years. When I decided to set out into space on my permanent cruise, he
+would not think of being left behind. Klecker, this is Garry and this is
+Patch. They will be our guests for awhile.”
+
+Mr. Klecker looked at them with heavy-lidded eyes. Then, bowing, he said
+in a deep stately voice, “Pleased, young gentlemen.”
+
+“Glad to know you, Mr. Klecker,” Garry said.
+
+“Me too,” Patch added.
+
+The other person attending to the fish tank was a young man. He rose
+from a squatting position and smiled at the boys. He had crew-cut black
+hair and the kind of happy features which indicate a friendly nature. He
+wiped his damp hands on his trousers and offered a palm to Garry first,
+then to Patch.
+
+“Hi, boys. I’m Ben Dawes. Glad to have you aboard,” he said. “It sure is
+a surprise meeting fellows as young as yourselves out here in space.”
+
+“It’ll probably be more of a surprise, Ben, to know that they are
+alone,” the captain said.
+
+“Not really!” Ben said. “Say, I’ll bet you two have a long story
+explaining that!”
+
+“We do,” Garry answered, “and we’ll tell you when we have lots of time.”
+
+“Ben is my right-hand man, whom I wouldn’t part with for all the
+millions I own,” Captain Eaton said proudly. “He could build a space
+ship out of a safety pin if he had to. He had a big hand in designing
+the _Carefree_, and he knows every bolt and rivet in her.”
+
+It was interesting to Garry to hear that the captain was a millionaire.
+That probably explained how he could afford to take such a leisurely
+cruise through space in something akin to a flying palace.
+
+“While Klecker and Ben are changing the water in this aquarium,” Captain
+Eaton said, “how would you like to meet the rest of my friends?”
+
+“We would, Sir,” Garry replied, “but are you sure you don’t have things
+to do?” It was hard for Garry to believe that as important a person as a
+millionaire would be willing to devote so much time to a couple of
+orphans who were lost in space.
+
+“Here my time is my own,” Captain Eaton said. “Back home there were
+hundreds of little details that always had to be attended to, and as I
+grew older the grind began to keep me in a state of tension and boredom.
+That’s when I made up my mind that I would spend the rest of my life the
+way that I wanted to—without constant interruption and without ever
+hurrying. I sold everything I owned and came into space. That was four
+years ago.”
+
+“Why are you so interested in space, Captain?” Garry asked.
+
+“In my early days I had a very keen interest in space travel. I became a
+space cadet, but after only four months’ service I was hurt, and my
+injury was such that I had to give up any thoughts of a future in the
+Space Service. But my keen interest in space stayed with me through the
+years, and I never gave up hope of returning to the spaceways. So, you
+see, my hope was realized, and here I am as carefree as the name of my
+ship.”
+
+“Then you never plan to return to earth, Captain Eaton, ever?” Garry
+asked.
+
+“No, I don’t think so. In the first place, the _Carefree_ was built in
+space and could not stand the atmospheric friction of an earth return.
+Of course, I could get back if I really wanted to. But I don’t believe I
+want to. My simple life out here is very satisfying. I never had any
+children, and my wife is now dead. No, no close relatives. It takes a
+little money to survive out here and pay my friends aboard ship, but it
+does not take too much. Yes, this is the good life, and it is enough for
+me.”
+
+As Captain Eaton paced the boys by a couple of steps, Garry had to
+marvel at the youthful stride of their host. His body was as lean and
+spare as a man half his age, and Garry was sure he must have kept
+himself in good condition all his life.
+
+As the trio left the garden and moved into the next section, Garry and
+Patch heard a fine tenor voice singing a lusty aria from an opera. A
+quick study of their surroundings told Garry that they were in the
+galley.
+
+As the fragrance of good food reached the boys’ noses, they suddenly
+remembered how hungry they were. They hadn’t eaten since they left the
+orphanage!
+
+“That’s Gino you hear,” Captain Eaton explained.
+
+The boys presently saw a short, fat little Italian throwing a huge, flat
+wad of dough into the air. He stopped when he saw the boys and grinned
+so widely that his eyes disappeared and his mouth seemed as broad as
+that of a jack-o’-lantern.
+
+Captain Eaton exchanged names so that everyone quickly knew everyone
+else. Gino was the ship’s cook, and his full name was Gino Spondini.
+
+Gino kept tossing the dough into the air, and each time he tossed it up
+it became thinner and bigger.
+
+“You _bambini_ chose a good day to come to the _Carefree_,” Gino said.
+“This is a special day for good food, only once every two weeks, eh,
+Captain?”
+
+Captain Eaton nodded. “Unfortunately, there isn’t a grocery store just
+around the corner, and so we fill our food room and deep freeze only a
+few times a year from the commissary satellite which supplies food to
+all the manned satellites around earth. But when we do have an
+exceptionally good meal, we enjoy it even more.”
+
+“I don’t know what you’re making, Gino,” Garry said, “but I’m hungry
+enough to eat it raw.”
+
+Gino looked shocked. “You don’t know pizza when you see it? Where have
+you been all your life, _bambino_?”
+
+“Gino makes the best pizza pie in the world—or should I say the best in
+the solar system?” the captain said. “Now, boys, shall we move on and
+meet the others?”
+
+They left the galley and proceeded on to the next section within the
+_Carefree_, leaving Gino singing another operatic air. The boys wondered
+if they could hold out until lunch time.
+
+“Up ahead of us,” Captain Eaton said presently, after passing through a
+short hallway, “is the dormitory. Since the dorm is used solely for
+sleeping, we made it small so that we could give more area over to the
+other parts of the ship where we spend more of our time.”
+
+Garry found the dormitory indeed small and quite simple. There were
+three-tiered bunks along the walls, with ladders leading up to the
+second and third levels.
+
+The captain smiled. “Patch, you seem to be looking over those bunks
+carefully to see if you find any that aren’t made up.” Patch blushed.
+“Yes, Sir. I was wondering if....”
+
+“If we have room for you two? Well, breathe easily, for we do have
+extras. The ship will sleep twelve, and special cots can be set up to
+accommodate more when necessary.”
+
+“They look cozy,” Garry said, “but how do you know when to sleep out
+here in space, without any real night or day?”
+
+“We observe a twenty-four-hour day just as they do on earth. Scientists
+have found out that space travelers get along much better if they keep
+the same hourly habits to which they are accustomed. We even simulate
+the appearance of night, turning down the lights and observing quiet.
+You’ll find out that you get sleepy at just the right time and that you
+wake the ‘next morning’ feeling just as refreshed as you did on earth.”
+
+Suddenly, they heard a stirring in one of the top bunks. A deeply tanned
+man with a thick shock of auburn hair raised up sleepily.
+
+“Oh, it’s you, Captain,” the man said with a yawn. Then he perked up.
+“Who is it with you, Sir?” The man’s accent was a thick Scottish brogue.
+
+“We have guests, Mac,” the captain replied. “These are Garry and Patch.
+Fellows, meet Mr. McIntosh, pilot, navigator, engineer, and what have
+you. He likes to be called Mac.”
+
+“Hi, fellows, glad to have you aboard,” Mac said cordially, then yawned
+again.
+
+“Sorry we woke you, Mac,” the captain said.
+
+“I’m just about due to relieve Isaac upstairs, Sir. That’s all right.”
+
+“I was just showing the boys the ship. We’ll move on so you can get
+dressed.”
+
+As they left the dormitory to pass into another hallway, Captain Eaton
+asked, “You’ve heard of Isaac Newton, haven’t you, boys?”
+
+“Oh yes, Sir,” Garry responded eagerly. “He was one of the very greatest
+scientists. He died a long time ago.”
+
+The captain winked at them. “Well, we’re going to meet him,” he said.
+
+
+
+
+                        7. A SHOCK IN THE NIGHT
+
+
+Captain Eaton’s announcement that Garry and Patch were about to meet
+Isaac Newton, the great scientist, filled the boys with astonishment.
+
+“We’re going back to the central tube,” the skipper said, “and from
+there to the navigation room.”
+
+They climbed a steep staircase, as they had done earlier. Garry felt the
+comfortable feel of artificial gravity leaving him as they went higher.
+The light-headed, floating sensation of zero gravity was returning.
+
+The captain shoved a lever so that the central tunnel would start
+revolving. When a doorway appeared in the tube, the three climbed
+through. Then the rotation of the tunnel was stopped. The captain then
+led the boys along the stationary axle of the _Carefree_, in the
+direction opposite from where they had first entered the ship. The three
+pulled themselves along the webbing as their legs swung free,
+weightlessly. They reached a platform outside a door at the nose of the
+ship. Holding onto the platform rail, Captain Eaton fished into a
+cabinet built into the platform and came out with two pairs of slippers.
+
+“You can attach these magnetic-soled slippers to your shoes, fellows,”
+their host said. “Because of the zero gravity in the navigation room, we
+have to use gravity plates. The rest of us wear these attached to our
+boots all the time because we are always going back and forth up here,
+and they are light and comfortable.”
+
+After the boys had donned the slippers, Captain Eaton pressed a button,
+the door slid open, and the three of them walked through.
+
+Garry and Patch found themselves in a domed room, which had a wide front
+port that looked out into space. Below the port extended a long
+instrument panel, or console, with two seats in front of it, one of
+which was occupied.
+
+“This is the flight deck!” Garry said. “It’s the part that looked like a
+big eye on the front of the ship.”
+
+The pilot turned around in his swivel seat. He was a huge, muscular man
+with rugged features that suggested he might once have been a vigorous
+athlete.
+
+“Boys, meet Isaac Newton,” Captain Eaton said.
+
+Garry could not help but laugh, because this Isaac Newton looked nothing
+whatsoever like pictures of the great scientist. But then Garry
+remembered that he was being impolite, and he apologized.
+
+“That’s all right,” Isaac Newton said good naturedly. “Everybody who
+ever heard of that scientist laughs. I’ve been defending my name ever
+since I was a kid. That’s how I got to be a professional fighter, which
+I was until I got tired of bashing people and the good captain took me
+on as his chauffeur. I stayed on with him, and he said I could come into
+space with him if I wanted to. I’ve picked up navigation since I’ve been
+out here.”
+
+“How did you get a name like Isaac Newton?” Patch asked.
+
+“Well, naturally my father was named Newton,” Isaac explained, “and he
+was also a science teacher. He wanted me to be a scientist too, and
+thought he was helping me by giving me the name of one of the greatest
+scientists of all time. But, as I said, I got into so many fights
+because of being teased about my name that I had more practice as a
+fighter.”
+
+He laughed, showing a two-tooth vacancy in the front of his mouth.
+“Funny thing is that I might’ve been a scientist if I hadn’t been given
+the name of one!”
+
+With that, Isaac Newton turned back to check on how the ship was
+running. The captain went over to converse with him, and this gave the
+boys an opportunity to look around the navigation room.
+
+Of particular interest was a huge chart on the back wall near the
+entrance. On the map were countless globes of various sizes, and running
+through the globes were long curving lines.
+
+“What’s that, do you suppose?” Patch asked his friend.
+
+Garry looked closely at the printed names beside the round symbols.
+
+“Hermes—Vanguard II—Adonis—Derelict Space Ship _Oberon_,” he read.
+“These seem to be objects floating about in space,” he said, “and the
+lines through them must be their orbits.”
+
+“You’re very observant, Garry.”
+
+Garry looked back and saw that Captain Eaton had come over.
+
+“That’s exactly what they are, and we have to know exactly where each
+one of them is at all times,” the captain said. “If we missed keeping up
+with one, we might run into a collision orbit with it, and then it would
+be quickly over for all of us. Some of the objects are asteroids, some
+man-made satellites, some large meteor fragments whose orbits we have
+already plotted. And a few are derelicts, or empty shells of what were
+once proud space liners. Any one of them could destroy the _Carefree_ if
+it should hit us. In fact, a meteor as large as an orange could wreck us
+because of the terrific velocity at which it would strike.”
+
+“Gee,” Patch said, “you must be anxious all the time about being hit by
+something.”
+
+“No. It’s a risk, of course, but space is so very, very huge that
+actually there is little chance of being hit by anything any larger than
+a grain of sand. But of course there is always the chance that someday
+the big, unexpected one will come. Still, we don’t worry about it
+because it would keep us from enjoying our life in space.”
+
+Captain Eaton showed the boys some of the other things in the room. He
+explained the purpose of the various dials and switches on the
+console—facts that the boys would have given anything to know when they
+were so desperately trying to steer the space taxi. The skipper of the
+_Carefree_ told them that usually there was only one pilot on duty but
+that, in case of tricky navigation or on other special occasions, both
+Mac and Isaac or Ben would be on together. The captain added that he was
+quite a pilot himself and liked to take over the controls now and then.
+
+Suddenly chimes were heard over a loud-speaker.
+
+“That’s the signal for us to get ready for lunch,” Captain Eaton said.
+“Let’s go, fellows, and wash up.”
+
+“Tell Mac to shake a leg and get up here to relieve me, will you,
+Captain?” Isaac asked. “I’m starved. It’s been a long shift.”
+
+“I will, Isaac,” the captain promised, and pushed the button which
+opened the door.
+
+A few minutes later, Garry and Patch sat down to the best meal they had
+had in a long time. Not even Thanksgiving at the orphanage could beat
+this, Garry told his friend. The boys had their first taste of pizza
+pie, and they were hoping it would not be their last, especially if Gino
+was the one who prepared it. They were sure he was the best chef in all
+the solar system.
+
+After lunch the patient Captain Eaton spent most of the afternoon
+showing the boys more of the ship. They saw the gym and swimming pool
+and the library filled with many recording tapes and films. There were
+also books for those who preferred reading instead of reclining in a
+soft contour chair and listening to tapes over earphones.
+
+As they passed from one section to another, Garry noticed that the
+indirect daylight effect, that filled every part of the _Carefree_, was
+fading steadily but slowly. He asked the captain about this.
+
+“It’s an automatic control that helps put us in the mood for night,” the
+skipper said. “Remember my telling you about how much better man works
+in a properly spaced twenty-four-hour day? Soon now, the main lights
+will be very low, with only an occasional lamp making things bright. It
+is just like the coming of night back at home. You will see.”
+
+The space travelers had only a light snack for dinner because of the big
+meal earlier in the day. Soon afterward, the boys began to yawn and get
+sleepy as they watched the artificial daylight continue to fade. They
+were looking forward to sleeping lying down for a change.
+
+“Your minds are telling you it’s time for bed, eh?” Captain Eaton said
+with a laugh. “Well, so is mine. I still haven’t shown you the
+observatory, which is my favorite spot aboard ship. But that can wait
+until tomorrow. Let’s go to the dorm and get you two settled before the
+fellows in there are ready to turn out the lights.”
+
+The boys found all the people they had met today getting ready for bed.
+That is, all but two of them.
+
+“Mac is on pilot duty, isn’t he, Captain?” Garry asked. “But where is
+Ben?”
+
+Captain Eaton was pulling off his shiny boots. He may have been the boss
+of the _Carefree_, with all the say-so, but he was not too proud to
+share the same sleeping quarters with those whom he called his
+“friends.”
+
+“There are always two on duty at night, Garry,” Captain Eaton replied to
+Garry’s question. “One acts as pilot, while the other makes the rounds
+several times a night to be sure that the automatic controls are
+functioning properly. We all take turns sharing these duties.”
+
+When everyone had climbed into his bunk and pulled the covers up,
+Captain Eaton called out from his own bunk, “Check?”
+
+There came answering “checks” from all the fellows, and the next moment
+Garry found the room plunged in darkness.
+
+Within only a few minutes’ time, Garry began hearing the quiet breathing
+of those around him already in deep sleep. But he was too excited to
+drop off just yet. As he lay there staring into the darkness, he
+wondered if such a thrilling adventure as this could really be happening
+to him and Patch. Why, only a few hours ago they were in despair for
+their very lives. Now a whole new experience had been opened to them. It
+was almost as if the _Carefree_ had been sent by Providence to him and
+Patch alone.
+
+As Garry’s thoughts roved, his eyelids began to feel heavy and the
+clutch of sleep was groping for him. He finally drifted off into
+slumber, only to wake—he didn’t know how many hours later—with a
+parching thirst. He sat upright in his bunk and threw back the covers
+that cloaked him like a sweat-box. He found that he was breathing
+heavily and then suddenly remembered the end of a nightmare he had been
+having.
+
+As he sat in the quietness and darkness, he began to relax, and his
+heartbeats slowed to normal. But he was still very thirsty. He
+remembered that there was a water fountain in the hallway outside the
+dormitory.
+
+Slowly and carefully, so as to make no noise to disturb the others,
+Garry left his third-level bunk and made his way down the metal ladder
+to the floor. A dim night light, kept burning all the time, showed the
+way to the door. Garry pressed the button, and the door slid open
+silently.
+
+Garry went out into the faintly lighted hallway. He shivered as he made
+his way along the corridor. It was not that he was cold but that it was
+so creepy and lonesome with everything so quiet. The fountain was like a
+white ghost crouching against the wall a couple of dozen feet away.
+Garry made his way toward it. He leaned over it, pressed the lever, and
+felt the icy stream against his dry lips.
+
+“Boy, that’s good,” he said to himself, and he drank and drank as though
+he hadn’t had water in all his lifetime.
+
+When he finally got his fill, he rubbed his sleeve across his mouth and
+turned to start back toward the dormitory.
+
+Then it seemed that all the blood flowed out of his head in one wild
+rush. His heart began to thump rapidly, and his legs went weak.
+
+It was due to a startling sight that faced him.
+
+
+
+
+                          8. GARRY HAS A SCARE
+
+
+A huge woman was lumbering toward him down the dim corridor. There was
+something strange and unreal about her face and her awkward movements
+that gave Garry chills.
+
+Garry started running. He slammed into the water fountain, bruising his
+side. But he kept moving, and so did the woman stalker.
+
+Garry knew that the corridor was in the shape of a square and that if he
+kept turning corners he would arrive back at the dormitory. He wondered
+why a woman should frighten him, and it embarrassed him when he thought
+what the others would say when they found out. But the creature was so
+hostile—and somehow monstrous in her looks—that Garry was sure she meant
+to attack him.
+
+As he ran, Garry did not even look back to see if his adversary were
+still in pursuit. Finally, he turned the last corner and saw the
+dormitory straight ahead at the end of the corridor. He looked back
+around the corner in the direction from which he had just come. He’d
+outdistanced her. She wasn’t even in sight.
+
+By now his nerves were a little calmer, although his heart still drummed
+faster than usual. He began walking briskly, every now and then casting
+a look back over his shoulder.
+
+There was the dormitory at last. He felt a little silly now, as he
+reached for the button to open the door. He decided that he would not
+tell the others of his run and his fright lest they tease him about the
+incident. He would just tell them that he had _seen_ the strange woman
+but would not reveal the embarrassing circumstances. He still wondered
+who she could be, especially since Captain Eaton had not even mentioned
+her before.
+
+Just as Garry pressed the door button, he heard a metallic clanking
+behind him.
+
+There was the woman, coming very fast, the dim lights revealing the dark
+hollows of her eyes. Garry saw her tight-lipped mouth, her
+hugeness—fully as tall as Mr. Klecker and almost as broad, it seemed.
+
+The unexpectedness of it caused Garry to cry out for the first time. As
+the door of the dormitory slid back, he scrambled inside, hurriedly
+pressed the button closing the door, then sank back against it, panting.
+
+The bright lights went on in the room. Garry’s eyes blurred in the
+sudden sharp brilliance. When they came into focus, Garry saw everyone
+sitting straight up in their bunks, their eyes squinting and staring at
+him in amazement.
+
+After a few tense moments, Captain Eaton asked from his bunk, “Garry,
+what’s the matter?”
+
+“A woman—a big woman’s out there!” he blurted. “She was after me!”
+
+Garry heard the men begin to laugh.
+
+“Garry, that’s Katrinka,” the captain explained. “She wouldn’t hurt a
+thing. She _couldn’t_. She’s not _built_ that way.”
+
+“Not _built_ that way?” Garry echoed. “What do you mean? She’s built
+pretty strong I think!”
+
+Captain Eaton chuckled. “She’s a robot, Garry.”
+
+“A robot!” Garry said. “So that’s why she looks so different!”
+
+“Yes, I made her as lifelike as possible,” Captain Eaton went on, “but
+I’m afraid I’m no Michelangelo as a sculptor.”
+
+“You _built_ her?” Garry asked in surprise.
+
+“Yes. We needed someone to do our chores—you know, the things that men
+dislike doing in the nature of housework and cleaning up. But she’s
+quite controllable, Garry. She wouldn’t have harmed you. Something must
+have slipped in her mechanism so that she became activated. It happens
+once in awhile. I’ll go take a look at her.”
+
+“You don’t have to go far, Sir,” Garry said, rubbing away the sweat that
+had gathered on his forehead. “She’s right outside the door.”
+
+As the captain climbed from his bunk and slipped into his robe, Garry
+avoided the eyes of the others in the dormitory. He had done just what
+he had hoped he would not do—shown his fear of a harmless robot. He knew
+they must think him squeamish, but they were not laughing now.
+
+Patch seemed to have been the only one who was not aroused by the
+excitement. Garry could see that he was still asleep in his bunk.
+
+Captain Eaton passed Garry, opened the door, and went outside. Garry
+followed a few steps behind.
+
+The robot still looked menacing to Garry. It stood, big and dark and
+unmoving, in the dimness of the corridor.
+
+Captain Eaton faced Katrinka and spoke in a clear, loud voice: “Closet!
+Closet!”
+
+Garry heard a humming sound coming from the robot. It shuffled about
+slowly on its ponderous feet and started walking away.
+
+“She’s obeying!” Garry gasped.
+
+“Yes, she’s all right,” Captain Eaton replied. “Probably just a crossing
+of the wires in her mechanical brain that activated her. Maybe a slight
+lurch of the ship did it. I’ll look her over thoroughly in the morning.”
+
+“I don’t see how you did it,” Garry said, still amazed. “How can a
+machine like that take orders like a person, just as if it had a brain
+like us?”
+
+“Katrinka’s brain is made up of electrical impulses in certain codes,”
+Captain Eaton replied. “There is a code disk for everything that she is
+able to do. For instance, there is one for making up the bunks, every
+step in that operation. There’s one for washing the dishes, mopping the
+floor, and so on. When I have the time, I make her even smarter by
+adding new codes and duties.”
+
+“But all you said was the word ‘closet,’ and off she went,” Garry said.
+
+“That was the code for her heading for the closet down the corridor
+where she stays when we have no need for her. When she goes inside the
+closet, an automatic switch will cut off her mechanism, and she will
+remain dormant until we need her. Just as if I gave you an order to go
+somewhere and your muscles would carry you to that place, so it is with
+Katrinka. The code words I give her activate the wires that control her
+movement in a certain way, whatever that activity is.”
+
+Garry nodded. “I understand it, but it sure must be a complicated thing
+the way she works.”
+
+“It’s complicated, all right,” Captain Eaton agreed. “Katrinka
+represents many years of scientific study, long before I ever thought of
+venturing into space. It was a hobby of mine, in between my duties as a
+teacher and head of a space shipping corporation. My first models were
+very clumsy and crude, but I have developed them over the years and have
+finally come up with Katrinka, my finest yet. Many people are interested
+in her—manufacturers and the government too.”
+
+The next morning Garry told Patch about Katrinka, and Captain Eaton gave
+them permission to watch him check out the robot.
+
+After breakfast the three went to the closet where the robot was kept.
+The captain pressed the door button, and the door slid open, revealing
+the hulking monster that had frightened Garry the night before. Even
+now, Garry felt chills along his spine.
+
+Captain Eaton spoke one word, “Follow,” and then turned on his heel,
+heading on down the corridor. The boys tagged along and were amazed to
+see and hear Katrinka clomping behind.
+
+“She _is_ following, Garry!” Patch said.
+
+“Yeah, and I still don’t understand it,” his friend replied, with a
+shake of his head.
+
+“Why, that’s the easiest command of all I’ve given her to do,” Captain
+Eaton said. “The word ‘follow’ activates a sort of radar device in her
+and makes her follow the closest moving object. I believe that was what
+happened when she chased you last night, Garry. Something slipped,
+causing her to follow that particular action.”
+
+The captain chuckled. “She could have pursued you all night, but she
+never would have come closer than three feet.”
+
+The _Carefree_’s skipper entered a doorway leading off the corridor.
+“Here’s my workshop. I’ll have a look at Katrinka’s workings now,” he
+said.
+
+The shop was untidy, cluttered from top to bottom with electronic parts,
+tools, and metal plates.
+
+Captain Eaton gave Katrinka the command to stop and then with a screw
+driver removed a large plate from her back. He nosed about inside the
+robot for several minutes, making adjustments within the complicated
+network of wires and miniature parts. Then he replaced the plate.
+
+“Just a couple of wires got too close,” he said. “She won’t be chasing
+you any more, Garry.”
+
+“That’s a relief,” Garry replied with a nervous smile. “I wouldn’t want
+to go through that again, even if she _is_ harmless!”
+
+“I’ll show you how I build commands into her system,” the captain said.
+“Let’s have a simple command, fellows.”
+
+“I know,” Garry replied. “Have her lift up Patch.”
+
+Patch backed off hastily. “Oh no you don’t!” he objected.
+
+The master of the _Carefree_ laughed. “Be a sport, Patch. She’s very
+gentle. She won’t hurt you,” he said.
+
+Patch thought a moment, then replied, “Okay, if you promise it will be
+all right.”
+
+“I promise,” the captain said, and he set to work.
+
+He brought out tools and equipment of every kind. Then he removed some
+plates from various parts of the robot’s body. But instead of tinkering
+around inside, as he had done before, he opened up a big chart and began
+working from it, using pencil and paper.
+
+“What are you doing, Captain?” Garry asked after a few moments.
+
+“This is a map of Katrinka’s system, like the diagram of a radio or TV,”
+was the reply. “I have to figure out what connections I must bring
+together. You see, I must give her several actions that make up the
+command we have given her. There must be the action of walking over to
+Patch, of bending certain parts that serve as her muscles, and finally
+the action of lifting him up. Then I must activate these through the use
+of spoken words.” The captain worked for about an hour. The last thing
+he did was to take a small disk out of stock and drill holes in it at
+very carefully measured positions. Then he slipped the disk into place
+inside the robot.
+
+“Now let’s try her out,” the captain said.
+
+Captain Eaton faced the robot and spoke in a loud clear voice: “Lift.”
+
+Patch remained where he stood, but Garry could see that he was a little
+nervous as Katrinka began lumbering toward him. The robot stooped over
+and lifted the boy in her big metal arms. She stood motionless, holding
+him in a firm grip as Patch began to struggle impatiently after about
+fifteen seconds.
+
+“Tell her to put me down, Captain,” Patch begged.
+
+The captain winked at Garry mischievously. “My goodness, Patch, I forgot
+to give her a command to release you!”
+
+Patch began struggling vigorously, but he could not escape the robot’s
+iron grip.
+
+“Hey, somebody, get me out of this!” Patch cried, his face reddening
+from his exertions.
+
+Seeing that his fun had gone far enough, Captain Eaton barked out, as if
+he were a military commander: “Atten-tion!”
+
+The robot’s arms slipped straight down to her sides, and her body
+stiffened rigidly. Patch tumbled unharmed to the floor.
+
+Patch sat up. He turned and looked up at Garry and the captain. Fear
+still showed in his eyes, but, as he saw the playful smile on the
+captain’s face, a grin spread over his own.
+
+The captain laughed out loud. Then Garry joined in.
+
+Finally, Patch himself began laughing, having enjoyed the harmless
+experiment even if the captain _had_ played a little joke on him.
+
+
+
+
+                           9. SATELLITE ZONE
+
+
+Although Ben seemed to be one of the busiest persons aboard the
+_Carefree_, he still took time out to chat with the boys early that
+afternoon.
+
+“Have you been at the orphanage all your lives?” Ben asked Garry and
+Patch.
+
+“Almost that long,” Garry replied.
+
+“Our parents were good friends,” Patch added. “All four of them were
+killed at one time in a rocket-plane crash near Salt Lake City. We were
+only three then and were placed in the orphanage at the same time.”
+
+“How long have you been in space, Ben?” Garry asked.
+
+“Oh, about eight years now, off and on. I started when I was in my
+teens. I was a sort of cabin boy aboard the old Mars exploration ship,
+the _Jules Verne_. We spent a year there. Boy, what a life! It was like
+living in a deep freeze. Since then I’ve traveled to Venus, Luna—the
+moon, you know—and there’s no counting the trips I’ve made among the
+satellites.”
+
+“How did you get in with Captain Eaton and the _Carefree_?” Patch wanted
+to know.
+
+“A few years ago I took time to go to school and learn space-ship
+engineering and design,” Ben replied. “My teacher was Captain Eaton—or
+Professor Eaton, as he was called then. He was also a millionaire and
+president of Space Shipping Incorporated. He helped build the sturdiest
+ships ever to fly the solar system. I graduated stone broke and had to
+go back to flying the spaceways.
+
+“I thought I’d never be an engineer or designer, but then Professor
+Eaton got in touch with me and said he was going to design a space ship
+for his own use. He said I was the best pupil he had ever taught and
+asked if I would work with him on the project. Of course I jumped at the
+idea. We assembled the ship out here in space, and I’ve been with him
+ever since.”
+
+“Captain Eaton is a grand person, isn’t he?” Garry asked.
+
+A fond look came into Ben’s dark eyes. “He’s the wisest, kindest, and
+most generous person I’ve ever known or heard about. You may think he
+selfishly spends all his money for his own enjoyment as he cruises the
+spaceways, but that isn’t the case. He gives far more than he spends out
+here to charities and churches back on earth. And he has built countless
+scientific libraries, but he’s too modest to let them be named after
+himself.”
+
+“The _Carefree_ is such a big ship, Ben,” Patch said, “that I don’t
+understand how it can be run by so few men.”
+
+“It’s due to the captain’s genius,” Ben explained. “Practically
+everything you can think of is automatic, and our batteries are
+constantly recharged by sunlight. Of course, once in a while something
+goes wrong, and we have to dock at a repair satellite. And we also have
+to refuel about every six months at a service station. But we don’t use
+very much fuel ordinarily because we mostly just cruise about in the
+‘satellite zone,’ as it’s called.”
+
+Ben had to go back to work, and the boys joined Captain Eaton in the
+library, where he was waiting for a TV newscast to come on.
+
+Garry and Patch got the shock of their lives at the first feature to
+come over the telecast. For the subjects were _themselves_.
+
+They quickly discovered that they were the most celebrated missing
+persons on earth. The orphanage had first reported their absence, and
+then Mr. Mulroy had given his version of their disappearance. It seemed
+that Mr. Mulroy was in very hot water because he had not made sure that
+the boys had gotten off the _Orion_ before the blast-off. In fact, he
+was in such hot water that he faced court-martial unless Garry and Patch
+were found.
+
+“Well, I guess the vacation is over, Patch,” Garry said sadly. “We can’t
+let Mr. Mulroy be court-martialed for what we did.”
+
+“We’ve got to tell them where we are, haven’t we?” Patch replied.
+“Although I’d give _anything_ to stay aboard the _Carefree_—that is, if
+Captain Eaton would have us.”
+
+“I’d like nothing better than to have you two stay on,” the captain
+said. “But you must consider Mr. Mulroy and all the police forces who
+are working to uncover the mystery of your disappearance. Right,
+fellows?”
+
+“Yes, Sir,” they both agreed reluctantly.
+
+“We must make full use of the time left you to finish seeing the marvels
+of the _Carefree_. I said I’d show you the observatory today. What do
+you say we go there now? I’ve got some double-star photos I want to
+check on.”
+
+The boys liked the idea and went with their host along the zero-gravity
+tunnel toward the observatory.
+
+The observatory was a “bubble” attached to the _Carefree_’s center tube
+or axle, just a short distance from the air lock through which Garry and
+Patch had first entered the ship. The observatory was such that it never
+rotated with the tube or the rest of the ship. In this way its
+telescopes could always keep focus on objects in space.
+
+Three pairs of magnetic shoes clicked along the metal floor of the
+observatory as Captain Eaton led the boys to the reflector telescope,
+whose big six-inch eye was pointed out into space. Captain Eaton looked
+over a camera which was attached to the eyepiece of the telescope. Then
+he unfastened the camera and took it off.
+
+“The picture has been exposed long enough,” the skipper said. “It takes
+a pretty long time for a photograph to be made in the heavens, you know.
+But when you give it full exposure, it shows you much more than your
+naked eye can do.”
+
+Garry studied a satellite chart on the wall. “I didn’t know there were
+so many satellites whirling around the earth. So many different kinds
+and sizes too!” he said.
+
+“Yes, there are many more than one would imagine,” the captain agreed.
+“Here, let me show you some of them on the chart. The pictures you see
+are exactly the way each satellite looks, and they are all drawn in
+proportion.”
+
+Garry and Patch studied the chart with its multitude of different shapes
+and sizes. There were satellites that resembled drums and others like
+round balls. Some were torpedo shaped, and some were circular and flat
+like “flying saucers.” There were giant satellites, wherein people lived
+and worked, and many of them were in the shape of huge revolving wheels.
+Some of them had no regularity at all, appearing to Garry to resemble
+more than anything else huge space insects, bristling with antennas and
+sun mirrors.
+
+“As you probably know, fellows,” Captain Eaton said, “the Von Braun
+Space Station is our largest satellite of all. But there are a few
+others that approach it in size. For example, here is Quartermaster 10,
+the biggest of the depot satellites that furnish supplies to men who
+live in the world of the artificial moons. Here is a big fueling
+satellite, and over here is another big one—Spaceharbor—which is really
+a network of smaller moons joined together. This is a shipyard satellite
+where space ships are built and repaired. The _Carefree_ was built in
+Spaceharbor.”
+
+“Gee, with so many of those things orbiting earth every minute of the
+day, it seems that space ships are always in danger of hitting one of
+them,” Patch remarked.
+
+“That is a very real danger,” Captain Eaton said, “especially for us,
+since we usually cruise in that area above earth called the ‘satellite
+zone.’ For this reason, every person on pilot duty is responsible for
+knowing the position of every satellite within dangerous range of the
+_Carefree_. This requires constant study and figuring of orbit paths. It
+really is the biggest job the pilot has to do, because generally the
+_Carefree_ is on automatic pilot and runs itself, you might say.”
+
+“What are some of these smaller satellites?” Garry asked.
+
+“Well, there, there, and there are some of the observation satellites
+called ‘Tiros.’ They are used to photograph part of the earth for
+different reasons. Some of the reasons are prediction of weather,
+mapping, and for military purposes to see that the countries of the
+world do not start arming themselves for aggression.”
+
+“The Tiros moons were first put into orbit in the 1960’s, weren’t they?”
+Garry asked.
+
+Captain Eaton nodded. “Also these, Garry—the Transit satellites, which
+are used for navigation, both in space and on earth. This odd-looking
+little moon over here is one I’m sure you’ve heard about. It is WAS,
+which means weather-alteration satellite. Know what it does?”
+
+“Sure,” Garry replied. “It’s used to seed storm clouds with chemicals.
+If the seeding works, hurricanes and tornadoes can be broken up before
+they cause damage. I believe they were first put into orbit in the late
+1960’s.”
+
+“Very good,” the captain complimented. “Of course there are many other
+kinds of man-made moons, some too technical to explain. But, in spite of
+their great number and complexity, each has its use, and they are a
+tribute to man’s great achievements in the world of science. One of our
+big jobs aboard the _Carefree_ is to see that they remain in orbit,
+doing their duty for the people of earth. If we should ever change their
+orbit, for instance by colliding with one of them, we not only would
+destroy their usefulness but we would, in all likelihood, destroy the
+_Carefree_ as well.”
+
+Garry did not even want to think about the possibility of such a
+disaster.
+
+After the visit to the observatory, the captain asked the boys if they
+would care to try out the swimming pool.
+
+“Hey, would we!” Garry and Patch said together.
+
+A few minutes later, as they were heading down the corridor toward the
+gym, they passed Mr. Klecker walking along stiffly—in full dress of
+course—and carrying a stack of books.
+
+“Hello, gentlemen,” the tall man greeted them cordially, and the boys
+returned his greeting.
+
+As he passed, Patch whispered to Garry, “Bet those books are about the
+circus.”
+
+Garry smiled and nodded.
+
+The boys had learned that Mr. Klecker had a hobby. He was very much
+interested in the circus of the old days. He had many books on the
+subject, and whenever he talked to anyone it was about the circus.
+
+Garry and Patch had heard from the others that Mr. Klecker still looked
+after the captain as if he were serving him in his mansion. He would lay
+out his clothes for him and attend to other small details. Once in
+awhile Mr. Klecker would be called on to assist in things of a
+mechanical nature, but he hated to get out of his full dress and don
+greasy coveralls.
+
+The boys proceeded to the gym. They were anticipating a good time. But
+something of a decisive nature was to happen which would have an
+important bearing on their future life aboard the _Carefree_.
+
+
+
+
+                         10. THE LADY GOES WILD
+
+
+“Beat you into the pool,” Patch called a little while later.
+
+He dashed out of the dressing room and dove, with hands outstretched,
+into the water. Garry followed right behind, tumbling into the spray
+left by Patch’s dive.
+
+“Say, this is nice and warm!” Garry said. “And we’ve got it all to
+ourselves!”
+
+A little way back from the pool’s edge, Mac and Isaac were lifting
+weights. This exercise was to help them keep in good physical trim.
+
+Garry and Patch swam and splashed to their hearts’ content. It was the
+most fun they had had in a long time. They knew no one would ever
+believe their story of swimming in a pool in deep space! It was almost
+too difficult for them to believe themselves. But they did not care if
+they were never believed.
+
+They frolicked in the water for about an hour and then climbed up on the
+pool’s edge to catch their breath for a few minutes.
+
+“Boy, I could spend twenty-four hours a day in there,” Patch said,
+flicking water from his face.
+
+“I could too, almost,” Garry agreed. “But I would be satisfied if I
+could spend twenty-four hours a day aboard the _Carefree_ doing
+anything. Gee, it’s going to be hard leaving here to go back to the
+orphanage.”
+
+“Yeah,” Patch said sourly. “Gee whiz, Garry, why can’t they let a couple
+of guys live the way they want to?”
+
+“We can someday, when we are old enough,” Garry said. “But the only way
+we could get around having to go back now would be for Captain Eaton to
+adopt us.”
+
+“Say, that’s the answer!” Patch replied excitedly. “Why don’t we ask
+him?”
+
+“I don’t think it’s as easy as that, Patch. In the first place, I don’t
+think _we_ should ask _him_. He knows how much we like the _Carefree_,
+and he may have thought of adoption. But he should be the one who
+suggests it.”
+
+“Maybe we could drop a hint or something,” Patch said.
+
+“I don’t think they’d let him adopt us, Patch. Don’t forget, when they
+find out where we are, they’ll think we stowed away aboard the _Orion_,
+and that would ruin any chances we might have had.”
+
+“But we didn’t deliberately stow away!” Patch protested.
+
+“I know that, but how can we get them to believe us? I don’t think
+they’d even consider adoption at this time, and I think Captain Eaton
+must feel that way too.”
+
+Patch sighed. “Maybe later, then. Maybe someday Captain Eaton will want
+us back. Gosh, I hate to leave here, though.”
+
+“Life won’t be the same any more,” Garry said. “Nothing can ever be as
+exciting as the adventure we’ve had.”
+
+They heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Captain Eaton
+coming their way. Missing now was his usual sunny smile. He carried a
+piece of paper in his hand.
+
+“Well, fellows, the answer has come,” Captain Eaton said, and his voice
+was laden with dejection. “I radioed that you two had been picked up,
+and they’ve already replied.”
+
+Garry hated to ask, “Wh—what did they say?”
+
+“Just as I suspected. We must return to the Von Braun Space Station.”
+
+“I was hoping we had a _few_ more days at least,” Patch groaned.
+
+“I think that the sooner we straighten this matter out, the better it
+will be for everyone,” Captain Eaton replied. “And another thing, you
+boys are still A.W.O.L. from the orphanage, you know. However, it will
+take a couple of days for us to work out a navigation plan and get a
+clearance approach to the station. Sorry, fellows. I wish you could have
+stayed on with us indefinitely, but....”
+
+As the captain’s voice trailed off, Garry had a flicker of hope. The
+captain was looking at them as if debating something in his mind. Would
+he bring up the subject of adoption?
+
+But, saying nothing further, the captain turned and began walking toward
+the outer door of the gym.
+
+Then he seemed to think of something else and came back. The boys held
+their breath hopefully. Would he mention adoption now?
+
+“There’s something else they told me that I thought you’d want to know,”
+the captain said. “I told them the story of your being stowaways
+accidentally, just as you told me. They checked back and found that the
+elevator attached to the _Orion_ was defective, as you said, and they
+are convinced of the truth of your story. As a result, Officer Mulroy
+has been cleared of any negligence.”
+
+“I’m glad to know that, Sir,” Garry said.
+
+Once more the captain left them, but this time for good.
+
+“Well, that’s that,” Patch commented unhappily. “No adoption. When he
+came back I thought he....”
+
+“I was hoping too,” Garry replied, “but we’ve got to go back, and that’s
+all there is to it.”
+
+Mac and Isaac came over, still breathing hard from their exercises.
+
+“We couldn’t help but overhear the bad news,” Mac said. “We’re going to
+hate to see you fellows go.”
+
+“Yes, that’s right,” Isaac added.
+
+“Thanks,” Garry replied. “We were getting to like this old ship.”
+
+“In a way I’d almost like to go with you,” Mac said, with a faraway look
+in his eyes.
+
+Garry guessed that the Scotsman was a little homesick. His hunch proved
+correct, because Mac began to reminisce about his homeland. He described
+the heather on the hillsides, the flowing streams, and the green vales.
+And yet, Mac admitted finally that space was still a good second home to
+him, and he enjoyed his life in the deeps.
+
+Isaac had no home he would rather live in than the _Carefree_. As he
+talked about his good friends aboard ship and the kindly captain, Garry
+noticed the softness of the big man’s eyes.
+
+Garry had heard that Isaac was really quite a sentimental fellow.
+Whenever he learned of a tragedy over the TV, it would depress him.
+Later, the boys were to learn that Isaac had a secret liking for good
+poetry.
+
+Both Mac and Isaac seemed genuinely sorry that the boys were having to
+leave. It made Garry and Patch feel good that they were so popular, but
+it made them a little sad, too.
+
+The next morning Garry and Patch woke earlier than the others and were
+heading toward the washroom.
+
+Suddenly Garry stopped and caught Patch by the arm. “Patch, do you hear
+that? There’s noise coming from the laundry room up ahead!”
+
+Patch listened and heard the sound of splashing and a machine laboring
+hard.
+
+“Yeah,” Patch said. “Let’s see what’s going on!”
+
+Running, Garry led the way into the laundry room. But then he wished he
+had not been coming so fast. His feet skidded on the floor, that was
+covered with thick soapsuds, and he skated several feet forward on his
+bottom. Patch, coming right behind, could not help laughing at his
+friend’s misfortune. But then he too went down and skidded alongside
+Garry.
+
+“Hey, what goes on here!” Garry gasped, trying to get to his feet. The
+entire floor was a miniature sea of soapsuds.
+
+In his efforts to get up, Garry’s feet slid apart, and he hit the floor
+again. Patch had no better luck than Garry. When this happened, both
+boys broke into laughter.
+
+They struggled several times to their feet, half playing all the while,
+but did not succeed in keeping their feet until the fourth attempt. Then
+they held onto one another to steady themselves. Only now did they see
+what was causing the strange disorder.
+
+They looked over at the big washing machine against the wall and saw
+Katrinka standing over the open tank, pitching clothes right and left
+out of the machine and into the air! It was as if she were having the
+time of her life.
+
+“Look, Patch—Katrinka!” Garry burst out laughing once more. “She’s gone
+crazy! Something must have flipped in her mechanism again.”
+
+The machine was still making mountains of suds, and they were flooding
+out of the top like a flow of white lava. Katrinka’s metal wrists
+clanged against the edge of the machine as she went up and down with her
+flinging motion, making a rhythmic clatter.
+
+“Hey, can’t we give her some words to make her stop this?” Patch spoke
+loudly to be heard over all the noise. “She’ll wreck the place!”
+
+“I remember one of the commands,” Garry said. Then loudly he called out:
+“Atten-tion! Atten-tion!”
+
+“She’s not paying any mind!” Patch said.
+
+“She must be short-circuited again,” Garry said. “Let’s go for Captain
+Eaton!”
+
+“I hate to wake him up after the hard day he had yesterday,” Patch said,
+as he returned along the corridor with Garry, “but this is an
+emergency.”
+
+It turned out that they did not have to wake the captain. He met them,
+clad in his robe, at the door of the dorm, having already been aroused
+by the commotion going on down the corridor.
+
+Captain Eaton yawned. “It’s Katrinka, isn’t it? Ben set her for laundry
+duty this morning, but I guess her wires got crossed again.”
+
+The boys cautioned Captain Eaton to be careful about going into the
+slippery room. The captain promised he would be careful and promptly
+fell down as soon as he walked through the door. Garry and Patch tried
+to help the captain to his feet, but only succeeded in falling again
+themselves. They scrambled around, slipping and sliding. Then slowly
+learning how to become expert at moving about in soapsuds, they finally
+managed to stand up and stay up.
+
+Carefully, the three made their way toward the washing machine where
+Katrinka was still merrily flipping clothes through the air. But by now
+she was out of ammunition and was merely flailing her metal arms. The
+captain used the command, “Atten-tion!” several times, trying to stop
+Katrinka’s wild actions, but he had no better luck with this than Garry
+had had.
+
+Captain Eaton moved forward over the slippery floor and groped for the
+control knob on the robot’s back. But then, losing his footing, he hung
+on to the robot to keep from falling again. This brought Katrinka
+crashing down onto the floor along with the captain himself.
+
+Garry and Patch each offered the captain a hand and presently managed to
+get him upright again. Garry had a hard time keeping a straight face.
+Captain Eaton’s face was red, and his beard was straggly and sudsy. His
+soggy bathrobe stuck to his thin legs, giving him the appearance of a
+saddened, snow-covered elf.
+
+In the meanwhile, Katrinka was still having her fun, swinging her arms
+gaily against the floor as she lay on her back.
+
+“We’ve got to turn her over,” Captain Eaton said, crawling nearer the
+robot. “Be careful of her arms. She can knock you over with them.”
+
+Garry thought he saw how the job could be done.
+
+“Let’s both grab her right leg, Patch,” he said. “Then we’ll give a good
+heave-ho and flip her over on her stomach. Careful you don’t slip.”
+
+They did as Garry had suggested, yanking fiercely on the robot’s leg and
+flipping the metal creature over, face down. But the motion also brought
+Garry and Patch down in the soap again, this time getting the suds all
+over their faces, causing them to make wry grimaces and blow away the
+froth from their lips even as they laughed.
+
+But what was funniest of all to Garry was when he saw Captain Eaton
+suddenly see an opening and scramble furiously, on all fours, over to
+the flailing robot. He threw himself upon her back, fighting her as a
+cowboy would wrestle a steer. He finally subdued her with a turn of the
+switch on her back, which he was at last able to grab and twist.
+
+Worn out by his exertions, the captain simply flopped back on his hands
+in the soapy billows, sighing heavily. Then the good-natured man caught
+Garry’s eye and smiled. The smile turned into laughter, and presently
+all three of them joined in.
+
+The captain later determined what had happened. He found out that
+Katrinka, in doing her washing chores, had gotten water into her
+electronic parts, and this had caused trouble in her mechanism. Captain
+Eaton made the repair easily, and the robot maid was once more in proper
+working order.
+
+The boys were with the captain while he was making the repairs on
+Katrinka in the workshop. When the captain had put away his tools, he
+sent the robot on her way. Then he looked at Garry, as he washed his
+hands at the sink, and said in a sad voice, “Fellows, I’ve received a
+docking date at the Von Braun Space Station. We’ll dock at 2100 tomorrow
+night. That isn’t much time left, is it?”
+
+“No, Sir, it isn’t,” Garry replied unhappily.
+
+The captain did not look up again.
+
+Garry half expected him to say something else, but, instead, he remained
+silent. Garry tugged at Patch’s sleeve, motioning for them to go.
+
+The boys made their way slowly toward the door of the workshop. As Garry
+pressed the button to open the sliding door, Captain Eaton spoke again.
+
+“Wait—just a minute.”
+
+The boys turned. Garry gulped. He could see the sadness in the elderly
+man’s eyes.
+
+“Boys, I haven’t told you how much I’ve enjoyed having you with us for
+this short time,” the captain said, holding his dripping hands over the
+sink, not bothering to dry them.
+
+Garry had a lump in his throat. “We’ve enjoyed it too, haven’t we,
+Patch?”
+
+“Sure thing,” Patch murmured.
+
+Captain Eaton continued: “You two have been a great big lift in our
+lives. It’s been so long since we’ve seen young fellows, and you’ve made
+us feel younger ourselves once more. I think you know how we feel about
+your leaving us. But I don’t want to get sentimental about it and make
+you feel worse. So this won’t be good-by. We’ll see each other again—I
+know we shall.”
+
+Garry cleared his throat, trying to dissolve that lump. “You’d better
+dry your hands, Sir.”
+
+Captain Eaton smiled, reaching for a towel. “Oh, of course,” he said.
+
+“We’ll miss all of you very much, Sir,” Garry said, before starting
+through the door. “The _Carefree_ has been like a home to us.”
+
+The boys were silent as they went on to the dormitory. They were
+overcome by sadness at having to leave the ship and her friendly people.
+
+As the boys were getting together the clothing and toilet articles they
+had been given, Patch remarked to Garry, “Maybe the captain doesn’t like
+us enough for adoption. He may not care for the idea of being saddled
+with us permanently.”
+
+“I hope it’s not that,” Garry answered, “but I still can’t think of any
+other reason, now that the stowaway business is straightened out.”
+
+Patch didn’t answer. He had no explanation either.
+
+
+
+
+                          11. A FRIEND IS LOST
+
+
+That night, on their way to dinner in the galley, the boys were
+overtaken by the long-striding Mr. Klecker.
+
+“I heard you’re leaving us, gentlemen,” he said to them.
+
+“Yes, that’s right, Mr. Klecker,” Garry replied.
+
+“Too bad. I was hoping I would have the opportunity to talk to you about
+the old circus days. Yes, it’s too bad.”
+
+Gino, too, showed how much he liked the boys. He baked them special pies
+and told them that they were his going-away presents to them.
+
+After supper, Patch said to Garry, as they were leaving the galley,
+“Gee, they’re not making our leaving very easy, are they?”
+
+“No, Patch, they’re not making it very easy at all,” Garry agreed.
+
+“We’re not making what very easy?” asked a voice behind them.
+
+They turned and saw the smiling face of Ben. Garry explained to him what
+they were talking about.
+
+“Then I guess you don’t want me to say I’m sorry to see you go either,
+do you?” Ben said.
+
+“Of course we really _do_ care,” Garry admitted. “But it makes us sad
+when everybody tells us.”
+
+“Then, I won’t tell you good-by, fellows,” Ben said. “I’ll just say ‘so
+long’ for awhile. Before you know it, you’ll come back into space and
+find us still cruising through the deeps in the _Carefree_. Yes, we’ll
+all be here.”
+
+“It does sound better that way, Ben,” Garry replied. “But until then,
+we’ll still miss all of you terribly.”
+
+“We’ll miss you too,” Ben said quietly, “but we’ll never forget you.”
+
+The boys went to bed with a feeling of melancholy that night, for this
+was their last sleep aboard Captain Eaton’s wonderland space ship. The
+thought of leaving these good friends, possibly forever, brought a pang
+to Garry’s heart. But no matter how sorrowful he felt, he was determined
+to be brave about it.
+
+Garry fell asleep thinking of all the fun he and Patch had had in the
+brief happy hours of their stay aboard the _Carefree_. Since the time
+passes quickly during slumber, the boy expected he would be awake before
+he knew it on another quiet morning, and that very soon thereafter he
+would be bidding good-by to his friends as he and Patch made
+preparations for the voyage back to earth and the orphanage.
+
+But Garry woke far sooner than he expected. It was not morning, nor was
+it quiet; the air was charged with confusion and alarm.
+
+Garry was aware of bustling footsteps and urgent voices in the
+dormitory. His eyes popped open in the bright glare of the lights that
+had been turned on fully. He had a feeling that it was the middle of the
+night and not morning, although he was not to find this out until a
+little later.
+
+Garry sat bolt upright in his bunk. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
+
+Gino, hastily pulling on his shirt, paused at Garry’s bunk. His eyes
+showed the anxiety he felt.
+
+“Hurry and get dressed, Garry!” he said. “You and Patch. We’re in great
+danger. We’ve got to get ready for the captain’s orders.”
+
+Garry leaped out of bed, his heart thumping swiftly. The cold floor on
+the soles of his feet shocked him fully awake. He seized his peacefully
+sleeping buddy and yanked him without mercy.
+
+“Patch, get up! There’s trouble—I don’t know just what kind yet!”
+
+Patch’s eyes were still drugged with sleep, but he struggled to a
+sitting position.
+
+“Trouble? Wh—what trouble?” Patched muttered.
+
+“I told you I don’t know, but Gino warned us to get ready for the
+captain’s orders. Hurry! Everyone else is already dressed and out of the
+dorm!”
+
+Patch needed no more urging and popped out of bed. He and Garry quickly
+dressed and hurried out into the corridor to see what was going on.
+
+There was no one in sight. The boys went farther along. Then, at the
+foot of the stairs leading into the center tube, they heard excited
+voices.
+
+“Whatever it is, it seems to be up in the tunnel,” Garry said. “Let’s
+go.”
+
+They hurried up the stairs. Reaching the top, Garry, who was in the
+lead, looked down the tunnel from which most of the sounds were coming.
+He saw Ben, Captain Eaton, Mr. Klecker, and Gino on or near the platform
+outside the flight deck, the door of which was closed.
+
+Garry and Patch pulled their weightless bodies along the webbing of the
+tube. As they approached the men, they heard Ben saying:
+
+“This is terrible! Poor Mac! And what’s going to happen to the rest of
+us?”
+
+“What is going to happen?” Garry asked, as he and Patch came upon the
+scene.
+
+Captain Eaton turned to them with a distraught look. “I’m sorry, boys.
+If I had hastened to get you back to the space station promptly, you
+would have survived this—this disaster.”
+
+“Disaster?” Garry echoed, with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
+
+“Yes,” Captain Eaton answered, his voice shaking. “Mac is already done
+for, and we shall soon follow after him.”
+
+“What happened?” Patch asked Mr. Klecker.
+
+The boys could see pain on the men’s faces.
+
+“The _Carefree_ collided with an _Explorer_ satellite,” the butler
+replied. “It destroyed the flight deck while Mac was on duty. It looks
+as if he had managed to close the door before he was swept off into
+space. The collision knocked us off course, and we’re plunging into
+space—toward where, no one knows. We can’t so much as lift a finger to
+bring her under control, and our antenna disk has been damaged so that
+we can’t even send an SOS.”
+
+“Oh, no!” was all Garry could say, sickened at the sudden fateful turn
+of events.
+
+Actually, he was thinking more of poor Mac than he was of their own grim
+outlook. He remembered how much the likable Scotsman wanted to return to
+the heather of his own land after his stint in space. Now he would never
+see Scotland again. Garry absently watched Ben squirting a thick liquid
+around the cracks of the flight-deck door, probably as a safeguard
+against air escaping from the ship.
+
+“Ben has been outside in a pressure suit to look over the damage,”
+Captain Eaton said.
+
+Patch turned away from the others, hanging his head in grief and
+despair. Captain Eaton put an arm around Garry’s shoulder, but there was
+a helpless look on his face that seemed to show the uselessness of
+saying anything. Gino had lost his usual cheery smile and could only
+stare numbly at the closed door of the flight deck, where their friend
+had been the victim of such a cruel act of fate.
+
+Garry looked around at the ship’s company. Everyone was accounted for
+except Isaac.
+
+“Where’s Mr. Newton?” he asked.
+
+“Poor Isaac is completely crushed,” Captain Eaton replied. “He had just
+changed shifts with Mac at the pilot’s chair only a few moments before
+the accident. He’s blaming himself for the whole thing. It seems he
+overlooked the position of the satellite that hit us. He missed it on
+his last check, and Mac did not see it in time. Isaac’s gone off
+somewhere.”
+
+It was indeed a dark moment aboard the once-happy vessel. Things had
+happened so swiftly that everyone appeared to be still in shock. No one
+spoke again for several minutes. Everyone just stood around idly, as if
+not knowing what to do next and not really caring.
+
+Ben was the first to try to rally everyone’s deadened spirits. He had
+just finished sealing the cracks in the door.
+
+“It’ll be some time before we can tell which way the ship is heading.
+The collision changed our course completely. Even when we do find out,
+there’s nothing we can do to control the _Carefree_. She’s just a
+runaway. But I still think there’s hope for us.”
+
+All eyes turned upon Ben questioningly.
+
+“That flier you two arrived in, Garry,” Ben continued. “I’ve only had a
+quick look inside it, and the console seemed in pretty bad shape from
+your and Patch’s efforts to start the engines. However, if I’m lucky and
+we have time before the _Carefree_ hits another satellite or something,
+I may be able to fix it up so that we can escape in it.”
+
+“It’s our only hope,” Captain Eaton replied. “I suggest you get right on
+the job, Ben, and call on anyone you need to help you. Meanwhile, we’ll
+sweat out the flight, although I must say I feel like a duck in a
+shooting gallery because of all the flying objects whirling out there
+all around us.”
+
+“If we are able to escape in the flier,” Mr. Klecker said, “we can use
+its radio to send for help.”
+
+Ben shook his head. “The radio was removed for some reason. There’s only
+the empty compartment it came out of.”
+
+With faint hope of survival, some measure of good spirits was restored
+to the astronauts. Ben called upon Mr. Klecker to help him work on the
+space taxi, and Captain Eaton said he would go to the observatory to
+take a “fix” and try to determine the course the _Carefree_ had taken.
+
+“I’ll have to change clothes,” Mr. Klecker said. “I don’t want to get my
+uniform soiled.”
+
+“Guess I’ll go and whip up some breakfast,” Gino said. “That’s about all
+_I_ can do, although maybe nobody will be hungry.”
+
+Captain Eaton turned to Garry and Patch before he left. “I know it’s
+going to be hard for you,” he said, “but try to feel hopeful about this
+situation. A terrible misfortune has come our way, but try to believe
+that things will work out for us. Chins up, eh, fellows?”
+
+He forced a smile. The boys gave him a brave smile in return, although
+they did not feel it any more than he had.
+
+“May we go with you to the observatory, Captain?” Patch asked. “Maybe we
+can help.”
+
+“Yes, if you like. I know how hard it will be to remain idle at a time
+like this. Let’s go.”
+
+In the observatory, Garry and Patch watched the captain at his telescope
+and other instruments. He worked for a little while, then turned away
+from his work with a brooding, disturbed look on his face. He stroked
+his neat beard. Then he worked again for several more minutes.
+
+He stopped once more, but then resumed his watching. He kept this up for
+some time, and, as the minutes passed, his face grew more and more
+serious.
+
+Garry was afraid to ask, but he felt that he had to know. “Captain,
+is—is it bad?” he said softly.
+
+Captain Eaton shook his head grimly, the look of despair in his eyes.
+
+“You may as well know,” he replied. “I’ve been hoping I was wrong, but
+now I know I’m not. We’re moving into the gravity field of the moon. My
+guess is that we’re only a few hours away from collision.”
+
+
+
+
+                       12. A STARTLING DISCOVERY
+
+
+This latest bad news filled Garry with a new dread. But he refused to
+give up hope. He remembered that Ben was working in the flier, trying to
+put it in shape.
+
+“Captain Eaton,” he asked, “do you think Ben will have the flier ready
+by the time we begin falling to the moon?”
+
+“I couldn’t even guess at that. If there’s not too much wrong with the
+flier, he may get it repaired in short order. But a major repair—I just
+don’t know. I guess the next thing now is to inform the men of our
+course and get Ben’s estimate of the flier’s damage.”
+
+The three of them joined Ben and Mr. Klecker in the flier a few moments
+later. The small rocket ship was still held fast to the bigger
+_Carefree_, their two air locks joined as if they were one ship.
+
+When Captain Eaton had told the men that they were headed for the moon,
+whether they liked it or not, Ben replied, “Well, Captain, I suppose
+we’ve just _got_ to get the space taxi in shape in mighty short order. I
+don’t imagine the _Carefree_ will bounce very well on the moon’s hard,
+rocky surface.”
+
+“Do you really think you can get it repaired in time, Ben?” Captain
+Eaton asked gravely.
+
+“How much time do you think you can give me?” Ben asked.
+
+“I’ll have to do some more calculating before I can estimate exactly how
+long it will be before we go into final fall,” was the reply, “but,
+offhand, I would say you’ve got no longer than six hours.”
+
+Ben looked at the damaged control panel of the flier and shook his head.
+
+“Impossible,” he said, “but I’ll do it. I’ve _got_ to do it.”
+
+“Everyone on the ship will be at your disposal, Ben,” Captain Eaton
+said. “Call for anyone and anything at all that you need in order to
+hurry those repairs. Ben, there’s no one else I’d rather trust with the
+lives of us all than you. You can’t let us down.”
+
+“That confidence means a lot, Captain,” Ben replied, his expression
+showing the appreciation he felt. “Mac gave his life for the ship. I’d
+do no less if it meant saving the _Carefree_ and all you guys.”
+
+“I know you mean what you say, Ben,” Captain Eaton said, “but we won’t
+call on you to go that far. Just get the flier in shape so that we can
+escape in it and not share the _Carefree_’s fate in crashing on the
+moon.”
+
+Ben shook his head sadly. “I hadn’t thought of the _Carefree_ plunging
+to her destruction. But we _know_ that’s got to happen, don’t we,
+because there’s no way of saving her. Captain, this ship has become such
+a part of my life that I’d almost want to go down with her.”
+
+“I feel the same way, Ben,” Captain Eaton replied. “Life will never be
+the same again without the _Carefree_. I don’t know how I’ll get along
+without her deck beneath my feet.”
+
+“If we get out of this alive,” Mr. Klecker said, “we’ll just have to
+return to earth and spend the rest of our days there.”
+
+“That’s true,” the captain agreed sadly. “Even a millionaire is allowed
+a space ship as grand as this only once in a lifetime. I couldn’t afford
+another.”
+
+Ben seemed to realize that precious time was going to waste as they
+talked, and he began getting his tools together.
+
+“I know everyone wants to help,” he said, “but I think that Kleck and I
+can work better together by ourselves just now. There’ll be less
+confusion. I’ll be sure to call on anyone else if he’s needed.”
+
+Mr. Klecker had donned some old clothes, but he did not look comfortable
+in them.
+
+Ben listed more tools and equipment he would need, and Captain Eaton
+gave the list to Garry.
+
+“Take this to Isaac, will you, Garry, and ask him to round these up as
+quickly as possible. I’ve got to get back to the observatory and see how
+much time there is to zero hour.”
+
+“Isaac has taken Mac’s loss pretty badly, Captain,” Ben said. “Do you
+think he’ll be working at top efficiency?”
+
+“I think it will do him good to have something to do,” the captain
+replied. “He’ll be of no use to himself, or us either, if he just keeps
+on brooding.”
+
+Captain Eaton and the boys left the flier and went their separate ways
+to take care of their respective duties. Garry and Patch went to the
+dormitory and found Isaac Newton sitting on one of the lower bunks, his
+head in his hands. They stood beside the bunk for several moments,
+waiting for Isaac to look up, but he did not seem to know that there was
+anyone else around.
+
+“Isaac,” Garry then said, “Ben needs a few things for the repair of the
+flier. The captain thought you could round them up for us.”
+
+Isaac still did not look up.
+
+“Isaac, we’re headed for the moon,” Patch said urgently. “We’ve _got_ to
+get the flier repaired within six hours, or we’re all goners!”
+
+Finally, Isaac looked up, his gentle eyes red. “It’s all my fault,” he
+said. “It’s all my fault that Mac is dead! I didn’t tell him about the
+satellite, and I should have. I ought to be shot like a soldier for
+neglecting his duty.”
+
+“You shouldn’t blame yourself, Isaac,” Garry said gently. “Anyone could
+have made the same mistake.”
+
+Isaac shook his head, as if pulling himself together, and held out his
+hand. “Let me have the list.”
+
+He looked it over, climbed to his feet, and started out of the
+dormitory.
+
+“Gee, he _is_ taking it hard, isn’t he?” Patch asked.
+
+Garry nodded. “I can imagine how he feels. How many times have you made
+a mistake that you’d give anything in the world to correct if you could?
+But with us, our mistakes have never cost a person his life.”
+
+Isaac came back into the room. “One of the things on this list is the
+sealer gun. It must still be up there by the flight-deck door that was
+sealed to prevent the air leaking out. Will you fellows get it?”
+
+“Sure, Isaac,” Garry replied. “Come on, Patch.”
+
+As they pulled themselves along the center tunnel, Patch remarked,
+“Isaac didn’t want to go back up there. That’s why he asked us to get
+the sealer gun.”
+
+“I think you’re right,” Garry replied. “But it will save him some time
+just the same.”
+
+Reaching the platform in front of the flight deck, the boys stepped up
+onto the magnetized area. All at once Garry was struck by the awesome
+silence of this part of the ship. Along with this was the remembrance of
+the tragedy that had taken place beyond the door in front of them, and
+he had a lonesome, shivery feeling.
+
+Patch seemed to feel it too.
+
+“Let’s hurry up and get out of here,” he said. “It’s kind of spooky here
+all by ourselves.”
+
+“I don’t see the sealer gun anywhere, do you?” Garry asked.
+
+“No. Maybe somebody carried it away with them.”
+
+There was a well of darkness beneath the platform. Both boys glanced at
+one another. They knew that was the next place to look.
+
+“It may be down there someplace,” Garry said. “We’ll have to take a
+look.”
+
+“How could it be down there?” Patch argued, not enjoying the prospect.
+“There’s no gravity here in the tube. Things don’t _fall_ in here like
+they do in the rest of the ship.”
+
+“It may have been shoved off in that direction,” Garry said. “That could
+easily have happened in all the excitement up here. Time’s wasting,
+Patch. If you’re scared, I’ll poke around down there.”
+
+“It’s not that I’m exactly scared,” Patch protested weakly.
+
+Garry held onto the railing and swung his feet off the
+magnetized-platform floor so that he floated weightlessly in the air.
+Then he began pulling himself down into the darkness, using the metal
+lattice-work that extended below the platform.
+
+“How can you see down there?” Patch called from above. “Want me to get a
+light for you?”
+
+“I’ll feel around a little first,” Garry answered. “I may put my hand
+right on it.”
+
+With one hand holding onto the metal stripping, Garry fanned his free
+arm back and forth along the floor. All he felt was cold smooth metal—at
+first.
+
+Then, suddenly, he felt something soft to his touch. A chill raced up
+his backbone, ending in a prickle at the top of his head. He swallowed,
+then courageously began feeling around again on the object, trying to
+identify it. His hand touched flesh, warm flesh, and he could trace the
+outline of five fingers. He felt that chill again, but he fought to keep
+his nerves under control.
+
+“Hey, What’s going on?” Patch called. “Have you found something?”
+
+Garry pulled himself back up to the platform and hung onto the rail,
+shaking.
+
+“Garry,” Patch said, “you’re white as you can be!”
+
+“I found something all right, Patch. There’s a _person_ down there,”
+Garry whispered.
+
+
+
+
+                           13. ABANDON SHIP!
+
+
+Leaving a bewildered and frightened Patch behind him, Garry left the
+platform and began pulling himself as rapidly as possible along the
+webbing of the tube toward the ship’s stern. Reaching the observatory
+bubble, he went in.
+
+“Captain Eaton!” Garry gasped. “I think I’ve found him! I think I’ve
+found Mac!”
+
+The captain swung from an instrument he was using, and looked at Garry
+in amazement. “You _what_?” he cried.
+
+Garry pulled himself into the observatory, the floor taking hold of the
+soles of his shoes by its magnetic attraction. “Yes, Sir!” he declared.
+“Patch and I were looking for the sealing gun in front of the flight
+deck, and I found a body in the darkness below the platform!”
+
+Captain Eaton clicked across the floor and entered the tube. Garry
+tagged along behind, as the skipper of the _Carefree_ set out toward the
+bow of the ship.
+
+A few minutes later, Captain Eaton was checking on Garry’s discovery.
+Then he came back onto the platform, excitement showing on his face.
+
+“It _is_ Mac!” he burst out. “His body is warm, and I think he may be
+alive! We must call some of the others so that we can get him up from
+there. In this zero gravity it will take several of us.”
+
+Garry and Patch were sent by the captain to round up the others.
+
+Then several began helping to get Mac onto the platform. Of course he
+weighed nothing, but, in the zero gravity, the difficulty in moving him
+lay in the fact that the others could not push him without bracing some
+part of their own body against something. Otherwise, they would only
+succeed in pushing themselves backward.
+
+Mac was finally moved onto the platform and stretched out. He lay,
+suspended in air, a few inches above the platform. Captain Eaton looked
+at the Scotsman’s eyes and tested his pulse.
+
+“His pulse is a little slow,” he stated, “but his color is good, and I
+think he’ll come around pretty soon. That bad gash on his forehead must
+have knocked him out.”
+
+They worked over Mac. Finally, he stirred and then opened his eyes. He
+stared as if unseeing for several moments, but then, as he began to
+recognize everybody, a weak smile formed on his lips.
+
+“What happened?” he murmured.
+
+“We don’t know what happened, Mac,” Captain Eaton replied. “Can you tell
+us? Can you remember what did happen before you blacked out?”
+
+Mac frowned, as if concentrating very hard. Then his face relaxed.
+
+“I remember,” he said softly. “I was near the door when it hit
+us—whatever it was. If I’d been in the pilot’s chair I would have been a
+goner. But I had gotten up only a moment before to check the chart. The
+door was open. I heard a terrific roar and saw the whole console burst
+into a sheet of fire. At the same time I felt myself being blown
+backward and right through the door onto the platform. I was dazed, but
+somehow I had the presence of mind to know I had to get that door shut
+or the ship would lose all her air. I managed to press the button and
+saw it slide shut. But then my head began to hurt terrifically and I
+felt dizzy. I reached out for the railing to hold on, but I guess I
+missed it then and unconsciously floated off to wherever you found me.”
+
+“Garry found you,” Captain Eaton said. “We thought you had been blown
+into space by the collision.”
+
+“Thanks, Garry,” Mac said, winking at him with gratitude.
+
+“That’s all right,” Garry replied. “We’re just so glad to see that
+you’re still alive.”
+
+“Mac, don’t ever scare me again like that!” Isaac put in, his voice
+shaky with emotion. “It was my fault the collision happened, because I
+overlooked the satellite that hit us. I knew your death was on me, and I
+was so torn up I don’t think I’d ever have gotten over it. Thanks,
+buddy, for turning up as you did!”
+
+“Forget it, Isaac,” Mac joked. “Maybe you can return the favor
+sometime.”
+
+They told Mac about the existing crisis. He wanted to do something to
+help, but Captain Eaton insisted that he go to the dormitory to rest.
+Garry and Patch went with Captain Eaton to the observatory to recheck
+and see how much time the _Carefree_ had left.
+
+After another period of figuring and using his instruments, the skipper
+turned to the boys. “I wish I had better news, but it looks as if we
+have less time than I had thought at first.”
+
+The boys returned with Captain Eaton to the flier. Isaac had taken over
+helping Ben, since he knew more about this kind of thing than Mr.
+Klecker.
+
+Captain Eaton stood at the door of the air lock. “How are you coming in
+there?” he asked.
+
+Ben gave him a report of their progress. The captain’s face was lined
+and grave. “You may have to do better than that if we’re going to get
+out of this alive,” he said. “The moon is very close.”
+
+Captain Eaton and the boys spent the time that followed in the
+observatory dome, watching the steadily growing disk of the moon. It was
+like a mocking face in the sky, luring the travelers to destruction.
+
+No telescope was needed, for the big, rocky satellite of earth appeared
+to take up the whole heavens. Garry and Patch studied the knife-edged
+mountaintops, the dry, gray wildernesses that were once thought to be
+seas, and the mysterious bowl-like craters. Where would the _Carefree_
+plunge to her death on the fierce moonscape, Garry wondered. And would
+he and the others still be aboard her when she crashed? Garry shuddered
+at the thought. As Captain Eaton had said, Luna was now so frightfully
+close.
+
+The captain made a final check of his instruments. Then he turned
+abruptly, heading for the door. The boys followed him out.
+
+In the flier, moments later, the captain said, “Ben, we’re in our last
+hour. How do things look in here?”
+
+Garry could see Ben’s grimy, tired face turned toward Captain Eaton.
+
+“It’ll be close, Captain, awfully close,” Ben answered, and immediately
+turned back to the network of wiring in the instrument panel.
+
+“Anything I can do, Ben?” Captain Eaton asked.
+
+“Just hope and pray,” was the reply. “I think it’ll be all up to me now.
+It’s a one-man job getting these wires hooked up.”
+
+“We could take one last look around the ship during this last hour,” Mr.
+Klecker proposed. “I have some books I want to take along.”
+
+“Sorry, Kleck,” Ben said, “but we won’t have room for them. The flier
+will be crowded as it is. We won’t be able to take belongings of any
+kind, not even for survival, except for the emergency supplies the flier
+itself carries. The weight is that critical.”
+
+“I don’t want a last look,” Gino spoke up. “Otherwise I might not want
+to leave the good old _Carefree_, even if she is going to crash.”
+
+“Me either,” Isaac Newton added. “I want to remember her the way she was
+when all of us were very happy and really carefree.”
+
+“One thing about Patch and me,” Garry put in. “We came aboard without
+anything but the clothes we’re wearing, and we’ll be leaving the same
+way.”
+
+“There’s one thing I surely hate to leave behind,” Captain Eaton said.
+“Katrinka. She’s only a robot, but I’ve had her for so long that she’s
+almost like a member of the family.”
+
+From now on, every minute was beginning to count desperately. Garry
+wished he could hold back the hands of the clock. He wished he could
+give Ben an extra hour. But this could not be.
+
+A little later there came the announcement that Garry had known must be
+coming finally. Captain Eaton had been in the observatory for the last
+time, and now he had returned with a final announcement: “It’s now or
+never, Ben. Which is it?”
+
+Ben straightened up, and there was a pleased look on his weary face.
+“Just finished, Captain. The instrument panel isn’t as good as new, but
+I’m pretty sure the flier can be navigated by it, at least long enough
+for a safe landing on Luna. Come here, Mac. Let me show you a few things
+about the console.”
+
+Garry wondered why Ben was taking time to instruct Mac in the navigation
+of the ship. Why couldn’t he do the piloting himself? Garry could see
+that Mac was a little puzzled too, as he went over to the instrument
+panel.
+
+Captain Eaton was looking at his wrist watch. “Ben, there’s no more
+time. We’ve got to get off the _Carefree_ within five minutes, not a
+second longer.”
+
+After a few more hurried moments of instruction, Ben said, “We’re ready,
+Captain. Everybody into the rocket.”
+
+Those who were not already in filed into the rocket and belted down into
+the seats. That is, everybody but one—Ben.
+
+“Ben, where are you going?” Captain Eaton asked.
+
+“To check on the air lock, Sir,” Ben answered, and walked through the
+flier’s doorway into the air lock between the two ships.
+
+Mac had belted down in the pilot’s seat, as Ben had asked him to do.
+
+“How are you going to ride without a seat, Ben?” Mac called.
+
+“Everybody ready?” Ben called from the air lock.
+
+All answered that they were.
+
+“Start the motors, Mac,” Ben said.
+
+Mac started the rocket motors, at the same time calling, “Hurry up,
+Ben!”
+
+Garry heard a whirring sound, and the outer door of the flier slid shut,
+with Ben still in the air lock beyond!
+
+“Hey, wait!” Isaac shouted. “Ben’s in the air lock, and the door’s
+closed!”
+
+No one could do anything, for in the very next moment the flier kicked
+out violently sideways, bending everyone over in his seat. There was
+another jerk forward as the flier went into motion.
+
+“What’s happened?” Captain Eaton called.
+
+“Ben’s tricked us!” Mac replied. “He cut off the magnetic grapples from
+the air lock that held us fast to the _Carefree_. How stupid I was! He
+told me to take over while he checked on some last-minute things.”
+
+“I see it all,” Isaac added. “If we check the weights we’ll probably
+find out that we would be overloaded with one more passenger. Ben was
+that one more, and he chose not to come aboard rather than risk the
+safety of the rest of us!”
+
+“Yes,” the captain said in a choked voice, “it seems that Ben elected to
+go down with the _Carefree_.”
+
+
+
+
+                        14. FIRST HOURS ON LUNA
+
+
+Ben lost to them!
+
+Garry could hardly believe it. Surely Ben could have found _some_ way to
+save himself. Did he really have to make such a costly sacrifice?
+
+No one aboard the flier cared to speak for several minutes after Mac’s
+tragic announcement. It had come as a devastating blow to all of them.
+
+Finally, Isaac broke the solemn quiet: “It won’t be the same with good
+old Ben gone. He was a smart, brave guy. I’d like to have an ounce of
+all the scientific and mechanical knowledge he had.”
+
+They had been so concerned over Ben’s fate that they had almost
+overlooked the fact that the rocky wilderness of the moon was staring
+them in the face; that in a few moments the flier would be either
+touching down on her surface or crashing along with the _Carefree_ and
+Ben, her only human occupant.
+
+Mac was guiding the craft into a slowly descending spiral. This would
+give the flier’s braking rockets time to reduce speed to safe level for
+the touchdown.
+
+The _Carefree_ was not in sight, although Garry searched the starry sky
+through the plastic walls of the flier. He was glad he could not find
+her. He would not have liked to see her crash.
+
+Down below, Garry could see the huge dish of a giant crater. It was
+within this area that Mac was circling. As if anticipating Garry’s
+question, Mac explained: “Ben suggested that we try landing on the floor
+of this crater, which is called Hornfield. It was discovered by a lunar
+explorer in 1983. It is supposed to be covered by several inches of
+pumice dust, and that may help to break our fall if we make a bad
+touchdown.”
+
+From high up, the walls of the crater did not appear very impressive,
+but as the flier spiraled lower, they looked like lofty battlements of
+ancient castles.
+
+As they dipped lower still, Garry watched those grim crater walls close
+in around the small space craft. Spread out below was the ocean of gray
+dust that carpeted the crater floor. Part way up, above the horizon, was
+seen the distant globe of earth. It cast ghostly greenish shadows around
+the walls, pits, and rock formations. This was the two-week period of
+night on Luna, and the temperature down there, in a nearly airless
+atmosphere, Garry knew, was more than two hundred degrees below zero.
+
+“Everyone make sure his restraining belts are tight,” Mac called. “We’re
+about to touchdown.”
+
+The ground rushed up to meet them, as Garry felt himself tipped forward
+in his seat. The belly of the little flier skimmed the ocean of dust,
+sending it up in a giant cloud along both sides of the craft. The flier
+continued to plow along through the pumice until friction finally
+brought it to a halt.
+
+It was strange being still again, Garry thought. Another strange feeling
+was the gravity pull of the moon, which he knew to be only one sixth as
+strong as that of earth.
+
+“Is everybody all right?” Captain Eaton asked.
+
+No one said that he _wasn’t_ all right. Garry and Patch began
+unfastening their restraining belts, as did the others.
+
+Captain Eaton was the first to his feet. He moved over to the window
+with a strange floating sort of step owing to his reduced moon weight.
+Then he looked out.
+
+“Where are we, Mac?” he asked.
+
+“Inside the Hornfield crater,” Mac answered.
+
+“Are there any settlements close by?” the captain asked. “Anybody who
+can come to our rescue?”
+
+“About twenty-five miles to the southwest, captain,” Mac answered. “Ben
+told me just where it was and advised me to land as close to it as
+possible. I thought this was as close as we dared approach, because the
+ground is treacherous between Hornfield and the settlement.”
+
+“What sort of settlement is it, Mac?” Isaac asked.
+
+“An oxygen-mining outfit in the Taurus Mountains. They’re mining for ore
+rich in oxygen to provide pressurized air for the underground terminal
+of Luna City, five hundred miles farther to the south. Ben said he
+thought they would have fliers that could get here in a short time as
+soon as they got our radio message.”
+
+“But we don’t have any radio,” Mr. Klecker said.
+
+“Yes we do, and we can thank the flier’s lifesaving equipment for that,”
+Captain Eaton said.
+
+He went to a cabinet built into the wall and pulled out an oblong box.
+On the top of it were the words: “SOS Automatic Transmitter.”
+
+“You mean that was in the flier all this time and that we could have
+used it earlier ourselves?” Garry asked in surprise.
+
+“Yes, you could have,” Captain Eaton replied.
+
+“I’m familiar with this transmitter,” the captain went on. “Let’s get
+the radio kit down.”
+
+When this was done, Captain Eaton donned one of the two space suits
+which the flier carried. When he was dressed, he entered the flier’s air
+lock, carrying the radio kit. Those inside the ship watched Captain
+Eaton walk about fifty feet from the flier and open the box containing
+the transmitter.
+
+“Gee, why does he have to open it up out there?” Patch wanted to know.
+“Couldn’t he transmit from inside the ship just as easy?”
+
+“No, not nearly as well,” Mac explained. “Just watch, and you’ll see
+why!”
+
+Captain Eaton took some things out of the box, and then, after tinkering
+with them for a few minutes, he set the transmitter in the pumice dust
+and ran back toward the flier as if he had just lighted a bomb fuse. A
+few seconds later the boys were surprised to see something resembling a
+giant snake spring from the ground beside the transmitter and extend
+straight up in the dark sky!
+
+“What in the world was that?” Patch asked in amazement.
+
+“That’s the antenna for the transmitter, isn’t it, Mac?” Garry asked.
+
+Mac nodded. “That long ropelike thing is hollow, and the antenna is in
+the middle of it. Captain Eaton released a switch that caused the casing
+to fill with compressed air, and that is what keeps it extended into the
+sky. That gives us a much better antenna than we could possibly have in
+here. Also, being as tall as it is, the radio waves leaving it can
+travel great distances and cross high places which they could not do if
+it were short. Understand?”
+
+The boys nodded.
+
+“The transmitter is a very light and simple one,” Mac went on. “All it
+can do is send out an SOS signal from time to time; it can’t transmit
+words. Yet whoever picks it up can easily trace it. I hope our signal
+will carry as far as the mining settlement and that there’s no
+interference between to block our radio waves. Those mountains could
+block the waves.”
+
+“How long do you think we can hold out, just in case our rescue is slow
+in coming?” Garry asked Mac.
+
+“If we carefully ration food, water, and air, I’d say we could last
+about five days, earth time,” Mac replied. “I’m pretty sure the captain
+will start rationing right away, just to make sure, but I can’t see any
+reason why we won’t see a rescue flier heading this way pretty soon,
+certainly by tomorrow.”
+
+Captain Eaton presently came back inside and began taking off his space
+suit.
+
+“If we get out of this alive, we’ll owe it all to Ben,” Isaac remarked.
+
+Garry noticed the sudden sadness on the faces of the others at the
+mention of Ben’s name. Presently, everyone in turn began saying
+something good about their friend; that is, everyone except Captain
+Eaton, whom Garry knew had been closer to Ben than any of the others.
+
+The captain was still plainly too broken up to say anything about Ben at
+this time. He just quietly finished removing his pressure-suit gear, and
+Garry could see the tragedy in his eyes. Garry was glad when Captain
+Eaton changed the subject, because he himself had grown very fond of the
+brilliant young spaceman.
+
+“We should take inventory of our stock,” the captain was saying, “and
+then start a rationing schedule. We can’t be sure how long we’ll have to
+wait before help comes. I don’t want to alarm everybody, but there’s
+always the possibility of radioactivity or mineral deposits in the hills
+beyond the crater which would keep our SOS from going through. The moon
+is full of those things.”
+
+Mac’s prediction as to how long the food and water would last turned out
+to be fairly close, although it turned out to be four days instead of
+five. No one expected the fourth day to roll around with their still
+being trapped in the flier, but Captain Eaton was playing safe, as Mac
+had said he probably would do.
+
+Those who had invented the equipment making up the escape flier’s
+emergency kit had seemingly thought of everything to ease the plight of
+those trapped on strange planets. They had not overlooked the boredom of
+those awaiting rescue. There was a special cabinet containing tiny
+games, and there were also miniature books.
+
+When the inventory was completed and everything was done that could be
+done, Captain Eaton distributed the games and books, and everyone
+settled down in the flight chairs.
+
+“This isn’t so bad,” Isaac said, sighing and stretching out comfortably
+with one of the little books. “I’ve always wanted to read this book on
+great poetry, but up to now I just haven’t had the time because it’s so
+long. It looks like I’ve finally gotten my chance to read it.”
+
+“There aren’t any books about the circus,” Mr. Klecker said
+disappointedly. “I guess I’ll just have to settle for what’s left.”
+
+The butler straightened his bow tie. He had changed back into his full
+dress after Isaac had taken over as Ben’s helper.
+
+Garry and Patch started a game of chess, and the rest of the
+_Carefree_’s passengers took whatever game or book interested them.
+Except for the sadness of Ben’s not being with them, Garry noticed that
+there was an air of contentment and optimism on the part of everyone.
+
+Later, he was to be glad that he did not have the talent of seeing into
+the future, for if those who were so relaxed now in their cozy hideaway
+on the dark moon had only known what was in store for them, they would
+not have been in the mood for enjoying _anything_ at this moment.
+
+
+
+
+                           15. A DARK OUTLOOK
+
+
+The idea of stretching out comfortably with a good book and plenty of
+spare time did not seem so satisfying after several hours. After this
+period, everyone began to get restless, with a desire to get up and
+stretch his legs, as they could have done if they were back on the
+_Carefree_.
+
+“I know how you feel, fellows,” Captain Eaton said sympathetically, as
+he noticed how tired everyone had become of just sitting around. “I’d
+like to take a romp myself outside in a space suit, but without knowing
+how soon we’ll be rescued and having no surplus of supplies, I don’t
+think we should use up our oxygen that fast. Everyone agree?”
+
+Everyone did.
+
+Then to while away the hours that were beginning to drag slowly along,
+the captain suggested that they talk among themselves and exchange
+stories. This activity occupied the group for some time. Garry was glad
+that poor Ben was not mentioned again to further depress everyone.
+
+Finally, all became “talked out,” just as they had become “read out”
+before that. And by this time some were ready for a nap and began dozing
+in their seats.
+
+Garry watched the captain settle back in his seat, sighing tiredly.
+
+“I suppose I should be grateful for being alive,” he said, “but I feel
+almost as if I had died myself. Yes, this is a sad day for an old man
+who has lost at the same time the dearest things to his heart—one of his
+best friends and a funny-looking space ship that had come to be even
+homier than his earthly home.”
+
+Garry noticed how much the conversation kept returning to Ben. He
+guessed that the unselfish spaceman would be on their minds for a long
+time to come.
+
+“I wonder where they went down, Captain?” Mac asked. “I didn’t even see
+the _Carefree_, once Ben cut us free.”
+
+“None of us saw her,” the captain replied, “and I’m glad. I hope they
+never find her remains on the moon, because I would feel compelled to go
+to the site of the crash and I would not want to do that. No, it’s
+better this way.”
+
+Before long, someone mentioned food. There was some mild enthusiasm from
+the others, but not much. Everyone knew that all there was to eat were
+capsules that would provide nourishment but little enjoyment.
+
+Gino made a face when the capsule bottle was passed to him and he shook
+two of the pellets out into his hand.
+
+“To think that I would ever have to make a meal of these things,” he
+said sadly, “I, who at one time or another, have served up the grandest
+dishes ever put together.”
+
+All ate silently. Since the additional talk about Ben, it was as if cold
+water had been poured over their spirits.
+
+After the brief meal the captain suggested that the lights be turned
+down and everyone try to get a “night” of sleep.
+
+“I think all of us are brain fagged and bored after all that has
+happened,” he said. “Maybe there’ll be someone knocking on our air-lock
+door before we wake up.”
+
+No one objected to the idea, as it seemed to be the only thing left for
+them to do.
+
+When everyone was settled down for the “night,” Captain Eaton cut off
+all lights within the flier. It was still not very dark in the flier
+because outdoors it was brighter than the brightest moonlight night on
+earth, owing to the brilliant glow of earthshine.
+
+“If our rescuers do not show up some time tomorrow,” Captain Eaton said,
+“we had better start cutting back on our battery power. That will mean
+no lights inside, except use of the flashlight in the cabinet, and less
+warmth. I have a feeling that our batteries will play out before any of
+our other supplies do.”
+
+When Garry woke the next “morning,” he heard some of the others stirring
+about. Patch was standing over him with two tablets and Garry’s personal
+water bottle which squeezed the liquid into one’s mouth.
+
+“What’s this?” Garry mumbled. “Time for my medicine?”
+
+“Medicine nothing,” Patch replied. “This, son, is breakfast. Or would
+you prefer nice crisp bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs?”
+
+“Aw, Patch, cut it out,” Garry pleaded. “You don’t have to make this any
+tougher than it is!”
+
+Garry took the food pills, chewing them slowly to get what little flavor
+there was in them. Then he finished off with the water, which was little
+more than enough to wet his throat.
+
+“Gee, the captain has really rationed the water, hasn’t he?” Garry
+whispered.
+
+“He cut it back even further this morning,” Patch replied. “Know why?
+Because nobody came knocking on our air lock as he had hoped maybe they
+would. On top of that, I heard him say he was going to run another close
+inventory on all our life-supporting items to see how much is left.”
+
+“Gosh, do you think he’s afraid _no_ one will be knocking any time
+soon?”
+
+“I don’t know,” Patch replied, “but he has been frowning quite a bit
+this morning.”
+
+The captain presently made it clear to all why he had been doing so much
+frowning.
+
+“Frankly,” he said, “I thought those people at the mining settlement
+would have had plenty of time while we slept to pay us a visit. If our
+SOS reached them soon after we began sending, as it should have, they
+should have had a flier over here within a few hours’ time. Our chief
+essentials for staying alive are our food, water, air, and power supply
+which is necessary to keep us warm. It’s several hundred degrees below
+zero outside, in case you haven’t thought about it.”
+
+They took another inventory, and the results were not very heartening.
+
+“We’re using up much too much of our battery power,” Captain Eaton said.
+“That’s the weakest link in our chain of existence. I didn’t realize
+that yesterday when we had the lights on for reading. From now on until
+someone comes, we’ll have to do without light altogether except when
+necessary. That means we’ll have to do our reading by earthshine and our
+one flashlight. We may have some strained eyes, but that’s the best we
+can do. We’ll also have to reduce our heat a little to save on power
+that way too.”
+
+“Captain, do you think we should check the condition of the battery in
+the outside transmitter?” Isaac asked.
+
+“It’s supposed to have a useful life of seventy-two hours, operating
+automatically for a few minutes every half hour,” the captain said, “but
+the battery may have lost a lot of its power in storage. I think it
+would be a good idea to check it. It has a test meter on it, Isaac.”
+
+“I’ll go out and check it, Captain,” Isaac said.
+
+When he had pulled on one of the space suits, Isaac checked the air and
+pressure and went outside.
+
+Garry and Patch watched him move in a light-footed gliding motion toward
+the spot where the antenna had been set up. He spent several minutes
+with the rig and then came back into the flier.
+
+As he lifted his helmet off, he said with a shake of his head, “It’s
+quit sending, Captain. You were right. The battery must have been in bad
+shape to start with.”
+
+“Not sending,” Captain Eaton muttered to himself, a dark worried frown
+on his face. “That means that if our SOS was not picked up earlier, it
+never will be, and no one will know where we are.”
+
+Garry’s heart chilled at hearing this. What the captain really meant,
+but did not say, was that they were doomed to a slow death as their heat
+and air were depleted and they froze in the moon’s incredible cold. That
+would happen long before their food and water gave out.
+
+Captain Eaton placed a fatherly arm around each of the boys and said,
+“Fellows, I wish there were something I could do. Believe me, if I could
+give my life to save you two, as Ben did, I would gladly do it. Do you
+believe that?”
+
+“Yes, Sir, I do believe it,” Garry answered sincerely. “But can’t we
+really do something—anything at all? It—it’s better than waiting, isn’t
+it?”
+
+“You’re trembling, both of you,” the captain said, “and I can’t blame
+you. If it’s any comfort to you, I think you’re the bravest two boys I
+ever knew. I would have been proud to have had a couple of sons like
+you.”
+
+The captain pressed their arms affectionately. Garry knew how he felt
+about his helplessness to do anything.
+
+“You ask if there’s anything we could do,” Captain Eaton said. “Of
+course we’re not giving up hope completely at this early stage, but
+things do look bad. We could ration ourselves severely and maybe prolong
+our existence a few days, but after that....”
+
+Garry finished the gloomy sentence in his own mind.
+
+
+
+
+                           16. A SAD PARTING
+
+
+They _did_ wait—all the long day to follow.
+
+And in all that time, no one came.
+
+They did the same things that they had done the day before—reading by
+the light of the earth, which they feared they would never see again;
+reading until their eyes blurred and the battery had gone dead in their
+only flashlight.
+
+Garry and Patch did not read much. Instead, they spent most of their
+time looking out over the cold gray dust, and up into the black sky,
+looking hopefully for some moving object against the bleak wilderness
+and wanting to be the first to spot it should it appear. But it never
+appeared, and bed-time came, but no one was in the spirit for sleep. And
+yet, since there was little else to do, everyone prepared for bed.
+
+Garry and Patch lay awake in their adjoining seats, talking in low
+voices to each other.
+
+“Garry, we’ve been through a lot of close calls since we left the
+orphanage,” Patch was saying, “but this looks like _it_, doesn’t it?”
+
+“I don’t know, Patch. I just don’t know,” his friend replied with a
+troubled sigh. “It sure doesn’t look good. I won’t ever really give up
+hope, though. There’s still a chance that a rescue ship will come—maybe
+during the night.”
+
+“But what if it doesn’t?” Patch asked. “What if it doesn’t come tonight
+or tomorrow—or the next night? How will we feel when we finally _know_
+that we won’t be saved?”
+
+“You shouldn’t think like that, Patch. It’ll make you miserable. You’ve
+got to keep hoping, even when it doesn’t make sense,” Garry said.
+
+“It’s funny about Ben,” Patch went on. “I mean about what he did. He
+meant to save us, but it’s turned out that he’s made it worse for us. It
+would have been better if we had crashed along with the _Carefree_,
+because then it would have been over quickly.”
+
+“You know the saying, Patch: ‘Where there’s life there’s hope.’ And I
+believe that.”
+
+Patch said no more, and before long Garry heard him snoring softly. This
+made Garry feel better, and presently he too fell asleep.
+
+Garry and Patch woke the next morning to the sound of subdued voices
+around them. For a brief moment Garry wondered if help had come during
+the night. He searched the faces he saw, and quickly his hopes were
+dashed. Instead of happy faces, they were haggard ones that showed the
+lack of sleep, and there were no new faces among them.
+
+“No one came last night, did they?” Patch asked Captain Eaton.
+
+The skipper shook his head and tugged at his beard that, by now, had
+become scraggly and untidy looking. The others moved in close, and Garry
+noticed all at once that he and Patch were the center of attention. He
+had a feeling then that something important was about to be said.
+
+“Garry, Patch,” Captain Eaton said slowly, “you respect my judgment and
+my experience, don’t you?”
+
+“Sure,” the boys answered together, puzzled looks on their faces.
+
+“Well then, you do believe I would do the best I knew for all of us,
+don’t you?”
+
+Garry and Patch nodded again.
+
+“I’ve got something to say to the two of you,” the captain continued,
+“and it’s very important to me that you abide by my decision. Will you
+promise to do so if I tell you it will be to your best interests?”
+
+The boys thought a moment, then nodded together, trusting the man they
+had come to admire and respect.
+
+Just then Garry noticed the pair of space suits lying on the floor
+nearby, and they looked as if work had been done on them. They seemed to
+have been made smaller by the adjustable straps with which all such
+space suits were equipped.
+
+“As you can see, fellows,” the captain said, “the rest of us didn’t
+sleep much, but we were grateful that the two of you could, because it
+gave us time to come to our decision.”
+
+Garry and Patch watched the captain’s face intently, the suspense
+building up in them moment by moment. Garry had a hunch that he and
+Patch would not like what they were going to hear.
+
+The captain took a deep breath and said, “I’ll come right out with it.
+The rest of us are forced to face the sad fact that rescue isn’t coming.
+But there’s no reason for everyone to perish. Garry, we decided that you
+and Patch....”
+
+As his voice trailed off, Garry saw the picture. “You want us to take
+the space suits and—and go out there.”
+
+“It wasn’t an easy decision to reach, Garry,” Mac spoke. “We may be
+sending the two of you to a worse fate than would happen to you here.
+But in that way there lies a _chance_ for you. Here the chances would be
+very little. We are all agreed on that.”
+
+“But why us?” Garry protested. “Why not two of the rest of you? We
+thought we had become one of you by now. We should all have drawn lots
+to see who would go. It’s not democratic this way.”
+
+“It’s because we’re kids, isn’t it?” Patch asked. “You’re packing us off
+like children to bed! We won’t leave you here!”
+
+“Remember your promise, fellows,” Captain Eaton said. “This is the way
+we want it. Believe us, we really do—unanimously.”
+
+“There’s even a chance you might make heroes of yourselves,” Isaac
+added. “You may find someone who can come and rescue us before it’s too
+late.”
+
+“We realize it won’t be easy for you to leave us behind, and it won’t be
+easy to set out across unknown country for an unknown destination. It’ll
+take courage, gentlemen, plenty of courage, more courage than it will
+require for us to stay on here,” Mr. Klecker said.
+
+Garry could find no further argument. The others were too much against
+him and Patch. They simply would not have it any other way. In the end
+the boys gave in, but they felt guilty for accepting what was seemingly
+the only way to survival.
+
+Some time later the boys were ready to start out. The space suits still
+were a little large, but they would serve. Garry wore the luminous green
+suit, Patch the luminous orange one. The boots were so large that Garry
+and Patch had to wear them over their shoes. The helmets were big and
+bulky, but in the moon’s light gravity they were not too heavy.
+
+When the boys were sealed in the suits completely, Captain Eaton ran a
+careful check on them—the air pressure and temperature, and the
+“walkie-talkie” radios that would enable the boys to talk to each other.
+Finally, the fellows were loaded down with all the supplies they could
+be expected to need. This included spare oxygen tanks, water bottles,
+and liquid food in tubes. These tubes could be squeezed through an
+opening in the helmet so that one in a space suit could take nourishment
+without opening his helmet.
+
+Garry argued against taking nearly all of the spare supplies and leaving
+their friends with very little.
+
+“You must take them,” Captain Eaton insisted. “If you do not have enough
+to get you to the settlement, there is no purpose in starting out at
+all. Now, no more arguments.”
+
+There finally came the moment of parting, which everyone dreaded.
+Garry’s heart was heavy at the thought of leaving these people he had
+grown so fond of in such a short time. Very likely he and Patch would
+never see any of them again.
+
+Garry could see that the men’s eyes were troubled and sorrowful. They
+didn’t seem to know just how to say farewell. Isaac and Gino gave a
+little nervous wave of their hands. Mr. Klecker shook hands formally.
+Mac gave them a warm pat on the back.
+
+Captain Eaton walked slowly over to the air lock with the boys—slowly,
+as if he did not want to let them go. Garry and Patch had removed their
+helmets and held them in their hands. The captain had his arms around
+their shoulders, embracing them like a father.
+
+“Well, don’t let’s be sissies about this,” the captain said with forced
+lightheartedness. “Let’s just pretend that you boys are going on a short
+trip and that you’ll be back in a little while. No sad words, no tears,
+eh?”
+
+“That’s how we want it, Captain Eaton,” Garry answered, but his throat
+was so tight he could hardly speak.
+
+“Whatever you do, don’t give up,” their older friend advised. “Take care
+of yourselves and don’t lose your heads if you meet a crisis. And don’t
+come back, whatever happens. It won’t help.”
+
+The captain took a piece of paper from Mac and gave it to Garry. “Mac
+and I have plotted your course as nearly as we can from what we remember
+of this territory. We both had a course in lunar study at one time.
+Follow these landmarks closely. You will be heading straight for the
+mining settlement, and if, by chance, a search flier should be coming
+from that direction, try to catch their attention by waving. They will
+probably be looking for you, and your bright-colored suits will make you
+stand out pretty strong against the gray ground.”
+
+Garry was studying the penciled map. “What is this gray part that you’ve
+shown here, Captain?”
+
+“It’s an area of rugged rock formations,” the captain explained. “You’ve
+got to go through it, as there is no way around. You must proceed with
+extreme caution, because we haven’t any flashlights left to give you.
+And, owing to the fact that there is just a trace of air on Luna, the
+earthshine can’t penetrate into the shadows. You will literally have to
+inch yourselves along until you’re in the open again.”
+
+The captain explained more of the dangers in this area and showed Garry
+and Patch other points on the map and what they stood for.
+
+Finally, the boys had their last look at the man who had been the best
+friend to them that they had ever known. Garry studied the captain’s
+brave, forced smile, and he could see the elderly man’s efforts to keep
+himself under control.
+
+Captain Eaton wiped his moist palm on his trousers and then pushed the
+button that swung open the inner door of the air lock.
+
+“There’s something I must tell both of you before you go,” he said. “I
+made application for adoption of you two as my sons just before we had
+the accident. I have a friend in a high position back on earth who, I
+felt, could put through the papers quickly if they were approved. I
+never told you this, though, because I did not want to raise your hopes
+falsely in case the adoption was not approved. But I couldn’t let you go
+not knowing what I had tried to do.”
+
+“We would have liked you for a father,” Patch said.
+
+Garry was too choked up to say anything except, “Let’s go, Patch, before
+we change our minds and never go at all.”
+
+“Yes, that is better,” the captain said. “Good-by, boys, and may God go
+with you.”
+
+The boys pulled on their helmets, and Captain Eaton helped fit them
+tightly. Then he made a little farewell wave with his hand and motioned
+the boys into the air lock. A moment later the door swished shut. The
+outer door opened, and the bleak face of Luna beckoned to them. They
+stepped out into the gray dust, and the “snowshoe” plates added to the
+bottom of their boots kept them from sinking too deeply into the moon
+dust.
+
+They were now on their own.
+
+
+
+
+                             17. DARK PERIL
+
+
+Because of the light moon gravity, the boys found that they could move
+easily in spite of the deep dust and of the equipment strapped to their
+backs. The equipment took up as much room as it would have on earth, but
+here it weighed only one sixth of its earth weight and so was not much
+of a burden.
+
+In a short while they were out of sight of the flier. They had mounted a
+low-lying hill and crossed down the other side. It would still be a long
+time before they got out of the giant crater in which the flier had
+landed, but by the time they did get out they would be well along toward
+their destination.
+
+“We seem to be making good time, Patch,” Garry said over his helmet
+radio.
+
+“Yeah,” Patch replied. “It’s so much easier walking on the moon than it
+is on the earth, once you get the hang of it.”
+
+“Just think, Patch. Captain Eaton really was going to try to adopt us,”
+Garry said. “And all the time we thought he didn’t care enough.”
+
+“He’s one in a million, Garry. He would have been the grandest father a
+guy could ever have.”
+
+“What do you mean he _would_ have?” Garry protested. “He _will_ be our
+father. We’re going to _save_ him, Patch. We’re going to save all of
+them.”
+
+“I want to save them too,” Patch said earnestly. “I’d sure hate for us
+to make it and them not to.”
+
+“Maybe we shouldn’t talk so much,” Garry advised. “It uses up more
+oxygen, and I don’t think we have a surplus of it.”
+
+They slogged silently through the gray dust in the bouncy, light-footed
+motion that they had become accustomed to by now. Every once in a while
+Garry would glance about him at the forbidding countryside of this dead
+world. Sight of the desolation chilled his soul. He wondered at first
+why this was so. Then he supposed that it must be because there was so
+much absolute _deadness_ all about. For nothing could live in the
+numbing cold and the boiling-hot temperatures that came to this
+landscape periodically. No, he and Patch were the only living creatures
+from one horizon to the other, and this fact was enough to give anyone
+the shivers.
+
+Finally Garry broke the long silence.
+
+“Patch, do you notice we’re able to move along easier now?” he asked.
+
+“It’s because the dust is thinning out, isn’t it?” Patch replied. “But I
+see the rocky country up ahead that the captain was telling us about.”
+
+“Yes,” Garry said, “and from the way he talked, it’s going to be plenty
+rugged getting through there.”
+
+They increased their speed, now that the going was easier.
+
+Garry stole a look at the big green jewel of earth afloat in the black
+sea of space, for it alone seemed to lend an air of friendliness and
+security to the otherwise lonely, sinister surroundings. The walls of
+Hornfield Crater about them were jagged as sharks’ teeth as they reached
+up into the darkness. The stars seemed to Garry like sparkling
+snowflakes dusted across the entire vault of the sky. The nebulae were
+like misty clouds, and there was the long arch of a great comet crossing
+just above the horizon and standing out remarkably because of its being
+so different from everything else in the whole visible sweep of the
+heavens.
+
+After a few hours of steady hiking, Patch suggested that they take a
+short break to rest and eat. Garry was ready for the same.
+
+Garry checked their map and compared the markings on it to their true
+surroundings. “We seem to be still on course, Patch,” he said.
+
+By now they had moved up on a higher plateau within the crater, and the
+dust had thinned so that solid rock could be felt underfoot. But not far
+beyond lay the wilderness of rock they had seen earlier at a distance.
+How huge and forbidding the region looked!
+
+Garry stopped walking and plopped down in his tracks, heaving a sigh.
+Patch sat down beside him.
+
+Garry took tubes of liquid food and a couple of water bottles from the
+pack he carried. He offered Patch his share and took some for himself.
+
+Each boy unscrewed a plate that covered the mouth of his helmet. Behind
+this was a rubber disk with a self-sealing opening in the middle of it.
+All the boys had to do was thrust the tubes of food and water through
+these openings and take them between their lips. By squeezing the tubes,
+they forced the contents into their mouths.
+
+“Got a napkin?” Patch joked, when they were through. “I’d like to wipe
+my mouth.”
+
+“Sorry,” Garry answered, “but they haven’t figured out a way to do that
+yet.”
+
+Patch climbed to his feet, screwing his outer mouthplate back on. “Well,
+that wasn’t exactly like carving into a steak, but I guess it’ll do
+until we can get something better,” he said.
+
+They started out again, and soon approached the forbidding rocky region
+they had dreaded. The ground was rough and uneven. Garry looked ahead,
+and it was like staring into the mouth of a vast cavern.
+
+“We’ve got to be careful, Patch,” Garry warned, as he slowed down and
+held back his friend. “There may be bad crevasses across our path, and
+they could be the end of us if we should fall in.”
+
+Garry took the responsibility of going first. Patch was right behind,
+holding on to a strap on Garry’s suit.
+
+It was like going into a dark underworld thriving with all kinds of
+unknown dangers. Although he was following very closely, Patch could
+barely see Garry’s outline ahead of him. Garry would carefully slide one
+foot ahead of him to be sure he had solid ground underfoot.
+
+After what seemed a very long time, Patch complained: “This is giving me
+the willies, Garry. How much farther do you think we’ve got to go?
+Besides, this is slowing us down almost to a crawl.”
+
+“I think I see a break up ahead,” Garry encouraged. “It seems we’re
+making a wide turn, and the farther we go the more earthshine I think I
+can make out.”
+
+“Gee, I’d give anything I’ve got for a light of some kind,” Patch
+groaned.
+
+“That’s about the only thing they couldn’t provide for us,” Garry said.
+“Remember we used up our flashlight when we cut down on our power supply
+in the flier.”
+
+“I remember,” Patch returned.
+
+Patch felt that Garry was slowly descending as he walked.
+
+“Hey, where are you going?” Patch asked.
+
+“There seems to be an incline going down,” Garry replied. “I sure hope
+it comes back up and doesn’t drop off so that we can’t cross to the
+other side.”
+
+“Ugh,” Patch shuddered. “Don’t even _think_ about that. Remember,
+Captain Eaton told us not to come back.”
+
+“Just keep up with me and go slowly,” Garry instructed. “We’ll find out
+what’s ahead in a few minutes.”
+
+Down, down they went on a gentle slope.
+
+“When are we going to start up?” Patch asked worriedly.
+
+“I don’t know,” Garry replied, a little anxious himself.
+
+Suddenly Garry moved too fast for Patch to keep up and lost contact with
+him. Patch lost his head momentarily and cried out, dashing forward to
+regain touch with Garry. In his haste, Patch tripped and fell on the
+jagged rocks. On the earth this would have been a bad fall, but the
+weaker gravity here saved him from serious injury. But the weaker
+gravity also gave him a longer sprawl and carried him down the slope.
+
+As soon as Garry heard Patch’s frantic cry, he grabbed wildly in the
+darkness, hoping by chance to reach his friend. But his hands met only
+empty air.
+
+Patch’s shrieks were cut off abruptly, and stark silence filled Garry’s
+ears.
+
+“Patch!” Garry called, dread making him tremble all over. “Patch, where
+are you?”
+
+He had a mad impulse to leap down the incline, grabbing desperately at
+anything within reach. But he knew this could be disastrous for both
+himself and Patch.
+
+Slowly, Garry inched farther downward, heartsick as he considered the
+things that might have happened to his friend—a fall knocking him out or
+worse, or a tumble down a deep, treacherous pit.
+
+“Patch!” he kept calling. “Patch!”
+
+The frightening moments of anguish were relieved when Garry finally
+heard a faint voice.
+
+“Patch, where are you?” Garry asked over and over, as he inched
+downward, ever downward.
+
+“Here, Garry,” came the very weak voice.
+
+Thinking Patch was still far off, Garry slid his feet with more urgent
+speed through the utter blackness. Then the toe of his boot kicked
+something soft.
+
+“Garry, don’t!” came a low-pitched, terrified voice. “You’re kicking the
+hand I’m holding on by!”
+
+Then Garry realized what had happened, and the thought of the costly
+mistake he had almost made sickened him for a moment. Patch’s radio
+antenna had evidently been damaged in his fall, making his call for help
+seem farther off than he really was.
+
+Garry stooped down, his hands closing over the gloved hand he had nearly
+knocked from its precarious position.
+
+“Garry!” Patch said, his voice still a little hysterical. “I’m hanging
+on a cliff of some kind, and my feet aren’t touching anything! Please,
+Garry, get me up before I let go! I feel my hands slipping!”
+
+“Hold on, Patch! Try to keep holding! I’ve got to get a foothold or we
+both may go over!”
+
+Garry quickly kicked loose dust from underfoot and brushed it some more
+with his gloved hands. Then he leaned over and reached for Patch’s
+clinging hands. He slid his own hands below Patch’s wrists, closing his
+fingers about those wrists for dear life.
+
+“I’ve got a good hold, Patch,” Garry panted. “Brace your feet and help
+me as I try to pull you up. Ready?”
+
+“Ready, Garry!” came Patch’s weak voice.
+
+Making sure his feet were well anchored, Garry pulled with all his
+might. For an instant Patch’s body resisted him like a dead weight.
+Then, with an almost superhuman effort, Garry was able to hoist him up
+... up ... up and over onto the ledge safely. Then both of them slumped
+exhaustedly on the rocky brink.
+
+The boys were quiet for several seconds as they caught their breath in
+the pitch darkness and considered how close it had come to being all
+over for Patch.
+
+“Garry,” his grateful friend managed to say finally, “I’ll make it up to
+you. If we ever get out of this alive, I’ll make it up to you.”
+
+“Never mind that,” Garry said. “You didn’t lose anything when you fell?
+You’ve still got the extra oxygen tanks?”
+
+A dead silence followed, and that silence caused Garry to feel a clutch
+of dread.
+
+“You lost them, didn’t you?” he asked with a hopeless groan.
+
+Garry heard a faint sob over his helmet receiver. Then Patch fairly wept
+out the words he next spoke: “Yes, yes, I did! Push me back in, Garry!
+Push me back in! We’re lost for sure now!”
+
+
+
+
+                         18. STRANGE DISCOVERY
+
+
+It took a long time for the boys to pull themselves together after
+experiencing this final fateful blow. Down into the depths with those
+precious air cylinders had gone whatever chance the boys had for
+escaping alive from the cruel moon and for saving their friends. Patch
+broke down and Garry felt just as badly himself, but he managed to hold
+back the tears.
+
+“Garry,” Patch burst out, “we may as well go back and die with the
+others now! There’s no use at all in going on any farther!” His voice
+still sounded far off to Garry because of the damaged antenna.
+
+“If we went back, then _they_ would no longer have any hope,” Garry
+argued. “We took everything else they had. We’ve got to leave them
+hope—even until the end. Besides, we couldn’t accomplish anything by
+going back. Maybe, Patch, there’s just the barest chance that we have
+enough oxygen to reach the settlement. Or enough to get out into the
+open again and wait to see if a rescue flier comes over.”
+
+“I’m not moving, Garry!” Patch snapped in utter despair. “I’m not going,
+do you hear?”
+
+“You _are_ going,” Garry said determinedly. “You’re going if I have to
+carry you! It’s no time to quit, Patch.”
+
+“Then when _is_ it time?” Patch shot back. “You and your hopes, Garry!
+Always hoping, even when there isn’t a smidgin of a chance.”
+
+“It may be only a smidgin,” Garry said firmly, “but sometimes that’s
+enough. Now stop being a quitter and get to your feet.”
+
+There was only silence over Garry’s receiver for several tense seconds.
+Garry didn’t know what he would do if Patch chose to defy him again. He
+knew he could not really make his friend do anything his heart refused
+to do.
+
+But Patch solved this latest problem himself. Garry heard rustling
+sounds as Patch climbed slowly to his feet.
+
+“I’m sorry I talked rough, Patch,” Garry apologized. “I don’t think
+we’ve quarreled twice in all our lives, have we? But we’re in this thing
+together, and we’ve got to keep going, no matter how bad things look.
+We’ve just _got_ to, don’t you see?”
+
+“We’re talking about keeping going,” Patch returned, “but we can’t even
+get across this crevasse. How do you propose to do that? Besides that,
+we can’t even see as well as moles in this darkness.”
+
+“Let’s walk along the edge, first in one direction and then the other,”
+Garry said. “Maybe the crevasse narrows and disappears before too far!”
+
+They began exploring the treacherous cliff edge, moving slowly and
+carefully along in one direction. Every once in a while they tested the
+width of the chasm. Garry would get down on hands and knees and reach
+out, feeling with his hand to see if he could contact the other side.
+Time after time this was done, but each time his hands met empty air.
+
+After a tedious hour, Patch complained bitterly, “Can’t you see it’s
+hopeless, Garry? Gee whiz, what does it take to convince you?”
+
+“Let’s try a few more times,” Garry replied doggedly. “Then if we still
+can’t find a way across, we’ll start going along the crevasse in the
+other direction.”
+
+Patch did not reply to this, and Garry knew how bitter his friend must
+feel toward him after so many setbacks.
+
+The next time Garry got down on his hands and knees and reached out, his
+probing hand touched hard, firm rock on the other side!
+
+“Patch!” he shouted. “I’ve found a place where we can cross!”
+
+Even Patch was heartened by this and made an enthusiastic comment. In
+the hope of finding the crevasse even narrower and safer farther along,
+Garry followed the ledge, and, sure enough, it grew narrower and
+narrower until it was a crack in the ground only a few inches across.
+
+Making the crossing to the other side, the boys, in feeling their way
+along, found that the ground began to rise again. Garry still maintained
+the lead, with Patch holding onto him and following blindly only a step
+behind.
+
+Up, up the slope they went, and before long they could see rays of light
+flickering down into their eyes.
+
+Soon there was enough light so that they could see a little distance
+ahead. They quickened their steps, although it still required some care
+on their part to avoid the sharp-edged stones and rugged underfooting
+that still lay in front of them.
+
+But the light grew steadily brighter and the trail flatter.
+
+“Look, Patch, I can see the stars again!” Garry was soon able to say.
+
+Then, scarcely before they realized it, they were completely out of the
+shadows of the rocky formation that had very nearly finished them. Above
+and behind them once more shone the big bright ball of earth floating
+among the stars.
+
+“Good old earth!” Patch exclaimed, with new hope. “I never thought I’d
+see it again!”
+
+“It’s a great sight!” Garry agreed.
+
+“Garry,” Patch said, “we can see right over the top of the crater wall
+in the distance. We seem to be higher than we were when we started.”
+
+“I’ve noticed that too,” Garry replied. “I’ll check the map again.”
+
+Garry did so, then told Patch that they were still on course.
+
+They moved on and presently stood at the raised edge of a gradually
+lowering basin that stretched out very far and flat ahead of them. They
+could see a break in the crater wall a few miles away, which the captain
+had pointed out to them on the map.
+
+“It looks like we’ll have easy traveling for awhile,” Garry said, “and
+we’ll be right out in the open in case a flier comes over. They’ll be
+sure to see us unless they’re completely blind.”
+
+“Garry,” Patch said in a thoughtful voice, “I’m sorry.”
+
+“Huh?” Garry asked in surprise.
+
+“I’m sorry for the way I acted. I lost my head completely. When I found
+out I’d lost the air cylinders over the ledge, I just seemed to go to
+pieces. It’s a good thing one of us knows how to keep his head.”
+
+“Forget it, Patch,” Garry soothed. “It could have been me just as easy
+as you. Besides, that’s not important now. We’ve still got a long way to
+go, and time is running short.”
+
+Suddenly, Patch ran past Garry in great haste and stood staring over the
+plain below, shielding his eyes with his hands.
+
+Garry joined him. “Patch, what is it? Do you see something?”
+
+“It’s impossible!” Patch gasped. “It’s completely impossible!”
+
+“What?” Garry begged, his own excitement growing.
+
+“Look! There’s somebody walking around down there or else I’m seeing
+things!”
+
+Garry looked where Patch pointed, and he too found it hard to believe
+his eyes. There _was_ someone or something moving around.
+
+“I see it!” Garry said. “Come on, let’s go down and get a closer look!”
+
+“I just hope it isn’t in as bad shape as we are!” Patch exclaimed.
+
+They hurried as fast as they dared over the bumpy ground, heading
+straight for the person or thing that was moving about in seemingly
+aimless fashion on the plain below.
+
+“He sees us!” Patch said. “He’s coming toward us!”
+
+Swiftly the distance closed between the boys and the lone stranger. And
+then Garry and Patch received the surprise of their lives.
+
+“Katrinka!” they shouted together, not believing what they saw.
+
+“It can’t be!” Patch cried in amazement. “Garry, we must be seeing a
+mirage or something! How could Katrinka...?”
+
+“It’s Katrinka all right!” Garry said, as the robot drew close enough to
+be fully recognized. “But I don’t understand it. I don’t understand it
+at all! Katrinka crashed with the _Carefree_ and poor Ben! But even if
+she didn’t crash, how is it she’s wandering around out here on the
+moon?”
+
+“And what could make her start moving toward us?” Patch asked, as the
+mystery deepened. “You’ll never make me believe she’s _really_ human,
+although at times it seemed that she was.”
+
+The big robot stopped in front of the boys and remained still. Garry and
+Patch felt almost as if they should say “Hello,” because indeed it was
+like meeting an old friend.
+
+After a few moments of remaining stock still, Katrinka turned and
+started shuffling off with great long strides.
+
+“What’ll we do, Garry?” Patch asked. “Follow her? But that would be
+silly! She’s still an unthinking machine.”
+
+“I don’t know, Patch. This whole thing seems very strange, although it
+may be that she was merely thrown clear when the _Carefree_ crashed and
+somehow her works were activated by the jolt. And yet I have the feeling
+that she almost knows what she’s doing, as if she wants us to follow
+her.”
+
+“Now you’re talking spooky,” Patch said. “You don’t really believe that
+Katrinka can _think_!”
+
+“I don’t know what to believe,” Garry replied. “But I sure would like to
+follow her a little way to see just what she’s going to do next.”
+
+“But our air, Garry! We don’t have enough to waste on playing ‘follow
+the leader’!”
+
+“Just a little way, Patch. Who knows—this might even lead to something
+important.”
+
+“I think you’re way off base, Garry, but I’ll admit I’m curious too.
+Let’s go.”
+
+Katrinka had already gained some distance on them while they were
+debating what to do, and she did not wait for them. They started running
+to catch up and presently did so. But the robot traveled at such a fast
+pace that they still had to move in long, antelopelike jumps to keep up.
+
+Katrinka was definitely headed in one particular direction because she
+varied hardly any in her line of motion. She seemed to be going toward
+an area where the rocks rose high and ominous looking. It was much like
+the spot where the boys had had their recent harrowing experience.
+
+“Garry, please,” Patch begged, panting for breath, “let’s call this
+crazy chase off! That athletic gal is running me ragged! Besides, she
+seems to be taking us straight into those rocky walls!”
+
+“Well, there’s one thing certain,” Garry replied. “She’s _got_ to change
+direction pretty quick, or she’ll crash into something. Let’s stick it
+out a few more minutes.”
+
+They drew closer to the shadowy outcropping. But the robot did not even
+slow her pace. The boys knew she was heading for a collision, but there
+was nothing they could do but watch.
+
+Somehow she got past the first row of stones, tripping and nearly
+falling, then recovering automatically. But her luck was short lived.
+The path went downhill beyond this spot, and her big metal foot slammed
+against a boulder. The robot arched through the air and crashed
+headfirst into a rocky wall. It crumpled her metal cranium, spewing out
+wires and electronic parts.
+
+The boys came running up and stood looking at the fallen giant.
+
+“Poor old Katrinka,” Garry said. “She was almost like one of us. It’s
+nearly as if another one of us had died.”
+
+“Yeah, I liked the old gal,” Patch replied. “She may have survived a
+crash on the moon, but it’s a cinch she’s reached the end of her rope
+now.”
+
+Garry cast a look around to see what sort of area they had come into.
+His eyes followed the downhill trail ahead that Katrinka would still be
+following had she not had her accident.
+
+What he saw brought a gasp of astonishment from him, and a nervous
+tremor coursed through his body.
+
+“Patch, look!” he shouted. “The _Carefree_! There’s the _Carefree_ down
+there, half buried in moon dust!”
+
+They rushed down the trail to get a closer look. The giant space ship
+was indeed buried half of her depth in pumice dust. The rear air lock
+was level with the ground, and extending from the air lock was a
+gangplank!
+
+The boys moved up to the edge of the gangplank, looking it over in
+bafflement.
+
+“Don’t tell me Katrinka put that down and walked out of the ship on it!”
+Patch challenged. “You can’t get me to believe that, Garry.”
+
+“No, you’re right; she couldn’t possibly have done that on her own. She
+might have done it, Patch, but she would have had to be guided by an
+intelligent _human_ brain.”
+
+“Garry, what are you saying? Are you trying to say that Ben might have
+survived that crash and rigged up Katrinka so that she could go out
+looking for us? Why, that’s fantastic!”
+
+“We’ll soon find out if it’s so fantastic,” Garry said. “The ship is
+nearly undamaged, as you can see.”
+
+“What are you going to do?” Patch asked, as Garry moved ahead.
+
+“I’m going to walk that gangplank up to the air lock and see if Ben is
+inside.”
+
+They could see that the gangplank had been put down because of the depth
+of the Lunar dust. It was obviously quite deep in this area, since the
+_Carefree_ itself was half buried in it. Deep, enormous dust pits were
+very common on the moon and were among the most dangerous obstacles to
+travel, because they never gave any indication of how deep they were
+until someone fell in and was suffocated.
+
+Carefully, Garry, with Patch right behind him, stepped out on the narrow
+gangplank and moved slowly forward toward the air lock at the other end.
+It was a little unsteady underfoot, but it was rigid and did not sink
+beneath the boys’ light lunar weight. Besides, Garry felt pretty sure
+now that Katrinka had crossed it, and she was far heavier than both of
+them together.
+
+Garry reached the air lock, his heart thumping rapidly with hope and
+expectation. He raised his gloved hand and began pounding on the outer
+door.
+
+They waited. Five seconds, then ten, fifteen....
+
+Garry’s hopes began to dim. It didn’t look as if there were anyone alive
+inside after all.
+
+But then the air-lock door began to swing open. The boys scrambled
+inside, too tense and excited to speak to one another. They heard air
+swishing into the air lock. Then, after another half minute, the inner
+door swung open.
+
+Standing there inside facing them was—Ben.
+
+
+
+
+                             19. A NEW LIFE
+
+
+“Ben!” Garry exclaimed jubilantly, rushing into the main part of the
+ship. “Is it really you?”
+
+“I’m not a ghost,” Ben said with a grin, “if that’s what you mean.”
+
+“How did you ever do it?” Patch asked, amazement written all over his
+chubby features. “I mean crash-land the _Carefree_.”
+
+“First tell me how the others are,” Ben asked anxiously.
+
+Garry told him that they were all right, at least for the time being.
+
+Ben was limping as he moved about. Patch asked about this, and Ben said
+it would come out in his story. The boys had entered into the central
+tunnel of the _Carefree_, with its webbing network, and Garry noticed
+that Ben had laid down metallic sheets over the webbing so that it could
+be more easily stood upon.
+
+Ben sat down on this and began his story.
+
+“I had made plans to remain aboard the _Carefree_ before we even started
+working on the flier. When I found that the space taxi would hold only
+seven passengers safely, I knew someone had to stay behind. I was afraid
+the captain would realize that the flier would be overcrowded, but I
+guess he was too busy thinking about other things. The likely one to bow
+out was myself, because I felt that quite possibly I might be able to
+bring the _Carefree_ down in one piece. I knew this region of Hornfield
+was full of huge dust pits that could cushion the fall of a ship if she
+belly-landed in one of them just right. But don’t think I wasn’t scared
+even thinking of trying such a thing! Don’t get me wrong, fellows—I
+wasn’t out to make a hero of myself!”
+
+“You must have had some control over the ship,” Garry said, “otherwise
+she would have crashed headlong onto the moon.”
+
+“I had some control,” Ben explained. “As soon as I released the flier
+from the _Carefree_, I started my attempt to save the ship and myself as
+well. I donned a pressure suit and went into the flight deck. Remember,
+I had gone in there before, soon after the collision. I had noticed then
+that most of the instrument panel had been destroyed.”
+
+“I remember too, Ben, that you helped build the _Carefree_,” Garry said,
+“so you must’ve known a lot about her.”
+
+“I tore out the cover of the console and began working in the section
+beneath. With tools, I was able to get the braking jets to functioning.
+This slowed the ship down to a slow orbit around the moon and gave me
+time to work on the steering controls. I couldn’t do much with them, but
+I was able to move the ship a little to the port or starboard side, as I
+wished. I knew this was as far as I could go, but with some luck I felt
+there was a chance of bringing her down safely.”
+
+“Why didn’t you try this before we all left the ship?” Patch wanted to
+know.
+
+Ben shook his head. “Risk everybody’s life on some crazy plan of my own?
+No, it was too farfetched in the first place, and I guess I would not
+even have tried it myself unless I’d had to. The flier was much the
+safer route to safety, and that’s why getting it to go was my first
+concern. With you guys out of the way, I had no one’s life to risk but
+my own.”
+
+“How did you manage to land as close to the flier as you did?” Garry
+asked.
+
+“My first thought was to land near one of the settlements, because if I
+did make it, then I would immediately send out a search party for the
+rest of you. But I knew I _had_ to land in one of the vast dust pits on
+Luna, because the ship would be destroyed by friction if it skidded
+along the bare ground. I made one orbit of the moon as the ship slowed
+down more and more and lost altitude. I knew roughly in what area the
+flier would likely come down, and I remembered Hornfield Crater as one
+being full of dust pits. As the ship glided lower and lower, I figured
+this would be where I would try to bring her down. The pit we’re in now
+is a very large, long trough, maybe a quarter of a mile long and a
+hundred feet wide. I therefore had a pretty good chance of landing in
+it.”
+
+“Gee, you had a lot of nerve to try something like that!” Patch
+exclaimed.
+
+“I took one last look out where I hoped to come down,” Ben said, “and
+then went under the console into the working parts again. I cut out a
+few of the upper braking jets, and this caused the ship to nose down. I
+felt it plough into the dust as if into a big flour barrel. The ship
+heated up from the friction created, but it slowed her down rapidly, and
+she came to rest on this spot, half buried in pumice. Even so, I nearly
+missed the dust pit, landing only about thirty feet from the edge of
+it.”
+
+“Now what about Katrinka?” Garry asked. “You did send her out, didn’t
+you?”
+
+“Right. I sprained my ankle when the ship landed and I was thrown
+against some machinery. I could hardly walk, but I wanted to make
+contact with the rest of you if it were possible. I then figured that
+the old gal might be able to help me. I worked her over so that I could
+operate her by remote control. I also made for her a command disk, so
+that when she moved near one of you or the flier she would give a radio
+signal to me. I laid down the gangplank myself over the pit, because I
+knew Katrinka would sink down in the dust. It nearly killed me getting
+about and using a hoist to lower the gangplank to the opposite bank, but
+I finally managed it.”
+
+“Then you sent her out?” Patch asked.
+
+“Yes. I used a small telescope to keep track of her. I couldn’t be sure
+where the rest of you had come down, but my plan was to start her moving
+about in a gradually enlarging circle. I was hoping that some of you
+would see her and come over to investigate. Once you had done that, I
+felt sure you would have the curiosity to follow her wherever she led
+you. And this you two fortunately did.”
+
+“We nearly didn’t,” Patch said. “We thought Katrinka had been thrown
+clear of the _Carefree_ after it had crashed and somehow had gotten
+accidentally activated as she had done once on the ship.”
+
+They heard a rap on the outer air-lock door. Patch and Garry exchanged
+bewildered glances, but Ben did not seem very surprised.
+
+“That must be the men from the settlement,” he said, limping over to the
+air lock and shoving the lever that opened the outer door. “I haven’t
+had time to tell you yet that I got through a message to them. You see,
+before I even thought of the trick with Katrinka, I was working on that
+damaged antenna dish that had prevented our sending an SOS after our
+collision in space. At first I didn’t have any replies, and I figured
+there must be interference from the Taurus Mountains beyond.”
+
+“That must be why _our_ SOS didn’t go through!” Patch said.
+
+Ben went on: “I increased my transmitting power and finally got through.
+It’s been less than an hour ago that they said they would send over a
+Service flier rocket immediately.”
+
+The two men who entered the air lock a few moments later were Commander
+Staples and his lieutenant, both members of the Space Service. They had
+been making a routine flight over the moon when they had been contacted
+by the mining scientists who had picked up Ben’s SOS.
+
+The two men had arrived in a big space flier that could easily take care
+of Captain Eaton and the others. Ben and the boys were anxious to get
+started so that the long-drawn-out ordeal their friends had been
+undergoing could be ended as quickly as possible. Commander Staples said
+they could leave immediately.
+
+The boys pulled on their helmets, and the officers helped Ben get into a
+pressure suit. This was painful for Ben because of his swollen ankle.
+Then, with everyone dressed to go out onto the moon’s surface, Ben
+pushed the lever that opened the inner air-lock door. Once outside, they
+started in single file across the gangplank. Ben was in the middle and
+limped along slowly with his hands on the shoulders of the officer in
+front of him to steady himself.
+
+On the way to the flier, they passed the smashed metal body of Katrinka.
+The officers looked at the strange robot with great interest, and Ben
+explained her to them.
+
+“She won’t remain out here to die,” Ben said over his suit radio, as if
+he were talking about a human being. “When we return to the _Carefree_
+one of these days, we’ll rebuild her, and she’ll be as good as new.”
+
+The boys were glad to hear this because now they realized that every one
+of their little group on the _Carefree_ would survive the frightening
+adventure and that once again they would all be together, including
+their robot friend.
+
+“Ben,” Patch asked, “will the _Carefree_ ever fly again?”
+
+“That’s up to Captain Eaton,” Ben replied. “It will take a lot of money
+to put her in shape again, and that includes a powerful set of rockets
+to lift her into space. But knowing how much the captain likes her, I
+believe he’ll spare no expense making her space borne again.”
+
+Commander Staples said to Ben: “I heard you mention Captain Eaton. Our
+radio picked up a spacegram that was addressed to a Captain Eaton. We
+tape those messages routinely, and I’ll be able to give it to him when
+we see him.”
+
+The Service flier was a sleek, streamlined rocket with fins that were
+built to support the craft in the earth’s atmosphere, if need be. She
+also had powerful jets for lifting her up off the surface of any of the
+minor planets.
+
+Commander Staples asked the boys to point out to him on a chart the
+approximate location of their flier, and Garry estimated the position as
+accurately as he could.
+
+Then, with everyone belted down, the flier’s rocket roared into action,
+and the craft lifted into the dark sky. It was a very short trip, and
+the ship did not have to fly too high. Commander Staples’ assistant
+spied the flier and pointed it out to his superior. The ship circled the
+area in a gradually lowering spiral and came to rest about a hundred
+feet from the small grounded space taxi.
+
+A few moments later, Ben and the boys were hurrying across the rough
+ground toward the flier. Garry’s heart was pounding so hard with joy and
+excitement that he could hear its thumping over his helmet receiver.
+
+Those inside had evidently seen their rescuers arrive, because the outer
+door of the air lock was open to receive them.
+
+Garry would never forget the old captain’s happy face when he saw the
+three of them enter. Nor would he forget the tears glistening in the
+corners of Captain Eaton’s eyes as he clasped the boys to his chest in a
+great bear hug that nearly squeezed the life out of them.
+
+“Thank God for this great moment!” the old man said in a husky voice.
+“And Ben—even you, whom we had long ago given up for dead! What have I
+ever done to deserve a happy moment like this?”
+
+He released the boys and clasped Ben to him as if he were another lost
+son. Then the others came forward, their faces gleaming with the
+overwhelming joy they felt at seeing the lost ones returning.
+
+“Ben, you old trickster you!” Mac shouted, pounding his friend on the
+back. “How in the world you came out of that thing alive I’ll never
+know. But right now I don’t care _how_ you did it!”
+
+“Welcome home, stranger!” Isaac said, shaking Ben’s hand vigorously as
+only Isaac could do.
+
+“It’s most gratifying to see you, Ben,” Mr. Klecker said in his butler’s
+tone of voice, which, however, did not mean that he was any less deeply
+moved than the others.
+
+Gino then came forward and took his turn at greeting Ben and the boys.
+The celebration went on for several more minutes, and the little flier
+was pleasantly noisy with joking and happy talk.
+
+But, finally, Commander Staples had to interrupt the celebration with a
+smiling, apologetic voice: “I hate to break up this little party, but
+we’ve got to start back to the mining settlement. You see, I’m on duty
+and I’ve got a busy schedule. They have accommodations for all of you at
+the settlement, and you can make your future plans as soon as you’ve
+arrived there.”
+
+The prisoners of so long a time in the cramped quarters of the flier
+were only too willing to get out of their prison. The commander and his
+assistant went back to the Service flier to get space suits for those
+who did not have them.
+
+After the suits had been distributed, Commander Staples gave a piece of
+paper to Captain Eaton. “Here’s a message for you, Sir, that our radio
+picked up.” He winked at the boys. “Something tells me they’ll be as
+interested in it as you will be.”
+
+The captain read the message and then turned to Garry and Patch with a
+warm expression. “Boys, it looks as though the adoption will go through
+as soon as we go back for a short time and make the arrangements.”
+
+“Gee, I—I don’t know what to say,” Garry murmured, almost too excited
+and happy for words. “It sounds too good to be true!”
+
+“They’re the best words you could have said to us, Sir,” Patch added.
+“Isn’t it just great, Garry!” His sparkling eyes showed how much he
+meant it.
+
+“It’ll be a little strange being called, ‘Father,’” the captain said,
+smiling, “but I think I’ll get used to it pretty quickly.”
+
+Captain Eaton stared off with a faraway look. “We’ll make up for lost
+time, boys. We’ll see as much of the universe as the old _Carefree_ will
+carry us to. Yes, we’ll fix her up again if it takes the rest of my
+fortune. You’ll get your education among the stars, my sons, and you’ll
+be that much wiser because of it.”
+
+Garry and Patch exchanged happy glances. Garry thought they were wiser
+already, just from knowing the grand skipper of the _Carefree_.
+
+
+
+
+                          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 Stowaways in Space, by Richard Mace Elam
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 54547 ***
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-<pre>

-

-The Project Gutenberg EBook of Young Stowaways in Space, by Richard Mace Elam

-

-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

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-to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.

-

-Title: Young Stowaways in Space

-

-Author: Richard Mace Elam

-

-Release Date: April 14, 2017 [EBook #54547]

-

-Language: English

-

-Character set encoding: UTF-8

-

-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG STOWAWAYS IN SPACE ***

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-

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-Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed

-Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

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-</pre>

-

-<div id="cover" class="img">

-<img id="coverpage" src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Young Stowaways in Space" width="500" height="725" />

-</div>

-<div class="img" id="i01">

-<img src="images/i01.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="464" height="799" />

-</div>

-<div class="box">

-<h1>YOUNG

-<br />STOWAWAYS

-<br />IN SPACE</h1>

-<p class="center">By RICHARD M. ELAM

-<br /><span class="small">Author of Young Readers Science Fiction Stories, etc.</span></p>

-<div class="img" id="i02">

-<img src="images/i02.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="400" height="276" />

-</div>

-<p class="center"><span class="smaller">ILLUSTRATED BY GERALD MC CANN</span></p>

-<p class="tbcenter"><i>LANTERN PRESS, INC., PUBLISHERS</i>

-<br /><span class="small">257 PARK AVENUE SOUTH

-<br />NEW YORK 10, N. Y.</span></p>

-</div>

-<p class="center small">Copyright &copy; 1960 by Lantern Press, Inc.</p>

-<p class="center smaller">LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 60-13785</p>

-<p class="center smaller">PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN CANADA BY

-<br />GEORGE J. MC LEOD, LTD., TORONTO</p>

-<p class="center smaller">MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA</p>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2>CONTENTS</h2>

-<dl class="toc">

-<dt><a href="#c1">1. Space Ship <i>Orion</i></a> 9</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c2">2. Blast-off</a> 16</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c3">3. Stowaways in Space</a> 25</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c4">4. Adrift in the Deeps</a> 36</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c5">5. A &ldquo;Flying Tin Can&rdquo;</a> 47</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c6">6. A <i>Carefree</i> World</a> 56</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c7">7. A Shock in the Night</a> 65</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c8">8. Garry Has a Scare</a> 75</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c9">9. Satellite Zone</a> 85</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c10">10. The Lady Goes Wild</a> 94</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c11">11. A Friend Is Lost</a> 107</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c12">12. A Startling Discovery</a> 116</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c13">13. Abandon Ship!</a> 124</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c14">14. First Hours on Luna</a> 133</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c15">15. A Dark Outlook</a> 142</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c16">16. A Sad Parting</a> 150</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c17">17. Dark Peril</a> 160</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c18">18. Strange Discovery</a> 169</dt>

-<dt><a href="#c19">19. A New Life</a> 181</dt>

-</dl>

-<h1 title="">YOUNG

-<br />STOWAWAYS

-<br />IN SPACE</h1>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_9">9</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c1"><br />1. SPACE SHIP <i>ORION</i></h2>

-<p>The orphanage dormitory was locked in the stillness

-of slumber. Light from the full moon filtered

-through the large window which ran the entire

-length of the boys sleeping quarters.</p>

-<p>Twenty cots filled the dormitory, and all but one

-held its sleeper. Dark-haired Garry Coleman was

-standing beside his cot, quietly dressing. Every now

-and then he would cast an anxious glance toward

-the darkened door at the end of the dormitory.

-Above all, he must not disturb the charge-of-quarters,

-or all would be lost.</p>

-<p>As he sat on the edge of the cot to put on his

-shoes, Garry heard a squeak from one of the cots.

-He stiffened, his heart thumping fearfully.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_10">10</div>

-<p>Then Garry breathed easily. He saw that it was

-only Patch, who occupied the bunk next to his.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hey, Garry, where are you going?&rdquo; Patch asked

-interestedly.</p>

-<p>Patch was short and towheaded. He was Garry&rsquo;s

-best friend, and so Garry did not mind telling him.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to the spaceport and watch the <i>Orion</i>

-blast off for the Von Braun Space Station. Want to

-go?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Sure thing!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;ll have to take the same chance that I do,&rdquo;

-Garry reminded him.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s okay by me.&rdquo; Patch grinned. &ldquo;If we do

-get caught, we&rsquo;ll just be restricted to the grounds

-for two weeks. That won&rsquo;t keep us out of the

-science lab where we spend a lot of time anyhow.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>It was a warm April night. The sky was thick

-with stars as bright as diamond dust.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d give anything to be out there in the deeps

-among the planets,&rdquo; Garry said, as they hurried

-across the newly sprouting lawn of the orphanage

-a few minutes later. &ldquo;The life of a spaceman must

-be the most exciting thing in the world.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Patch agreed. &ldquo;But I guess we&rsquo;ll never

-make it, Garry, at least not for many years. And

-they say you sure have to know science and navigation.

-That takes a lot of study.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_11">11</div>

-<p>&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t care what it takes,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d

-be willing to study for as long as it would take, because

-the reward would be worth the effort.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Their rapid steps took them onto one of the

-main streets of the city where moving sidewalks,

-called &ldquo;Ped-A-Rides,&rdquo; were operating. The sidewalk

-was a continuous belt, about six feet wide, and

-there were benches located at intervals upon it

-where the pedestrians could sit. A railing was on

-both sides of the Ped-A-Ride, but at intervals of

-about half a block there were gates where pedestrians

-could enter.</p>

-<p>Patch and Garry went to the nearest gate, and

-Garry pulled the lever which slowed the sidewalk

-down so that they could board it. When Garry had

-deposited their fare in the meter, a bar slid away so

-that they could enter. It was about 2230 o&rsquo;clock, an

-hour and a half before midnight, and not many

-people were on the Ped-A-Ride.</p>

-<p>The boys took seats, and the sidewalk carried

-them along into the night.</p>

-<p>As the Ped-A-Ride topped the crest of a hill,

-Garry pointed into the distance.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;There she is, Patch&mdash;the <i>Orion</i>, smoking and

-straining like a race horse, just as if she can&rsquo;t wait

-to get going!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;She sure is a beauty,&rdquo; Patch agreed. &ldquo;The earth-bound

-ships are a whole lot trimmer and better

-looking than the ships that never touch down.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_12">12</div>

-<p>&ldquo;The earth-bound ships have to be streamlined

-so that they can slide smoothly through the earth&rsquo;s

-atmosphere,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;but the ships that remain

-in space look like a bunch of globes and girders,

-because they never meet the friction of any planet&rsquo;s

-atmosphere and they don&rsquo;t need the sturdiness and

-rocket power.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch laughed. &ldquo;You sound like one of our

-schoolbooks, Garry,&rdquo; he said.</p>

-<p>As the Ped-A-Ride neared the spaceport, the

-brilliant lights of the busy area merged into a hazy

-glare that brightened the night until it was almost

-as light as day. The slim prow of the <i>Orion</i> reached

-higher into the sky than any other object on the

-vast field, even loftier than the giant control tower.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;They say the <i>Orion</i> is more space scarred than

-any other ship in the Space Service,&rdquo; Garry remarked.

-&ldquo;Meteor dust has grooved her sides so

-much that they look like the scratches on a rifle

-bullet.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I knew she was one of the oldest crafts in the

-Service,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;I guess she&rsquo;s carried many a

-person to the Von Braun Station on their way to

-Luna and the other planets.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_13">13</div>

-<p>The Ped-A-Ride had nearly reached the gate of

-the spaceport when Garry said to his friend,

-&ldquo;Patch, we&rsquo;d better move down among those people

-ahead of us. It looks like they&rsquo;re going to get

-off at the port.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Why?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;If one of the port police spots us, he might get

-suspicious seeing a couple of kids alone at this time

-of night. If we mingle with the crowd, the police

-may think we are with them.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They got up and began walking forward along

-the moving platform. Then they took seats behind

-a man who wore the uniform of the Space Service.

-He had several bags, and it seemed likely that he

-was going to board the <i>Orion</i>.</p>

-<p>As the Ped-A-Ride neared the port gate, Garry

-closely studied the stalwart young man seated before

-them. Garry wondered at the many experiences

-that must have been encountered by this

-spaceman during his career.</p>

-<p>Garry leaned over and touched the spaceman on

-the shoulder.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Excuse me, Sir,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Are you boarding the

-<i>Orion</i>?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry saw a pleasant but deeply lined face

-turned upward toward his own.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; the astronaut replied, then asked, &ldquo;Are

-you?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Er, no, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;We&mdash;my friend and

-I&mdash;we just want to see her blast off.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_14">14</div>

-<p>The spaceman smiled. &ldquo;Guess you are pretty interested

-in space to be coming all the way to the

-port just to see an old crate like the <i>Orion</i> blast off.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes, we are, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very interested

-in it. I hope to be a spaceman someday.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I think you will be, too,&rdquo; the man said confidently.

-&ldquo;I can see the enthusiasm in your eyes.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Garry returned. &ldquo;Have you made

-many trips spaceward?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;A dozen or so,&rdquo; was the reply. &ldquo;The number is

-not important, though, you must understand. Usually,

-one voyage can last quite a while.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The spaceman extended a big, sunburned hand

-to Garry. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m First Space Officer Mulroy. What&rsquo;s

-your name?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, Sir. Garry Coleman. My friend here is

-Patrick Foster, but he&rsquo;s called Patch for short.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>As the Ped-A-Ride neared the gate of the spaceport,

-Garry had an idea by which he and Patch

-might get inside without being questioned by the

-port police.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Mr. Mulroy,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;I notice that you

-have some baggage. I wonder if Patch and I could

-help you carry it&mdash;maybe aboard the <i>Orion</i>.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The officer smiled. &ldquo;You want to see what she

-looks like, eh? Okay, it&rsquo;s a deal.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Thank you, Sir,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_15">15</div>

-<p>Presently Officer Mulroy stood up. &ldquo;Here we are,

-fellows,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s get our things together

-quickly. I can&rsquo;t afford to miss my blast-off on the

-<i>Orion</i>. I have a sailing date for Mars in a few weeks,

-and the stars wait for no man!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_16">16</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c2"><br />2. BLAST-OFF</h2>

-<p>Once inside the gate, Mr. Mulroy spoke to a uniformed

-officer, who saluted. The officer turned a

-tiny dial on a lapel button he wore and spoke into

-it. Garry knew this to be a subminiature radio

-transmitter which was in wide use.</p>

-<p>Presently, a square little &ldquo;T-Car,&rdquo; or tote car,

-drove up. It was painted green and white, streamlined,

-and had seats inside. It had a convertible

-top which was opened now because of the pleasant

-weather.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_17">17</div>

-<p>The baggageman put the spaceman&rsquo;s things in

-the compartment, then invited his passengers to

-enter at the door he held open. Garry and Patch

-felt very important as Officer Mulroy motioned

-them in ahead of himself. They felt even more important

-as they sank down into the soft seats and

-were joined a moment later by this high-ranking

-officer of the Space Service.</p>

-<p>The swift little car whisked them off to the Operations

-Building, to which Officer Mulroy had to

-report before his flight.</p>

-<p>When the baggage had been unloaded outside

-and the T-Car had moved off, the spaceman said to

-the boys, &ldquo;Wait out here, until I sign up and get my

-instructions. Then we&rsquo;ll carry my things aboard the

-<i>Orion</i>.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>While they waited, they turned their attention

-to the space craft some distance away. Its blue,

-satiny sides reflected the glow of thousands of

-lights on the field. Red smoke still curled up into

-the night, warning of the approach of blast-off time.

-And yet there was still a little while to go, for the

-spiderwebs of the gantry cranes still hugged the

-sides of the three-stage space vessel. Workmen

-were swarming all over the platforms, making last-minute

-checks on the ship.</p>

-<p>There was a high wire fence around the <i>Orion</i>

-and only one entrance through it. A uniformed official

-was checking tickets as the passengers went

-through the gate. The official checked Officer Mulroy&rsquo;s

-ticket, and Mr. Mulroy told him it would be

-all right for the boys to help him carry his baggage

-aboard.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_18">18</div>

-<p>The boys&rsquo; new friend took them down some steps

-into a concrete tunnel that led to the launching pad.

-On the way they stopped at a little room where

-Mr. Mulroy was weighed.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Weight is a very important factor on a space

-ship,&rdquo; Mr. Mulroy said, as they were on their way

-again.</p>

-<p>The tunnel led to an elevator that ran up the side

-of the rocket. The elevator cab rose and rose, high

-into the black night. Finally, Officer Mulroy pressed

-a button and said this was where they were to get

-off.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch followed their friend out into

-a corridor of the space ship. Officer Mulroy

-searched the doors they passed, then recognized

-his own, Stateroom 17. He drew out a key and

-unlocked the door, then preceded the boys into the

-room.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Gee, what a tiny room!&rdquo; Patch exclaimed.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It has to be this small,&rdquo; Mr. Mulroy said. &ldquo;Every

-inch of area on a space ship is at a premium, you

-know. For most travelers, the Von Braun Space Station

-is only a stopover on a longer trip into space.

-Sometimes the layover is for several days or even

-a week or two. Since rooms aboard the space station

-are very limited, most of the passengers are

-quartered in staterooms in the rocket in which

-they left earth.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_19">19</div>

-<p>Suddenly, a voice came over a speaker in the

-room: &ldquo;Blast-off in ten minutes. All nonpassengers

-are requested to leave the ship.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s us,&rdquo; Garry said unhappily.</p>

-<p>How he envied Officer Mulroy on his coming

-trip into the deeps of space! He wanted to go so

-badly that his heart ached. But he realized that not

-for many years could his fondest dream come true.</p>

-<p>Officer Mulroy noticed Garry&rsquo;s reluctance to

-leave, and placed a friendly arm around his shoulder.

-&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t take it so hard, Garry,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Be the

-very best student you can. The years will go by

-fast, and then one day you will wake up to find that

-you are eligible to be a spaceman.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Garry said, trying to smile convincingly,

-although he did not feel happy. The idea of

-the future did not interest him now, but only the

-present, because the queen of the spaceways was

-about to blast off, and he wanted so desperately

-to remain aboard her.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go, Garry,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to

-get Officer Mulroy into trouble by us being caught

-aboard at blast-off.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_20">20</div>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s right,&rdquo; Officer Mulroy said with a smile.

-&ldquo;Being a stowaway on a rocket is really a serious

-matter. You see, for every pound of pay load on a

-rocket, there must be many more pounds of fuel,

-so if an extra person remained aboard, the ship

-might not be able to reach its destination.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Thank you for letting us come aboard with you,

-Mr. Mulroy,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;ll remember what

-you told me.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The space officer insisted on tipping the boys,

-and it was a generous tip at that. As the two left the

-room he called to them, &ldquo;Good-by, fellows. I&rsquo;ll send

-you a post card from Mars. That&rsquo;s a promise.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch said good-by and followed the

-directions that Officer Mulroy had given them for

-leaving the ship.</p>

-<p>Garry pressed the button of the elevator in which

-they had ridden earlier. As the doors parted and

-he and Patch went in, he said to his friend, &ldquo;Gee,

-I hate to leave. I don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s the matter with

-me, Patch. Maybe I&rsquo;m just tired of having to do the

-same thing every day, over and over.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I feel kind of the same way, Garry,&rdquo; Patch admitted,

-&ldquo;but I guess we&rsquo;ll just have to sweat out the

-old grind for a few more years.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They had no sooner started to descend than the

-light in the elevator went off, and then the elevator

-itself stopped.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hey, what&rsquo;s going on!&rdquo; Garry exclaimed.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The power&rsquo;s off!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>

-<p>Presently, the light came on again, and the boys

-felt a lot better.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_21">21</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Whew, for a minute I was scared!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Me too. Hey, we&rsquo;re still not moving, though!&rdquo;

-Garry pressed harder on the button, but the elevator

-refused to move.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re stuck here, Garry!&rdquo; Patch burst out.</p>

-<p>Garry started banging furiously on the walls of

-the elevator. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just <i>got</i> to make ourselves

-heard, Patch!&rdquo; he cried.</p>

-<p>The din was very loud in the cramped compartment,

-as both boys hammered on the wall.</p>

-<p>No one came to their rescue, but then a voice

-spoke over the public-address speaker in the ceiling

-of the elevator: &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be alarmed, folks. A

-short circuit in the fuel-pump relay caused us to

-lose electric power momentarily. But everything

-has been restored to normalcy. Warning: Three

-minutes to blast-off.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It <i>hasn&rsquo;t</i> been restored!&rdquo; Garry burst out desperately.</p>

-<p>The boys pounded on the metal walls until their

-knuckles hurt.</p>

-<p>In a final desperate action, Garry slammed his

-closed fist against the stubborn power button. Instantly,

-he felt the elevator throb underfoot and

-begin to descend once more.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_22">22</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Thank goodness!&rdquo; Garry breathed prayerfully.

-&ldquo;But we&rsquo;ve still got to hurry in order to get off in

-time! No telling how long we&rsquo;ve been stuck in this

-thing!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>When the elevator stopped, the doors slid open

-and the boys ran out. But they found themselves in

-a strange corridor.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not out of the ship yet!&rdquo; Garry exclaimed.

-&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve only gone down a deck or two.

-The elevator must still be fouled up.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;ll we do now?&rdquo; Patch asked in desperation.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Go back into the elevator and try to get to the

-ground. We&rsquo;ll have to hurry! The elevator is part

-of the gantry crane, and it&rsquo;ll be rolled away any

-moment!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They rushed back to the closed doors of the

-elevator. But a sign in red lights on the door read:

-&ldquo;DO NOT ENTER. ELEVATOR REMOVED.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve already taken it away!&rdquo; Patch said in

-dismay.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to find a place to strap down, or every

-bone in our bodies will be broken on the blast-off!&rdquo;

-Garry said.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_23">23</div>

-<p>A speaker along the corridor next gave out with

-the dread words: &ldquo;Blast-off in ninety seconds,

-ladies and gentlemen. Secure your seat harness and

-listen to the instructions of the stewards. Failure

-to obey directions could cost you your lives. In the

-first few moments of acceleration in a rocket ship,

-there is a crushing blow to the human body. This

-jolt will occur twice more as the second and third

-stages blast off. For that reason, it is absolutely

-necessary that everyone be strapped down securely

-to his G-couch.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch grabbed his friends arm in a fierce grip.

-&ldquo;Garry, we&rsquo;re going to die! We&rsquo;re going to die!&rdquo; he

-cried.</p>

-<p>Garry shook off Patch and desperately began

-throwing open doors along the corridor, looking

-into one room after another. &ldquo;There must be some

-G-couches along here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I read somewhere

-that space law says there must be emergency

-couches on all decks of a rocket ship.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch tagged along after Garry, complaining.

-Garry could not afford to be sympathetic now. Both

-their lives depended on what he did within the next

-minute.</p>

-<p>Then Garry found it. Printed on the door was the

-heartening word: &ldquo;G-COUCHES.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>He flung open the door and saw a row of six S-shaped

-reclining seats.</p>

-<p>Garry grabbed the arm of his quaking friend in a

-tight grip and told him, &ldquo;Listen to me, Patch, and

-do what I tell you. Jump on a couch just as fast as

-you can and don&rsquo;t waste a second getting those

-buckles fastened across your chest, body, and legs.

-Now get going!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_24">24</div>

-<p>Garry helped him along with a shove, then dove

-for one of the couches close by.</p>

-<p>As he hastily fastened his own straps in place,

-Garry cast worried glances at his friend, who was

-fumbling as best he could in his nervous state.</p>

-<p>A speaker warned of the passing moments: &ldquo;Zero

-minus twenty seconds, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen,

-sixteen....&rdquo;</p>

-<p>A few seconds more, and Garry&rsquo;s straps were securely

-fastened. He twisted his head to see how

-Patch was doing. Patch had almost all his straps in

-place, but he could not seem to get the chest

-buckle tightened.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hurry, Patch, please hurry!&rdquo; Garry cried.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&mdash;I&rsquo;m doing the best I can,&rdquo; Patch said, and

-Garry could see the streams of sweat trickling down

-his round face.</p>

-<p>Then, with a final lucky tug, Patch had it. Turning

-his weakly smiling face to Garry, he murmured,

-&ldquo;Garry, I guess I just barely did....&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry never heard the rest of the words, for at

-that moment the <i>Orion</i> shook herself like a big dog,

-began a slow tug upward into the black night, and

-then, a few seconds later, with a deafening roar

-tore free of her earthly bonds and flung herself

-into space.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_25">25</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c3"><br />3. STOWAWAYS IN SPACE</h2>

-<p>Garry had read about the rough effects of blast-off,

-but the real thing was even worse than he had imagined.

-He felt like one of those characters in movie

-cartoons who gets flattened to the thickness of

-paper when run over. His lungs felt as though they

-had collapsed, and he could suck in only the barest

-trace of breath.</p>

-<p>But the discomfort did not last long. His body

-seemed to fill out like an inflated balloon, although

-he still felt the ache of having been nearly

-squashed. His stomach felt as though it had been

-stirred up with an egg beater, and his head swam.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_26">26</div>

-<p>But no sooner had he recovered from the first

-violent thrust than it came again as the rocket&rsquo;s second

-stage began firing. Then the crushing pressure

-eased once more, only to return once again as the

-third stage, the occupied section of the <i>Orion</i>, began

-firing away. When this force let up, Garry knew

-it was the last.</p>

-<p>The ship did not appear to be moving, but

-Garry knew it must be traveling many thousands

-of miles an hour.</p>

-<p>Garry&rsquo;s shaky hands groped for the belts of the

-harness that snugly fitted his body. He worked the

-buckles loose from his upper body and sat up on his

-G-couch. He did not release his legs, because he

-was already feeling the dizzying effects of weightlessness.

-He looked across at Patch on the next

-couch.</p>

-<p>Patch was still lying flat, and his face was

-pasty white. His eyes were closed, and this alarmed

-Garry.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; Garry called, repeating the name over

-and over.</p>

-<p>Patch had blacked out, but after a few minutes

-he came back to consciousness.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Wh&mdash;what happened?&rdquo; Patch asked in a weak

-voice.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re in space, Patch,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll

-probably think we&rsquo;re stowaways and send us to

-jail. Maybe Officer Mulroy will get in trouble too.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_27">27</div>

-<p>But this was the least of Patch&rsquo;s worries

-right now. He put his hand to his head, complaining,

-&ldquo;Gee, I feel terrible. Everything&rsquo;s going

-around! And I had the worst nightmare all night

-long!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry had to grin at this. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t been here

-all night, just a few minutes. It just seems like a

-long time.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch fumbled loose his upper straps and struggled

-to a sitting position, but fell back down onto

-his contour seat. &ldquo;Wow, I can&rsquo;t make it!&rdquo; he said

-thickly.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no use trying to get up,&rdquo; Garry said.

-&ldquo;We&rsquo;re weightless and would never be able to get

-about. It&rsquo;s funny how I wanted so terribly to go

-into space, but now that I&rsquo;m out here I&rsquo;m not enjoying

-it. I guess it&rsquo;s because I&rsquo;m afraid of what&rsquo;s

-coming.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry wondered what they should do. Should

-they turn themselves in and take their chances on

-being believed that their being aboard the <i>Orion</i>

-was due to an accident? But if they did this, then

-Mr. Mulroy might be held responsible for not seeing

-that the boys had left the ship. And yet, Garry

-realized, he and Patch could not stay in hiding indefinitely.

-Sooner or later they must be found out.

-If they did not turn themselves in, and they were

-discovered, they would surely be regarded as stowaways.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_28">28</div>

-<p>Then a new fear came to Garry. What if his

-and Patch&rsquo;s combined weight was over the ship&rsquo;s

-allowable limit? What if their being aboard would

-keep them from reaching the space station and, instead,

-cause the earth&rsquo;s gravity to pull the <i>Orion</i>

-back down? In that case the two of them could

-possibly cost the space-ship line a new rocket worth

-millions, not to mention the lives of all the persons

-aboard in case a safe landing could not be made!</p>

-<p>Garry was occupied with these grave thoughts

-until he heard the public-address system saying:

-&ldquo;We are now in braking orbit.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry knew this meant that the ship had

-reached the vicinity of the space station and was

-beginning to circle the station while the braking

-rockets were cut in. This procedure would slow

-down the <i>Orion</i> so that she would be moving at

-the same orbital speed as the space station. Then it

-would be easy for her to slip into dock.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch felt the tug of the ship&rsquo;s gradually

-diminishing speed, but this was not nearly as

-rough as the blast-off had been. As the <i>Orion</i> moved

-into dock, the boys felt their weight returning. This

-was due to the station&rsquo;s rotation and artificial

-gravity.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Well, it looks like the ship has made it all right,&rdquo;

-Patch said, relieved. &ldquo;They must not have had a

-full load.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_29">29</div>

-<p>The boys heard the technical language of the

-docking procedure. Garry listened closely, even

-though he could not understand much of it. But

-this was all part of the spaceman&rsquo;s education, and

-he was eager to learn it, even at such a crucial moment

-as this.</p>

-<p>Yet as he listened, he had another unpleasant

-thought. Now that he and Patch had the blot of

-&ldquo;stowaway&rdquo; against them, would this misconduct

-prevent them from realizing their dream of being

-future spacemen?</p>

-<p>Finally, the ship&rsquo;s motion stopped altogether.

-The <i>Orion</i> had nestled into her dock on the big Von

-Braun Space Station, named after the great space

-scientist of the past century.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Now where do we go from here?&rdquo; Patch asked,

-as the two removed their harness straps and got

-to their feet. &ldquo;Garry, I&rsquo;m scared, plenty scared!

-Wow, I&rsquo;m a little wobbly too!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s stay put until we hear further announcements

-over the speaker,&rdquo; Garry suggested. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll

-give us time to think this through a little longer.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just stalling, that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re doing,

-aren&rsquo;t we, Garry? We don&rsquo;t want to turn ourselves

-in because we&rsquo;re afraid of what will happen to us,&rdquo;

-Patch said.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_30">30</div>

-<p>Garry hung his head. &ldquo;I guess that&rsquo;s what it does

-amount to, Patch. I keep thinking what this will do

-to our hopes of being spacemen. I&rsquo;m afraid we&rsquo;ll

-never make it now.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They stayed in hiding for another half hour.

-Then Garry said: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to have something to

-live on until we make up our minds what we&rsquo;re

-going to do, Patch. I think space ships have emergency-ration

-compartments located along the corridors.

-I&rsquo;m in favor of looking for one.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s better than just waiting here and doing

-nothing,&rdquo; Patch agreed.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll look out and see if the coast is clear,&rdquo;

-Garry said.</p>

-<p>He looked around outside and then motioned to

-Patch. They started off quietly down the corridor,

-but after a moment they heard footsteps approaching

-from around the corner behind them.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, we&rsquo;ve got to hide!&rdquo; Patch whispered

-urgently. &ldquo;Somebody&rsquo;s coming!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry saw a door up ahead. &ldquo;That leads into an

-air lock, Patch. We may be safe in there.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry turned a wheel on the door, and it swung

-open. They found themselves in a short tunnel, at

-the other end of which was another door. The air

-lock was used for entering and leaving the ship

-while it was in space. The spaceman would enter

-the chamber and wait for the air pressure to equalize

-before he left the air lock.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_31">31</div>

-<p>Garry quickly turned another wheel on the inside

-of the door, closing it.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t stay in here very long without air,&rdquo;

-Garry said. &ldquo;The other end of this air lock probably

-leads directly into the space station. Shall we try

-it?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;This running and hiding has got to end somewhere,&rdquo;

-Patch replied with discouragement. &ldquo;Lead

-on.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry checked the pressure gauge on the far

-door and saw that there was normal pressure on the

-other side. He turned the wheel on the door, and it

-swung open. The boys went through, and Garry

-wheeled the door shut behind them.</p>

-<p>They were in a huge enclosed dock of the space

-station. Lined up ahead were several space taxis,

-or fliers, which were used for trips outside the

-station and also doubled as lifeboats in time of

-emergency.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Gee, it&rsquo;s cold in here!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The main thing, though, is that there&rsquo;s no one

-around,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll give us time to collect

-our thoughts.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what you think,&rdquo; Patch whispered, tugging

-at Garry&rsquo;s arm. &ldquo;There come a couple of men

-down that corridor across the way!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_32">32</div>

-<p>Garry moved quickly and quietly, pulling Patch

-along. As the men entered the dock, the boys

-ducked out of sight behind one of the space fliers.</p>

-<p>The men approached the flier next to the outer

-door of the dock and pressed a button on the taxi&rsquo;s

-surface. Its door sprang open, and the men entered

-the flier.</p>

-<p>They were in there for fully five minutes. During

-that time, Garry began to shiver, but it was not

-from fright so much as it was the coldness of the

-dock. Garry felt Patch shaking beside him and

-knew his friend was just as uncomfortable as he.

-But they had to stay put. There was no other place

-they could go at this moment.</p>

-<p>Finally, the men came out of the space taxi,

-closed the door, and, to the relief of Garry and

-Patch, disappeared up the corridor.</p>

-<p>Garry stood up and hugged himself.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, I&mdash;I&rsquo;m freezing to death,&rdquo; Patch chattered.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;So am I. We sure can&rsquo;t stay here like this,&rdquo;

-Garry replied.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Why don&rsquo;t we try getting into one of these

-ships?&rdquo; Patch suggested. &ldquo;Maybe they&rsquo;ve got heaters

-inside.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry pressed the button of the ship which they

-had been hiding behind, but the door did not open.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The power is off or something,&rdquo; Garry groaned.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Maybe the first one will open,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;It

-worked for those men.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_33">33</div>

-<p>Garry went over to the first craft and pressed the

-door button. Instantly, the door sprang open. A

-tiny air-lock chamber faced them.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Thank goodness,&rdquo; Patch murmured. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go

-in.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What if the men come back?&rdquo; Garry cautioned.

-&ldquo;They may be preparing for a trip.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;There are windows facing the corridor,&rdquo; Patch

-said. &ldquo;We can keep an eye out for them and duck

-for cover again if they return. Gee, let&rsquo;s try it anyhow,

-Garry! I feel like a penguin that&rsquo;s lost all its

-feathers!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry agreed and entered the flier, Patch climbing

-in behind. A second door led from the air lock

-chamber into the flier proper. Besides the pilot&rsquo;s

-seat, there were six other seats, three on a side. It

-was warmer in here than outside, and Garry felt

-heat gently blowing. This made him suspect that

-the men had just turned it on and that they were

-going to return for a trip in the craft.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid we won&rsquo;t have long to stay in here,&rdquo;

-Garry told his friend and mentioned his suspicion

-to him.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I guess you&rsquo;re right,&rdquo; Patch agreed. &ldquo;Where will

-we go from here? Garry, I&rsquo;m tired of running. And

-I&rsquo;m getting more scared by the minute because of

-what we&rsquo;re doing. Why don&rsquo;t we just turn ourselves

-in and face the music, whatever it is?&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_34">34</div>

-<p>Through a window of the taxi, Garry was watching

-the corridor for signs of the returning men. &ldquo;I

-guess you&rsquo;re right, Patch,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll give ourselves

-up when those men return.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we should wait until then,&rdquo; Patch

-objected. &ldquo;It will go a lot easier for us if we give

-ourselves up voluntarily instead of looking as if we

-had been caught.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Once again Garry agreed, but, as he was reaching

-for the button to open the door, he heard a click.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What was that?&rdquo; Patch asked in alarm. &ldquo;What

-did you do?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Nothing,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Something was operating

-all by itself.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>A soft purring sound began to be heard inside

-the craft, and Garry felt the little ship vibrating

-ever so softly.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch,&rdquo; Garry said tensely, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like this.&rdquo;

-He tried the door button, but it would not work.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s happening?&rdquo; Patch asked, and there

-was fright in his voice.</p>

-<p>A movement outside in the dock caught the boys&rsquo;

-eyes. Through the wide front port of the ship, they

-watched a big door slide open, revealing a dark air-lock

-tunnel&mdash;a tunnel large enough to hold the craft

-which they were occupying!</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch repeated, &ldquo;what&rsquo;s happening!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_35">35</div>

-<p>Garry slumped into one of the seats, fear numbing

-his heart.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Now I know what kind of ship this is, Patch,&rdquo;

-he murmured. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s remote controlled, guided by

-an operator inside the space station. We&rsquo;re heading

-straight out into space, Patch!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_36">36</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c4"><br />4. ADRIFT IN THE DEEPS</h2>

-<p>Trapped within the space taxi, Garry and Patch

-watched the darkness of space enlarge before their

-eyes as the ship emerged from the air-lock tunnel

-of the space station. The stars about them were

-countless lights, some packed so closely together

-that they trailed across the sky like distant streaming

-veils. But the boys had no eye for their beauty

-at this time.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch asked in a dismal voice, &ldquo;what&rsquo;s

-going to happen to us?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;As long as they have control of the ship, I guess

-we&rsquo;ll be all right,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;Maybe they are

-just sending the ship out on a practice run or possibly

-to pick someone up.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Pick someone up?&rdquo; Patch asked, puzzled.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_37">37</div>

-<p>&ldquo;I was thinking of satellite workers or repairmen.

-The skies out here are flooded with satellites, you

-know. They must have men working on them all

-the time,&rdquo; Garry explained.</p>

-<p>Garry heard a hissing sound. He found a slit in

-the wall from which it was coming. Near the opening

-was a gauge.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s an oxygen mixture coming in,&rdquo; Garry

-said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s probably automatic. It turns on whenever

-the air pressure drops or becomes fouled.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s something in our favor,&rdquo; Patch said

-grudgingly.</p>

-<p>Garry found his feet beginning to lift weightlessly

-off the floor. His body sagged off balance, and

-he had to hold onto a handle on one of the seats.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, what&rsquo;ll we do?&rdquo; Patch exclaimed frantically.

-&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going weightless!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s look for a wardrobe compartment,&rdquo; Garry

-suggested. &ldquo;Since these fliers are used as lifeboats

-sometimes, there must be space suits and things.

-Maybe we&rsquo;ll find magnetic shoes, too.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;How&rsquo;ll we ever get around in here to look for

-anything?&rdquo; Patch sputtered. By now he was floating,

-his legs and arms flailing helplessly like a bug

-on its back.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_38">38</div>

-<p>Using the handles on the backs of the seats, Garry

-worked his way across to a cabinet set in the wall.

-Then he moved from the last seat handle to the

-wall rail and worked himself down it to the plastic

-case. Through the clear window Garry could see

-space suits and accessories. He pressed a button,

-and the door popped open.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re in luck, Patch,&rdquo; Garry reported. &ldquo;There

-are magnetic shoes in here. I hope the gravity plates

-in the floor are working.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry managed to pick up two pairs of the shoes,

-tucking one pair under one arm. That left one hand

-holding the second pair and the other hand free.</p>

-<p>Even then, it took quite some doing for him to

-work his way across to Patch, who looked like a

-pennant floating in the breeze as he hung crossways

-in the air, one hand tightly clutching a seat handle.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, I don&rsquo;t feel so good,&rdquo; Patch complained.

-&ldquo;Everything in me feels like its pushing upward.

-Even my brain seems to be floating.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s lack of gravity doing that,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;You

-are used to gravity always pulling down on you.

-When that pull is gone, it makes you feel as if your

-body is moving up. At least that&rsquo;s what all the books

-say. And I believe them, because I feel that way

-myself. Here are your shoes. They&rsquo;re pretty big, but

-they&rsquo;ll be better than nothing.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, how&rsquo;ll I ever get them on?&rdquo; Patch protested.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll hold onto you while you put them on,&rdquo; Garry

-offered. &ldquo;That&rsquo;ll make it easier&mdash;I guess.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_39">39</div>

-<p>Garry got behind Patch and held him by the collar.

-Then began Patch&rsquo;s struggles with the shoes.

-It was comical for Garry to see his friend having

-such a hard time, but he knew Patch would have

-the laugh on him later.</p>

-<p>It took them both a good while to get the shoes

-on. When the floor current of the gravity plates

-finally held them down, the boys laughed at each

-other in their oversized equipment.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I guess we look like snowshoe rabbits with our

-big feet!&rdquo; Patch said with a laugh. &ldquo;Good thing

-those straps pulled up tight, or we&rsquo;d never be able

-to keep them on.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The craft had been moving along smoothly, but

-before long it began to shudder irregularly.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The jets have cut out, Patch,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re

-coasting. Without any air friction out here in space,

-we <i>could</i> coast along forever.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, don&rsquo;t say that!&rdquo; Patch gasped.</p>

-<p>But Garry found out that his guess was wrong,

-and he was glad that it had been. Presently, twin

-jets of flame were seen pouring from the front of

-the craft.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, we&rsquo;re on fire!&rdquo; Patch shouted.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;No, they&rsquo;re the braking jets,&rdquo; Garry corrected.

-&ldquo;We&rsquo;re being slowed down, Patch! I think we&rsquo;ll

-find out very soon now what our destination is.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_40">40</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Thank goodness for that,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;You

-know, you got me plenty worried when you said

-that we might coast forever out here. Although after

-about a hundred years I probably wouldn&rsquo;t mind

-any longer!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Look, Patch,&rdquo; Garry cried. &ldquo;Up ahead&mdash;a satellite!

-That must be where we&rsquo;re headed!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>As they approached, the craft still being slowed

-by the braking jets, Garry and Patch took in the

-scene before them. The satellite itself somewhat

-resembled a giant radio speaker. Its largest area

-was a huge reflecting surface, and this surface was

-made up of adjustable panels that could be banked

-in any direction. The boys could see around the side

-of the satellite, and backing up the front broad surface

-was a block-shaped structure with windows.</p>

-<p>As the tiny space craft drew closer, the boys saw

-a hatch open in the rear structure, and two men in

-space suits emerged, holding onto hand rails on

-the outside of the satellite.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s one of the radio and TV relay satellites,

-Patch,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;There are three of them,

-spaced equally around the earth, for relaying TV

-and radio all over the world. Our ship has probably

-been sent out to pick up these men and bring them

-back to the station.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Won&rsquo;t they be surprised when they see us

-aboard?&rdquo; Patch remarked.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_41">41</div>

-<p>Garry noticed that the space taxi seemed to be

-moving a little off course, and this disturbed him,

-especially since one of the forward jets had cut off

-but the other hadn&rsquo;t.</p>

-<p>The craft was veering steadily away from the

-satellite and slowing rapidly. Finally, it came to a

-dead stop several hundred yards from the satellite,

-but then it began backing up. As the craft gained

-speed in reverse, Garry and Patch were nearly

-knocked off their feet from the acceleration.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The front jet is propelling us backward!&rdquo; Garry

-cried. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s something wrong with the remote

-control!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The craft began going into a dizzy spin. The boys

-had to hold on tightly to some anchored support to

-keep from being flung against the wall.</p>

-<p>Garry watched the satellite become lost against

-the sprawling background of stars. He knew they

-were hurtling farther out into space, out of control,

-headed for a destination now that even the space-station

-operators might not know.</p>

-<p>The boys were so disheartened by the latest bad

-break that, for the time being, they did not care

-what happened to them. This lowering of their

-spirits seemed to remind them that they were a long

-time past their slumber time, and they suddenly became

-very sleepy. By earth time, it would be the

-dark hours before dawn.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_42">42</div>

-<p>They went to sleep on their feet, because in the

-zero gravity there was no need for them to lie down.

-Their magnetic soles held them in place to keep

-them from drifting about as they slept.</p>

-<p>Garry was the first to wake up, hours later. There

-was no way for him to know how much time had

-passed. He woke his friend, who stretched and

-yawned.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I never thought I&rsquo;d be able to sleep standing

-up,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;I feel like a horse.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We got a good rest,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;I guess that&rsquo;s

-because of the zero gravity.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch looked gloomily out of the front port of

-the flier. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re still no better off than we were

-before, though, Garry, but, I think we have stopped

-moving.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry shook his head. &ldquo;It just seems like we&rsquo;re

-not moving because the stars and everything else

-around us are so still. We&rsquo;re moving all right&mdash;and

-fast. This ship may still be moving after we&rsquo;re dead,

-even if we could live for a hundred years, because

-there&rsquo;s nothing ever to slow us down out here; that

-is, unless we happened to move into the gravity

-field of some planet, which would pull us down.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I knew we should have turned ourselves in when

-we had the chance,&rdquo; Patch said mournfully. &ldquo;If we

-had, we wouldn&rsquo;t be in this fix now.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry agreed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all my fault for trying to hold

-out so long.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_43">43</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Well, too late now to do anything,&rdquo; Patch said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we should give up hope,&rdquo; Garry

-said. &ldquo;They might still send out a ship to try to pick

-up this one. They know it&rsquo;s lost, but of course they

-don&rsquo;t know there&rsquo;s anybody in it, and they may not

-know where to look for it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>He investigated the sloping wall between him

-and the front window. The middle of it was shaped

-something like an old-fashioned roll-top desk,

-closed up.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hmm,&rdquo; Garry thought to himself. &ldquo;This ship

-has been run by remote control until now, but why

-shouldn&rsquo;t it have controls of its own? If it does have

-them, they should be right here in front of me.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry&rsquo;s hopes soared again as he ran his hands

-over the light-green plastic slope in front of him.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;A button,&rdquo; he whispered. &ldquo;There must be a button

-or something that opens this thing up.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hey, what&rsquo;re you mumbling about?&rdquo; Patch

-asked.</p>

-<p>Garry was too concerned with what he was doing

-to answer his friend. Suddenly, he found something

-on the left side of the instrument. It was a

-button. He pressed it.</p>

-<p>Two covers began swinging open in front of him,

-as stage curtains would do, revealing a bank of dials

-and levers.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; Garry shouted. &ldquo;Look what!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_44">44</div>

-<p>Patch came clicking over in his magnetic shoes.

-&ldquo;Hey, they&rsquo;re instruments for running this crate!

-Why didn&rsquo;t we think of looking for them before?&rdquo;

-he cried.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Probably because we don&rsquo;t know how to operate

-them,&rdquo; Garry replied.</p>

-<p>There was a half-circle steering wheel that pulled

-out, and the boys were sure what this was for.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch said happily, &ldquo;the steering wheel&mdash;that

-may be all that we&rsquo;ll need! Since the ship is

-moving under its own power, all we have to do is

-turn her around and head back for the space station.

-We can keep circling it until one of the ships

-from the station intercepts us!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry tried the wheel. It was locked tight.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that easy, Patch,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;First we&rsquo;ve

-got to find how to unlock the wheel.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That ought not to be hard,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;A

-button or switch....&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They both began carefully examining the steering

-column and wheel, but did not find anything

-that would release the wheel. Then they went over

-the console panel very closely. They found switches

-and levers that could not be identified, but they decided

-to try them anyhow and see what they controlled.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_45">45</div>

-<p>They got no result at first, but, when the fourth

-switch was thrown, the console lighted up and the

-ship began to throb with a new life.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That must have been one of the power levers,&rdquo;

-Garry said. &ldquo;Look&mdash;the steering wheel is free! The

-power had to be on before it would unlock the

-wheel.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry!&rdquo; Patch exclaimed, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re on our way!

-We&rsquo;re on our way.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I hope my sense of direction is correct,&rdquo; Garry

-said, &ldquo;because I can&rsquo;t read those directional meters.

-I think we&rsquo;ll be headed in the general direction

-of the station if we make a half turn. I remember

-the position of that brilliant nebula over there

-and also the planet Venus.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry was beginning to turn the wheel slowly

-for their gradual turnabout in the sky when the

-smell of something burning issued from the console.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hey, something seems to be shorting out,&rdquo; Patch

-said in alarm. &ldquo;Look! There&rsquo;s smoke coming from

-the panel!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>No sooner had he spoken than there was a small

-explosion inside the console, a strong odor of ozone

-filled the boys&rsquo; nostrils, and all the lights went out.

-But what was worse, the steering wheel froze in

-Garry&rsquo;s hands and locked again.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch, we&rsquo;re ruined!&rdquo; Garry groaned loudly. &ldquo;I

-must have done something wrong!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_46">46</div>

-<p>Garry put his hands over his face in despair.

-&ldquo;Patch, we were so close, so very close....&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It looks like something just doesn&rsquo;t want us to

-get out of this alive,&rdquo; Patch said bitterly. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re

-jinxed, Garry!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll do no good to start feeling sorry for ourselves

-again,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Remember, we thought

-we were goners before. Something may turn up to

-save us&mdash;something maybe like a Good Samaritan

-flying around in a space ship just looking for wandering

-boys. But how many of those do you think

-you would find in all the millions of miles of space

-that surround us?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Suddenly Garry stood upright, staring intently

-straight out the forward port. &ldquo;Speaking of Good

-Samaritans, Patch, that might not be so farfetched

-after all. Look out there, straight ahead. There&rsquo;s a

-light moving against the stars. It just might be a

-space ship!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I see it,&rdquo; Patch said, with a trace of hope returning,

-&ldquo;but it&rsquo;s most likely a Sputnik or Tiros or some

-other satellite.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think so. Its movement isn&rsquo;t perfectly

-straight. I&rsquo;m sure I just saw it change direction as if

-heading this way. Patch, if you&rsquo;ve ever prayed, do

-it now. The next few minutes may decide whether

-we live or die out here in space!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_47">47</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c5"><br />5. A &ldquo;FLYING TIN CAN&rdquo;</h2>

-<p>The boys watched intently as the object neared

-them. Although it was still pretty far off, they knew

-that it was not a true celestial object, because they

-could determine already that it was shaped like

-nothing usually found in space. In fact, it looked

-remarkably like a tin can! It was an odd shape for a

-space ship, but the boys were sure that was what it

-was.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not like anything I&rsquo;ve ever seen!&rdquo; Garry

-said. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;ve seen all kinds of pictures of space

-ships in magazines and books.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It must be a special kind of ship,&rdquo; Patch suggested.

-&ldquo;But just so it really is a space ship with

-living people in it, it can be shaped like a barbecue

-pit for all I care!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_48">48</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; Garry said in a stricken voice. &ldquo;What if

-it&rsquo;s from another planet and carries strange people?

-Maybe even <i>unfriendly</i> passengers!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch&rsquo;s eyes shone like bright marbles. &ldquo;Gee, you

-don&rsquo;t really think so, do you? I&mdash;I mean, how could

-it be possible? We&rsquo;ve already explored Mars and

-Venus, and those planets aren&rsquo;t inhabited. How

-could anything possibly live on those big cold planets

-farther out?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Maybe they are from another star,&rdquo; Garry said

-in a solemn tone.</p>

-<p>They would know pretty soon where the flying

-object was from, because it was still heading in

-their direction, and its passengers could not possibly

-miss seeing them.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch were silent as the object drew

-steadily closer, each of them engrossed in his own

-thoughts.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It really does look like a tin can,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;A

-tin can with a big eye in front! But what a big tin

-can! It&rsquo;s big as one of those ancient dirigibles.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch, I can begin to make out some writing

-over the eye. See it?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes. Just a moment. It&rsquo;s coming into focus. It

-says &lsquo;CAREFREE!&rsquo; I don&rsquo;t know what it means,

-but it <i>sounds</i> friendly.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_49">49</div>

-<p>&ldquo;That must be the name of it,&rdquo; Garry suggested.

-&ldquo;No ship with a name like that could be carrying

-unfriendly passengers.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It also means that there must be earthmen

-aboard, because it&rsquo;s an earth word.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we have anything to worry about,

-Patch,&rdquo; Garry said confidently.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Now they&rsquo;re turning around,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;They&mdash;they&rsquo;re

-pulling even with us. I guess they&rsquo;ll anchor

-to us with magnetic grapples.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Carefully, the <i>Carefree</i> edged closer so that it

-could latch on. The big circular space ship dwarfed

-the tiny taxi so greatly that it seemed like David

-and Goliath.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch heard a soft bump as the <i>Carefree</i>

-coupled onto the side of their craft on which

-the door was located. Garry knew now that the

-ships were joined as one.</p>

-<p>Garry looked at Patch, and Patch looked at Garry.

-They knew all they had to do now was open the air

-locks between the ships. But they hesitated as if

-there were still some doubt in their minds as to the

-friendliness of those in the other space ship.</p>

-<p>There came a rap on their air-lock door. Once

-again Garry looked at Patch, and Patch looked at

-Garry. Then, after another few moments of hesitation,

-Garry shrugged and clicked over to the door.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_50">50</div>

-<p>&ldquo;We may as well open up,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Whether or

-not they&rsquo;re friendly, they&rsquo;ve certainly got the upper

-hand.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry pressed the button that controlled the

-outer door of the air lock. Then he pressed another

-that opened the inner door.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch looked through the double air

-locks into the face of a man who wore a small, neat

-white beard. He appeared to be in his early sixties,

-and he was clinging to a webbing of ropes that completely

-covered the walls of a giant tube or tunnel.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hello,&rdquo; the man said, with a smile.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hello,&rdquo; Garry and Patch replied together. And

-they smiled too, because they were very glad that

-it was an earthman who faced them.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I must say I didn&rsquo;t expect to find a couple of

-boys alone in here,&rdquo; the man went on. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s happened

-to the adults with you? You didn&rsquo;t heave

-them out the waste hatch, did you?&rdquo; The elderly

-man laughed.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Uh, no, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied with hesitation.

-&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been by ourselves ever since this flier left

-the Von Braun Space Station. It&rsquo;s a pretty long

-story, Sir.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The name is Captain Eaton, boys.&rdquo; The man

-winked at them, showing his white teeth in another

-smile. &ldquo;Oh, I&rsquo;m not really a space captain. I

-wouldn&rsquo;t deceive you. The <i>Carefree</i> is a private

-<span class="pb" id="Page_51">51</span>

-ship, and the men call me &lsquo;Captain&rsquo; because I&rsquo;m the

-owner.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton&rsquo;s dark, alert eyes flickered over

-the interior of the flier.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I thought whoever was in this ship must be in

-some sort of trouble,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;because of your erratic

-flight. That&rsquo;s why we latched onto you, to see

-if we could be of some help.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We <i>do</i> need help, Captain,&rdquo; Patch said earnestly.

-&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know the first thing about running

-this thing. We had just about given ourselves

-up for lost.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;How in the world did you get into such a spot

-as this?&rdquo; Captain Eaton asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Well, Sir,&rdquo; Garry explained, lowering his eyes,

-&ldquo;you see, we&rsquo;re stowaways, although we&rsquo;ve been

-able to escape being caught all this time. We didn&rsquo;t

-<i>mean</i> to be stowaways, Captain. We were helping

-an officer aboard the <i>Orion</i> with his gear, and the

-rocket blasted off before we could get out.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Say, I&rsquo;ll bet your parents are worried to death

-about you,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;No, Sir,&rdquo; Patch answered. &ldquo;You see, we&rsquo;re orphans,

-and we lived in an orphanage back in the

-United States.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_52">52</div>

-<p>&ldquo;I see,&rdquo; the elderly man replied, stroking his

-short, snowy beard. Then suddenly he grinned

-broadly. &ldquo;Well, fellows, how would you like to be

-rescued?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all for it!&rdquo; Garry answered, and Patch

-nodded his head vigorously.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Come aboard then. The <i>Carefree</i> welcomes

-you!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What about the flier?&rdquo; Garry asked. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t

-want to be charged with stealing a space craft.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have Ben Dawes come aboard and set her

-adrift toward the satellite so that she can be picked

-up easily,&rdquo; the captain said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I think we blew something out when we tried

-to start her,&rdquo; Patch said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Ben&rsquo;s a genius,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll

-get her to running, no matter what&rsquo;s wrong with

-her.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>With this taken care of, the boys were anxious to

-board the <i>Carefree</i> and see if her interior were as

-strange and unusual looking as her outer hull. They

-removed their bulky magnetic shoes and entered

-the air lock of the <i>Carefree</i>.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton first explained the purpose of the

-webbing that lined the walls of the tube.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_53">53</div>

-<p>&ldquo;As you boys saw us move in, you probably know

-that this is the rear of the ship, and this tunnel is in

-the center. It goes the full length of our &lsquo;tin can&rsquo;

-and comes out front into the flight deck. We have

-to leave and enter the ship through the rear end of

-this tube. Understand?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes, Sir,&rdquo; the boys answered together.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The outer round surface of our &lsquo;tin can&rsquo; revolves

-around this center tube as though it were a wheel

-around an axis,&rdquo; the captain went on. &ldquo;By so doing,

-an artificial gravity is induced along the inside rim

-of the &lsquo;can.&rsquo;&rdquo; Captain Eaton frowned. &ldquo;Am I getting

-too deep for you?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think so, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;The gravity

-you are talking about is the result of centrifugal action&mdash;the

-same action that makes a ball swing out

-on the end of a string when a person swings it

-around his head. It&rsquo;s the same kind of artificial gravity

-they use on the manned space stations.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re pretty sharp, son. I like a boy who doesn&rsquo;t

-think that facts belong only in a schoolroom.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been very interested in space, Sir,&rdquo;

-Garry said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll bet I&rsquo;d surprise you with all I know

-about it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure you would,&rdquo; Captain Eaton admitted.

-&ldquo;Say, I don&rsquo;t even know your names. I&rsquo;ve told you

-mine. Now let&rsquo;s have yours.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m Garry Coleman,&rdquo; Garry answered, &ldquo;and this

-is my best friend, Patch Foster.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_54">54</div>

-<p>Since the center tube of the <i>Carefree</i> was not affected

-by the centrifugal force of the rotating &ldquo;tin

-can,&rdquo; its gravity was zero. For that reason the webbing

-was used to pull oneself along with and not

-really for the purposes of climbing and descending.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton turned around on the webbing so

-that he could lead the way along the tunnel into the

-living quarters of the <i>Carefree</i>. His slim, agile legs

-swung free in the zero gravity as he made the turn.

-Glossy black space boots covered his feet.</p>

-<p>The captain showed Garry where to pull a lever

-which closed a series of air-lock doors between the

-<i>Carefree</i> and the taxi.</p>

-<p>The ship&rsquo;s master and the boys pulled themselves

-along the tunnel. Then Captain Eaton stopped and

-said, &ldquo;Hold on tightly, fellows. We&rsquo;re going round

-and round for a few turns.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>He pushed a lever beneath the webbing, and

-Garry felt the tube begin to revolve slowly.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hey, what&rsquo;s happening?&rdquo; Patch called out.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I had to set the tunnel in rotation so that it could

-catch up with the rest of the ship, which is always

-turning. As soon as you&rsquo;ve become used to the spinning,

-we&rsquo;ll go into the ship.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>When the boys said they thought they could navigate,

-the captain pointed to an open hatch that had

-appeared in the wall near them.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_55">55</div>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll turn around and back down these stairs,&rdquo;

-the skipper said. &ldquo;As we descend, the gravity will

-become stronger, so that by the time we&rsquo;re at the

-bottom we&rsquo;ll be nearly at our earth weights.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch followed their new friend down

-the stairs, moving carefully and holding onto the

-railing, for they still felt giddy from the rotation of

-the central tube. By the time they were at the bottom,

-their heads had begun to clear.</p>

-<p>That is, they <i>thought</i> their heads had begun to

-clear. But no sooner had they gotten this impression

-than they became giddy all over again at the

-sight that met their eyes. For it was just as if they

-had entered a tropical paradise! There were real

-flowers in bloom all about, and aquariums full of

-live fishes were set into the surrounding walls.</p>

-<p>The boys were too surprised to say anything. All

-they could do was just stare and stare in disbelief.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_56">56</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c6"><br />6. A <i>CAREFREE</i> WORLD</h2>

-<p>&ldquo;How do you like my garden, fellows?&rdquo; Captain

-Eaton asked. &ldquo;It helps keep me from getting homesick.

-I used to have a most luxuriant garden back on

-earth.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t believe it!&rdquo; Garry burst out. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just as

-if we were outdoors on a summer day, it&rsquo;s so real.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a goldfish pond, Garry,&rdquo; Patch said,

-&ldquo;with lily pads floating on top and a bench beside

-it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I never saw so many kinds of flowers,&rdquo; Garry

-said, &ldquo;and shrubs too.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_57">57</div>

-<p>&ldquo;The flowers and shrubs serve a double purpose,&rdquo;

-Captain Eaton explained. &ldquo;They not only provide

-homelike pleasure to me and my friends, but they

-also help keep the air in the <i>Carefree</i> supplied

-with oxygen.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I remember,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;Plants in light

-breathe exactly opposite from the way we do. They

-breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch stooped down, examining the roots of a

-shrub. &ldquo;Hey, the roots aren&rsquo;t growing in soil! How

-can they live?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The plants grow in richly fertilized liquid,&rdquo; the

-captain answered. &ldquo;In that way, they can be placed

-much closer together. Besides, some of the water

-making up the fertilized liquid comes from waste

-products within the ship. There are other reasons

-too.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton led the way along the aisle that

-ran beside the colorfully lighted aquariums. He

-stopped in front of a twenty-gallon tank which was

-in the process of being cleaned by two men.</p>

-<p>One of them was very tall, over six and a half feet.

-He was very thin and appeared to be in his late

-fifties. But the oddest thing about him, which made

-Garry and Patch stare at him in surprise, was the

-fact that he was in the full dress of a butler, complete

-with newly starched white shirt and neatly

-pressed coat and trousers! Although he was holding

-a bucket that was catching water from a draining

-aquarium, his clothing wasn&rsquo;t in the least mussed.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_58">58</div>

-<p>Captain Eaton saw the boys staring at the tall

-gentleman and said, &ldquo;Boys, I want you to meet Mr.

-Klecker, the Eaton family butler for many years.

-When I decided to set out into space on my permanent

-cruise, he would not think of being left behind.

-Klecker, this is Garry and this is Patch. They will

-be our guests for awhile.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Mr. Klecker looked at them with heavy-lidded

-eyes. Then, bowing, he said in a deep stately voice,

-&ldquo;Pleased, young gentlemen.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Glad to know you, Mr. Klecker,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Me too,&rdquo; Patch added.</p>

-<p>The other person attending to the fish tank was a

-young man. He rose from a squatting position and

-smiled at the boys. He had crew-cut black hair and

-the kind of happy features which indicate a friendly

-nature. He wiped his damp hands on his trousers

-and offered a palm to Garry first, then to Patch.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hi, boys. I&rsquo;m Ben Dawes. Glad to have you

-aboard,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It sure is a surprise meeting fellows

-as young as yourselves out here in space.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll probably be more of a surprise, Ben, to

-know that they are alone,&rdquo; the captain said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Not really!&rdquo; Ben said. &ldquo;Say, I&rsquo;ll bet you two have

-a long story explaining that!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We do,&rdquo; Garry answered, &ldquo;and we&rsquo;ll tell you

-when we have lots of time.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_59">59</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Ben is my right-hand man, whom I wouldn&rsquo;t

-part with for all the millions I own,&rdquo; Captain Eaton

-said proudly. &ldquo;He could build a space ship out of a

-safety pin if he had to. He had a big hand in designing

-the <i>Carefree</i>, and he knows every bolt and

-rivet in her.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>It was interesting to Garry to hear that the captain

-was a millionaire. That probably explained how

-he could afford to take such a leisurely cruise

-through space in something akin to a flying palace.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;While Klecker and Ben are changing the water

-in this aquarium,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said, &ldquo;how would

-you like to meet the rest of my friends?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We would, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied, &ldquo;but are you

-sure you don&rsquo;t have things to do?&rdquo; It was hard for

-Garry to believe that as important a person as a millionaire

-would be willing to devote so much time to

-a couple of orphans who were lost in space.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Here my time is my own,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.

-&ldquo;Back home there were hundreds of little details

-that always had to be attended to, and as I grew

-older the grind began to keep me in a state of tension

-and boredom. That&rsquo;s when I made up my mind

-that I would spend the rest of my life the way that

-I wanted to&mdash;without constant interruption and

-without ever hurrying. I sold everything I owned

-and came into space. That was four years ago.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Why are you so interested in space, Captain?&rdquo;

-Garry asked.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_60">60</div>

-<p>&ldquo;In my early days I had a very keen interest in

-space travel. I became a space cadet, but after only

-four months&rsquo; service I was hurt, and my injury was

-such that I had to give up any thoughts of a future

-in the Space Service. But my keen interest in space

-stayed with me through the years, and I never gave

-up hope of returning to the spaceways. So, you see,

-my hope was realized, and here I am as carefree as

-the name of my ship.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Then you never plan to return to earth, Captain

-Eaton, ever?&rdquo; Garry asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;No, I don&rsquo;t think so. In the first place, the <i>Carefree</i>

-was built in space and could not stand the atmospheric

-friction of an earth return. Of course, I

-could get back if I really wanted to. But I don&rsquo;t believe

-I want to. My simple life out here is very satisfying.

-I never had any children, and my wife is now

-dead. No, no close relatives. It takes a little money

-to survive out here and pay my friends aboard ship,

-but it does not take too much. Yes, this is the good

-life, and it is enough for me.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>As Captain Eaton paced the boys by a couple of

-steps, Garry had to marvel at the youthful stride of

-their host. His body was as lean and spare as a man

-half his age, and Garry was sure he must have kept

-himself in good condition all his life.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_61">61</div>

-<p>As the trio left the garden and moved into the

-next section, Garry and Patch heard a fine tenor

-voice singing a lusty aria from an opera. A quick

-study of their surroundings told Garry that they

-were in the galley.</p>

-<p>As the fragrance of good food reached the boys&rsquo;

-noses, they suddenly remembered how hungry they

-were. They hadn&rsquo;t eaten since they left the orphanage!</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s Gino you hear,&rdquo; Captain Eaton explained.</p>

-<p>The boys presently saw a short, fat little Italian

-throwing a huge, flat wad of dough into the air. He

-stopped when he saw the boys and grinned so

-widely that his eyes disappeared and his mouth

-seemed as broad as that of a jack-o&rsquo;-lantern.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton exchanged names so that everyone

-quickly knew everyone else. Gino was the ship&rsquo;s

-cook, and his full name was Gino Spondini.</p>

-<p>Gino kept tossing the dough into the air, and

-each time he tossed it up it became thinner and

-bigger.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You <i>bambini</i> chose a good day to come to the

-<i>Carefree</i>,&rdquo; Gino said. &ldquo;This is a special day for

-good food, only once every two weeks, eh, Captain?&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_62">62</div>

-<p>Captain Eaton nodded. &ldquo;Unfortunately, there

-isn&rsquo;t a grocery store just around the corner, and so

-we fill our food room and deep freeze only a few

-times a year from the commissary satellite which

-supplies food to all the manned satellites around

-earth. But when we do have an exceptionally good

-meal, we enjoy it even more.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what you&rsquo;re making, Gino,&rdquo; Garry

-said, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;m hungry enough to eat it raw.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Gino looked shocked. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t know pizza

-when you see it? Where have you been all your

-life, <i>bambino</i>?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Gino makes the best pizza pie in the world&mdash;or

-should I say the best in the solar system?&rdquo; the captain

-said. &ldquo;Now, boys, shall we move on and meet

-the others?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They left the galley and proceeded on to the next

-section within the <i>Carefree</i>, leaving Gino singing

-another operatic air. The boys wondered if they

-could hold out until lunch time.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Up ahead of us,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said presently,

-after passing through a short hallway, &ldquo;is the dormitory.

-Since the dorm is used solely for sleeping, we

-made it small so that we could give more area over

-to the other parts of the ship where we spend more

-of our time.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry found the dormitory indeed small and

-quite simple. There were three-tiered bunks along

-the walls, with ladders leading up to the second and

-third levels.</p>

-<p>The captain smiled. &ldquo;Patch, you seem to be looking

-over those bunks carefully to see if you find any

-that aren&rsquo;t made up.&rdquo;

-Patch blushed. &ldquo;Yes, Sir. I was wondering if....&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_63">63</div>

-<p>&ldquo;If we have room for you two? Well, breathe easily,

-for we do have extras. The ship will sleep

-twelve, and special cots can be set up to accommodate

-more when necessary.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;They look cozy,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;but how do you

-know when to sleep out here in space, without any

-real night or day?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We observe a twenty-four-hour day just as they

-do on earth. Scientists have found out that space

-travelers get along much better if they keep the

-same hourly habits to which they are accustomed.

-We even simulate the appearance of night, turning

-down the lights and observing quiet. You&rsquo;ll find

-out that you get sleepy at just the right time and

-that you wake the &lsquo;next morning&rsquo; feeling just as refreshed

-as you did on earth.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Suddenly, they heard a stirring in one of the top

-bunks. A deeply tanned man with a thick shock of

-auburn hair raised up sleepily.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Oh, it&rsquo;s you, Captain,&rdquo; the man said with a yawn.

-Then he perked up. &ldquo;Who is it with you, Sir?&rdquo; The

-man&rsquo;s accent was a thick Scottish brogue.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We have guests, Mac,&rdquo; the captain replied.

-&ldquo;These are Garry and Patch. Fellows, meet Mr. McIntosh,

-pilot, navigator, engineer, and what have

-you. He likes to be called Mac.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_64">64</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Hi, fellows, glad to have you aboard,&rdquo; Mac said

-cordially, then yawned again.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Sorry we woke you, Mac,&rdquo; the captain said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just about due to relieve Isaac upstairs, Sir.

-That&rsquo;s all right.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I was just showing the boys the ship. We&rsquo;ll move

-on so you can get dressed.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>As they left the dormitory to pass into another

-hallway, Captain Eaton asked, &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve heard of

-Isaac Newton, haven&rsquo;t you, boys?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Oh yes, Sir,&rdquo; Garry responded eagerly. &ldquo;He

-was one of the very greatest scientists. He died a

-long time ago.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The captain winked at them. &ldquo;Well, we&rsquo;re going

-to meet him,&rdquo; he said.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_65">65</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c7"><br />7. A SHOCK IN THE NIGHT</h2>

-<p>Captain Eaton&rsquo;s announcement that Garry and

-Patch were about to meet Isaac Newton, the great

-scientist, filled the boys with astonishment.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going back to the central tube,&rdquo; the skipper

-said, &ldquo;and from there to the navigation room.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They climbed a steep staircase, as they had done

-earlier. Garry felt the comfortable feel of artificial

-gravity leaving him as they went higher. The light-headed,

-floating sensation of zero gravity was returning.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_66">66</div>

-<p>The captain shoved a lever so that the central

-tunnel would start revolving. When a doorway appeared

-in the tube, the three climbed through.

-Then the rotation of the tunnel was stopped. The

-captain then led the boys along the stationary axle

-of the <i>Carefree</i>, in the direction opposite from

-where they had first entered the ship. The three

-pulled themselves along the webbing as their legs

-swung free, weightlessly. They reached a platform

-outside a door at the nose of the ship. Holding onto

-the platform rail, Captain Eaton fished into a cabinet

-built into the platform and came out with two

-pairs of slippers.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You can attach these magnetic-soled slippers to

-your shoes, fellows,&rdquo; their host said. &ldquo;Because of

-the zero gravity in the navigation room, we have to

-use gravity plates. The rest of us wear these attached

-to our boots all the time because we are always

-going back and forth up here, and they are

-light and comfortable.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>After the boys had donned the slippers, Captain

-Eaton pressed a button, the door slid open, and the

-three of them walked through.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch found themselves in a domed

-room, which had a wide front port that looked out

-into space. Below the port extended a long instrument

-panel, or console, with two seats in front of it,

-one of which was occupied.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;This is the flight deck!&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the

-part that looked like a big eye on the front of the

-ship.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_67">67</div>

-<p>The pilot turned around in his swivel seat. He

-was a huge, muscular man with rugged features

-that suggested he might once have been a vigorous

-athlete.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Boys, meet Isaac Newton,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.</p>

-<p>Garry could not help but laugh, because this

-Isaac Newton looked nothing whatsoever like pictures

-of the great scientist. But then Garry remembered

-that he was being impolite, and he apologized.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; Isaac Newton said good naturedly.

-&ldquo;Everybody who ever heard of that scientist

-laughs. I&rsquo;ve been defending my name ever since I

-was a kid. That&rsquo;s how I got to be a professional

-fighter, which I was until I got tired of bashing people

-and the good captain took me on as his chauffeur.

-I stayed on with him, and he said I could come

-into space with him if I wanted to. I&rsquo;ve picked up

-navigation since I&rsquo;ve been out here.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;How did you get a name like Isaac Newton?&rdquo;

-Patch asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Well, naturally my father was named Newton,&rdquo;

-Isaac explained, &ldquo;and he was also a science teacher.

-He wanted me to be a scientist too, and thought he

-was helping me by giving me the name of one of

-the greatest scientists of all time. But, as I said, I got

-into so many fights because of being teased about

-my name that I had more practice as a fighter.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_68">68</div>

-<p>He laughed, showing a two-tooth vacancy in

-the front of his mouth. &ldquo;Funny thing is that I

-might&rsquo;ve been a scientist if I hadn&rsquo;t been given the

-name of one!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>With that, Isaac Newton turned back to check

-on how the ship was running. The captain went

-over to converse with him, and this gave the boys

-an opportunity to look around the navigation room.</p>

-<p>Of particular interest was a huge chart on the

-back wall near the entrance. On the map were

-countless globes of various sizes, and running

-through the globes were long curving lines.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s that, do you suppose?&rdquo; Patch asked his

-friend.</p>

-<p>Garry looked closely at the printed names beside

-the round symbols.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hermes&mdash;Vanguard II&mdash;Adonis&mdash;Derelict Space

-Ship <i>Oberon</i>,&rdquo; he read. &ldquo;These seem to be objects

-floating about in space,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and the lines

-through them must be their orbits.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re very observant, Garry.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry looked back and saw that Captain Eaton

-had come over.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_69">69</div>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s exactly what they are, and we have to

-know exactly where each one of them is at all

-times,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;If we missed keeping up

-with one, we might run into a collision orbit with it,

-and then it would be quickly over for all of us. Some

-of the objects are asteroids, some man-made satellites,

-some large meteor fragments whose orbits we

-have already plotted. And a few are derelicts, or

-empty shells of what were once proud space liners.

-Any one of them could destroy the <i>Carefree</i> if it

-should hit us. In fact, a meteor as large as an orange

-could wreck us because of the terrific velocity at

-which it would strike.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Gee,&rdquo; Patch said, &ldquo;you must be anxious all the

-time about being hit by something.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;No. It&rsquo;s a risk, of course, but space is so very,

-very huge that actually there is little chance of being

-hit by anything any larger than a grain of sand.

-But of course there is always the chance that someday

-the big, unexpected one will come. Still, we

-don&rsquo;t worry about it because it would keep us from

-enjoying our life in space.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton showed the boys some of the other

-things in the room. He explained the purpose of

-the various dials and switches on the console&mdash;facts

-that the boys would have given anything to

-know when they were so desperately trying to steer

-the space taxi. The skipper of the <i>Carefree</i> told

-them that usually there was only one pilot on duty

-but that, in case of tricky navigation or on other

-special occasions, both Mac and Isaac or Ben would

-be on together. The captain added that he was quite

-a pilot himself and liked to take over the controls

-now and then.</p>

-<p>Suddenly chimes were heard over a loud-speaker.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_70">70</div>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the signal for us to get ready for lunch,&rdquo;

-Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go, fellows, and wash

-up.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Tell Mac to shake a leg and get up here to relieve

-me, will you, Captain?&rdquo; Isaac asked. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m

-starved. It&rsquo;s been a long shift.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I will, Isaac,&rdquo; the captain promised, and pushed

-the button which opened the door.</p>

-<p>A few minutes later, Garry and Patch sat down

-to the best meal they had had in a long time. Not

-even Thanksgiving at the orphanage could beat

-this, Garry told his friend. The boys had their first

-taste of pizza pie, and they were hoping it would

-not be their last, especially if Gino was the one who

-prepared it. They were sure he was the best chef

-in all the solar system.</p>

-<p>After lunch the patient Captain Eaton spent most

-of the afternoon showing the boys more of the ship.

-They saw the gym and swimming pool and the library

-filled with many recording tapes and films.

-There were also books for those who preferred

-reading instead of reclining in a soft contour chair

-and listening to tapes over earphones.</p>

-<p>As they passed from one section to another, Garry

-noticed that the indirect daylight effect, that filled

-every part of the <i>Carefree</i>, was fading steadily but

-slowly. He asked the captain about this.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_71">71</div>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an automatic control that helps put us in the

-mood for night,&rdquo; the skipper said. &ldquo;Remember my

-telling you about how much better man works in a

-properly spaced twenty-four-hour day? Soon now,

-the main lights will be very low, with only an occasional

-lamp making things bright. It is just like

-the coming of night back at home. You will see.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The space travelers had only a light snack for

-dinner because of the big meal earlier in the day.

-Soon afterward, the boys began to yawn and get

-sleepy as they watched the artificial daylight continue

-to fade. They were looking forward to sleeping

-lying down for a change.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Your minds are telling you it&rsquo;s time for bed,

-eh?&rdquo; Captain Eaton said with a laugh. &ldquo;Well, so is

-mine. I still haven&rsquo;t shown you the observatory,

-which is my favorite spot aboard ship. But that can

-wait until tomorrow. Let&rsquo;s go to the dorm and get

-you two settled before the fellows in there are ready

-to turn out the lights.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The boys found all the people they had met today

-getting ready for bed. That is, all but two of

-them.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Mac is on pilot duty, isn&rsquo;t he, Captain?&rdquo; Garry

-asked. &ldquo;But where is Ben?&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_72">72</div>

-<p>Captain Eaton was pulling off his shiny boots. He

-may have been the boss of the <i>Carefree</i>, with all the

-say-so, but he was not too proud to share the same

-sleeping quarters with those whom he called his

-&ldquo;friends.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;There are always two on duty at night, Garry,&rdquo;

-Captain Eaton replied to Garry&rsquo;s question. &ldquo;One

-acts as pilot, while the other makes the rounds several

-times a night to be sure that the automatic controls

-are functioning properly. We all take turns

-sharing these duties.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>When everyone had climbed into his bunk and

-pulled the covers up, Captain Eaton called out from

-his own bunk, &ldquo;Check?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>There came answering &ldquo;checks&rdquo; from all the fellows,

-and the next moment Garry found the room

-plunged in darkness.</p>

-<p>Within only a few minutes&rsquo; time, Garry began

-hearing the quiet breathing of those around him

-already in deep sleep. But he was too excited to

-drop off just yet. As he lay there staring into the

-darkness, he wondered if such a thrilling adventure

-as this could really be happening to him and Patch.

-Why, only a few hours ago they were in despair

-for their very lives. Now a whole new experience

-had been opened to them. It was almost as if the

-<i>Carefree</i> had been sent by Providence to him and

-Patch alone.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_73">73</div>

-<p>As Garry&rsquo;s thoughts roved, his eyelids began to

-feel heavy and the clutch of sleep was groping for

-him. He finally drifted off into slumber, only to

-wake&mdash;he didn&rsquo;t know how many hours later&mdash;with

-a parching thirst. He sat upright in his bunk and

-threw back the covers that cloaked him like a sweat-box.

-He found that he was breathing heavily and

-then suddenly remembered the end of a nightmare

-he had been having.</p>

-<p>As he sat in the quietness and darkness, he began

-to relax, and his heartbeats slowed to normal. But

-he was still very thirsty. He remembered that there

-was a water fountain in the hallway outside the

-dormitory.</p>

-<p>Slowly and carefully, so as to make no noise to

-disturb the others, Garry left his third-level bunk

-and made his way down the metal ladder to the

-floor. A dim night light, kept burning all the time,

-showed the way to the door. Garry pressed the button,

-and the door slid open silently.</p>

-<p>Garry went out into the faintly lighted hallway.

-He shivered as he made his way along the corridor.

-It was not that he was cold but that it was so creepy

-and lonesome with everything so quiet. The fountain

-was like a white ghost crouching against the

-wall a couple of dozen feet away. Garry made his

-way toward it. He leaned over it, pressed the lever,

-and felt the icy stream against his dry lips.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_74">74</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Boy, that&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; he said to himself, and he

-drank and drank as though he hadn&rsquo;t had water in

-all his lifetime.</p>

-<p>When he finally got his fill, he rubbed his sleeve

-across his mouth and turned to start back toward

-the dormitory.</p>

-<p>Then it seemed that all the blood flowed out of

-his head in one wild rush. His heart began to thump

-rapidly, and his legs went weak.</p>

-<p>It was due to a startling sight that faced him.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_75">75</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c8"><br />8. GARRY HAS A SCARE</h2>

-<p>A huge woman was lumbering toward him down

-the dim corridor. There was something strange and

-unreal about her face and her awkward movements

-that gave Garry chills.</p>

-<p>Garry started running. He slammed into the water

-fountain, bruising his side. But he kept moving,

-and so did the woman stalker.</p>

-<p>Garry knew that the corridor was in the shape of

-a square and that if he kept turning corners he

-would arrive back at the dormitory. He wondered

-why a woman should frighten him, and it embarrassed

-him when he thought what the others would

-say when they found out. But the creature was so

-hostile&mdash;and somehow monstrous in her looks&mdash;that

-Garry was sure she meant to attack him.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_76">76</div>

-<p>As he ran, Garry did not even look back to see if

-his adversary were still in pursuit. Finally, he turned

-the last corner and saw the dormitory straight

-ahead at the end of the corridor. He looked back

-around the corner in the direction from which he

-had just come. He&rsquo;d outdistanced her. She wasn&rsquo;t

-even in sight.</p>

-<p>By now his nerves were a little calmer, although

-his heart still drummed faster than usual. He began

-walking briskly, every now and then casting a look

-back over his shoulder.</p>

-<p>There was the dormitory at last. He felt a little

-silly now, as he reached for the button to open the

-door. He decided that he would not tell the others

-of his run and his fright lest they tease him about

-the incident. He would just tell them that he had

-<i>seen</i> the strange woman but would not reveal the

-embarrassing circumstances. He still wondered who

-she could be, especially since Captain Eaton had

-not even mentioned her before.</p>

-<p>Just as Garry pressed the door button, he heard

-a metallic clanking behind him.</p>

-<p>There was the woman, coming very fast, the dim

-lights revealing the dark hollows of her eyes. Garry

-saw her tight-lipped mouth, her hugeness&mdash;fully

-as tall as Mr. Klecker and almost as broad, it

-seemed.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_77">77</div>

-<p>The unexpectedness of it caused Garry to cry out

-for the first time. As the door of the dormitory slid

-back, he scrambled inside, hurriedly pressed the

-button closing the door, then sank back against it,

-panting.</p>

-<p>The bright lights went on in the room. Garry&rsquo;s

-eyes blurred in the sudden sharp brilliance. When

-they came into focus, Garry saw everyone sitting

-straight up in their bunks, their eyes squinting and

-staring at him in amazement.</p>

-<p>After a few tense moments, Captain Eaton asked

-from his bunk, &ldquo;Garry, what&rsquo;s the matter?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;A woman&mdash;a big woman&rsquo;s out there!&rdquo; he

-blurted. &ldquo;She was after me!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry heard the men begin to laugh.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, that&rsquo;s Katrinka,&rdquo; the captain explained.

-&ldquo;She wouldn&rsquo;t hurt a thing. She <i>couldn&rsquo;t</i>. She&rsquo;s not

-<i>built</i> that way.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Not <i>built</i> that way?&rdquo; Garry echoed. &ldquo;What do

-you mean? She&rsquo;s built pretty strong I think!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton chuckled. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s a robot, Garry.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;A robot!&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;So that&rsquo;s why she looks

-so different!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes, I made her as lifelike as possible,&rdquo; Captain

-Eaton went on, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;m afraid I&rsquo;m no Michelangelo

-as a sculptor.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You <i>built</i> her?&rdquo; Garry asked in surprise.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_78">78</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes. We needed someone to do our chores&mdash;you

-know, the things that men dislike doing in the

-nature of housework and cleaning up. But she&rsquo;s

-quite controllable, Garry. She wouldn&rsquo;t have

-harmed you. Something must have slipped in her

-mechanism so that she became activated. It happens

-once in awhile. I&rsquo;ll go take a look at her.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have to go far, Sir,&rdquo; Garry said, rubbing

-away the sweat that had gathered on his forehead.

-&ldquo;She&rsquo;s right outside the door.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>As the captain climbed from his bunk and

-slipped into his robe, Garry avoided the eyes of the

-others in the dormitory. He had done just what he

-had hoped he would not do&mdash;shown his fear of a

-harmless robot. He knew they must think him

-squeamish, but they were not laughing now.</p>

-<p>Patch seemed to have been the only one who was

-not aroused by the excitement. Garry could see that

-he was still asleep in his bunk.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton passed Garry, opened the door,

-and went outside. Garry followed a few steps behind.</p>

-<p>The robot still looked menacing to Garry. It

-stood, big and dark and unmoving, in the dimness

-of the corridor.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton faced Katrinka and spoke in a

-clear, loud voice: &ldquo;Closet! Closet!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry heard a humming sound coming from the

-robot. It shuffled about slowly on its ponderous

-feet and started walking away.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_79">79</div>

-<p>&ldquo;She&rsquo;s obeying!&rdquo; Garry gasped.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes, she&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied.

-&ldquo;Probably just a crossing of the wires in her

-mechanical brain that activated her. Maybe a slight

-lurch of the ship did it. I&rsquo;ll look her over

-thoroughly in the morning.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see how you did it,&rdquo; Garry said, still

-amazed. &ldquo;How can a machine like that take orders

-like a person, just as if it had a brain like us?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Katrinka&rsquo;s brain is made up of electrical impulses

-in certain codes,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied.

-&ldquo;There is a code disk for everything that she is able

-to do. For instance, there is one for making up the

-bunks, every step in that operation. There&rsquo;s one for

-washing the dishes, mopping the floor, and so on.

-When I have the time, I make her even smarter by

-adding new codes and duties.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;But all you said was the word &lsquo;closet,&rsquo; and off

-she went,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That was the code for her heading for the closet

-down the corridor where she stays when we have

-no need for her. When she goes inside the closet, an

-automatic switch will cut off her mechanism, and

-she will remain dormant until we need her. Just as

-if I gave you an order to go somewhere and your

-muscles would carry you to that place, so it is

-with Katrinka. The code words I give her activate

-the wires that control her movement in a certain

-way, whatever that activity is.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_80">80</div>

-<p>Garry nodded. &ldquo;I understand it, but it sure must

-be a complicated thing the way she works.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s complicated, all right,&rdquo; Captain Eaton

-agreed. &ldquo;Katrinka represents many years of scientific

-study, long before I ever thought of venturing

-into space. It was a hobby of mine, in between my

-duties as a teacher and head of a space shipping

-corporation. My first models were very clumsy and

-crude, but I have developed them over the years

-and have finally come up with Katrinka, my finest

-yet. Many people are interested in her&mdash;manufacturers

-and the government too.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The next morning Garry told Patch about Katrinka,

-and Captain Eaton gave them permission

-to watch him check out the robot.</p>

-<p>After breakfast the three went to the closet where

-the robot was kept. The captain pressed the door

-button, and the door slid open, revealing the hulking

-monster that had frightened Garry the night

-before. Even now, Garry felt chills along his spine.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton spoke one word, &ldquo;Follow,&rdquo; and

-then turned on his heel, heading on down the corridor.

-The boys tagged along and were amazed to

-see and hear Katrinka clomping behind.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;She <i>is</i> following, Garry!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_81">81</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Yeah, and I still don&rsquo;t understand it,&rdquo; his friend

-replied, with a shake of his head.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Why, that&rsquo;s the easiest command of all I&rsquo;ve given

-her to do,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;The word &lsquo;follow&rsquo;

-activates a sort of radar device in her and makes

-her follow the closest moving object. I believe

-that was what happened when she chased you last

-night, Garry. Something slipped, causing her to follow

-that particular action.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The captain chuckled. &ldquo;She could have pursued

-you all night, but she never would have come

-closer than three feet.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The <i>Carefree</i>&rsquo;s skipper entered a doorway leading

-off the corridor. &ldquo;Here&rsquo;s my workshop. I&rsquo;ll have

-a look at Katrinka&rsquo;s workings now,&rdquo; he said.</p>

-<p>The shop was untidy, cluttered from top to bottom

-with electronic parts, tools, and metal plates.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton gave Katrinka the command to

-stop and then with a screw driver removed a large

-plate from her back. He nosed about inside the

-robot for several minutes, making adjustments

-within the complicated network of wires and miniature

-parts. Then he replaced the plate.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Just a couple of wires got too close,&rdquo; he said.

-&ldquo;She won&rsquo;t be chasing you any more, Garry.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a relief,&rdquo; Garry replied with a nervous

-smile. &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t want to go through that again,

-even if she <i>is</i> harmless!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_82">82</div>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll show you how I build commands into her

-system,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s have a simple

-command, fellows.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I know,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;Have her lift up Patch.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch backed off hastily. &ldquo;Oh no you don&rsquo;t!&rdquo; he

-objected.</p>

-<p>The master of the <i>Carefree</i> laughed. &ldquo;Be a sport,

-Patch. She&rsquo;s very gentle. She won&rsquo;t hurt you,&rdquo; he

-said.</p>

-<p>Patch thought a moment, then replied, &ldquo;Okay, if

-you promise it will be all right.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I promise,&rdquo; the captain said, and he set to work.</p>

-<p>He brought out tools and equipment of every

-kind. Then he removed some plates from various

-parts of the robot&rsquo;s body. But instead of tinkering

-around inside, as he had done before, he opened up

-a big chart and began working from it, using pencil

-and paper.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What are you doing, Captain?&rdquo; Garry asked

-after a few moments.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_83">83</div>

-<p>&ldquo;This is a map of Katrinka&rsquo;s system, like the diagram

-of a radio or TV,&rdquo; was the reply. &ldquo;I have to

-figure out what connections I must bring together.

-You see, I must give her several actions that make

-up the command we have given her. There must be

-the action of walking over to Patch, of bending certain

-parts that serve as her muscles, and finally the

-action of lifting him up. Then I must activate these

-through the use of spoken words.&rdquo; The captain

-worked for about an hour. The last thing he did

-was to take a small disk out of stock and drill holes

-in it at very carefully measured positions. Then he

-slipped the disk into place inside the robot.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Now let&rsquo;s try her out,&rdquo; the captain said.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton faced the robot and spoke in a

-loud clear voice: &ldquo;Lift.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch remained where he stood, but Garry could

-see that he was a little nervous as Katrinka began

-lumbering toward him. The robot stooped over

-and lifted the boy in her big metal arms. She stood

-motionless, holding him in a firm grip as Patch began

-to struggle impatiently after about fifteen

-seconds.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Tell her to put me down, Captain,&rdquo; Patch

-begged.</p>

-<p>The captain winked at Garry mischievously. &ldquo;My

-goodness, Patch, I forgot to give her a command to

-release you!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch began struggling vigorously, but he could

-not escape the robot&rsquo;s iron grip.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hey, somebody, get me out of this!&rdquo; Patch cried,

-his face reddening from his exertions.</p>

-<p>Seeing that his fun had gone far enough, Captain

-Eaton barked out, as if he were a military commander:

-&ldquo;Atten-tion!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_84">84</div>

-<p>The robot&rsquo;s arms slipped straight down to her

-sides, and her body stiffened rigidly. Patch tumbled

-unharmed to the floor.</p>

-<p>Patch sat up. He turned and looked up at Garry

-and the captain. Fear still showed in his eyes, but,

-as he saw the playful smile on the captain&rsquo;s face, a

-grin spread over his own.</p>

-<p>The captain laughed out loud. Then Garry joined

-in.</p>

-<p>Finally, Patch himself began laughing, having

-enjoyed the harmless experiment even if the captain

-<i>had</i> played a little joke on him.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_85">85</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c9"><br />9. SATELLITE ZONE</h2>

-<p>Although Ben seemed to be one of the busiest persons

-aboard the <i>Carefree</i>, he still took time out to

-chat with the boys early that afternoon.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Have you been at the orphanage all your lives?&rdquo;

-Ben asked Garry and Patch.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Almost that long,&rdquo; Garry replied.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Our parents were good friends,&rdquo; Patch added.

-&ldquo;All four of them were killed at one time in a

-rocket-plane crash near Salt Lake City. We were

-only three then and were placed in the orphanage

-at the same time.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;How long have you been in space, Ben?&rdquo; Garry

-asked.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_86">86</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Oh, about eight years now, off and on. I started

-when I was in my teens. I was a sort of cabin boy

-aboard the old Mars exploration ship, the <i>Jules

-Verne</i>. We spent a year there. Boy, what a life! It

-was like living in a deep freeze. Since then I&rsquo;ve

-traveled to Venus, Luna&mdash;the moon, you know&mdash;and

-there&rsquo;s no counting the trips I&rsquo;ve made among

-the satellites.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;How did you get in with Captain Eaton and the

-<i>Carefree</i>?&rdquo; Patch wanted to know.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;A few years ago I took time to go to school and

-learn space-ship engineering and design,&rdquo; Ben replied.

-&ldquo;My teacher was Captain Eaton&mdash;or Professor

-Eaton, as he was called then. He was also a

-millionaire and president of Space Shipping Incorporated.

-He helped build the sturdiest ships ever

-to fly the solar system. I graduated stone broke and

-had to go back to flying the spaceways.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I thought I&rsquo;d never be an engineer or designer,

-but then Professor Eaton got in touch with me and

-said he was going to design a space ship for his own

-use. He said I was the best pupil he had ever taught

-and asked if I would work with him on the project.

-Of course I jumped at the idea. We assembled the

-ship out here in space, and I&rsquo;ve been with him ever

-since.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Captain Eaton is a grand person, isn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo; Garry

-asked.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_87">87</div>

-<p>A fond look came into Ben&rsquo;s dark eyes. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s

-the wisest, kindest, and most generous person I&rsquo;ve

-ever known or heard about. You may think he selfishly

-spends all his money for his own enjoyment

-as he cruises the spaceways, but that isn&rsquo;t the case.

-He gives far more than he spends out here to

-charities and churches back on earth. And he has

-built countless scientific libraries, but he&rsquo;s too

-modest to let them be named after himself.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The <i>Carefree</i> is such a big ship, Ben,&rdquo; Patch

-said, &ldquo;that I don&rsquo;t understand how it can be run by

-so few men.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s due to the captain&rsquo;s genius,&rdquo; Ben explained.

-&ldquo;Practically everything you can think of is automatic,

-and our batteries are constantly recharged

-by sunlight. Of course, once in a while something

-goes wrong, and we have to dock at a repair satellite.

-And we also have to refuel about every six

-months at a service station. But we don&rsquo;t use very

-much fuel ordinarily because we mostly just cruise

-about in the &lsquo;satellite zone,&rsquo; as it&rsquo;s called.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Ben had to go back to work, and the boys joined

-Captain Eaton in the library, where he was waiting

-for a TV newscast to come on.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch got the shock of their lives at the

-first feature to come over the telecast. For the subjects

-were <i>themselves</i>.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_88">88</div>

-<p>They quickly discovered that they were the most

-celebrated missing persons on earth. The orphanage

-had first reported their absence, and then Mr.

-Mulroy had given his version of their disappearance.

-It seemed that Mr. Mulroy was in very hot

-water because he had not made sure that the boys

-had gotten off the <i>Orion</i> before the blast-off. In

-fact, he was in such hot water that he faced court-martial

-unless Garry and Patch were found.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Well, I guess the vacation is over, Patch,&rdquo;

-Garry said sadly. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t let Mr. Mulroy be

-court-martialed for what we did.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to tell them where we are, haven&rsquo;t

-we?&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;Although I&rsquo;d give <i>anything</i>

-to stay aboard the <i>Carefree</i>&mdash;that is, if Captain

-Eaton would have us.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d like nothing better than to have you two stay

-on,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;But you must consider Mr.

-Mulroy and all the police forces who are working

-to uncover the mystery of your disappearance.

-Right, fellows?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes, Sir,&rdquo; they both agreed reluctantly.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We must make full use of the time left you to

-finish seeing the marvels of the <i>Carefree</i>. I said I&rsquo;d

-show you the observatory today. What do you say

-we go there now? I&rsquo;ve got some double-star photos

-I want to check on.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The boys liked the idea and went with their host

-along the zero-gravity tunnel toward the observatory.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_89">89</div>

-<p>The observatory was a &ldquo;bubble&rdquo; attached to the

-<i>Carefree</i>&rsquo;s center tube or axle, just a short distance

-from the air lock through which Garry and Patch

-had first entered the ship. The observatory was such

-that it never rotated with the tube or the rest of the

-ship. In this way its telescopes could always keep

-focus on objects in space.</p>

-<p>Three pairs of magnetic shoes clicked along the

-metal floor of the observatory as Captain Eaton led

-the boys to the reflector telescope, whose big six-inch

-eye was pointed out into space. Captain Eaton

-looked over a camera which was attached to the

-eyepiece of the telescope. Then he unfastened the

-camera and took it off.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The picture has been exposed long enough,&rdquo;

-the skipper said. &ldquo;It takes a pretty long time for a

-photograph to be made in the heavens, you know.

-But when you give it full exposure, it shows you

-much more than your naked eye can do.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry studied a satellite chart on the wall. &ldquo;I

-didn&rsquo;t know there were so many satellites whirling

-around the earth. So many different kinds and sizes

-too!&rdquo; he said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes, there are many more than one would imagine,&rdquo;

-the captain agreed. &ldquo;Here, let me show

-you some of them on the chart. The pictures you

-see are exactly the way each satellite looks, and

-they are all drawn in proportion.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_90">90</div>

-<p>Garry and Patch studied the chart with its multitude

-of different shapes and sizes. There were satellites

-that resembled drums and others like round

-balls. Some were torpedo shaped, and some were

-circular and flat like &ldquo;flying saucers.&rdquo; There were

-giant satellites, wherein people lived and worked,

-and many of them were in the shape of huge revolving

-wheels. Some of them had no regularity at all,

-appearing to Garry to resemble more than anything

-else huge space insects, bristling with antennas and

-sun mirrors.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;As you probably know, fellows,&rdquo; Captain Eaton

-said, &ldquo;the Von Braun Space Station is our largest

-satellite of all. But there are a few others that approach

-it in size. For example, here is Quartermaster

-10, the biggest of the depot satellites that furnish

-supplies to men who live in the world of the artificial

-moons. Here is a big fueling satellite, and over

-here is another big one&mdash;Spaceharbor&mdash;which is

-really a network of smaller moons joined together.

-This is a shipyard satellite where space ships are

-built and repaired. The <i>Carefree</i> was built in Spaceharbor.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Gee, with so many of those things orbiting earth

-every minute of the day, it seems that space ships

-are always in danger of hitting one of them,&rdquo; Patch

-remarked.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_91">91</div>

-<p>&ldquo;That is a very real danger,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said,

-&ldquo;especially for us, since we usually cruise in that

-area above earth called the &lsquo;satellite zone.&rsquo; For this

-reason, every person on pilot duty is responsible

-for knowing the position of every satellite within

-dangerous range of the <i>Carefree</i>. This requires constant

-study and figuring of orbit paths. It really is

-the biggest job the pilot has to do, because generally

-the <i>Carefree</i> is on automatic pilot and runs itself,

-you might say.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What are some of these smaller satellites?&rdquo;

-Garry asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Well, there, there, and there are some of the observation

-satellites called &lsquo;Tiros.&rsquo; They are used to

-photograph part of the earth for different reasons.

-Some of the reasons are prediction of weather,

-mapping, and for military purposes to see that the

-countries of the world do not start arming themselves

-for aggression.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The Tiros moons were first put into orbit in the

-1960&rsquo;s, weren&rsquo;t they?&rdquo; Garry asked.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton nodded. &ldquo;Also these, Garry&mdash;the

-Transit satellites, which are used for navigation,

-both in space and on earth. This odd-looking little

-moon over here is one I&rsquo;m sure you&rsquo;ve heard about.

-It is WAS, which means weather-alteration satellite.

-Know what it does?&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_92">92</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Sure,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s used to seed storm

-clouds with chemicals. If the seeding works, hurricanes

-and tornadoes can be broken up before they

-cause damage. I believe they were first put into orbit

-in the late 1960&rsquo;s.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Very good,&rdquo; the captain complimented. &ldquo;Of

-course there are many other kinds of man-made

-moons, some too technical to explain. But, in spite

-of their great number and complexity, each has its

-use, and they are a tribute to man&rsquo;s great achievements

-in the world of science. One of our big jobs

-aboard the <i>Carefree</i> is to see that they remain in

-orbit, doing their duty for the people of earth. If

-we should ever change their orbit, for instance by

-colliding with one of them, we not only would destroy

-their usefulness but we would, in all likelihood,

-destroy the <i>Carefree</i> as well.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry did not even want to think about the possibility

-of such a disaster.</p>

-<p>After the visit to the observatory, the captain

-asked the boys if they would care to try out

-the swimming pool.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hey, would we!&rdquo; Garry and Patch said together.</p>

-<p>A few minutes later, as they were heading down

-the corridor toward the gym, they passed Mr.

-Klecker walking along stiffly&mdash;in full dress of

-course&mdash;and carrying a stack of books.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hello, gentlemen,&rdquo; the tall man greeted them

-cordially, and the boys returned his greeting.</p>

-<p>As he passed, Patch whispered to Garry, &ldquo;Bet

-those books are about the circus.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_93">93</div>

-<p>Garry smiled and nodded.</p>

-<p>The boys had learned that Mr. Klecker had a

-hobby. He was very much interested in the circus

-of the old days. He had many books on the subject,

-and whenever he talked to anyone it was about the

-circus.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch had heard from the others that

-Mr. Klecker still looked after the captain as if he

-were serving him in his mansion. He would lay out

-his clothes for him and attend to other small details.

-Once in awhile Mr. Klecker would be called

-on to assist in things of a mechanical nature, but he

-hated to get out of his full dress and don greasy

-coveralls.</p>

-<p>The boys proceeded to the gym. They were anticipating

-a good time. But something of a decisive

-nature was to happen which would have an

-important bearing on their future life aboard the

-<i>Carefree</i>.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_94">94</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c10"><br />10. THE LADY GOES WILD</h2>

-<p>&ldquo;Beat you into the pool,&rdquo; Patch called a little while

-later.</p>

-<p>He dashed out of the dressing room and dove,

-with hands outstretched, into the water. Garry followed

-right behind, tumbling into the spray left

-by Patch&rsquo;s dive.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Say, this is nice and warm!&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;And

-we&rsquo;ve got it all to ourselves!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>A little way back from the pool&rsquo;s edge, Mac and

-Isaac were lifting weights. This exercise was to

-help them keep in good physical trim.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_95">95</div>

-<p>Garry and Patch swam and splashed to their

-hearts&rsquo; content. It was the most fun they had had in

-a long time. They knew no one would ever believe

-their story of swimming in a pool in deep space! It

-was almost too difficult for them to believe themselves.

-But they did not care if they were never

-believed.</p>

-<p>They frolicked in the water for about an hour

-and then climbed up on the pool&rsquo;s edge to catch

-their breath for a few minutes.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Boy, I could spend twenty-four hours a day in

-there,&rdquo; Patch said, flicking water from his face.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I could too, almost,&rdquo; Garry agreed. &ldquo;But I would

-be satisfied if I could spend twenty-four hours a

-day aboard the <i>Carefree</i> doing anything. Gee, it&rsquo;s

-going to be hard leaving here to go back to the orphanage.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Patch said sourly. &ldquo;Gee whiz, Garry, why

-can&rsquo;t they let a couple of guys live the way they

-want to?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We can someday, when we are old enough,&rdquo;

-Garry said. &ldquo;But the only way we could get around

-having to go back now would be for Captain Eaton

-to adopt us.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Say, that&rsquo;s the answer!&rdquo; Patch replied excitedly.

-&ldquo;Why don&rsquo;t we ask him?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s as easy as that, Patch. In the

-first place, I don&rsquo;t think <i>we</i> should ask <i>him</i>. He

-knows how much we like the <i>Carefree</i>, and he may

-have thought of adoption. But he should be the one

-who suggests it.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_96">96</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Maybe we could drop a hint or something,&rdquo;

-Patch said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think they&rsquo;d let him adopt us, Patch.

-Don&rsquo;t forget, when they find out where we are,

-they&rsquo;ll think we stowed away aboard the <i>Orion</i>,

-and that would ruin any chances we might have

-had.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;But we didn&rsquo;t deliberately stow away!&rdquo; Patch

-protested.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I know that, but how can we get them to believe

-us? I don&rsquo;t think they&rsquo;d even consider adoption at

-this time, and I think Captain Eaton must feel that

-way too.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch sighed. &ldquo;Maybe later, then. Maybe someday

-Captain Eaton will want us back. Gosh, I hate

-to leave here, though.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Life won&rsquo;t be the same any more,&rdquo; Garry said.

-&ldquo;Nothing can ever be as exciting as the adventure

-we&rsquo;ve had.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They heard footsteps approaching and looked

-up to see Captain Eaton coming their way. Missing

-now was his usual sunny smile. He carried a piece

-of paper in his hand.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Well, fellows, the answer has come,&rdquo; Captain

-Eaton said, and his voice was laden with dejection.

-&ldquo;I radioed that you two had been picked up,

-and they&rsquo;ve already replied.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry hated to ask, &ldquo;Wh&mdash;what did they say?&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_97">97</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Just as I suspected. We must return to the Von

-Braun Space Station.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I was hoping we had a <i>few</i> more days at least,&rdquo;

-Patch groaned.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I think that the sooner we straighten this matter

-out, the better it will be for everyone,&rdquo; Captain

-Eaton replied. &ldquo;And another thing, you boys are

-still A.W.O.L. from the orphanage, you know.

-However, it will take a couple of days for us to work

-out a navigation plan and get a clearance approach

-to the station. Sorry, fellows. I wish you could have

-stayed on with us indefinitely, but....&rdquo;</p>

-<p>As the captain&rsquo;s voice trailed off, Garry had a

-flicker of hope. The captain was looking at them

-as if debating something in his mind. Would he

-bring up the subject of adoption?</p>

-<p>But, saying nothing further, the captain turned

-and began walking toward the outer door of the

-gym.</p>

-<p>Then he seemed to think of something else and

-came back. The boys held their breath hopefully.

-Would he mention adoption now?</p>

-<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s something else they told me that I

-thought you&rsquo;d want to know,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;I

-told them the story of your being stowaways accidentally,

-just as you told me. They checked back

-and found that the elevator attached to the <i>Orion</i>

-was defective, as you said, and they are convinced

-of the truth of your story. As a result, Officer Mulroy

-has been cleared of any negligence.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_98">98</div>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad to know that, Sir,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>

-<p>Once more the captain left them, but this time for

-good.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Well, that&rsquo;s that,&rdquo; Patch commented unhappily.

-&ldquo;No adoption. When he came back I thought

-he....&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I was hoping too,&rdquo; Garry replied, &ldquo;but we&rsquo;ve got

-to go back, and that&rsquo;s all there is to it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Mac and Isaac came over, still breathing hard

-from their exercises.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We couldn&rsquo;t help but overhear the bad news,&rdquo;

-Mac said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to hate to see you fellows

-go.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes, that&rsquo;s right,&rdquo; Isaac added.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;We were getting to

-like this old ship.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;In a way I&rsquo;d almost like to go with you,&rdquo; Mac

-said, with a faraway look in his eyes.</p>

-<p>Garry guessed that the Scotsman was a little

-homesick. His hunch proved correct, because Mac

-began to reminisce about his homeland. He described

-the heather on the hillsides, the flowing

-streams, and the green vales. And yet, Mac admitted

-finally that space was still a good second

-home to him, and he enjoyed his life in the deeps.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_99">99</div>

-<p>Isaac had no home he would rather live in than

-the <i>Carefree</i>. As he talked about his good friends

-aboard ship and the kindly captain, Garry noticed

-the softness of the big man&rsquo;s eyes.</p>

-<p>Garry had heard that Isaac was really quite a

-sentimental fellow. Whenever he learned of a

-tragedy over the TV, it would depress him. Later,

-the boys were to learn that Isaac had a secret

-liking for good poetry.</p>

-<p>Both Mac and Isaac seemed genuinely sorry that

-the boys were having to leave. It made Garry and

-Patch feel good that they were so popular, but it

-made them a little sad, too.</p>

-<p>The next morning Garry and Patch woke earlier

-than the others and were heading toward the washroom.</p>

-<p>Suddenly Garry stopped and caught Patch by

-the arm. &ldquo;Patch, do you hear that? There&rsquo;s noise

-coming from the laundry room up ahead!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch listened and heard the sound of splashing

-and a machine laboring hard.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s see what&rsquo;s going on!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_100">100</div>

-<p>Running, Garry led the way into the laundry

-room. But then he wished he had not been coming

-so fast. His feet skidded on the floor, that was covered

-with thick soapsuds, and he skated several

-feet forward on his bottom. Patch, coming right

-behind, could not help laughing at his friend&rsquo;s misfortune.

-But then he too went down and skidded

-alongside Garry.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hey, what goes on here!&rdquo; Garry gasped, trying

-to get to his feet. The entire floor was a miniature

-sea of soapsuds.</p>

-<p>In his efforts to get up, Garry&rsquo;s feet slid apart,

-and he hit the floor again. Patch had no better luck

-than Garry. When this happened, both boys broke

-into laughter.</p>

-<p>They struggled several times to their feet, half

-playing all the while, but did not succeed in keeping

-their feet until the fourth attempt. Then they

-held onto one another to steady themselves. Only

-now did they see what was causing the strange

-disorder.</p>

-<p>They looked over at the big washing machine

-against the wall and saw Katrinka standing over

-the open tank, pitching clothes right and left out of

-the machine and into the air! It was as if she were

-having the time of her life.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Look, Patch&mdash;Katrinka!&rdquo; Garry burst out

-laughing once more. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s gone crazy! Something

-must have flipped in her mechanism again.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The machine was still making mountains of suds,

-and they were flooding out of the top like a flow of

-white lava. Katrinka&rsquo;s metal wrists clanged against

-the edge of the machine as she went up and down

-with her flinging motion, making a rhythmic clatter.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_101">101</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Hey, can&rsquo;t we give her some words to make her

-stop this?&rdquo; Patch spoke loudly to be heard over all

-the noise. &ldquo;She&rsquo;ll wreck the place!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I remember one of the commands,&rdquo; Garry said.

-Then loudly he called out: &ldquo;Atten-tion! Atten-tion!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;She&rsquo;s not paying any mind!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;She must be short-circuited again,&rdquo; Garry said.

-&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go for Captain Eaton!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I hate to wake him up after the hard day he had

-yesterday,&rdquo; Patch said, as he returned along the

-corridor with Garry, &ldquo;but this is an emergency.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>It turned out that they did not have to wake the

-captain. He met them, clad in his robe, at the door

-of the dorm, having already been aroused by the

-commotion going on down the corridor.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton yawned. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s Katrinka, isn&rsquo;t it?

-Ben set her for laundry duty this morning, but I

-guess her wires got crossed again.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_102">102</div>

-<p>The boys cautioned Captain Eaton to be careful

-about going into the slippery room. The captain

-promised he would be careful and promptly fell

-down as soon as he walked through the door. Garry

-and Patch tried to help the captain to his feet, but

-only succeeded in falling again themselves. They

-scrambled around, slipping and sliding. Then

-slowly learning how to become expert at moving

-about in soapsuds, they finally managed to stand up

-and stay up.</p>

-<p>Carefully, the three made their way toward the

-washing machine where Katrinka was still merrily

-flipping clothes through the air. But by now she

-was out of ammunition and was merely flailing her

-metal arms. The captain used the command, &ldquo;Atten-tion!&rdquo;

-several times, trying to stop Katrinka&rsquo;s wild

-actions, but he had no better luck with this than

-Garry had had.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton moved forward over the slippery

-floor and groped for the control knob on the robot&rsquo;s

-back. But then, losing his footing, he hung on

-to the robot to keep from falling again. This

-brought Katrinka crashing down onto the floor

-along with the captain himself.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch each offered the captain a hand

-and presently managed to get him upright again.

-Garry had a hard time keeping a straight face. Captain

-Eaton&rsquo;s face was red, and his beard was straggly

-and sudsy. His soggy bathrobe stuck to his thin

-legs, giving him the appearance of a saddened,

-snow-covered elf.</p>

-<p>In the meanwhile, Katrinka was still having her

-fun, swinging her arms gaily against the floor as she

-lay on her back.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_103">103</div>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to turn her over,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said,

-crawling nearer the robot. &ldquo;Be careful of her arms.

-She can knock you over with them.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry thought he saw how the job could be done.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s both grab her right leg, Patch,&rdquo; he said.

-&ldquo;Then we&rsquo;ll give a good heave-ho and flip her

-over on her stomach. Careful you don&rsquo;t slip.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They did as Garry had suggested, yanking

-fiercely on the robot&rsquo;s leg and flipping the metal

-creature over, face down. But the motion also

-brought Garry and Patch down in the soap again,

-this time getting the suds all over their faces,

-causing them to make wry grimaces and blow away

-the froth from their lips even as they laughed.</p>

-<p>But what was funniest of all to Garry was when

-he saw Captain Eaton suddenly see an opening

-and scramble furiously, on all fours, over to the

-flailing robot. He threw himself upon her back,

-fighting her as a cowboy would wrestle a steer. He

-finally subdued her with a turn of the switch on her

-back, which he was at last able to grab and twist.</p>

-<p>Worn out by his exertions, the captain simply

-flopped back on his hands in the soapy billows,

-sighing heavily. Then the good-natured man

-caught Garry&rsquo;s eye and smiled. The smile turned

-into laughter, and presently all three of them

-joined in.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_104">104</div>

-<p>The captain later determined what had happened.

-He found out that Katrinka, in doing her

-washing chores, had gotten water into her electronic

-parts, and this had caused trouble in her

-mechanism. Captain Eaton made the repair easily,

-and the robot maid was once more in proper working

-order.</p>

-<p>The boys were with the captain while he was

-making the repairs on Katrinka in the workshop.

-When the captain had put away his tools, he sent

-the robot on her way. Then he looked at Garry, as

-he washed his hands at the sink, and said in a sad

-voice, &ldquo;Fellows, I&rsquo;ve received a docking date at the

-Von Braun Space Station. We&rsquo;ll dock at 2100 tomorrow

-night. That isn&rsquo;t much time left, is it?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;No, Sir, it isn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Garry replied unhappily.</p>

-<p>The captain did not look up again.</p>

-<p>Garry half expected him to say something else,

-but, instead, he remained silent. Garry tugged at

-Patch&rsquo;s sleeve, motioning for them to go.</p>

-<p>The boys made their way slowly toward the door

-of the workshop. As Garry pressed the button to

-open the sliding door, Captain Eaton spoke again.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Wait&mdash;just a minute.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The boys turned. Garry gulped. He could see

-the sadness in the elderly man&rsquo;s eyes.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_105">105</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Boys, I haven&rsquo;t told you how much I&rsquo;ve enjoyed

-having you with us for this short time,&rdquo; the captain

-said, holding his dripping hands over the sink, not

-bothering to dry them.</p>

-<p>Garry had a lump in his throat. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve enjoyed

-it too, haven&rsquo;t we, Patch?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Sure thing,&rdquo; Patch murmured.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton continued: &ldquo;You two have been a

-great big lift in our lives. It&rsquo;s been so long since

-we&rsquo;ve seen young fellows, and you&rsquo;ve made us feel

-younger ourselves once more. I think you know how

-we feel about your leaving us. But I don&rsquo;t want to

-get sentimental about it and make you feel worse.

-So this won&rsquo;t be good-by. We&rsquo;ll see each other

-again&mdash;I know we shall.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry cleared his throat, trying to dissolve that

-lump. &ldquo;You&rsquo;d better dry your hands, Sir.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton smiled, reaching for a towel.

-&ldquo;Oh, of course,&rdquo; he said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll miss all of you very much, Sir,&rdquo; Garry said,

-before starting through the door. &ldquo;The <i>Carefree</i>

-has been like a home to us.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The boys were silent as they went on to the

-dormitory. They were overcome by sadness at having

-to leave the ship and her friendly people.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_106">106</div>

-<p>As the boys were getting together the clothing

-and toilet articles they had been given, Patch remarked

-to Garry, &ldquo;Maybe the captain doesn&rsquo;t like

-us enough for adoption. He may not care for the

-idea of being saddled with us permanently.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I hope it&rsquo;s not that,&rdquo; Garry answered, &ldquo;but I still

-can&rsquo;t think of any other reason, now that the stowaway

-business is straightened out.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch didn&rsquo;t answer. He had no explanation

-either.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_107">107</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c11"><br />11. A FRIEND IS LOST</h2>

-<p>That night, on their way to dinner in the galley, the

-boys were overtaken by the long-striding Mr.

-Klecker.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I heard you&rsquo;re leaving us, gentlemen,&rdquo; he said

-to them.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes, that&rsquo;s right, Mr. Klecker,&rdquo; Garry replied.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Too bad. I was hoping I would have the opportunity

-to talk to you about the old circus days.

-Yes, it&rsquo;s too bad.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Gino, too, showed how much he liked the boys.

-He baked them special pies and told them that

-they were his going-away presents to them.</p>

-<p>After supper, Patch said to Garry, as they were

-leaving the galley, &ldquo;Gee, they&rsquo;re not making our

-leaving very easy, are they?&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_108">108</div>

-<p>&ldquo;No, Patch, they&rsquo;re not making it very easy at all,&rdquo;

-Garry agreed.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not making what very easy?&rdquo; asked a

-voice behind them.</p>

-<p>They turned and saw the smiling face of Ben.

-Garry explained to him what they were talking

-about.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Then I guess you don&rsquo;t want me to say I&rsquo;m sorry

-to see you go either, do you?&rdquo; Ben said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Of course we really <i>do</i> care,&rdquo; Garry admitted.

-&ldquo;But it makes us sad when everybody tells us.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Then, I won&rsquo;t tell you good-by, fellows,&rdquo; Ben

-said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll just say &lsquo;so long&rsquo; for awhile. Before you

-know it, you&rsquo;ll come back into space and find us

-still cruising through the deeps in the <i>Carefree</i>.

-Yes, we&rsquo;ll all be here.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It does sound better that way, Ben,&rdquo; Garry replied.

-&ldquo;But until then, we&rsquo;ll still miss all of you

-terribly.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll miss you too,&rdquo; Ben said quietly, &ldquo;but we&rsquo;ll

-never forget you.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The boys went to bed with a feeling of melancholy

-that night, for this was their last sleep aboard

-Captain Eaton&rsquo;s wonderland space ship. The

-thought of leaving these good friends, possibly forever,

-brought a pang to Garry&rsquo;s heart. But no matter

-how sorrowful he felt, he was determined to be

-brave about it.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_109">109</div>

-<p>Garry fell asleep thinking of all the fun he and

-Patch had had in the brief happy hours of their

-stay aboard the <i>Carefree</i>. Since the time passes

-quickly during slumber, the boy expected he

-would be awake before he knew it on another quiet

-morning, and that very soon thereafter he would

-be bidding good-by to his friends as he and Patch

-made preparations for the voyage back to earth

-and the orphanage.</p>

-<p>But Garry woke far sooner than he expected. It

-was not morning, nor was it quiet; the air was

-charged with confusion and alarm.</p>

-<p>Garry was aware of bustling footsteps and urgent

-voices in the dormitory. His eyes popped open in

-the bright glare of the lights that had been turned

-on fully. He had a feeling that it was the middle of

-the night and not morning, although he was not to

-find this out until a little later.</p>

-<p>Garry sat bolt upright in his bunk. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s

-wrong?&rdquo; he asked.</p>

-<p>Gino, hastily pulling on his shirt, paused at

-Garry&rsquo;s bunk. His eyes showed the anxiety he felt.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hurry and get dressed, Garry!&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You

-and Patch. We&rsquo;re in great danger. We&rsquo;ve got to get

-ready for the captain&rsquo;s orders.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_110">110</div>

-<p>Garry leaped out of bed, his heart thumping

-swiftly. The cold floor on the soles of his feet

-shocked him fully awake. He seized his peacefully

-sleeping buddy and yanked him without mercy.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch, get up! There&rsquo;s trouble&mdash;I don&rsquo;t know

-just what kind yet!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch&rsquo;s eyes were still drugged with sleep, but

-he struggled to a sitting position.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Trouble? Wh&mdash;what trouble?&rdquo; Patched muttered.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I told you I don&rsquo;t know, but Gino warned us to

-get ready for the captain&rsquo;s orders. Hurry! Everyone

-else is already dressed and out of the dorm!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch needed no more urging and popped out of

-bed. He and Garry quickly dressed and hurried

-out into the corridor to see what was going on.</p>

-<p>There was no one in sight. The boys went farther

-along. Then, at the foot of the stairs leading

-into the center tube, they heard excited voices.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Whatever it is, it seems to be up in the tunnel,&rdquo;

-Garry said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They hurried up the stairs. Reaching the top,

-Garry, who was in the lead, looked down the tunnel

-from which most of the sounds were coming.

-He saw Ben, Captain Eaton, Mr. Klecker, and Gino

-on or near the platform outside the flight deck, the

-door of which was closed.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch pulled their weightless bodies

-along the webbing of the tube. As they approached

-the men, they heard Ben saying:</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_111">111</div>

-<p>&ldquo;This is terrible! Poor Mac! And what&rsquo;s going to

-happen to the rest of us?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What is going to happen?&rdquo; Garry asked, as he

-and Patch came upon the scene.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton turned to them with a distraught

-look. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry, boys. If I had hastened to get you

-back to the space station promptly, you would have

-survived this&mdash;this disaster.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Disaster?&rdquo; Garry echoed, with a sinking feeling

-in his stomach.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; Captain Eaton answered, his voice shaking.

-&ldquo;Mac is already done for, and we shall soon

-follow after him.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What happened?&rdquo; Patch asked Mr. Klecker.</p>

-<p>The boys could see pain on the men&rsquo;s faces.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The <i>Carefree</i> collided with an <i>Explorer</i> satellite,&rdquo;

-the butler replied. &ldquo;It destroyed the flight

-deck while Mac was on duty. It looks as if he had

-managed to close the door before he was swept off

-into space. The collision knocked us off course, and

-we&rsquo;re plunging into space&mdash;toward where, no one

-knows. We can&rsquo;t so much as lift a finger to bring

-her under control, and our antenna disk has been

-damaged so that we can&rsquo;t even send an SOS.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Oh, no!&rdquo; was all Garry could say, sickened at

-the sudden fateful turn of events.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_112">112</div>

-<p>Actually, he was thinking more of poor Mac than

-he was of their own grim outlook. He remembered

-how much the likable Scotsman wanted to return

-to the heather of his own land after his stint in

-space. Now he would never see Scotland again.

-Garry absently watched Ben squirting a thick

-liquid around the cracks of the flight-deck door,

-probably as a safeguard against air escaping from

-the ship.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Ben has been outside in a pressure suit to look

-over the damage,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.</p>

-<p>Patch turned away from the others, hanging his

-head in grief and despair. Captain Eaton put an

-arm around Garry&rsquo;s shoulder, but there was a helpless

-look on his face that seemed to show the uselessness

-of saying anything. Gino had lost his usual

-cheery smile and could only stare numbly at the

-closed door of the flight deck, where their friend

-had been the victim of such a cruel act of fate.</p>

-<p>Garry looked around at the ship&rsquo;s company.

-Everyone was accounted for except Isaac.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Where&rsquo;s Mr. Newton?&rdquo; he asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Poor Isaac is completely crushed,&rdquo; Captain

-Eaton replied. &ldquo;He had just changed shifts with

-Mac at the pilot&rsquo;s chair only a few moments before

-the accident. He&rsquo;s blaming himself for the whole

-thing. It seems he overlooked the position of the

-satellite that hit us. He missed it on his last check,

-and Mac did not see it in time. Isaac&rsquo;s gone off

-somewhere.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_113">113</div>

-<p>It was indeed a dark moment aboard the once-happy

-vessel. Things had happened so swiftly that

-everyone appeared to be still in shock. No one

-spoke again for several minutes. Everyone just

-stood around idly, as if not knowing what to do next

-and not really caring.</p>

-<p>Ben was the first to try to rally everyone&rsquo;s deadened

-spirits. He had just finished sealing the cracks

-in the door.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be some time before we can tell which way

-the ship is heading. The collision changed our

-course completely. Even when we do find out,

-there&rsquo;s nothing we can do to control the <i>Carefree</i>.

-She&rsquo;s just a runaway. But I still think there&rsquo;s hope

-for us.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>All eyes turned upon Ben questioningly.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That flier you two arrived in, Garry,&rdquo; Ben continued.

-&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve only had a quick look inside it, and the

-console seemed in pretty bad shape from your and

-Patch&rsquo;s efforts to start the engines. However, if I&rsquo;m

-lucky and we have time before the <i>Carefree</i> hits

-another satellite or something, I may be able to fix

-it up so that we can escape in it.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_114">114</div>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s our only hope,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied. &ldquo;I

-suggest you get right on the job, Ben, and call on

-anyone you need to help you. Meanwhile, we&rsquo;ll

-sweat out the flight, although I must say I feel like a

-duck in a shooting gallery because of all the flying

-objects whirling out there all around us.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;If we are able to escape in the flier,&rdquo; Mr.

-Klecker said, &ldquo;we can use its radio to send for

-help.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Ben shook his head. &ldquo;The radio was removed for

-some reason. There&rsquo;s only the empty compartment

-it came out of.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>With faint hope of survival, some measure of

-good spirits was restored to the astronauts. Ben

-called upon Mr. Klecker to help him work on the

-space taxi, and Captain Eaton said he would go to

-the observatory to take a &ldquo;fix&rdquo; and try to determine

-the course the <i>Carefree</i> had taken.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have to change clothes,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker said.

-&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to get my uniform soiled.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Guess I&rsquo;ll go and whip up some breakfast,&rdquo; Gino

-said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s about all <i>I</i> can do, although maybe nobody

-will be hungry.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton turned to Garry and Patch before

-he left. &ldquo;I know it&rsquo;s going to be hard for you,&rdquo; he

-said, &ldquo;but try to feel hopeful about this situation.

-A terrible misfortune has come our way, but try to

-believe that things will work out for us. Chins up,

-eh, fellows?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>He forced a smile. The boys gave him a brave

-smile in return, although they did not feel it any

-more than he had.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_115">115</div>

-<p>&ldquo;May we go with you to the observatory, Captain?&rdquo;

-Patch asked. &ldquo;Maybe we can help.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes, if you like. I know how hard it will be to

-remain idle at a time like this. Let&rsquo;s go.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>In the observatory, Garry and Patch watched

-the captain at his telescope and other instruments.

-He worked for a little while, then turned away

-from his work with a brooding, disturbed look on

-his face. He stroked his neat beard. Then he worked

-again for several more minutes.</p>

-<p>He stopped once more, but then resumed his

-watching. He kept this up for some time, and, as the

-minutes passed, his face grew more and more

-serious.</p>

-<p>Garry was afraid to ask, but he felt that he had

-to know. &ldquo;Captain, is&mdash;is it bad?&rdquo; he said softly.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton shook his head grimly, the look

-of despair in his eyes.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You may as well know,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been

-hoping I was wrong, but now I know I&rsquo;m not. We&rsquo;re

-moving into the gravity field of the moon. My guess

-is that we&rsquo;re only a few hours away from collision.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_116">116</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c12"><br />12. A STARTLING DISCOVERY</h2>

-<p>This latest bad news filled Garry with a new dread.

-But he refused to give up hope. He remembered

-that Ben was working in the flier, trying to put it in

-shape.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Captain Eaton,&rdquo; he asked, &ldquo;do you think Ben

-will have the flier ready by the time we begin falling

-to the moon?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t even guess at that. If there&rsquo;s not too

-much wrong with the flier, he may get it repaired

-in short order. But a major repair&mdash;I just don&rsquo;t

-know. I guess the next thing now is to inform the

-men of our course and get Ben&rsquo;s estimate of the

-flier&rsquo;s damage.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_117">117</div>

-<p>The three of them joined Ben and Mr. Klecker

-in the flier a few moments later. The small rocket

-ship was still held fast to the bigger <i>Carefree</i>, their

-two air locks joined as if they were one ship.</p>

-<p>When Captain Eaton had told the men that they

-were headed for the moon, whether they liked it

-or not, Ben replied, &ldquo;Well, Captain, I suppose

-we&rsquo;ve just <i>got</i> to get the space taxi in shape in

-mighty short order. I don&rsquo;t imagine the <i>Carefree</i>

-will bounce very well on the moon&rsquo;s hard, rocky

-surface.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Do you really think you can get it repaired in

-time, Ben?&rdquo; Captain Eaton asked gravely.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;How much time do you think you can give me?&rdquo;

-Ben asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have to do some more calculating before I

-can estimate exactly how long it will be before we

-go into final fall,&rdquo; was the reply, &ldquo;but, offhand, I

-would say you&rsquo;ve got no longer than six hours.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Ben looked at the damaged control panel of the

-flier and shook his head.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Impossible,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;ll do it. I&rsquo;ve <i>got</i> to

-do it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Everyone on the ship will be at your disposal,

-Ben,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;Call for anyone and

-anything at all that you need in order to hurry those

-repairs. Ben, there&rsquo;s no one else I&rsquo;d rather trust with

-the lives of us all than you. You can&rsquo;t let us down.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_118">118</div>

-<p>&ldquo;That confidence means a lot, Captain,&rdquo; Ben

-replied, his expression showing the appreciation

-he felt. &ldquo;Mac gave his life for the ship. I&rsquo;d do no

-less if it meant saving the <i>Carefree</i> and all you

-guys.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I know you mean what you say, Ben,&rdquo; Captain

-Eaton said, &ldquo;but we won&rsquo;t call on you to go that far.

-Just get the flier in shape so that we can escape in

-it and not share the <i>Carefree</i>&rsquo;s fate in crashing on

-the moon.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Ben shook his head sadly. &ldquo;I hadn&rsquo;t thought of

-the <i>Carefree</i> plunging to her destruction. But we

-<i>know</i> that&rsquo;s got to happen, don&rsquo;t we, because

-there&rsquo;s no way of saving her. Captain, this ship has

-become such a part of my life that I&rsquo;d almost want

-to go down with her.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I feel the same way, Ben,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied.

-&ldquo;Life will never be the same again without

-the <i>Carefree</i>. I don&rsquo;t know how I&rsquo;ll get along without

-her deck beneath my feet.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;If we get out of this alive,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker said,

-&ldquo;we&rsquo;ll just have to return to earth and spend the

-rest of our days there.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s true,&rdquo; the captain agreed sadly. &ldquo;Even

-a millionaire is allowed a space ship as grand as

-this only once in a lifetime. I couldn&rsquo;t afford another.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Ben seemed to realize that precious time was going

-to waste as they talked, and he began getting

-his tools together.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_119">119</div>

-<p>&ldquo;I know everyone wants to help,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but

-I think that Kleck and I can work better together

-by ourselves just now. There&rsquo;ll be less confusion.

-I&rsquo;ll be sure to call on anyone else if he&rsquo;s needed.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Mr. Klecker had donned some old clothes, but

-he did not look comfortable in them.</p>

-<p>Ben listed more tools and equipment he would

-need, and Captain Eaton gave the list to Garry.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Take this to Isaac, will you, Garry, and ask him

-to round these up as quickly as possible. I&rsquo;ve got

-to get back to the observatory and see how much

-time there is to zero hour.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Isaac has taken Mac&rsquo;s loss pretty badly, Captain,&rdquo;

-Ben said. &ldquo;Do you think he&rsquo;ll be working at

-top efficiency?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I think it will do him good to have something to

-do,&rdquo; the captain replied. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll be of no use to himself,

-or us either, if he just keeps on brooding.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton and the boys left the flier and went

-their separate ways to take care of their respective

-duties. Garry and Patch went to the dormitory and

-found Isaac Newton sitting on one of the lower

-bunks, his head in his hands. They stood beside the

-bunk for several moments, waiting for Isaac to look

-up, but he did not seem to know that there was

-anyone else around.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_120">120</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Isaac,&rdquo; Garry then said, &ldquo;Ben needs a few things

-for the repair of the flier. The captain thought you

-could round them up for us.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Isaac still did not look up.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Isaac, we&rsquo;re headed for the moon,&rdquo; Patch said

-urgently. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve <i>got</i> to get the flier repaired within

-six hours, or we&rsquo;re all goners!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Finally, Isaac looked up, his gentle eyes red. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s

-all my fault,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all my fault that Mac is

-dead! I didn&rsquo;t tell him about the satellite, and I

-should have. I ought to be shot like a soldier for

-neglecting his duty.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You shouldn&rsquo;t blame yourself, Isaac,&rdquo; Garry

-said gently. &ldquo;Anyone could have made the same

-mistake.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Isaac shook his head, as if pulling himself together,

-and held out his hand. &ldquo;Let me have the

-list.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>He looked it over, climbed to his feet, and started

-out of the dormitory.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Gee, he <i>is</i> taking it hard, isn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo; Patch asked.</p>

-<p>Garry nodded. &ldquo;I can imagine how he feels. How

-many times have you made a mistake that you&rsquo;d

-give anything in the world to correct if you could?

-But with us, our mistakes have never cost a person

-his life.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_121">121</div>

-<p>Isaac came back into the room. &ldquo;One of the

-things on this list is the sealer gun. It must still be

-up there by the flight-deck door that was sealed to

-prevent the air leaking out. Will you fellows get

-it?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Sure, Isaac,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;Come on, Patch.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>As they pulled themselves along the center tunnel,

-Patch remarked, &ldquo;Isaac didn&rsquo;t want to go back

-up there. That&rsquo;s why he asked us to get the sealer

-gun.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re right,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;But it will

-save him some time just the same.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Reaching the platform in front of the flight deck,

-the boys stepped up onto the magnetized area. All

-at once Garry was struck by the awesome silence

-of this part of the ship. Along with this was the remembrance

-of the tragedy that had taken place

-beyond the door in front of them, and he had a

-lonesome, shivery feeling.</p>

-<p>Patch seemed to feel it too.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s hurry up and get out of here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s

-kind of spooky here all by ourselves.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see the sealer gun anywhere, do you?&rdquo;

-Garry asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;No. Maybe somebody carried it away with

-them.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>There was a well of darkness beneath the platform.

-Both boys glanced at one another. They

-knew that was the next place to look.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It may be down there someplace,&rdquo; Garry said.

-&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll have to take a look.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_122">122</div>

-<p>&ldquo;How could it be down there?&rdquo; Patch argued,

-not enjoying the prospect. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no gravity here

-in the tube. Things don&rsquo;t <i>fall</i> in here like they do

-in the rest of the ship.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It may have been shoved off in that direction,&rdquo;

-Garry said. &ldquo;That could easily have happened in all

-the excitement up here. Time&rsquo;s wasting, Patch. If

-you&rsquo;re scared, I&rsquo;ll poke around down there.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that I&rsquo;m exactly scared,&rdquo; Patch protested

-weakly.</p>

-<p>Garry held onto the railing and swung his feet

-off the magnetized-platform floor so that he floated

-weightlessly in the air. Then he began pulling himself

-down into the darkness, using the metal lattice-work

-that extended below the platform.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;How can you see down there?&rdquo; Patch called

-from above. &ldquo;Want me to get a light for you?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll feel around a little first,&rdquo; Garry answered. &ldquo;I

-may put my hand right on it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>With one hand holding onto the metal stripping,

-Garry fanned his free arm back and forth along the

-floor. All he felt was cold smooth metal&mdash;at first.</p>

-<p>Then, suddenly, he felt something soft to his

-touch. A chill raced up his backbone, ending in a

-prickle at the top of his head. He swallowed, then

-courageously began feeling around again on the

-object, trying to identify it. His hand touched flesh,

-warm flesh, and he could trace the outline of five

-fingers. He felt that chill again, but he fought to

-keep his nerves under control.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_123">123</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Hey, What&rsquo;s going on?&rdquo; Patch called. &ldquo;Have you

-found something?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry pulled himself back up to the platform and

-hung onto the rail, shaking.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch said, &ldquo;you&rsquo;re white as you can

-be!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I found something all right, Patch. There&rsquo;s a

-<i>person</i> down there,&rdquo; Garry whispered.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_124">124</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c13"><br />13. ABANDON SHIP!</h2>

-<p>Leaving a bewildered and frightened Patch behind

-him, Garry left the platform and began pulling

-himself as rapidly as possible along the webbing

-of the tube toward the ship&rsquo;s stern. Reaching

-the observatory bubble, he went in.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Captain Eaton!&rdquo; Garry gasped. &ldquo;I think I&rsquo;ve

-found him! I think I&rsquo;ve found Mac!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The captain swung from an instrument he was

-using, and looked at Garry in amazement. &ldquo;You

-<i>what</i>?&rdquo; he cried.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_125">125</div>

-<p>Garry pulled himself into the observatory, the

-floor taking hold of the soles of his shoes by its magnetic

-attraction. &ldquo;Yes, Sir!&rdquo; he declared. &ldquo;Patch

-and I were looking for the sealing gun in front of

-the flight deck, and I found a body in the darkness

-below the platform!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton clicked across the floor and entered

-the tube. Garry tagged along behind, as the

-skipper of the <i>Carefree</i> set out toward the bow of

-the ship.</p>

-<p>A few minutes later, Captain Eaton was checking

-on Garry&rsquo;s discovery. Then he came back onto

-the platform, excitement showing on his face.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It <i>is</i> Mac!&rdquo; he burst out. &ldquo;His body is warm, and

-I think he may be alive! We must call some of the

-others so that we can get him up from there. In this

-zero gravity it will take several of us.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch were sent by the captain to

-round up the others.</p>

-<p>Then several began helping to get Mac onto the

-platform. Of course he weighed nothing, but, in

-the zero gravity, the difficulty in moving him lay

-in the fact that the others could not push him without

-bracing some part of their own body against

-something. Otherwise, they would only succeed in

-pushing themselves backward.</p>

-<p>Mac was finally moved onto the platform and

-stretched out. He lay, suspended in air, a few inches

-above the platform. Captain Eaton looked at the

-Scotsman&rsquo;s eyes and tested his pulse.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_126">126</div>

-<p>&ldquo;His pulse is a little slow,&rdquo; he stated, &ldquo;but his

-color is good, and I think he&rsquo;ll come around pretty

-soon. That bad gash on his forehead must have

-knocked him out.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They worked over Mac. Finally, he stirred and

-then opened his eyes. He stared as if unseeing for

-several moments, but then, as he began to recognize

-everybody, a weak smile formed on his lips.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What happened?&rdquo; he murmured.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know what happened, Mac,&rdquo; Captain

-Eaton replied. &ldquo;Can you tell us? Can you remember

-what did happen before you blacked out?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Mac frowned, as if concentrating very hard.

-Then his face relaxed.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I remember,&rdquo; he said softly. &ldquo;I was near the

-door when it hit us&mdash;whatever it was. If I&rsquo;d been in

-the pilot&rsquo;s chair I would have been a goner. But I

-had gotten up only a moment before to check the

-chart. The door was open. I heard a terrific roar

-and saw the whole console burst into a sheet of fire.

-At the same time I felt myself being blown backward

-and right through the door onto the platform.

-I was dazed, but somehow I had the presence of

-mind to know I had to get that door shut or the ship

-would lose all her air. I managed to press the button

-and saw it slide shut. But then my head began

-to hurt terrifically and I felt dizzy. I reached out for

-the railing to hold on, but I guess I missed it then

-and unconsciously floated off to wherever you

-found me.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_127">127</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry found you,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;We

-thought you had been blown into space by the collision.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Thanks, Garry,&rdquo; Mac said, winking at him with

-gratitude.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re just so

-glad to see that you&rsquo;re still alive.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Mac, don&rsquo;t ever scare me again like that!&rdquo; Isaac

-put in, his voice shaky with emotion. &ldquo;It was my

-fault the collision happened, because I overlooked

-the satellite that hit us. I knew your death was on

-me, and I was so torn up I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;d ever have

-gotten over it. Thanks, buddy, for turning up as

-you did!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Forget it, Isaac,&rdquo; Mac joked. &ldquo;Maybe you can

-return the favor sometime.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They told Mac about the existing crisis. He

-wanted to do something to help, but Captain Eaton

-insisted that he go to the dormitory to rest. Garry

-and Patch went with Captain Eaton to the observatory

-to recheck and see how much time the <i>Carefree</i>

-had left.</p>

-<p>After another period of figuring and using his instruments,

-the skipper turned to the boys. &ldquo;I wish

-I had better news, but it looks as if we have less

-time than I had thought at first.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_128">128</div>

-<p>The boys returned with Captain Eaton to the

-flier. Isaac had taken over helping Ben, since he

-knew more about this kind of thing than Mr.

-Klecker.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton stood at the door of the air lock.

-&ldquo;How are you coming in there?&rdquo; he asked.</p>

-<p>Ben gave him a report of their progress. The

-captain&rsquo;s face was lined and grave. &ldquo;You may have

-to do better than that if we&rsquo;re going to get out of

-this alive,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The moon is very close.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton and the boys spent the time that

-followed in the observatory dome, watching the

-steadily growing disk of the moon. It was like a

-mocking face in the sky, luring the travelers to destruction.</p>

-<p>No telescope was needed, for the big, rocky

-satellite of earth appeared to take up the whole

-heavens. Garry and Patch studied the knife-edged

-mountaintops, the dry, gray wildernesses that were

-once thought to be seas, and the mysterious bowl-like

-craters. Where would the <i>Carefree</i> plunge to

-her death on the fierce moonscape, Garry wondered.

-And would he and the others still be aboard

-her when she crashed? Garry shuddered at the

-thought. As Captain Eaton had said, Luna was now

-so frightfully close.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_129">129</div>

-<p>The captain made a final check of his instruments.

-Then he turned abruptly, heading for the

-door. The boys followed him out.</p>

-<p>In the flier, moments later, the captain said,

-&ldquo;Ben, we&rsquo;re in our last hour. How do things look in

-here?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry could see Ben&rsquo;s grimy, tired face turned

-toward Captain Eaton.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be close, Captain, awfully close,&rdquo; Ben answered,

-and immediately turned back to the network

-of wiring in the instrument panel.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Anything I can do, Ben?&rdquo; Captain Eaton asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Just hope and pray,&rdquo; was the reply. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;ll

-be all up to me now. It&rsquo;s a one-man job getting these

-wires hooked up.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We could take one last look around the ship

-during this last hour,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker proposed. &ldquo;I

-have some books I want to take along.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Sorry, Kleck,&rdquo; Ben said, &ldquo;but we won&rsquo;t have

-room for them. The flier will be crowded as it is.

-We won&rsquo;t be able to take belongings of any kind,

-not even for survival, except for the emergency

-supplies the flier itself carries. The weight is that

-critical.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want a last look,&rdquo; Gino spoke up.

-&ldquo;Otherwise I might not want to leave the good old

-<i>Carefree</i>, even if she is going to crash.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_130">130</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Me either,&rdquo; Isaac Newton added. &ldquo;I want to remember

-her the way she was when all of us were

-very happy and really carefree.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;One thing about Patch and me,&rdquo; Garry put in.

-&ldquo;We came aboard without anything but the clothes

-we&rsquo;re wearing, and we&rsquo;ll be leaving the same way.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s one thing I surely hate to leave behind,&rdquo;

-Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;Katrinka. She&rsquo;s only a robot,

-but I&rsquo;ve had her for so long that she&rsquo;s almost like a

-member of the family.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>From now on, every minute was beginning to

-count desperately. Garry wished he could hold

-back the hands of the clock. He wished he could

-give Ben an extra hour. But this could not be.</p>

-<p>A little later there came the announcement

-that Garry had known must be coming finally. Captain

-Eaton had been in the observatory for the last

-time, and now he had returned with a final announcement:

-&ldquo;It&rsquo;s now or never, Ben. Which is it?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Ben straightened up, and there was a pleased

-look on his weary face. &ldquo;Just finished, Captain. The

-instrument panel isn&rsquo;t as good as new, but I&rsquo;m

-pretty sure the flier can be navigated by it, at least

-long enough for a safe landing on Luna. Come here,

-Mac. Let me show you a few things about the console.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_131">131</div>

-<p>Garry wondered why Ben was taking time to instruct

-Mac in the navigation of the ship. Why

-couldn&rsquo;t he do the piloting himself? Garry could see

-that Mac was a little puzzled too, as he went

-over to the instrument panel.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton was looking at his wrist watch.

-&ldquo;Ben, there&rsquo;s no more time. We&rsquo;ve got to get off the

-<i>Carefree</i> within five minutes, not a second longer.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>After a few more hurried moments of instruction,

-Ben said, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re ready, Captain. Everybody into

-the rocket.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Those who were not already in filed into the

-rocket and belted down into the seats. That is,

-everybody but one&mdash;Ben.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Ben, where are you going?&rdquo; Captain Eaton

-asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;To check on the air lock, Sir,&rdquo; Ben answered,

-and walked through the flier&rsquo;s doorway into the air

-lock between the two ships.</p>

-<p>Mac had belted down in the pilot&rsquo;s seat, as Ben

-had asked him to do.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;How are you going to ride without a seat, Ben?&rdquo;

-Mac called.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Everybody ready?&rdquo; Ben called from the air lock.</p>

-<p>All answered that they were.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Start the motors, Mac,&rdquo; Ben said.</p>

-<p>Mac started the rocket motors, at the same time

-calling, &ldquo;Hurry up, Ben!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry heard a whirring sound, and the outer door

-of the flier slid shut, with Ben still in the air lock

-beyond!</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_132">132</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Hey, wait!&rdquo; Isaac shouted. &ldquo;Ben&rsquo;s in the air lock,

-and the door&rsquo;s closed!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>No one could do anything, for in the very next

-moment the flier kicked out violently sideways,

-bending everyone over in his seat. There was another

-jerk forward as the flier went into motion.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s happened?&rdquo; Captain Eaton called.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Ben&rsquo;s tricked us!&rdquo; Mac replied. &ldquo;He cut off the

-magnetic grapples from the air lock that held us

-fast to the <i>Carefree</i>. How stupid I was! He told me

-to take over while he checked on some last-minute

-things.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I see it all,&rdquo; Isaac added. &ldquo;If we check the

-weights we&rsquo;ll probably find out that we would be

-overloaded with one more passenger. Ben was that

-one more, and he chose not to come aboard rather

-than risk the safety of the rest of us!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; the captain said in a choked voice, &ldquo;it

-seems that Ben elected to go down with the <i>Carefree</i>.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_133">133</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c14"><br />14. FIRST HOURS ON LUNA</h2>

-<p>Ben lost to them!</p>

-<p>Garry could hardly believe it. Surely Ben could

-have found <i>some</i> way to save himself. Did he really

-have to make such a costly sacrifice?</p>

-<p>No one aboard the flier cared to speak for several

-minutes after Mac&rsquo;s tragic announcement. It

-had come as a devastating blow to all of them.</p>

-<p>Finally, Isaac broke the solemn quiet: &ldquo;It won&rsquo;t

-be the same with good old Ben gone. He was a

-smart, brave guy. I&rsquo;d like to have an ounce of all the

-scientific and mechanical knowledge he had.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_134">134</div>

-<p>They had been so concerned over Ben&rsquo;s fate that

-they had almost overlooked the fact that the rocky

-wilderness of the moon was staring them in the

-face; that in a few moments the flier would be either

-touching down on her surface or crashing along

-with the <i>Carefree</i> and Ben, her only human occupant.</p>

-<p>Mac was guiding the craft into a slowly descending

-spiral. This would give the flier&rsquo;s braking rockets

-time to reduce speed to safe level for the touchdown.</p>

-<p>The <i>Carefree</i> was not in sight, although Garry

-searched the starry sky through the plastic walls of

-the flier. He was glad he could not find her. He

-would not have liked to see her crash.</p>

-<p>Down below, Garry could see the huge dish of a

-giant crater. It was within this area that Mac was

-circling. As if anticipating Garry&rsquo;s question, Mac

-explained: &ldquo;Ben suggested that we try landing on

-the floor of this crater, which is called Hornfield.

-It was discovered by a lunar explorer in 1983. It is

-supposed to be covered by several inches of pumice

-dust, and that may help to break our fall if we

-make a bad touchdown.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>From high up, the walls of the crater did not appear

-very impressive, but as the flier spiraled lower,

-they looked like lofty battlements of ancient castles.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_135">135</div>

-<p>As they dipped lower still, Garry watched those

-grim crater walls close in around the small space

-craft. Spread out below was the ocean of gray dust

-that carpeted the crater floor. Part way up, above

-the horizon, was seen the distant globe of earth. It

-cast ghostly greenish shadows around the walls,

-pits, and rock formations. This was the two-week

-period of night on Luna, and the temperature down

-there, in a nearly airless atmosphere, Garry knew,

-was more than two hundred degrees below zero.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Everyone make sure his restraining belts are

-tight,&rdquo; Mac called. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re about to touchdown.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The ground rushed up to meet them, as Garry

-felt himself tipped forward in his seat. The belly of

-the little flier skimmed the ocean of dust, sending it

-up in a giant cloud along both sides of the craft. The

-flier continued to plow along through the pumice

-until friction finally brought it to a halt.</p>

-<p>It was strange being still again, Garry thought.

-Another strange feeling was the gravity pull of the

-moon, which he knew to be only one sixth as strong

-as that of earth.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Is everybody all right?&rdquo; Captain Eaton asked.</p>

-<p>No one said that he <i>wasn&rsquo;t</i> all right. Garry and

-Patch began unfastening their restraining belts, as

-did the others.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton was the first to his feet. He moved

-over to the window with a strange floating sort of

-step owing to his reduced moon weight. Then he

-looked out.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Where are we, Mac?&rdquo; he asked.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_136">136</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Inside the Hornfield crater,&rdquo; Mac answered.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Are there any settlements close by?&rdquo; the captain

-asked. &ldquo;Anybody who can come to our rescue?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;About twenty-five miles to the southwest, captain,&rdquo;

-Mac answered. &ldquo;Ben told me just where it

-was and advised me to land as close to it as possible.

-I thought this was as close as we dared approach,

-because the ground is treacherous between

-Hornfield and the settlement.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What sort of settlement is it, Mac?&rdquo; Isaac asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;An oxygen-mining outfit in the Taurus Mountains.

-They&rsquo;re mining for ore rich in oxygen to provide

-pressurized air for the underground terminal

-of Luna City, five hundred miles farther to the

-south. Ben said he thought they would have fliers

-that could get here in a short time as soon as they

-got our radio message.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;But we don&rsquo;t have any radio,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes we do, and we can thank the flier&rsquo;s lifesaving

-equipment for that,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.</p>

-<p>He went to a cabinet built into the wall and

-pulled out an oblong box. On the top of it were the

-words: &ldquo;SOS Automatic Transmitter.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You mean that was in the flier all this time and

-that we could have used it earlier ourselves?&rdquo; Garry

-asked in surprise.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes, you could have,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_137">137</div>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m familiar with this transmitter,&rdquo; the captain

-went on. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s get the radio kit down.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>When this was done, Captain Eaton donned one

-of the two space suits which the flier carried. When

-he was dressed, he entered the flier&rsquo;s air lock, carrying

-the radio kit. Those inside the ship watched

-Captain Eaton walk about fifty feet from the flier

-and open the box containing the transmitter.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Gee, why does he have to open it up out there?&rdquo;

-Patch wanted to know. &ldquo;Couldn&rsquo;t he transmit from

-inside the ship just as easy?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;No, not nearly as well,&rdquo; Mac explained. &ldquo;Just

-watch, and you&rsquo;ll see why!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton took some things out of the box,

-and then, after tinkering with them for a few minutes,

-he set the transmitter in the pumice dust and

-ran back toward the flier as if he had just lighted a

-bomb fuse. A few seconds later the boys were surprised

-to see something resembling a giant snake

-spring from the ground beside the transmitter and

-extend straight up in the dark sky!</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What in the world was that?&rdquo; Patch asked in

-amazement.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the antenna for the transmitter, isn&rsquo;t it,

-Mac?&rdquo; Garry asked.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_138">138</div>

-<p>Mac nodded. &ldquo;That long ropelike thing is hollow,

-and the antenna is in the middle of it. Captain

-Eaton released a switch that caused the casing to

-fill with compressed air, and that is what keeps it

-extended into the sky. That gives us a much better

-antenna than we could possibly have in here. Also,

-being as tall as it is, the radio waves leaving it can

-travel great distances and cross high places which

-they could not do if it were short. Understand?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The boys nodded.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;The transmitter is a very light and simple one,&rdquo;

-Mac went on. &ldquo;All it can do is send out an SOS signal

-from time to time; it can&rsquo;t transmit words. Yet

-whoever picks it up can easily trace it. I hope our

-signal will carry as far as the mining settlement and

-that there&rsquo;s no interference between to block our

-radio waves. Those mountains could block the

-waves.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;How long do you think we can hold out, just in

-case our rescue is slow in coming?&rdquo; Garry asked

-Mac.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;If we carefully ration food, water, and air, I&rsquo;d

-say we could last about five days, earth time,&rdquo; Mac

-replied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m pretty sure the captain will start rationing

-right away, just to make sure, but I can&rsquo;t

-see any reason why we won&rsquo;t see a rescue flier

-heading this way pretty soon, certainly by tomorrow.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton presently came back inside and

-began taking off his space suit.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_139">139</div>

-<p>&ldquo;If we get out of this alive, we&rsquo;ll owe it all to

-Ben,&rdquo; Isaac remarked.</p>

-<p>Garry noticed the sudden sadness on the faces of

-the others at the mention of Ben&rsquo;s name. Presently,

-everyone in turn began saying something good

-about their friend; that is, everyone except Captain

-Eaton, whom Garry knew had been closer to

-Ben than any of the others.</p>

-<p>The captain was still plainly too broken up to say

-anything about Ben at this time. He just quietly finished

-removing his pressure-suit gear, and Garry

-could see the tragedy in his eyes. Garry was glad

-when Captain Eaton changed the subject, because

-he himself had grown very fond of the brilliant

-young spaceman.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We should take inventory of our stock,&rdquo; the captain

-was saying, &ldquo;and then start a rationing schedule.

-We can&rsquo;t be sure how long we&rsquo;ll have to wait

-before help comes. I don&rsquo;t want to alarm everybody,

-but there&rsquo;s always the possibility of radioactivity

-or mineral deposits in the hills beyond the

-crater which would keep our SOS from going

-through. The moon is full of those things.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Mac&rsquo;s prediction as to how long the food and water

-would last turned out to be fairly close, although

-it turned out to be four days instead of five. No one

-expected the fourth day to roll around with their

-still being trapped in the flier, but Captain Eaton

-was playing safe, as Mac had said he probably

-would do.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_140">140</div>

-<p>Those who had invented the equipment making

-up the escape flier&rsquo;s emergency kit had seemingly

-thought of everything to ease the plight of those

-trapped on strange planets. They had not overlooked

-the boredom of those awaiting rescue. There

-was a special cabinet containing tiny games, and

-there were also miniature books.</p>

-<p>When the inventory was completed and everything

-was done that could be done, Captain Eaton

-distributed the games and books, and everyone settled

-down in the flight chairs.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t so bad,&rdquo; Isaac said, sighing and

-stretching out comfortably with one of the little

-books. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always wanted to read this book on

-great poetry, but up to now I just haven&rsquo;t had the

-time because it&rsquo;s so long. It looks like I&rsquo;ve finally

-gotten my chance to read it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;There aren&rsquo;t any books about the circus,&rdquo; Mr.

-Klecker said disappointedly. &ldquo;I guess I&rsquo;ll just have

-to settle for what&rsquo;s left.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The butler straightened his bow tie. He had

-changed back into his full dress after Isaac had

-taken over as Ben&rsquo;s helper.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_141">141</div>

-<p>Garry and Patch started a game of chess, and the

-rest of the <i>Carefree</i>&rsquo;s passengers took whatever

-game or book interested them. Except for the sadness

-of Ben&rsquo;s not being with them, Garry noticed

-that there was an air of contentment and optimism

-on the part of everyone.</p>

-<p>Later, he was to be glad that he did not have the

-talent of seeing into the future, for if those who

-were so relaxed now in their cozy hideaway on the

-dark moon had only known what was in store for

-them, they would not have been in the mood for

-enjoying <i>anything</i> at this moment.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_142">142</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c15"><br />15. A DARK OUTLOOK</h2>

-<p>The idea of stretching out comfortably with a good

-book and plenty of spare time did not seem so satisfying

-after several hours. After this period, everyone

-began to get restless, with a desire to get up

-and stretch his legs, as they could have done if

-they were back on the <i>Carefree</i>.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I know how you feel, fellows,&rdquo; Captain Eaton

-said sympathetically, as he noticed how tired everyone

-had become of just sitting around. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to

-take a romp myself outside in a space suit, but without

-knowing how soon we&rsquo;ll be rescued and having

-no surplus of supplies, I don&rsquo;t think we should

-use up our oxygen that fast. Everyone agree?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Everyone did.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_143">143</div>

-<p>Then to while away the hours that were beginning

-to drag slowly along, the captain suggested

-that they talk among themselves and exchange stories.

-This activity occupied the group for some time.

-Garry was glad that poor Ben was not mentioned

-again to further depress everyone.</p>

-<p>Finally, all became &ldquo;talked out,&rdquo; just as they had

-become &ldquo;read out&rdquo; before that. And by this time

-some were ready for a nap and began dozing in

-their seats.</p>

-<p>Garry watched the captain settle back in his seat,

-sighing tiredly.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I suppose I should be grateful for being alive,&rdquo;

-he said, &ldquo;but I feel almost as if I had died myself.

-Yes, this is a sad day for an old man who has lost at

-the same time the dearest things to his heart&mdash;one

-of his best friends and a funny-looking space ship

-that had come to be even homier than his earthly

-home.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry noticed how much the conversation kept

-returning to Ben. He guessed that the unselfish

-spaceman would be on their minds for a long time

-to come.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I wonder where they went down, Captain?&rdquo;

-Mac asked. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t even see the <i>Carefree</i>, once

-Ben cut us free.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_144">144</div>

-<p>&ldquo;None of us saw her,&rdquo; the captain replied, &ldquo;and

-I&rsquo;m glad. I hope they never find her remains on the

-moon, because I would feel compelled to go to the

-site of the crash and I would not want to do that.

-No, it&rsquo;s better this way.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Before long, someone mentioned food. There

-was some mild enthusiasm from the others, but not

-much. Everyone knew that all there was to eat were

-capsules that would provide nourishment but little

-enjoyment.</p>

-<p>Gino made a face when the capsule bottle was

-passed to him and he shook two of the pellets out

-into his hand.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;To think that I would ever have to make a meal

-of these things,&rdquo; he said sadly, &ldquo;I, who at one time

-or another, have served up the grandest dishes ever

-put together.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>All ate silently. Since the additional talk about

-Ben, it was as if cold water had been poured over

-their spirits.</p>

-<p>After the brief meal the captain suggested that

-the lights be turned down and everyone try to get a

-&ldquo;night&rdquo; of sleep.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I think all of us are brain fagged and bored after

-all that has happened,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Maybe there&rsquo;ll be

-someone knocking on our air-lock door before we

-wake up.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>No one objected to the idea, as it seemed to be

-the only thing left for them to do.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_145">145</div>

-<p>When everyone was settled down for the &ldquo;night,&rdquo;

-Captain Eaton cut off all lights within the flier. It

-was still not very dark in the flier because outdoors

-it was brighter than the brightest moonlight night

-on earth, owing to the brilliant glow of earthshine.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;If our rescuers do not show up some time tomorrow,&rdquo;

-Captain Eaton said, &ldquo;we had better start cutting

-back on our battery power. That will mean no

-lights inside, except use of the flashlight in the cabinet,

-and less warmth. I have a feeling that our batteries

-will play out before any of our other supplies

-do.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>When Garry woke the next &ldquo;morning,&rdquo; he heard

-some of the others stirring about. Patch was standing

-over him with two tablets and Garry&rsquo;s personal

-water bottle which squeezed the liquid into one&rsquo;s

-mouth.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s this?&rdquo; Garry mumbled. &ldquo;Time for my

-medicine?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Medicine nothing,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;This, son, is

-breakfast. Or would you prefer nice crisp bacon

-and fluffy scrambled eggs?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Aw, Patch, cut it out,&rdquo; Garry pleaded. &ldquo;You

-don&rsquo;t have to make this any tougher than it is!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry took the food pills, chewing them slowly

-to get what little flavor there was in them. Then he

-finished off with the water, which was little more

-than enough to wet his throat.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Gee, the captain has really rationed the water,

-hasn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo; Garry whispered.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_146">146</div>

-<p>&ldquo;He cut it back even further this morning,&rdquo; Patch

-replied. &ldquo;Know why? Because nobody came knocking

-on our air lock as he had hoped maybe they

-would. On top of that, I heard him say he was going

-to run another close inventory on all our life-supporting

-items to see how much is left.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Gosh, do you think he&rsquo;s afraid <i>no</i> one will be

-knocking any time soon?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Patch replied, &ldquo;but he has been

-frowning quite a bit this morning.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The captain presently made it clear to all why he

-had been doing so much frowning.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Frankly,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I thought those people at the

-mining settlement would have had plenty of time

-while we slept to pay us a visit. If our SOS reached

-them soon after we began sending, as it should

-have, they should have had a flier over here within

-a few hours&rsquo; time. Our chief essentials for staying

-alive are our food, water, air, and power supply

-which is necessary to keep us warm. It&rsquo;s several

-hundred degrees below zero outside, in case you

-haven&rsquo;t thought about it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They took another inventory, and the results were

-not very heartening.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_147">147</div>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re using up much too much of our battery

-power,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the weakest

-link in our chain of existence. I didn&rsquo;t realize that

-yesterday when we had the lights on for reading.

-From now on until someone comes, we&rsquo;ll have to do

-without light altogether except when necessary.

-That means we&rsquo;ll have to do our reading by earthshine

-and our one flashlight. We may have some

-strained eyes, but that&rsquo;s the best we can do. We&rsquo;ll

-also have to reduce our heat a little to save on power

-that way too.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Captain, do you think we should check the condition

-of the battery in the outside transmitter?&rdquo;

-Isaac asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s supposed to have a useful life of seventy-two

-hours, operating automatically for a few minutes

-every half hour,&rdquo; the captain said, &ldquo;but the battery

-may have lost a lot of its power in storage. I

-think it would be a good idea to check it. It has a

-test meter on it, Isaac.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll go out and check it, Captain,&rdquo; Isaac said.</p>

-<p>When he had pulled on one of the space suits,

-Isaac checked the air and pressure and went outside.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch watched him move in a light-footed

-gliding motion toward the spot where the

-antenna had been set up. He spent several minutes

-with the rig and then came back into the flier.</p>

-<p>As he lifted his helmet off, he said with a shake

-of his head, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s quit sending, Captain. You were

-right. The battery must have been in bad shape to

-start with.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_148">148</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Not sending,&rdquo; Captain Eaton muttered to himself,

-a dark worried frown on his face. &ldquo;That means

-that if our SOS was not picked up earlier, it never

-will be, and no one will know where we are.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry&rsquo;s heart chilled at hearing this. What the

-captain really meant, but did not say, was that they

-were doomed to a slow death as their heat and air

-were depleted and they froze in the moon&rsquo;s incredible

-cold. That would happen long before their food

-and water gave out.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton placed a fatherly arm around each

-of the boys and said, &ldquo;Fellows, I wish there were

-something I could do. Believe me, if I could give

-my life to save you two, as Ben did, I would gladly

-do it. Do you believe that?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes, Sir, I do believe it,&rdquo; Garry answered sincerely.

-&ldquo;But can&rsquo;t we really do something&mdash;anything

-at all? It&mdash;it&rsquo;s better than waiting, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re trembling, both of you,&rdquo; the captain said,

-&ldquo;and I can&rsquo;t blame you. If it&rsquo;s any comfort to you, I

-think you&rsquo;re the bravest two boys I ever knew. I

-would have been proud to have had a couple of

-sons like you.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The captain pressed their arms affectionately.

-Garry knew how he felt about his helplessness to do

-anything.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_149">149</div>

-<p>&ldquo;You ask if there&rsquo;s anything we could do,&rdquo; Captain

-Eaton said. &ldquo;Of course we&rsquo;re not giving up

-hope completely at this early stage, but things do

-look bad. We could ration ourselves severely and

-maybe prolong our existence a few days, but after

-that....&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry finished the gloomy sentence in his own

-mind.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_150">150</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c16"><br />16. A SAD PARTING</h2>

-<p>They <i>did</i> wait&mdash;all the long day to follow.</p>

-<p>And in all that time, no one came.</p>

-<p>They did the same things that they had done the

-day before&mdash;reading by the light of the earth,

-which they feared they would never see again;

-reading until their eyes blurred and the battery had

-gone dead in their only flashlight.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch did not read much. Instead,

-they spent most of their time looking out over the

-cold gray dust, and up into the black sky, looking

-hopefully for some moving object against the bleak

-wilderness and wanting to be the first to spot it

-should it appear. But it never appeared, and bed-time

-came, but no one was in the spirit for sleep.

-And yet, since there was little else to do, everyone

-prepared for bed.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_151">151</div>

-<p>Garry and Patch lay awake in their adjoining

-seats, talking in low voices to each other.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, we&rsquo;ve been through a lot of close calls

-since we left the orphanage,&rdquo; Patch was saying,

-&ldquo;but this looks like <i>it</i>, doesn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know, Patch. I just don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; his

-friend replied with a troubled sigh. &ldquo;It sure doesn&rsquo;t

-look good. I won&rsquo;t ever really give up hope, though.

-There&rsquo;s still a chance that a rescue ship will come&mdash;maybe

-during the night.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;But what if it doesn&rsquo;t?&rdquo; Patch asked. &ldquo;What if it

-doesn&rsquo;t come tonight or tomorrow&mdash;or the next

-night? How will we feel when we finally <i>know</i> that

-we won&rsquo;t be saved?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You shouldn&rsquo;t think like that, Patch. It&rsquo;ll make

-you miserable. You&rsquo;ve got to keep hoping, even

-when it doesn&rsquo;t make sense,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s funny about Ben,&rdquo; Patch went on. &ldquo;I mean

-about what he did. He meant to save us, but it&rsquo;s

-turned out that he&rsquo;s made it worse for us. It would

-have been better if we had crashed along with the

-<i>Carefree</i>, because then it would have been over

-quickly.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You know the saying, Patch: &lsquo;Where there&rsquo;s life

-there&rsquo;s hope.&rsquo; And I believe that.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_152">152</div>

-<p>Patch said no more, and before long Garry heard

-him snoring softly. This made Garry feel better,

-and presently he too fell asleep.</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch woke the next morning to the

-sound of subdued voices around them. For a brief

-moment Garry wondered if help had come during

-the night. He searched the faces he saw, and

-quickly his hopes were dashed. Instead of happy

-faces, they were haggard ones that showed the lack

-of sleep, and there were no new faces among them.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;No one came last night, did they?&rdquo; Patch asked

-Captain Eaton.</p>

-<p>The skipper shook his head and tugged at his

-beard that, by now, had become scraggly and untidy

-looking. The others moved in close, and Garry

-noticed all at once that he and Patch were the center

-of attention. He had a feeling then that something

-important was about to be said.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, Patch,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said slowly, &ldquo;you

-respect my judgment and my experience, don&rsquo;t

-you?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Sure,&rdquo; the boys answered together, puzzled

-looks on their faces.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Well then, you do believe I would do the best I

-knew for all of us, don&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch nodded again.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_153">153</div>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got something to say to the two of you,&rdquo;

-the captain continued, &ldquo;and it&rsquo;s very important to

-me that you abide by my decision. Will you promise

-to do so if I tell you it will be to your best interests?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The boys thought a moment, then nodded together,

-trusting the man they had come to admire

-and respect.</p>

-<p>Just then Garry noticed the pair of space suits

-lying on the floor nearby, and they looked as if work

-had been done on them. They seemed to have been

-made smaller by the adjustable straps with which

-all such space suits were equipped.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;As you can see, fellows,&rdquo; the captain said, &ldquo;the

-rest of us didn&rsquo;t sleep much, but we were grateful

-that the two of you could, because it gave us time

-to come to our decision.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch watched the captain&rsquo;s face intently,

-the suspense building up in them moment

-by moment. Garry had a hunch that he and Patch

-would not like what they were going to hear.</p>

-<p>The captain took a deep breath and said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll

-come right out with it. The rest of us are forced to

-face the sad fact that rescue isn&rsquo;t coming. But

-there&rsquo;s no reason for everyone to perish. Garry, we

-decided that you and Patch....&rdquo;</p>

-<p>As his voice trailed off, Garry saw the picture.

-&ldquo;You want us to take the space suits and&mdash;and go

-out there.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_154">154</div>

-<p>&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t an easy decision to reach, Garry,&rdquo; Mac

-spoke. &ldquo;We may be sending the two of you to a

-worse fate than would happen to you here. But in

-that way there lies a <i>chance</i> for you. Here the

-chances would be very little. We are all agreed on

-that.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;But why us?&rdquo; Garry protested. &ldquo;Why not two of

-the rest of you? We thought we had become one of

-you by now. We should all have drawn lots to see

-who would go. It&rsquo;s not democratic this way.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s because we&rsquo;re kids, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo; Patch asked.

-&ldquo;You&rsquo;re packing us off like children to bed! We

-won&rsquo;t leave you here!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Remember your promise, fellows,&rdquo; Captain

-Eaton said. &ldquo;This is the way we want it. Believe us,

-we really do&mdash;unanimously.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s even a chance you might make heroes

-of yourselves,&rdquo; Isaac added. &ldquo;You may find someone

-who can come and rescue us before it&rsquo;s too

-late.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We realize it won&rsquo;t be easy for you to leave us

-behind, and it won&rsquo;t be easy to set out across unknown

-country for an unknown destination. It&rsquo;ll

-take courage, gentlemen, plenty of courage, more

-courage than it will require for us to stay on here,&rdquo;

-Mr. Klecker said.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_155">155</div>

-<p>Garry could find no further argument. The others

-were too much against him and Patch. They simply

-would not have it any other way. In the end the

-boys gave in, but they felt guilty for accepting what

-was seemingly the only way to survival.</p>

-<p>Some time later the boys were ready to start out.

-The space suits still were a little large, but they

-would serve. Garry wore the luminous green suit,

-Patch the luminous orange one. The boots were so

-large that Garry and Patch had to wear them over

-their shoes. The helmets were big and bulky, but

-in the moon&rsquo;s light gravity they were not too heavy.</p>

-<p>When the boys were sealed in the suits completely,

-Captain Eaton ran a careful check on them&mdash;the

-air pressure and temperature, and the

-&ldquo;walkie-talkie&rdquo; radios that would enable the boys

-to talk to each other. Finally, the fellows were

-loaded down with all the supplies they could be expected

-to need. This included spare oxygen tanks,

-water bottles, and liquid food in tubes. These tubes

-could be squeezed through an opening in the helmet

-so that one in a space suit could take nourishment

-without opening his helmet.</p>

-<p>Garry argued against taking nearly all of the

-spare supplies and leaving their friends with very

-little.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You must take them,&rdquo; Captain Eaton insisted.

-&ldquo;If you do not have enough to get you to the settlement,

-there is no purpose in starting out at all. Now,

-no more arguments.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_156">156</div>

-<p>There finally came the moment of parting, which

-everyone dreaded. Garry&rsquo;s heart was heavy at the

-thought of leaving these people he had grown so

-fond of in such a short time. Very likely he and

-Patch would never see any of them again.</p>

-<p>Garry could see that the men&rsquo;s eyes were troubled

-and sorrowful. They didn&rsquo;t seem to know just

-how to say farewell. Isaac and Gino gave a little

-nervous wave of their hands. Mr. Klecker shook

-hands formally. Mac gave them a warm pat on the

-back.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton walked slowly over to the air lock

-with the boys&mdash;slowly, as if he did not want to let

-them go. Garry and Patch had removed their helmets

-and held them in their hands. The captain had

-his arms around their shoulders, embracing them

-like a father.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Well, don&rsquo;t let&rsquo;s be sissies about this,&rdquo; the captain

-said with forced lightheartedness. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s just

-pretend that you boys are going on a short trip and

-that you&rsquo;ll be back in a little while. No sad words,

-no tears, eh?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s how we want it, Captain Eaton,&rdquo; Garry

-answered, but his throat was so tight he could

-hardly speak.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Whatever you do, don&rsquo;t give up,&rdquo; their older

-friend advised. &ldquo;Take care of yourselves and don&rsquo;t

-lose your heads if you meet a crisis. And don&rsquo;t come

-back, whatever happens. It won&rsquo;t help.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_157">157</div>

-<p>The captain took a piece of paper from Mac and

-gave it to Garry. &ldquo;Mac and I have plotted your

-course as nearly as we can from what we remember

-of this territory. We both had a course in lunar

-study at one time. Follow these landmarks closely.

-You will be heading straight for the mining settlement,

-and if, by chance, a search flier should be

-coming from that direction, try to catch their attention

-by waving. They will probably be looking for

-you, and your bright-colored suits will make you

-stand out pretty strong against the gray ground.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry was studying the penciled map. &ldquo;What is

-this gray part that you&rsquo;ve shown here, Captain?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an area of rugged rock formations,&rdquo; the captain

-explained. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to go through it, as there

-is no way around. You must proceed with extreme

-caution, because we haven&rsquo;t any flashlights left to

-give you. And, owing to the fact that there is just a

-trace of air on Luna, the earthshine can&rsquo;t penetrate

-into the shadows. You will literally have to inch

-yourselves along until you&rsquo;re in the open again.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The captain explained more of the dangers in this

-area and showed Garry and Patch other points on

-the map and what they stood for.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_158">158</div>

-<p>Finally, the boys had their last look at the man

-who had been the best friend to them that they had

-ever known. Garry studied the captain&rsquo;s brave,

-forced smile, and he could see the elderly man&rsquo;s

-efforts to keep himself under control.</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton wiped his moist palm on his trousers

-and then pushed the button that swung open

-the inner door of the air lock.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s something I must tell both of you before

-you go,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I made application for adoption

-of you two as my sons just before we had the

-accident. I have a friend in a high position back on

-earth who, I felt, could put through the papers

-quickly if they were approved. I never told you this,

-though, because I did not want to raise your hopes

-falsely in case the adoption was not approved. But I

-couldn&rsquo;t let you go not knowing what I had tried to

-do.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We would have liked you for a father,&rdquo; Patch

-said.</p>

-<p>Garry was too choked up to say anything except,

-&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go, Patch, before we change our minds and

-never go at all.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes, that is better,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;Good-by,

-boys, and may God go with you.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_159">159</div>

-<p>The boys pulled on their helmets, and Captain

-Eaton helped fit them tightly. Then he made a little

-farewell wave with his hand and motioned the boys

-into the air lock. A moment later the door swished

-shut. The outer door opened, and the bleak face of

-Luna beckoned to them. They stepped out into

-the gray dust, and the &ldquo;snowshoe&rdquo; plates added to

-the bottom of their boots kept them from sinking

-too deeply into the moon dust.</p>

-<p>They were now on their own.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_160">160</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c17"><br />17. DARK PERIL</h2>

-<p>Because of the light moon gravity, the boys found

-that they could move easily in spite of the deep

-dust and of the equipment strapped to their backs.

-The equipment took up as much room as it would

-have on earth, but here it weighed only one sixth

-of its earth weight and so was not much of a burden.</p>

-<p>In a short while they were out of sight of the

-flier. They had mounted a low-lying hill and crossed

-down the other side. It would still be a long time

-before they got out of the giant crater in which the

-flier had landed, but by the time they did get out

-they would be well along toward their destination.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We seem to be making good time, Patch,&rdquo; Garry

-said over his helmet radio.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_161">161</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s so much easier walking

-on the moon than it is on the earth, once you

-get the hang of it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Just think, Patch. Captain Eaton really was going

-to try to adopt us,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;And all the time

-we thought he didn&rsquo;t care enough.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one in a million, Garry. He would have

-been the grandest father a guy could ever have.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What do you mean he <i>would</i> have?&rdquo; Garry protested.

-&ldquo;He <i>will</i> be our father. We&rsquo;re going to <i>save</i>

-him, Patch. We&rsquo;re going to save all of them.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I want to save them too,&rdquo; Patch said earnestly.

-&ldquo;I&rsquo;d sure hate for us to make it and them not to.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Maybe we shouldn&rsquo;t talk so much,&rdquo; Garry advised.

-&ldquo;It uses up more oxygen, and I don&rsquo;t think

-we have a surplus of it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They slogged silently through the gray dust in

-the bouncy, light-footed motion that they had become

-accustomed to by now. Every once in a while

-Garry would glance about him at the forbidding

-countryside of this dead world. Sight of the desolation

-chilled his soul. He wondered at first why this

-was so. Then he supposed that it must be because

-there was so much absolute <i>deadness</i> all about. For

-nothing could live in the numbing cold and the

-boiling-hot temperatures that came to this landscape

-periodically. No, he and Patch were the only

-living creatures from one horizon to the other, and

-this fact was enough to give anyone the shivers.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_162">162</div>

-<p>Finally Garry broke the long silence.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch, do you notice we&rsquo;re able to move along

-easier now?&rdquo; he asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s because the dust is thinning out, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo;

-Patch replied. &ldquo;But I see the rocky country up ahead

-that the captain was telling us about.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;and from the way he talked,

-it&rsquo;s going to be plenty rugged getting through

-there.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They increased their speed, now that the going

-was easier.</p>

-<p>Garry stole a look at the big green jewel of earth

-afloat in the black sea of space, for it alone seemed

-to lend an air of friendliness and security to the

-otherwise lonely, sinister surroundings. The walls

-of Hornfield Crater about them were jagged as

-sharks&rsquo; teeth as they reached up into the darkness.

-The stars seemed to Garry like sparkling snowflakes

-dusted across the entire vault of the sky. The nebulae

-were like misty clouds, and there was the long

-arch of a great comet crossing just above the horizon

-and standing out remarkably because of its being

-so different from everything else in the whole

-visible sweep of the heavens.</p>

-<p>After a few hours of steady hiking, Patch suggested

-that they take a short break to rest and eat.

-Garry was ready for the same.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_163">163</div>

-<p>Garry checked their map and compared the

-markings on it to their true surroundings. &ldquo;We seem

-to be still on course, Patch,&rdquo; he said.</p>

-<p>By now they had moved up on a higher plateau

-within the crater, and the dust had thinned so that

-solid rock could be felt underfoot. But not far beyond

-lay the wilderness of rock they had seen earlier

-at a distance. How huge and forbidding the

-region looked!</p>

-<p>Garry stopped walking and plopped down in his

-tracks, heaving a sigh. Patch sat down beside him.</p>

-<p>Garry took tubes of liquid food and a couple of

-water bottles from the pack he carried. He offered

-Patch his share and took some for himself.</p>

-<p>Each boy unscrewed a plate that covered the

-mouth of his helmet. Behind this was a rubber disk

-with a self-sealing opening in the middle of it. All

-the boys had to do was thrust the tubes of food and

-water through these openings and take them between

-their lips. By squeezing the tubes, they

-forced the contents into their mouths.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Got a napkin?&rdquo; Patch joked, when they were

-through. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to wipe my mouth.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Sorry,&rdquo; Garry answered, &ldquo;but they haven&rsquo;t figured

-out a way to do that yet.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch climbed to his feet, screwing his outer

-mouthplate back on. &ldquo;Well, that wasn&rsquo;t exactly like

-carving into a steak, but I guess it&rsquo;ll do until we can

-get something better,&rdquo; he said.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_164">164</div>

-<p>They started out again, and soon approached the

-forbidding rocky region they had dreaded. The

-ground was rough and uneven. Garry looked ahead,

-and it was like staring into the mouth of a vast cavern.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to be careful, Patch,&rdquo; Garry warned,

-as he slowed down and held back his friend.

-&ldquo;There may be bad crevasses across our path, and

-they could be the end of us if we should fall in.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry took the responsibility of going first. Patch

-was right behind, holding on to a strap on Garry&rsquo;s

-suit.</p>

-<p>It was like going into a dark underworld thriving

-with all kinds of unknown dangers. Although he

-was following very closely, Patch could barely

-see Garry&rsquo;s outline ahead of him. Garry would carefully

-slide one foot ahead of him to be sure he had

-solid ground underfoot.</p>

-<p>After what seemed a very long time, Patch complained:

-&ldquo;This is giving me the willies, Garry. How

-much farther do you think we&rsquo;ve got to go? Besides,

-this is slowing us down almost to a crawl.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I think I see a break up ahead,&rdquo; Garry encouraged.

-&ldquo;It seems we&rsquo;re making a wide turn, and the

-farther we go the more earthshine I think I can

-make out.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Gee, I&rsquo;d give anything I&rsquo;ve got for a light of

-some kind,&rdquo; Patch groaned.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_165">165</div>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s about the only thing they couldn&rsquo;t provide

-for us,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Remember we used up

-our flashlight when we cut down on our power supply

-in the flier.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I remember,&rdquo; Patch returned.</p>

-<p>Patch felt that Garry was slowly descending as

-he walked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hey, where are you going?&rdquo; Patch asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;There seems to be an incline going down,&rdquo;

-Garry replied. &ldquo;I sure hope it comes back up and

-doesn&rsquo;t drop off so that we can&rsquo;t cross to the other

-side.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Ugh,&rdquo; Patch shuddered. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t even <i>think</i> about

-that. Remember, Captain Eaton told us not to come

-back.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Just keep up with me and go slowly,&rdquo; Garry instructed.

-&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll find out what&rsquo;s ahead in a few minutes.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Down, down they went on a gentle slope.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;When are we going to start up?&rdquo; Patch asked

-worriedly.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Garry replied, a little anxious

-himself.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_166">166</div>

-<p>Suddenly Garry moved too fast for Patch to keep

-up and lost contact with him. Patch lost his head

-momentarily and cried out, dashing forward to regain

-touch with Garry. In his haste, Patch tripped

-and fell on the jagged rocks. On the earth this

-would have been a bad fall, but the weaker gravity

-here saved him from serious injury. But the weaker

-gravity also gave him a longer sprawl and carried

-him down the slope.</p>

-<p>As soon as Garry heard Patch&rsquo;s frantic cry, he

-grabbed wildly in the darkness, hoping by chance

-to reach his friend. But his hands met only empty

-air.</p>

-<p>Patch&rsquo;s shrieks were cut off abruptly, and stark

-silence filled Garry&rsquo;s ears.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; Garry called, dread making him tremble

-all over. &ldquo;Patch, where are you?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>He had a mad impulse to leap down the incline,

-grabbing desperately at anything within reach.

-But he knew this could be disastrous for both himself

-and Patch.</p>

-<p>Slowly, Garry inched farther downward, heartsick

-as he considered the things that might have

-happened to his friend&mdash;a fall knocking him out or

-worse, or a tumble down a deep, treacherous pit.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; he kept calling. &ldquo;Patch!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The frightening moments of anguish were relieved

-when Garry finally heard a faint voice.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch, where are you?&rdquo; Garry asked over and

-over, as he inched downward, ever downward.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Here, Garry,&rdquo; came the very weak voice.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_167">167</div>

-<p>Thinking Patch was still far off, Garry slid his

-feet with more urgent speed through the utter

-blackness. Then the toe of his boot kicked something

-soft.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, don&rsquo;t!&rdquo; came a low-pitched, terrified

-voice. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re kicking the hand I&rsquo;m holding on

-by!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Then Garry realized what had happened, and the

-thought of the costly mistake he had almost made

-sickened him for a moment. Patch&rsquo;s radio antenna

-had evidently been damaged in his fall, making his

-call for help seem farther off than he really was.</p>

-<p>Garry stooped down, his hands closing over the

-gloved hand he had nearly knocked from its precarious

-position.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry!&rdquo; Patch said, his voice still a little hysterical.

-&ldquo;I&rsquo;m hanging on a cliff of some kind, and my

-feet aren&rsquo;t touching anything! Please, Garry, get

-me up before I let go! I feel my hands slipping!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Hold on, Patch! Try to keep holding! I&rsquo;ve got

-to get a foothold or we both may go over!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry quickly kicked loose dust from underfoot

-and brushed it some more with his gloved hands.

-Then he leaned over and reached for Patch&rsquo;s clinging

-hands. He slid his own hands below Patch&rsquo;s

-wrists, closing his fingers about those wrists for

-dear life.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a good hold, Patch,&rdquo; Garry panted.

-&ldquo;Brace your feet and help me as I try to pull you

-up. Ready?&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_168">168</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Ready, Garry!&rdquo; came Patch&rsquo;s weak voice.</p>

-<p>Making sure his feet were well anchored, Garry

-pulled with all his might. For an instant Patch&rsquo;s

-body resisted him like a dead weight. Then, with

-an almost superhuman effort, Garry was able to

-hoist him up ... up ... up and over onto the

-ledge safely. Then both of them slumped exhaustedly

-on the rocky brink.</p>

-<p>The boys were quiet for several seconds as they

-caught their breath in the pitch darkness and considered

-how close it had come to being all over

-for Patch.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; his grateful friend managed to say

-finally, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll make it up to you. If we ever get out of

-this alive, I&rsquo;ll make it up to you.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Never mind that,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t lose

-anything when you fell? You&rsquo;ve still got the extra

-oxygen tanks?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>A dead silence followed, and that silence caused

-Garry to feel a clutch of dread.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You lost them, didn&rsquo;t you?&rdquo; he asked with a

-hopeless groan.</p>

-<p>Garry heard a faint sob over his helmet receiver.

-Then Patch fairly wept out the words he next

-spoke: &ldquo;Yes, yes, I did! Push me back in, Garry!

-Push me back in! We&rsquo;re lost for sure now!&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_169">169</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c18"><br />18. STRANGE DISCOVERY</h2>

-<p>It took a long time for the boys to pull themselves

-together after experiencing this final fateful blow.

-Down into the depths with those precious air cylinders

-had gone whatever chance the boys had for

-escaping alive from the cruel moon and for saving

-their friends. Patch broke down and Garry felt just

-as badly himself, but he managed to hold back the

-tears.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch burst out, &ldquo;we may as well go

-back and die with the others now! There&rsquo;s no use

-at all in going on any farther!&rdquo; His voice still

-sounded far off to Garry because of the damaged

-antenna.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_170">170</div>

-<p>&ldquo;If we went back, then <i>they</i> would no longer

-have any hope,&rdquo; Garry argued. &ldquo;We took everything

-else they had. We&rsquo;ve got to leave them hope&mdash;even

-until the end. Besides, we couldn&rsquo;t accomplish

-anything by going back. Maybe, Patch, there&rsquo;s

-just the barest chance that we have enough oxygen

-to reach the settlement. Or enough to get out into

-the open again and wait to see if a rescue flier comes

-over.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not moving, Garry!&rdquo; Patch snapped in utter

-despair. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going, do you hear?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You <i>are</i> going,&rdquo; Garry said determinedly.

-&ldquo;You&rsquo;re going if I have to carry you! It&rsquo;s no time to

-quit, Patch.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Then when <i>is</i> it time?&rdquo; Patch shot back. &ldquo;You

-and your hopes, Garry! Always hoping, even when

-there isn&rsquo;t a smidgin of a chance.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It may be only a smidgin,&rdquo; Garry said firmly,

-&ldquo;but sometimes that&rsquo;s enough. Now stop being a

-quitter and get to your feet.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>There was only silence over Garry&rsquo;s receiver for

-several tense seconds. Garry didn&rsquo;t know what he

-would do if Patch chose to defy him again. He knew

-he could not really make his friend do anything

-his heart refused to do.</p>

-<p>But Patch solved this latest problem himself.

-Garry heard rustling sounds as Patch climbed

-slowly to his feet.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_171">171</div>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry I talked rough, Patch,&rdquo; Garry apologized.

-&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;ve quarreled twice in all

-our lives, have we? But we&rsquo;re in this thing together,

-and we&rsquo;ve got to keep going, no matter how

-bad things look. We&rsquo;ve just <i>got</i> to, don&rsquo;t you see?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re talking about keeping going,&rdquo; Patch returned,

-&ldquo;but we can&rsquo;t even get across this crevasse.

-How do you propose to do that? Besides that, we

-can&rsquo;t even see as well as moles in this darkness.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s walk along the edge, first in one direction

-and then the other,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Maybe the crevasse

-narrows and disappears before too far!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They began exploring the treacherous cliff edge,

-moving slowly and carefully along in one direction.

-Every once in a while they tested the width

-of the chasm. Garry would get down on hands and

-knees and reach out, feeling with his hand to see if

-he could contact the other side. Time after time this

-was done, but each time his hands met empty air.</p>

-<p>After a tedious hour, Patch complained bitterly,

-&ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you see it&rsquo;s hopeless, Garry? Gee whiz, what

-does it take to convince you?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s try a few more times,&rdquo; Garry replied doggedly.

-&ldquo;Then if we still can&rsquo;t find a way across,

-we&rsquo;ll start going along the crevasse in the other direction.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Patch did not reply to this, and Garry knew how

-bitter his friend must feel toward him after so many

-setbacks.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_172">172</div>

-<p>The next time Garry got down on his hands and

-knees and reached out, his probing hand touched

-hard, firm rock on the other side!</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; he shouted. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve found a place where

-we can cross!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Even Patch was heartened by this and made an

-enthusiastic comment. In the hope of finding the

-crevasse even narrower and safer farther along,

-Garry followed the ledge, and, sure enough, it grew

-narrower and narrower until it was a crack in the

-ground only a few inches across.</p>

-<p>Making the crossing to the other side, the boys,

-in feeling their way along, found that the ground

-began to rise again. Garry still maintained the lead,

-with Patch holding onto him and following blindly

-only a step behind.</p>

-<p>Up, up the slope they went, and before long

-they could see rays of light flickering down into

-their eyes.</p>

-<p>Soon there was enough light so that they could

-see a little distance ahead. They quickened their

-steps, although it still required some care on their

-part to avoid the sharp-edged stones and rugged

-underfooting that still lay in front of them.</p>

-<p>But the light grew steadily brighter and the trail

-flatter.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Look, Patch, I can see the stars again!&rdquo; Garry

-was soon able to say.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_173">173</div>

-<p>Then, scarcely before they realized it, they were

-completely out of the shadows of the rocky formation

-that had very nearly finished them. Above and

-behind them once more shone the big bright ball

-of earth floating among the stars.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Good old earth!&rdquo; Patch exclaimed, with new

-hope. &ldquo;I never thought I&rsquo;d see it again!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great sight!&rdquo; Garry agreed.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch said, &ldquo;we can see right over the

-top of the crater wall in the distance. We seem to be

-higher than we were when we started.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve noticed that too,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll check

-the map again.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry did so, then told Patch that they were still

-on course.</p>

-<p>They moved on and presently stood at the raised

-edge of a gradually lowering basin that stretched

-out very far and flat ahead of them. They could see

-a break in the crater wall a few miles away, which

-the captain had pointed out to them on the map.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It looks like we&rsquo;ll have easy traveling for

-awhile,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;and we&rsquo;ll be right out in the

-open in case a flier comes over. They&rsquo;ll be sure to

-see us unless they&rsquo;re completely blind.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch said in a thoughtful voice, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m

-sorry.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Huh?&rdquo; Garry asked in surprise.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_174">174</div>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry for the way I acted. I lost my head

-completely. When I found out I&rsquo;d lost the air cylinders

-over the ledge, I just seemed to go to pieces.

-It&rsquo;s a good thing one of us knows how to keep his

-head.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Forget it, Patch,&rdquo; Garry soothed. &ldquo;It could have

-been me just as easy as you. Besides, that&rsquo;s not important

-now. We&rsquo;ve still got a long way to go, and

-time is running short.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Suddenly, Patch ran past Garry in great haste

-and stood staring over the plain below, shielding

-his eyes with his hands.</p>

-<p>Garry joined him. &ldquo;Patch, what is it? Do you see

-something?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s impossible!&rdquo; Patch gasped. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s completely

-impossible!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What?&rdquo; Garry begged, his own excitement growing.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Look! There&rsquo;s somebody walking around down

-there or else I&rsquo;m seeing things!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry looked where Patch pointed, and he too

-found it hard to believe his eyes. There <i>was</i> someone

-or something moving around.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I see it!&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Come on, let&rsquo;s go down

-and get a closer look!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I just hope it isn&rsquo;t in as bad shape as we are!&rdquo;

-Patch exclaimed.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_175">175</div>

-<p>They hurried as fast as they dared over the

-bumpy ground, heading straight for the person or

-thing that was moving about in seemingly aimless

-fashion on the plain below.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;He sees us!&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s coming toward

-us!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Swiftly the distance closed between the boys and

-the lone stranger. And then Garry and Patch received

-the surprise of their lives.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Katrinka!&rdquo; they shouted together, not believing

-what they saw.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It can&rsquo;t be!&rdquo; Patch cried in amazement. &ldquo;Garry,

-we must be seeing a mirage or something! How

-could Katrinka...?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s Katrinka all right!&rdquo; Garry said, as the robot

-drew close enough to be fully recognized. &ldquo;But I

-don&rsquo;t understand it. I don&rsquo;t understand it at all!

-Katrinka crashed with the <i>Carefree</i> and poor Ben!

-But even if she didn&rsquo;t crash, how is it she&rsquo;s wandering

-around out here on the moon?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;And what could make her start moving toward

-us?&rdquo; Patch asked, as the mystery deepened. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll

-never make me believe she&rsquo;s <i>really</i> human, although

-at times it seemed that she was.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The big robot stopped in front of the boys and

-remained still. Garry and Patch felt almost as if

-they should say &ldquo;Hello,&rdquo; because indeed it was like

-meeting an old friend.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_176">176</div>

-<p>After a few moments of remaining stock still, Katrinka

-turned and started shuffling off with great

-long strides.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;ll we do, Garry?&rdquo; Patch asked. &ldquo;Follow

-her? But that would be silly! She&rsquo;s still an unthinking

-machine.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know, Patch. This whole thing seems

-very strange, although it may be that she was

-merely thrown clear when the <i>Carefree</i> crashed

-and somehow her works were activated by the jolt.

-And yet I have the feeling that she almost knows

-what she&rsquo;s doing, as if she wants us to follow her.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Now you&rsquo;re talking spooky,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;You

-don&rsquo;t really believe that Katrinka can <i>think</i>!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what to believe,&rdquo; Garry replied.

-&ldquo;But I sure would like to follow her a little way to

-see just what she&rsquo;s going to do next.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;But our air, Garry! We don&rsquo;t have enough to

-waste on playing &lsquo;follow the leader&rsquo;!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Just a little way, Patch. Who knows&mdash;this might

-even lead to something important.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re way off base, Garry, but I&rsquo;ll admit

-I&rsquo;m curious too. Let&rsquo;s go.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Katrinka had already gained some distance on

-them while they were debating what to do, and she

-did not wait for them. They started running to catch

-up and presently did so. But the robot traveled at

-such a fast pace that they still had to move in long,

-antelopelike jumps to keep up.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_177">177</div>

-<p>Katrinka was definitely headed in one particular

-direction because she varied hardly any in her line

-of motion. She seemed to be going toward an area

-where the rocks rose high and ominous looking. It

-was much like the spot where the boys had had

-their recent harrowing experience.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, please,&rdquo; Patch begged, panting for

-breath, &ldquo;let&rsquo;s call this crazy chase off! That athletic

-gal is running me ragged! Besides, she seems to

-be taking us straight into those rocky walls!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Well, there&rsquo;s one thing certain,&rdquo; Garry replied.

-&ldquo;She&rsquo;s <i>got</i> to change direction pretty quick, or she&rsquo;ll

-crash into something. Let&rsquo;s stick it out a few more

-minutes.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They drew closer to the shadowy outcropping.

-But the robot did not even slow her pace. The boys

-knew she was heading for a collision, but there was

-nothing they could do but watch.</p>

-<p>Somehow she got past the first row of stones,

-tripping and nearly falling, then recovering automatically.

-But her luck was short lived. The path

-went downhill beyond this spot, and her big metal

-foot slammed against a boulder. The robot arched

-through the air and crashed headfirst into a rocky

-wall. It crumpled her metal cranium, spewing out

-wires and electronic parts.</p>

-<p>The boys came running up and stood looking at

-the fallen giant.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_178">178</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Poor old Katrinka,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;She was almost

-like one of us. It&rsquo;s nearly as if another one of us had

-died.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yeah, I liked the old gal,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;She

-may have survived a crash on the moon, but it&rsquo;s a

-cinch she&rsquo;s reached the end of her rope now.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry cast a look around to see what sort of area

-they had come into. His eyes followed the downhill

-trail ahead that Katrinka would still be following

-had she not had her accident.</p>

-<p>What he saw brought a gasp of astonishment

-from him, and a nervous tremor coursed through

-his body.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Patch, look!&rdquo; he shouted. &ldquo;The <i>Carefree</i>!

-There&rsquo;s the <i>Carefree</i> down there, half buried in

-moon dust!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They rushed down the trail to get a closer look.

-The giant space ship was indeed buried half of her

-depth in pumice dust. The rear air lock was level

-with the ground, and extending from the air lock

-was a gangplank!</p>

-<p>The boys moved up to the edge of the gangplank,

-looking it over in bafflement.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t tell me Katrinka put that down and

-walked out of the ship on it!&rdquo; Patch challenged.

-&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t get me to believe that, Garry.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_179">179</div>

-<p>&ldquo;No, you&rsquo;re right; she couldn&rsquo;t possibly have done

-that on her own. She might have done it, Patch,

-but she would have had to be guided by an intelligent

-<i>human</i> brain.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Garry, what are you saying? Are you trying to

-say that Ben might have survived that crash and

-rigged up Katrinka so that she could go out looking

-for us? Why, that&rsquo;s fantastic!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll soon find out if it&rsquo;s so fantastic,&rdquo; Garry

-said. &ldquo;The ship is nearly undamaged, as you can

-see.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;What are you going to do?&rdquo; Patch asked, as

-Garry moved ahead.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to walk that gangplank up to the air

-lock and see if Ben is inside.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>They could see that the gangplank had been put

-down because of the depth of the Lunar dust. It was

-obviously quite deep in this area, since the <i>Carefree</i>

-itself was half buried in it. Deep, enormous dust

-pits were very common on the moon and were

-among the most dangerous obstacles to travel, because

-they never gave any indication of how deep

-they were until someone fell in and was suffocated.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_180">180</div>

-<p>Carefully, Garry, with Patch right behind him,

-stepped out on the narrow gangplank and moved

-slowly forward toward the air lock at the other

-end. It was a little unsteady underfoot, but it was

-rigid and did not sink beneath the boys&rsquo; light lunar

-weight. Besides, Garry felt pretty sure now that

-Katrinka had crossed it, and she was far heavier

-than both of them together.</p>

-<p>Garry reached the air lock, his heart thumping

-rapidly with hope and expectation. He raised his

-gloved hand and began pounding on the outer door.</p>

-<p>They waited. Five seconds, then ten, fifteen....</p>

-<p>Garry&rsquo;s hopes began to dim. It didn&rsquo;t look as if

-there were anyone alive inside after all.</p>

-<p>But then the air-lock door began to swing open.

-The boys scrambled inside, too tense and excited

-to speak to one another. They heard air swishing

-into the air lock. Then, after another half minute,

-the inner door swung open.</p>

-<p>Standing there inside facing them was&mdash;Ben.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_181">181</div>

-<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c19"><br />19. A NEW LIFE</h2>

-<p>&ldquo;Ben!&rdquo; Garry exclaimed jubilantly, rushing into the

-main part of the ship. &ldquo;Is it really you?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a ghost,&rdquo; Ben said with a grin, &ldquo;if that&rsquo;s

-what you mean.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;How did you ever do it?&rdquo; Patch asked, amazement

-written all over his chubby features. &ldquo;I mean

-crash-land the <i>Carefree</i>.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;First tell me how the others are,&rdquo; Ben asked

-anxiously.</p>

-<p>Garry told him that they were all right, at least

-for the time being.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_182">182</div>

-<p>Ben was limping as he moved about. Patch asked

-about this, and Ben said it would come out in his

-story. The boys had entered into the central tunnel

-of the <i>Carefree</i>, with its webbing network, and

-Garry noticed that Ben had laid down metallic

-sheets over the webbing so that it could be more

-easily stood upon.</p>

-<p>Ben sat down on this and began his story.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I had made plans to remain aboard the <i>Carefree</i>

-before we even started working on the flier. When

-I found that the space taxi would hold only seven

-passengers safely, I knew someone had to stay behind.

-I was afraid the captain would realize that the

-flier would be overcrowded, but I guess he was

-too busy thinking about other things. The likely one

-to bow out was myself, because I felt that quite

-possibly I might be able to bring the <i>Carefree</i> down

-in one piece. I knew this region of Hornfield was

-full of huge dust pits that could cushion the fall of a

-ship if she belly-landed in one of them just right.

-But don&rsquo;t think I wasn&rsquo;t scared even thinking of

-trying such a thing! Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, fellows&mdash;I

-wasn&rsquo;t out to make a hero of myself!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;You must have had some control over the ship,&rdquo;

-Garry said, &ldquo;otherwise she would have crashed

-headlong onto the moon.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I had some control,&rdquo; Ben explained. &ldquo;As soon as

-I released the flier from the <i>Carefree</i>, I started my

-attempt to save the ship and myself as well. I

-donned a pressure suit and went into the flight deck.

-Remember, I had gone in there before, soon after

-the collision. I had noticed then that most of the instrument

-panel had been destroyed.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_183">183</div>

-<p>&ldquo;I remember too, Ben, that you helped build the

-<i>Carefree</i>,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;so you must&rsquo;ve known a lot

-about her.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I tore out the cover of the console and began

-working in the section beneath. With tools, I was

-able to get the braking jets to functioning. This

-slowed the ship down to a slow orbit around the

-moon and gave me time to work on the steering controls.

-I couldn&rsquo;t do much with them, but I was able

-to move the ship a little to the port or starboard

-side, as I wished. I knew this was as far as I

-could go, but with some luck I felt there was a

-chance of bringing her down safely.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Why didn&rsquo;t you try this before we all left the

-ship?&rdquo; Patch wanted to know.</p>

-<p>Ben shook his head. &ldquo;Risk everybody&rsquo;s life on

-some crazy plan of my own? No, it was too farfetched

-in the first place, and I guess I would not

-even have tried it myself unless I&rsquo;d had to. The flier

-was much the safer route to safety, and that&rsquo;s why

-getting it to go was my first concern. With you guys

-out of the way, I had no one&rsquo;s life to risk but my

-own.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;How did you manage to land as close to the

-flier as you did?&rdquo; Garry asked.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_184">184</div>

-<p>&ldquo;My first thought was to land near one of the settlements,

-because if I did make it, then I would immediately

-send out a search party for the rest of

-you. But I knew I <i>had</i> to land in one of the vast

-dust pits on Luna, because the ship would be destroyed

-by friction if it skidded along the bare

-ground. I made one orbit of the moon as the ship

-slowed down more and more and lost altitude. I

-knew roughly in what area the flier would likely

-come down, and I remembered Hornfield Crater as

-one being full of dust pits. As the ship glided lower

-and lower, I figured this would be where I would

-try to bring her down. The pit we&rsquo;re in now is a

-very large, long trough, maybe a quarter of a mile

-long and a hundred feet wide. I therefore had a

-pretty good chance of landing in it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Gee, you had a lot of nerve to try something like

-that!&rdquo; Patch exclaimed.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;I took one last look out where I hoped to come

-down,&rdquo; Ben said, &ldquo;and then went under the console

-into the working parts again. I cut out a few of the

-upper braking jets, and this caused the ship to nose

-down. I felt it plough into the dust as if into a big

-flour barrel. The ship heated up from the friction

-created, but it slowed her down rapidly, and she

-came to rest on this spot, half buried in pumice.

-Even so, I nearly missed the dust pit, landing only

-about thirty feet from the edge of it.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_185">185</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Now what about Katrinka?&rdquo; Garry asked. &ldquo;You

-did send her out, didn&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Right. I sprained my ankle when the ship landed

-and I was thrown against some machinery. I could

-hardly walk, but I wanted to make contact with the

-rest of you if it were possible. I then figured that the

-old gal might be able to help me. I worked her over

-so that I could operate her by remote control. I also

-made for her a command disk, so that when she

-moved near one of you or the flier she would give a

-radio signal to me. I laid down the gangplank myself

-over the pit, because I knew Katrinka would

-sink down in the dust. It nearly killed me getting

-about and using a hoist to lower the gangplank to

-the opposite bank, but I finally managed it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Then you sent her out?&rdquo; Patch asked.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Yes. I used a small telescope to keep track of her.

-I couldn&rsquo;t be sure where the rest of you had come

-down, but my plan was to start her moving about

-in a gradually enlarging circle. I was hoping that

-some of you would see her and come over to investigate.

-Once you had done that, I felt sure you

-would have the curiosity to follow her wherever she

-led you. And this you two fortunately did.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;We nearly didn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;We thought Katrinka

-had been thrown clear of the <i>Carefree</i> after

-it had crashed and somehow had gotten accidentally

-activated as she had done once on the ship.&rdquo;</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_186">186</div>

-<p>They heard a rap on the outer air-lock door. Patch

-and Garry exchanged bewildered glances, but Ben

-did not seem very surprised.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That must be the men from the settlement,&rdquo;

-he said, limping over to the air lock and shoving the

-lever that opened the outer door. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t had

-time to tell you yet that I got through a message to

-them. You see, before I even thought of the trick

-with Katrinka, I was working on that damaged antenna

-dish that had prevented our sending an SOS

-after our collision in space. At first I didn&rsquo;t have any

-replies, and I figured there must be interference

-from the Taurus Mountains beyond.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That must be why <i>our</i> SOS didn&rsquo;t go through!&rdquo;

-Patch said.</p>

-<p>Ben went on: &ldquo;I increased my transmitting power

-and finally got through. It&rsquo;s been less than an hour

-ago that they said they would send over a Service

-flier rocket immediately.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The two men who entered the air lock a few moments

-later were Commander Staples and his

-lieutenant, both members of the Space Service.

-They had been making a routine flight over the

-moon when they had been contacted by the mining

-scientists who had picked up Ben&rsquo;s SOS.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_187">187</div>

-<p>The two men had arrived in a big space flier that

-could easily take care of Captain Eaton and the

-others. Ben and the boys were anxious to get started

-so that the long-drawn-out ordeal their friends had

-been undergoing could be ended as quickly as possible.

-Commander Staples said they could leave immediately.</p>

-<p>The boys pulled on their helmets, and the officers

-helped Ben get into a pressure suit. This was painful

-for Ben because of his swollen ankle. Then, with

-everyone dressed to go out onto the moon&rsquo;s surface,

-Ben pushed the lever that opened the inner air-lock

-door. Once outside, they started in single file across

-the gangplank. Ben was in the middle and limped

-along slowly with his hands on the shoulders of the

-officer in front of him to steady himself.</p>

-<p>On the way to the flier, they passed the smashed

-metal body of Katrinka. The officers looked at the

-strange robot with great interest, and Ben explained

-her to them.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;She won&rsquo;t remain out here to die,&rdquo; Ben said over

-his suit radio, as if he were talking about a human

-being. &ldquo;When we return to the <i>Carefree</i> one of

-these days, we&rsquo;ll rebuild her, and she&rsquo;ll be as good

-as new.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The boys were glad to hear this because now

-they realized that every one of their little group

-on the <i>Carefree</i> would survive the frightening adventure

-and that once again they would all be together,

-including their robot friend.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_188">188</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Ben,&rdquo; Patch asked, &ldquo;will the <i>Carefree</i> ever fly

-again?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s up to Captain Eaton,&rdquo; Ben replied. &ldquo;It

-will take a lot of money to put her in shape again,

-and that includes a powerful set of rockets to lift

-her into space. But knowing how much the captain

-likes her, I believe he&rsquo;ll spare no expense making

-her space borne again.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Commander Staples said to Ben: &ldquo;I heard you

-mention Captain Eaton. Our radio picked up a

-spacegram that was addressed to a Captain Eaton.

-We tape those messages routinely, and I&rsquo;ll be able

-to give it to him when we see him.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The Service flier was a sleek, streamlined rocket

-with fins that were built to support the craft in the

-earth&rsquo;s atmosphere, if need be. She also had powerful

-jets for lifting her up off the surface of any of the

-minor planets.</p>

-<p>Commander Staples asked the boys to point out

-to him on a chart the approximate location of their

-flier, and Garry estimated the position as accurately

-as he could.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_189">189</div>

-<p>Then, with everyone belted down, the flier&rsquo;s

-rocket roared into action, and the craft lifted into

-the dark sky. It was a very short trip, and the ship

-did not have to fly too high. Commander Staples&rsquo;

-assistant spied the flier and pointed it out to his

-superior. The ship circled the area in a gradually

-lowering spiral and came to rest about a hundred

-feet from the small grounded space taxi.</p>

-<p>A few moments later, Ben and the boys were

-hurrying across the rough ground toward the flier.

-Garry&rsquo;s heart was pounding so hard with joy and

-excitement that he could hear its thumping over

-his helmet receiver.</p>

-<p>Those inside had evidently seen their rescuers

-arrive, because the outer door of the air lock was

-open to receive them.</p>

-<p>Garry would never forget the old captain&rsquo;s happy

-face when he saw the three of them enter. Nor

-would he forget the tears glistening in the corners

-of Captain Eaton&rsquo;s eyes as he clasped the boys to

-his chest in a great bear hug that nearly squeezed

-the life out of them.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Thank God for this great moment!&rdquo; the old

-man said in a husky voice. &ldquo;And Ben&mdash;even you,

-whom we had long ago given up for dead! What

-have I ever done to deserve a happy moment like

-this?&rdquo;</p>

-<p>He released the boys and clasped Ben to him as

-if he were another lost son. Then the others came

-forward, their faces gleaming with the overwhelming

-joy they felt at seeing the lost ones returning.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_190">190</div>

-<p>&ldquo;Ben, you old trickster you!&rdquo; Mac shouted,

-pounding his friend on the back. &ldquo;How in the world

-you came out of that thing alive I&rsquo;ll never know. But

-right now I don&rsquo;t care <i>how</i> you did it!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Welcome home, stranger!&rdquo; Isaac said, shaking

-Ben&rsquo;s hand vigorously as only Isaac could do.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s most gratifying to see you, Ben,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker

-said in his butler&rsquo;s tone of voice, which, however,

-did not mean that he was any less deeply moved

-than the others.</p>

-<p>Gino then came forward and took his turn at

-greeting Ben and the boys. The celebration went

-on for several more minutes, and the little flier was

-pleasantly noisy with joking and happy talk.</p>

-<p>But, finally, Commander Staples had to interrupt

-the celebration with a smiling, apologetic

-voice: &ldquo;I hate to break up this little party, but we&rsquo;ve

-got to start back to the mining settlement. You see,

-I&rsquo;m on duty and I&rsquo;ve got a busy schedule. They

-have accommodations for all of you at the settlement,

-and you can make your future plans as soon

-as you&rsquo;ve arrived there.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The prisoners of so long a time in the cramped

-quarters of the flier were only too willing to get out

-of their prison. The commander and his assistant

-went back to the Service flier to get space suits for

-those who did not have them.</p>

-<div class="pb" id="Page_191">191</div>

-<p>After the suits had been distributed, Commander

-Staples gave a piece of paper to Captain Eaton.

-&ldquo;Here&rsquo;s a message for you, Sir, that our radio

-picked up.&rdquo; He winked at the boys. &ldquo;Something

-tells me they&rsquo;ll be as interested in it as you will be.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>The captain read the message and then turned

-to Garry and Patch with a warm expression. &ldquo;Boys,

-it looks as though the adoption will go through as

-soon as we go back for a short time and make the

-arrangements.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;Gee, I&mdash;I don&rsquo;t know what to say,&rdquo; Garry murmured,

-almost too excited and happy for words. &ldquo;It

-sounds too good to be true!&rdquo;</p>

-<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re the best words you could have said to

-us, Sir,&rdquo; Patch added. &ldquo;Isn&rsquo;t it just great, Garry!&rdquo;

-His sparkling eyes showed how much he meant it.</p>

-<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be a little strange being called, &lsquo;Father,&rsquo;&rdquo;

-the captain said, smiling, &ldquo;but I think I&rsquo;ll get used

-to it pretty quickly.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Captain Eaton stared off with a faraway look.

-&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll make up for lost time, boys. We&rsquo;ll see as

-much of the universe as the old <i>Carefree</i> will carry

-us to. Yes, we&rsquo;ll fix her up again if it takes the rest

-of my fortune. You&rsquo;ll get your education among the

-stars, my sons, and you&rsquo;ll be that much wiser because

-of it.&rdquo;</p>

-<p>Garry and Patch exchanged happy glances.

-Garry thought they were wiser already, just from

-knowing the grand skipper of the <i>Carefree</i>.</p>

-<h2 id="tn">Transcriber&rsquo;s Notes</h2><ul>

-<li>Copyright notice provided as in the original&mdash;this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.</li>

-<li>Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.</li>

-<li>In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)</li>

-</ul>

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-<pre>

-

-

-

-

-

-End of Project Gutenberg's Young Stowaways in Space, by Richard Mace Elam

-

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+<body>
+<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 54547 ***</div>
+
+<div id="cover" class="img">
+<img id="coverpage" src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Young Stowaways in Space" width="500" height="725" />
+</div>
+<div class="img" id="i01">
+<img src="images/i01.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="464" height="799" />
+</div>
+<div class="box">
+<h1>YOUNG
+<br />STOWAWAYS
+<br />IN SPACE</h1>
+<p class="center">By RICHARD M. ELAM
+<br /><span class="small">Author of Young Readers Science Fiction Stories, etc.</span></p>
+<div class="img" id="i02">
+<img src="images/i02.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="400" height="276" />
+</div>
+<p class="center"><span class="smaller">ILLUSTRATED BY GERALD MC CANN</span></p>
+<p class="tbcenter"><i>LANTERN PRESS, INC., PUBLISHERS</i>
+<br /><span class="small">257 PARK AVENUE SOUTH
+<br />NEW YORK 10, N. Y.</span></p>
+</div>
+<p class="center small">Copyright &copy; 1960 by Lantern Press, Inc.</p>
+<p class="center smaller">LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 60-13785</p>
+<p class="center smaller">PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN CANADA BY
+<br />GEORGE J. MC LEOD, LTD., TORONTO</p>
+<p class="center smaller">MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA</p>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+<dl class="toc">
+<dt><a href="#c1">1. Space Ship <i>Orion</i></a> 9</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c2">2. Blast-off</a> 16</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c3">3. Stowaways in Space</a> 25</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c4">4. Adrift in the Deeps</a> 36</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c5">5. A &ldquo;Flying Tin Can&rdquo;</a> 47</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c6">6. A <i>Carefree</i> World</a> 56</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c7">7. A Shock in the Night</a> 65</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c8">8. Garry Has a Scare</a> 75</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c9">9. Satellite Zone</a> 85</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c10">10. The Lady Goes Wild</a> 94</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c11">11. A Friend Is Lost</a> 107</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c12">12. A Startling Discovery</a> 116</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c13">13. Abandon Ship!</a> 124</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c14">14. First Hours on Luna</a> 133</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c15">15. A Dark Outlook</a> 142</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c16">16. A Sad Parting</a> 150</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c17">17. Dark Peril</a> 160</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c18">18. Strange Discovery</a> 169</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c19">19. A New Life</a> 181</dt>
+</dl>
+<h1 title="">YOUNG
+<br />STOWAWAYS
+<br />IN SPACE</h1>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_9">9</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c1"><br />1. SPACE SHIP <i>ORION</i></h2>
+<p>The orphanage dormitory was locked in the stillness
+of slumber. Light from the full moon filtered
+through the large window which ran the entire
+length of the boys sleeping quarters.</p>
+<p>Twenty cots filled the dormitory, and all but one
+held its sleeper. Dark-haired Garry Coleman was
+standing beside his cot, quietly dressing. Every now
+and then he would cast an anxious glance toward
+the darkened door at the end of the dormitory.
+Above all, he must not disturb the charge-of-quarters,
+or all would be lost.</p>
+<p>As he sat on the edge of the cot to put on his
+shoes, Garry heard a squeak from one of the cots.
+He stiffened, his heart thumping fearfully.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_10">10</div>
+<p>Then Garry breathed easily. He saw that it was
+only Patch, who occupied the bunk next to his.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, Garry, where are you going?&rdquo; Patch asked
+interestedly.</p>
+<p>Patch was short and towheaded. He was Garry&rsquo;s
+best friend, and so Garry did not mind telling him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to the spaceport and watch the <i>Orion</i>
+blast off for the Von Braun Space Station. Want to
+go?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sure thing!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;ll have to take the same chance that I do,&rdquo;
+Garry reminded him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s okay by me.&rdquo; Patch grinned. &ldquo;If we do
+get caught, we&rsquo;ll just be restricted to the grounds
+for two weeks. That won&rsquo;t keep us out of the
+science lab where we spend a lot of time anyhow.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>It was a warm April night. The sky was thick
+with stars as bright as diamond dust.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d give anything to be out there in the deeps
+among the planets,&rdquo; Garry said, as they hurried
+across the newly sprouting lawn of the orphanage
+a few minutes later. &ldquo;The life of a spaceman must
+be the most exciting thing in the world.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Patch agreed. &ldquo;But I guess we&rsquo;ll never
+make it, Garry, at least not for many years. And
+they say you sure have to know science and navigation.
+That takes a lot of study.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_11">11</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t care what it takes,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d
+be willing to study for as long as it would take, because
+the reward would be worth the effort.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Their rapid steps took them onto one of the
+main streets of the city where moving sidewalks,
+called &ldquo;Ped-A-Rides,&rdquo; were operating. The sidewalk
+was a continuous belt, about six feet wide, and
+there were benches located at intervals upon it
+where the pedestrians could sit. A railing was on
+both sides of the Ped-A-Ride, but at intervals of
+about half a block there were gates where pedestrians
+could enter.</p>
+<p>Patch and Garry went to the nearest gate, and
+Garry pulled the lever which slowed the sidewalk
+down so that they could board it. When Garry had
+deposited their fare in the meter, a bar slid away so
+that they could enter. It was about 2230 o&rsquo;clock, an
+hour and a half before midnight, and not many
+people were on the Ped-A-Ride.</p>
+<p>The boys took seats, and the sidewalk carried
+them along into the night.</p>
+<p>As the Ped-A-Ride topped the crest of a hill,
+Garry pointed into the distance.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There she is, Patch&mdash;the <i>Orion</i>, smoking and
+straining like a race horse, just as if she can&rsquo;t wait
+to get going!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;She sure is a beauty,&rdquo; Patch agreed. &ldquo;The earth-bound
+ships are a whole lot trimmer and better
+looking than the ships that never touch down.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_12">12</div>
+<p>&ldquo;The earth-bound ships have to be streamlined
+so that they can slide smoothly through the earth&rsquo;s
+atmosphere,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;but the ships that remain
+in space look like a bunch of globes and girders,
+because they never meet the friction of any planet&rsquo;s
+atmosphere and they don&rsquo;t need the sturdiness and
+rocket power.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch laughed. &ldquo;You sound like one of our
+schoolbooks, Garry,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<p>As the Ped-A-Ride neared the spaceport, the
+brilliant lights of the busy area merged into a hazy
+glare that brightened the night until it was almost
+as light as day. The slim prow of the <i>Orion</i> reached
+higher into the sky than any other object on the
+vast field, even loftier than the giant control tower.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They say the <i>Orion</i> is more space scarred than
+any other ship in the Space Service,&rdquo; Garry remarked.
+&ldquo;Meteor dust has grooved her sides so
+much that they look like the scratches on a rifle
+bullet.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I knew she was one of the oldest crafts in the
+Service,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;I guess she&rsquo;s carried many a
+person to the Von Braun Station on their way to
+Luna and the other planets.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_13">13</div>
+<p>The Ped-A-Ride had nearly reached the gate of
+the spaceport when Garry said to his friend,
+&ldquo;Patch, we&rsquo;d better move down among those people
+ahead of us. It looks like they&rsquo;re going to get
+off at the port.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If one of the port police spots us, he might get
+suspicious seeing a couple of kids alone at this time
+of night. If we mingle with the crowd, the police
+may think we are with them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They got up and began walking forward along
+the moving platform. Then they took seats behind
+a man who wore the uniform of the Space Service.
+He had several bags, and it seemed likely that he
+was going to board the <i>Orion</i>.</p>
+<p>As the Ped-A-Ride neared the port gate, Garry
+closely studied the stalwart young man seated before
+them. Garry wondered at the many experiences
+that must have been encountered by this
+spaceman during his career.</p>
+<p>Garry leaned over and touched the spaceman on
+the shoulder.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Excuse me, Sir,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Are you boarding the
+<i>Orion</i>?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry saw a pleasant but deeply lined face
+turned upward toward his own.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; the astronaut replied, then asked, &ldquo;Are
+you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Er, no, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;We&mdash;my friend and
+I&mdash;we just want to see her blast off.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_14">14</div>
+<p>The spaceman smiled. &ldquo;Guess you are pretty interested
+in space to be coming all the way to the
+port just to see an old crate like the <i>Orion</i> blast off.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, we are, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very interested
+in it. I hope to be a spaceman someday.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think you will be, too,&rdquo; the man said confidently.
+&ldquo;I can see the enthusiasm in your eyes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Garry returned. &ldquo;Have you made
+many trips spaceward?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A dozen or so,&rdquo; was the reply. &ldquo;The number is
+not important, though, you must understand. Usually,
+one voyage can last quite a while.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The spaceman extended a big, sunburned hand
+to Garry. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m First Space Officer Mulroy. What&rsquo;s
+your name?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, Sir. Garry Coleman. My friend here is
+Patrick Foster, but he&rsquo;s called Patch for short.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As the Ped-A-Ride neared the gate of the spaceport,
+Garry had an idea by which he and Patch
+might get inside without being questioned by the
+port police.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Mulroy,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;I notice that you
+have some baggage. I wonder if Patch and I could
+help you carry it&mdash;maybe aboard the <i>Orion</i>.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The officer smiled. &ldquo;You want to see what she
+looks like, eh? Okay, it&rsquo;s a deal.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thank you, Sir,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_15">15</div>
+<p>Presently Officer Mulroy stood up. &ldquo;Here we are,
+fellows,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s get our things together
+quickly. I can&rsquo;t afford to miss my blast-off on the
+<i>Orion</i>. I have a sailing date for Mars in a few weeks,
+and the stars wait for no man!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_16">16</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c2"><br />2. BLAST-OFF</h2>
+<p>Once inside the gate, Mr. Mulroy spoke to a uniformed
+officer, who saluted. The officer turned a
+tiny dial on a lapel button he wore and spoke into
+it. Garry knew this to be a subminiature radio
+transmitter which was in wide use.</p>
+<p>Presently, a square little &ldquo;T-Car,&rdquo; or tote car,
+drove up. It was painted green and white, streamlined,
+and had seats inside. It had a convertible
+top which was opened now because of the pleasant
+weather.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_17">17</div>
+<p>The baggageman put the spaceman&rsquo;s things in
+the compartment, then invited his passengers to
+enter at the door he held open. Garry and Patch
+felt very important as Officer Mulroy motioned
+them in ahead of himself. They felt even more important
+as they sank down into the soft seats and
+were joined a moment later by this high-ranking
+officer of the Space Service.</p>
+<p>The swift little car whisked them off to the Operations
+Building, to which Officer Mulroy had to
+report before his flight.</p>
+<p>When the baggage had been unloaded outside
+and the T-Car had moved off, the spaceman said to
+the boys, &ldquo;Wait out here, until I sign up and get my
+instructions. Then we&rsquo;ll carry my things aboard the
+<i>Orion</i>.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>While they waited, they turned their attention
+to the space craft some distance away. Its blue,
+satiny sides reflected the glow of thousands of
+lights on the field. Red smoke still curled up into
+the night, warning of the approach of blast-off time.
+And yet there was still a little while to go, for the
+spiderwebs of the gantry cranes still hugged the
+sides of the three-stage space vessel. Workmen
+were swarming all over the platforms, making last-minute
+checks on the ship.</p>
+<p>There was a high wire fence around the <i>Orion</i>
+and only one entrance through it. A uniformed official
+was checking tickets as the passengers went
+through the gate. The official checked Officer Mulroy&rsquo;s
+ticket, and Mr. Mulroy told him it would be
+all right for the boys to help him carry his baggage
+aboard.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_18">18</div>
+<p>The boys&rsquo; new friend took them down some steps
+into a concrete tunnel that led to the launching pad.
+On the way they stopped at a little room where
+Mr. Mulroy was weighed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Weight is a very important factor on a space
+ship,&rdquo; Mr. Mulroy said, as they were on their way
+again.</p>
+<p>The tunnel led to an elevator that ran up the side
+of the rocket. The elevator cab rose and rose, high
+into the black night. Finally, Officer Mulroy pressed
+a button and said this was where they were to get
+off.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch followed their friend out into
+a corridor of the space ship. Officer Mulroy
+searched the doors they passed, then recognized
+his own, Stateroom 17. He drew out a key and
+unlocked the door, then preceded the boys into the
+room.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, what a tiny room!&rdquo; Patch exclaimed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It has to be this small,&rdquo; Mr. Mulroy said. &ldquo;Every
+inch of area on a space ship is at a premium, you
+know. For most travelers, the Von Braun Space Station
+is only a stopover on a longer trip into space.
+Sometimes the layover is for several days or even
+a week or two. Since rooms aboard the space station
+are very limited, most of the passengers are
+quartered in staterooms in the rocket in which
+they left earth.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_19">19</div>
+<p>Suddenly, a voice came over a speaker in the
+room: &ldquo;Blast-off in ten minutes. All nonpassengers
+are requested to leave the ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s us,&rdquo; Garry said unhappily.</p>
+<p>How he envied Officer Mulroy on his coming
+trip into the deeps of space! He wanted to go so
+badly that his heart ached. But he realized that not
+for many years could his fondest dream come true.</p>
+<p>Officer Mulroy noticed Garry&rsquo;s reluctance to
+leave, and placed a friendly arm around his shoulder.
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t take it so hard, Garry,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Be the
+very best student you can. The years will go by
+fast, and then one day you will wake up to find that
+you are eligible to be a spaceman.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Garry said, trying to smile convincingly,
+although he did not feel happy. The idea of
+the future did not interest him now, but only the
+present, because the queen of the spaceways was
+about to blast off, and he wanted so desperately
+to remain aboard her.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go, Garry,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to
+get Officer Mulroy into trouble by us being caught
+aboard at blast-off.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_20">20</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s right,&rdquo; Officer Mulroy said with a smile.
+&ldquo;Being a stowaway on a rocket is really a serious
+matter. You see, for every pound of pay load on a
+rocket, there must be many more pounds of fuel,
+so if an extra person remained aboard, the ship
+might not be able to reach its destination.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thank you for letting us come aboard with you,
+Mr. Mulroy,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;ll remember what
+you told me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The space officer insisted on tipping the boys,
+and it was a generous tip at that. As the two left the
+room he called to them, &ldquo;Good-by, fellows. I&rsquo;ll send
+you a post card from Mars. That&rsquo;s a promise.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch said good-by and followed the
+directions that Officer Mulroy had given them for
+leaving the ship.</p>
+<p>Garry pressed the button of the elevator in which
+they had ridden earlier. As the doors parted and
+he and Patch went in, he said to his friend, &ldquo;Gee,
+I hate to leave. I don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s the matter with
+me, Patch. Maybe I&rsquo;m just tired of having to do the
+same thing every day, over and over.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I feel kind of the same way, Garry,&rdquo; Patch admitted,
+&ldquo;but I guess we&rsquo;ll just have to sweat out the
+old grind for a few more years.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They had no sooner started to descend than the
+light in the elevator went off, and then the elevator
+itself stopped.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, what&rsquo;s going on!&rdquo; Garry exclaimed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The power&rsquo;s off!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>Presently, the light came on again, and the boys
+felt a lot better.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_21">21</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Whew, for a minute I was scared!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Me too. Hey, we&rsquo;re still not moving, though!&rdquo;
+Garry pressed harder on the button, but the elevator
+refused to move.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re stuck here, Garry!&rdquo; Patch burst out.</p>
+<p>Garry started banging furiously on the walls of
+the elevator. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just <i>got</i> to make ourselves
+heard, Patch!&rdquo; he cried.</p>
+<p>The din was very loud in the cramped compartment,
+as both boys hammered on the wall.</p>
+<p>No one came to their rescue, but then a voice
+spoke over the public-address speaker in the ceiling
+of the elevator: &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be alarmed, folks. A
+short circuit in the fuel-pump relay caused us to
+lose electric power momentarily. But everything
+has been restored to normalcy. Warning: Three
+minutes to blast-off.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It <i>hasn&rsquo;t</i> been restored!&rdquo; Garry burst out desperately.</p>
+<p>The boys pounded on the metal walls until their
+knuckles hurt.</p>
+<p>In a final desperate action, Garry slammed his
+closed fist against the stubborn power button. Instantly,
+he felt the elevator throb underfoot and
+begin to descend once more.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_22">22</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Thank goodness!&rdquo; Garry breathed prayerfully.
+&ldquo;But we&rsquo;ve still got to hurry in order to get off in
+time! No telling how long we&rsquo;ve been stuck in this
+thing!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When the elevator stopped, the doors slid open
+and the boys ran out. But they found themselves in
+a strange corridor.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not out of the ship yet!&rdquo; Garry exclaimed.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve only gone down a deck or two.
+The elevator must still be fouled up.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;ll we do now?&rdquo; Patch asked in desperation.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Go back into the elevator and try to get to the
+ground. We&rsquo;ll have to hurry! The elevator is part
+of the gantry crane, and it&rsquo;ll be rolled away any
+moment!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They rushed back to the closed doors of the
+elevator. But a sign in red lights on the door read:
+&ldquo;DO NOT ENTER. ELEVATOR REMOVED.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve already taken it away!&rdquo; Patch said in
+dismay.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to find a place to strap down, or every
+bone in our bodies will be broken on the blast-off!&rdquo;
+Garry said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_23">23</div>
+<p>A speaker along the corridor next gave out with
+the dread words: &ldquo;Blast-off in ninety seconds,
+ladies and gentlemen. Secure your seat harness and
+listen to the instructions of the stewards. Failure
+to obey directions could cost you your lives. In the
+first few moments of acceleration in a rocket ship,
+there is a crushing blow to the human body. This
+jolt will occur twice more as the second and third
+stages blast off. For that reason, it is absolutely
+necessary that everyone be strapped down securely
+to his G-couch.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch grabbed his friends arm in a fierce grip.
+&ldquo;Garry, we&rsquo;re going to die! We&rsquo;re going to die!&rdquo; he
+cried.</p>
+<p>Garry shook off Patch and desperately began
+throwing open doors along the corridor, looking
+into one room after another. &ldquo;There must be some
+G-couches along here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I read somewhere
+that space law says there must be emergency
+couches on all decks of a rocket ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch tagged along after Garry, complaining.
+Garry could not afford to be sympathetic now. Both
+their lives depended on what he did within the next
+minute.</p>
+<p>Then Garry found it. Printed on the door was the
+heartening word: &ldquo;G-COUCHES.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He flung open the door and saw a row of six S-shaped
+reclining seats.</p>
+<p>Garry grabbed the arm of his quaking friend in a
+tight grip and told him, &ldquo;Listen to me, Patch, and
+do what I tell you. Jump on a couch just as fast as
+you can and don&rsquo;t waste a second getting those
+buckles fastened across your chest, body, and legs.
+Now get going!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_24">24</div>
+<p>Garry helped him along with a shove, then dove
+for one of the couches close by.</p>
+<p>As he hastily fastened his own straps in place,
+Garry cast worried glances at his friend, who was
+fumbling as best he could in his nervous state.</p>
+<p>A speaker warned of the passing moments: &ldquo;Zero
+minus twenty seconds, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen,
+sixteen....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>A few seconds more, and Garry&rsquo;s straps were securely
+fastened. He twisted his head to see how
+Patch was doing. Patch had almost all his straps in
+place, but he could not seem to get the chest
+buckle tightened.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hurry, Patch, please hurry!&rdquo; Garry cried.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&mdash;I&rsquo;m doing the best I can,&rdquo; Patch said, and
+Garry could see the streams of sweat trickling down
+his round face.</p>
+<p>Then, with a final lucky tug, Patch had it. Turning
+his weakly smiling face to Garry, he murmured,
+&ldquo;Garry, I guess I just barely did....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry never heard the rest of the words, for at
+that moment the <i>Orion</i> shook herself like a big dog,
+began a slow tug upward into the black night, and
+then, a few seconds later, with a deafening roar
+tore free of her earthly bonds and flung herself
+into space.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_25">25</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c3"><br />3. STOWAWAYS IN SPACE</h2>
+<p>Garry had read about the rough effects of blast-off,
+but the real thing was even worse than he had imagined.
+He felt like one of those characters in movie
+cartoons who gets flattened to the thickness of
+paper when run over. His lungs felt as though they
+had collapsed, and he could suck in only the barest
+trace of breath.</p>
+<p>But the discomfort did not last long. His body
+seemed to fill out like an inflated balloon, although
+he still felt the ache of having been nearly
+squashed. His stomach felt as though it had been
+stirred up with an egg beater, and his head swam.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_26">26</div>
+<p>But no sooner had he recovered from the first
+violent thrust than it came again as the rocket&rsquo;s second
+stage began firing. Then the crushing pressure
+eased once more, only to return once again as the
+third stage, the occupied section of the <i>Orion</i>, began
+firing away. When this force let up, Garry knew
+it was the last.</p>
+<p>The ship did not appear to be moving, but
+Garry knew it must be traveling many thousands
+of miles an hour.</p>
+<p>Garry&rsquo;s shaky hands groped for the belts of the
+harness that snugly fitted his body. He worked the
+buckles loose from his upper body and sat up on his
+G-couch. He did not release his legs, because he
+was already feeling the dizzying effects of weightlessness.
+He looked across at Patch on the next
+couch.</p>
+<p>Patch was still lying flat, and his face was
+pasty white. His eyes were closed, and this alarmed
+Garry.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; Garry called, repeating the name over
+and over.</p>
+<p>Patch had blacked out, but after a few minutes
+he came back to consciousness.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Wh&mdash;what happened?&rdquo; Patch asked in a weak
+voice.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re in space, Patch,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll
+probably think we&rsquo;re stowaways and send us to
+jail. Maybe Officer Mulroy will get in trouble too.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_27">27</div>
+<p>But this was the least of Patch&rsquo;s worries
+right now. He put his hand to his head, complaining,
+&ldquo;Gee, I feel terrible. Everything&rsquo;s going
+around! And I had the worst nightmare all night
+long!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry had to grin at this. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t been here
+all night, just a few minutes. It just seems like a
+long time.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch fumbled loose his upper straps and struggled
+to a sitting position, but fell back down onto
+his contour seat. &ldquo;Wow, I can&rsquo;t make it!&rdquo; he said
+thickly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no use trying to get up,&rdquo; Garry said.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;re weightless and would never be able to get
+about. It&rsquo;s funny how I wanted so terribly to go
+into space, but now that I&rsquo;m out here I&rsquo;m not enjoying
+it. I guess it&rsquo;s because I&rsquo;m afraid of what&rsquo;s
+coming.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry wondered what they should do. Should
+they turn themselves in and take their chances on
+being believed that their being aboard the <i>Orion</i>
+was due to an accident? But if they did this, then
+Mr. Mulroy might be held responsible for not seeing
+that the boys had left the ship. And yet, Garry
+realized, he and Patch could not stay in hiding indefinitely.
+Sooner or later they must be found out.
+If they did not turn themselves in, and they were
+discovered, they would surely be regarded as stowaways.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_28">28</div>
+<p>Then a new fear came to Garry. What if his
+and Patch&rsquo;s combined weight was over the ship&rsquo;s
+allowable limit? What if their being aboard would
+keep them from reaching the space station and, instead,
+cause the earth&rsquo;s gravity to pull the <i>Orion</i>
+back down? In that case the two of them could
+possibly cost the space-ship line a new rocket worth
+millions, not to mention the lives of all the persons
+aboard in case a safe landing could not be made!</p>
+<p>Garry was occupied with these grave thoughts
+until he heard the public-address system saying:
+&ldquo;We are now in braking orbit.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry knew this meant that the ship had
+reached the vicinity of the space station and was
+beginning to circle the station while the braking
+rockets were cut in. This procedure would slow
+down the <i>Orion</i> so that she would be moving at
+the same orbital speed as the space station. Then it
+would be easy for her to slip into dock.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch felt the tug of the ship&rsquo;s gradually
+diminishing speed, but this was not nearly as
+rough as the blast-off had been. As the <i>Orion</i> moved
+into dock, the boys felt their weight returning. This
+was due to the station&rsquo;s rotation and artificial
+gravity.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, it looks like the ship has made it all right,&rdquo;
+Patch said, relieved. &ldquo;They must not have had a
+full load.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_29">29</div>
+<p>The boys heard the technical language of the
+docking procedure. Garry listened closely, even
+though he could not understand much of it. But
+this was all part of the spaceman&rsquo;s education, and
+he was eager to learn it, even at such a crucial moment
+as this.</p>
+<p>Yet as he listened, he had another unpleasant
+thought. Now that he and Patch had the blot of
+&ldquo;stowaway&rdquo; against them, would this misconduct
+prevent them from realizing their dream of being
+future spacemen?</p>
+<p>Finally, the ship&rsquo;s motion stopped altogether.
+The <i>Orion</i> had nestled into her dock on the big Von
+Braun Space Station, named after the great space
+scientist of the past century.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now where do we go from here?&rdquo; Patch asked,
+as the two removed their harness straps and got
+to their feet. &ldquo;Garry, I&rsquo;m scared, plenty scared!
+Wow, I&rsquo;m a little wobbly too!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s stay put until we hear further announcements
+over the speaker,&rdquo; Garry suggested. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll
+give us time to think this through a little longer.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just stalling, that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re doing,
+aren&rsquo;t we, Garry? We don&rsquo;t want to turn ourselves
+in because we&rsquo;re afraid of what will happen to us,&rdquo;
+Patch said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_30">30</div>
+<p>Garry hung his head. &ldquo;I guess that&rsquo;s what it does
+amount to, Patch. I keep thinking what this will do
+to our hopes of being spacemen. I&rsquo;m afraid we&rsquo;ll
+never make it now.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They stayed in hiding for another half hour.
+Then Garry said: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to have something to
+live on until we make up our minds what we&rsquo;re
+going to do, Patch. I think space ships have emergency-ration
+compartments located along the corridors.
+I&rsquo;m in favor of looking for one.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s better than just waiting here and doing
+nothing,&rdquo; Patch agreed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll look out and see if the coast is clear,&rdquo;
+Garry said.</p>
+<p>He looked around outside and then motioned to
+Patch. They started off quietly down the corridor,
+but after a moment they heard footsteps approaching
+from around the corner behind them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, we&rsquo;ve got to hide!&rdquo; Patch whispered
+urgently. &ldquo;Somebody&rsquo;s coming!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry saw a door up ahead. &ldquo;That leads into an
+air lock, Patch. We may be safe in there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry turned a wheel on the door, and it swung
+open. They found themselves in a short tunnel, at
+the other end of which was another door. The air
+lock was used for entering and leaving the ship
+while it was in space. The spaceman would enter
+the chamber and wait for the air pressure to equalize
+before he left the air lock.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_31">31</div>
+<p>Garry quickly turned another wheel on the inside
+of the door, closing it.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t stay in here very long without air,&rdquo;
+Garry said. &ldquo;The other end of this air lock probably
+leads directly into the space station. Shall we try
+it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This running and hiding has got to end somewhere,&rdquo;
+Patch replied with discouragement. &ldquo;Lead
+on.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry checked the pressure gauge on the far
+door and saw that there was normal pressure on the
+other side. He turned the wheel on the door, and it
+swung open. The boys went through, and Garry
+wheeled the door shut behind them.</p>
+<p>They were in a huge enclosed dock of the space
+station. Lined up ahead were several space taxis,
+or fliers, which were used for trips outside the
+station and also doubled as lifeboats in time of
+emergency.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, it&rsquo;s cold in here!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The main thing, though, is that there&rsquo;s no one
+around,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll give us time to collect
+our thoughts.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what you think,&rdquo; Patch whispered, tugging
+at Garry&rsquo;s arm. &ldquo;There come a couple of men
+down that corridor across the way!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_32">32</div>
+<p>Garry moved quickly and quietly, pulling Patch
+along. As the men entered the dock, the boys
+ducked out of sight behind one of the space fliers.</p>
+<p>The men approached the flier next to the outer
+door of the dock and pressed a button on the taxi&rsquo;s
+surface. Its door sprang open, and the men entered
+the flier.</p>
+<p>They were in there for fully five minutes. During
+that time, Garry began to shiver, but it was not
+from fright so much as it was the coldness of the
+dock. Garry felt Patch shaking beside him and
+knew his friend was just as uncomfortable as he.
+But they had to stay put. There was no other place
+they could go at this moment.</p>
+<p>Finally, the men came out of the space taxi,
+closed the door, and, to the relief of Garry and
+Patch, disappeared up the corridor.</p>
+<p>Garry stood up and hugged himself.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, I&mdash;I&rsquo;m freezing to death,&rdquo; Patch chattered.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;So am I. We sure can&rsquo;t stay here like this,&rdquo;
+Garry replied.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why don&rsquo;t we try getting into one of these
+ships?&rdquo; Patch suggested. &ldquo;Maybe they&rsquo;ve got heaters
+inside.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry pressed the button of the ship which they
+had been hiding behind, but the door did not open.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The power is off or something,&rdquo; Garry groaned.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Maybe the first one will open,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;It
+worked for those men.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_33">33</div>
+<p>Garry went over to the first craft and pressed the
+door button. Instantly, the door sprang open. A
+tiny air-lock chamber faced them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thank goodness,&rdquo; Patch murmured. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go
+in.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What if the men come back?&rdquo; Garry cautioned.
+&ldquo;They may be preparing for a trip.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There are windows facing the corridor,&rdquo; Patch
+said. &ldquo;We can keep an eye out for them and duck
+for cover again if they return. Gee, let&rsquo;s try it anyhow,
+Garry! I feel like a penguin that&rsquo;s lost all its
+feathers!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry agreed and entered the flier, Patch climbing
+in behind. A second door led from the air lock
+chamber into the flier proper. Besides the pilot&rsquo;s
+seat, there were six other seats, three on a side. It
+was warmer in here than outside, and Garry felt
+heat gently blowing. This made him suspect that
+the men had just turned it on and that they were
+going to return for a trip in the craft.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid we won&rsquo;t have long to stay in here,&rdquo;
+Garry told his friend and mentioned his suspicion
+to him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I guess you&rsquo;re right,&rdquo; Patch agreed. &ldquo;Where will
+we go from here? Garry, I&rsquo;m tired of running. And
+I&rsquo;m getting more scared by the minute because of
+what we&rsquo;re doing. Why don&rsquo;t we just turn ourselves
+in and face the music, whatever it is?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_34">34</div>
+<p>Through a window of the taxi, Garry was watching
+the corridor for signs of the returning men. &ldquo;I
+guess you&rsquo;re right, Patch,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll give ourselves
+up when those men return.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we should wait until then,&rdquo; Patch
+objected. &ldquo;It will go a lot easier for us if we give
+ourselves up voluntarily instead of looking as if we
+had been caught.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Once again Garry agreed, but, as he was reaching
+for the button to open the door, he heard a click.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What was that?&rdquo; Patch asked in alarm. &ldquo;What
+did you do?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Nothing,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Something was operating
+all by itself.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>A soft purring sound began to be heard inside
+the craft, and Garry felt the little ship vibrating
+ever so softly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch,&rdquo; Garry said tensely, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like this.&rdquo;
+He tried the door button, but it would not work.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s happening?&rdquo; Patch asked, and there
+was fright in his voice.</p>
+<p>A movement outside in the dock caught the boys&rsquo;
+eyes. Through the wide front port of the ship, they
+watched a big door slide open, revealing a dark air-lock
+tunnel&mdash;a tunnel large enough to hold the craft
+which they were occupying!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch repeated, &ldquo;what&rsquo;s happening!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_35">35</div>
+<p>Garry slumped into one of the seats, fear numbing
+his heart.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now I know what kind of ship this is, Patch,&rdquo;
+he murmured. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s remote controlled, guided by
+an operator inside the space station. We&rsquo;re heading
+straight out into space, Patch!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_36">36</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c4"><br />4. ADRIFT IN THE DEEPS</h2>
+<p>Trapped within the space taxi, Garry and Patch
+watched the darkness of space enlarge before their
+eyes as the ship emerged from the air-lock tunnel
+of the space station. The stars about them were
+countless lights, some packed so closely together
+that they trailed across the sky like distant streaming
+veils. But the boys had no eye for their beauty
+at this time.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch asked in a dismal voice, &ldquo;what&rsquo;s
+going to happen to us?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As long as they have control of the ship, I guess
+we&rsquo;ll be all right,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;Maybe they are
+just sending the ship out on a practice run or possibly
+to pick someone up.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Pick someone up?&rdquo; Patch asked, puzzled.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_37">37</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I was thinking of satellite workers or repairmen.
+The skies out here are flooded with satellites, you
+know. They must have men working on them all
+the time,&rdquo; Garry explained.</p>
+<p>Garry heard a hissing sound. He found a slit in
+the wall from which it was coming. Near the opening
+was a gauge.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s an oxygen mixture coming in,&rdquo; Garry
+said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s probably automatic. It turns on whenever
+the air pressure drops or becomes fouled.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s something in our favor,&rdquo; Patch said
+grudgingly.</p>
+<p>Garry found his feet beginning to lift weightlessly
+off the floor. His body sagged off balance, and
+he had to hold onto a handle on one of the seats.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, what&rsquo;ll we do?&rdquo; Patch exclaimed frantically.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going weightless!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s look for a wardrobe compartment,&rdquo; Garry
+suggested. &ldquo;Since these fliers are used as lifeboats
+sometimes, there must be space suits and things.
+Maybe we&rsquo;ll find magnetic shoes, too.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How&rsquo;ll we ever get around in here to look for
+anything?&rdquo; Patch sputtered. By now he was floating,
+his legs and arms flailing helplessly like a bug
+on its back.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_38">38</div>
+<p>Using the handles on the backs of the seats, Garry
+worked his way across to a cabinet set in the wall.
+Then he moved from the last seat handle to the
+wall rail and worked himself down it to the plastic
+case. Through the clear window Garry could see
+space suits and accessories. He pressed a button,
+and the door popped open.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re in luck, Patch,&rdquo; Garry reported. &ldquo;There
+are magnetic shoes in here. I hope the gravity plates
+in the floor are working.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry managed to pick up two pairs of the shoes,
+tucking one pair under one arm. That left one hand
+holding the second pair and the other hand free.</p>
+<p>Even then, it took quite some doing for him to
+work his way across to Patch, who looked like a
+pennant floating in the breeze as he hung crossways
+in the air, one hand tightly clutching a seat handle.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, I don&rsquo;t feel so good,&rdquo; Patch complained.
+&ldquo;Everything in me feels like its pushing upward.
+Even my brain seems to be floating.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s lack of gravity doing that,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;You
+are used to gravity always pulling down on you.
+When that pull is gone, it makes you feel as if your
+body is moving up. At least that&rsquo;s what all the books
+say. And I believe them, because I feel that way
+myself. Here are your shoes. They&rsquo;re pretty big, but
+they&rsquo;ll be better than nothing.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, how&rsquo;ll I ever get them on?&rdquo; Patch protested.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll hold onto you while you put them on,&rdquo; Garry
+offered. &ldquo;That&rsquo;ll make it easier&mdash;I guess.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_39">39</div>
+<p>Garry got behind Patch and held him by the collar.
+Then began Patch&rsquo;s struggles with the shoes.
+It was comical for Garry to see his friend having
+such a hard time, but he knew Patch would have
+the laugh on him later.</p>
+<p>It took them both a good while to get the shoes
+on. When the floor current of the gravity plates
+finally held them down, the boys laughed at each
+other in their oversized equipment.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I guess we look like snowshoe rabbits with our
+big feet!&rdquo; Patch said with a laugh. &ldquo;Good thing
+those straps pulled up tight, or we&rsquo;d never be able
+to keep them on.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The craft had been moving along smoothly, but
+before long it began to shudder irregularly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The jets have cut out, Patch,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re
+coasting. Without any air friction out here in space,
+we <i>could</i> coast along forever.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, don&rsquo;t say that!&rdquo; Patch gasped.</p>
+<p>But Garry found out that his guess was wrong,
+and he was glad that it had been. Presently, twin
+jets of flame were seen pouring from the front of
+the craft.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, we&rsquo;re on fire!&rdquo; Patch shouted.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, they&rsquo;re the braking jets,&rdquo; Garry corrected.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;re being slowed down, Patch! I think we&rsquo;ll
+find out very soon now what our destination is.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_40">40</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Thank goodness for that,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;You
+know, you got me plenty worried when you said
+that we might coast forever out here. Although after
+about a hundred years I probably wouldn&rsquo;t mind
+any longer!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Look, Patch,&rdquo; Garry cried. &ldquo;Up ahead&mdash;a satellite!
+That must be where we&rsquo;re headed!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As they approached, the craft still being slowed
+by the braking jets, Garry and Patch took in the
+scene before them. The satellite itself somewhat
+resembled a giant radio speaker. Its largest area
+was a huge reflecting surface, and this surface was
+made up of adjustable panels that could be banked
+in any direction. The boys could see around the side
+of the satellite, and backing up the front broad surface
+was a block-shaped structure with windows.</p>
+<p>As the tiny space craft drew closer, the boys saw
+a hatch open in the rear structure, and two men in
+space suits emerged, holding onto hand rails on
+the outside of the satellite.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s one of the radio and TV relay satellites,
+Patch,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;There are three of them,
+spaced equally around the earth, for relaying TV
+and radio all over the world. Our ship has probably
+been sent out to pick up these men and bring them
+back to the station.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Won&rsquo;t they be surprised when they see us
+aboard?&rdquo; Patch remarked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_41">41</div>
+<p>Garry noticed that the space taxi seemed to be
+moving a little off course, and this disturbed him,
+especially since one of the forward jets had cut off
+but the other hadn&rsquo;t.</p>
+<p>The craft was veering steadily away from the
+satellite and slowing rapidly. Finally, it came to a
+dead stop several hundred yards from the satellite,
+but then it began backing up. As the craft gained
+speed in reverse, Garry and Patch were nearly
+knocked off their feet from the acceleration.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The front jet is propelling us backward!&rdquo; Garry
+cried. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s something wrong with the remote
+control!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The craft began going into a dizzy spin. The boys
+had to hold on tightly to some anchored support to
+keep from being flung against the wall.</p>
+<p>Garry watched the satellite become lost against
+the sprawling background of stars. He knew they
+were hurtling farther out into space, out of control,
+headed for a destination now that even the space-station
+operators might not know.</p>
+<p>The boys were so disheartened by the latest bad
+break that, for the time being, they did not care
+what happened to them. This lowering of their
+spirits seemed to remind them that they were a long
+time past their slumber time, and they suddenly became
+very sleepy. By earth time, it would be the
+dark hours before dawn.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_42">42</div>
+<p>They went to sleep on their feet, because in the
+zero gravity there was no need for them to lie down.
+Their magnetic soles held them in place to keep
+them from drifting about as they slept.</p>
+<p>Garry was the first to wake up, hours later. There
+was no way for him to know how much time had
+passed. He woke his friend, who stretched and
+yawned.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I never thought I&rsquo;d be able to sleep standing
+up,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;I feel like a horse.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We got a good rest,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;I guess that&rsquo;s
+because of the zero gravity.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch looked gloomily out of the front port of
+the flier. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re still no better off than we were
+before, though, Garry, but, I think we have stopped
+moving.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry shook his head. &ldquo;It just seems like we&rsquo;re
+not moving because the stars and everything else
+around us are so still. We&rsquo;re moving all right&mdash;and
+fast. This ship may still be moving after we&rsquo;re dead,
+even if we could live for a hundred years, because
+there&rsquo;s nothing ever to slow us down out here; that
+is, unless we happened to move into the gravity
+field of some planet, which would pull us down.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I knew we should have turned ourselves in when
+we had the chance,&rdquo; Patch said mournfully. &ldquo;If we
+had, we wouldn&rsquo;t be in this fix now.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry agreed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all my fault for trying to hold
+out so long.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_43">43</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, too late now to do anything,&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we should give up hope,&rdquo; Garry
+said. &ldquo;They might still send out a ship to try to pick
+up this one. They know it&rsquo;s lost, but of course they
+don&rsquo;t know there&rsquo;s anybody in it, and they may not
+know where to look for it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He investigated the sloping wall between him
+and the front window. The middle of it was shaped
+something like an old-fashioned roll-top desk,
+closed up.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hmm,&rdquo; Garry thought to himself. &ldquo;This ship
+has been run by remote control until now, but why
+shouldn&rsquo;t it have controls of its own? If it does have
+them, they should be right here in front of me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry&rsquo;s hopes soared again as he ran his hands
+over the light-green plastic slope in front of him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A button,&rdquo; he whispered. &ldquo;There must be a button
+or something that opens this thing up.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, what&rsquo;re you mumbling about?&rdquo; Patch
+asked.</p>
+<p>Garry was too concerned with what he was doing
+to answer his friend. Suddenly, he found something
+on the left side of the instrument. It was a
+button. He pressed it.</p>
+<p>Two covers began swinging open in front of him,
+as stage curtains would do, revealing a bank of dials
+and levers.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; Garry shouted. &ldquo;Look what!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_44">44</div>
+<p>Patch came clicking over in his magnetic shoes.
+&ldquo;Hey, they&rsquo;re instruments for running this crate!
+Why didn&rsquo;t we think of looking for them before?&rdquo;
+he cried.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Probably because we don&rsquo;t know how to operate
+them,&rdquo; Garry replied.</p>
+<p>There was a half-circle steering wheel that pulled
+out, and the boys were sure what this was for.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch said happily, &ldquo;the steering wheel&mdash;that
+may be all that we&rsquo;ll need! Since the ship is
+moving under its own power, all we have to do is
+turn her around and head back for the space station.
+We can keep circling it until one of the ships
+from the station intercepts us!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry tried the wheel. It was locked tight.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that easy, Patch,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;First we&rsquo;ve
+got to find how to unlock the wheel.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That ought not to be hard,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;A
+button or switch....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They both began carefully examining the steering
+column and wheel, but did not find anything
+that would release the wheel. Then they went over
+the console panel very closely. They found switches
+and levers that could not be identified, but they decided
+to try them anyhow and see what they controlled.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_45">45</div>
+<p>They got no result at first, but, when the fourth
+switch was thrown, the console lighted up and the
+ship began to throb with a new life.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That must have been one of the power levers,&rdquo;
+Garry said. &ldquo;Look&mdash;the steering wheel is free! The
+power had to be on before it would unlock the
+wheel.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry!&rdquo; Patch exclaimed, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re on our way!
+We&rsquo;re on our way.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I hope my sense of direction is correct,&rdquo; Garry
+said, &ldquo;because I can&rsquo;t read those directional meters.
+I think we&rsquo;ll be headed in the general direction
+of the station if we make a half turn. I remember
+the position of that brilliant nebula over there
+and also the planet Venus.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry was beginning to turn the wheel slowly
+for their gradual turnabout in the sky when the
+smell of something burning issued from the console.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, something seems to be shorting out,&rdquo; Patch
+said in alarm. &ldquo;Look! There&rsquo;s smoke coming from
+the panel!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>No sooner had he spoken than there was a small
+explosion inside the console, a strong odor of ozone
+filled the boys&rsquo; nostrils, and all the lights went out.
+But what was worse, the steering wheel froze in
+Garry&rsquo;s hands and locked again.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch, we&rsquo;re ruined!&rdquo; Garry groaned loudly. &ldquo;I
+must have done something wrong!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_46">46</div>
+<p>Garry put his hands over his face in despair.
+&ldquo;Patch, we were so close, so very close....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It looks like something just doesn&rsquo;t want us to
+get out of this alive,&rdquo; Patch said bitterly. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re
+jinxed, Garry!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll do no good to start feeling sorry for ourselves
+again,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Remember, we thought
+we were goners before. Something may turn up to
+save us&mdash;something maybe like a Good Samaritan
+flying around in a space ship just looking for wandering
+boys. But how many of those do you think
+you would find in all the millions of miles of space
+that surround us?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Suddenly Garry stood upright, staring intently
+straight out the forward port. &ldquo;Speaking of Good
+Samaritans, Patch, that might not be so farfetched
+after all. Look out there, straight ahead. There&rsquo;s a
+light moving against the stars. It just might be a
+space ship!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I see it,&rdquo; Patch said, with a trace of hope returning,
+&ldquo;but it&rsquo;s most likely a Sputnik or Tiros or some
+other satellite.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think so. Its movement isn&rsquo;t perfectly
+straight. I&rsquo;m sure I just saw it change direction as if
+heading this way. Patch, if you&rsquo;ve ever prayed, do
+it now. The next few minutes may decide whether
+we live or die out here in space!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_47">47</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c5"><br />5. A &ldquo;FLYING TIN CAN&rdquo;</h2>
+<p>The boys watched intently as the object neared
+them. Although it was still pretty far off, they knew
+that it was not a true celestial object, because they
+could determine already that it was shaped like
+nothing usually found in space. In fact, it looked
+remarkably like a tin can! It was an odd shape for a
+space ship, but the boys were sure that was what it
+was.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not like anything I&rsquo;ve ever seen!&rdquo; Garry
+said. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;ve seen all kinds of pictures of space
+ships in magazines and books.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It must be a special kind of ship,&rdquo; Patch suggested.
+&ldquo;But just so it really is a space ship with
+living people in it, it can be shaped like a barbecue
+pit for all I care!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_48">48</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; Garry said in a stricken voice. &ldquo;What if
+it&rsquo;s from another planet and carries strange people?
+Maybe even <i>unfriendly</i> passengers!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch&rsquo;s eyes shone like bright marbles. &ldquo;Gee, you
+don&rsquo;t really think so, do you? I&mdash;I mean, how could
+it be possible? We&rsquo;ve already explored Mars and
+Venus, and those planets aren&rsquo;t inhabited. How
+could anything possibly live on those big cold planets
+farther out?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Maybe they are from another star,&rdquo; Garry said
+in a solemn tone.</p>
+<p>They would know pretty soon where the flying
+object was from, because it was still heading in
+their direction, and its passengers could not possibly
+miss seeing them.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch were silent as the object drew
+steadily closer, each of them engrossed in his own
+thoughts.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It really does look like a tin can,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;A
+tin can with a big eye in front! But what a big tin
+can! It&rsquo;s big as one of those ancient dirigibles.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch, I can begin to make out some writing
+over the eye. See it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes. Just a moment. It&rsquo;s coming into focus. It
+says &lsquo;CAREFREE!&rsquo; I don&rsquo;t know what it means,
+but it <i>sounds</i> friendly.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_49">49</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That must be the name of it,&rdquo; Garry suggested.
+&ldquo;No ship with a name like that could be carrying
+unfriendly passengers.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It also means that there must be earthmen
+aboard, because it&rsquo;s an earth word.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we have anything to worry about,
+Patch,&rdquo; Garry said confidently.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now they&rsquo;re turning around,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;They&mdash;they&rsquo;re
+pulling even with us. I guess they&rsquo;ll anchor
+to us with magnetic grapples.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Carefully, the <i>Carefree</i> edged closer so that it
+could latch on. The big circular space ship dwarfed
+the tiny taxi so greatly that it seemed like David
+and Goliath.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch heard a soft bump as the <i>Carefree</i>
+coupled onto the side of their craft on which
+the door was located. Garry knew now that the
+ships were joined as one.</p>
+<p>Garry looked at Patch, and Patch looked at Garry.
+They knew all they had to do now was open the air
+locks between the ships. But they hesitated as if
+there were still some doubt in their minds as to the
+friendliness of those in the other space ship.</p>
+<p>There came a rap on their air-lock door. Once
+again Garry looked at Patch, and Patch looked at
+Garry. Then, after another few moments of hesitation,
+Garry shrugged and clicked over to the door.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_50">50</div>
+<p>&ldquo;We may as well open up,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Whether or
+not they&rsquo;re friendly, they&rsquo;ve certainly got the upper
+hand.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry pressed the button that controlled the
+outer door of the air lock. Then he pressed another
+that opened the inner door.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch looked through the double air
+locks into the face of a man who wore a small, neat
+white beard. He appeared to be in his early sixties,
+and he was clinging to a webbing of ropes that completely
+covered the walls of a giant tube or tunnel.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hello,&rdquo; the man said, with a smile.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hello,&rdquo; Garry and Patch replied together. And
+they smiled too, because they were very glad that
+it was an earthman who faced them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I must say I didn&rsquo;t expect to find a couple of
+boys alone in here,&rdquo; the man went on. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s happened
+to the adults with you? You didn&rsquo;t heave
+them out the waste hatch, did you?&rdquo; The elderly
+man laughed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Uh, no, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied with hesitation.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been by ourselves ever since this flier left
+the Von Braun Space Station. It&rsquo;s a pretty long
+story, Sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The name is Captain Eaton, boys.&rdquo; The man
+winked at them, showing his white teeth in another
+smile. &ldquo;Oh, I&rsquo;m not really a space captain. I
+wouldn&rsquo;t deceive you. The <i>Carefree</i> is a private
+<span class="pb" id="Page_51">51</span>
+ship, and the men call me &lsquo;Captain&rsquo; because I&rsquo;m the
+owner.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton&rsquo;s dark, alert eyes flickered over
+the interior of the flier.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I thought whoever was in this ship must be in
+some sort of trouble,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;because of your erratic
+flight. That&rsquo;s why we latched onto you, to see
+if we could be of some help.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We <i>do</i> need help, Captain,&rdquo; Patch said earnestly.
+&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know the first thing about running
+this thing. We had just about given ourselves
+up for lost.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How in the world did you get into such a spot
+as this?&rdquo; Captain Eaton asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, Sir,&rdquo; Garry explained, lowering his eyes,
+&ldquo;you see, we&rsquo;re stowaways, although we&rsquo;ve been
+able to escape being caught all this time. We didn&rsquo;t
+<i>mean</i> to be stowaways, Captain. We were helping
+an officer aboard the <i>Orion</i> with his gear, and the
+rocket blasted off before we could get out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Say, I&rsquo;ll bet your parents are worried to death
+about you,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, Sir,&rdquo; Patch answered. &ldquo;You see, we&rsquo;re orphans,
+and we lived in an orphanage back in the
+United States.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_52">52</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I see,&rdquo; the elderly man replied, stroking his
+short, snowy beard. Then suddenly he grinned
+broadly. &ldquo;Well, fellows, how would you like to be
+rescued?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all for it!&rdquo; Garry answered, and Patch
+nodded his head vigorously.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Come aboard then. The <i>Carefree</i> welcomes
+you!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What about the flier?&rdquo; Garry asked. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t
+want to be charged with stealing a space craft.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have Ben Dawes come aboard and set her
+adrift toward the satellite so that she can be picked
+up easily,&rdquo; the captain said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think we blew something out when we tried
+to start her,&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben&rsquo;s a genius,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll
+get her to running, no matter what&rsquo;s wrong with
+her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>With this taken care of, the boys were anxious to
+board the <i>Carefree</i> and see if her interior were as
+strange and unusual looking as her outer hull. They
+removed their bulky magnetic shoes and entered
+the air lock of the <i>Carefree</i>.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton first explained the purpose of the
+webbing that lined the walls of the tube.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_53">53</div>
+<p>&ldquo;As you boys saw us move in, you probably know
+that this is the rear of the ship, and this tunnel is in
+the center. It goes the full length of our &lsquo;tin can&rsquo;
+and comes out front into the flight deck. We have
+to leave and enter the ship through the rear end of
+this tube. Understand?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, Sir,&rdquo; the boys answered together.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The outer round surface of our &lsquo;tin can&rsquo; revolves
+around this center tube as though it were a wheel
+around an axis,&rdquo; the captain went on. &ldquo;By so doing,
+an artificial gravity is induced along the inside rim
+of the &lsquo;can.&rsquo;&rdquo; Captain Eaton frowned. &ldquo;Am I getting
+too deep for you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think so, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;The gravity
+you are talking about is the result of centrifugal action&mdash;the
+same action that makes a ball swing out
+on the end of a string when a person swings it
+around his head. It&rsquo;s the same kind of artificial gravity
+they use on the manned space stations.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re pretty sharp, son. I like a boy who doesn&rsquo;t
+think that facts belong only in a schoolroom.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been very interested in space, Sir,&rdquo;
+Garry said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll bet I&rsquo;d surprise you with all I know
+about it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure you would,&rdquo; Captain Eaton admitted.
+&ldquo;Say, I don&rsquo;t even know your names. I&rsquo;ve told you
+mine. Now let&rsquo;s have yours.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m Garry Coleman,&rdquo; Garry answered, &ldquo;and this
+is my best friend, Patch Foster.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_54">54</div>
+<p>Since the center tube of the <i>Carefree</i> was not affected
+by the centrifugal force of the rotating &ldquo;tin
+can,&rdquo; its gravity was zero. For that reason the webbing
+was used to pull oneself along with and not
+really for the purposes of climbing and descending.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton turned around on the webbing so
+that he could lead the way along the tunnel into the
+living quarters of the <i>Carefree</i>. His slim, agile legs
+swung free in the zero gravity as he made the turn.
+Glossy black space boots covered his feet.</p>
+<p>The captain showed Garry where to pull a lever
+which closed a series of air-lock doors between the
+<i>Carefree</i> and the taxi.</p>
+<p>The ship&rsquo;s master and the boys pulled themselves
+along the tunnel. Then Captain Eaton stopped and
+said, &ldquo;Hold on tightly, fellows. We&rsquo;re going round
+and round for a few turns.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He pushed a lever beneath the webbing, and
+Garry felt the tube begin to revolve slowly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, what&rsquo;s happening?&rdquo; Patch called out.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I had to set the tunnel in rotation so that it could
+catch up with the rest of the ship, which is always
+turning. As soon as you&rsquo;ve become used to the spinning,
+we&rsquo;ll go into the ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When the boys said they thought they could navigate,
+the captain pointed to an open hatch that had
+appeared in the wall near them.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_55">55</div>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll turn around and back down these stairs,&rdquo;
+the skipper said. &ldquo;As we descend, the gravity will
+become stronger, so that by the time we&rsquo;re at the
+bottom we&rsquo;ll be nearly at our earth weights.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch followed their new friend down
+the stairs, moving carefully and holding onto the
+railing, for they still felt giddy from the rotation of
+the central tube. By the time they were at the bottom,
+their heads had begun to clear.</p>
+<p>That is, they <i>thought</i> their heads had begun to
+clear. But no sooner had they gotten this impression
+than they became giddy all over again at the
+sight that met their eyes. For it was just as if they
+had entered a tropical paradise! There were real
+flowers in bloom all about, and aquariums full of
+live fishes were set into the surrounding walls.</p>
+<p>The boys were too surprised to say anything. All
+they could do was just stare and stare in disbelief.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_56">56</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c6"><br />6. A <i>CAREFREE</i> WORLD</h2>
+<p>&ldquo;How do you like my garden, fellows?&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton asked. &ldquo;It helps keep me from getting homesick.
+I used to have a most luxuriant garden back on
+earth.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t believe it!&rdquo; Garry burst out. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just as
+if we were outdoors on a summer day, it&rsquo;s so real.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a goldfish pond, Garry,&rdquo; Patch said,
+&ldquo;with lily pads floating on top and a bench beside
+it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I never saw so many kinds of flowers,&rdquo; Garry
+said, &ldquo;and shrubs too.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_57">57</div>
+<p>&ldquo;The flowers and shrubs serve a double purpose,&rdquo;
+Captain Eaton explained. &ldquo;They not only provide
+homelike pleasure to me and my friends, but they
+also help keep the air in the <i>Carefree</i> supplied
+with oxygen.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I remember,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;Plants in light
+breathe exactly opposite from the way we do. They
+breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch stooped down, examining the roots of a
+shrub. &ldquo;Hey, the roots aren&rsquo;t growing in soil! How
+can they live?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The plants grow in richly fertilized liquid,&rdquo; the
+captain answered. &ldquo;In that way, they can be placed
+much closer together. Besides, some of the water
+making up the fertilized liquid comes from waste
+products within the ship. There are other reasons
+too.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton led the way along the aisle that
+ran beside the colorfully lighted aquariums. He
+stopped in front of a twenty-gallon tank which was
+in the process of being cleaned by two men.</p>
+<p>One of them was very tall, over six and a half feet.
+He was very thin and appeared to be in his late
+fifties. But the oddest thing about him, which made
+Garry and Patch stare at him in surprise, was the
+fact that he was in the full dress of a butler, complete
+with newly starched white shirt and neatly
+pressed coat and trousers! Although he was holding
+a bucket that was catching water from a draining
+aquarium, his clothing wasn&rsquo;t in the least mussed.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_58">58</div>
+<p>Captain Eaton saw the boys staring at the tall
+gentleman and said, &ldquo;Boys, I want you to meet Mr.
+Klecker, the Eaton family butler for many years.
+When I decided to set out into space on my permanent
+cruise, he would not think of being left behind.
+Klecker, this is Garry and this is Patch. They will
+be our guests for awhile.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mr. Klecker looked at them with heavy-lidded
+eyes. Then, bowing, he said in a deep stately voice,
+&ldquo;Pleased, young gentlemen.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Glad to know you, Mr. Klecker,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Me too,&rdquo; Patch added.</p>
+<p>The other person attending to the fish tank was a
+young man. He rose from a squatting position and
+smiled at the boys. He had crew-cut black hair and
+the kind of happy features which indicate a friendly
+nature. He wiped his damp hands on his trousers
+and offered a palm to Garry first, then to Patch.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hi, boys. I&rsquo;m Ben Dawes. Glad to have you
+aboard,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It sure is a surprise meeting fellows
+as young as yourselves out here in space.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll probably be more of a surprise, Ben, to
+know that they are alone,&rdquo; the captain said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Not really!&rdquo; Ben said. &ldquo;Say, I&rsquo;ll bet you two have
+a long story explaining that!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We do,&rdquo; Garry answered, &ldquo;and we&rsquo;ll tell you
+when we have lots of time.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_59">59</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben is my right-hand man, whom I wouldn&rsquo;t
+part with for all the millions I own,&rdquo; Captain Eaton
+said proudly. &ldquo;He could build a space ship out of a
+safety pin if he had to. He had a big hand in designing
+the <i>Carefree</i>, and he knows every bolt and
+rivet in her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>It was interesting to Garry to hear that the captain
+was a millionaire. That probably explained how
+he could afford to take such a leisurely cruise
+through space in something akin to a flying palace.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;While Klecker and Ben are changing the water
+in this aquarium,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said, &ldquo;how would
+you like to meet the rest of my friends?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We would, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied, &ldquo;but are you
+sure you don&rsquo;t have things to do?&rdquo; It was hard for
+Garry to believe that as important a person as a millionaire
+would be willing to devote so much time to
+a couple of orphans who were lost in space.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Here my time is my own,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.
+&ldquo;Back home there were hundreds of little details
+that always had to be attended to, and as I grew
+older the grind began to keep me in a state of tension
+and boredom. That&rsquo;s when I made up my mind
+that I would spend the rest of my life the way that
+I wanted to&mdash;without constant interruption and
+without ever hurrying. I sold everything I owned
+and came into space. That was four years ago.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why are you so interested in space, Captain?&rdquo;
+Garry asked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_60">60</div>
+<p>&ldquo;In my early days I had a very keen interest in
+space travel. I became a space cadet, but after only
+four months&rsquo; service I was hurt, and my injury was
+such that I had to give up any thoughts of a future
+in the Space Service. But my keen interest in space
+stayed with me through the years, and I never gave
+up hope of returning to the spaceways. So, you see,
+my hope was realized, and here I am as carefree as
+the name of my ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then you never plan to return to earth, Captain
+Eaton, ever?&rdquo; Garry asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, I don&rsquo;t think so. In the first place, the <i>Carefree</i>
+was built in space and could not stand the atmospheric
+friction of an earth return. Of course, I
+could get back if I really wanted to. But I don&rsquo;t believe
+I want to. My simple life out here is very satisfying.
+I never had any children, and my wife is now
+dead. No, no close relatives. It takes a little money
+to survive out here and pay my friends aboard ship,
+but it does not take too much. Yes, this is the good
+life, and it is enough for me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As Captain Eaton paced the boys by a couple of
+steps, Garry had to marvel at the youthful stride of
+their host. His body was as lean and spare as a man
+half his age, and Garry was sure he must have kept
+himself in good condition all his life.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_61">61</div>
+<p>As the trio left the garden and moved into the
+next section, Garry and Patch heard a fine tenor
+voice singing a lusty aria from an opera. A quick
+study of their surroundings told Garry that they
+were in the galley.</p>
+<p>As the fragrance of good food reached the boys&rsquo;
+noses, they suddenly remembered how hungry they
+were. They hadn&rsquo;t eaten since they left the orphanage!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s Gino you hear,&rdquo; Captain Eaton explained.</p>
+<p>The boys presently saw a short, fat little Italian
+throwing a huge, flat wad of dough into the air. He
+stopped when he saw the boys and grinned so
+widely that his eyes disappeared and his mouth
+seemed as broad as that of a jack-o&rsquo;-lantern.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton exchanged names so that everyone
+quickly knew everyone else. Gino was the ship&rsquo;s
+cook, and his full name was Gino Spondini.</p>
+<p>Gino kept tossing the dough into the air, and
+each time he tossed it up it became thinner and
+bigger.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You <i>bambini</i> chose a good day to come to the
+<i>Carefree</i>,&rdquo; Gino said. &ldquo;This is a special day for
+good food, only once every two weeks, eh, Captain?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_62">62</div>
+<p>Captain Eaton nodded. &ldquo;Unfortunately, there
+isn&rsquo;t a grocery store just around the corner, and so
+we fill our food room and deep freeze only a few
+times a year from the commissary satellite which
+supplies food to all the manned satellites around
+earth. But when we do have an exceptionally good
+meal, we enjoy it even more.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what you&rsquo;re making, Gino,&rdquo; Garry
+said, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;m hungry enough to eat it raw.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Gino looked shocked. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t know pizza
+when you see it? Where have you been all your
+life, <i>bambino</i>?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gino makes the best pizza pie in the world&mdash;or
+should I say the best in the solar system?&rdquo; the captain
+said. &ldquo;Now, boys, shall we move on and meet
+the others?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They left the galley and proceeded on to the next
+section within the <i>Carefree</i>, leaving Gino singing
+another operatic air. The boys wondered if they
+could hold out until lunch time.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Up ahead of us,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said presently,
+after passing through a short hallway, &ldquo;is the dormitory.
+Since the dorm is used solely for sleeping, we
+made it small so that we could give more area over
+to the other parts of the ship where we spend more
+of our time.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry found the dormitory indeed small and
+quite simple. There were three-tiered bunks along
+the walls, with ladders leading up to the second and
+third levels.</p>
+<p>The captain smiled. &ldquo;Patch, you seem to be looking
+over those bunks carefully to see if you find any
+that aren&rsquo;t made up.&rdquo;
+Patch blushed. &ldquo;Yes, Sir. I was wondering if....&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_63">63</div>
+<p>&ldquo;If we have room for you two? Well, breathe easily,
+for we do have extras. The ship will sleep
+twelve, and special cots can be set up to accommodate
+more when necessary.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They look cozy,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;but how do you
+know when to sleep out here in space, without any
+real night or day?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We observe a twenty-four-hour day just as they
+do on earth. Scientists have found out that space
+travelers get along much better if they keep the
+same hourly habits to which they are accustomed.
+We even simulate the appearance of night, turning
+down the lights and observing quiet. You&rsquo;ll find
+out that you get sleepy at just the right time and
+that you wake the &lsquo;next morning&rsquo; feeling just as refreshed
+as you did on earth.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Suddenly, they heard a stirring in one of the top
+bunks. A deeply tanned man with a thick shock of
+auburn hair raised up sleepily.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, it&rsquo;s you, Captain,&rdquo; the man said with a yawn.
+Then he perked up. &ldquo;Who is it with you, Sir?&rdquo; The
+man&rsquo;s accent was a thick Scottish brogue.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We have guests, Mac,&rdquo; the captain replied.
+&ldquo;These are Garry and Patch. Fellows, meet Mr. McIntosh,
+pilot, navigator, engineer, and what have
+you. He likes to be called Mac.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_64">64</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Hi, fellows, glad to have you aboard,&rdquo; Mac said
+cordially, then yawned again.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sorry we woke you, Mac,&rdquo; the captain said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just about due to relieve Isaac upstairs, Sir.
+That&rsquo;s all right.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I was just showing the boys the ship. We&rsquo;ll move
+on so you can get dressed.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As they left the dormitory to pass into another
+hallway, Captain Eaton asked, &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve heard of
+Isaac Newton, haven&rsquo;t you, boys?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh yes, Sir,&rdquo; Garry responded eagerly. &ldquo;He
+was one of the very greatest scientists. He died a
+long time ago.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain winked at them. &ldquo;Well, we&rsquo;re going
+to meet him,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_65">65</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c7"><br />7. A SHOCK IN THE NIGHT</h2>
+<p>Captain Eaton&rsquo;s announcement that Garry and
+Patch were about to meet Isaac Newton, the great
+scientist, filled the boys with astonishment.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going back to the central tube,&rdquo; the skipper
+said, &ldquo;and from there to the navigation room.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They climbed a steep staircase, as they had done
+earlier. Garry felt the comfortable feel of artificial
+gravity leaving him as they went higher. The light-headed,
+floating sensation of zero gravity was returning.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_66">66</div>
+<p>The captain shoved a lever so that the central
+tunnel would start revolving. When a doorway appeared
+in the tube, the three climbed through.
+Then the rotation of the tunnel was stopped. The
+captain then led the boys along the stationary axle
+of the <i>Carefree</i>, in the direction opposite from
+where they had first entered the ship. The three
+pulled themselves along the webbing as their legs
+swung free, weightlessly. They reached a platform
+outside a door at the nose of the ship. Holding onto
+the platform rail, Captain Eaton fished into a cabinet
+built into the platform and came out with two
+pairs of slippers.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You can attach these magnetic-soled slippers to
+your shoes, fellows,&rdquo; their host said. &ldquo;Because of
+the zero gravity in the navigation room, we have to
+use gravity plates. The rest of us wear these attached
+to our boots all the time because we are always
+going back and forth up here, and they are
+light and comfortable.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>After the boys had donned the slippers, Captain
+Eaton pressed a button, the door slid open, and the
+three of them walked through.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch found themselves in a domed
+room, which had a wide front port that looked out
+into space. Below the port extended a long instrument
+panel, or console, with two seats in front of it,
+one of which was occupied.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This is the flight deck!&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the
+part that looked like a big eye on the front of the
+ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_67">67</div>
+<p>The pilot turned around in his swivel seat. He
+was a huge, muscular man with rugged features
+that suggested he might once have been a vigorous
+athlete.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Boys, meet Isaac Newton,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.</p>
+<p>Garry could not help but laugh, because this
+Isaac Newton looked nothing whatsoever like pictures
+of the great scientist. But then Garry remembered
+that he was being impolite, and he apologized.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; Isaac Newton said good naturedly.
+&ldquo;Everybody who ever heard of that scientist
+laughs. I&rsquo;ve been defending my name ever since I
+was a kid. That&rsquo;s how I got to be a professional
+fighter, which I was until I got tired of bashing people
+and the good captain took me on as his chauffeur.
+I stayed on with him, and he said I could come
+into space with him if I wanted to. I&rsquo;ve picked up
+navigation since I&rsquo;ve been out here.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How did you get a name like Isaac Newton?&rdquo;
+Patch asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, naturally my father was named Newton,&rdquo;
+Isaac explained, &ldquo;and he was also a science teacher.
+He wanted me to be a scientist too, and thought he
+was helping me by giving me the name of one of
+the greatest scientists of all time. But, as I said, I got
+into so many fights because of being teased about
+my name that I had more practice as a fighter.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_68">68</div>
+<p>He laughed, showing a two-tooth vacancy in
+the front of his mouth. &ldquo;Funny thing is that I
+might&rsquo;ve been a scientist if I hadn&rsquo;t been given the
+name of one!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>With that, Isaac Newton turned back to check
+on how the ship was running. The captain went
+over to converse with him, and this gave the boys
+an opportunity to look around the navigation room.</p>
+<p>Of particular interest was a huge chart on the
+back wall near the entrance. On the map were
+countless globes of various sizes, and running
+through the globes were long curving lines.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s that, do you suppose?&rdquo; Patch asked his
+friend.</p>
+<p>Garry looked closely at the printed names beside
+the round symbols.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hermes&mdash;Vanguard II&mdash;Adonis&mdash;Derelict Space
+Ship <i>Oberon</i>,&rdquo; he read. &ldquo;These seem to be objects
+floating about in space,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and the lines
+through them must be their orbits.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re very observant, Garry.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry looked back and saw that Captain Eaton
+had come over.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_69">69</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s exactly what they are, and we have to
+know exactly where each one of them is at all
+times,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;If we missed keeping up
+with one, we might run into a collision orbit with it,
+and then it would be quickly over for all of us. Some
+of the objects are asteroids, some man-made satellites,
+some large meteor fragments whose orbits we
+have already plotted. And a few are derelicts, or
+empty shells of what were once proud space liners.
+Any one of them could destroy the <i>Carefree</i> if it
+should hit us. In fact, a meteor as large as an orange
+could wreck us because of the terrific velocity at
+which it would strike.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee,&rdquo; Patch said, &ldquo;you must be anxious all the
+time about being hit by something.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No. It&rsquo;s a risk, of course, but space is so very,
+very huge that actually there is little chance of being
+hit by anything any larger than a grain of sand.
+But of course there is always the chance that someday
+the big, unexpected one will come. Still, we
+don&rsquo;t worry about it because it would keep us from
+enjoying our life in space.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton showed the boys some of the other
+things in the room. He explained the purpose of
+the various dials and switches on the console&mdash;facts
+that the boys would have given anything to
+know when they were so desperately trying to steer
+the space taxi. The skipper of the <i>Carefree</i> told
+them that usually there was only one pilot on duty
+but that, in case of tricky navigation or on other
+special occasions, both Mac and Isaac or Ben would
+be on together. The captain added that he was quite
+a pilot himself and liked to take over the controls
+now and then.</p>
+<p>Suddenly chimes were heard over a loud-speaker.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_70">70</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the signal for us to get ready for lunch,&rdquo;
+Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go, fellows, and wash
+up.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Tell Mac to shake a leg and get up here to relieve
+me, will you, Captain?&rdquo; Isaac asked. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m
+starved. It&rsquo;s been a long shift.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I will, Isaac,&rdquo; the captain promised, and pushed
+the button which opened the door.</p>
+<p>A few minutes later, Garry and Patch sat down
+to the best meal they had had in a long time. Not
+even Thanksgiving at the orphanage could beat
+this, Garry told his friend. The boys had their first
+taste of pizza pie, and they were hoping it would
+not be their last, especially if Gino was the one who
+prepared it. They were sure he was the best chef
+in all the solar system.</p>
+<p>After lunch the patient Captain Eaton spent most
+of the afternoon showing the boys more of the ship.
+They saw the gym and swimming pool and the library
+filled with many recording tapes and films.
+There were also books for those who preferred
+reading instead of reclining in a soft contour chair
+and listening to tapes over earphones.</p>
+<p>As they passed from one section to another, Garry
+noticed that the indirect daylight effect, that filled
+every part of the <i>Carefree</i>, was fading steadily but
+slowly. He asked the captain about this.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_71">71</div>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an automatic control that helps put us in the
+mood for night,&rdquo; the skipper said. &ldquo;Remember my
+telling you about how much better man works in a
+properly spaced twenty-four-hour day? Soon now,
+the main lights will be very low, with only an occasional
+lamp making things bright. It is just like
+the coming of night back at home. You will see.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The space travelers had only a light snack for
+dinner because of the big meal earlier in the day.
+Soon afterward, the boys began to yawn and get
+sleepy as they watched the artificial daylight continue
+to fade. They were looking forward to sleeping
+lying down for a change.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Your minds are telling you it&rsquo;s time for bed,
+eh?&rdquo; Captain Eaton said with a laugh. &ldquo;Well, so is
+mine. I still haven&rsquo;t shown you the observatory,
+which is my favorite spot aboard ship. But that can
+wait until tomorrow. Let&rsquo;s go to the dorm and get
+you two settled before the fellows in there are ready
+to turn out the lights.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys found all the people they had met today
+getting ready for bed. That is, all but two of
+them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mac is on pilot duty, isn&rsquo;t he, Captain?&rdquo; Garry
+asked. &ldquo;But where is Ben?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_72">72</div>
+<p>Captain Eaton was pulling off his shiny boots. He
+may have been the boss of the <i>Carefree</i>, with all the
+say-so, but he was not too proud to share the same
+sleeping quarters with those whom he called his
+&ldquo;friends.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There are always two on duty at night, Garry,&rdquo;
+Captain Eaton replied to Garry&rsquo;s question. &ldquo;One
+acts as pilot, while the other makes the rounds several
+times a night to be sure that the automatic controls
+are functioning properly. We all take turns
+sharing these duties.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When everyone had climbed into his bunk and
+pulled the covers up, Captain Eaton called out from
+his own bunk, &ldquo;Check?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>There came answering &ldquo;checks&rdquo; from all the fellows,
+and the next moment Garry found the room
+plunged in darkness.</p>
+<p>Within only a few minutes&rsquo; time, Garry began
+hearing the quiet breathing of those around him
+already in deep sleep. But he was too excited to
+drop off just yet. As he lay there staring into the
+darkness, he wondered if such a thrilling adventure
+as this could really be happening to him and Patch.
+Why, only a few hours ago they were in despair
+for their very lives. Now a whole new experience
+had been opened to them. It was almost as if the
+<i>Carefree</i> had been sent by Providence to him and
+Patch alone.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_73">73</div>
+<p>As Garry&rsquo;s thoughts roved, his eyelids began to
+feel heavy and the clutch of sleep was groping for
+him. He finally drifted off into slumber, only to
+wake&mdash;he didn&rsquo;t know how many hours later&mdash;with
+a parching thirst. He sat upright in his bunk and
+threw back the covers that cloaked him like a sweat-box.
+He found that he was breathing heavily and
+then suddenly remembered the end of a nightmare
+he had been having.</p>
+<p>As he sat in the quietness and darkness, he began
+to relax, and his heartbeats slowed to normal. But
+he was still very thirsty. He remembered that there
+was a water fountain in the hallway outside the
+dormitory.</p>
+<p>Slowly and carefully, so as to make no noise to
+disturb the others, Garry left his third-level bunk
+and made his way down the metal ladder to the
+floor. A dim night light, kept burning all the time,
+showed the way to the door. Garry pressed the button,
+and the door slid open silently.</p>
+<p>Garry went out into the faintly lighted hallway.
+He shivered as he made his way along the corridor.
+It was not that he was cold but that it was so creepy
+and lonesome with everything so quiet. The fountain
+was like a white ghost crouching against the
+wall a couple of dozen feet away. Garry made his
+way toward it. He leaned over it, pressed the lever,
+and felt the icy stream against his dry lips.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_74">74</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Boy, that&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; he said to himself, and he
+drank and drank as though he hadn&rsquo;t had water in
+all his lifetime.</p>
+<p>When he finally got his fill, he rubbed his sleeve
+across his mouth and turned to start back toward
+the dormitory.</p>
+<p>Then it seemed that all the blood flowed out of
+his head in one wild rush. His heart began to thump
+rapidly, and his legs went weak.</p>
+<p>It was due to a startling sight that faced him.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_75">75</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c8"><br />8. GARRY HAS A SCARE</h2>
+<p>A huge woman was lumbering toward him down
+the dim corridor. There was something strange and
+unreal about her face and her awkward movements
+that gave Garry chills.</p>
+<p>Garry started running. He slammed into the water
+fountain, bruising his side. But he kept moving,
+and so did the woman stalker.</p>
+<p>Garry knew that the corridor was in the shape of
+a square and that if he kept turning corners he
+would arrive back at the dormitory. He wondered
+why a woman should frighten him, and it embarrassed
+him when he thought what the others would
+say when they found out. But the creature was so
+hostile&mdash;and somehow monstrous in her looks&mdash;that
+Garry was sure she meant to attack him.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_76">76</div>
+<p>As he ran, Garry did not even look back to see if
+his adversary were still in pursuit. Finally, he turned
+the last corner and saw the dormitory straight
+ahead at the end of the corridor. He looked back
+around the corner in the direction from which he
+had just come. He&rsquo;d outdistanced her. She wasn&rsquo;t
+even in sight.</p>
+<p>By now his nerves were a little calmer, although
+his heart still drummed faster than usual. He began
+walking briskly, every now and then casting a look
+back over his shoulder.</p>
+<p>There was the dormitory at last. He felt a little
+silly now, as he reached for the button to open the
+door. He decided that he would not tell the others
+of his run and his fright lest they tease him about
+the incident. He would just tell them that he had
+<i>seen</i> the strange woman but would not reveal the
+embarrassing circumstances. He still wondered who
+she could be, especially since Captain Eaton had
+not even mentioned her before.</p>
+<p>Just as Garry pressed the door button, he heard
+a metallic clanking behind him.</p>
+<p>There was the woman, coming very fast, the dim
+lights revealing the dark hollows of her eyes. Garry
+saw her tight-lipped mouth, her hugeness&mdash;fully
+as tall as Mr. Klecker and almost as broad, it
+seemed.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_77">77</div>
+<p>The unexpectedness of it caused Garry to cry out
+for the first time. As the door of the dormitory slid
+back, he scrambled inside, hurriedly pressed the
+button closing the door, then sank back against it,
+panting.</p>
+<p>The bright lights went on in the room. Garry&rsquo;s
+eyes blurred in the sudden sharp brilliance. When
+they came into focus, Garry saw everyone sitting
+straight up in their bunks, their eyes squinting and
+staring at him in amazement.</p>
+<p>After a few tense moments, Captain Eaton asked
+from his bunk, &ldquo;Garry, what&rsquo;s the matter?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A woman&mdash;a big woman&rsquo;s out there!&rdquo; he
+blurted. &ldquo;She was after me!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry heard the men begin to laugh.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, that&rsquo;s Katrinka,&rdquo; the captain explained.
+&ldquo;She wouldn&rsquo;t hurt a thing. She <i>couldn&rsquo;t</i>. She&rsquo;s not
+<i>built</i> that way.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Not <i>built</i> that way?&rdquo; Garry echoed. &ldquo;What do
+you mean? She&rsquo;s built pretty strong I think!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton chuckled. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s a robot, Garry.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A robot!&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;So that&rsquo;s why she looks
+so different!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, I made her as lifelike as possible,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton went on, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;m afraid I&rsquo;m no Michelangelo
+as a sculptor.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You <i>built</i> her?&rdquo; Garry asked in surprise.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_78">78</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes. We needed someone to do our chores&mdash;you
+know, the things that men dislike doing in the
+nature of housework and cleaning up. But she&rsquo;s
+quite controllable, Garry. She wouldn&rsquo;t have
+harmed you. Something must have slipped in her
+mechanism so that she became activated. It happens
+once in awhile. I&rsquo;ll go take a look at her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have to go far, Sir,&rdquo; Garry said, rubbing
+away the sweat that had gathered on his forehead.
+&ldquo;She&rsquo;s right outside the door.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As the captain climbed from his bunk and
+slipped into his robe, Garry avoided the eyes of the
+others in the dormitory. He had done just what he
+had hoped he would not do&mdash;shown his fear of a
+harmless robot. He knew they must think him
+squeamish, but they were not laughing now.</p>
+<p>Patch seemed to have been the only one who was
+not aroused by the excitement. Garry could see that
+he was still asleep in his bunk.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton passed Garry, opened the door,
+and went outside. Garry followed a few steps behind.</p>
+<p>The robot still looked menacing to Garry. It
+stood, big and dark and unmoving, in the dimness
+of the corridor.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton faced Katrinka and spoke in a
+clear, loud voice: &ldquo;Closet! Closet!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry heard a humming sound coming from the
+robot. It shuffled about slowly on its ponderous
+feet and started walking away.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_79">79</div>
+<p>&ldquo;She&rsquo;s obeying!&rdquo; Garry gasped.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, she&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied.
+&ldquo;Probably just a crossing of the wires in her
+mechanical brain that activated her. Maybe a slight
+lurch of the ship did it. I&rsquo;ll look her over
+thoroughly in the morning.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see how you did it,&rdquo; Garry said, still
+amazed. &ldquo;How can a machine like that take orders
+like a person, just as if it had a brain like us?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Katrinka&rsquo;s brain is made up of electrical impulses
+in certain codes,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied.
+&ldquo;There is a code disk for everything that she is able
+to do. For instance, there is one for making up the
+bunks, every step in that operation. There&rsquo;s one for
+washing the dishes, mopping the floor, and so on.
+When I have the time, I make her even smarter by
+adding new codes and duties.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But all you said was the word &lsquo;closet,&rsquo; and off
+she went,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That was the code for her heading for the closet
+down the corridor where she stays when we have
+no need for her. When she goes inside the closet, an
+automatic switch will cut off her mechanism, and
+she will remain dormant until we need her. Just as
+if I gave you an order to go somewhere and your
+muscles would carry you to that place, so it is
+with Katrinka. The code words I give her activate
+the wires that control her movement in a certain
+way, whatever that activity is.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_80">80</div>
+<p>Garry nodded. &ldquo;I understand it, but it sure must
+be a complicated thing the way she works.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s complicated, all right,&rdquo; Captain Eaton
+agreed. &ldquo;Katrinka represents many years of scientific
+study, long before I ever thought of venturing
+into space. It was a hobby of mine, in between my
+duties as a teacher and head of a space shipping
+corporation. My first models were very clumsy and
+crude, but I have developed them over the years
+and have finally come up with Katrinka, my finest
+yet. Many people are interested in her&mdash;manufacturers
+and the government too.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The next morning Garry told Patch about Katrinka,
+and Captain Eaton gave them permission
+to watch him check out the robot.</p>
+<p>After breakfast the three went to the closet where
+the robot was kept. The captain pressed the door
+button, and the door slid open, revealing the hulking
+monster that had frightened Garry the night
+before. Even now, Garry felt chills along his spine.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton spoke one word, &ldquo;Follow,&rdquo; and
+then turned on his heel, heading on down the corridor.
+The boys tagged along and were amazed to
+see and hear Katrinka clomping behind.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;She <i>is</i> following, Garry!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_81">81</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Yeah, and I still don&rsquo;t understand it,&rdquo; his friend
+replied, with a shake of his head.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why, that&rsquo;s the easiest command of all I&rsquo;ve given
+her to do,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;The word &lsquo;follow&rsquo;
+activates a sort of radar device in her and makes
+her follow the closest moving object. I believe
+that was what happened when she chased you last
+night, Garry. Something slipped, causing her to follow
+that particular action.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain chuckled. &ldquo;She could have pursued
+you all night, but she never would have come
+closer than three feet.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The <i>Carefree</i>&rsquo;s skipper entered a doorway leading
+off the corridor. &ldquo;Here&rsquo;s my workshop. I&rsquo;ll have
+a look at Katrinka&rsquo;s workings now,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<p>The shop was untidy, cluttered from top to bottom
+with electronic parts, tools, and metal plates.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton gave Katrinka the command to
+stop and then with a screw driver removed a large
+plate from her back. He nosed about inside the
+robot for several minutes, making adjustments
+within the complicated network of wires and miniature
+parts. Then he replaced the plate.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Just a couple of wires got too close,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;She won&rsquo;t be chasing you any more, Garry.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a relief,&rdquo; Garry replied with a nervous
+smile. &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t want to go through that again,
+even if she <i>is</i> harmless!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_82">82</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll show you how I build commands into her
+system,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s have a simple
+command, fellows.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I know,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;Have her lift up Patch.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch backed off hastily. &ldquo;Oh no you don&rsquo;t!&rdquo; he
+objected.</p>
+<p>The master of the <i>Carefree</i> laughed. &ldquo;Be a sport,
+Patch. She&rsquo;s very gentle. She won&rsquo;t hurt you,&rdquo; he
+said.</p>
+<p>Patch thought a moment, then replied, &ldquo;Okay, if
+you promise it will be all right.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I promise,&rdquo; the captain said, and he set to work.</p>
+<p>He brought out tools and equipment of every
+kind. Then he removed some plates from various
+parts of the robot&rsquo;s body. But instead of tinkering
+around inside, as he had done before, he opened up
+a big chart and began working from it, using pencil
+and paper.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What are you doing, Captain?&rdquo; Garry asked
+after a few moments.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_83">83</div>
+<p>&ldquo;This is a map of Katrinka&rsquo;s system, like the diagram
+of a radio or TV,&rdquo; was the reply. &ldquo;I have to
+figure out what connections I must bring together.
+You see, I must give her several actions that make
+up the command we have given her. There must be
+the action of walking over to Patch, of bending certain
+parts that serve as her muscles, and finally the
+action of lifting him up. Then I must activate these
+through the use of spoken words.&rdquo; The captain
+worked for about an hour. The last thing he did
+was to take a small disk out of stock and drill holes
+in it at very carefully measured positions. Then he
+slipped the disk into place inside the robot.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now let&rsquo;s try her out,&rdquo; the captain said.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton faced the robot and spoke in a
+loud clear voice: &ldquo;Lift.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch remained where he stood, but Garry could
+see that he was a little nervous as Katrinka began
+lumbering toward him. The robot stooped over
+and lifted the boy in her big metal arms. She stood
+motionless, holding him in a firm grip as Patch began
+to struggle impatiently after about fifteen
+seconds.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Tell her to put me down, Captain,&rdquo; Patch
+begged.</p>
+<p>The captain winked at Garry mischievously. &ldquo;My
+goodness, Patch, I forgot to give her a command to
+release you!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch began struggling vigorously, but he could
+not escape the robot&rsquo;s iron grip.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, somebody, get me out of this!&rdquo; Patch cried,
+his face reddening from his exertions.</p>
+<p>Seeing that his fun had gone far enough, Captain
+Eaton barked out, as if he were a military commander:
+&ldquo;Atten-tion!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_84">84</div>
+<p>The robot&rsquo;s arms slipped straight down to her
+sides, and her body stiffened rigidly. Patch tumbled
+unharmed to the floor.</p>
+<p>Patch sat up. He turned and looked up at Garry
+and the captain. Fear still showed in his eyes, but,
+as he saw the playful smile on the captain&rsquo;s face, a
+grin spread over his own.</p>
+<p>The captain laughed out loud. Then Garry joined
+in.</p>
+<p>Finally, Patch himself began laughing, having
+enjoyed the harmless experiment even if the captain
+<i>had</i> played a little joke on him.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_85">85</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c9"><br />9. SATELLITE ZONE</h2>
+<p>Although Ben seemed to be one of the busiest persons
+aboard the <i>Carefree</i>, he still took time out to
+chat with the boys early that afternoon.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Have you been at the orphanage all your lives?&rdquo;
+Ben asked Garry and Patch.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Almost that long,&rdquo; Garry replied.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Our parents were good friends,&rdquo; Patch added.
+&ldquo;All four of them were killed at one time in a
+rocket-plane crash near Salt Lake City. We were
+only three then and were placed in the orphanage
+at the same time.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How long have you been in space, Ben?&rdquo; Garry
+asked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_86">86</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, about eight years now, off and on. I started
+when I was in my teens. I was a sort of cabin boy
+aboard the old Mars exploration ship, the <i>Jules
+Verne</i>. We spent a year there. Boy, what a life! It
+was like living in a deep freeze. Since then I&rsquo;ve
+traveled to Venus, Luna&mdash;the moon, you know&mdash;and
+there&rsquo;s no counting the trips I&rsquo;ve made among
+the satellites.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How did you get in with Captain Eaton and the
+<i>Carefree</i>?&rdquo; Patch wanted to know.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A few years ago I took time to go to school and
+learn space-ship engineering and design,&rdquo; Ben replied.
+&ldquo;My teacher was Captain Eaton&mdash;or Professor
+Eaton, as he was called then. He was also a
+millionaire and president of Space Shipping Incorporated.
+He helped build the sturdiest ships ever
+to fly the solar system. I graduated stone broke and
+had to go back to flying the spaceways.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I thought I&rsquo;d never be an engineer or designer,
+but then Professor Eaton got in touch with me and
+said he was going to design a space ship for his own
+use. He said I was the best pupil he had ever taught
+and asked if I would work with him on the project.
+Of course I jumped at the idea. We assembled the
+ship out here in space, and I&rsquo;ve been with him ever
+since.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Captain Eaton is a grand person, isn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo; Garry
+asked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_87">87</div>
+<p>A fond look came into Ben&rsquo;s dark eyes. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s
+the wisest, kindest, and most generous person I&rsquo;ve
+ever known or heard about. You may think he selfishly
+spends all his money for his own enjoyment
+as he cruises the spaceways, but that isn&rsquo;t the case.
+He gives far more than he spends out here to
+charities and churches back on earth. And he has
+built countless scientific libraries, but he&rsquo;s too
+modest to let them be named after himself.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The <i>Carefree</i> is such a big ship, Ben,&rdquo; Patch
+said, &ldquo;that I don&rsquo;t understand how it can be run by
+so few men.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s due to the captain&rsquo;s genius,&rdquo; Ben explained.
+&ldquo;Practically everything you can think of is automatic,
+and our batteries are constantly recharged
+by sunlight. Of course, once in a while something
+goes wrong, and we have to dock at a repair satellite.
+And we also have to refuel about every six
+months at a service station. But we don&rsquo;t use very
+much fuel ordinarily because we mostly just cruise
+about in the &lsquo;satellite zone,&rsquo; as it&rsquo;s called.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Ben had to go back to work, and the boys joined
+Captain Eaton in the library, where he was waiting
+for a TV newscast to come on.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch got the shock of their lives at the
+first feature to come over the telecast. For the subjects
+were <i>themselves</i>.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_88">88</div>
+<p>They quickly discovered that they were the most
+celebrated missing persons on earth. The orphanage
+had first reported their absence, and then Mr.
+Mulroy had given his version of their disappearance.
+It seemed that Mr. Mulroy was in very hot
+water because he had not made sure that the boys
+had gotten off the <i>Orion</i> before the blast-off. In
+fact, he was in such hot water that he faced court-martial
+unless Garry and Patch were found.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I guess the vacation is over, Patch,&rdquo;
+Garry said sadly. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t let Mr. Mulroy be
+court-martialed for what we did.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to tell them where we are, haven&rsquo;t
+we?&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;Although I&rsquo;d give <i>anything</i>
+to stay aboard the <i>Carefree</i>&mdash;that is, if Captain
+Eaton would have us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d like nothing better than to have you two stay
+on,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;But you must consider Mr.
+Mulroy and all the police forces who are working
+to uncover the mystery of your disappearance.
+Right, fellows?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, Sir,&rdquo; they both agreed reluctantly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We must make full use of the time left you to
+finish seeing the marvels of the <i>Carefree</i>. I said I&rsquo;d
+show you the observatory today. What do you say
+we go there now? I&rsquo;ve got some double-star photos
+I want to check on.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys liked the idea and went with their host
+along the zero-gravity tunnel toward the observatory.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_89">89</div>
+<p>The observatory was a &ldquo;bubble&rdquo; attached to the
+<i>Carefree</i>&rsquo;s center tube or axle, just a short distance
+from the air lock through which Garry and Patch
+had first entered the ship. The observatory was such
+that it never rotated with the tube or the rest of the
+ship. In this way its telescopes could always keep
+focus on objects in space.</p>
+<p>Three pairs of magnetic shoes clicked along the
+metal floor of the observatory as Captain Eaton led
+the boys to the reflector telescope, whose big six-inch
+eye was pointed out into space. Captain Eaton
+looked over a camera which was attached to the
+eyepiece of the telescope. Then he unfastened the
+camera and took it off.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The picture has been exposed long enough,&rdquo;
+the skipper said. &ldquo;It takes a pretty long time for a
+photograph to be made in the heavens, you know.
+But when you give it full exposure, it shows you
+much more than your naked eye can do.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry studied a satellite chart on the wall. &ldquo;I
+didn&rsquo;t know there were so many satellites whirling
+around the earth. So many different kinds and sizes
+too!&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, there are many more than one would imagine,&rdquo;
+the captain agreed. &ldquo;Here, let me show
+you some of them on the chart. The pictures you
+see are exactly the way each satellite looks, and
+they are all drawn in proportion.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_90">90</div>
+<p>Garry and Patch studied the chart with its multitude
+of different shapes and sizes. There were satellites
+that resembled drums and others like round
+balls. Some were torpedo shaped, and some were
+circular and flat like &ldquo;flying saucers.&rdquo; There were
+giant satellites, wherein people lived and worked,
+and many of them were in the shape of huge revolving
+wheels. Some of them had no regularity at all,
+appearing to Garry to resemble more than anything
+else huge space insects, bristling with antennas and
+sun mirrors.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As you probably know, fellows,&rdquo; Captain Eaton
+said, &ldquo;the Von Braun Space Station is our largest
+satellite of all. But there are a few others that approach
+it in size. For example, here is Quartermaster
+10, the biggest of the depot satellites that furnish
+supplies to men who live in the world of the artificial
+moons. Here is a big fueling satellite, and over
+here is another big one&mdash;Spaceharbor&mdash;which is
+really a network of smaller moons joined together.
+This is a shipyard satellite where space ships are
+built and repaired. The <i>Carefree</i> was built in Spaceharbor.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, with so many of those things orbiting earth
+every minute of the day, it seems that space ships
+are always in danger of hitting one of them,&rdquo; Patch
+remarked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_91">91</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That is a very real danger,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said,
+&ldquo;especially for us, since we usually cruise in that
+area above earth called the &lsquo;satellite zone.&rsquo; For this
+reason, every person on pilot duty is responsible
+for knowing the position of every satellite within
+dangerous range of the <i>Carefree</i>. This requires constant
+study and figuring of orbit paths. It really is
+the biggest job the pilot has to do, because generally
+the <i>Carefree</i> is on automatic pilot and runs itself,
+you might say.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What are some of these smaller satellites?&rdquo;
+Garry asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, there, there, and there are some of the observation
+satellites called &lsquo;Tiros.&rsquo; They are used to
+photograph part of the earth for different reasons.
+Some of the reasons are prediction of weather,
+mapping, and for military purposes to see that the
+countries of the world do not start arming themselves
+for aggression.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The Tiros moons were first put into orbit in the
+1960&rsquo;s, weren&rsquo;t they?&rdquo; Garry asked.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton nodded. &ldquo;Also these, Garry&mdash;the
+Transit satellites, which are used for navigation,
+both in space and on earth. This odd-looking little
+moon over here is one I&rsquo;m sure you&rsquo;ve heard about.
+It is WAS, which means weather-alteration satellite.
+Know what it does?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_92">92</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Sure,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s used to seed storm
+clouds with chemicals. If the seeding works, hurricanes
+and tornadoes can be broken up before they
+cause damage. I believe they were first put into orbit
+in the late 1960&rsquo;s.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Very good,&rdquo; the captain complimented. &ldquo;Of
+course there are many other kinds of man-made
+moons, some too technical to explain. But, in spite
+of their great number and complexity, each has its
+use, and they are a tribute to man&rsquo;s great achievements
+in the world of science. One of our big jobs
+aboard the <i>Carefree</i> is to see that they remain in
+orbit, doing their duty for the people of earth. If
+we should ever change their orbit, for instance by
+colliding with one of them, we not only would destroy
+their usefulness but we would, in all likelihood,
+destroy the <i>Carefree</i> as well.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry did not even want to think about the possibility
+of such a disaster.</p>
+<p>After the visit to the observatory, the captain
+asked the boys if they would care to try out
+the swimming pool.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, would we!&rdquo; Garry and Patch said together.</p>
+<p>A few minutes later, as they were heading down
+the corridor toward the gym, they passed Mr.
+Klecker walking along stiffly&mdash;in full dress of
+course&mdash;and carrying a stack of books.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hello, gentlemen,&rdquo; the tall man greeted them
+cordially, and the boys returned his greeting.</p>
+<p>As he passed, Patch whispered to Garry, &ldquo;Bet
+those books are about the circus.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_93">93</div>
+<p>Garry smiled and nodded.</p>
+<p>The boys had learned that Mr. Klecker had a
+hobby. He was very much interested in the circus
+of the old days. He had many books on the subject,
+and whenever he talked to anyone it was about the
+circus.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch had heard from the others that
+Mr. Klecker still looked after the captain as if he
+were serving him in his mansion. He would lay out
+his clothes for him and attend to other small details.
+Once in awhile Mr. Klecker would be called
+on to assist in things of a mechanical nature, but he
+hated to get out of his full dress and don greasy
+coveralls.</p>
+<p>The boys proceeded to the gym. They were anticipating
+a good time. But something of a decisive
+nature was to happen which would have an
+important bearing on their future life aboard the
+<i>Carefree</i>.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_94">94</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c10"><br />10. THE LADY GOES WILD</h2>
+<p>&ldquo;Beat you into the pool,&rdquo; Patch called a little while
+later.</p>
+<p>He dashed out of the dressing room and dove,
+with hands outstretched, into the water. Garry followed
+right behind, tumbling into the spray left
+by Patch&rsquo;s dive.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Say, this is nice and warm!&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;And
+we&rsquo;ve got it all to ourselves!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>A little way back from the pool&rsquo;s edge, Mac and
+Isaac were lifting weights. This exercise was to
+help them keep in good physical trim.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_95">95</div>
+<p>Garry and Patch swam and splashed to their
+hearts&rsquo; content. It was the most fun they had had in
+a long time. They knew no one would ever believe
+their story of swimming in a pool in deep space! It
+was almost too difficult for them to believe themselves.
+But they did not care if they were never
+believed.</p>
+<p>They frolicked in the water for about an hour
+and then climbed up on the pool&rsquo;s edge to catch
+their breath for a few minutes.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Boy, I could spend twenty-four hours a day in
+there,&rdquo; Patch said, flicking water from his face.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I could too, almost,&rdquo; Garry agreed. &ldquo;But I would
+be satisfied if I could spend twenty-four hours a
+day aboard the <i>Carefree</i> doing anything. Gee, it&rsquo;s
+going to be hard leaving here to go back to the orphanage.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Patch said sourly. &ldquo;Gee whiz, Garry, why
+can&rsquo;t they let a couple of guys live the way they
+want to?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We can someday, when we are old enough,&rdquo;
+Garry said. &ldquo;But the only way we could get around
+having to go back now would be for Captain Eaton
+to adopt us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Say, that&rsquo;s the answer!&rdquo; Patch replied excitedly.
+&ldquo;Why don&rsquo;t we ask him?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s as easy as that, Patch. In the
+first place, I don&rsquo;t think <i>we</i> should ask <i>him</i>. He
+knows how much we like the <i>Carefree</i>, and he may
+have thought of adoption. But he should be the one
+who suggests it.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_96">96</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Maybe we could drop a hint or something,&rdquo;
+Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think they&rsquo;d let him adopt us, Patch.
+Don&rsquo;t forget, when they find out where we are,
+they&rsquo;ll think we stowed away aboard the <i>Orion</i>,
+and that would ruin any chances we might have
+had.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But we didn&rsquo;t deliberately stow away!&rdquo; Patch
+protested.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I know that, but how can we get them to believe
+us? I don&rsquo;t think they&rsquo;d even consider adoption at
+this time, and I think Captain Eaton must feel that
+way too.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch sighed. &ldquo;Maybe later, then. Maybe someday
+Captain Eaton will want us back. Gosh, I hate
+to leave here, though.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Life won&rsquo;t be the same any more,&rdquo; Garry said.
+&ldquo;Nothing can ever be as exciting as the adventure
+we&rsquo;ve had.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They heard footsteps approaching and looked
+up to see Captain Eaton coming their way. Missing
+now was his usual sunny smile. He carried a piece
+of paper in his hand.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, fellows, the answer has come,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton said, and his voice was laden with dejection.
+&ldquo;I radioed that you two had been picked up,
+and they&rsquo;ve already replied.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry hated to ask, &ldquo;Wh&mdash;what did they say?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_97">97</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Just as I suspected. We must return to the Von
+Braun Space Station.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I was hoping we had a <i>few</i> more days at least,&rdquo;
+Patch groaned.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think that the sooner we straighten this matter
+out, the better it will be for everyone,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton replied. &ldquo;And another thing, you boys are
+still A.W.O.L. from the orphanage, you know.
+However, it will take a couple of days for us to work
+out a navigation plan and get a clearance approach
+to the station. Sorry, fellows. I wish you could have
+stayed on with us indefinitely, but....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As the captain&rsquo;s voice trailed off, Garry had a
+flicker of hope. The captain was looking at them
+as if debating something in his mind. Would he
+bring up the subject of adoption?</p>
+<p>But, saying nothing further, the captain turned
+and began walking toward the outer door of the
+gym.</p>
+<p>Then he seemed to think of something else and
+came back. The boys held their breath hopefully.
+Would he mention adoption now?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s something else they told me that I
+thought you&rsquo;d want to know,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;I
+told them the story of your being stowaways accidentally,
+just as you told me. They checked back
+and found that the elevator attached to the <i>Orion</i>
+was defective, as you said, and they are convinced
+of the truth of your story. As a result, Officer Mulroy
+has been cleared of any negligence.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_98">98</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad to know that, Sir,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>
+<p>Once more the captain left them, but this time for
+good.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, that&rsquo;s that,&rdquo; Patch commented unhappily.
+&ldquo;No adoption. When he came back I thought
+he....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I was hoping too,&rdquo; Garry replied, &ldquo;but we&rsquo;ve got
+to go back, and that&rsquo;s all there is to it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mac and Isaac came over, still breathing hard
+from their exercises.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We couldn&rsquo;t help but overhear the bad news,&rdquo;
+Mac said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to hate to see you fellows
+go.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, that&rsquo;s right,&rdquo; Isaac added.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;We were getting to
+like this old ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;In a way I&rsquo;d almost like to go with you,&rdquo; Mac
+said, with a faraway look in his eyes.</p>
+<p>Garry guessed that the Scotsman was a little
+homesick. His hunch proved correct, because Mac
+began to reminisce about his homeland. He described
+the heather on the hillsides, the flowing
+streams, and the green vales. And yet, Mac admitted
+finally that space was still a good second
+home to him, and he enjoyed his life in the deeps.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_99">99</div>
+<p>Isaac had no home he would rather live in than
+the <i>Carefree</i>. As he talked about his good friends
+aboard ship and the kindly captain, Garry noticed
+the softness of the big man&rsquo;s eyes.</p>
+<p>Garry had heard that Isaac was really quite a
+sentimental fellow. Whenever he learned of a
+tragedy over the TV, it would depress him. Later,
+the boys were to learn that Isaac had a secret
+liking for good poetry.</p>
+<p>Both Mac and Isaac seemed genuinely sorry that
+the boys were having to leave. It made Garry and
+Patch feel good that they were so popular, but it
+made them a little sad, too.</p>
+<p>The next morning Garry and Patch woke earlier
+than the others and were heading toward the washroom.</p>
+<p>Suddenly Garry stopped and caught Patch by
+the arm. &ldquo;Patch, do you hear that? There&rsquo;s noise
+coming from the laundry room up ahead!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch listened and heard the sound of splashing
+and a machine laboring hard.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s see what&rsquo;s going on!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_100">100</div>
+<p>Running, Garry led the way into the laundry
+room. But then he wished he had not been coming
+so fast. His feet skidded on the floor, that was covered
+with thick soapsuds, and he skated several
+feet forward on his bottom. Patch, coming right
+behind, could not help laughing at his friend&rsquo;s misfortune.
+But then he too went down and skidded
+alongside Garry.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, what goes on here!&rdquo; Garry gasped, trying
+to get to his feet. The entire floor was a miniature
+sea of soapsuds.</p>
+<p>In his efforts to get up, Garry&rsquo;s feet slid apart,
+and he hit the floor again. Patch had no better luck
+than Garry. When this happened, both boys broke
+into laughter.</p>
+<p>They struggled several times to their feet, half
+playing all the while, but did not succeed in keeping
+their feet until the fourth attempt. Then they
+held onto one another to steady themselves. Only
+now did they see what was causing the strange
+disorder.</p>
+<p>They looked over at the big washing machine
+against the wall and saw Katrinka standing over
+the open tank, pitching clothes right and left out of
+the machine and into the air! It was as if she were
+having the time of her life.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Look, Patch&mdash;Katrinka!&rdquo; Garry burst out
+laughing once more. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s gone crazy! Something
+must have flipped in her mechanism again.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The machine was still making mountains of suds,
+and they were flooding out of the top like a flow of
+white lava. Katrinka&rsquo;s metal wrists clanged against
+the edge of the machine as she went up and down
+with her flinging motion, making a rhythmic clatter.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_101">101</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, can&rsquo;t we give her some words to make her
+stop this?&rdquo; Patch spoke loudly to be heard over all
+the noise. &ldquo;She&rsquo;ll wreck the place!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I remember one of the commands,&rdquo; Garry said.
+Then loudly he called out: &ldquo;Atten-tion! Atten-tion!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;She&rsquo;s not paying any mind!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;She must be short-circuited again,&rdquo; Garry said.
+&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go for Captain Eaton!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I hate to wake him up after the hard day he had
+yesterday,&rdquo; Patch said, as he returned along the
+corridor with Garry, &ldquo;but this is an emergency.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>It turned out that they did not have to wake the
+captain. He met them, clad in his robe, at the door
+of the dorm, having already been aroused by the
+commotion going on down the corridor.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton yawned. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s Katrinka, isn&rsquo;t it?
+Ben set her for laundry duty this morning, but I
+guess her wires got crossed again.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_102">102</div>
+<p>The boys cautioned Captain Eaton to be careful
+about going into the slippery room. The captain
+promised he would be careful and promptly fell
+down as soon as he walked through the door. Garry
+and Patch tried to help the captain to his feet, but
+only succeeded in falling again themselves. They
+scrambled around, slipping and sliding. Then
+slowly learning how to become expert at moving
+about in soapsuds, they finally managed to stand up
+and stay up.</p>
+<p>Carefully, the three made their way toward the
+washing machine where Katrinka was still merrily
+flipping clothes through the air. But by now she
+was out of ammunition and was merely flailing her
+metal arms. The captain used the command, &ldquo;Atten-tion!&rdquo;
+several times, trying to stop Katrinka&rsquo;s wild
+actions, but he had no better luck with this than
+Garry had had.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton moved forward over the slippery
+floor and groped for the control knob on the robot&rsquo;s
+back. But then, losing his footing, he hung on
+to the robot to keep from falling again. This
+brought Katrinka crashing down onto the floor
+along with the captain himself.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch each offered the captain a hand
+and presently managed to get him upright again.
+Garry had a hard time keeping a straight face. Captain
+Eaton&rsquo;s face was red, and his beard was straggly
+and sudsy. His soggy bathrobe stuck to his thin
+legs, giving him the appearance of a saddened,
+snow-covered elf.</p>
+<p>In the meanwhile, Katrinka was still having her
+fun, swinging her arms gaily against the floor as she
+lay on her back.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_103">103</div>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to turn her over,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said,
+crawling nearer the robot. &ldquo;Be careful of her arms.
+She can knock you over with them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry thought he saw how the job could be done.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s both grab her right leg, Patch,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;Then we&rsquo;ll give a good heave-ho and flip her
+over on her stomach. Careful you don&rsquo;t slip.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They did as Garry had suggested, yanking
+fiercely on the robot&rsquo;s leg and flipping the metal
+creature over, face down. But the motion also
+brought Garry and Patch down in the soap again,
+this time getting the suds all over their faces,
+causing them to make wry grimaces and blow away
+the froth from their lips even as they laughed.</p>
+<p>But what was funniest of all to Garry was when
+he saw Captain Eaton suddenly see an opening
+and scramble furiously, on all fours, over to the
+flailing robot. He threw himself upon her back,
+fighting her as a cowboy would wrestle a steer. He
+finally subdued her with a turn of the switch on her
+back, which he was at last able to grab and twist.</p>
+<p>Worn out by his exertions, the captain simply
+flopped back on his hands in the soapy billows,
+sighing heavily. Then the good-natured man
+caught Garry&rsquo;s eye and smiled. The smile turned
+into laughter, and presently all three of them
+joined in.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_104">104</div>
+<p>The captain later determined what had happened.
+He found out that Katrinka, in doing her
+washing chores, had gotten water into her electronic
+parts, and this had caused trouble in her
+mechanism. Captain Eaton made the repair easily,
+and the robot maid was once more in proper working
+order.</p>
+<p>The boys were with the captain while he was
+making the repairs on Katrinka in the workshop.
+When the captain had put away his tools, he sent
+the robot on her way. Then he looked at Garry, as
+he washed his hands at the sink, and said in a sad
+voice, &ldquo;Fellows, I&rsquo;ve received a docking date at the
+Von Braun Space Station. We&rsquo;ll dock at 2100 tomorrow
+night. That isn&rsquo;t much time left, is it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, Sir, it isn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Garry replied unhappily.</p>
+<p>The captain did not look up again.</p>
+<p>Garry half expected him to say something else,
+but, instead, he remained silent. Garry tugged at
+Patch&rsquo;s sleeve, motioning for them to go.</p>
+<p>The boys made their way slowly toward the door
+of the workshop. As Garry pressed the button to
+open the sliding door, Captain Eaton spoke again.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Wait&mdash;just a minute.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys turned. Garry gulped. He could see
+the sadness in the elderly man&rsquo;s eyes.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_105">105</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Boys, I haven&rsquo;t told you how much I&rsquo;ve enjoyed
+having you with us for this short time,&rdquo; the captain
+said, holding his dripping hands over the sink, not
+bothering to dry them.</p>
+<p>Garry had a lump in his throat. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve enjoyed
+it too, haven&rsquo;t we, Patch?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sure thing,&rdquo; Patch murmured.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton continued: &ldquo;You two have been a
+great big lift in our lives. It&rsquo;s been so long since
+we&rsquo;ve seen young fellows, and you&rsquo;ve made us feel
+younger ourselves once more. I think you know how
+we feel about your leaving us. But I don&rsquo;t want to
+get sentimental about it and make you feel worse.
+So this won&rsquo;t be good-by. We&rsquo;ll see each other
+again&mdash;I know we shall.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry cleared his throat, trying to dissolve that
+lump. &ldquo;You&rsquo;d better dry your hands, Sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton smiled, reaching for a towel.
+&ldquo;Oh, of course,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll miss all of you very much, Sir,&rdquo; Garry said,
+before starting through the door. &ldquo;The <i>Carefree</i>
+has been like a home to us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys were silent as they went on to the
+dormitory. They were overcome by sadness at having
+to leave the ship and her friendly people.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_106">106</div>
+<p>As the boys were getting together the clothing
+and toilet articles they had been given, Patch remarked
+to Garry, &ldquo;Maybe the captain doesn&rsquo;t like
+us enough for adoption. He may not care for the
+idea of being saddled with us permanently.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I hope it&rsquo;s not that,&rdquo; Garry answered, &ldquo;but I still
+can&rsquo;t think of any other reason, now that the stowaway
+business is straightened out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch didn&rsquo;t answer. He had no explanation
+either.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_107">107</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c11"><br />11. A FRIEND IS LOST</h2>
+<p>That night, on their way to dinner in the galley, the
+boys were overtaken by the long-striding Mr.
+Klecker.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I heard you&rsquo;re leaving us, gentlemen,&rdquo; he said
+to them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, that&rsquo;s right, Mr. Klecker,&rdquo; Garry replied.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Too bad. I was hoping I would have the opportunity
+to talk to you about the old circus days.
+Yes, it&rsquo;s too bad.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Gino, too, showed how much he liked the boys.
+He baked them special pies and told them that
+they were his going-away presents to them.</p>
+<p>After supper, Patch said to Garry, as they were
+leaving the galley, &ldquo;Gee, they&rsquo;re not making our
+leaving very easy, are they?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_108">108</div>
+<p>&ldquo;No, Patch, they&rsquo;re not making it very easy at all,&rdquo;
+Garry agreed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not making what very easy?&rdquo; asked a
+voice behind them.</p>
+<p>They turned and saw the smiling face of Ben.
+Garry explained to him what they were talking
+about.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then I guess you don&rsquo;t want me to say I&rsquo;m sorry
+to see you go either, do you?&rdquo; Ben said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Of course we really <i>do</i> care,&rdquo; Garry admitted.
+&ldquo;But it makes us sad when everybody tells us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then, I won&rsquo;t tell you good-by, fellows,&rdquo; Ben
+said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll just say &lsquo;so long&rsquo; for awhile. Before you
+know it, you&rsquo;ll come back into space and find us
+still cruising through the deeps in the <i>Carefree</i>.
+Yes, we&rsquo;ll all be here.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It does sound better that way, Ben,&rdquo; Garry replied.
+&ldquo;But until then, we&rsquo;ll still miss all of you
+terribly.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll miss you too,&rdquo; Ben said quietly, &ldquo;but we&rsquo;ll
+never forget you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys went to bed with a feeling of melancholy
+that night, for this was their last sleep aboard
+Captain Eaton&rsquo;s wonderland space ship. The
+thought of leaving these good friends, possibly forever,
+brought a pang to Garry&rsquo;s heart. But no matter
+how sorrowful he felt, he was determined to be
+brave about it.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_109">109</div>
+<p>Garry fell asleep thinking of all the fun he and
+Patch had had in the brief happy hours of their
+stay aboard the <i>Carefree</i>. Since the time passes
+quickly during slumber, the boy expected he
+would be awake before he knew it on another quiet
+morning, and that very soon thereafter he would
+be bidding good-by to his friends as he and Patch
+made preparations for the voyage back to earth
+and the orphanage.</p>
+<p>But Garry woke far sooner than he expected. It
+was not morning, nor was it quiet; the air was
+charged with confusion and alarm.</p>
+<p>Garry was aware of bustling footsteps and urgent
+voices in the dormitory. His eyes popped open in
+the bright glare of the lights that had been turned
+on fully. He had a feeling that it was the middle of
+the night and not morning, although he was not to
+find this out until a little later.</p>
+<p>Garry sat bolt upright in his bunk. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s
+wrong?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+<p>Gino, hastily pulling on his shirt, paused at
+Garry&rsquo;s bunk. His eyes showed the anxiety he felt.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hurry and get dressed, Garry!&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You
+and Patch. We&rsquo;re in great danger. We&rsquo;ve got to get
+ready for the captain&rsquo;s orders.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_110">110</div>
+<p>Garry leaped out of bed, his heart thumping
+swiftly. The cold floor on the soles of his feet
+shocked him fully awake. He seized his peacefully
+sleeping buddy and yanked him without mercy.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch, get up! There&rsquo;s trouble&mdash;I don&rsquo;t know
+just what kind yet!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch&rsquo;s eyes were still drugged with sleep, but
+he struggled to a sitting position.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Trouble? Wh&mdash;what trouble?&rdquo; Patched muttered.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I told you I don&rsquo;t know, but Gino warned us to
+get ready for the captain&rsquo;s orders. Hurry! Everyone
+else is already dressed and out of the dorm!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch needed no more urging and popped out of
+bed. He and Garry quickly dressed and hurried
+out into the corridor to see what was going on.</p>
+<p>There was no one in sight. The boys went farther
+along. Then, at the foot of the stairs leading
+into the center tube, they heard excited voices.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Whatever it is, it seems to be up in the tunnel,&rdquo;
+Garry said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They hurried up the stairs. Reaching the top,
+Garry, who was in the lead, looked down the tunnel
+from which most of the sounds were coming.
+He saw Ben, Captain Eaton, Mr. Klecker, and Gino
+on or near the platform outside the flight deck, the
+door of which was closed.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch pulled their weightless bodies
+along the webbing of the tube. As they approached
+the men, they heard Ben saying:</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_111">111</div>
+<p>&ldquo;This is terrible! Poor Mac! And what&rsquo;s going to
+happen to the rest of us?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What is going to happen?&rdquo; Garry asked, as he
+and Patch came upon the scene.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton turned to them with a distraught
+look. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry, boys. If I had hastened to get you
+back to the space station promptly, you would have
+survived this&mdash;this disaster.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Disaster?&rdquo; Garry echoed, with a sinking feeling
+in his stomach.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; Captain Eaton answered, his voice shaking.
+&ldquo;Mac is already done for, and we shall soon
+follow after him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What happened?&rdquo; Patch asked Mr. Klecker.</p>
+<p>The boys could see pain on the men&rsquo;s faces.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The <i>Carefree</i> collided with an <i>Explorer</i> satellite,&rdquo;
+the butler replied. &ldquo;It destroyed the flight
+deck while Mac was on duty. It looks as if he had
+managed to close the door before he was swept off
+into space. The collision knocked us off course, and
+we&rsquo;re plunging into space&mdash;toward where, no one
+knows. We can&rsquo;t so much as lift a finger to bring
+her under control, and our antenna disk has been
+damaged so that we can&rsquo;t even send an SOS.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no!&rdquo; was all Garry could say, sickened at
+the sudden fateful turn of events.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_112">112</div>
+<p>Actually, he was thinking more of poor Mac than
+he was of their own grim outlook. He remembered
+how much the likable Scotsman wanted to return
+to the heather of his own land after his stint in
+space. Now he would never see Scotland again.
+Garry absently watched Ben squirting a thick
+liquid around the cracks of the flight-deck door,
+probably as a safeguard against air escaping from
+the ship.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben has been outside in a pressure suit to look
+over the damage,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.</p>
+<p>Patch turned away from the others, hanging his
+head in grief and despair. Captain Eaton put an
+arm around Garry&rsquo;s shoulder, but there was a helpless
+look on his face that seemed to show the uselessness
+of saying anything. Gino had lost his usual
+cheery smile and could only stare numbly at the
+closed door of the flight deck, where their friend
+had been the victim of such a cruel act of fate.</p>
+<p>Garry looked around at the ship&rsquo;s company.
+Everyone was accounted for except Isaac.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Where&rsquo;s Mr. Newton?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Poor Isaac is completely crushed,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton replied. &ldquo;He had just changed shifts with
+Mac at the pilot&rsquo;s chair only a few moments before
+the accident. He&rsquo;s blaming himself for the whole
+thing. It seems he overlooked the position of the
+satellite that hit us. He missed it on his last check,
+and Mac did not see it in time. Isaac&rsquo;s gone off
+somewhere.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_113">113</div>
+<p>It was indeed a dark moment aboard the once-happy
+vessel. Things had happened so swiftly that
+everyone appeared to be still in shock. No one
+spoke again for several minutes. Everyone just
+stood around idly, as if not knowing what to do next
+and not really caring.</p>
+<p>Ben was the first to try to rally everyone&rsquo;s deadened
+spirits. He had just finished sealing the cracks
+in the door.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be some time before we can tell which way
+the ship is heading. The collision changed our
+course completely. Even when we do find out,
+there&rsquo;s nothing we can do to control the <i>Carefree</i>.
+She&rsquo;s just a runaway. But I still think there&rsquo;s hope
+for us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>All eyes turned upon Ben questioningly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That flier you two arrived in, Garry,&rdquo; Ben continued.
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve only had a quick look inside it, and the
+console seemed in pretty bad shape from your and
+Patch&rsquo;s efforts to start the engines. However, if I&rsquo;m
+lucky and we have time before the <i>Carefree</i> hits
+another satellite or something, I may be able to fix
+it up so that we can escape in it.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_114">114</div>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s our only hope,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied. &ldquo;I
+suggest you get right on the job, Ben, and call on
+anyone you need to help you. Meanwhile, we&rsquo;ll
+sweat out the flight, although I must say I feel like a
+duck in a shooting gallery because of all the flying
+objects whirling out there all around us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If we are able to escape in the flier,&rdquo; Mr.
+Klecker said, &ldquo;we can use its radio to send for
+help.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Ben shook his head. &ldquo;The radio was removed for
+some reason. There&rsquo;s only the empty compartment
+it came out of.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>With faint hope of survival, some measure of
+good spirits was restored to the astronauts. Ben
+called upon Mr. Klecker to help him work on the
+space taxi, and Captain Eaton said he would go to
+the observatory to take a &ldquo;fix&rdquo; and try to determine
+the course the <i>Carefree</i> had taken.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have to change clothes,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker said.
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to get my uniform soiled.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Guess I&rsquo;ll go and whip up some breakfast,&rdquo; Gino
+said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s about all <i>I</i> can do, although maybe nobody
+will be hungry.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton turned to Garry and Patch before
+he left. &ldquo;I know it&rsquo;s going to be hard for you,&rdquo; he
+said, &ldquo;but try to feel hopeful about this situation.
+A terrible misfortune has come our way, but try to
+believe that things will work out for us. Chins up,
+eh, fellows?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He forced a smile. The boys gave him a brave
+smile in return, although they did not feel it any
+more than he had.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_115">115</div>
+<p>&ldquo;May we go with you to the observatory, Captain?&rdquo;
+Patch asked. &ldquo;Maybe we can help.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, if you like. I know how hard it will be to
+remain idle at a time like this. Let&rsquo;s go.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>In the observatory, Garry and Patch watched
+the captain at his telescope and other instruments.
+He worked for a little while, then turned away
+from his work with a brooding, disturbed look on
+his face. He stroked his neat beard. Then he worked
+again for several more minutes.</p>
+<p>He stopped once more, but then resumed his
+watching. He kept this up for some time, and, as the
+minutes passed, his face grew more and more
+serious.</p>
+<p>Garry was afraid to ask, but he felt that he had
+to know. &ldquo;Captain, is&mdash;is it bad?&rdquo; he said softly.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton shook his head grimly, the look
+of despair in his eyes.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You may as well know,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been
+hoping I was wrong, but now I know I&rsquo;m not. We&rsquo;re
+moving into the gravity field of the moon. My guess
+is that we&rsquo;re only a few hours away from collision.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_116">116</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c12"><br />12. A STARTLING DISCOVERY</h2>
+<p>This latest bad news filled Garry with a new dread.
+But he refused to give up hope. He remembered
+that Ben was working in the flier, trying to put it in
+shape.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Captain Eaton,&rdquo; he asked, &ldquo;do you think Ben
+will have the flier ready by the time we begin falling
+to the moon?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t even guess at that. If there&rsquo;s not too
+much wrong with the flier, he may get it repaired
+in short order. But a major repair&mdash;I just don&rsquo;t
+know. I guess the next thing now is to inform the
+men of our course and get Ben&rsquo;s estimate of the
+flier&rsquo;s damage.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_117">117</div>
+<p>The three of them joined Ben and Mr. Klecker
+in the flier a few moments later. The small rocket
+ship was still held fast to the bigger <i>Carefree</i>, their
+two air locks joined as if they were one ship.</p>
+<p>When Captain Eaton had told the men that they
+were headed for the moon, whether they liked it
+or not, Ben replied, &ldquo;Well, Captain, I suppose
+we&rsquo;ve just <i>got</i> to get the space taxi in shape in
+mighty short order. I don&rsquo;t imagine the <i>Carefree</i>
+will bounce very well on the moon&rsquo;s hard, rocky
+surface.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do you really think you can get it repaired in
+time, Ben?&rdquo; Captain Eaton asked gravely.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How much time do you think you can give me?&rdquo;
+Ben asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have to do some more calculating before I
+can estimate exactly how long it will be before we
+go into final fall,&rdquo; was the reply, &ldquo;but, offhand, I
+would say you&rsquo;ve got no longer than six hours.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Ben looked at the damaged control panel of the
+flier and shook his head.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Impossible,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;ll do it. I&rsquo;ve <i>got</i> to
+do it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Everyone on the ship will be at your disposal,
+Ben,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;Call for anyone and
+anything at all that you need in order to hurry those
+repairs. Ben, there&rsquo;s no one else I&rsquo;d rather trust with
+the lives of us all than you. You can&rsquo;t let us down.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_118">118</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That confidence means a lot, Captain,&rdquo; Ben
+replied, his expression showing the appreciation
+he felt. &ldquo;Mac gave his life for the ship. I&rsquo;d do no
+less if it meant saving the <i>Carefree</i> and all you
+guys.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I know you mean what you say, Ben,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton said, &ldquo;but we won&rsquo;t call on you to go that far.
+Just get the flier in shape so that we can escape in
+it and not share the <i>Carefree</i>&rsquo;s fate in crashing on
+the moon.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Ben shook his head sadly. &ldquo;I hadn&rsquo;t thought of
+the <i>Carefree</i> plunging to her destruction. But we
+<i>know</i> that&rsquo;s got to happen, don&rsquo;t we, because
+there&rsquo;s no way of saving her. Captain, this ship has
+become such a part of my life that I&rsquo;d almost want
+to go down with her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I feel the same way, Ben,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied.
+&ldquo;Life will never be the same again without
+the <i>Carefree</i>. I don&rsquo;t know how I&rsquo;ll get along without
+her deck beneath my feet.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If we get out of this alive,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker said,
+&ldquo;we&rsquo;ll just have to return to earth and spend the
+rest of our days there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s true,&rdquo; the captain agreed sadly. &ldquo;Even
+a millionaire is allowed a space ship as grand as
+this only once in a lifetime. I couldn&rsquo;t afford another.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Ben seemed to realize that precious time was going
+to waste as they talked, and he began getting
+his tools together.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_119">119</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I know everyone wants to help,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but
+I think that Kleck and I can work better together
+by ourselves just now. There&rsquo;ll be less confusion.
+I&rsquo;ll be sure to call on anyone else if he&rsquo;s needed.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mr. Klecker had donned some old clothes, but
+he did not look comfortable in them.</p>
+<p>Ben listed more tools and equipment he would
+need, and Captain Eaton gave the list to Garry.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Take this to Isaac, will you, Garry, and ask him
+to round these up as quickly as possible. I&rsquo;ve got
+to get back to the observatory and see how much
+time there is to zero hour.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Isaac has taken Mac&rsquo;s loss pretty badly, Captain,&rdquo;
+Ben said. &ldquo;Do you think he&rsquo;ll be working at
+top efficiency?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think it will do him good to have something to
+do,&rdquo; the captain replied. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll be of no use to himself,
+or us either, if he just keeps on brooding.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton and the boys left the flier and went
+their separate ways to take care of their respective
+duties. Garry and Patch went to the dormitory and
+found Isaac Newton sitting on one of the lower
+bunks, his head in his hands. They stood beside the
+bunk for several moments, waiting for Isaac to look
+up, but he did not seem to know that there was
+anyone else around.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_120">120</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Isaac,&rdquo; Garry then said, &ldquo;Ben needs a few things
+for the repair of the flier. The captain thought you
+could round them up for us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Isaac still did not look up.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Isaac, we&rsquo;re headed for the moon,&rdquo; Patch said
+urgently. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve <i>got</i> to get the flier repaired within
+six hours, or we&rsquo;re all goners!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Finally, Isaac looked up, his gentle eyes red. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s
+all my fault,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all my fault that Mac is
+dead! I didn&rsquo;t tell him about the satellite, and I
+should have. I ought to be shot like a soldier for
+neglecting his duty.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You shouldn&rsquo;t blame yourself, Isaac,&rdquo; Garry
+said gently. &ldquo;Anyone could have made the same
+mistake.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Isaac shook his head, as if pulling himself together,
+and held out his hand. &ldquo;Let me have the
+list.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He looked it over, climbed to his feet, and started
+out of the dormitory.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, he <i>is</i> taking it hard, isn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo; Patch asked.</p>
+<p>Garry nodded. &ldquo;I can imagine how he feels. How
+many times have you made a mistake that you&rsquo;d
+give anything in the world to correct if you could?
+But with us, our mistakes have never cost a person
+his life.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_121">121</div>
+<p>Isaac came back into the room. &ldquo;One of the
+things on this list is the sealer gun. It must still be
+up there by the flight-deck door that was sealed to
+prevent the air leaking out. Will you fellows get
+it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sure, Isaac,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;Come on, Patch.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As they pulled themselves along the center tunnel,
+Patch remarked, &ldquo;Isaac didn&rsquo;t want to go back
+up there. That&rsquo;s why he asked us to get the sealer
+gun.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re right,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;But it will
+save him some time just the same.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Reaching the platform in front of the flight deck,
+the boys stepped up onto the magnetized area. All
+at once Garry was struck by the awesome silence
+of this part of the ship. Along with this was the remembrance
+of the tragedy that had taken place
+beyond the door in front of them, and he had a
+lonesome, shivery feeling.</p>
+<p>Patch seemed to feel it too.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s hurry up and get out of here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s
+kind of spooky here all by ourselves.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see the sealer gun anywhere, do you?&rdquo;
+Garry asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No. Maybe somebody carried it away with
+them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>There was a well of darkness beneath the platform.
+Both boys glanced at one another. They
+knew that was the next place to look.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It may be down there someplace,&rdquo; Garry said.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll have to take a look.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_122">122</div>
+<p>&ldquo;How could it be down there?&rdquo; Patch argued,
+not enjoying the prospect. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no gravity here
+in the tube. Things don&rsquo;t <i>fall</i> in here like they do
+in the rest of the ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It may have been shoved off in that direction,&rdquo;
+Garry said. &ldquo;That could easily have happened in all
+the excitement up here. Time&rsquo;s wasting, Patch. If
+you&rsquo;re scared, I&rsquo;ll poke around down there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that I&rsquo;m exactly scared,&rdquo; Patch protested
+weakly.</p>
+<p>Garry held onto the railing and swung his feet
+off the magnetized-platform floor so that he floated
+weightlessly in the air. Then he began pulling himself
+down into the darkness, using the metal lattice-work
+that extended below the platform.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How can you see down there?&rdquo; Patch called
+from above. &ldquo;Want me to get a light for you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll feel around a little first,&rdquo; Garry answered. &ldquo;I
+may put my hand right on it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>With one hand holding onto the metal stripping,
+Garry fanned his free arm back and forth along the
+floor. All he felt was cold smooth metal&mdash;at first.</p>
+<p>Then, suddenly, he felt something soft to his
+touch. A chill raced up his backbone, ending in a
+prickle at the top of his head. He swallowed, then
+courageously began feeling around again on the
+object, trying to identify it. His hand touched flesh,
+warm flesh, and he could trace the outline of five
+fingers. He felt that chill again, but he fought to
+keep his nerves under control.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_123">123</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, What&rsquo;s going on?&rdquo; Patch called. &ldquo;Have you
+found something?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry pulled himself back up to the platform and
+hung onto the rail, shaking.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch said, &ldquo;you&rsquo;re white as you can
+be!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I found something all right, Patch. There&rsquo;s a
+<i>person</i> down there,&rdquo; Garry whispered.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_124">124</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c13"><br />13. ABANDON SHIP!</h2>
+<p>Leaving a bewildered and frightened Patch behind
+him, Garry left the platform and began pulling
+himself as rapidly as possible along the webbing
+of the tube toward the ship&rsquo;s stern. Reaching
+the observatory bubble, he went in.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Captain Eaton!&rdquo; Garry gasped. &ldquo;I think I&rsquo;ve
+found him! I think I&rsquo;ve found Mac!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain swung from an instrument he was
+using, and looked at Garry in amazement. &ldquo;You
+<i>what</i>?&rdquo; he cried.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_125">125</div>
+<p>Garry pulled himself into the observatory, the
+floor taking hold of the soles of his shoes by its magnetic
+attraction. &ldquo;Yes, Sir!&rdquo; he declared. &ldquo;Patch
+and I were looking for the sealing gun in front of
+the flight deck, and I found a body in the darkness
+below the platform!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton clicked across the floor and entered
+the tube. Garry tagged along behind, as the
+skipper of the <i>Carefree</i> set out toward the bow of
+the ship.</p>
+<p>A few minutes later, Captain Eaton was checking
+on Garry&rsquo;s discovery. Then he came back onto
+the platform, excitement showing on his face.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It <i>is</i> Mac!&rdquo; he burst out. &ldquo;His body is warm, and
+I think he may be alive! We must call some of the
+others so that we can get him up from there. In this
+zero gravity it will take several of us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch were sent by the captain to
+round up the others.</p>
+<p>Then several began helping to get Mac onto the
+platform. Of course he weighed nothing, but, in
+the zero gravity, the difficulty in moving him lay
+in the fact that the others could not push him without
+bracing some part of their own body against
+something. Otherwise, they would only succeed in
+pushing themselves backward.</p>
+<p>Mac was finally moved onto the platform and
+stretched out. He lay, suspended in air, a few inches
+above the platform. Captain Eaton looked at the
+Scotsman&rsquo;s eyes and tested his pulse.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_126">126</div>
+<p>&ldquo;His pulse is a little slow,&rdquo; he stated, &ldquo;but his
+color is good, and I think he&rsquo;ll come around pretty
+soon. That bad gash on his forehead must have
+knocked him out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They worked over Mac. Finally, he stirred and
+then opened his eyes. He stared as if unseeing for
+several moments, but then, as he began to recognize
+everybody, a weak smile formed on his lips.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What happened?&rdquo; he murmured.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know what happened, Mac,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton replied. &ldquo;Can you tell us? Can you remember
+what did happen before you blacked out?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mac frowned, as if concentrating very hard.
+Then his face relaxed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I remember,&rdquo; he said softly. &ldquo;I was near the
+door when it hit us&mdash;whatever it was. If I&rsquo;d been in
+the pilot&rsquo;s chair I would have been a goner. But I
+had gotten up only a moment before to check the
+chart. The door was open. I heard a terrific roar
+and saw the whole console burst into a sheet of fire.
+At the same time I felt myself being blown backward
+and right through the door onto the platform.
+I was dazed, but somehow I had the presence of
+mind to know I had to get that door shut or the ship
+would lose all her air. I managed to press the button
+and saw it slide shut. But then my head began
+to hurt terrifically and I felt dizzy. I reached out for
+the railing to hold on, but I guess I missed it then
+and unconsciously floated off to wherever you
+found me.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_127">127</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry found you,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;We
+thought you had been blown into space by the collision.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thanks, Garry,&rdquo; Mac said, winking at him with
+gratitude.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re just so
+glad to see that you&rsquo;re still alive.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mac, don&rsquo;t ever scare me again like that!&rdquo; Isaac
+put in, his voice shaky with emotion. &ldquo;It was my
+fault the collision happened, because I overlooked
+the satellite that hit us. I knew your death was on
+me, and I was so torn up I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;d ever have
+gotten over it. Thanks, buddy, for turning up as
+you did!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Forget it, Isaac,&rdquo; Mac joked. &ldquo;Maybe you can
+return the favor sometime.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They told Mac about the existing crisis. He
+wanted to do something to help, but Captain Eaton
+insisted that he go to the dormitory to rest. Garry
+and Patch went with Captain Eaton to the observatory
+to recheck and see how much time the <i>Carefree</i>
+had left.</p>
+<p>After another period of figuring and using his instruments,
+the skipper turned to the boys. &ldquo;I wish
+I had better news, but it looks as if we have less
+time than I had thought at first.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_128">128</div>
+<p>The boys returned with Captain Eaton to the
+flier. Isaac had taken over helping Ben, since he
+knew more about this kind of thing than Mr.
+Klecker.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton stood at the door of the air lock.
+&ldquo;How are you coming in there?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+<p>Ben gave him a report of their progress. The
+captain&rsquo;s face was lined and grave. &ldquo;You may have
+to do better than that if we&rsquo;re going to get out of
+this alive,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The moon is very close.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton and the boys spent the time that
+followed in the observatory dome, watching the
+steadily growing disk of the moon. It was like a
+mocking face in the sky, luring the travelers to destruction.</p>
+<p>No telescope was needed, for the big, rocky
+satellite of earth appeared to take up the whole
+heavens. Garry and Patch studied the knife-edged
+mountaintops, the dry, gray wildernesses that were
+once thought to be seas, and the mysterious bowl-like
+craters. Where would the <i>Carefree</i> plunge to
+her death on the fierce moonscape, Garry wondered.
+And would he and the others still be aboard
+her when she crashed? Garry shuddered at the
+thought. As Captain Eaton had said, Luna was now
+so frightfully close.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_129">129</div>
+<p>The captain made a final check of his instruments.
+Then he turned abruptly, heading for the
+door. The boys followed him out.</p>
+<p>In the flier, moments later, the captain said,
+&ldquo;Ben, we&rsquo;re in our last hour. How do things look in
+here?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry could see Ben&rsquo;s grimy, tired face turned
+toward Captain Eaton.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be close, Captain, awfully close,&rdquo; Ben answered,
+and immediately turned back to the network
+of wiring in the instrument panel.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Anything I can do, Ben?&rdquo; Captain Eaton asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Just hope and pray,&rdquo; was the reply. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;ll
+be all up to me now. It&rsquo;s a one-man job getting these
+wires hooked up.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We could take one last look around the ship
+during this last hour,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker proposed. &ldquo;I
+have some books I want to take along.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sorry, Kleck,&rdquo; Ben said, &ldquo;but we won&rsquo;t have
+room for them. The flier will be crowded as it is.
+We won&rsquo;t be able to take belongings of any kind,
+not even for survival, except for the emergency
+supplies the flier itself carries. The weight is that
+critical.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want a last look,&rdquo; Gino spoke up.
+&ldquo;Otherwise I might not want to leave the good old
+<i>Carefree</i>, even if she is going to crash.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_130">130</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Me either,&rdquo; Isaac Newton added. &ldquo;I want to remember
+her the way she was when all of us were
+very happy and really carefree.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;One thing about Patch and me,&rdquo; Garry put in.
+&ldquo;We came aboard without anything but the clothes
+we&rsquo;re wearing, and we&rsquo;ll be leaving the same way.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s one thing I surely hate to leave behind,&rdquo;
+Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;Katrinka. She&rsquo;s only a robot,
+but I&rsquo;ve had her for so long that she&rsquo;s almost like a
+member of the family.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>From now on, every minute was beginning to
+count desperately. Garry wished he could hold
+back the hands of the clock. He wished he could
+give Ben an extra hour. But this could not be.</p>
+<p>A little later there came the announcement
+that Garry had known must be coming finally. Captain
+Eaton had been in the observatory for the last
+time, and now he had returned with a final announcement:
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s now or never, Ben. Which is it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Ben straightened up, and there was a pleased
+look on his weary face. &ldquo;Just finished, Captain. The
+instrument panel isn&rsquo;t as good as new, but I&rsquo;m
+pretty sure the flier can be navigated by it, at least
+long enough for a safe landing on Luna. Come here,
+Mac. Let me show you a few things about the console.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_131">131</div>
+<p>Garry wondered why Ben was taking time to instruct
+Mac in the navigation of the ship. Why
+couldn&rsquo;t he do the piloting himself? Garry could see
+that Mac was a little puzzled too, as he went
+over to the instrument panel.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton was looking at his wrist watch.
+&ldquo;Ben, there&rsquo;s no more time. We&rsquo;ve got to get off the
+<i>Carefree</i> within five minutes, not a second longer.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>After a few more hurried moments of instruction,
+Ben said, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re ready, Captain. Everybody into
+the rocket.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Those who were not already in filed into the
+rocket and belted down into the seats. That is,
+everybody but one&mdash;Ben.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben, where are you going?&rdquo; Captain Eaton
+asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To check on the air lock, Sir,&rdquo; Ben answered,
+and walked through the flier&rsquo;s doorway into the air
+lock between the two ships.</p>
+<p>Mac had belted down in the pilot&rsquo;s seat, as Ben
+had asked him to do.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How are you going to ride without a seat, Ben?&rdquo;
+Mac called.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Everybody ready?&rdquo; Ben called from the air lock.</p>
+<p>All answered that they were.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Start the motors, Mac,&rdquo; Ben said.</p>
+<p>Mac started the rocket motors, at the same time
+calling, &ldquo;Hurry up, Ben!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry heard a whirring sound, and the outer door
+of the flier slid shut, with Ben still in the air lock
+beyond!</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_132">132</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, wait!&rdquo; Isaac shouted. &ldquo;Ben&rsquo;s in the air lock,
+and the door&rsquo;s closed!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>No one could do anything, for in the very next
+moment the flier kicked out violently sideways,
+bending everyone over in his seat. There was another
+jerk forward as the flier went into motion.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s happened?&rdquo; Captain Eaton called.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben&rsquo;s tricked us!&rdquo; Mac replied. &ldquo;He cut off the
+magnetic grapples from the air lock that held us
+fast to the <i>Carefree</i>. How stupid I was! He told me
+to take over while he checked on some last-minute
+things.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I see it all,&rdquo; Isaac added. &ldquo;If we check the
+weights we&rsquo;ll probably find out that we would be
+overloaded with one more passenger. Ben was that
+one more, and he chose not to come aboard rather
+than risk the safety of the rest of us!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; the captain said in a choked voice, &ldquo;it
+seems that Ben elected to go down with the <i>Carefree</i>.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_133">133</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c14"><br />14. FIRST HOURS ON LUNA</h2>
+<p>Ben lost to them!</p>
+<p>Garry could hardly believe it. Surely Ben could
+have found <i>some</i> way to save himself. Did he really
+have to make such a costly sacrifice?</p>
+<p>No one aboard the flier cared to speak for several
+minutes after Mac&rsquo;s tragic announcement. It
+had come as a devastating blow to all of them.</p>
+<p>Finally, Isaac broke the solemn quiet: &ldquo;It won&rsquo;t
+be the same with good old Ben gone. He was a
+smart, brave guy. I&rsquo;d like to have an ounce of all the
+scientific and mechanical knowledge he had.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_134">134</div>
+<p>They had been so concerned over Ben&rsquo;s fate that
+they had almost overlooked the fact that the rocky
+wilderness of the moon was staring them in the
+face; that in a few moments the flier would be either
+touching down on her surface or crashing along
+with the <i>Carefree</i> and Ben, her only human occupant.</p>
+<p>Mac was guiding the craft into a slowly descending
+spiral. This would give the flier&rsquo;s braking rockets
+time to reduce speed to safe level for the touchdown.</p>
+<p>The <i>Carefree</i> was not in sight, although Garry
+searched the starry sky through the plastic walls of
+the flier. He was glad he could not find her. He
+would not have liked to see her crash.</p>
+<p>Down below, Garry could see the huge dish of a
+giant crater. It was within this area that Mac was
+circling. As if anticipating Garry&rsquo;s question, Mac
+explained: &ldquo;Ben suggested that we try landing on
+the floor of this crater, which is called Hornfield.
+It was discovered by a lunar explorer in 1983. It is
+supposed to be covered by several inches of pumice
+dust, and that may help to break our fall if we
+make a bad touchdown.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>From high up, the walls of the crater did not appear
+very impressive, but as the flier spiraled lower,
+they looked like lofty battlements of ancient castles.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_135">135</div>
+<p>As they dipped lower still, Garry watched those
+grim crater walls close in around the small space
+craft. Spread out below was the ocean of gray dust
+that carpeted the crater floor. Part way up, above
+the horizon, was seen the distant globe of earth. It
+cast ghostly greenish shadows around the walls,
+pits, and rock formations. This was the two-week
+period of night on Luna, and the temperature down
+there, in a nearly airless atmosphere, Garry knew,
+was more than two hundred degrees below zero.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Everyone make sure his restraining belts are
+tight,&rdquo; Mac called. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re about to touchdown.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The ground rushed up to meet them, as Garry
+felt himself tipped forward in his seat. The belly of
+the little flier skimmed the ocean of dust, sending it
+up in a giant cloud along both sides of the craft. The
+flier continued to plow along through the pumice
+until friction finally brought it to a halt.</p>
+<p>It was strange being still again, Garry thought.
+Another strange feeling was the gravity pull of the
+moon, which he knew to be only one sixth as strong
+as that of earth.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Is everybody all right?&rdquo; Captain Eaton asked.</p>
+<p>No one said that he <i>wasn&rsquo;t</i> all right. Garry and
+Patch began unfastening their restraining belts, as
+did the others.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton was the first to his feet. He moved
+over to the window with a strange floating sort of
+step owing to his reduced moon weight. Then he
+looked out.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Where are we, Mac?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_136">136</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Inside the Hornfield crater,&rdquo; Mac answered.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Are there any settlements close by?&rdquo; the captain
+asked. &ldquo;Anybody who can come to our rescue?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;About twenty-five miles to the southwest, captain,&rdquo;
+Mac answered. &ldquo;Ben told me just where it
+was and advised me to land as close to it as possible.
+I thought this was as close as we dared approach,
+because the ground is treacherous between
+Hornfield and the settlement.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What sort of settlement is it, Mac?&rdquo; Isaac asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;An oxygen-mining outfit in the Taurus Mountains.
+They&rsquo;re mining for ore rich in oxygen to provide
+pressurized air for the underground terminal
+of Luna City, five hundred miles farther to the
+south. Ben said he thought they would have fliers
+that could get here in a short time as soon as they
+got our radio message.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But we don&rsquo;t have any radio,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes we do, and we can thank the flier&rsquo;s lifesaving
+equipment for that,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.</p>
+<p>He went to a cabinet built into the wall and
+pulled out an oblong box. On the top of it were the
+words: &ldquo;SOS Automatic Transmitter.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You mean that was in the flier all this time and
+that we could have used it earlier ourselves?&rdquo; Garry
+asked in surprise.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, you could have,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_137">137</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m familiar with this transmitter,&rdquo; the captain
+went on. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s get the radio kit down.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When this was done, Captain Eaton donned one
+of the two space suits which the flier carried. When
+he was dressed, he entered the flier&rsquo;s air lock, carrying
+the radio kit. Those inside the ship watched
+Captain Eaton walk about fifty feet from the flier
+and open the box containing the transmitter.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, why does he have to open it up out there?&rdquo;
+Patch wanted to know. &ldquo;Couldn&rsquo;t he transmit from
+inside the ship just as easy?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, not nearly as well,&rdquo; Mac explained. &ldquo;Just
+watch, and you&rsquo;ll see why!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton took some things out of the box,
+and then, after tinkering with them for a few minutes,
+he set the transmitter in the pumice dust and
+ran back toward the flier as if he had just lighted a
+bomb fuse. A few seconds later the boys were surprised
+to see something resembling a giant snake
+spring from the ground beside the transmitter and
+extend straight up in the dark sky!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What in the world was that?&rdquo; Patch asked in
+amazement.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the antenna for the transmitter, isn&rsquo;t it,
+Mac?&rdquo; Garry asked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_138">138</div>
+<p>Mac nodded. &ldquo;That long ropelike thing is hollow,
+and the antenna is in the middle of it. Captain
+Eaton released a switch that caused the casing to
+fill with compressed air, and that is what keeps it
+extended into the sky. That gives us a much better
+antenna than we could possibly have in here. Also,
+being as tall as it is, the radio waves leaving it can
+travel great distances and cross high places which
+they could not do if it were short. Understand?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys nodded.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The transmitter is a very light and simple one,&rdquo;
+Mac went on. &ldquo;All it can do is send out an SOS signal
+from time to time; it can&rsquo;t transmit words. Yet
+whoever picks it up can easily trace it. I hope our
+signal will carry as far as the mining settlement and
+that there&rsquo;s no interference between to block our
+radio waves. Those mountains could block the
+waves.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How long do you think we can hold out, just in
+case our rescue is slow in coming?&rdquo; Garry asked
+Mac.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If we carefully ration food, water, and air, I&rsquo;d
+say we could last about five days, earth time,&rdquo; Mac
+replied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m pretty sure the captain will start rationing
+right away, just to make sure, but I can&rsquo;t
+see any reason why we won&rsquo;t see a rescue flier
+heading this way pretty soon, certainly by tomorrow.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton presently came back inside and
+began taking off his space suit.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_139">139</div>
+<p>&ldquo;If we get out of this alive, we&rsquo;ll owe it all to
+Ben,&rdquo; Isaac remarked.</p>
+<p>Garry noticed the sudden sadness on the faces of
+the others at the mention of Ben&rsquo;s name. Presently,
+everyone in turn began saying something good
+about their friend; that is, everyone except Captain
+Eaton, whom Garry knew had been closer to
+Ben than any of the others.</p>
+<p>The captain was still plainly too broken up to say
+anything about Ben at this time. He just quietly finished
+removing his pressure-suit gear, and Garry
+could see the tragedy in his eyes. Garry was glad
+when Captain Eaton changed the subject, because
+he himself had grown very fond of the brilliant
+young spaceman.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We should take inventory of our stock,&rdquo; the captain
+was saying, &ldquo;and then start a rationing schedule.
+We can&rsquo;t be sure how long we&rsquo;ll have to wait
+before help comes. I don&rsquo;t want to alarm everybody,
+but there&rsquo;s always the possibility of radioactivity
+or mineral deposits in the hills beyond the
+crater which would keep our SOS from going
+through. The moon is full of those things.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mac&rsquo;s prediction as to how long the food and water
+would last turned out to be fairly close, although
+it turned out to be four days instead of five. No one
+expected the fourth day to roll around with their
+still being trapped in the flier, but Captain Eaton
+was playing safe, as Mac had said he probably
+would do.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_140">140</div>
+<p>Those who had invented the equipment making
+up the escape flier&rsquo;s emergency kit had seemingly
+thought of everything to ease the plight of those
+trapped on strange planets. They had not overlooked
+the boredom of those awaiting rescue. There
+was a special cabinet containing tiny games, and
+there were also miniature books.</p>
+<p>When the inventory was completed and everything
+was done that could be done, Captain Eaton
+distributed the games and books, and everyone settled
+down in the flight chairs.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t so bad,&rdquo; Isaac said, sighing and
+stretching out comfortably with one of the little
+books. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always wanted to read this book on
+great poetry, but up to now I just haven&rsquo;t had the
+time because it&rsquo;s so long. It looks like I&rsquo;ve finally
+gotten my chance to read it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There aren&rsquo;t any books about the circus,&rdquo; Mr.
+Klecker said disappointedly. &ldquo;I guess I&rsquo;ll just have
+to settle for what&rsquo;s left.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The butler straightened his bow tie. He had
+changed back into his full dress after Isaac had
+taken over as Ben&rsquo;s helper.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_141">141</div>
+<p>Garry and Patch started a game of chess, and the
+rest of the <i>Carefree</i>&rsquo;s passengers took whatever
+game or book interested them. Except for the sadness
+of Ben&rsquo;s not being with them, Garry noticed
+that there was an air of contentment and optimism
+on the part of everyone.</p>
+<p>Later, he was to be glad that he did not have the
+talent of seeing into the future, for if those who
+were so relaxed now in their cozy hideaway on the
+dark moon had only known what was in store for
+them, they would not have been in the mood for
+enjoying <i>anything</i> at this moment.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_142">142</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c15"><br />15. A DARK OUTLOOK</h2>
+<p>The idea of stretching out comfortably with a good
+book and plenty of spare time did not seem so satisfying
+after several hours. After this period, everyone
+began to get restless, with a desire to get up
+and stretch his legs, as they could have done if
+they were back on the <i>Carefree</i>.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I know how you feel, fellows,&rdquo; Captain Eaton
+said sympathetically, as he noticed how tired everyone
+had become of just sitting around. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to
+take a romp myself outside in a space suit, but without
+knowing how soon we&rsquo;ll be rescued and having
+no surplus of supplies, I don&rsquo;t think we should
+use up our oxygen that fast. Everyone agree?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Everyone did.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_143">143</div>
+<p>Then to while away the hours that were beginning
+to drag slowly along, the captain suggested
+that they talk among themselves and exchange stories.
+This activity occupied the group for some time.
+Garry was glad that poor Ben was not mentioned
+again to further depress everyone.</p>
+<p>Finally, all became &ldquo;talked out,&rdquo; just as they had
+become &ldquo;read out&rdquo; before that. And by this time
+some were ready for a nap and began dozing in
+their seats.</p>
+<p>Garry watched the captain settle back in his seat,
+sighing tiredly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I suppose I should be grateful for being alive,&rdquo;
+he said, &ldquo;but I feel almost as if I had died myself.
+Yes, this is a sad day for an old man who has lost at
+the same time the dearest things to his heart&mdash;one
+of his best friends and a funny-looking space ship
+that had come to be even homier than his earthly
+home.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry noticed how much the conversation kept
+returning to Ben. He guessed that the unselfish
+spaceman would be on their minds for a long time
+to come.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I wonder where they went down, Captain?&rdquo;
+Mac asked. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t even see the <i>Carefree</i>, once
+Ben cut us free.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_144">144</div>
+<p>&ldquo;None of us saw her,&rdquo; the captain replied, &ldquo;and
+I&rsquo;m glad. I hope they never find her remains on the
+moon, because I would feel compelled to go to the
+site of the crash and I would not want to do that.
+No, it&rsquo;s better this way.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Before long, someone mentioned food. There
+was some mild enthusiasm from the others, but not
+much. Everyone knew that all there was to eat were
+capsules that would provide nourishment but little
+enjoyment.</p>
+<p>Gino made a face when the capsule bottle was
+passed to him and he shook two of the pellets out
+into his hand.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To think that I would ever have to make a meal
+of these things,&rdquo; he said sadly, &ldquo;I, who at one time
+or another, have served up the grandest dishes ever
+put together.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>All ate silently. Since the additional talk about
+Ben, it was as if cold water had been poured over
+their spirits.</p>
+<p>After the brief meal the captain suggested that
+the lights be turned down and everyone try to get a
+&ldquo;night&rdquo; of sleep.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think all of us are brain fagged and bored after
+all that has happened,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Maybe there&rsquo;ll be
+someone knocking on our air-lock door before we
+wake up.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>No one objected to the idea, as it seemed to be
+the only thing left for them to do.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_145">145</div>
+<p>When everyone was settled down for the &ldquo;night,&rdquo;
+Captain Eaton cut off all lights within the flier. It
+was still not very dark in the flier because outdoors
+it was brighter than the brightest moonlight night
+on earth, owing to the brilliant glow of earthshine.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If our rescuers do not show up some time tomorrow,&rdquo;
+Captain Eaton said, &ldquo;we had better start cutting
+back on our battery power. That will mean no
+lights inside, except use of the flashlight in the cabinet,
+and less warmth. I have a feeling that our batteries
+will play out before any of our other supplies
+do.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When Garry woke the next &ldquo;morning,&rdquo; he heard
+some of the others stirring about. Patch was standing
+over him with two tablets and Garry&rsquo;s personal
+water bottle which squeezed the liquid into one&rsquo;s
+mouth.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s this?&rdquo; Garry mumbled. &ldquo;Time for my
+medicine?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Medicine nothing,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;This, son, is
+breakfast. Or would you prefer nice crisp bacon
+and fluffy scrambled eggs?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Aw, Patch, cut it out,&rdquo; Garry pleaded. &ldquo;You
+don&rsquo;t have to make this any tougher than it is!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry took the food pills, chewing them slowly
+to get what little flavor there was in them. Then he
+finished off with the water, which was little more
+than enough to wet his throat.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, the captain has really rationed the water,
+hasn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo; Garry whispered.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_146">146</div>
+<p>&ldquo;He cut it back even further this morning,&rdquo; Patch
+replied. &ldquo;Know why? Because nobody came knocking
+on our air lock as he had hoped maybe they
+would. On top of that, I heard him say he was going
+to run another close inventory on all our life-supporting
+items to see how much is left.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gosh, do you think he&rsquo;s afraid <i>no</i> one will be
+knocking any time soon?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Patch replied, &ldquo;but he has been
+frowning quite a bit this morning.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain presently made it clear to all why he
+had been doing so much frowning.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Frankly,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I thought those people at the
+mining settlement would have had plenty of time
+while we slept to pay us a visit. If our SOS reached
+them soon after we began sending, as it should
+have, they should have had a flier over here within
+a few hours&rsquo; time. Our chief essentials for staying
+alive are our food, water, air, and power supply
+which is necessary to keep us warm. It&rsquo;s several
+hundred degrees below zero outside, in case you
+haven&rsquo;t thought about it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They took another inventory, and the results were
+not very heartening.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_147">147</div>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re using up much too much of our battery
+power,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the weakest
+link in our chain of existence. I didn&rsquo;t realize that
+yesterday when we had the lights on for reading.
+From now on until someone comes, we&rsquo;ll have to do
+without light altogether except when necessary.
+That means we&rsquo;ll have to do our reading by earthshine
+and our one flashlight. We may have some
+strained eyes, but that&rsquo;s the best we can do. We&rsquo;ll
+also have to reduce our heat a little to save on power
+that way too.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Captain, do you think we should check the condition
+of the battery in the outside transmitter?&rdquo;
+Isaac asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s supposed to have a useful life of seventy-two
+hours, operating automatically for a few minutes
+every half hour,&rdquo; the captain said, &ldquo;but the battery
+may have lost a lot of its power in storage. I
+think it would be a good idea to check it. It has a
+test meter on it, Isaac.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll go out and check it, Captain,&rdquo; Isaac said.</p>
+<p>When he had pulled on one of the space suits,
+Isaac checked the air and pressure and went outside.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch watched him move in a light-footed
+gliding motion toward the spot where the
+antenna had been set up. He spent several minutes
+with the rig and then came back into the flier.</p>
+<p>As he lifted his helmet off, he said with a shake
+of his head, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s quit sending, Captain. You were
+right. The battery must have been in bad shape to
+start with.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_148">148</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Not sending,&rdquo; Captain Eaton muttered to himself,
+a dark worried frown on his face. &ldquo;That means
+that if our SOS was not picked up earlier, it never
+will be, and no one will know where we are.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry&rsquo;s heart chilled at hearing this. What the
+captain really meant, but did not say, was that they
+were doomed to a slow death as their heat and air
+were depleted and they froze in the moon&rsquo;s incredible
+cold. That would happen long before their food
+and water gave out.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton placed a fatherly arm around each
+of the boys and said, &ldquo;Fellows, I wish there were
+something I could do. Believe me, if I could give
+my life to save you two, as Ben did, I would gladly
+do it. Do you believe that?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, Sir, I do believe it,&rdquo; Garry answered sincerely.
+&ldquo;But can&rsquo;t we really do something&mdash;anything
+at all? It&mdash;it&rsquo;s better than waiting, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re trembling, both of you,&rdquo; the captain said,
+&ldquo;and I can&rsquo;t blame you. If it&rsquo;s any comfort to you, I
+think you&rsquo;re the bravest two boys I ever knew. I
+would have been proud to have had a couple of
+sons like you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain pressed their arms affectionately.
+Garry knew how he felt about his helplessness to do
+anything.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_149">149</div>
+<p>&ldquo;You ask if there&rsquo;s anything we could do,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton said. &ldquo;Of course we&rsquo;re not giving up
+hope completely at this early stage, but things do
+look bad. We could ration ourselves severely and
+maybe prolong our existence a few days, but after
+that....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry finished the gloomy sentence in his own
+mind.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_150">150</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c16"><br />16. A SAD PARTING</h2>
+<p>They <i>did</i> wait&mdash;all the long day to follow.</p>
+<p>And in all that time, no one came.</p>
+<p>They did the same things that they had done the
+day before&mdash;reading by the light of the earth,
+which they feared they would never see again;
+reading until their eyes blurred and the battery had
+gone dead in their only flashlight.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch did not read much. Instead,
+they spent most of their time looking out over the
+cold gray dust, and up into the black sky, looking
+hopefully for some moving object against the bleak
+wilderness and wanting to be the first to spot it
+should it appear. But it never appeared, and bed-time
+came, but no one was in the spirit for sleep.
+And yet, since there was little else to do, everyone
+prepared for bed.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_151">151</div>
+<p>Garry and Patch lay awake in their adjoining
+seats, talking in low voices to each other.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, we&rsquo;ve been through a lot of close calls
+since we left the orphanage,&rdquo; Patch was saying,
+&ldquo;but this looks like <i>it</i>, doesn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know, Patch. I just don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; his
+friend replied with a troubled sigh. &ldquo;It sure doesn&rsquo;t
+look good. I won&rsquo;t ever really give up hope, though.
+There&rsquo;s still a chance that a rescue ship will come&mdash;maybe
+during the night.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But what if it doesn&rsquo;t?&rdquo; Patch asked. &ldquo;What if it
+doesn&rsquo;t come tonight or tomorrow&mdash;or the next
+night? How will we feel when we finally <i>know</i> that
+we won&rsquo;t be saved?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You shouldn&rsquo;t think like that, Patch. It&rsquo;ll make
+you miserable. You&rsquo;ve got to keep hoping, even
+when it doesn&rsquo;t make sense,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s funny about Ben,&rdquo; Patch went on. &ldquo;I mean
+about what he did. He meant to save us, but it&rsquo;s
+turned out that he&rsquo;s made it worse for us. It would
+have been better if we had crashed along with the
+<i>Carefree</i>, because then it would have been over
+quickly.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You know the saying, Patch: &lsquo;Where there&rsquo;s life
+there&rsquo;s hope.&rsquo; And I believe that.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_152">152</div>
+<p>Patch said no more, and before long Garry heard
+him snoring softly. This made Garry feel better,
+and presently he too fell asleep.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch woke the next morning to the
+sound of subdued voices around them. For a brief
+moment Garry wondered if help had come during
+the night. He searched the faces he saw, and
+quickly his hopes were dashed. Instead of happy
+faces, they were haggard ones that showed the lack
+of sleep, and there were no new faces among them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No one came last night, did they?&rdquo; Patch asked
+Captain Eaton.</p>
+<p>The skipper shook his head and tugged at his
+beard that, by now, had become scraggly and untidy
+looking. The others moved in close, and Garry
+noticed all at once that he and Patch were the center
+of attention. He had a feeling then that something
+important was about to be said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, Patch,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said slowly, &ldquo;you
+respect my judgment and my experience, don&rsquo;t
+you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sure,&rdquo; the boys answered together, puzzled
+looks on their faces.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well then, you do believe I would do the best I
+knew for all of us, don&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch nodded again.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_153">153</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got something to say to the two of you,&rdquo;
+the captain continued, &ldquo;and it&rsquo;s very important to
+me that you abide by my decision. Will you promise
+to do so if I tell you it will be to your best interests?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys thought a moment, then nodded together,
+trusting the man they had come to admire
+and respect.</p>
+<p>Just then Garry noticed the pair of space suits
+lying on the floor nearby, and they looked as if work
+had been done on them. They seemed to have been
+made smaller by the adjustable straps with which
+all such space suits were equipped.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As you can see, fellows,&rdquo; the captain said, &ldquo;the
+rest of us didn&rsquo;t sleep much, but we were grateful
+that the two of you could, because it gave us time
+to come to our decision.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch watched the captain&rsquo;s face intently,
+the suspense building up in them moment
+by moment. Garry had a hunch that he and Patch
+would not like what they were going to hear.</p>
+<p>The captain took a deep breath and said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll
+come right out with it. The rest of us are forced to
+face the sad fact that rescue isn&rsquo;t coming. But
+there&rsquo;s no reason for everyone to perish. Garry, we
+decided that you and Patch....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As his voice trailed off, Garry saw the picture.
+&ldquo;You want us to take the space suits and&mdash;and go
+out there.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_154">154</div>
+<p>&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t an easy decision to reach, Garry,&rdquo; Mac
+spoke. &ldquo;We may be sending the two of you to a
+worse fate than would happen to you here. But in
+that way there lies a <i>chance</i> for you. Here the
+chances would be very little. We are all agreed on
+that.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But why us?&rdquo; Garry protested. &ldquo;Why not two of
+the rest of you? We thought we had become one of
+you by now. We should all have drawn lots to see
+who would go. It&rsquo;s not democratic this way.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s because we&rsquo;re kids, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo; Patch asked.
+&ldquo;You&rsquo;re packing us off like children to bed! We
+won&rsquo;t leave you here!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Remember your promise, fellows,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton said. &ldquo;This is the way we want it. Believe us,
+we really do&mdash;unanimously.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s even a chance you might make heroes
+of yourselves,&rdquo; Isaac added. &ldquo;You may find someone
+who can come and rescue us before it&rsquo;s too
+late.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We realize it won&rsquo;t be easy for you to leave us
+behind, and it won&rsquo;t be easy to set out across unknown
+country for an unknown destination. It&rsquo;ll
+take courage, gentlemen, plenty of courage, more
+courage than it will require for us to stay on here,&rdquo;
+Mr. Klecker said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_155">155</div>
+<p>Garry could find no further argument. The others
+were too much against him and Patch. They simply
+would not have it any other way. In the end the
+boys gave in, but they felt guilty for accepting what
+was seemingly the only way to survival.</p>
+<p>Some time later the boys were ready to start out.
+The space suits still were a little large, but they
+would serve. Garry wore the luminous green suit,
+Patch the luminous orange one. The boots were so
+large that Garry and Patch had to wear them over
+their shoes. The helmets were big and bulky, but
+in the moon&rsquo;s light gravity they were not too heavy.</p>
+<p>When the boys were sealed in the suits completely,
+Captain Eaton ran a careful check on them&mdash;the
+air pressure and temperature, and the
+&ldquo;walkie-talkie&rdquo; radios that would enable the boys
+to talk to each other. Finally, the fellows were
+loaded down with all the supplies they could be expected
+to need. This included spare oxygen tanks,
+water bottles, and liquid food in tubes. These tubes
+could be squeezed through an opening in the helmet
+so that one in a space suit could take nourishment
+without opening his helmet.</p>
+<p>Garry argued against taking nearly all of the
+spare supplies and leaving their friends with very
+little.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You must take them,&rdquo; Captain Eaton insisted.
+&ldquo;If you do not have enough to get you to the settlement,
+there is no purpose in starting out at all. Now,
+no more arguments.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_156">156</div>
+<p>There finally came the moment of parting, which
+everyone dreaded. Garry&rsquo;s heart was heavy at the
+thought of leaving these people he had grown so
+fond of in such a short time. Very likely he and
+Patch would never see any of them again.</p>
+<p>Garry could see that the men&rsquo;s eyes were troubled
+and sorrowful. They didn&rsquo;t seem to know just
+how to say farewell. Isaac and Gino gave a little
+nervous wave of their hands. Mr. Klecker shook
+hands formally. Mac gave them a warm pat on the
+back.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton walked slowly over to the air lock
+with the boys&mdash;slowly, as if he did not want to let
+them go. Garry and Patch had removed their helmets
+and held them in their hands. The captain had
+his arms around their shoulders, embracing them
+like a father.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, don&rsquo;t let&rsquo;s be sissies about this,&rdquo; the captain
+said with forced lightheartedness. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s just
+pretend that you boys are going on a short trip and
+that you&rsquo;ll be back in a little while. No sad words,
+no tears, eh?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s how we want it, Captain Eaton,&rdquo; Garry
+answered, but his throat was so tight he could
+hardly speak.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Whatever you do, don&rsquo;t give up,&rdquo; their older
+friend advised. &ldquo;Take care of yourselves and don&rsquo;t
+lose your heads if you meet a crisis. And don&rsquo;t come
+back, whatever happens. It won&rsquo;t help.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_157">157</div>
+<p>The captain took a piece of paper from Mac and
+gave it to Garry. &ldquo;Mac and I have plotted your
+course as nearly as we can from what we remember
+of this territory. We both had a course in lunar
+study at one time. Follow these landmarks closely.
+You will be heading straight for the mining settlement,
+and if, by chance, a search flier should be
+coming from that direction, try to catch their attention
+by waving. They will probably be looking for
+you, and your bright-colored suits will make you
+stand out pretty strong against the gray ground.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry was studying the penciled map. &ldquo;What is
+this gray part that you&rsquo;ve shown here, Captain?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an area of rugged rock formations,&rdquo; the captain
+explained. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to go through it, as there
+is no way around. You must proceed with extreme
+caution, because we haven&rsquo;t any flashlights left to
+give you. And, owing to the fact that there is just a
+trace of air on Luna, the earthshine can&rsquo;t penetrate
+into the shadows. You will literally have to inch
+yourselves along until you&rsquo;re in the open again.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain explained more of the dangers in this
+area and showed Garry and Patch other points on
+the map and what they stood for.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_158">158</div>
+<p>Finally, the boys had their last look at the man
+who had been the best friend to them that they had
+ever known. Garry studied the captain&rsquo;s brave,
+forced smile, and he could see the elderly man&rsquo;s
+efforts to keep himself under control.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton wiped his moist palm on his trousers
+and then pushed the button that swung open
+the inner door of the air lock.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s something I must tell both of you before
+you go,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I made application for adoption
+of you two as my sons just before we had the
+accident. I have a friend in a high position back on
+earth who, I felt, could put through the papers
+quickly if they were approved. I never told you this,
+though, because I did not want to raise your hopes
+falsely in case the adoption was not approved. But I
+couldn&rsquo;t let you go not knowing what I had tried to
+do.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We would have liked you for a father,&rdquo; Patch
+said.</p>
+<p>Garry was too choked up to say anything except,
+&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go, Patch, before we change our minds and
+never go at all.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, that is better,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;Good-by,
+boys, and may God go with you.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_159">159</div>
+<p>The boys pulled on their helmets, and Captain
+Eaton helped fit them tightly. Then he made a little
+farewell wave with his hand and motioned the boys
+into the air lock. A moment later the door swished
+shut. The outer door opened, and the bleak face of
+Luna beckoned to them. They stepped out into
+the gray dust, and the &ldquo;snowshoe&rdquo; plates added to
+the bottom of their boots kept them from sinking
+too deeply into the moon dust.</p>
+<p>They were now on their own.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_160">160</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c17"><br />17. DARK PERIL</h2>
+<p>Because of the light moon gravity, the boys found
+that they could move easily in spite of the deep
+dust and of the equipment strapped to their backs.
+The equipment took up as much room as it would
+have on earth, but here it weighed only one sixth
+of its earth weight and so was not much of a burden.</p>
+<p>In a short while they were out of sight of the
+flier. They had mounted a low-lying hill and crossed
+down the other side. It would still be a long time
+before they got out of the giant crater in which the
+flier had landed, but by the time they did get out
+they would be well along toward their destination.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We seem to be making good time, Patch,&rdquo; Garry
+said over his helmet radio.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_161">161</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s so much easier walking
+on the moon than it is on the earth, once you
+get the hang of it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Just think, Patch. Captain Eaton really was going
+to try to adopt us,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;And all the time
+we thought he didn&rsquo;t care enough.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one in a million, Garry. He would have
+been the grandest father a guy could ever have.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What do you mean he <i>would</i> have?&rdquo; Garry protested.
+&ldquo;He <i>will</i> be our father. We&rsquo;re going to <i>save</i>
+him, Patch. We&rsquo;re going to save all of them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I want to save them too,&rdquo; Patch said earnestly.
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;d sure hate for us to make it and them not to.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Maybe we shouldn&rsquo;t talk so much,&rdquo; Garry advised.
+&ldquo;It uses up more oxygen, and I don&rsquo;t think
+we have a surplus of it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They slogged silently through the gray dust in
+the bouncy, light-footed motion that they had become
+accustomed to by now. Every once in a while
+Garry would glance about him at the forbidding
+countryside of this dead world. Sight of the desolation
+chilled his soul. He wondered at first why this
+was so. Then he supposed that it must be because
+there was so much absolute <i>deadness</i> all about. For
+nothing could live in the numbing cold and the
+boiling-hot temperatures that came to this landscape
+periodically. No, he and Patch were the only
+living creatures from one horizon to the other, and
+this fact was enough to give anyone the shivers.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_162">162</div>
+<p>Finally Garry broke the long silence.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch, do you notice we&rsquo;re able to move along
+easier now?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s because the dust is thinning out, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo;
+Patch replied. &ldquo;But I see the rocky country up ahead
+that the captain was telling us about.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;and from the way he talked,
+it&rsquo;s going to be plenty rugged getting through
+there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They increased their speed, now that the going
+was easier.</p>
+<p>Garry stole a look at the big green jewel of earth
+afloat in the black sea of space, for it alone seemed
+to lend an air of friendliness and security to the
+otherwise lonely, sinister surroundings. The walls
+of Hornfield Crater about them were jagged as
+sharks&rsquo; teeth as they reached up into the darkness.
+The stars seemed to Garry like sparkling snowflakes
+dusted across the entire vault of the sky. The nebulae
+were like misty clouds, and there was the long
+arch of a great comet crossing just above the horizon
+and standing out remarkably because of its being
+so different from everything else in the whole
+visible sweep of the heavens.</p>
+<p>After a few hours of steady hiking, Patch suggested
+that they take a short break to rest and eat.
+Garry was ready for the same.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_163">163</div>
+<p>Garry checked their map and compared the
+markings on it to their true surroundings. &ldquo;We seem
+to be still on course, Patch,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<p>By now they had moved up on a higher plateau
+within the crater, and the dust had thinned so that
+solid rock could be felt underfoot. But not far beyond
+lay the wilderness of rock they had seen earlier
+at a distance. How huge and forbidding the
+region looked!</p>
+<p>Garry stopped walking and plopped down in his
+tracks, heaving a sigh. Patch sat down beside him.</p>
+<p>Garry took tubes of liquid food and a couple of
+water bottles from the pack he carried. He offered
+Patch his share and took some for himself.</p>
+<p>Each boy unscrewed a plate that covered the
+mouth of his helmet. Behind this was a rubber disk
+with a self-sealing opening in the middle of it. All
+the boys had to do was thrust the tubes of food and
+water through these openings and take them between
+their lips. By squeezing the tubes, they
+forced the contents into their mouths.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Got a napkin?&rdquo; Patch joked, when they were
+through. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to wipe my mouth.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sorry,&rdquo; Garry answered, &ldquo;but they haven&rsquo;t figured
+out a way to do that yet.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch climbed to his feet, screwing his outer
+mouthplate back on. &ldquo;Well, that wasn&rsquo;t exactly like
+carving into a steak, but I guess it&rsquo;ll do until we can
+get something better,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_164">164</div>
+<p>They started out again, and soon approached the
+forbidding rocky region they had dreaded. The
+ground was rough and uneven. Garry looked ahead,
+and it was like staring into the mouth of a vast cavern.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to be careful, Patch,&rdquo; Garry warned,
+as he slowed down and held back his friend.
+&ldquo;There may be bad crevasses across our path, and
+they could be the end of us if we should fall in.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry took the responsibility of going first. Patch
+was right behind, holding on to a strap on Garry&rsquo;s
+suit.</p>
+<p>It was like going into a dark underworld thriving
+with all kinds of unknown dangers. Although he
+was following very closely, Patch could barely
+see Garry&rsquo;s outline ahead of him. Garry would carefully
+slide one foot ahead of him to be sure he had
+solid ground underfoot.</p>
+<p>After what seemed a very long time, Patch complained:
+&ldquo;This is giving me the willies, Garry. How
+much farther do you think we&rsquo;ve got to go? Besides,
+this is slowing us down almost to a crawl.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think I see a break up ahead,&rdquo; Garry encouraged.
+&ldquo;It seems we&rsquo;re making a wide turn, and the
+farther we go the more earthshine I think I can
+make out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, I&rsquo;d give anything I&rsquo;ve got for a light of
+some kind,&rdquo; Patch groaned.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_165">165</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s about the only thing they couldn&rsquo;t provide
+for us,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Remember we used up
+our flashlight when we cut down on our power supply
+in the flier.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I remember,&rdquo; Patch returned.</p>
+<p>Patch felt that Garry was slowly descending as
+he walked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, where are you going?&rdquo; Patch asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There seems to be an incline going down,&rdquo;
+Garry replied. &ldquo;I sure hope it comes back up and
+doesn&rsquo;t drop off so that we can&rsquo;t cross to the other
+side.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ugh,&rdquo; Patch shuddered. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t even <i>think</i> about
+that. Remember, Captain Eaton told us not to come
+back.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Just keep up with me and go slowly,&rdquo; Garry instructed.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll find out what&rsquo;s ahead in a few minutes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Down, down they went on a gentle slope.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;When are we going to start up?&rdquo; Patch asked
+worriedly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Garry replied, a little anxious
+himself.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_166">166</div>
+<p>Suddenly Garry moved too fast for Patch to keep
+up and lost contact with him. Patch lost his head
+momentarily and cried out, dashing forward to regain
+touch with Garry. In his haste, Patch tripped
+and fell on the jagged rocks. On the earth this
+would have been a bad fall, but the weaker gravity
+here saved him from serious injury. But the weaker
+gravity also gave him a longer sprawl and carried
+him down the slope.</p>
+<p>As soon as Garry heard Patch&rsquo;s frantic cry, he
+grabbed wildly in the darkness, hoping by chance
+to reach his friend. But his hands met only empty
+air.</p>
+<p>Patch&rsquo;s shrieks were cut off abruptly, and stark
+silence filled Garry&rsquo;s ears.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; Garry called, dread making him tremble
+all over. &ldquo;Patch, where are you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He had a mad impulse to leap down the incline,
+grabbing desperately at anything within reach.
+But he knew this could be disastrous for both himself
+and Patch.</p>
+<p>Slowly, Garry inched farther downward, heartsick
+as he considered the things that might have
+happened to his friend&mdash;a fall knocking him out or
+worse, or a tumble down a deep, treacherous pit.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; he kept calling. &ldquo;Patch!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The frightening moments of anguish were relieved
+when Garry finally heard a faint voice.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch, where are you?&rdquo; Garry asked over and
+over, as he inched downward, ever downward.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Here, Garry,&rdquo; came the very weak voice.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_167">167</div>
+<p>Thinking Patch was still far off, Garry slid his
+feet with more urgent speed through the utter
+blackness. Then the toe of his boot kicked something
+soft.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, don&rsquo;t!&rdquo; came a low-pitched, terrified
+voice. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re kicking the hand I&rsquo;m holding on
+by!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Then Garry realized what had happened, and the
+thought of the costly mistake he had almost made
+sickened him for a moment. Patch&rsquo;s radio antenna
+had evidently been damaged in his fall, making his
+call for help seem farther off than he really was.</p>
+<p>Garry stooped down, his hands closing over the
+gloved hand he had nearly knocked from its precarious
+position.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry!&rdquo; Patch said, his voice still a little hysterical.
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m hanging on a cliff of some kind, and my
+feet aren&rsquo;t touching anything! Please, Garry, get
+me up before I let go! I feel my hands slipping!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hold on, Patch! Try to keep holding! I&rsquo;ve got
+to get a foothold or we both may go over!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry quickly kicked loose dust from underfoot
+and brushed it some more with his gloved hands.
+Then he leaned over and reached for Patch&rsquo;s clinging
+hands. He slid his own hands below Patch&rsquo;s
+wrists, closing his fingers about those wrists for
+dear life.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a good hold, Patch,&rdquo; Garry panted.
+&ldquo;Brace your feet and help me as I try to pull you
+up. Ready?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_168">168</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Ready, Garry!&rdquo; came Patch&rsquo;s weak voice.</p>
+<p>Making sure his feet were well anchored, Garry
+pulled with all his might. For an instant Patch&rsquo;s
+body resisted him like a dead weight. Then, with
+an almost superhuman effort, Garry was able to
+hoist him up ... up ... up and over onto the
+ledge safely. Then both of them slumped exhaustedly
+on the rocky brink.</p>
+<p>The boys were quiet for several seconds as they
+caught their breath in the pitch darkness and considered
+how close it had come to being all over
+for Patch.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; his grateful friend managed to say
+finally, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll make it up to you. If we ever get out of
+this alive, I&rsquo;ll make it up to you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Never mind that,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t lose
+anything when you fell? You&rsquo;ve still got the extra
+oxygen tanks?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>A dead silence followed, and that silence caused
+Garry to feel a clutch of dread.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You lost them, didn&rsquo;t you?&rdquo; he asked with a
+hopeless groan.</p>
+<p>Garry heard a faint sob over his helmet receiver.
+Then Patch fairly wept out the words he next
+spoke: &ldquo;Yes, yes, I did! Push me back in, Garry!
+Push me back in! We&rsquo;re lost for sure now!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_169">169</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c18"><br />18. STRANGE DISCOVERY</h2>
+<p>It took a long time for the boys to pull themselves
+together after experiencing this final fateful blow.
+Down into the depths with those precious air cylinders
+had gone whatever chance the boys had for
+escaping alive from the cruel moon and for saving
+their friends. Patch broke down and Garry felt just
+as badly himself, but he managed to hold back the
+tears.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch burst out, &ldquo;we may as well go
+back and die with the others now! There&rsquo;s no use
+at all in going on any farther!&rdquo; His voice still
+sounded far off to Garry because of the damaged
+antenna.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_170">170</div>
+<p>&ldquo;If we went back, then <i>they</i> would no longer
+have any hope,&rdquo; Garry argued. &ldquo;We took everything
+else they had. We&rsquo;ve got to leave them hope&mdash;even
+until the end. Besides, we couldn&rsquo;t accomplish
+anything by going back. Maybe, Patch, there&rsquo;s
+just the barest chance that we have enough oxygen
+to reach the settlement. Or enough to get out into
+the open again and wait to see if a rescue flier comes
+over.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not moving, Garry!&rdquo; Patch snapped in utter
+despair. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going, do you hear?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You <i>are</i> going,&rdquo; Garry said determinedly.
+&ldquo;You&rsquo;re going if I have to carry you! It&rsquo;s no time to
+quit, Patch.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then when <i>is</i> it time?&rdquo; Patch shot back. &ldquo;You
+and your hopes, Garry! Always hoping, even when
+there isn&rsquo;t a smidgin of a chance.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It may be only a smidgin,&rdquo; Garry said firmly,
+&ldquo;but sometimes that&rsquo;s enough. Now stop being a
+quitter and get to your feet.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>There was only silence over Garry&rsquo;s receiver for
+several tense seconds. Garry didn&rsquo;t know what he
+would do if Patch chose to defy him again. He knew
+he could not really make his friend do anything
+his heart refused to do.</p>
+<p>But Patch solved this latest problem himself.
+Garry heard rustling sounds as Patch climbed
+slowly to his feet.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_171">171</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry I talked rough, Patch,&rdquo; Garry apologized.
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;ve quarreled twice in all
+our lives, have we? But we&rsquo;re in this thing together,
+and we&rsquo;ve got to keep going, no matter how
+bad things look. We&rsquo;ve just <i>got</i> to, don&rsquo;t you see?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re talking about keeping going,&rdquo; Patch returned,
+&ldquo;but we can&rsquo;t even get across this crevasse.
+How do you propose to do that? Besides that, we
+can&rsquo;t even see as well as moles in this darkness.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s walk along the edge, first in one direction
+and then the other,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Maybe the crevasse
+narrows and disappears before too far!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They began exploring the treacherous cliff edge,
+moving slowly and carefully along in one direction.
+Every once in a while they tested the width
+of the chasm. Garry would get down on hands and
+knees and reach out, feeling with his hand to see if
+he could contact the other side. Time after time this
+was done, but each time his hands met empty air.</p>
+<p>After a tedious hour, Patch complained bitterly,
+&ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you see it&rsquo;s hopeless, Garry? Gee whiz, what
+does it take to convince you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s try a few more times,&rdquo; Garry replied doggedly.
+&ldquo;Then if we still can&rsquo;t find a way across,
+we&rsquo;ll start going along the crevasse in the other direction.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch did not reply to this, and Garry knew how
+bitter his friend must feel toward him after so many
+setbacks.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_172">172</div>
+<p>The next time Garry got down on his hands and
+knees and reached out, his probing hand touched
+hard, firm rock on the other side!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; he shouted. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve found a place where
+we can cross!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Even Patch was heartened by this and made an
+enthusiastic comment. In the hope of finding the
+crevasse even narrower and safer farther along,
+Garry followed the ledge, and, sure enough, it grew
+narrower and narrower until it was a crack in the
+ground only a few inches across.</p>
+<p>Making the crossing to the other side, the boys,
+in feeling their way along, found that the ground
+began to rise again. Garry still maintained the lead,
+with Patch holding onto him and following blindly
+only a step behind.</p>
+<p>Up, up the slope they went, and before long
+they could see rays of light flickering down into
+their eyes.</p>
+<p>Soon there was enough light so that they could
+see a little distance ahead. They quickened their
+steps, although it still required some care on their
+part to avoid the sharp-edged stones and rugged
+underfooting that still lay in front of them.</p>
+<p>But the light grew steadily brighter and the trail
+flatter.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Look, Patch, I can see the stars again!&rdquo; Garry
+was soon able to say.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_173">173</div>
+<p>Then, scarcely before they realized it, they were
+completely out of the shadows of the rocky formation
+that had very nearly finished them. Above and
+behind them once more shone the big bright ball
+of earth floating among the stars.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Good old earth!&rdquo; Patch exclaimed, with new
+hope. &ldquo;I never thought I&rsquo;d see it again!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great sight!&rdquo; Garry agreed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch said, &ldquo;we can see right over the
+top of the crater wall in the distance. We seem to be
+higher than we were when we started.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve noticed that too,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll check
+the map again.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry did so, then told Patch that they were still
+on course.</p>
+<p>They moved on and presently stood at the raised
+edge of a gradually lowering basin that stretched
+out very far and flat ahead of them. They could see
+a break in the crater wall a few miles away, which
+the captain had pointed out to them on the map.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It looks like we&rsquo;ll have easy traveling for
+awhile,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;and we&rsquo;ll be right out in the
+open in case a flier comes over. They&rsquo;ll be sure to
+see us unless they&rsquo;re completely blind.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch said in a thoughtful voice, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m
+sorry.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Huh?&rdquo; Garry asked in surprise.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_174">174</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry for the way I acted. I lost my head
+completely. When I found out I&rsquo;d lost the air cylinders
+over the ledge, I just seemed to go to pieces.
+It&rsquo;s a good thing one of us knows how to keep his
+head.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Forget it, Patch,&rdquo; Garry soothed. &ldquo;It could have
+been me just as easy as you. Besides, that&rsquo;s not important
+now. We&rsquo;ve still got a long way to go, and
+time is running short.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Suddenly, Patch ran past Garry in great haste
+and stood staring over the plain below, shielding
+his eyes with his hands.</p>
+<p>Garry joined him. &ldquo;Patch, what is it? Do you see
+something?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s impossible!&rdquo; Patch gasped. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s completely
+impossible!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What?&rdquo; Garry begged, his own excitement growing.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Look! There&rsquo;s somebody walking around down
+there or else I&rsquo;m seeing things!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry looked where Patch pointed, and he too
+found it hard to believe his eyes. There <i>was</i> someone
+or something moving around.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I see it!&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Come on, let&rsquo;s go down
+and get a closer look!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I just hope it isn&rsquo;t in as bad shape as we are!&rdquo;
+Patch exclaimed.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_175">175</div>
+<p>They hurried as fast as they dared over the
+bumpy ground, heading straight for the person or
+thing that was moving about in seemingly aimless
+fashion on the plain below.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;He sees us!&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s coming toward
+us!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Swiftly the distance closed between the boys and
+the lone stranger. And then Garry and Patch received
+the surprise of their lives.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Katrinka!&rdquo; they shouted together, not believing
+what they saw.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It can&rsquo;t be!&rdquo; Patch cried in amazement. &ldquo;Garry,
+we must be seeing a mirage or something! How
+could Katrinka...?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s Katrinka all right!&rdquo; Garry said, as the robot
+drew close enough to be fully recognized. &ldquo;But I
+don&rsquo;t understand it. I don&rsquo;t understand it at all!
+Katrinka crashed with the <i>Carefree</i> and poor Ben!
+But even if she didn&rsquo;t crash, how is it she&rsquo;s wandering
+around out here on the moon?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And what could make her start moving toward
+us?&rdquo; Patch asked, as the mystery deepened. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll
+never make me believe she&rsquo;s <i>really</i> human, although
+at times it seemed that she was.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The big robot stopped in front of the boys and
+remained still. Garry and Patch felt almost as if
+they should say &ldquo;Hello,&rdquo; because indeed it was like
+meeting an old friend.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_176">176</div>
+<p>After a few moments of remaining stock still, Katrinka
+turned and started shuffling off with great
+long strides.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;ll we do, Garry?&rdquo; Patch asked. &ldquo;Follow
+her? But that would be silly! She&rsquo;s still an unthinking
+machine.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know, Patch. This whole thing seems
+very strange, although it may be that she was
+merely thrown clear when the <i>Carefree</i> crashed
+and somehow her works were activated by the jolt.
+And yet I have the feeling that she almost knows
+what she&rsquo;s doing, as if she wants us to follow her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now you&rsquo;re talking spooky,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;You
+don&rsquo;t really believe that Katrinka can <i>think</i>!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what to believe,&rdquo; Garry replied.
+&ldquo;But I sure would like to follow her a little way to
+see just what she&rsquo;s going to do next.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But our air, Garry! We don&rsquo;t have enough to
+waste on playing &lsquo;follow the leader&rsquo;!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Just a little way, Patch. Who knows&mdash;this might
+even lead to something important.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re way off base, Garry, but I&rsquo;ll admit
+I&rsquo;m curious too. Let&rsquo;s go.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Katrinka had already gained some distance on
+them while they were debating what to do, and she
+did not wait for them. They started running to catch
+up and presently did so. But the robot traveled at
+such a fast pace that they still had to move in long,
+antelopelike jumps to keep up.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_177">177</div>
+<p>Katrinka was definitely headed in one particular
+direction because she varied hardly any in her line
+of motion. She seemed to be going toward an area
+where the rocks rose high and ominous looking. It
+was much like the spot where the boys had had
+their recent harrowing experience.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, please,&rdquo; Patch begged, panting for
+breath, &ldquo;let&rsquo;s call this crazy chase off! That athletic
+gal is running me ragged! Besides, she seems to
+be taking us straight into those rocky walls!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, there&rsquo;s one thing certain,&rdquo; Garry replied.
+&ldquo;She&rsquo;s <i>got</i> to change direction pretty quick, or she&rsquo;ll
+crash into something. Let&rsquo;s stick it out a few more
+minutes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They drew closer to the shadowy outcropping.
+But the robot did not even slow her pace. The boys
+knew she was heading for a collision, but there was
+nothing they could do but watch.</p>
+<p>Somehow she got past the first row of stones,
+tripping and nearly falling, then recovering automatically.
+But her luck was short lived. The path
+went downhill beyond this spot, and her big metal
+foot slammed against a boulder. The robot arched
+through the air and crashed headfirst into a rocky
+wall. It crumpled her metal cranium, spewing out
+wires and electronic parts.</p>
+<p>The boys came running up and stood looking at
+the fallen giant.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_178">178</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Poor old Katrinka,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;She was almost
+like one of us. It&rsquo;s nearly as if another one of us had
+died.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yeah, I liked the old gal,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;She
+may have survived a crash on the moon, but it&rsquo;s a
+cinch she&rsquo;s reached the end of her rope now.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry cast a look around to see what sort of area
+they had come into. His eyes followed the downhill
+trail ahead that Katrinka would still be following
+had she not had her accident.</p>
+<p>What he saw brought a gasp of astonishment
+from him, and a nervous tremor coursed through
+his body.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch, look!&rdquo; he shouted. &ldquo;The <i>Carefree</i>!
+There&rsquo;s the <i>Carefree</i> down there, half buried in
+moon dust!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They rushed down the trail to get a closer look.
+The giant space ship was indeed buried half of her
+depth in pumice dust. The rear air lock was level
+with the ground, and extending from the air lock
+was a gangplank!</p>
+<p>The boys moved up to the edge of the gangplank,
+looking it over in bafflement.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t tell me Katrinka put that down and
+walked out of the ship on it!&rdquo; Patch challenged.
+&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t get me to believe that, Garry.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_179">179</div>
+<p>&ldquo;No, you&rsquo;re right; she couldn&rsquo;t possibly have done
+that on her own. She might have done it, Patch,
+but she would have had to be guided by an intelligent
+<i>human</i> brain.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, what are you saying? Are you trying to
+say that Ben might have survived that crash and
+rigged up Katrinka so that she could go out looking
+for us? Why, that&rsquo;s fantastic!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll soon find out if it&rsquo;s so fantastic,&rdquo; Garry
+said. &ldquo;The ship is nearly undamaged, as you can
+see.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What are you going to do?&rdquo; Patch asked, as
+Garry moved ahead.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to walk that gangplank up to the air
+lock and see if Ben is inside.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They could see that the gangplank had been put
+down because of the depth of the Lunar dust. It was
+obviously quite deep in this area, since the <i>Carefree</i>
+itself was half buried in it. Deep, enormous dust
+pits were very common on the moon and were
+among the most dangerous obstacles to travel, because
+they never gave any indication of how deep
+they were until someone fell in and was suffocated.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_180">180</div>
+<p>Carefully, Garry, with Patch right behind him,
+stepped out on the narrow gangplank and moved
+slowly forward toward the air lock at the other
+end. It was a little unsteady underfoot, but it was
+rigid and did not sink beneath the boys&rsquo; light lunar
+weight. Besides, Garry felt pretty sure now that
+Katrinka had crossed it, and she was far heavier
+than both of them together.</p>
+<p>Garry reached the air lock, his heart thumping
+rapidly with hope and expectation. He raised his
+gloved hand and began pounding on the outer door.</p>
+<p>They waited. Five seconds, then ten, fifteen....</p>
+<p>Garry&rsquo;s hopes began to dim. It didn&rsquo;t look as if
+there were anyone alive inside after all.</p>
+<p>But then the air-lock door began to swing open.
+The boys scrambled inside, too tense and excited
+to speak to one another. They heard air swishing
+into the air lock. Then, after another half minute,
+the inner door swung open.</p>
+<p>Standing there inside facing them was&mdash;Ben.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_181">181</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c19"><br />19. A NEW LIFE</h2>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben!&rdquo; Garry exclaimed jubilantly, rushing into the
+main part of the ship. &ldquo;Is it really you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a ghost,&rdquo; Ben said with a grin, &ldquo;if that&rsquo;s
+what you mean.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How did you ever do it?&rdquo; Patch asked, amazement
+written all over his chubby features. &ldquo;I mean
+crash-land the <i>Carefree</i>.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;First tell me how the others are,&rdquo; Ben asked
+anxiously.</p>
+<p>Garry told him that they were all right, at least
+for the time being.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_182">182</div>
+<p>Ben was limping as he moved about. Patch asked
+about this, and Ben said it would come out in his
+story. The boys had entered into the central tunnel
+of the <i>Carefree</i>, with its webbing network, and
+Garry noticed that Ben had laid down metallic
+sheets over the webbing so that it could be more
+easily stood upon.</p>
+<p>Ben sat down on this and began his story.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I had made plans to remain aboard the <i>Carefree</i>
+before we even started working on the flier. When
+I found that the space taxi would hold only seven
+passengers safely, I knew someone had to stay behind.
+I was afraid the captain would realize that the
+flier would be overcrowded, but I guess he was
+too busy thinking about other things. The likely one
+to bow out was myself, because I felt that quite
+possibly I might be able to bring the <i>Carefree</i> down
+in one piece. I knew this region of Hornfield was
+full of huge dust pits that could cushion the fall of a
+ship if she belly-landed in one of them just right.
+But don&rsquo;t think I wasn&rsquo;t scared even thinking of
+trying such a thing! Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, fellows&mdash;I
+wasn&rsquo;t out to make a hero of myself!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You must have had some control over the ship,&rdquo;
+Garry said, &ldquo;otherwise she would have crashed
+headlong onto the moon.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I had some control,&rdquo; Ben explained. &ldquo;As soon as
+I released the flier from the <i>Carefree</i>, I started my
+attempt to save the ship and myself as well. I
+donned a pressure suit and went into the flight deck.
+Remember, I had gone in there before, soon after
+the collision. I had noticed then that most of the instrument
+panel had been destroyed.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_183">183</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I remember too, Ben, that you helped build the
+<i>Carefree</i>,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;so you must&rsquo;ve known a lot
+about her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I tore out the cover of the console and began
+working in the section beneath. With tools, I was
+able to get the braking jets to functioning. This
+slowed the ship down to a slow orbit around the
+moon and gave me time to work on the steering controls.
+I couldn&rsquo;t do much with them, but I was able
+to move the ship a little to the port or starboard
+side, as I wished. I knew this was as far as I
+could go, but with some luck I felt there was a
+chance of bringing her down safely.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why didn&rsquo;t you try this before we all left the
+ship?&rdquo; Patch wanted to know.</p>
+<p>Ben shook his head. &ldquo;Risk everybody&rsquo;s life on
+some crazy plan of my own? No, it was too farfetched
+in the first place, and I guess I would not
+even have tried it myself unless I&rsquo;d had to. The flier
+was much the safer route to safety, and that&rsquo;s why
+getting it to go was my first concern. With you guys
+out of the way, I had no one&rsquo;s life to risk but my
+own.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How did you manage to land as close to the
+flier as you did?&rdquo; Garry asked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_184">184</div>
+<p>&ldquo;My first thought was to land near one of the settlements,
+because if I did make it, then I would immediately
+send out a search party for the rest of
+you. But I knew I <i>had</i> to land in one of the vast
+dust pits on Luna, because the ship would be destroyed
+by friction if it skidded along the bare
+ground. I made one orbit of the moon as the ship
+slowed down more and more and lost altitude. I
+knew roughly in what area the flier would likely
+come down, and I remembered Hornfield Crater as
+one being full of dust pits. As the ship glided lower
+and lower, I figured this would be where I would
+try to bring her down. The pit we&rsquo;re in now is a
+very large, long trough, maybe a quarter of a mile
+long and a hundred feet wide. I therefore had a
+pretty good chance of landing in it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, you had a lot of nerve to try something like
+that!&rdquo; Patch exclaimed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I took one last look out where I hoped to come
+down,&rdquo; Ben said, &ldquo;and then went under the console
+into the working parts again. I cut out a few of the
+upper braking jets, and this caused the ship to nose
+down. I felt it plough into the dust as if into a big
+flour barrel. The ship heated up from the friction
+created, but it slowed her down rapidly, and she
+came to rest on this spot, half buried in pumice.
+Even so, I nearly missed the dust pit, landing only
+about thirty feet from the edge of it.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_185">185</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Now what about Katrinka?&rdquo; Garry asked. &ldquo;You
+did send her out, didn&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Right. I sprained my ankle when the ship landed
+and I was thrown against some machinery. I could
+hardly walk, but I wanted to make contact with the
+rest of you if it were possible. I then figured that the
+old gal might be able to help me. I worked her over
+so that I could operate her by remote control. I also
+made for her a command disk, so that when she
+moved near one of you or the flier she would give a
+radio signal to me. I laid down the gangplank myself
+over the pit, because I knew Katrinka would
+sink down in the dust. It nearly killed me getting
+about and using a hoist to lower the gangplank to
+the opposite bank, but I finally managed it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then you sent her out?&rdquo; Patch asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes. I used a small telescope to keep track of her.
+I couldn&rsquo;t be sure where the rest of you had come
+down, but my plan was to start her moving about
+in a gradually enlarging circle. I was hoping that
+some of you would see her and come over to investigate.
+Once you had done that, I felt sure you
+would have the curiosity to follow her wherever she
+led you. And this you two fortunately did.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We nearly didn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;We thought Katrinka
+had been thrown clear of the <i>Carefree</i> after
+it had crashed and somehow had gotten accidentally
+activated as she had done once on the ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_186">186</div>
+<p>They heard a rap on the outer air-lock door. Patch
+and Garry exchanged bewildered glances, but Ben
+did not seem very surprised.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That must be the men from the settlement,&rdquo;
+he said, limping over to the air lock and shoving the
+lever that opened the outer door. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t had
+time to tell you yet that I got through a message to
+them. You see, before I even thought of the trick
+with Katrinka, I was working on that damaged antenna
+dish that had prevented our sending an SOS
+after our collision in space. At first I didn&rsquo;t have any
+replies, and I figured there must be interference
+from the Taurus Mountains beyond.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That must be why <i>our</i> SOS didn&rsquo;t go through!&rdquo;
+Patch said.</p>
+<p>Ben went on: &ldquo;I increased my transmitting power
+and finally got through. It&rsquo;s been less than an hour
+ago that they said they would send over a Service
+flier rocket immediately.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The two men who entered the air lock a few moments
+later were Commander Staples and his
+lieutenant, both members of the Space Service.
+They had been making a routine flight over the
+moon when they had been contacted by the mining
+scientists who had picked up Ben&rsquo;s SOS.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_187">187</div>
+<p>The two men had arrived in a big space flier that
+could easily take care of Captain Eaton and the
+others. Ben and the boys were anxious to get started
+so that the long-drawn-out ordeal their friends had
+been undergoing could be ended as quickly as possible.
+Commander Staples said they could leave immediately.</p>
+<p>The boys pulled on their helmets, and the officers
+helped Ben get into a pressure suit. This was painful
+for Ben because of his swollen ankle. Then, with
+everyone dressed to go out onto the moon&rsquo;s surface,
+Ben pushed the lever that opened the inner air-lock
+door. Once outside, they started in single file across
+the gangplank. Ben was in the middle and limped
+along slowly with his hands on the shoulders of the
+officer in front of him to steady himself.</p>
+<p>On the way to the flier, they passed the smashed
+metal body of Katrinka. The officers looked at the
+strange robot with great interest, and Ben explained
+her to them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;She won&rsquo;t remain out here to die,&rdquo; Ben said over
+his suit radio, as if he were talking about a human
+being. &ldquo;When we return to the <i>Carefree</i> one of
+these days, we&rsquo;ll rebuild her, and she&rsquo;ll be as good
+as new.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys were glad to hear this because now
+they realized that every one of their little group
+on the <i>Carefree</i> would survive the frightening adventure
+and that once again they would all be together,
+including their robot friend.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_188">188</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben,&rdquo; Patch asked, &ldquo;will the <i>Carefree</i> ever fly
+again?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s up to Captain Eaton,&rdquo; Ben replied. &ldquo;It
+will take a lot of money to put her in shape again,
+and that includes a powerful set of rockets to lift
+her into space. But knowing how much the captain
+likes her, I believe he&rsquo;ll spare no expense making
+her space borne again.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Commander Staples said to Ben: &ldquo;I heard you
+mention Captain Eaton. Our radio picked up a
+spacegram that was addressed to a Captain Eaton.
+We tape those messages routinely, and I&rsquo;ll be able
+to give it to him when we see him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The Service flier was a sleek, streamlined rocket
+with fins that were built to support the craft in the
+earth&rsquo;s atmosphere, if need be. She also had powerful
+jets for lifting her up off the surface of any of the
+minor planets.</p>
+<p>Commander Staples asked the boys to point out
+to him on a chart the approximate location of their
+flier, and Garry estimated the position as accurately
+as he could.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_189">189</div>
+<p>Then, with everyone belted down, the flier&rsquo;s
+rocket roared into action, and the craft lifted into
+the dark sky. It was a very short trip, and the ship
+did not have to fly too high. Commander Staples&rsquo;
+assistant spied the flier and pointed it out to his
+superior. The ship circled the area in a gradually
+lowering spiral and came to rest about a hundred
+feet from the small grounded space taxi.</p>
+<p>A few moments later, Ben and the boys were
+hurrying across the rough ground toward the flier.
+Garry&rsquo;s heart was pounding so hard with joy and
+excitement that he could hear its thumping over
+his helmet receiver.</p>
+<p>Those inside had evidently seen their rescuers
+arrive, because the outer door of the air lock was
+open to receive them.</p>
+<p>Garry would never forget the old captain&rsquo;s happy
+face when he saw the three of them enter. Nor
+would he forget the tears glistening in the corners
+of Captain Eaton&rsquo;s eyes as he clasped the boys to
+his chest in a great bear hug that nearly squeezed
+the life out of them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thank God for this great moment!&rdquo; the old
+man said in a husky voice. &ldquo;And Ben&mdash;even you,
+whom we had long ago given up for dead! What
+have I ever done to deserve a happy moment like
+this?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He released the boys and clasped Ben to him as
+if he were another lost son. Then the others came
+forward, their faces gleaming with the overwhelming
+joy they felt at seeing the lost ones returning.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_190">190</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben, you old trickster you!&rdquo; Mac shouted,
+pounding his friend on the back. &ldquo;How in the world
+you came out of that thing alive I&rsquo;ll never know. But
+right now I don&rsquo;t care <i>how</i> you did it!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Welcome home, stranger!&rdquo; Isaac said, shaking
+Ben&rsquo;s hand vigorously as only Isaac could do.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s most gratifying to see you, Ben,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker
+said in his butler&rsquo;s tone of voice, which, however,
+did not mean that he was any less deeply moved
+than the others.</p>
+<p>Gino then came forward and took his turn at
+greeting Ben and the boys. The celebration went
+on for several more minutes, and the little flier was
+pleasantly noisy with joking and happy talk.</p>
+<p>But, finally, Commander Staples had to interrupt
+the celebration with a smiling, apologetic
+voice: &ldquo;I hate to break up this little party, but we&rsquo;ve
+got to start back to the mining settlement. You see,
+I&rsquo;m on duty and I&rsquo;ve got a busy schedule. They
+have accommodations for all of you at the settlement,
+and you can make your future plans as soon
+as you&rsquo;ve arrived there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The prisoners of so long a time in the cramped
+quarters of the flier were only too willing to get out
+of their prison. The commander and his assistant
+went back to the Service flier to get space suits for
+those who did not have them.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_191">191</div>
+<p>After the suits had been distributed, Commander
+Staples gave a piece of paper to Captain Eaton.
+&ldquo;Here&rsquo;s a message for you, Sir, that our radio
+picked up.&rdquo; He winked at the boys. &ldquo;Something
+tells me they&rsquo;ll be as interested in it as you will be.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain read the message and then turned
+to Garry and Patch with a warm expression. &ldquo;Boys,
+it looks as though the adoption will go through as
+soon as we go back for a short time and make the
+arrangements.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, I&mdash;I don&rsquo;t know what to say,&rdquo; Garry murmured,
+almost too excited and happy for words. &ldquo;It
+sounds too good to be true!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re the best words you could have said to
+us, Sir,&rdquo; Patch added. &ldquo;Isn&rsquo;t it just great, Garry!&rdquo;
+His sparkling eyes showed how much he meant it.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be a little strange being called, &lsquo;Father,&rsquo;&rdquo;
+the captain said, smiling, &ldquo;but I think I&rsquo;ll get used
+to it pretty quickly.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton stared off with a faraway look.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll make up for lost time, boys. We&rsquo;ll see as
+much of the universe as the old <i>Carefree</i> will carry
+us to. Yes, we&rsquo;ll fix her up again if it takes the rest
+of my fortune. You&rsquo;ll get your education among the
+stars, my sons, and you&rsquo;ll be that much wiser because
+of it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch exchanged happy glances.
+Garry thought they were wiser already, just from
+knowing the grand skipper of the <i>Carefree</i>.</p>
+<h2 id="tn">Transcriber&rsquo;s Notes</h2><ul>
+<li>Copyright notice provided as in the original&mdash;this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.</li>
+<li>Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.</li>
+<li>In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)</li>
+</ul>
+
+<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 54547 ***</div>
+</body>
+</html>
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Young Stowaways in Space, by Richard Mace Elam
+
+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 Stowaways in Space
+
+Author: Richard Mace Elam
+
+Release Date: April 14, 2017 [EBook #54547]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG STOWAWAYS IN SPACE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                                 YOUNG
+                               STOWAWAYS
+                                IN SPACE
+
+
+                           By RICHARD M. ELAM
+         Author of Young Readers Science Fiction Stories, etc.
+
+                     ILLUSTRATED BY GERALD MC CANN
+
+
+                   _LANTERN PRESS, INC., PUBLISHERS_
+                         257 PARK AVENUE SOUTH
+                           NEW YORK 10, N. Y.
+
+                Copyright © 1960 by Lantern Press, Inc.
+
+           LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 60-13785
+
+                 PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN CANADA BY
+                    GEORGE J. MC LEOD, LTD., TORONTO
+
+              MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
+
+
+
+
+                                CONTENTS
+
+
+  1. Space Ship _Orion_                                                9
+  2. Blast-off                                                        16
+  3. Stowaways in Space                                               25
+  4. Adrift in the Deeps                                              36
+  5. A “Flying Tin Can”                                               47
+  6. A _Carefree_ World                                               56
+  7. A Shock in the Night                                             65
+  8. Garry Has a Scare                                                75
+  9. Satellite Zone                                                   85
+  10. The Lady Goes Wild                                              94
+  11. A Friend Is Lost                                               107
+  12. A Startling Discovery                                          116
+  13. Abandon Ship!                                                  124
+  14. First Hours on Luna                                            133
+  15. A Dark Outlook                                                 142
+  16. A Sad Parting                                                  150
+  17. Dark Peril                                                     160
+  18. Strange Discovery                                              169
+  19. A New Life                                                     181
+
+
+
+
+                                 YOUNG
+                               STOWAWAYS
+                                IN SPACE
+
+
+
+
+                         1. SPACE SHIP _ORION_
+
+
+The orphanage dormitory was locked in the stillness of slumber. Light
+from the full moon filtered through the large window which ran the
+entire length of the boys sleeping quarters.
+
+Twenty cots filled the dormitory, and all but one held its sleeper.
+Dark-haired Garry Coleman was standing beside his cot, quietly dressing.
+Every now and then he would cast an anxious glance toward the darkened
+door at the end of the dormitory. Above all, he must not disturb the
+charge-of-quarters, or all would be lost.
+
+As he sat on the edge of the cot to put on his shoes, Garry heard a
+squeak from one of the cots. He stiffened, his heart thumping fearfully.
+
+Then Garry breathed easily. He saw that it was only Patch, who occupied
+the bunk next to his.
+
+“Hey, Garry, where are you going?” Patch asked interestedly.
+
+Patch was short and towheaded. He was Garry’s best friend, and so Garry
+did not mind telling him.
+
+“I’m going to the spaceport and watch the _Orion_ blast off for the Von
+Braun Space Station. Want to go?”
+
+“Sure thing!” Patch said.
+
+“You’ll have to take the same chance that I do,” Garry reminded him.
+
+“That’s okay by me.” Patch grinned. “If we do get caught, we’ll just be
+restricted to the grounds for two weeks. That won’t keep us out of the
+science lab where we spend a lot of time anyhow.”
+
+It was a warm April night. The sky was thick with stars as bright as
+diamond dust.
+
+“I’d give anything to be out there in the deeps among the planets,”
+Garry said, as they hurried across the newly sprouting lawn of the
+orphanage a few minutes later. “The life of a spaceman must be the most
+exciting thing in the world.”
+
+“Yeah,” Patch agreed. “But I guess we’ll never make it, Garry, at least
+not for many years. And they say you sure have to know science and
+navigation. That takes a lot of study.”
+
+“I wouldn’t care what it takes,” Garry said. “I’d be willing to study
+for as long as it would take, because the reward would be worth the
+effort.”
+
+Their rapid steps took them onto one of the main streets of the city
+where moving sidewalks, called “Ped-A-Rides,” were operating. The
+sidewalk was a continuous belt, about six feet wide, and there were
+benches located at intervals upon it where the pedestrians could sit. A
+railing was on both sides of the Ped-A-Ride, but at intervals of about
+half a block there were gates where pedestrians could enter.
+
+Patch and Garry went to the nearest gate, and Garry pulled the lever
+which slowed the sidewalk down so that they could board it. When Garry
+had deposited their fare in the meter, a bar slid away so that they
+could enter. It was about 2230 o’clock, an hour and a half before
+midnight, and not many people were on the Ped-A-Ride.
+
+The boys took seats, and the sidewalk carried them along into the night.
+
+As the Ped-A-Ride topped the crest of a hill, Garry pointed into the
+distance.
+
+“There she is, Patch—the _Orion_, smoking and straining like a race
+horse, just as if she can’t wait to get going!”
+
+“She sure is a beauty,” Patch agreed. “The earth-bound ships are a whole
+lot trimmer and better looking than the ships that never touch down.”
+
+“The earth-bound ships have to be streamlined so that they can slide
+smoothly through the earth’s atmosphere,” Garry said, “but the ships
+that remain in space look like a bunch of globes and girders, because
+they never meet the friction of any planet’s atmosphere and they don’t
+need the sturdiness and rocket power.”
+
+Patch laughed. “You sound like one of our schoolbooks, Garry,” he said.
+
+As the Ped-A-Ride neared the spaceport, the brilliant lights of the busy
+area merged into a hazy glare that brightened the night until it was
+almost as light as day. The slim prow of the _Orion_ reached higher into
+the sky than any other object on the vast field, even loftier than the
+giant control tower.
+
+“They say the _Orion_ is more space scarred than any other ship in the
+Space Service,” Garry remarked. “Meteor dust has grooved her sides so
+much that they look like the scratches on a rifle bullet.”
+
+“I knew she was one of the oldest crafts in the Service,” Patch said. “I
+guess she’s carried many a person to the Von Braun Station on their way
+to Luna and the other planets.”
+
+The Ped-A-Ride had nearly reached the gate of the spaceport when Garry
+said to his friend, “Patch, we’d better move down among those people
+ahead of us. It looks like they’re going to get off at the port.”
+
+“Why?”
+
+“If one of the port police spots us, he might get suspicious seeing a
+couple of kids alone at this time of night. If we mingle with the crowd,
+the police may think we are with them.”
+
+They got up and began walking forward along the moving platform. Then
+they took seats behind a man who wore the uniform of the Space Service.
+He had several bags, and it seemed likely that he was going to board the
+_Orion_.
+
+As the Ped-A-Ride neared the port gate, Garry closely studied the
+stalwart young man seated before them. Garry wondered at the many
+experiences that must have been encountered by this spaceman during his
+career.
+
+Garry leaned over and touched the spaceman on the shoulder.
+
+“Excuse me, Sir,” he said. “Are you boarding the _Orion_?”
+
+Garry saw a pleasant but deeply lined face turned upward toward his own.
+
+“Yes,” the astronaut replied, then asked, “Are you?”
+
+“Er, no, Sir,” Garry replied. “We—my friend and I—we just want to see
+her blast off.”
+
+The spaceman smiled. “Guess you are pretty interested in space to be
+coming all the way to the port just to see an old crate like the _Orion_
+blast off.”
+
+“Yes, we are, Sir,” Garry replied. “I’m very interested in it. I hope to
+be a spaceman someday.”
+
+“I think you will be, too,” the man said confidently. “I can see the
+enthusiasm in your eyes.”
+
+“Thanks,” Garry returned. “Have you made many trips spaceward?”
+
+“A dozen or so,” was the reply. “The number is not important, though,
+you must understand. Usually, one voyage can last quite a while.”
+
+The spaceman extended a big, sunburned hand to Garry. “I’m First Space
+Officer Mulroy. What’s your name?”
+
+“Garry, Sir. Garry Coleman. My friend here is Patrick Foster, but he’s
+called Patch for short.”
+
+As the Ped-A-Ride neared the gate of the spaceport, Garry had an idea by
+which he and Patch might get inside without being questioned by the port
+police.
+
+“Mr. Mulroy,” Garry said, “I notice that you have some baggage. I wonder
+if Patch and I could help you carry it—maybe aboard the _Orion_.”
+
+The officer smiled. “You want to see what she looks like, eh? Okay, it’s
+a deal.”
+
+“Thank you, Sir,” Garry said.
+
+Presently Officer Mulroy stood up. “Here we are, fellows,” he said.
+“Let’s get our things together quickly. I can’t afford to miss my
+blast-off on the _Orion_. I have a sailing date for Mars in a few weeks,
+and the stars wait for no man!”
+
+
+
+
+                              2. BLAST-OFF
+
+
+Once inside the gate, Mr. Mulroy spoke to a uniformed officer, who
+saluted. The officer turned a tiny dial on a lapel button he wore and
+spoke into it. Garry knew this to be a subminiature radio transmitter
+which was in wide use.
+
+Presently, a square little “T-Car,” or tote car, drove up. It was
+painted green and white, streamlined, and had seats inside. It had a
+convertible top which was opened now because of the pleasant weather.
+
+The baggageman put the spaceman’s things in the compartment, then
+invited his passengers to enter at the door he held open. Garry and
+Patch felt very important as Officer Mulroy motioned them in ahead of
+himself. They felt even more important as they sank down into the soft
+seats and were joined a moment later by this high-ranking officer of the
+Space Service.
+
+The swift little car whisked them off to the Operations Building, to
+which Officer Mulroy had to report before his flight.
+
+When the baggage had been unloaded outside and the T-Car had moved off,
+the spaceman said to the boys, “Wait out here, until I sign up and get
+my instructions. Then we’ll carry my things aboard the _Orion_.”
+
+While they waited, they turned their attention to the space craft some
+distance away. Its blue, satiny sides reflected the glow of thousands of
+lights on the field. Red smoke still curled up into the night, warning
+of the approach of blast-off time. And yet there was still a little
+while to go, for the spiderwebs of the gantry cranes still hugged the
+sides of the three-stage space vessel. Workmen were swarming all over
+the platforms, making last-minute checks on the ship.
+
+There was a high wire fence around the _Orion_ and only one entrance
+through it. A uniformed official was checking tickets as the passengers
+went through the gate. The official checked Officer Mulroy’s ticket, and
+Mr. Mulroy told him it would be all right for the boys to help him carry
+his baggage aboard.
+
+The boys’ new friend took them down some steps into a concrete tunnel
+that led to the launching pad. On the way they stopped at a little room
+where Mr. Mulroy was weighed.
+
+“Weight is a very important factor on a space ship,” Mr. Mulroy said, as
+they were on their way again.
+
+The tunnel led to an elevator that ran up the side of the rocket. The
+elevator cab rose and rose, high into the black night. Finally, Officer
+Mulroy pressed a button and said this was where they were to get off.
+
+Garry and Patch followed their friend out into a corridor of the space
+ship. Officer Mulroy searched the doors they passed, then recognized his
+own, Stateroom 17. He drew out a key and unlocked the door, then
+preceded the boys into the room.
+
+“Gee, what a tiny room!” Patch exclaimed.
+
+“It has to be this small,” Mr. Mulroy said. “Every inch of area on a
+space ship is at a premium, you know. For most travelers, the Von Braun
+Space Station is only a stopover on a longer trip into space. Sometimes
+the layover is for several days or even a week or two. Since rooms
+aboard the space station are very limited, most of the passengers are
+quartered in staterooms in the rocket in which they left earth.”
+
+Suddenly, a voice came over a speaker in the room: “Blast-off in ten
+minutes. All nonpassengers are requested to leave the ship.”
+
+“That’s us,” Garry said unhappily.
+
+How he envied Officer Mulroy on his coming trip into the deeps of space!
+He wanted to go so badly that his heart ached. But he realized that not
+for many years could his fondest dream come true.
+
+Officer Mulroy noticed Garry’s reluctance to leave, and placed a
+friendly arm around his shoulder. “Don’t take it so hard, Garry,” he
+said. “Be the very best student you can. The years will go by fast, and
+then one day you will wake up to find that you are eligible to be a
+spaceman.”
+
+“Thanks,” Garry said, trying to smile convincingly, although he did not
+feel happy. The idea of the future did not interest him now, but only
+the present, because the queen of the spaceways was about to blast off,
+and he wanted so desperately to remain aboard her.
+
+“Let’s go, Garry,” Patch said. “We don’t want to get Officer Mulroy into
+trouble by us being caught aboard at blast-off.”
+
+“That’s right,” Officer Mulroy said with a smile. “Being a stowaway on a
+rocket is really a serious matter. You see, for every pound of pay load
+on a rocket, there must be many more pounds of fuel, so if an extra
+person remained aboard, the ship might not be able to reach its
+destination.”
+
+“Thank you for letting us come aboard with you, Mr. Mulroy,” Garry said.
+“And I’ll remember what you told me.”
+
+The space officer insisted on tipping the boys, and it was a generous
+tip at that. As the two left the room he called to them, “Good-by,
+fellows. I’ll send you a post card from Mars. That’s a promise.”
+
+Garry and Patch said good-by and followed the directions that Officer
+Mulroy had given them for leaving the ship.
+
+Garry pressed the button of the elevator in which they had ridden
+earlier. As the doors parted and he and Patch went in, he said to his
+friend, “Gee, I hate to leave. I don’t know what’s the matter with me,
+Patch. Maybe I’m just tired of having to do the same thing every day,
+over and over.”
+
+“I feel kind of the same way, Garry,” Patch admitted, “but I guess we’ll
+just have to sweat out the old grind for a few more years.”
+
+They had no sooner started to descend than the light in the elevator
+went off, and then the elevator itself stopped.
+
+“Hey, what’s going on!” Garry exclaimed.
+
+“The power’s off!” Patch said.
+
+Presently, the light came on again, and the boys felt a lot better.
+
+“Whew, for a minute I was scared!” Patch said.
+
+“Me too. Hey, we’re still not moving, though!” Garry pressed harder on
+the button, but the elevator refused to move.
+
+“We’re stuck here, Garry!” Patch burst out.
+
+Garry started banging furiously on the walls of the elevator. “We’ve
+just _got_ to make ourselves heard, Patch!” he cried.
+
+The din was very loud in the cramped compartment, as both boys hammered
+on the wall.
+
+No one came to their rescue, but then a voice spoke over the
+public-address speaker in the ceiling of the elevator: “Don’t be
+alarmed, folks. A short circuit in the fuel-pump relay caused us to lose
+electric power momentarily. But everything has been restored to
+normalcy. Warning: Three minutes to blast-off.”
+
+“It _hasn’t_ been restored!” Garry burst out desperately.
+
+The boys pounded on the metal walls until their knuckles hurt.
+
+In a final desperate action, Garry slammed his closed fist against the
+stubborn power button. Instantly, he felt the elevator throb underfoot
+and begin to descend once more.
+
+“Thank goodness!” Garry breathed prayerfully. “But we’ve still got to
+hurry in order to get off in time! No telling how long we’ve been stuck
+in this thing!”
+
+When the elevator stopped, the doors slid open and the boys ran out. But
+they found themselves in a strange corridor.
+
+“We’re not out of the ship yet!” Garry exclaimed. “We’ve only gone down
+a deck or two. The elevator must still be fouled up.”
+
+“What’ll we do now?” Patch asked in desperation.
+
+“Go back into the elevator and try to get to the ground. We’ll have to
+hurry! The elevator is part of the gantry crane, and it’ll be rolled
+away any moment!”
+
+They rushed back to the closed doors of the elevator. But a sign in red
+lights on the door read: “DO NOT ENTER. ELEVATOR REMOVED.”
+
+“They’ve already taken it away!” Patch said in dismay.
+
+“We’ve got to find a place to strap down, or every bone in our bodies
+will be broken on the blast-off!” Garry said.
+
+A speaker along the corridor next gave out with the dread words:
+“Blast-off in ninety seconds, ladies and gentlemen. Secure your seat
+harness and listen to the instructions of the stewards. Failure to obey
+directions could cost you your lives. In the first few moments of
+acceleration in a rocket ship, there is a crushing blow to the human
+body. This jolt will occur twice more as the second and third stages
+blast off. For that reason, it is absolutely necessary that everyone be
+strapped down securely to his G-couch.”
+
+Patch grabbed his friends arm in a fierce grip. “Garry, we’re going to
+die! We’re going to die!” he cried.
+
+Garry shook off Patch and desperately began throwing open doors along
+the corridor, looking into one room after another. “There must be some
+G-couches along here,” he said. “I read somewhere that space law says
+there must be emergency couches on all decks of a rocket ship.”
+
+Patch tagged along after Garry, complaining. Garry could not afford to
+be sympathetic now. Both their lives depended on what he did within the
+next minute.
+
+Then Garry found it. Printed on the door was the heartening word:
+“G-COUCHES.”
+
+He flung open the door and saw a row of six S-shaped reclining seats.
+
+Garry grabbed the arm of his quaking friend in a tight grip and told
+him, “Listen to me, Patch, and do what I tell you. Jump on a couch just
+as fast as you can and don’t waste a second getting those buckles
+fastened across your chest, body, and legs. Now get going!”
+
+Garry helped him along with a shove, then dove for one of the couches
+close by.
+
+As he hastily fastened his own straps in place, Garry cast worried
+glances at his friend, who was fumbling as best he could in his nervous
+state.
+
+A speaker warned of the passing moments: “Zero minus twenty seconds,
+nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen....”
+
+A few seconds more, and Garry’s straps were securely fastened. He
+twisted his head to see how Patch was doing. Patch had almost all his
+straps in place, but he could not seem to get the chest buckle
+tightened.
+
+“Hurry, Patch, please hurry!” Garry cried.
+
+“I—I’m doing the best I can,” Patch said, and Garry could see the
+streams of sweat trickling down his round face.
+
+Then, with a final lucky tug, Patch had it. Turning his weakly smiling
+face to Garry, he murmured, “Garry, I guess I just barely did....”
+
+Garry never heard the rest of the words, for at that moment the _Orion_
+shook herself like a big dog, began a slow tug upward into the black
+night, and then, a few seconds later, with a deafening roar tore free of
+her earthly bonds and flung herself into space.
+
+
+
+
+                         3. STOWAWAYS IN SPACE
+
+
+Garry had read about the rough effects of blast-off, but the real thing
+was even worse than he had imagined. He felt like one of those
+characters in movie cartoons who gets flattened to the thickness of
+paper when run over. His lungs felt as though they had collapsed, and he
+could suck in only the barest trace of breath.
+
+But the discomfort did not last long. His body seemed to fill out like
+an inflated balloon, although he still felt the ache of having been
+nearly squashed. His stomach felt as though it had been stirred up with
+an egg beater, and his head swam.
+
+But no sooner had he recovered from the first violent thrust than it
+came again as the rocket’s second stage began firing. Then the crushing
+pressure eased once more, only to return once again as the third stage,
+the occupied section of the _Orion_, began firing away. When this force
+let up, Garry knew it was the last.
+
+The ship did not appear to be moving, but Garry knew it must be
+traveling many thousands of miles an hour.
+
+Garry’s shaky hands groped for the belts of the harness that snugly
+fitted his body. He worked the buckles loose from his upper body and sat
+up on his G-couch. He did not release his legs, because he was already
+feeling the dizzying effects of weightlessness. He looked across at
+Patch on the next couch.
+
+Patch was still lying flat, and his face was pasty white. His eyes were
+closed, and this alarmed Garry.
+
+“Patch!” Garry called, repeating the name over and over.
+
+Patch had blacked out, but after a few minutes he came back to
+consciousness.
+
+“Wh—what happened?” Patch asked in a weak voice.
+
+“We’re in space, Patch,” Garry replied. “They’ll probably think we’re
+stowaways and send us to jail. Maybe Officer Mulroy will get in trouble
+too.”
+
+But this was the least of Patch’s worries right now. He put his hand to
+his head, complaining, “Gee, I feel terrible. Everything’s going around!
+And I had the worst nightmare all night long!”
+
+Garry had to grin at this. “We haven’t been here all night, just a few
+minutes. It just seems like a long time.”
+
+Patch fumbled loose his upper straps and struggled to a sitting
+position, but fell back down onto his contour seat. “Wow, I can’t make
+it!” he said thickly.
+
+“There’s no use trying to get up,” Garry said. “We’re weightless and
+would never be able to get about. It’s funny how I wanted so terribly to
+go into space, but now that I’m out here I’m not enjoying it. I guess
+it’s because I’m afraid of what’s coming.”
+
+Garry wondered what they should do. Should they turn themselves in and
+take their chances on being believed that their being aboard the _Orion_
+was due to an accident? But if they did this, then Mr. Mulroy might be
+held responsible for not seeing that the boys had left the ship. And
+yet, Garry realized, he and Patch could not stay in hiding indefinitely.
+Sooner or later they must be found out. If they did not turn themselves
+in, and they were discovered, they would surely be regarded as
+stowaways.
+
+Then a new fear came to Garry. What if his and Patch’s combined weight
+was over the ship’s allowable limit? What if their being aboard would
+keep them from reaching the space station and, instead, cause the
+earth’s gravity to pull the _Orion_ back down? In that case the two of
+them could possibly cost the space-ship line a new rocket worth
+millions, not to mention the lives of all the persons aboard in case a
+safe landing could not be made!
+
+Garry was occupied with these grave thoughts until he heard the
+public-address system saying: “We are now in braking orbit.”
+
+Garry knew this meant that the ship had reached the vicinity of the
+space station and was beginning to circle the station while the braking
+rockets were cut in. This procedure would slow down the _Orion_ so that
+she would be moving at the same orbital speed as the space station. Then
+it would be easy for her to slip into dock.
+
+Garry and Patch felt the tug of the ship’s gradually diminishing speed,
+but this was not nearly as rough as the blast-off had been. As the
+_Orion_ moved into dock, the boys felt their weight returning. This was
+due to the station’s rotation and artificial gravity.
+
+“Well, it looks like the ship has made it all right,” Patch said,
+relieved. “They must not have had a full load.”
+
+The boys heard the technical language of the docking procedure. Garry
+listened closely, even though he could not understand much of it. But
+this was all part of the spaceman’s education, and he was eager to learn
+it, even at such a crucial moment as this.
+
+Yet as he listened, he had another unpleasant thought. Now that he and
+Patch had the blot of “stowaway” against them, would this misconduct
+prevent them from realizing their dream of being future spacemen?
+
+Finally, the ship’s motion stopped altogether. The _Orion_ had nestled
+into her dock on the big Von Braun Space Station, named after the great
+space scientist of the past century.
+
+“Now where do we go from here?” Patch asked, as the two removed their
+harness straps and got to their feet. “Garry, I’m scared, plenty scared!
+Wow, I’m a little wobbly too!”
+
+“Let’s stay put until we hear further announcements over the speaker,”
+Garry suggested. “It’ll give us time to think this through a little
+longer.”
+
+“We’re just stalling, that’s what we’re doing, aren’t we, Garry? We
+don’t want to turn ourselves in because we’re afraid of what will happen
+to us,” Patch said.
+
+Garry hung his head. “I guess that’s what it does amount to, Patch. I
+keep thinking what this will do to our hopes of being spacemen. I’m
+afraid we’ll never make it now.”
+
+They stayed in hiding for another half hour. Then Garry said: “We’ve got
+to have something to live on until we make up our minds what we’re going
+to do, Patch. I think space ships have emergency-ration compartments
+located along the corridors. I’m in favor of looking for one.”
+
+“That’s better than just waiting here and doing nothing,” Patch agreed.
+
+“I’ll look out and see if the coast is clear,” Garry said.
+
+He looked around outside and then motioned to Patch. They started off
+quietly down the corridor, but after a moment they heard footsteps
+approaching from around the corner behind them.
+
+“Garry, we’ve got to hide!” Patch whispered urgently. “Somebody’s
+coming!”
+
+Garry saw a door up ahead. “That leads into an air lock, Patch. We may
+be safe in there.”
+
+Garry turned a wheel on the door, and it swung open. They found
+themselves in a short tunnel, at the other end of which was another
+door. The air lock was used for entering and leaving the ship while it
+was in space. The spaceman would enter the chamber and wait for the air
+pressure to equalize before he left the air lock.
+
+Garry quickly turned another wheel on the inside of the door, closing
+it.
+
+“We can’t stay in here very long without air,” Garry said. “The other
+end of this air lock probably leads directly into the space station.
+Shall we try it?”
+
+“This running and hiding has got to end somewhere,” Patch replied with
+discouragement. “Lead on.”
+
+Garry checked the pressure gauge on the far door and saw that there was
+normal pressure on the other side. He turned the wheel on the door, and
+it swung open. The boys went through, and Garry wheeled the door shut
+behind them.
+
+They were in a huge enclosed dock of the space station. Lined up ahead
+were several space taxis, or fliers, which were used for trips outside
+the station and also doubled as lifeboats in time of emergency.
+
+“Gee, it’s cold in here!” Patch said.
+
+“The main thing, though, is that there’s no one around,” Garry said.
+“It’ll give us time to collect our thoughts.”
+
+“That’s what you think,” Patch whispered, tugging at Garry’s arm. “There
+come a couple of men down that corridor across the way!”
+
+Garry moved quickly and quietly, pulling Patch along. As the men entered
+the dock, the boys ducked out of sight behind one of the space fliers.
+
+The men approached the flier next to the outer door of the dock and
+pressed a button on the taxi’s surface. Its door sprang open, and the
+men entered the flier.
+
+They were in there for fully five minutes. During that time, Garry began
+to shiver, but it was not from fright so much as it was the coldness of
+the dock. Garry felt Patch shaking beside him and knew his friend was
+just as uncomfortable as he. But they had to stay put. There was no
+other place they could go at this moment.
+
+Finally, the men came out of the space taxi, closed the door, and, to
+the relief of Garry and Patch, disappeared up the corridor.
+
+Garry stood up and hugged himself.
+
+“Garry, I—I’m freezing to death,” Patch chattered.
+
+“So am I. We sure can’t stay here like this,” Garry replied.
+
+“Why don’t we try getting into one of these ships?” Patch suggested.
+“Maybe they’ve got heaters inside.”
+
+Garry pressed the button of the ship which they had been hiding behind,
+but the door did not open.
+
+“The power is off or something,” Garry groaned.
+
+“Maybe the first one will open,” Patch said. “It worked for those men.”
+
+Garry went over to the first craft and pressed the door button.
+Instantly, the door sprang open. A tiny air-lock chamber faced them.
+
+“Thank goodness,” Patch murmured. “Let’s go in.”
+
+“What if the men come back?” Garry cautioned. “They may be preparing for
+a trip.”
+
+“There are windows facing the corridor,” Patch said. “We can keep an eye
+out for them and duck for cover again if they return. Gee, let’s try it
+anyhow, Garry! I feel like a penguin that’s lost all its feathers!”
+
+Garry agreed and entered the flier, Patch climbing in behind. A second
+door led from the air lock chamber into the flier proper. Besides the
+pilot’s seat, there were six other seats, three on a side. It was warmer
+in here than outside, and Garry felt heat gently blowing. This made him
+suspect that the men had just turned it on and that they were going to
+return for a trip in the craft.
+
+“I’m afraid we won’t have long to stay in here,” Garry told his friend
+and mentioned his suspicion to him.
+
+“I guess you’re right,” Patch agreed. “Where will we go from here?
+Garry, I’m tired of running. And I’m getting more scared by the minute
+because of what we’re doing. Why don’t we just turn ourselves in and
+face the music, whatever it is?”
+
+Through a window of the taxi, Garry was watching the corridor for signs
+of the returning men. “I guess you’re right, Patch,” he said. “We’ll
+give ourselves up when those men return.”
+
+“I don’t think we should wait until then,” Patch objected. “It will go a
+lot easier for us if we give ourselves up voluntarily instead of looking
+as if we had been caught.”
+
+Once again Garry agreed, but, as he was reaching for the button to open
+the door, he heard a click.
+
+“What was that?” Patch asked in alarm. “What did you do?”
+
+“Nothing,” Garry said. “Something was operating all by itself.”
+
+A soft purring sound began to be heard inside the craft, and Garry felt
+the little ship vibrating ever so softly.
+
+“Patch,” Garry said tensely, “I don’t like this.” He tried the door
+button, but it would not work.
+
+“What’s happening?” Patch asked, and there was fright in his voice.
+
+A movement outside in the dock caught the boys’ eyes. Through the wide
+front port of the ship, they watched a big door slide open, revealing a
+dark air-lock tunnel—a tunnel large enough to hold the craft which they
+were occupying!
+
+“Garry,” Patch repeated, “what’s happening!”
+
+Garry slumped into one of the seats, fear numbing his heart.
+
+“Now I know what kind of ship this is, Patch,” he murmured. “It’s remote
+controlled, guided by an operator inside the space station. We’re
+heading straight out into space, Patch!”
+
+
+
+
+                         4. ADRIFT IN THE DEEPS
+
+
+Trapped within the space taxi, Garry and Patch watched the darkness of
+space enlarge before their eyes as the ship emerged from the air-lock
+tunnel of the space station. The stars about them were countless lights,
+some packed so closely together that they trailed across the sky like
+distant streaming veils. But the boys had no eye for their beauty at
+this time.
+
+“Garry,” Patch asked in a dismal voice, “what’s going to happen to us?”
+
+“As long as they have control of the ship, I guess we’ll be all right,”
+Garry replied. “Maybe they are just sending the ship out on a practice
+run or possibly to pick someone up.”
+
+“Pick someone up?” Patch asked, puzzled.
+
+“I was thinking of satellite workers or repairmen. The skies out here
+are flooded with satellites, you know. They must have men working on
+them all the time,” Garry explained.
+
+Garry heard a hissing sound. He found a slit in the wall from which it
+was coming. Near the opening was a gauge.
+
+“That’s an oxygen mixture coming in,” Garry said. “It’s probably
+automatic. It turns on whenever the air pressure drops or becomes
+fouled.”
+
+“That’s something in our favor,” Patch said grudgingly.
+
+Garry found his feet beginning to lift weightlessly off the floor. His
+body sagged off balance, and he had to hold onto a handle on one of the
+seats.
+
+“Garry, what’ll we do?” Patch exclaimed frantically. “We’re going
+weightless!”
+
+“Let’s look for a wardrobe compartment,” Garry suggested. “Since these
+fliers are used as lifeboats sometimes, there must be space suits and
+things. Maybe we’ll find magnetic shoes, too.”
+
+“How’ll we ever get around in here to look for anything?” Patch
+sputtered. By now he was floating, his legs and arms flailing helplessly
+like a bug on its back.
+
+Using the handles on the backs of the seats, Garry worked his way across
+to a cabinet set in the wall. Then he moved from the last seat handle to
+the wall rail and worked himself down it to the plastic case. Through
+the clear window Garry could see space suits and accessories. He pressed
+a button, and the door popped open.
+
+“We’re in luck, Patch,” Garry reported. “There are magnetic shoes in
+here. I hope the gravity plates in the floor are working.”
+
+Garry managed to pick up two pairs of the shoes, tucking one pair under
+one arm. That left one hand holding the second pair and the other hand
+free.
+
+Even then, it took quite some doing for him to work his way across to
+Patch, who looked like a pennant floating in the breeze as he hung
+crossways in the air, one hand tightly clutching a seat handle.
+
+“Garry, I don’t feel so good,” Patch complained. “Everything in me feels
+like its pushing upward. Even my brain seems to be floating.”
+
+“It’s lack of gravity doing that,” Garry said. “You are used to gravity
+always pulling down on you. When that pull is gone, it makes you feel as
+if your body is moving up. At least that’s what all the books say. And I
+believe them, because I feel that way myself. Here are your shoes.
+They’re pretty big, but they’ll be better than nothing.”
+
+“Garry, how’ll I ever get them on?” Patch protested.
+
+“I’ll hold onto you while you put them on,” Garry offered. “That’ll make
+it easier—I guess.”
+
+Garry got behind Patch and held him by the collar. Then began Patch’s
+struggles with the shoes. It was comical for Garry to see his friend
+having such a hard time, but he knew Patch would have the laugh on him
+later.
+
+It took them both a good while to get the shoes on. When the floor
+current of the gravity plates finally held them down, the boys laughed
+at each other in their oversized equipment.
+
+“I guess we look like snowshoe rabbits with our big feet!” Patch said
+with a laugh. “Good thing those straps pulled up tight, or we’d never be
+able to keep them on.”
+
+The craft had been moving along smoothly, but before long it began to
+shudder irregularly.
+
+“The jets have cut out, Patch,” Garry said. “We’re coasting. Without any
+air friction out here in space, we _could_ coast along forever.”
+
+“Garry, don’t say that!” Patch gasped.
+
+But Garry found out that his guess was wrong, and he was glad that it
+had been. Presently, twin jets of flame were seen pouring from the front
+of the craft.
+
+“Garry, we’re on fire!” Patch shouted.
+
+“No, they’re the braking jets,” Garry corrected. “We’re being slowed
+down, Patch! I think we’ll find out very soon now what our destination
+is.”
+
+“Thank goodness for that,” Patch replied. “You know, you got me plenty
+worried when you said that we might coast forever out here. Although
+after about a hundred years I probably wouldn’t mind any longer!”
+
+“Look, Patch,” Garry cried. “Up ahead—a satellite! That must be where
+we’re headed!”
+
+As they approached, the craft still being slowed by the braking jets,
+Garry and Patch took in the scene before them. The satellite itself
+somewhat resembled a giant radio speaker. Its largest area was a huge
+reflecting surface, and this surface was made up of adjustable panels
+that could be banked in any direction. The boys could see around the
+side of the satellite, and backing up the front broad surface was a
+block-shaped structure with windows.
+
+As the tiny space craft drew closer, the boys saw a hatch open in the
+rear structure, and two men in space suits emerged, holding onto hand
+rails on the outside of the satellite.
+
+“That’s one of the radio and TV relay satellites, Patch,” Garry said.
+“There are three of them, spaced equally around the earth, for relaying
+TV and radio all over the world. Our ship has probably been sent out to
+pick up these men and bring them back to the station.”
+
+“Won’t they be surprised when they see us aboard?” Patch remarked.
+
+Garry noticed that the space taxi seemed to be moving a little off
+course, and this disturbed him, especially since one of the forward jets
+had cut off but the other hadn’t.
+
+The craft was veering steadily away from the satellite and slowing
+rapidly. Finally, it came to a dead stop several hundred yards from the
+satellite, but then it began backing up. As the craft gained speed in
+reverse, Garry and Patch were nearly knocked off their feet from the
+acceleration.
+
+“The front jet is propelling us backward!” Garry cried. “There’s
+something wrong with the remote control!”
+
+The craft began going into a dizzy spin. The boys had to hold on tightly
+to some anchored support to keep from being flung against the wall.
+
+Garry watched the satellite become lost against the sprawling background
+of stars. He knew they were hurtling farther out into space, out of
+control, headed for a destination now that even the space-station
+operators might not know.
+
+The boys were so disheartened by the latest bad break that, for the time
+being, they did not care what happened to them. This lowering of their
+spirits seemed to remind them that they were a long time past their
+slumber time, and they suddenly became very sleepy. By earth time, it
+would be the dark hours before dawn.
+
+They went to sleep on their feet, because in the zero gravity there was
+no need for them to lie down. Their magnetic soles held them in place to
+keep them from drifting about as they slept.
+
+Garry was the first to wake up, hours later. There was no way for him to
+know how much time had passed. He woke his friend, who stretched and
+yawned.
+
+“I never thought I’d be able to sleep standing up,” Patch said. “I feel
+like a horse.”
+
+“We got a good rest,” Garry said. “I guess that’s because of the zero
+gravity.”
+
+Patch looked gloomily out of the front port of the flier. “We’re still
+no better off than we were before, though, Garry, but, I think we have
+stopped moving.”
+
+Garry shook his head. “It just seems like we’re not moving because the
+stars and everything else around us are so still. We’re moving all
+right—and fast. This ship may still be moving after we’re dead, even if
+we could live for a hundred years, because there’s nothing ever to slow
+us down out here; that is, unless we happened to move into the gravity
+field of some planet, which would pull us down.”
+
+“I knew we should have turned ourselves in when we had the chance,”
+Patch said mournfully. “If we had, we wouldn’t be in this fix now.”
+
+Garry agreed. “It’s all my fault for trying to hold out so long.”
+
+“Well, too late now to do anything,” Patch said.
+
+“I don’t think we should give up hope,” Garry said. “They might still
+send out a ship to try to pick up this one. They know it’s lost, but of
+course they don’t know there’s anybody in it, and they may not know
+where to look for it.”
+
+He investigated the sloping wall between him and the front window. The
+middle of it was shaped something like an old-fashioned roll-top desk,
+closed up.
+
+“Hmm,” Garry thought to himself. “This ship has been run by remote
+control until now, but why shouldn’t it have controls of its own? If it
+does have them, they should be right here in front of me.”
+
+Garry’s hopes soared again as he ran his hands over the light-green
+plastic slope in front of him.
+
+“A button,” he whispered. “There must be a button or something that
+opens this thing up.”
+
+“Hey, what’re you mumbling about?” Patch asked.
+
+Garry was too concerned with what he was doing to answer his friend.
+Suddenly, he found something on the left side of the instrument. It was
+a button. He pressed it.
+
+Two covers began swinging open in front of him, as stage curtains would
+do, revealing a bank of dials and levers.
+
+“Patch!” Garry shouted. “Look what!”
+
+Patch came clicking over in his magnetic shoes. “Hey, they’re
+instruments for running this crate! Why didn’t we think of looking for
+them before?” he cried.
+
+“Probably because we don’t know how to operate them,” Garry replied.
+
+There was a half-circle steering wheel that pulled out, and the boys
+were sure what this was for.
+
+“Garry,” Patch said happily, “the steering wheel—that may be all that
+we’ll need! Since the ship is moving under its own power, all we have to
+do is turn her around and head back for the space station. We can keep
+circling it until one of the ships from the station intercepts us!”
+
+Garry tried the wheel. It was locked tight.
+
+“It’s not that easy, Patch,” he said. “First we’ve got to find how to
+unlock the wheel.”
+
+“That ought not to be hard,” Patch replied. “A button or switch....”
+
+They both began carefully examining the steering column and wheel, but
+did not find anything that would release the wheel. Then they went over
+the console panel very closely. They found switches and levers that
+could not be identified, but they decided to try them anyhow and see
+what they controlled.
+
+They got no result at first, but, when the fourth switch was thrown, the
+console lighted up and the ship began to throb with a new life.
+
+“That must have been one of the power levers,” Garry said. “Look—the
+steering wheel is free! The power had to be on before it would unlock
+the wheel.”
+
+“Garry!” Patch exclaimed, “we’re on our way! We’re on our way.”
+
+“I hope my sense of direction is correct,” Garry said, “because I can’t
+read those directional meters. I think we’ll be headed in the general
+direction of the station if we make a half turn. I remember the position
+of that brilliant nebula over there and also the planet Venus.”
+
+Garry was beginning to turn the wheel slowly for their gradual turnabout
+in the sky when the smell of something burning issued from the console.
+
+“Hey, something seems to be shorting out,” Patch said in alarm. “Look!
+There’s smoke coming from the panel!”
+
+No sooner had he spoken than there was a small explosion inside the
+console, a strong odor of ozone filled the boys’ nostrils, and all the
+lights went out. But what was worse, the steering wheel froze in Garry’s
+hands and locked again.
+
+“Patch, we’re ruined!” Garry groaned loudly. “I must have done something
+wrong!”
+
+Garry put his hands over his face in despair. “Patch, we were so close,
+so very close....”
+
+“It looks like something just doesn’t want us to get out of this alive,”
+Patch said bitterly. “We’re jinxed, Garry!”
+
+“It’ll do no good to start feeling sorry for ourselves again,” Garry
+said. “Remember, we thought we were goners before. Something may turn up
+to save us—something maybe like a Good Samaritan flying around in a
+space ship just looking for wandering boys. But how many of those do you
+think you would find in all the millions of miles of space that surround
+us?”
+
+Suddenly Garry stood upright, staring intently straight out the forward
+port. “Speaking of Good Samaritans, Patch, that might not be so
+farfetched after all. Look out there, straight ahead. There’s a light
+moving against the stars. It just might be a space ship!”
+
+“I see it,” Patch said, with a trace of hope returning, “but it’s most
+likely a Sputnik or Tiros or some other satellite.”
+
+“I don’t think so. Its movement isn’t perfectly straight. I’m sure I
+just saw it change direction as if heading this way. Patch, if you’ve
+ever prayed, do it now. The next few minutes may decide whether we live
+or die out here in space!”
+
+
+
+
+                         5. A “FLYING TIN CAN”
+
+
+The boys watched intently as the object neared them. Although it was
+still pretty far off, they knew that it was not a true celestial object,
+because they could determine already that it was shaped like nothing
+usually found in space. In fact, it looked remarkably like a tin can! It
+was an odd shape for a space ship, but the boys were sure that was what
+it was.
+
+“That’s not like anything I’ve ever seen!” Garry said. “And I’ve seen
+all kinds of pictures of space ships in magazines and books.”
+
+“It must be a special kind of ship,” Patch suggested. “But just so it
+really is a space ship with living people in it, it can be shaped like a
+barbecue pit for all I care!”
+
+“Patch!” Garry said in a stricken voice. “What if it’s from another
+planet and carries strange people? Maybe even _unfriendly_ passengers!”
+
+Patch’s eyes shone like bright marbles. “Gee, you don’t really think so,
+do you? I—I mean, how could it be possible? We’ve already explored Mars
+and Venus, and those planets aren’t inhabited. How could anything
+possibly live on those big cold planets farther out?”
+
+“Maybe they are from another star,” Garry said in a solemn tone.
+
+They would know pretty soon where the flying object was from, because it
+was still heading in their direction, and its passengers could not
+possibly miss seeing them.
+
+Garry and Patch were silent as the object drew steadily closer, each of
+them engrossed in his own thoughts.
+
+“It really does look like a tin can,” Patch said. “A tin can with a big
+eye in front! But what a big tin can! It’s big as one of those ancient
+dirigibles.”
+
+“Patch, I can begin to make out some writing over the eye. See it?”
+
+“Yes. Just a moment. It’s coming into focus. It says ‘CAREFREE!’ I don’t
+know what it means, but it _sounds_ friendly.”
+
+“That must be the name of it,” Garry suggested. “No ship with a name
+like that could be carrying unfriendly passengers.”
+
+“It also means that there must be earthmen aboard, because it’s an earth
+word.”
+
+“I don’t think we have anything to worry about, Patch,” Garry said
+confidently.
+
+“Now they’re turning around,” Patch said. “They—they’re pulling even
+with us. I guess they’ll anchor to us with magnetic grapples.”
+
+Carefully, the _Carefree_ edged closer so that it could latch on. The
+big circular space ship dwarfed the tiny taxi so greatly that it seemed
+like David and Goliath.
+
+Garry and Patch heard a soft bump as the _Carefree_ coupled onto the
+side of their craft on which the door was located. Garry knew now that
+the ships were joined as one.
+
+Garry looked at Patch, and Patch looked at Garry. They knew all they had
+to do now was open the air locks between the ships. But they hesitated
+as if there were still some doubt in their minds as to the friendliness
+of those in the other space ship.
+
+There came a rap on their air-lock door. Once again Garry looked at
+Patch, and Patch looked at Garry. Then, after another few moments of
+hesitation, Garry shrugged and clicked over to the door.
+
+“We may as well open up,” he said. “Whether or not they’re friendly,
+they’ve certainly got the upper hand.”
+
+Garry pressed the button that controlled the outer door of the air lock.
+Then he pressed another that opened the inner door.
+
+Garry and Patch looked through the double air locks into the face of a
+man who wore a small, neat white beard. He appeared to be in his early
+sixties, and he was clinging to a webbing of ropes that completely
+covered the walls of a giant tube or tunnel.
+
+“Hello,” the man said, with a smile.
+
+“Hello,” Garry and Patch replied together. And they smiled too, because
+they were very glad that it was an earthman who faced them.
+
+“I must say I didn’t expect to find a couple of boys alone in here,” the
+man went on. “What’s happened to the adults with you? You didn’t heave
+them out the waste hatch, did you?” The elderly man laughed.
+
+“Uh, no, Sir,” Garry replied with hesitation. “We’ve been by ourselves
+ever since this flier left the Von Braun Space Station. It’s a pretty
+long story, Sir.”
+
+“The name is Captain Eaton, boys.” The man winked at them, showing his
+white teeth in another smile. “Oh, I’m not really a space captain. I
+wouldn’t deceive you. The _Carefree_ is a private ship, and the men call
+me ‘Captain’ because I’m the owner.”
+
+Captain Eaton’s dark, alert eyes flickered over the interior of the
+flier.
+
+“I thought whoever was in this ship must be in some sort of trouble,” he
+said, “because of your erratic flight. That’s why we latched onto you,
+to see if we could be of some help.”
+
+“We _do_ need help, Captain,” Patch said earnestly. “We don’t know the
+first thing about running this thing. We had just about given ourselves
+up for lost.”
+
+“How in the world did you get into such a spot as this?” Captain Eaton
+asked.
+
+“Well, Sir,” Garry explained, lowering his eyes, “you see, we’re
+stowaways, although we’ve been able to escape being caught all this
+time. We didn’t _mean_ to be stowaways, Captain. We were helping an
+officer aboard the _Orion_ with his gear, and the rocket blasted off
+before we could get out.”
+
+“Say, I’ll bet your parents are worried to death about you,” Captain
+Eaton said.
+
+“No, Sir,” Patch answered. “You see, we’re orphans, and we lived in an
+orphanage back in the United States.”
+
+“I see,” the elderly man replied, stroking his short, snowy beard. Then
+suddenly he grinned broadly. “Well, fellows, how would you like to be
+rescued?”
+
+“We’re all for it!” Garry answered, and Patch nodded his head
+vigorously.
+
+“Come aboard then. The _Carefree_ welcomes you!”
+
+“What about the flier?” Garry asked. “We don’t want to be charged with
+stealing a space craft.”
+
+“I’ll have Ben Dawes come aboard and set her adrift toward the satellite
+so that she can be picked up easily,” the captain said.
+
+“I think we blew something out when we tried to start her,” Patch said.
+
+“Ben’s a genius,” Captain Eaton replied. “He’ll get her to running, no
+matter what’s wrong with her.”
+
+With this taken care of, the boys were anxious to board the _Carefree_
+and see if her interior were as strange and unusual looking as her outer
+hull. They removed their bulky magnetic shoes and entered the air lock
+of the _Carefree_.
+
+Captain Eaton first explained the purpose of the webbing that lined the
+walls of the tube.
+
+“As you boys saw us move in, you probably know that this is the rear of
+the ship, and this tunnel is in the center. It goes the full length of
+our ‘tin can’ and comes out front into the flight deck. We have to leave
+and enter the ship through the rear end of this tube. Understand?”
+
+“Yes, Sir,” the boys answered together.
+
+“The outer round surface of our ‘tin can’ revolves around this center
+tube as though it were a wheel around an axis,” the captain went on. “By
+so doing, an artificial gravity is induced along the inside rim of the
+‘can.’” Captain Eaton frowned. “Am I getting too deep for you?”
+
+“I don’t think so, Sir,” Garry replied. “The gravity you are talking
+about is the result of centrifugal action—the same action that makes a
+ball swing out on the end of a string when a person swings it around his
+head. It’s the same kind of artificial gravity they use on the manned
+space stations.”
+
+“You’re pretty sharp, son. I like a boy who doesn’t think that facts
+belong only in a schoolroom.”
+
+“I’ve always been very interested in space, Sir,” Garry said. “I’ll bet
+I’d surprise you with all I know about it.”
+
+“I’m sure you would,” Captain Eaton admitted. “Say, I don’t even know
+your names. I’ve told you mine. Now let’s have yours.”
+
+“I’m Garry Coleman,” Garry answered, “and this is my best friend, Patch
+Foster.”
+
+Since the center tube of the _Carefree_ was not affected by the
+centrifugal force of the rotating “tin can,” its gravity was zero. For
+that reason the webbing was used to pull oneself along with and not
+really for the purposes of climbing and descending.
+
+Captain Eaton turned around on the webbing so that he could lead the way
+along the tunnel into the living quarters of the _Carefree_. His slim,
+agile legs swung free in the zero gravity as he made the turn. Glossy
+black space boots covered his feet.
+
+The captain showed Garry where to pull a lever which closed a series of
+air-lock doors between the _Carefree_ and the taxi.
+
+The ship’s master and the boys pulled themselves along the tunnel. Then
+Captain Eaton stopped and said, “Hold on tightly, fellows. We’re going
+round and round for a few turns.”
+
+He pushed a lever beneath the webbing, and Garry felt the tube begin to
+revolve slowly.
+
+“Hey, what’s happening?” Patch called out.
+
+“I had to set the tunnel in rotation so that it could catch up with the
+rest of the ship, which is always turning. As soon as you’ve become used
+to the spinning, we’ll go into the ship.”
+
+When the boys said they thought they could navigate, the captain pointed
+to an open hatch that had appeared in the wall near them.
+
+“We’ll turn around and back down these stairs,” the skipper said. “As we
+descend, the gravity will become stronger, so that by the time we’re at
+the bottom we’ll be nearly at our earth weights.”
+
+Garry and Patch followed their new friend down the stairs, moving
+carefully and holding onto the railing, for they still felt giddy from
+the rotation of the central tube. By the time they were at the bottom,
+their heads had begun to clear.
+
+That is, they _thought_ their heads had begun to clear. But no sooner
+had they gotten this impression than they became giddy all over again at
+the sight that met their eyes. For it was just as if they had entered a
+tropical paradise! There were real flowers in bloom all about, and
+aquariums full of live fishes were set into the surrounding walls.
+
+The boys were too surprised to say anything. All they could do was just
+stare and stare in disbelief.
+
+
+
+
+                         6. A _CAREFREE_ WORLD
+
+
+“How do you like my garden, fellows?” Captain Eaton asked. “It helps
+keep me from getting homesick. I used to have a most luxuriant garden
+back on earth.”
+
+“I can’t believe it!” Garry burst out. “It’s just as if we were outdoors
+on a summer day, it’s so real.”
+
+“There’s a goldfish pond, Garry,” Patch said, “with lily pads floating
+on top and a bench beside it.”
+
+“I never saw so many kinds of flowers,” Garry said, “and shrubs too.”
+
+“The flowers and shrubs serve a double purpose,” Captain Eaton
+explained. “They not only provide homelike pleasure to me and my
+friends, but they also help keep the air in the _Carefree_ supplied with
+oxygen.”
+
+“I remember,” Garry replied. “Plants in light breathe exactly opposite
+from the way we do. They breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out
+oxygen.”
+
+Patch stooped down, examining the roots of a shrub. “Hey, the roots
+aren’t growing in soil! How can they live?”
+
+“The plants grow in richly fertilized liquid,” the captain answered. “In
+that way, they can be placed much closer together. Besides, some of the
+water making up the fertilized liquid comes from waste products within
+the ship. There are other reasons too.”
+
+Captain Eaton led the way along the aisle that ran beside the colorfully
+lighted aquariums. He stopped in front of a twenty-gallon tank which was
+in the process of being cleaned by two men.
+
+One of them was very tall, over six and a half feet. He was very thin
+and appeared to be in his late fifties. But the oddest thing about him,
+which made Garry and Patch stare at him in surprise, was the fact that
+he was in the full dress of a butler, complete with newly starched white
+shirt and neatly pressed coat and trousers! Although he was holding a
+bucket that was catching water from a draining aquarium, his clothing
+wasn’t in the least mussed.
+
+Captain Eaton saw the boys staring at the tall gentleman and said,
+“Boys, I want you to meet Mr. Klecker, the Eaton family butler for many
+years. When I decided to set out into space on my permanent cruise, he
+would not think of being left behind. Klecker, this is Garry and this is
+Patch. They will be our guests for awhile.”
+
+Mr. Klecker looked at them with heavy-lidded eyes. Then, bowing, he said
+in a deep stately voice, “Pleased, young gentlemen.”
+
+“Glad to know you, Mr. Klecker,” Garry said.
+
+“Me too,” Patch added.
+
+The other person attending to the fish tank was a young man. He rose
+from a squatting position and smiled at the boys. He had crew-cut black
+hair and the kind of happy features which indicate a friendly nature. He
+wiped his damp hands on his trousers and offered a palm to Garry first,
+then to Patch.
+
+“Hi, boys. I’m Ben Dawes. Glad to have you aboard,” he said. “It sure is
+a surprise meeting fellows as young as yourselves out here in space.”
+
+“It’ll probably be more of a surprise, Ben, to know that they are
+alone,” the captain said.
+
+“Not really!” Ben said. “Say, I’ll bet you two have a long story
+explaining that!”
+
+“We do,” Garry answered, “and we’ll tell you when we have lots of time.”
+
+“Ben is my right-hand man, whom I wouldn’t part with for all the
+millions I own,” Captain Eaton said proudly. “He could build a space
+ship out of a safety pin if he had to. He had a big hand in designing
+the _Carefree_, and he knows every bolt and rivet in her.”
+
+It was interesting to Garry to hear that the captain was a millionaire.
+That probably explained how he could afford to take such a leisurely
+cruise through space in something akin to a flying palace.
+
+“While Klecker and Ben are changing the water in this aquarium,” Captain
+Eaton said, “how would you like to meet the rest of my friends?”
+
+“We would, Sir,” Garry replied, “but are you sure you don’t have things
+to do?” It was hard for Garry to believe that as important a person as a
+millionaire would be willing to devote so much time to a couple of
+orphans who were lost in space.
+
+“Here my time is my own,” Captain Eaton said. “Back home there were
+hundreds of little details that always had to be attended to, and as I
+grew older the grind began to keep me in a state of tension and boredom.
+That’s when I made up my mind that I would spend the rest of my life the
+way that I wanted to—without constant interruption and without ever
+hurrying. I sold everything I owned and came into space. That was four
+years ago.”
+
+“Why are you so interested in space, Captain?” Garry asked.
+
+“In my early days I had a very keen interest in space travel. I became a
+space cadet, but after only four months’ service I was hurt, and my
+injury was such that I had to give up any thoughts of a future in the
+Space Service. But my keen interest in space stayed with me through the
+years, and I never gave up hope of returning to the spaceways. So, you
+see, my hope was realized, and here I am as carefree as the name of my
+ship.”
+
+“Then you never plan to return to earth, Captain Eaton, ever?” Garry
+asked.
+
+“No, I don’t think so. In the first place, the _Carefree_ was built in
+space and could not stand the atmospheric friction of an earth return.
+Of course, I could get back if I really wanted to. But I don’t believe I
+want to. My simple life out here is very satisfying. I never had any
+children, and my wife is now dead. No, no close relatives. It takes a
+little money to survive out here and pay my friends aboard ship, but it
+does not take too much. Yes, this is the good life, and it is enough for
+me.”
+
+As Captain Eaton paced the boys by a couple of steps, Garry had to
+marvel at the youthful stride of their host. His body was as lean and
+spare as a man half his age, and Garry was sure he must have kept
+himself in good condition all his life.
+
+As the trio left the garden and moved into the next section, Garry and
+Patch heard a fine tenor voice singing a lusty aria from an opera. A
+quick study of their surroundings told Garry that they were in the
+galley.
+
+As the fragrance of good food reached the boys’ noses, they suddenly
+remembered how hungry they were. They hadn’t eaten since they left the
+orphanage!
+
+“That’s Gino you hear,” Captain Eaton explained.
+
+The boys presently saw a short, fat little Italian throwing a huge, flat
+wad of dough into the air. He stopped when he saw the boys and grinned
+so widely that his eyes disappeared and his mouth seemed as broad as
+that of a jack-o’-lantern.
+
+Captain Eaton exchanged names so that everyone quickly knew everyone
+else. Gino was the ship’s cook, and his full name was Gino Spondini.
+
+Gino kept tossing the dough into the air, and each time he tossed it up
+it became thinner and bigger.
+
+“You _bambini_ chose a good day to come to the _Carefree_,” Gino said.
+“This is a special day for good food, only once every two weeks, eh,
+Captain?”
+
+Captain Eaton nodded. “Unfortunately, there isn’t a grocery store just
+around the corner, and so we fill our food room and deep freeze only a
+few times a year from the commissary satellite which supplies food to
+all the manned satellites around earth. But when we do have an
+exceptionally good meal, we enjoy it even more.”
+
+“I don’t know what you’re making, Gino,” Garry said, “but I’m hungry
+enough to eat it raw.”
+
+Gino looked shocked. “You don’t know pizza when you see it? Where have
+you been all your life, _bambino_?”
+
+“Gino makes the best pizza pie in the world—or should I say the best in
+the solar system?” the captain said. “Now, boys, shall we move on and
+meet the others?”
+
+They left the galley and proceeded on to the next section within the
+_Carefree_, leaving Gino singing another operatic air. The boys wondered
+if they could hold out until lunch time.
+
+“Up ahead of us,” Captain Eaton said presently, after passing through a
+short hallway, “is the dormitory. Since the dorm is used solely for
+sleeping, we made it small so that we could give more area over to the
+other parts of the ship where we spend more of our time.”
+
+Garry found the dormitory indeed small and quite simple. There were
+three-tiered bunks along the walls, with ladders leading up to the
+second and third levels.
+
+The captain smiled. “Patch, you seem to be looking over those bunks
+carefully to see if you find any that aren’t made up.” Patch blushed.
+“Yes, Sir. I was wondering if....”
+
+“If we have room for you two? Well, breathe easily, for we do have
+extras. The ship will sleep twelve, and special cots can be set up to
+accommodate more when necessary.”
+
+“They look cozy,” Garry said, “but how do you know when to sleep out
+here in space, without any real night or day?”
+
+“We observe a twenty-four-hour day just as they do on earth. Scientists
+have found out that space travelers get along much better if they keep
+the same hourly habits to which they are accustomed. We even simulate
+the appearance of night, turning down the lights and observing quiet.
+You’ll find out that you get sleepy at just the right time and that you
+wake the ‘next morning’ feeling just as refreshed as you did on earth.”
+
+Suddenly, they heard a stirring in one of the top bunks. A deeply tanned
+man with a thick shock of auburn hair raised up sleepily.
+
+“Oh, it’s you, Captain,” the man said with a yawn. Then he perked up.
+“Who is it with you, Sir?” The man’s accent was a thick Scottish brogue.
+
+“We have guests, Mac,” the captain replied. “These are Garry and Patch.
+Fellows, meet Mr. McIntosh, pilot, navigator, engineer, and what have
+you. He likes to be called Mac.”
+
+“Hi, fellows, glad to have you aboard,” Mac said cordially, then yawned
+again.
+
+“Sorry we woke you, Mac,” the captain said.
+
+“I’m just about due to relieve Isaac upstairs, Sir. That’s all right.”
+
+“I was just showing the boys the ship. We’ll move on so you can get
+dressed.”
+
+As they left the dormitory to pass into another hallway, Captain Eaton
+asked, “You’ve heard of Isaac Newton, haven’t you, boys?”
+
+“Oh yes, Sir,” Garry responded eagerly. “He was one of the very greatest
+scientists. He died a long time ago.”
+
+The captain winked at them. “Well, we’re going to meet him,” he said.
+
+
+
+
+                        7. A SHOCK IN THE NIGHT
+
+
+Captain Eaton’s announcement that Garry and Patch were about to meet
+Isaac Newton, the great scientist, filled the boys with astonishment.
+
+“We’re going back to the central tube,” the skipper said, “and from
+there to the navigation room.”
+
+They climbed a steep staircase, as they had done earlier. Garry felt the
+comfortable feel of artificial gravity leaving him as they went higher.
+The light-headed, floating sensation of zero gravity was returning.
+
+The captain shoved a lever so that the central tunnel would start
+revolving. When a doorway appeared in the tube, the three climbed
+through. Then the rotation of the tunnel was stopped. The captain then
+led the boys along the stationary axle of the _Carefree_, in the
+direction opposite from where they had first entered the ship. The three
+pulled themselves along the webbing as their legs swung free,
+weightlessly. They reached a platform outside a door at the nose of the
+ship. Holding onto the platform rail, Captain Eaton fished into a
+cabinet built into the platform and came out with two pairs of slippers.
+
+“You can attach these magnetic-soled slippers to your shoes, fellows,”
+their host said. “Because of the zero gravity in the navigation room, we
+have to use gravity plates. The rest of us wear these attached to our
+boots all the time because we are always going back and forth up here,
+and they are light and comfortable.”
+
+After the boys had donned the slippers, Captain Eaton pressed a button,
+the door slid open, and the three of them walked through.
+
+Garry and Patch found themselves in a domed room, which had a wide front
+port that looked out into space. Below the port extended a long
+instrument panel, or console, with two seats in front of it, one of
+which was occupied.
+
+“This is the flight deck!” Garry said. “It’s the part that looked like a
+big eye on the front of the ship.”
+
+The pilot turned around in his swivel seat. He was a huge, muscular man
+with rugged features that suggested he might once have been a vigorous
+athlete.
+
+“Boys, meet Isaac Newton,” Captain Eaton said.
+
+Garry could not help but laugh, because this Isaac Newton looked nothing
+whatsoever like pictures of the great scientist. But then Garry
+remembered that he was being impolite, and he apologized.
+
+“That’s all right,” Isaac Newton said good naturedly. “Everybody who
+ever heard of that scientist laughs. I’ve been defending my name ever
+since I was a kid. That’s how I got to be a professional fighter, which
+I was until I got tired of bashing people and the good captain took me
+on as his chauffeur. I stayed on with him, and he said I could come into
+space with him if I wanted to. I’ve picked up navigation since I’ve been
+out here.”
+
+“How did you get a name like Isaac Newton?” Patch asked.
+
+“Well, naturally my father was named Newton,” Isaac explained, “and he
+was also a science teacher. He wanted me to be a scientist too, and
+thought he was helping me by giving me the name of one of the greatest
+scientists of all time. But, as I said, I got into so many fights
+because of being teased about my name that I had more practice as a
+fighter.”
+
+He laughed, showing a two-tooth vacancy in the front of his mouth.
+“Funny thing is that I might’ve been a scientist if I hadn’t been given
+the name of one!”
+
+With that, Isaac Newton turned back to check on how the ship was
+running. The captain went over to converse with him, and this gave the
+boys an opportunity to look around the navigation room.
+
+Of particular interest was a huge chart on the back wall near the
+entrance. On the map were countless globes of various sizes, and running
+through the globes were long curving lines.
+
+“What’s that, do you suppose?” Patch asked his friend.
+
+Garry looked closely at the printed names beside the round symbols.
+
+“Hermes—Vanguard II—Adonis—Derelict Space Ship _Oberon_,” he read.
+“These seem to be objects floating about in space,” he said, “and the
+lines through them must be their orbits.”
+
+“You’re very observant, Garry.”
+
+Garry looked back and saw that Captain Eaton had come over.
+
+“That’s exactly what they are, and we have to know exactly where each
+one of them is at all times,” the captain said. “If we missed keeping up
+with one, we might run into a collision orbit with it, and then it would
+be quickly over for all of us. Some of the objects are asteroids, some
+man-made satellites, some large meteor fragments whose orbits we have
+already plotted. And a few are derelicts, or empty shells of what were
+once proud space liners. Any one of them could destroy the _Carefree_ if
+it should hit us. In fact, a meteor as large as an orange could wreck us
+because of the terrific velocity at which it would strike.”
+
+“Gee,” Patch said, “you must be anxious all the time about being hit by
+something.”
+
+“No. It’s a risk, of course, but space is so very, very huge that
+actually there is little chance of being hit by anything any larger than
+a grain of sand. But of course there is always the chance that someday
+the big, unexpected one will come. Still, we don’t worry about it
+because it would keep us from enjoying our life in space.”
+
+Captain Eaton showed the boys some of the other things in the room. He
+explained the purpose of the various dials and switches on the
+console—facts that the boys would have given anything to know when they
+were so desperately trying to steer the space taxi. The skipper of the
+_Carefree_ told them that usually there was only one pilot on duty but
+that, in case of tricky navigation or on other special occasions, both
+Mac and Isaac or Ben would be on together. The captain added that he was
+quite a pilot himself and liked to take over the controls now and then.
+
+Suddenly chimes were heard over a loud-speaker.
+
+“That’s the signal for us to get ready for lunch,” Captain Eaton said.
+“Let’s go, fellows, and wash up.”
+
+“Tell Mac to shake a leg and get up here to relieve me, will you,
+Captain?” Isaac asked. “I’m starved. It’s been a long shift.”
+
+“I will, Isaac,” the captain promised, and pushed the button which
+opened the door.
+
+A few minutes later, Garry and Patch sat down to the best meal they had
+had in a long time. Not even Thanksgiving at the orphanage could beat
+this, Garry told his friend. The boys had their first taste of pizza
+pie, and they were hoping it would not be their last, especially if Gino
+was the one who prepared it. They were sure he was the best chef in all
+the solar system.
+
+After lunch the patient Captain Eaton spent most of the afternoon
+showing the boys more of the ship. They saw the gym and swimming pool
+and the library filled with many recording tapes and films. There were
+also books for those who preferred reading instead of reclining in a
+soft contour chair and listening to tapes over earphones.
+
+As they passed from one section to another, Garry noticed that the
+indirect daylight effect, that filled every part of the _Carefree_, was
+fading steadily but slowly. He asked the captain about this.
+
+“It’s an automatic control that helps put us in the mood for night,” the
+skipper said. “Remember my telling you about how much better man works
+in a properly spaced twenty-four-hour day? Soon now, the main lights
+will be very low, with only an occasional lamp making things bright. It
+is just like the coming of night back at home. You will see.”
+
+The space travelers had only a light snack for dinner because of the big
+meal earlier in the day. Soon afterward, the boys began to yawn and get
+sleepy as they watched the artificial daylight continue to fade. They
+were looking forward to sleeping lying down for a change.
+
+“Your minds are telling you it’s time for bed, eh?” Captain Eaton said
+with a laugh. “Well, so is mine. I still haven’t shown you the
+observatory, which is my favorite spot aboard ship. But that can wait
+until tomorrow. Let’s go to the dorm and get you two settled before the
+fellows in there are ready to turn out the lights.”
+
+The boys found all the people they had met today getting ready for bed.
+That is, all but two of them.
+
+“Mac is on pilot duty, isn’t he, Captain?” Garry asked. “But where is
+Ben?”
+
+Captain Eaton was pulling off his shiny boots. He may have been the boss
+of the _Carefree_, with all the say-so, but he was not too proud to
+share the same sleeping quarters with those whom he called his
+“friends.”
+
+“There are always two on duty at night, Garry,” Captain Eaton replied to
+Garry’s question. “One acts as pilot, while the other makes the rounds
+several times a night to be sure that the automatic controls are
+functioning properly. We all take turns sharing these duties.”
+
+When everyone had climbed into his bunk and pulled the covers up,
+Captain Eaton called out from his own bunk, “Check?”
+
+There came answering “checks” from all the fellows, and the next moment
+Garry found the room plunged in darkness.
+
+Within only a few minutes’ time, Garry began hearing the quiet breathing
+of those around him already in deep sleep. But he was too excited to
+drop off just yet. As he lay there staring into the darkness, he
+wondered if such a thrilling adventure as this could really be happening
+to him and Patch. Why, only a few hours ago they were in despair for
+their very lives. Now a whole new experience had been opened to them. It
+was almost as if the _Carefree_ had been sent by Providence to him and
+Patch alone.
+
+As Garry’s thoughts roved, his eyelids began to feel heavy and the
+clutch of sleep was groping for him. He finally drifted off into
+slumber, only to wake—he didn’t know how many hours later—with a
+parching thirst. He sat upright in his bunk and threw back the covers
+that cloaked him like a sweat-box. He found that he was breathing
+heavily and then suddenly remembered the end of a nightmare he had been
+having.
+
+As he sat in the quietness and darkness, he began to relax, and his
+heartbeats slowed to normal. But he was still very thirsty. He
+remembered that there was a water fountain in the hallway outside the
+dormitory.
+
+Slowly and carefully, so as to make no noise to disturb the others,
+Garry left his third-level bunk and made his way down the metal ladder
+to the floor. A dim night light, kept burning all the time, showed the
+way to the door. Garry pressed the button, and the door slid open
+silently.
+
+Garry went out into the faintly lighted hallway. He shivered as he made
+his way along the corridor. It was not that he was cold but that it was
+so creepy and lonesome with everything so quiet. The fountain was like a
+white ghost crouching against the wall a couple of dozen feet away.
+Garry made his way toward it. He leaned over it, pressed the lever, and
+felt the icy stream against his dry lips.
+
+“Boy, that’s good,” he said to himself, and he drank and drank as though
+he hadn’t had water in all his lifetime.
+
+When he finally got his fill, he rubbed his sleeve across his mouth and
+turned to start back toward the dormitory.
+
+Then it seemed that all the blood flowed out of his head in one wild
+rush. His heart began to thump rapidly, and his legs went weak.
+
+It was due to a startling sight that faced him.
+
+
+
+
+                          8. GARRY HAS A SCARE
+
+
+A huge woman was lumbering toward him down the dim corridor. There was
+something strange and unreal about her face and her awkward movements
+that gave Garry chills.
+
+Garry started running. He slammed into the water fountain, bruising his
+side. But he kept moving, and so did the woman stalker.
+
+Garry knew that the corridor was in the shape of a square and that if he
+kept turning corners he would arrive back at the dormitory. He wondered
+why a woman should frighten him, and it embarrassed him when he thought
+what the others would say when they found out. But the creature was so
+hostile—and somehow monstrous in her looks—that Garry was sure she meant
+to attack him.
+
+As he ran, Garry did not even look back to see if his adversary were
+still in pursuit. Finally, he turned the last corner and saw the
+dormitory straight ahead at the end of the corridor. He looked back
+around the corner in the direction from which he had just come. He’d
+outdistanced her. She wasn’t even in sight.
+
+By now his nerves were a little calmer, although his heart still drummed
+faster than usual. He began walking briskly, every now and then casting
+a look back over his shoulder.
+
+There was the dormitory at last. He felt a little silly now, as he
+reached for the button to open the door. He decided that he would not
+tell the others of his run and his fright lest they tease him about the
+incident. He would just tell them that he had _seen_ the strange woman
+but would not reveal the embarrassing circumstances. He still wondered
+who she could be, especially since Captain Eaton had not even mentioned
+her before.
+
+Just as Garry pressed the door button, he heard a metallic clanking
+behind him.
+
+There was the woman, coming very fast, the dim lights revealing the dark
+hollows of her eyes. Garry saw her tight-lipped mouth, her
+hugeness—fully as tall as Mr. Klecker and almost as broad, it seemed.
+
+The unexpectedness of it caused Garry to cry out for the first time. As
+the door of the dormitory slid back, he scrambled inside, hurriedly
+pressed the button closing the door, then sank back against it, panting.
+
+The bright lights went on in the room. Garry’s eyes blurred in the
+sudden sharp brilliance. When they came into focus, Garry saw everyone
+sitting straight up in their bunks, their eyes squinting and staring at
+him in amazement.
+
+After a few tense moments, Captain Eaton asked from his bunk, “Garry,
+what’s the matter?”
+
+“A woman—a big woman’s out there!” he blurted. “She was after me!”
+
+Garry heard the men begin to laugh.
+
+“Garry, that’s Katrinka,” the captain explained. “She wouldn’t hurt a
+thing. She _couldn’t_. She’s not _built_ that way.”
+
+“Not _built_ that way?” Garry echoed. “What do you mean? She’s built
+pretty strong I think!”
+
+Captain Eaton chuckled. “She’s a robot, Garry.”
+
+“A robot!” Garry said. “So that’s why she looks so different!”
+
+“Yes, I made her as lifelike as possible,” Captain Eaton went on, “but
+I’m afraid I’m no Michelangelo as a sculptor.”
+
+“You _built_ her?” Garry asked in surprise.
+
+“Yes. We needed someone to do our chores—you know, the things that men
+dislike doing in the nature of housework and cleaning up. But she’s
+quite controllable, Garry. She wouldn’t have harmed you. Something must
+have slipped in her mechanism so that she became activated. It happens
+once in awhile. I’ll go take a look at her.”
+
+“You don’t have to go far, Sir,” Garry said, rubbing away the sweat that
+had gathered on his forehead. “She’s right outside the door.”
+
+As the captain climbed from his bunk and slipped into his robe, Garry
+avoided the eyes of the others in the dormitory. He had done just what
+he had hoped he would not do—shown his fear of a harmless robot. He knew
+they must think him squeamish, but they were not laughing now.
+
+Patch seemed to have been the only one who was not aroused by the
+excitement. Garry could see that he was still asleep in his bunk.
+
+Captain Eaton passed Garry, opened the door, and went outside. Garry
+followed a few steps behind.
+
+The robot still looked menacing to Garry. It stood, big and dark and
+unmoving, in the dimness of the corridor.
+
+Captain Eaton faced Katrinka and spoke in a clear, loud voice: “Closet!
+Closet!”
+
+Garry heard a humming sound coming from the robot. It shuffled about
+slowly on its ponderous feet and started walking away.
+
+“She’s obeying!” Garry gasped.
+
+“Yes, she’s all right,” Captain Eaton replied. “Probably just a crossing
+of the wires in her mechanical brain that activated her. Maybe a slight
+lurch of the ship did it. I’ll look her over thoroughly in the morning.”
+
+“I don’t see how you did it,” Garry said, still amazed. “How can a
+machine like that take orders like a person, just as if it had a brain
+like us?”
+
+“Katrinka’s brain is made up of electrical impulses in certain codes,”
+Captain Eaton replied. “There is a code disk for everything that she is
+able to do. For instance, there is one for making up the bunks, every
+step in that operation. There’s one for washing the dishes, mopping the
+floor, and so on. When I have the time, I make her even smarter by
+adding new codes and duties.”
+
+“But all you said was the word ‘closet,’ and off she went,” Garry said.
+
+“That was the code for her heading for the closet down the corridor
+where she stays when we have no need for her. When she goes inside the
+closet, an automatic switch will cut off her mechanism, and she will
+remain dormant until we need her. Just as if I gave you an order to go
+somewhere and your muscles would carry you to that place, so it is with
+Katrinka. The code words I give her activate the wires that control her
+movement in a certain way, whatever that activity is.”
+
+Garry nodded. “I understand it, but it sure must be a complicated thing
+the way she works.”
+
+“It’s complicated, all right,” Captain Eaton agreed. “Katrinka
+represents many years of scientific study, long before I ever thought of
+venturing into space. It was a hobby of mine, in between my duties as a
+teacher and head of a space shipping corporation. My first models were
+very clumsy and crude, but I have developed them over the years and have
+finally come up with Katrinka, my finest yet. Many people are interested
+in her—manufacturers and the government too.”
+
+The next morning Garry told Patch about Katrinka, and Captain Eaton gave
+them permission to watch him check out the robot.
+
+After breakfast the three went to the closet where the robot was kept.
+The captain pressed the door button, and the door slid open, revealing
+the hulking monster that had frightened Garry the night before. Even
+now, Garry felt chills along his spine.
+
+Captain Eaton spoke one word, “Follow,” and then turned on his heel,
+heading on down the corridor. The boys tagged along and were amazed to
+see and hear Katrinka clomping behind.
+
+“She _is_ following, Garry!” Patch said.
+
+“Yeah, and I still don’t understand it,” his friend replied, with a
+shake of his head.
+
+“Why, that’s the easiest command of all I’ve given her to do,” Captain
+Eaton said. “The word ‘follow’ activates a sort of radar device in her
+and makes her follow the closest moving object. I believe that was what
+happened when she chased you last night, Garry. Something slipped,
+causing her to follow that particular action.”
+
+The captain chuckled. “She could have pursued you all night, but she
+never would have come closer than three feet.”
+
+The _Carefree_’s skipper entered a doorway leading off the corridor.
+“Here’s my workshop. I’ll have a look at Katrinka’s workings now,” he
+said.
+
+The shop was untidy, cluttered from top to bottom with electronic parts,
+tools, and metal plates.
+
+Captain Eaton gave Katrinka the command to stop and then with a screw
+driver removed a large plate from her back. He nosed about inside the
+robot for several minutes, making adjustments within the complicated
+network of wires and miniature parts. Then he replaced the plate.
+
+“Just a couple of wires got too close,” he said. “She won’t be chasing
+you any more, Garry.”
+
+“That’s a relief,” Garry replied with a nervous smile. “I wouldn’t want
+to go through that again, even if she _is_ harmless!”
+
+“I’ll show you how I build commands into her system,” the captain said.
+“Let’s have a simple command, fellows.”
+
+“I know,” Garry replied. “Have her lift up Patch.”
+
+Patch backed off hastily. “Oh no you don’t!” he objected.
+
+The master of the _Carefree_ laughed. “Be a sport, Patch. She’s very
+gentle. She won’t hurt you,” he said.
+
+Patch thought a moment, then replied, “Okay, if you promise it will be
+all right.”
+
+“I promise,” the captain said, and he set to work.
+
+He brought out tools and equipment of every kind. Then he removed some
+plates from various parts of the robot’s body. But instead of tinkering
+around inside, as he had done before, he opened up a big chart and began
+working from it, using pencil and paper.
+
+“What are you doing, Captain?” Garry asked after a few moments.
+
+“This is a map of Katrinka’s system, like the diagram of a radio or TV,”
+was the reply. “I have to figure out what connections I must bring
+together. You see, I must give her several actions that make up the
+command we have given her. There must be the action of walking over to
+Patch, of bending certain parts that serve as her muscles, and finally
+the action of lifting him up. Then I must activate these through the use
+of spoken words.” The captain worked for about an hour. The last thing
+he did was to take a small disk out of stock and drill holes in it at
+very carefully measured positions. Then he slipped the disk into place
+inside the robot.
+
+“Now let’s try her out,” the captain said.
+
+Captain Eaton faced the robot and spoke in a loud clear voice: “Lift.”
+
+Patch remained where he stood, but Garry could see that he was a little
+nervous as Katrinka began lumbering toward him. The robot stooped over
+and lifted the boy in her big metal arms. She stood motionless, holding
+him in a firm grip as Patch began to struggle impatiently after about
+fifteen seconds.
+
+“Tell her to put me down, Captain,” Patch begged.
+
+The captain winked at Garry mischievously. “My goodness, Patch, I forgot
+to give her a command to release you!”
+
+Patch began struggling vigorously, but he could not escape the robot’s
+iron grip.
+
+“Hey, somebody, get me out of this!” Patch cried, his face reddening
+from his exertions.
+
+Seeing that his fun had gone far enough, Captain Eaton barked out, as if
+he were a military commander: “Atten-tion!”
+
+The robot’s arms slipped straight down to her sides, and her body
+stiffened rigidly. Patch tumbled unharmed to the floor.
+
+Patch sat up. He turned and looked up at Garry and the captain. Fear
+still showed in his eyes, but, as he saw the playful smile on the
+captain’s face, a grin spread over his own.
+
+The captain laughed out loud. Then Garry joined in.
+
+Finally, Patch himself began laughing, having enjoyed the harmless
+experiment even if the captain _had_ played a little joke on him.
+
+
+
+
+                           9. SATELLITE ZONE
+
+
+Although Ben seemed to be one of the busiest persons aboard the
+_Carefree_, he still took time out to chat with the boys early that
+afternoon.
+
+“Have you been at the orphanage all your lives?” Ben asked Garry and
+Patch.
+
+“Almost that long,” Garry replied.
+
+“Our parents were good friends,” Patch added. “All four of them were
+killed at one time in a rocket-plane crash near Salt Lake City. We were
+only three then and were placed in the orphanage at the same time.”
+
+“How long have you been in space, Ben?” Garry asked.
+
+“Oh, about eight years now, off and on. I started when I was in my
+teens. I was a sort of cabin boy aboard the old Mars exploration ship,
+the _Jules Verne_. We spent a year there. Boy, what a life! It was like
+living in a deep freeze. Since then I’ve traveled to Venus, Luna—the
+moon, you know—and there’s no counting the trips I’ve made among the
+satellites.”
+
+“How did you get in with Captain Eaton and the _Carefree_?” Patch wanted
+to know.
+
+“A few years ago I took time to go to school and learn space-ship
+engineering and design,” Ben replied. “My teacher was Captain Eaton—or
+Professor Eaton, as he was called then. He was also a millionaire and
+president of Space Shipping Incorporated. He helped build the sturdiest
+ships ever to fly the solar system. I graduated stone broke and had to
+go back to flying the spaceways.
+
+“I thought I’d never be an engineer or designer, but then Professor
+Eaton got in touch with me and said he was going to design a space ship
+for his own use. He said I was the best pupil he had ever taught and
+asked if I would work with him on the project. Of course I jumped at the
+idea. We assembled the ship out here in space, and I’ve been with him
+ever since.”
+
+“Captain Eaton is a grand person, isn’t he?” Garry asked.
+
+A fond look came into Ben’s dark eyes. “He’s the wisest, kindest, and
+most generous person I’ve ever known or heard about. You may think he
+selfishly spends all his money for his own enjoyment as he cruises the
+spaceways, but that isn’t the case. He gives far more than he spends out
+here to charities and churches back on earth. And he has built countless
+scientific libraries, but he’s too modest to let them be named after
+himself.”
+
+“The _Carefree_ is such a big ship, Ben,” Patch said, “that I don’t
+understand how it can be run by so few men.”
+
+“It’s due to the captain’s genius,” Ben explained. “Practically
+everything you can think of is automatic, and our batteries are
+constantly recharged by sunlight. Of course, once in a while something
+goes wrong, and we have to dock at a repair satellite. And we also have
+to refuel about every six months at a service station. But we don’t use
+very much fuel ordinarily because we mostly just cruise about in the
+‘satellite zone,’ as it’s called.”
+
+Ben had to go back to work, and the boys joined Captain Eaton in the
+library, where he was waiting for a TV newscast to come on.
+
+Garry and Patch got the shock of their lives at the first feature to
+come over the telecast. For the subjects were _themselves_.
+
+They quickly discovered that they were the most celebrated missing
+persons on earth. The orphanage had first reported their absence, and
+then Mr. Mulroy had given his version of their disappearance. It seemed
+that Mr. Mulroy was in very hot water because he had not made sure that
+the boys had gotten off the _Orion_ before the blast-off. In fact, he
+was in such hot water that he faced court-martial unless Garry and Patch
+were found.
+
+“Well, I guess the vacation is over, Patch,” Garry said sadly. “We can’t
+let Mr. Mulroy be court-martialed for what we did.”
+
+“We’ve got to tell them where we are, haven’t we?” Patch replied.
+“Although I’d give _anything_ to stay aboard the _Carefree_—that is, if
+Captain Eaton would have us.”
+
+“I’d like nothing better than to have you two stay on,” the captain
+said. “But you must consider Mr. Mulroy and all the police forces who
+are working to uncover the mystery of your disappearance. Right,
+fellows?”
+
+“Yes, Sir,” they both agreed reluctantly.
+
+“We must make full use of the time left you to finish seeing the marvels
+of the _Carefree_. I said I’d show you the observatory today. What do
+you say we go there now? I’ve got some double-star photos I want to
+check on.”
+
+The boys liked the idea and went with their host along the zero-gravity
+tunnel toward the observatory.
+
+The observatory was a “bubble” attached to the _Carefree_’s center tube
+or axle, just a short distance from the air lock through which Garry and
+Patch had first entered the ship. The observatory was such that it never
+rotated with the tube or the rest of the ship. In this way its
+telescopes could always keep focus on objects in space.
+
+Three pairs of magnetic shoes clicked along the metal floor of the
+observatory as Captain Eaton led the boys to the reflector telescope,
+whose big six-inch eye was pointed out into space. Captain Eaton looked
+over a camera which was attached to the eyepiece of the telescope. Then
+he unfastened the camera and took it off.
+
+“The picture has been exposed long enough,” the skipper said. “It takes
+a pretty long time for a photograph to be made in the heavens, you know.
+But when you give it full exposure, it shows you much more than your
+naked eye can do.”
+
+Garry studied a satellite chart on the wall. “I didn’t know there were
+so many satellites whirling around the earth. So many different kinds
+and sizes too!” he said.
+
+“Yes, there are many more than one would imagine,” the captain agreed.
+“Here, let me show you some of them on the chart. The pictures you see
+are exactly the way each satellite looks, and they are all drawn in
+proportion.”
+
+Garry and Patch studied the chart with its multitude of different shapes
+and sizes. There were satellites that resembled drums and others like
+round balls. Some were torpedo shaped, and some were circular and flat
+like “flying saucers.” There were giant satellites, wherein people lived
+and worked, and many of them were in the shape of huge revolving wheels.
+Some of them had no regularity at all, appearing to Garry to resemble
+more than anything else huge space insects, bristling with antennas and
+sun mirrors.
+
+“As you probably know, fellows,” Captain Eaton said, “the Von Braun
+Space Station is our largest satellite of all. But there are a few
+others that approach it in size. For example, here is Quartermaster 10,
+the biggest of the depot satellites that furnish supplies to men who
+live in the world of the artificial moons. Here is a big fueling
+satellite, and over here is another big one—Spaceharbor—which is really
+a network of smaller moons joined together. This is a shipyard satellite
+where space ships are built and repaired. The _Carefree_ was built in
+Spaceharbor.”
+
+“Gee, with so many of those things orbiting earth every minute of the
+day, it seems that space ships are always in danger of hitting one of
+them,” Patch remarked.
+
+“That is a very real danger,” Captain Eaton said, “especially for us,
+since we usually cruise in that area above earth called the ‘satellite
+zone.’ For this reason, every person on pilot duty is responsible for
+knowing the position of every satellite within dangerous range of the
+_Carefree_. This requires constant study and figuring of orbit paths. It
+really is the biggest job the pilot has to do, because generally the
+_Carefree_ is on automatic pilot and runs itself, you might say.”
+
+“What are some of these smaller satellites?” Garry asked.
+
+“Well, there, there, and there are some of the observation satellites
+called ‘Tiros.’ They are used to photograph part of the earth for
+different reasons. Some of the reasons are prediction of weather,
+mapping, and for military purposes to see that the countries of the
+world do not start arming themselves for aggression.”
+
+“The Tiros moons were first put into orbit in the 1960’s, weren’t they?”
+Garry asked.
+
+Captain Eaton nodded. “Also these, Garry—the Transit satellites, which
+are used for navigation, both in space and on earth. This odd-looking
+little moon over here is one I’m sure you’ve heard about. It is WAS,
+which means weather-alteration satellite. Know what it does?”
+
+“Sure,” Garry replied. “It’s used to seed storm clouds with chemicals.
+If the seeding works, hurricanes and tornadoes can be broken up before
+they cause damage. I believe they were first put into orbit in the late
+1960’s.”
+
+“Very good,” the captain complimented. “Of course there are many other
+kinds of man-made moons, some too technical to explain. But, in spite of
+their great number and complexity, each has its use, and they are a
+tribute to man’s great achievements in the world of science. One of our
+big jobs aboard the _Carefree_ is to see that they remain in orbit,
+doing their duty for the people of earth. If we should ever change their
+orbit, for instance by colliding with one of them, we not only would
+destroy their usefulness but we would, in all likelihood, destroy the
+_Carefree_ as well.”
+
+Garry did not even want to think about the possibility of such a
+disaster.
+
+After the visit to the observatory, the captain asked the boys if they
+would care to try out the swimming pool.
+
+“Hey, would we!” Garry and Patch said together.
+
+A few minutes later, as they were heading down the corridor toward the
+gym, they passed Mr. Klecker walking along stiffly—in full dress of
+course—and carrying a stack of books.
+
+“Hello, gentlemen,” the tall man greeted them cordially, and the boys
+returned his greeting.
+
+As he passed, Patch whispered to Garry, “Bet those books are about the
+circus.”
+
+Garry smiled and nodded.
+
+The boys had learned that Mr. Klecker had a hobby. He was very much
+interested in the circus of the old days. He had many books on the
+subject, and whenever he talked to anyone it was about the circus.
+
+Garry and Patch had heard from the others that Mr. Klecker still looked
+after the captain as if he were serving him in his mansion. He would lay
+out his clothes for him and attend to other small details. Once in
+awhile Mr. Klecker would be called on to assist in things of a
+mechanical nature, but he hated to get out of his full dress and don
+greasy coveralls.
+
+The boys proceeded to the gym. They were anticipating a good time. But
+something of a decisive nature was to happen which would have an
+important bearing on their future life aboard the _Carefree_.
+
+
+
+
+                         10. THE LADY GOES WILD
+
+
+“Beat you into the pool,” Patch called a little while later.
+
+He dashed out of the dressing room and dove, with hands outstretched,
+into the water. Garry followed right behind, tumbling into the spray
+left by Patch’s dive.
+
+“Say, this is nice and warm!” Garry said. “And we’ve got it all to
+ourselves!”
+
+A little way back from the pool’s edge, Mac and Isaac were lifting
+weights. This exercise was to help them keep in good physical trim.
+
+Garry and Patch swam and splashed to their hearts’ content. It was the
+most fun they had had in a long time. They knew no one would ever
+believe their story of swimming in a pool in deep space! It was almost
+too difficult for them to believe themselves. But they did not care if
+they were never believed.
+
+They frolicked in the water for about an hour and then climbed up on the
+pool’s edge to catch their breath for a few minutes.
+
+“Boy, I could spend twenty-four hours a day in there,” Patch said,
+flicking water from his face.
+
+“I could too, almost,” Garry agreed. “But I would be satisfied if I
+could spend twenty-four hours a day aboard the _Carefree_ doing
+anything. Gee, it’s going to be hard leaving here to go back to the
+orphanage.”
+
+“Yeah,” Patch said sourly. “Gee whiz, Garry, why can’t they let a couple
+of guys live the way they want to?”
+
+“We can someday, when we are old enough,” Garry said. “But the only way
+we could get around having to go back now would be for Captain Eaton to
+adopt us.”
+
+“Say, that’s the answer!” Patch replied excitedly. “Why don’t we ask
+him?”
+
+“I don’t think it’s as easy as that, Patch. In the first place, I don’t
+think _we_ should ask _him_. He knows how much we like the _Carefree_,
+and he may have thought of adoption. But he should be the one who
+suggests it.”
+
+“Maybe we could drop a hint or something,” Patch said.
+
+“I don’t think they’d let him adopt us, Patch. Don’t forget, when they
+find out where we are, they’ll think we stowed away aboard the _Orion_,
+and that would ruin any chances we might have had.”
+
+“But we didn’t deliberately stow away!” Patch protested.
+
+“I know that, but how can we get them to believe us? I don’t think
+they’d even consider adoption at this time, and I think Captain Eaton
+must feel that way too.”
+
+Patch sighed. “Maybe later, then. Maybe someday Captain Eaton will want
+us back. Gosh, I hate to leave here, though.”
+
+“Life won’t be the same any more,” Garry said. “Nothing can ever be as
+exciting as the adventure we’ve had.”
+
+They heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Captain Eaton
+coming their way. Missing now was his usual sunny smile. He carried a
+piece of paper in his hand.
+
+“Well, fellows, the answer has come,” Captain Eaton said, and his voice
+was laden with dejection. “I radioed that you two had been picked up,
+and they’ve already replied.”
+
+Garry hated to ask, “Wh—what did they say?”
+
+“Just as I suspected. We must return to the Von Braun Space Station.”
+
+“I was hoping we had a _few_ more days at least,” Patch groaned.
+
+“I think that the sooner we straighten this matter out, the better it
+will be for everyone,” Captain Eaton replied. “And another thing, you
+boys are still A.W.O.L. from the orphanage, you know. However, it will
+take a couple of days for us to work out a navigation plan and get a
+clearance approach to the station. Sorry, fellows. I wish you could have
+stayed on with us indefinitely, but....”
+
+As the captain’s voice trailed off, Garry had a flicker of hope. The
+captain was looking at them as if debating something in his mind. Would
+he bring up the subject of adoption?
+
+But, saying nothing further, the captain turned and began walking toward
+the outer door of the gym.
+
+Then he seemed to think of something else and came back. The boys held
+their breath hopefully. Would he mention adoption now?
+
+“There’s something else they told me that I thought you’d want to know,”
+the captain said. “I told them the story of your being stowaways
+accidentally, just as you told me. They checked back and found that the
+elevator attached to the _Orion_ was defective, as you said, and they
+are convinced of the truth of your story. As a result, Officer Mulroy
+has been cleared of any negligence.”
+
+“I’m glad to know that, Sir,” Garry said.
+
+Once more the captain left them, but this time for good.
+
+“Well, that’s that,” Patch commented unhappily. “No adoption. When he
+came back I thought he....”
+
+“I was hoping too,” Garry replied, “but we’ve got to go back, and that’s
+all there is to it.”
+
+Mac and Isaac came over, still breathing hard from their exercises.
+
+“We couldn’t help but overhear the bad news,” Mac said. “We’re going to
+hate to see you fellows go.”
+
+“Yes, that’s right,” Isaac added.
+
+“Thanks,” Garry replied. “We were getting to like this old ship.”
+
+“In a way I’d almost like to go with you,” Mac said, with a faraway look
+in his eyes.
+
+Garry guessed that the Scotsman was a little homesick. His hunch proved
+correct, because Mac began to reminisce about his homeland. He described
+the heather on the hillsides, the flowing streams, and the green vales.
+And yet, Mac admitted finally that space was still a good second home to
+him, and he enjoyed his life in the deeps.
+
+Isaac had no home he would rather live in than the _Carefree_. As he
+talked about his good friends aboard ship and the kindly captain, Garry
+noticed the softness of the big man’s eyes.
+
+Garry had heard that Isaac was really quite a sentimental fellow.
+Whenever he learned of a tragedy over the TV, it would depress him.
+Later, the boys were to learn that Isaac had a secret liking for good
+poetry.
+
+Both Mac and Isaac seemed genuinely sorry that the boys were having to
+leave. It made Garry and Patch feel good that they were so popular, but
+it made them a little sad, too.
+
+The next morning Garry and Patch woke earlier than the others and were
+heading toward the washroom.
+
+Suddenly Garry stopped and caught Patch by the arm. “Patch, do you hear
+that? There’s noise coming from the laundry room up ahead!”
+
+Patch listened and heard the sound of splashing and a machine laboring
+hard.
+
+“Yeah,” Patch said. “Let’s see what’s going on!”
+
+Running, Garry led the way into the laundry room. But then he wished he
+had not been coming so fast. His feet skidded on the floor, that was
+covered with thick soapsuds, and he skated several feet forward on his
+bottom. Patch, coming right behind, could not help laughing at his
+friend’s misfortune. But then he too went down and skidded alongside
+Garry.
+
+“Hey, what goes on here!” Garry gasped, trying to get to his feet. The
+entire floor was a miniature sea of soapsuds.
+
+In his efforts to get up, Garry’s feet slid apart, and he hit the floor
+again. Patch had no better luck than Garry. When this happened, both
+boys broke into laughter.
+
+They struggled several times to their feet, half playing all the while,
+but did not succeed in keeping their feet until the fourth attempt. Then
+they held onto one another to steady themselves. Only now did they see
+what was causing the strange disorder.
+
+They looked over at the big washing machine against the wall and saw
+Katrinka standing over the open tank, pitching clothes right and left
+out of the machine and into the air! It was as if she were having the
+time of her life.
+
+“Look, Patch—Katrinka!” Garry burst out laughing once more. “She’s gone
+crazy! Something must have flipped in her mechanism again.”
+
+The machine was still making mountains of suds, and they were flooding
+out of the top like a flow of white lava. Katrinka’s metal wrists
+clanged against the edge of the machine as she went up and down with her
+flinging motion, making a rhythmic clatter.
+
+“Hey, can’t we give her some words to make her stop this?” Patch spoke
+loudly to be heard over all the noise. “She’ll wreck the place!”
+
+“I remember one of the commands,” Garry said. Then loudly he called out:
+“Atten-tion! Atten-tion!”
+
+“She’s not paying any mind!” Patch said.
+
+“She must be short-circuited again,” Garry said. “Let’s go for Captain
+Eaton!”
+
+“I hate to wake him up after the hard day he had yesterday,” Patch said,
+as he returned along the corridor with Garry, “but this is an
+emergency.”
+
+It turned out that they did not have to wake the captain. He met them,
+clad in his robe, at the door of the dorm, having already been aroused
+by the commotion going on down the corridor.
+
+Captain Eaton yawned. “It’s Katrinka, isn’t it? Ben set her for laundry
+duty this morning, but I guess her wires got crossed again.”
+
+The boys cautioned Captain Eaton to be careful about going into the
+slippery room. The captain promised he would be careful and promptly
+fell down as soon as he walked through the door. Garry and Patch tried
+to help the captain to his feet, but only succeeded in falling again
+themselves. They scrambled around, slipping and sliding. Then slowly
+learning how to become expert at moving about in soapsuds, they finally
+managed to stand up and stay up.
+
+Carefully, the three made their way toward the washing machine where
+Katrinka was still merrily flipping clothes through the air. But by now
+she was out of ammunition and was merely flailing her metal arms. The
+captain used the command, “Atten-tion!” several times, trying to stop
+Katrinka’s wild actions, but he had no better luck with this than Garry
+had had.
+
+Captain Eaton moved forward over the slippery floor and groped for the
+control knob on the robot’s back. But then, losing his footing, he hung
+on to the robot to keep from falling again. This brought Katrinka
+crashing down onto the floor along with the captain himself.
+
+Garry and Patch each offered the captain a hand and presently managed to
+get him upright again. Garry had a hard time keeping a straight face.
+Captain Eaton’s face was red, and his beard was straggly and sudsy. His
+soggy bathrobe stuck to his thin legs, giving him the appearance of a
+saddened, snow-covered elf.
+
+In the meanwhile, Katrinka was still having her fun, swinging her arms
+gaily against the floor as she lay on her back.
+
+“We’ve got to turn her over,” Captain Eaton said, crawling nearer the
+robot. “Be careful of her arms. She can knock you over with them.”
+
+Garry thought he saw how the job could be done.
+
+“Let’s both grab her right leg, Patch,” he said. “Then we’ll give a good
+heave-ho and flip her over on her stomach. Careful you don’t slip.”
+
+They did as Garry had suggested, yanking fiercely on the robot’s leg and
+flipping the metal creature over, face down. But the motion also brought
+Garry and Patch down in the soap again, this time getting the suds all
+over their faces, causing them to make wry grimaces and blow away the
+froth from their lips even as they laughed.
+
+But what was funniest of all to Garry was when he saw Captain Eaton
+suddenly see an opening and scramble furiously, on all fours, over to
+the flailing robot. He threw himself upon her back, fighting her as a
+cowboy would wrestle a steer. He finally subdued her with a turn of the
+switch on her back, which he was at last able to grab and twist.
+
+Worn out by his exertions, the captain simply flopped back on his hands
+in the soapy billows, sighing heavily. Then the good-natured man caught
+Garry’s eye and smiled. The smile turned into laughter, and presently
+all three of them joined in.
+
+The captain later determined what had happened. He found out that
+Katrinka, in doing her washing chores, had gotten water into her
+electronic parts, and this had caused trouble in her mechanism. Captain
+Eaton made the repair easily, and the robot maid was once more in proper
+working order.
+
+The boys were with the captain while he was making the repairs on
+Katrinka in the workshop. When the captain had put away his tools, he
+sent the robot on her way. Then he looked at Garry, as he washed his
+hands at the sink, and said in a sad voice, “Fellows, I’ve received a
+docking date at the Von Braun Space Station. We’ll dock at 2100 tomorrow
+night. That isn’t much time left, is it?”
+
+“No, Sir, it isn’t,” Garry replied unhappily.
+
+The captain did not look up again.
+
+Garry half expected him to say something else, but, instead, he remained
+silent. Garry tugged at Patch’s sleeve, motioning for them to go.
+
+The boys made their way slowly toward the door of the workshop. As Garry
+pressed the button to open the sliding door, Captain Eaton spoke again.
+
+“Wait—just a minute.”
+
+The boys turned. Garry gulped. He could see the sadness in the elderly
+man’s eyes.
+
+“Boys, I haven’t told you how much I’ve enjoyed having you with us for
+this short time,” the captain said, holding his dripping hands over the
+sink, not bothering to dry them.
+
+Garry had a lump in his throat. “We’ve enjoyed it too, haven’t we,
+Patch?”
+
+“Sure thing,” Patch murmured.
+
+Captain Eaton continued: “You two have been a great big lift in our
+lives. It’s been so long since we’ve seen young fellows, and you’ve made
+us feel younger ourselves once more. I think you know how we feel about
+your leaving us. But I don’t want to get sentimental about it and make
+you feel worse. So this won’t be good-by. We’ll see each other again—I
+know we shall.”
+
+Garry cleared his throat, trying to dissolve that lump. “You’d better
+dry your hands, Sir.”
+
+Captain Eaton smiled, reaching for a towel. “Oh, of course,” he said.
+
+“We’ll miss all of you very much, Sir,” Garry said, before starting
+through the door. “The _Carefree_ has been like a home to us.”
+
+The boys were silent as they went on to the dormitory. They were
+overcome by sadness at having to leave the ship and her friendly people.
+
+As the boys were getting together the clothing and toilet articles they
+had been given, Patch remarked to Garry, “Maybe the captain doesn’t like
+us enough for adoption. He may not care for the idea of being saddled
+with us permanently.”
+
+“I hope it’s not that,” Garry answered, “but I still can’t think of any
+other reason, now that the stowaway business is straightened out.”
+
+Patch didn’t answer. He had no explanation either.
+
+
+
+
+                          11. A FRIEND IS LOST
+
+
+That night, on their way to dinner in the galley, the boys were
+overtaken by the long-striding Mr. Klecker.
+
+“I heard you’re leaving us, gentlemen,” he said to them.
+
+“Yes, that’s right, Mr. Klecker,” Garry replied.
+
+“Too bad. I was hoping I would have the opportunity to talk to you about
+the old circus days. Yes, it’s too bad.”
+
+Gino, too, showed how much he liked the boys. He baked them special pies
+and told them that they were his going-away presents to them.
+
+After supper, Patch said to Garry, as they were leaving the galley,
+“Gee, they’re not making our leaving very easy, are they?”
+
+“No, Patch, they’re not making it very easy at all,” Garry agreed.
+
+“We’re not making what very easy?” asked a voice behind them.
+
+They turned and saw the smiling face of Ben. Garry explained to him what
+they were talking about.
+
+“Then I guess you don’t want me to say I’m sorry to see you go either,
+do you?” Ben said.
+
+“Of course we really _do_ care,” Garry admitted. “But it makes us sad
+when everybody tells us.”
+
+“Then, I won’t tell you good-by, fellows,” Ben said. “I’ll just say ‘so
+long’ for awhile. Before you know it, you’ll come back into space and
+find us still cruising through the deeps in the _Carefree_. Yes, we’ll
+all be here.”
+
+“It does sound better that way, Ben,” Garry replied. “But until then,
+we’ll still miss all of you terribly.”
+
+“We’ll miss you too,” Ben said quietly, “but we’ll never forget you.”
+
+The boys went to bed with a feeling of melancholy that night, for this
+was their last sleep aboard Captain Eaton’s wonderland space ship. The
+thought of leaving these good friends, possibly forever, brought a pang
+to Garry’s heart. But no matter how sorrowful he felt, he was determined
+to be brave about it.
+
+Garry fell asleep thinking of all the fun he and Patch had had in the
+brief happy hours of their stay aboard the _Carefree_. Since the time
+passes quickly during slumber, the boy expected he would be awake before
+he knew it on another quiet morning, and that very soon thereafter he
+would be bidding good-by to his friends as he and Patch made
+preparations for the voyage back to earth and the orphanage.
+
+But Garry woke far sooner than he expected. It was not morning, nor was
+it quiet; the air was charged with confusion and alarm.
+
+Garry was aware of bustling footsteps and urgent voices in the
+dormitory. His eyes popped open in the bright glare of the lights that
+had been turned on fully. He had a feeling that it was the middle of the
+night and not morning, although he was not to find this out until a
+little later.
+
+Garry sat bolt upright in his bunk. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
+
+Gino, hastily pulling on his shirt, paused at Garry’s bunk. His eyes
+showed the anxiety he felt.
+
+“Hurry and get dressed, Garry!” he said. “You and Patch. We’re in great
+danger. We’ve got to get ready for the captain’s orders.”
+
+Garry leaped out of bed, his heart thumping swiftly. The cold floor on
+the soles of his feet shocked him fully awake. He seized his peacefully
+sleeping buddy and yanked him without mercy.
+
+“Patch, get up! There’s trouble—I don’t know just what kind yet!”
+
+Patch’s eyes were still drugged with sleep, but he struggled to a
+sitting position.
+
+“Trouble? Wh—what trouble?” Patched muttered.
+
+“I told you I don’t know, but Gino warned us to get ready for the
+captain’s orders. Hurry! Everyone else is already dressed and out of the
+dorm!”
+
+Patch needed no more urging and popped out of bed. He and Garry quickly
+dressed and hurried out into the corridor to see what was going on.
+
+There was no one in sight. The boys went farther along. Then, at the
+foot of the stairs leading into the center tube, they heard excited
+voices.
+
+“Whatever it is, it seems to be up in the tunnel,” Garry said. “Let’s
+go.”
+
+They hurried up the stairs. Reaching the top, Garry, who was in the
+lead, looked down the tunnel from which most of the sounds were coming.
+He saw Ben, Captain Eaton, Mr. Klecker, and Gino on or near the platform
+outside the flight deck, the door of which was closed.
+
+Garry and Patch pulled their weightless bodies along the webbing of the
+tube. As they approached the men, they heard Ben saying:
+
+“This is terrible! Poor Mac! And what’s going to happen to the rest of
+us?”
+
+“What is going to happen?” Garry asked, as he and Patch came upon the
+scene.
+
+Captain Eaton turned to them with a distraught look. “I’m sorry, boys.
+If I had hastened to get you back to the space station promptly, you
+would have survived this—this disaster.”
+
+“Disaster?” Garry echoed, with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
+
+“Yes,” Captain Eaton answered, his voice shaking. “Mac is already done
+for, and we shall soon follow after him.”
+
+“What happened?” Patch asked Mr. Klecker.
+
+The boys could see pain on the men’s faces.
+
+“The _Carefree_ collided with an _Explorer_ satellite,” the butler
+replied. “It destroyed the flight deck while Mac was on duty. It looks
+as if he had managed to close the door before he was swept off into
+space. The collision knocked us off course, and we’re plunging into
+space—toward where, no one knows. We can’t so much as lift a finger to
+bring her under control, and our antenna disk has been damaged so that
+we can’t even send an SOS.”
+
+“Oh, no!” was all Garry could say, sickened at the sudden fateful turn
+of events.
+
+Actually, he was thinking more of poor Mac than he was of their own grim
+outlook. He remembered how much the likable Scotsman wanted to return to
+the heather of his own land after his stint in space. Now he would never
+see Scotland again. Garry absently watched Ben squirting a thick liquid
+around the cracks of the flight-deck door, probably as a safeguard
+against air escaping from the ship.
+
+“Ben has been outside in a pressure suit to look over the damage,”
+Captain Eaton said.
+
+Patch turned away from the others, hanging his head in grief and
+despair. Captain Eaton put an arm around Garry’s shoulder, but there was
+a helpless look on his face that seemed to show the uselessness of
+saying anything. Gino had lost his usual cheery smile and could only
+stare numbly at the closed door of the flight deck, where their friend
+had been the victim of such a cruel act of fate.
+
+Garry looked around at the ship’s company. Everyone was accounted for
+except Isaac.
+
+“Where’s Mr. Newton?” he asked.
+
+“Poor Isaac is completely crushed,” Captain Eaton replied. “He had just
+changed shifts with Mac at the pilot’s chair only a few moments before
+the accident. He’s blaming himself for the whole thing. It seems he
+overlooked the position of the satellite that hit us. He missed it on
+his last check, and Mac did not see it in time. Isaac’s gone off
+somewhere.”
+
+It was indeed a dark moment aboard the once-happy vessel. Things had
+happened so swiftly that everyone appeared to be still in shock. No one
+spoke again for several minutes. Everyone just stood around idly, as if
+not knowing what to do next and not really caring.
+
+Ben was the first to try to rally everyone’s deadened spirits. He had
+just finished sealing the cracks in the door.
+
+“It’ll be some time before we can tell which way the ship is heading.
+The collision changed our course completely. Even when we do find out,
+there’s nothing we can do to control the _Carefree_. She’s just a
+runaway. But I still think there’s hope for us.”
+
+All eyes turned upon Ben questioningly.
+
+“That flier you two arrived in, Garry,” Ben continued. “I’ve only had a
+quick look inside it, and the console seemed in pretty bad shape from
+your and Patch’s efforts to start the engines. However, if I’m lucky and
+we have time before the _Carefree_ hits another satellite or something,
+I may be able to fix it up so that we can escape in it.”
+
+“It’s our only hope,” Captain Eaton replied. “I suggest you get right on
+the job, Ben, and call on anyone you need to help you. Meanwhile, we’ll
+sweat out the flight, although I must say I feel like a duck in a
+shooting gallery because of all the flying objects whirling out there
+all around us.”
+
+“If we are able to escape in the flier,” Mr. Klecker said, “we can use
+its radio to send for help.”
+
+Ben shook his head. “The radio was removed for some reason. There’s only
+the empty compartment it came out of.”
+
+With faint hope of survival, some measure of good spirits was restored
+to the astronauts. Ben called upon Mr. Klecker to help him work on the
+space taxi, and Captain Eaton said he would go to the observatory to
+take a “fix” and try to determine the course the _Carefree_ had taken.
+
+“I’ll have to change clothes,” Mr. Klecker said. “I don’t want to get my
+uniform soiled.”
+
+“Guess I’ll go and whip up some breakfast,” Gino said. “That’s about all
+_I_ can do, although maybe nobody will be hungry.”
+
+Captain Eaton turned to Garry and Patch before he left. “I know it’s
+going to be hard for you,” he said, “but try to feel hopeful about this
+situation. A terrible misfortune has come our way, but try to believe
+that things will work out for us. Chins up, eh, fellows?”
+
+He forced a smile. The boys gave him a brave smile in return, although
+they did not feel it any more than he had.
+
+“May we go with you to the observatory, Captain?” Patch asked. “Maybe we
+can help.”
+
+“Yes, if you like. I know how hard it will be to remain idle at a time
+like this. Let’s go.”
+
+In the observatory, Garry and Patch watched the captain at his telescope
+and other instruments. He worked for a little while, then turned away
+from his work with a brooding, disturbed look on his face. He stroked
+his neat beard. Then he worked again for several more minutes.
+
+He stopped once more, but then resumed his watching. He kept this up for
+some time, and, as the minutes passed, his face grew more and more
+serious.
+
+Garry was afraid to ask, but he felt that he had to know. “Captain,
+is—is it bad?” he said softly.
+
+Captain Eaton shook his head grimly, the look of despair in his eyes.
+
+“You may as well know,” he replied. “I’ve been hoping I was wrong, but
+now I know I’m not. We’re moving into the gravity field of the moon. My
+guess is that we’re only a few hours away from collision.”
+
+
+
+
+                       12. A STARTLING DISCOVERY
+
+
+This latest bad news filled Garry with a new dread. But he refused to
+give up hope. He remembered that Ben was working in the flier, trying to
+put it in shape.
+
+“Captain Eaton,” he asked, “do you think Ben will have the flier ready
+by the time we begin falling to the moon?”
+
+“I couldn’t even guess at that. If there’s not too much wrong with the
+flier, he may get it repaired in short order. But a major repair—I just
+don’t know. I guess the next thing now is to inform the men of our
+course and get Ben’s estimate of the flier’s damage.”
+
+The three of them joined Ben and Mr. Klecker in the flier a few moments
+later. The small rocket ship was still held fast to the bigger
+_Carefree_, their two air locks joined as if they were one ship.
+
+When Captain Eaton had told the men that they were headed for the moon,
+whether they liked it or not, Ben replied, “Well, Captain, I suppose
+we’ve just _got_ to get the space taxi in shape in mighty short order. I
+don’t imagine the _Carefree_ will bounce very well on the moon’s hard,
+rocky surface.”
+
+“Do you really think you can get it repaired in time, Ben?” Captain
+Eaton asked gravely.
+
+“How much time do you think you can give me?” Ben asked.
+
+“I’ll have to do some more calculating before I can estimate exactly how
+long it will be before we go into final fall,” was the reply, “but,
+offhand, I would say you’ve got no longer than six hours.”
+
+Ben looked at the damaged control panel of the flier and shook his head.
+
+“Impossible,” he said, “but I’ll do it. I’ve _got_ to do it.”
+
+“Everyone on the ship will be at your disposal, Ben,” Captain Eaton
+said. “Call for anyone and anything at all that you need in order to
+hurry those repairs. Ben, there’s no one else I’d rather trust with the
+lives of us all than you. You can’t let us down.”
+
+“That confidence means a lot, Captain,” Ben replied, his expression
+showing the appreciation he felt. “Mac gave his life for the ship. I’d
+do no less if it meant saving the _Carefree_ and all you guys.”
+
+“I know you mean what you say, Ben,” Captain Eaton said, “but we won’t
+call on you to go that far. Just get the flier in shape so that we can
+escape in it and not share the _Carefree_’s fate in crashing on the
+moon.”
+
+Ben shook his head sadly. “I hadn’t thought of the _Carefree_ plunging
+to her destruction. But we _know_ that’s got to happen, don’t we,
+because there’s no way of saving her. Captain, this ship has become such
+a part of my life that I’d almost want to go down with her.”
+
+“I feel the same way, Ben,” Captain Eaton replied. “Life will never be
+the same again without the _Carefree_. I don’t know how I’ll get along
+without her deck beneath my feet.”
+
+“If we get out of this alive,” Mr. Klecker said, “we’ll just have to
+return to earth and spend the rest of our days there.”
+
+“That’s true,” the captain agreed sadly. “Even a millionaire is allowed
+a space ship as grand as this only once in a lifetime. I couldn’t afford
+another.”
+
+Ben seemed to realize that precious time was going to waste as they
+talked, and he began getting his tools together.
+
+“I know everyone wants to help,” he said, “but I think that Kleck and I
+can work better together by ourselves just now. There’ll be less
+confusion. I’ll be sure to call on anyone else if he’s needed.”
+
+Mr. Klecker had donned some old clothes, but he did not look comfortable
+in them.
+
+Ben listed more tools and equipment he would need, and Captain Eaton
+gave the list to Garry.
+
+“Take this to Isaac, will you, Garry, and ask him to round these up as
+quickly as possible. I’ve got to get back to the observatory and see how
+much time there is to zero hour.”
+
+“Isaac has taken Mac’s loss pretty badly, Captain,” Ben said. “Do you
+think he’ll be working at top efficiency?”
+
+“I think it will do him good to have something to do,” the captain
+replied. “He’ll be of no use to himself, or us either, if he just keeps
+on brooding.”
+
+Captain Eaton and the boys left the flier and went their separate ways
+to take care of their respective duties. Garry and Patch went to the
+dormitory and found Isaac Newton sitting on one of the lower bunks, his
+head in his hands. They stood beside the bunk for several moments,
+waiting for Isaac to look up, but he did not seem to know that there was
+anyone else around.
+
+“Isaac,” Garry then said, “Ben needs a few things for the repair of the
+flier. The captain thought you could round them up for us.”
+
+Isaac still did not look up.
+
+“Isaac, we’re headed for the moon,” Patch said urgently. “We’ve _got_ to
+get the flier repaired within six hours, or we’re all goners!”
+
+Finally, Isaac looked up, his gentle eyes red. “It’s all my fault,” he
+said. “It’s all my fault that Mac is dead! I didn’t tell him about the
+satellite, and I should have. I ought to be shot like a soldier for
+neglecting his duty.”
+
+“You shouldn’t blame yourself, Isaac,” Garry said gently. “Anyone could
+have made the same mistake.”
+
+Isaac shook his head, as if pulling himself together, and held out his
+hand. “Let me have the list.”
+
+He looked it over, climbed to his feet, and started out of the
+dormitory.
+
+“Gee, he _is_ taking it hard, isn’t he?” Patch asked.
+
+Garry nodded. “I can imagine how he feels. How many times have you made
+a mistake that you’d give anything in the world to correct if you could?
+But with us, our mistakes have never cost a person his life.”
+
+Isaac came back into the room. “One of the things on this list is the
+sealer gun. It must still be up there by the flight-deck door that was
+sealed to prevent the air leaking out. Will you fellows get it?”
+
+“Sure, Isaac,” Garry replied. “Come on, Patch.”
+
+As they pulled themselves along the center tunnel, Patch remarked,
+“Isaac didn’t want to go back up there. That’s why he asked us to get
+the sealer gun.”
+
+“I think you’re right,” Garry replied. “But it will save him some time
+just the same.”
+
+Reaching the platform in front of the flight deck, the boys stepped up
+onto the magnetized area. All at once Garry was struck by the awesome
+silence of this part of the ship. Along with this was the remembrance of
+the tragedy that had taken place beyond the door in front of them, and
+he had a lonesome, shivery feeling.
+
+Patch seemed to feel it too.
+
+“Let’s hurry up and get out of here,” he said. “It’s kind of spooky here
+all by ourselves.”
+
+“I don’t see the sealer gun anywhere, do you?” Garry asked.
+
+“No. Maybe somebody carried it away with them.”
+
+There was a well of darkness beneath the platform. Both boys glanced at
+one another. They knew that was the next place to look.
+
+“It may be down there someplace,” Garry said. “We’ll have to take a
+look.”
+
+“How could it be down there?” Patch argued, not enjoying the prospect.
+“There’s no gravity here in the tube. Things don’t _fall_ in here like
+they do in the rest of the ship.”
+
+“It may have been shoved off in that direction,” Garry said. “That could
+easily have happened in all the excitement up here. Time’s wasting,
+Patch. If you’re scared, I’ll poke around down there.”
+
+“It’s not that I’m exactly scared,” Patch protested weakly.
+
+Garry held onto the railing and swung his feet off the
+magnetized-platform floor so that he floated weightlessly in the air.
+Then he began pulling himself down into the darkness, using the metal
+lattice-work that extended below the platform.
+
+“How can you see down there?” Patch called from above. “Want me to get a
+light for you?”
+
+“I’ll feel around a little first,” Garry answered. “I may put my hand
+right on it.”
+
+With one hand holding onto the metal stripping, Garry fanned his free
+arm back and forth along the floor. All he felt was cold smooth metal—at
+first.
+
+Then, suddenly, he felt something soft to his touch. A chill raced up
+his backbone, ending in a prickle at the top of his head. He swallowed,
+then courageously began feeling around again on the object, trying to
+identify it. His hand touched flesh, warm flesh, and he could trace the
+outline of five fingers. He felt that chill again, but he fought to keep
+his nerves under control.
+
+“Hey, What’s going on?” Patch called. “Have you found something?”
+
+Garry pulled himself back up to the platform and hung onto the rail,
+shaking.
+
+“Garry,” Patch said, “you’re white as you can be!”
+
+“I found something all right, Patch. There’s a _person_ down there,”
+Garry whispered.
+
+
+
+
+                           13. ABANDON SHIP!
+
+
+Leaving a bewildered and frightened Patch behind him, Garry left the
+platform and began pulling himself as rapidly as possible along the
+webbing of the tube toward the ship’s stern. Reaching the observatory
+bubble, he went in.
+
+“Captain Eaton!” Garry gasped. “I think I’ve found him! I think I’ve
+found Mac!”
+
+The captain swung from an instrument he was using, and looked at Garry
+in amazement. “You _what_?” he cried.
+
+Garry pulled himself into the observatory, the floor taking hold of the
+soles of his shoes by its magnetic attraction. “Yes, Sir!” he declared.
+“Patch and I were looking for the sealing gun in front of the flight
+deck, and I found a body in the darkness below the platform!”
+
+Captain Eaton clicked across the floor and entered the tube. Garry
+tagged along behind, as the skipper of the _Carefree_ set out toward the
+bow of the ship.
+
+A few minutes later, Captain Eaton was checking on Garry’s discovery.
+Then he came back onto the platform, excitement showing on his face.
+
+“It _is_ Mac!” he burst out. “His body is warm, and I think he may be
+alive! We must call some of the others so that we can get him up from
+there. In this zero gravity it will take several of us.”
+
+Garry and Patch were sent by the captain to round up the others.
+
+Then several began helping to get Mac onto the platform. Of course he
+weighed nothing, but, in the zero gravity, the difficulty in moving him
+lay in the fact that the others could not push him without bracing some
+part of their own body against something. Otherwise, they would only
+succeed in pushing themselves backward.
+
+Mac was finally moved onto the platform and stretched out. He lay,
+suspended in air, a few inches above the platform. Captain Eaton looked
+at the Scotsman’s eyes and tested his pulse.
+
+“His pulse is a little slow,” he stated, “but his color is good, and I
+think he’ll come around pretty soon. That bad gash on his forehead must
+have knocked him out.”
+
+They worked over Mac. Finally, he stirred and then opened his eyes. He
+stared as if unseeing for several moments, but then, as he began to
+recognize everybody, a weak smile formed on his lips.
+
+“What happened?” he murmured.
+
+“We don’t know what happened, Mac,” Captain Eaton replied. “Can you tell
+us? Can you remember what did happen before you blacked out?”
+
+Mac frowned, as if concentrating very hard. Then his face relaxed.
+
+“I remember,” he said softly. “I was near the door when it hit
+us—whatever it was. If I’d been in the pilot’s chair I would have been a
+goner. But I had gotten up only a moment before to check the chart. The
+door was open. I heard a terrific roar and saw the whole console burst
+into a sheet of fire. At the same time I felt myself being blown
+backward and right through the door onto the platform. I was dazed, but
+somehow I had the presence of mind to know I had to get that door shut
+or the ship would lose all her air. I managed to press the button and
+saw it slide shut. But then my head began to hurt terrifically and I
+felt dizzy. I reached out for the railing to hold on, but I guess I
+missed it then and unconsciously floated off to wherever you found me.”
+
+“Garry found you,” Captain Eaton said. “We thought you had been blown
+into space by the collision.”
+
+“Thanks, Garry,” Mac said, winking at him with gratitude.
+
+“That’s all right,” Garry replied. “We’re just so glad to see that
+you’re still alive.”
+
+“Mac, don’t ever scare me again like that!” Isaac put in, his voice
+shaky with emotion. “It was my fault the collision happened, because I
+overlooked the satellite that hit us. I knew your death was on me, and I
+was so torn up I don’t think I’d ever have gotten over it. Thanks,
+buddy, for turning up as you did!”
+
+“Forget it, Isaac,” Mac joked. “Maybe you can return the favor
+sometime.”
+
+They told Mac about the existing crisis. He wanted to do something to
+help, but Captain Eaton insisted that he go to the dormitory to rest.
+Garry and Patch went with Captain Eaton to the observatory to recheck
+and see how much time the _Carefree_ had left.
+
+After another period of figuring and using his instruments, the skipper
+turned to the boys. “I wish I had better news, but it looks as if we
+have less time than I had thought at first.”
+
+The boys returned with Captain Eaton to the flier. Isaac had taken over
+helping Ben, since he knew more about this kind of thing than Mr.
+Klecker.
+
+Captain Eaton stood at the door of the air lock. “How are you coming in
+there?” he asked.
+
+Ben gave him a report of their progress. The captain’s face was lined
+and grave. “You may have to do better than that if we’re going to get
+out of this alive,” he said. “The moon is very close.”
+
+Captain Eaton and the boys spent the time that followed in the
+observatory dome, watching the steadily growing disk of the moon. It was
+like a mocking face in the sky, luring the travelers to destruction.
+
+No telescope was needed, for the big, rocky satellite of earth appeared
+to take up the whole heavens. Garry and Patch studied the knife-edged
+mountaintops, the dry, gray wildernesses that were once thought to be
+seas, and the mysterious bowl-like craters. Where would the _Carefree_
+plunge to her death on the fierce moonscape, Garry wondered. And would
+he and the others still be aboard her when she crashed? Garry shuddered
+at the thought. As Captain Eaton had said, Luna was now so frightfully
+close.
+
+The captain made a final check of his instruments. Then he turned
+abruptly, heading for the door. The boys followed him out.
+
+In the flier, moments later, the captain said, “Ben, we’re in our last
+hour. How do things look in here?”
+
+Garry could see Ben’s grimy, tired face turned toward Captain Eaton.
+
+“It’ll be close, Captain, awfully close,” Ben answered, and immediately
+turned back to the network of wiring in the instrument panel.
+
+“Anything I can do, Ben?” Captain Eaton asked.
+
+“Just hope and pray,” was the reply. “I think it’ll be all up to me now.
+It’s a one-man job getting these wires hooked up.”
+
+“We could take one last look around the ship during this last hour,” Mr.
+Klecker proposed. “I have some books I want to take along.”
+
+“Sorry, Kleck,” Ben said, “but we won’t have room for them. The flier
+will be crowded as it is. We won’t be able to take belongings of any
+kind, not even for survival, except for the emergency supplies the flier
+itself carries. The weight is that critical.”
+
+“I don’t want a last look,” Gino spoke up. “Otherwise I might not want
+to leave the good old _Carefree_, even if she is going to crash.”
+
+“Me either,” Isaac Newton added. “I want to remember her the way she was
+when all of us were very happy and really carefree.”
+
+“One thing about Patch and me,” Garry put in. “We came aboard without
+anything but the clothes we’re wearing, and we’ll be leaving the same
+way.”
+
+“There’s one thing I surely hate to leave behind,” Captain Eaton said.
+“Katrinka. She’s only a robot, but I’ve had her for so long that she’s
+almost like a member of the family.”
+
+From now on, every minute was beginning to count desperately. Garry
+wished he could hold back the hands of the clock. He wished he could
+give Ben an extra hour. But this could not be.
+
+A little later there came the announcement that Garry had known must be
+coming finally. Captain Eaton had been in the observatory for the last
+time, and now he had returned with a final announcement: “It’s now or
+never, Ben. Which is it?”
+
+Ben straightened up, and there was a pleased look on his weary face.
+“Just finished, Captain. The instrument panel isn’t as good as new, but
+I’m pretty sure the flier can be navigated by it, at least long enough
+for a safe landing on Luna. Come here, Mac. Let me show you a few things
+about the console.”
+
+Garry wondered why Ben was taking time to instruct Mac in the navigation
+of the ship. Why couldn’t he do the piloting himself? Garry could see
+that Mac was a little puzzled too, as he went over to the instrument
+panel.
+
+Captain Eaton was looking at his wrist watch. “Ben, there’s no more
+time. We’ve got to get off the _Carefree_ within five minutes, not a
+second longer.”
+
+After a few more hurried moments of instruction, Ben said, “We’re ready,
+Captain. Everybody into the rocket.”
+
+Those who were not already in filed into the rocket and belted down into
+the seats. That is, everybody but one—Ben.
+
+“Ben, where are you going?” Captain Eaton asked.
+
+“To check on the air lock, Sir,” Ben answered, and walked through the
+flier’s doorway into the air lock between the two ships.
+
+Mac had belted down in the pilot’s seat, as Ben had asked him to do.
+
+“How are you going to ride without a seat, Ben?” Mac called.
+
+“Everybody ready?” Ben called from the air lock.
+
+All answered that they were.
+
+“Start the motors, Mac,” Ben said.
+
+Mac started the rocket motors, at the same time calling, “Hurry up,
+Ben!”
+
+Garry heard a whirring sound, and the outer door of the flier slid shut,
+with Ben still in the air lock beyond!
+
+“Hey, wait!” Isaac shouted. “Ben’s in the air lock, and the door’s
+closed!”
+
+No one could do anything, for in the very next moment the flier kicked
+out violently sideways, bending everyone over in his seat. There was
+another jerk forward as the flier went into motion.
+
+“What’s happened?” Captain Eaton called.
+
+“Ben’s tricked us!” Mac replied. “He cut off the magnetic grapples from
+the air lock that held us fast to the _Carefree_. How stupid I was! He
+told me to take over while he checked on some last-minute things.”
+
+“I see it all,” Isaac added. “If we check the weights we’ll probably
+find out that we would be overloaded with one more passenger. Ben was
+that one more, and he chose not to come aboard rather than risk the
+safety of the rest of us!”
+
+“Yes,” the captain said in a choked voice, “it seems that Ben elected to
+go down with the _Carefree_.”
+
+
+
+
+                        14. FIRST HOURS ON LUNA
+
+
+Ben lost to them!
+
+Garry could hardly believe it. Surely Ben could have found _some_ way to
+save himself. Did he really have to make such a costly sacrifice?
+
+No one aboard the flier cared to speak for several minutes after Mac’s
+tragic announcement. It had come as a devastating blow to all of them.
+
+Finally, Isaac broke the solemn quiet: “It won’t be the same with good
+old Ben gone. He was a smart, brave guy. I’d like to have an ounce of
+all the scientific and mechanical knowledge he had.”
+
+They had been so concerned over Ben’s fate that they had almost
+overlooked the fact that the rocky wilderness of the moon was staring
+them in the face; that in a few moments the flier would be either
+touching down on her surface or crashing along with the _Carefree_ and
+Ben, her only human occupant.
+
+Mac was guiding the craft into a slowly descending spiral. This would
+give the flier’s braking rockets time to reduce speed to safe level for
+the touchdown.
+
+The _Carefree_ was not in sight, although Garry searched the starry sky
+through the plastic walls of the flier. He was glad he could not find
+her. He would not have liked to see her crash.
+
+Down below, Garry could see the huge dish of a giant crater. It was
+within this area that Mac was circling. As if anticipating Garry’s
+question, Mac explained: “Ben suggested that we try landing on the floor
+of this crater, which is called Hornfield. It was discovered by a lunar
+explorer in 1983. It is supposed to be covered by several inches of
+pumice dust, and that may help to break our fall if we make a bad
+touchdown.”
+
+From high up, the walls of the crater did not appear very impressive,
+but as the flier spiraled lower, they looked like lofty battlements of
+ancient castles.
+
+As they dipped lower still, Garry watched those grim crater walls close
+in around the small space craft. Spread out below was the ocean of gray
+dust that carpeted the crater floor. Part way up, above the horizon, was
+seen the distant globe of earth. It cast ghostly greenish shadows around
+the walls, pits, and rock formations. This was the two-week period of
+night on Luna, and the temperature down there, in a nearly airless
+atmosphere, Garry knew, was more than two hundred degrees below zero.
+
+“Everyone make sure his restraining belts are tight,” Mac called. “We’re
+about to touchdown.”
+
+The ground rushed up to meet them, as Garry felt himself tipped forward
+in his seat. The belly of the little flier skimmed the ocean of dust,
+sending it up in a giant cloud along both sides of the craft. The flier
+continued to plow along through the pumice until friction finally
+brought it to a halt.
+
+It was strange being still again, Garry thought. Another strange feeling
+was the gravity pull of the moon, which he knew to be only one sixth as
+strong as that of earth.
+
+“Is everybody all right?” Captain Eaton asked.
+
+No one said that he _wasn’t_ all right. Garry and Patch began
+unfastening their restraining belts, as did the others.
+
+Captain Eaton was the first to his feet. He moved over to the window
+with a strange floating sort of step owing to his reduced moon weight.
+Then he looked out.
+
+“Where are we, Mac?” he asked.
+
+“Inside the Hornfield crater,” Mac answered.
+
+“Are there any settlements close by?” the captain asked. “Anybody who
+can come to our rescue?”
+
+“About twenty-five miles to the southwest, captain,” Mac answered. “Ben
+told me just where it was and advised me to land as close to it as
+possible. I thought this was as close as we dared approach, because the
+ground is treacherous between Hornfield and the settlement.”
+
+“What sort of settlement is it, Mac?” Isaac asked.
+
+“An oxygen-mining outfit in the Taurus Mountains. They’re mining for ore
+rich in oxygen to provide pressurized air for the underground terminal
+of Luna City, five hundred miles farther to the south. Ben said he
+thought they would have fliers that could get here in a short time as
+soon as they got our radio message.”
+
+“But we don’t have any radio,” Mr. Klecker said.
+
+“Yes we do, and we can thank the flier’s lifesaving equipment for that,”
+Captain Eaton said.
+
+He went to a cabinet built into the wall and pulled out an oblong box.
+On the top of it were the words: “SOS Automatic Transmitter.”
+
+“You mean that was in the flier all this time and that we could have
+used it earlier ourselves?” Garry asked in surprise.
+
+“Yes, you could have,” Captain Eaton replied.
+
+“I’m familiar with this transmitter,” the captain went on. “Let’s get
+the radio kit down.”
+
+When this was done, Captain Eaton donned one of the two space suits
+which the flier carried. When he was dressed, he entered the flier’s air
+lock, carrying the radio kit. Those inside the ship watched Captain
+Eaton walk about fifty feet from the flier and open the box containing
+the transmitter.
+
+“Gee, why does he have to open it up out there?” Patch wanted to know.
+“Couldn’t he transmit from inside the ship just as easy?”
+
+“No, not nearly as well,” Mac explained. “Just watch, and you’ll see
+why!”
+
+Captain Eaton took some things out of the box, and then, after tinkering
+with them for a few minutes, he set the transmitter in the pumice dust
+and ran back toward the flier as if he had just lighted a bomb fuse. A
+few seconds later the boys were surprised to see something resembling a
+giant snake spring from the ground beside the transmitter and extend
+straight up in the dark sky!
+
+“What in the world was that?” Patch asked in amazement.
+
+“That’s the antenna for the transmitter, isn’t it, Mac?” Garry asked.
+
+Mac nodded. “That long ropelike thing is hollow, and the antenna is in
+the middle of it. Captain Eaton released a switch that caused the casing
+to fill with compressed air, and that is what keeps it extended into the
+sky. That gives us a much better antenna than we could possibly have in
+here. Also, being as tall as it is, the radio waves leaving it can
+travel great distances and cross high places which they could not do if
+it were short. Understand?”
+
+The boys nodded.
+
+“The transmitter is a very light and simple one,” Mac went on. “All it
+can do is send out an SOS signal from time to time; it can’t transmit
+words. Yet whoever picks it up can easily trace it. I hope our signal
+will carry as far as the mining settlement and that there’s no
+interference between to block our radio waves. Those mountains could
+block the waves.”
+
+“How long do you think we can hold out, just in case our rescue is slow
+in coming?” Garry asked Mac.
+
+“If we carefully ration food, water, and air, I’d say we could last
+about five days, earth time,” Mac replied. “I’m pretty sure the captain
+will start rationing right away, just to make sure, but I can’t see any
+reason why we won’t see a rescue flier heading this way pretty soon,
+certainly by tomorrow.”
+
+Captain Eaton presently came back inside and began taking off his space
+suit.
+
+“If we get out of this alive, we’ll owe it all to Ben,” Isaac remarked.
+
+Garry noticed the sudden sadness on the faces of the others at the
+mention of Ben’s name. Presently, everyone in turn began saying
+something good about their friend; that is, everyone except Captain
+Eaton, whom Garry knew had been closer to Ben than any of the others.
+
+The captain was still plainly too broken up to say anything about Ben at
+this time. He just quietly finished removing his pressure-suit gear, and
+Garry could see the tragedy in his eyes. Garry was glad when Captain
+Eaton changed the subject, because he himself had grown very fond of the
+brilliant young spaceman.
+
+“We should take inventory of our stock,” the captain was saying, “and
+then start a rationing schedule. We can’t be sure how long we’ll have to
+wait before help comes. I don’t want to alarm everybody, but there’s
+always the possibility of radioactivity or mineral deposits in the hills
+beyond the crater which would keep our SOS from going through. The moon
+is full of those things.”
+
+Mac’s prediction as to how long the food and water would last turned out
+to be fairly close, although it turned out to be four days instead of
+five. No one expected the fourth day to roll around with their still
+being trapped in the flier, but Captain Eaton was playing safe, as Mac
+had said he probably would do.
+
+Those who had invented the equipment making up the escape flier’s
+emergency kit had seemingly thought of everything to ease the plight of
+those trapped on strange planets. They had not overlooked the boredom of
+those awaiting rescue. There was a special cabinet containing tiny
+games, and there were also miniature books.
+
+When the inventory was completed and everything was done that could be
+done, Captain Eaton distributed the games and books, and everyone
+settled down in the flight chairs.
+
+“This isn’t so bad,” Isaac said, sighing and stretching out comfortably
+with one of the little books. “I’ve always wanted to read this book on
+great poetry, but up to now I just haven’t had the time because it’s so
+long. It looks like I’ve finally gotten my chance to read it.”
+
+“There aren’t any books about the circus,” Mr. Klecker said
+disappointedly. “I guess I’ll just have to settle for what’s left.”
+
+The butler straightened his bow tie. He had changed back into his full
+dress after Isaac had taken over as Ben’s helper.
+
+Garry and Patch started a game of chess, and the rest of the
+_Carefree_’s passengers took whatever game or book interested them.
+Except for the sadness of Ben’s not being with them, Garry noticed that
+there was an air of contentment and optimism on the part of everyone.
+
+Later, he was to be glad that he did not have the talent of seeing into
+the future, for if those who were so relaxed now in their cozy hideaway
+on the dark moon had only known what was in store for them, they would
+not have been in the mood for enjoying _anything_ at this moment.
+
+
+
+
+                           15. A DARK OUTLOOK
+
+
+The idea of stretching out comfortably with a good book and plenty of
+spare time did not seem so satisfying after several hours. After this
+period, everyone began to get restless, with a desire to get up and
+stretch his legs, as they could have done if they were back on the
+_Carefree_.
+
+“I know how you feel, fellows,” Captain Eaton said sympathetically, as
+he noticed how tired everyone had become of just sitting around. “I’d
+like to take a romp myself outside in a space suit, but without knowing
+how soon we’ll be rescued and having no surplus of supplies, I don’t
+think we should use up our oxygen that fast. Everyone agree?”
+
+Everyone did.
+
+Then to while away the hours that were beginning to drag slowly along,
+the captain suggested that they talk among themselves and exchange
+stories. This activity occupied the group for some time. Garry was glad
+that poor Ben was not mentioned again to further depress everyone.
+
+Finally, all became “talked out,” just as they had become “read out”
+before that. And by this time some were ready for a nap and began dozing
+in their seats.
+
+Garry watched the captain settle back in his seat, sighing tiredly.
+
+“I suppose I should be grateful for being alive,” he said, “but I feel
+almost as if I had died myself. Yes, this is a sad day for an old man
+who has lost at the same time the dearest things to his heart—one of his
+best friends and a funny-looking space ship that had come to be even
+homier than his earthly home.”
+
+Garry noticed how much the conversation kept returning to Ben. He
+guessed that the unselfish spaceman would be on their minds for a long
+time to come.
+
+“I wonder where they went down, Captain?” Mac asked. “I didn’t even see
+the _Carefree_, once Ben cut us free.”
+
+“None of us saw her,” the captain replied, “and I’m glad. I hope they
+never find her remains on the moon, because I would feel compelled to go
+to the site of the crash and I would not want to do that. No, it’s
+better this way.”
+
+Before long, someone mentioned food. There was some mild enthusiasm from
+the others, but not much. Everyone knew that all there was to eat were
+capsules that would provide nourishment but little enjoyment.
+
+Gino made a face when the capsule bottle was passed to him and he shook
+two of the pellets out into his hand.
+
+“To think that I would ever have to make a meal of these things,” he
+said sadly, “I, who at one time or another, have served up the grandest
+dishes ever put together.”
+
+All ate silently. Since the additional talk about Ben, it was as if cold
+water had been poured over their spirits.
+
+After the brief meal the captain suggested that the lights be turned
+down and everyone try to get a “night” of sleep.
+
+“I think all of us are brain fagged and bored after all that has
+happened,” he said. “Maybe there’ll be someone knocking on our air-lock
+door before we wake up.”
+
+No one objected to the idea, as it seemed to be the only thing left for
+them to do.
+
+When everyone was settled down for the “night,” Captain Eaton cut off
+all lights within the flier. It was still not very dark in the flier
+because outdoors it was brighter than the brightest moonlight night on
+earth, owing to the brilliant glow of earthshine.
+
+“If our rescuers do not show up some time tomorrow,” Captain Eaton said,
+“we had better start cutting back on our battery power. That will mean
+no lights inside, except use of the flashlight in the cabinet, and less
+warmth. I have a feeling that our batteries will play out before any of
+our other supplies do.”
+
+When Garry woke the next “morning,” he heard some of the others stirring
+about. Patch was standing over him with two tablets and Garry’s personal
+water bottle which squeezed the liquid into one’s mouth.
+
+“What’s this?” Garry mumbled. “Time for my medicine?”
+
+“Medicine nothing,” Patch replied. “This, son, is breakfast. Or would
+you prefer nice crisp bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs?”
+
+“Aw, Patch, cut it out,” Garry pleaded. “You don’t have to make this any
+tougher than it is!”
+
+Garry took the food pills, chewing them slowly to get what little flavor
+there was in them. Then he finished off with the water, which was little
+more than enough to wet his throat.
+
+“Gee, the captain has really rationed the water, hasn’t he?” Garry
+whispered.
+
+“He cut it back even further this morning,” Patch replied. “Know why?
+Because nobody came knocking on our air lock as he had hoped maybe they
+would. On top of that, I heard him say he was going to run another close
+inventory on all our life-supporting items to see how much is left.”
+
+“Gosh, do you think he’s afraid _no_ one will be knocking any time
+soon?”
+
+“I don’t know,” Patch replied, “but he has been frowning quite a bit
+this morning.”
+
+The captain presently made it clear to all why he had been doing so much
+frowning.
+
+“Frankly,” he said, “I thought those people at the mining settlement
+would have had plenty of time while we slept to pay us a visit. If our
+SOS reached them soon after we began sending, as it should have, they
+should have had a flier over here within a few hours’ time. Our chief
+essentials for staying alive are our food, water, air, and power supply
+which is necessary to keep us warm. It’s several hundred degrees below
+zero outside, in case you haven’t thought about it.”
+
+They took another inventory, and the results were not very heartening.
+
+“We’re using up much too much of our battery power,” Captain Eaton said.
+“That’s the weakest link in our chain of existence. I didn’t realize
+that yesterday when we had the lights on for reading. From now on until
+someone comes, we’ll have to do without light altogether except when
+necessary. That means we’ll have to do our reading by earthshine and our
+one flashlight. We may have some strained eyes, but that’s the best we
+can do. We’ll also have to reduce our heat a little to save on power
+that way too.”
+
+“Captain, do you think we should check the condition of the battery in
+the outside transmitter?” Isaac asked.
+
+“It’s supposed to have a useful life of seventy-two hours, operating
+automatically for a few minutes every half hour,” the captain said, “but
+the battery may have lost a lot of its power in storage. I think it
+would be a good idea to check it. It has a test meter on it, Isaac.”
+
+“I’ll go out and check it, Captain,” Isaac said.
+
+When he had pulled on one of the space suits, Isaac checked the air and
+pressure and went outside.
+
+Garry and Patch watched him move in a light-footed gliding motion toward
+the spot where the antenna had been set up. He spent several minutes
+with the rig and then came back into the flier.
+
+As he lifted his helmet off, he said with a shake of his head, “It’s
+quit sending, Captain. You were right. The battery must have been in bad
+shape to start with.”
+
+“Not sending,” Captain Eaton muttered to himself, a dark worried frown
+on his face. “That means that if our SOS was not picked up earlier, it
+never will be, and no one will know where we are.”
+
+Garry’s heart chilled at hearing this. What the captain really meant,
+but did not say, was that they were doomed to a slow death as their heat
+and air were depleted and they froze in the moon’s incredible cold. That
+would happen long before their food and water gave out.
+
+Captain Eaton placed a fatherly arm around each of the boys and said,
+“Fellows, I wish there were something I could do. Believe me, if I could
+give my life to save you two, as Ben did, I would gladly do it. Do you
+believe that?”
+
+“Yes, Sir, I do believe it,” Garry answered sincerely. “But can’t we
+really do something—anything at all? It—it’s better than waiting, isn’t
+it?”
+
+“You’re trembling, both of you,” the captain said, “and I can’t blame
+you. If it’s any comfort to you, I think you’re the bravest two boys I
+ever knew. I would have been proud to have had a couple of sons like
+you.”
+
+The captain pressed their arms affectionately. Garry knew how he felt
+about his helplessness to do anything.
+
+“You ask if there’s anything we could do,” Captain Eaton said. “Of
+course we’re not giving up hope completely at this early stage, but
+things do look bad. We could ration ourselves severely and maybe prolong
+our existence a few days, but after that....”
+
+Garry finished the gloomy sentence in his own mind.
+
+
+
+
+                           16. A SAD PARTING
+
+
+They _did_ wait—all the long day to follow.
+
+And in all that time, no one came.
+
+They did the same things that they had done the day before—reading by
+the light of the earth, which they feared they would never see again;
+reading until their eyes blurred and the battery had gone dead in their
+only flashlight.
+
+Garry and Patch did not read much. Instead, they spent most of their
+time looking out over the cold gray dust, and up into the black sky,
+looking hopefully for some moving object against the bleak wilderness
+and wanting to be the first to spot it should it appear. But it never
+appeared, and bed-time came, but no one was in the spirit for sleep. And
+yet, since there was little else to do, everyone prepared for bed.
+
+Garry and Patch lay awake in their adjoining seats, talking in low
+voices to each other.
+
+“Garry, we’ve been through a lot of close calls since we left the
+orphanage,” Patch was saying, “but this looks like _it_, doesn’t it?”
+
+“I don’t know, Patch. I just don’t know,” his friend replied with a
+troubled sigh. “It sure doesn’t look good. I won’t ever really give up
+hope, though. There’s still a chance that a rescue ship will come—maybe
+during the night.”
+
+“But what if it doesn’t?” Patch asked. “What if it doesn’t come tonight
+or tomorrow—or the next night? How will we feel when we finally _know_
+that we won’t be saved?”
+
+“You shouldn’t think like that, Patch. It’ll make you miserable. You’ve
+got to keep hoping, even when it doesn’t make sense,” Garry said.
+
+“It’s funny about Ben,” Patch went on. “I mean about what he did. He
+meant to save us, but it’s turned out that he’s made it worse for us. It
+would have been better if we had crashed along with the _Carefree_,
+because then it would have been over quickly.”
+
+“You know the saying, Patch: ‘Where there’s life there’s hope.’ And I
+believe that.”
+
+Patch said no more, and before long Garry heard him snoring softly. This
+made Garry feel better, and presently he too fell asleep.
+
+Garry and Patch woke the next morning to the sound of subdued voices
+around them. For a brief moment Garry wondered if help had come during
+the night. He searched the faces he saw, and quickly his hopes were
+dashed. Instead of happy faces, they were haggard ones that showed the
+lack of sleep, and there were no new faces among them.
+
+“No one came last night, did they?” Patch asked Captain Eaton.
+
+The skipper shook his head and tugged at his beard that, by now, had
+become scraggly and untidy looking. The others moved in close, and Garry
+noticed all at once that he and Patch were the center of attention. He
+had a feeling then that something important was about to be said.
+
+“Garry, Patch,” Captain Eaton said slowly, “you respect my judgment and
+my experience, don’t you?”
+
+“Sure,” the boys answered together, puzzled looks on their faces.
+
+“Well then, you do believe I would do the best I knew for all of us,
+don’t you?”
+
+Garry and Patch nodded again.
+
+“I’ve got something to say to the two of you,” the captain continued,
+“and it’s very important to me that you abide by my decision. Will you
+promise to do so if I tell you it will be to your best interests?”
+
+The boys thought a moment, then nodded together, trusting the man they
+had come to admire and respect.
+
+Just then Garry noticed the pair of space suits lying on the floor
+nearby, and they looked as if work had been done on them. They seemed to
+have been made smaller by the adjustable straps with which all such
+space suits were equipped.
+
+“As you can see, fellows,” the captain said, “the rest of us didn’t
+sleep much, but we were grateful that the two of you could, because it
+gave us time to come to our decision.”
+
+Garry and Patch watched the captain’s face intently, the suspense
+building up in them moment by moment. Garry had a hunch that he and
+Patch would not like what they were going to hear.
+
+The captain took a deep breath and said, “I’ll come right out with it.
+The rest of us are forced to face the sad fact that rescue isn’t coming.
+But there’s no reason for everyone to perish. Garry, we decided that you
+and Patch....”
+
+As his voice trailed off, Garry saw the picture. “You want us to take
+the space suits and—and go out there.”
+
+“It wasn’t an easy decision to reach, Garry,” Mac spoke. “We may be
+sending the two of you to a worse fate than would happen to you here.
+But in that way there lies a _chance_ for you. Here the chances would be
+very little. We are all agreed on that.”
+
+“But why us?” Garry protested. “Why not two of the rest of you? We
+thought we had become one of you by now. We should all have drawn lots
+to see who would go. It’s not democratic this way.”
+
+“It’s because we’re kids, isn’t it?” Patch asked. “You’re packing us off
+like children to bed! We won’t leave you here!”
+
+“Remember your promise, fellows,” Captain Eaton said. “This is the way
+we want it. Believe us, we really do—unanimously.”
+
+“There’s even a chance you might make heroes of yourselves,” Isaac
+added. “You may find someone who can come and rescue us before it’s too
+late.”
+
+“We realize it won’t be easy for you to leave us behind, and it won’t be
+easy to set out across unknown country for an unknown destination. It’ll
+take courage, gentlemen, plenty of courage, more courage than it will
+require for us to stay on here,” Mr. Klecker said.
+
+Garry could find no further argument. The others were too much against
+him and Patch. They simply would not have it any other way. In the end
+the boys gave in, but they felt guilty for accepting what was seemingly
+the only way to survival.
+
+Some time later the boys were ready to start out. The space suits still
+were a little large, but they would serve. Garry wore the luminous green
+suit, Patch the luminous orange one. The boots were so large that Garry
+and Patch had to wear them over their shoes. The helmets were big and
+bulky, but in the moon’s light gravity they were not too heavy.
+
+When the boys were sealed in the suits completely, Captain Eaton ran a
+careful check on them—the air pressure and temperature, and the
+“walkie-talkie” radios that would enable the boys to talk to each other.
+Finally, the fellows were loaded down with all the supplies they could
+be expected to need. This included spare oxygen tanks, water bottles,
+and liquid food in tubes. These tubes could be squeezed through an
+opening in the helmet so that one in a space suit could take nourishment
+without opening his helmet.
+
+Garry argued against taking nearly all of the spare supplies and leaving
+their friends with very little.
+
+“You must take them,” Captain Eaton insisted. “If you do not have enough
+to get you to the settlement, there is no purpose in starting out at
+all. Now, no more arguments.”
+
+There finally came the moment of parting, which everyone dreaded.
+Garry’s heart was heavy at the thought of leaving these people he had
+grown so fond of in such a short time. Very likely he and Patch would
+never see any of them again.
+
+Garry could see that the men’s eyes were troubled and sorrowful. They
+didn’t seem to know just how to say farewell. Isaac and Gino gave a
+little nervous wave of their hands. Mr. Klecker shook hands formally.
+Mac gave them a warm pat on the back.
+
+Captain Eaton walked slowly over to the air lock with the boys—slowly,
+as if he did not want to let them go. Garry and Patch had removed their
+helmets and held them in their hands. The captain had his arms around
+their shoulders, embracing them like a father.
+
+“Well, don’t let’s be sissies about this,” the captain said with forced
+lightheartedness. “Let’s just pretend that you boys are going on a short
+trip and that you’ll be back in a little while. No sad words, no tears,
+eh?”
+
+“That’s how we want it, Captain Eaton,” Garry answered, but his throat
+was so tight he could hardly speak.
+
+“Whatever you do, don’t give up,” their older friend advised. “Take care
+of yourselves and don’t lose your heads if you meet a crisis. And don’t
+come back, whatever happens. It won’t help.”
+
+The captain took a piece of paper from Mac and gave it to Garry. “Mac
+and I have plotted your course as nearly as we can from what we remember
+of this territory. We both had a course in lunar study at one time.
+Follow these landmarks closely. You will be heading straight for the
+mining settlement, and if, by chance, a search flier should be coming
+from that direction, try to catch their attention by waving. They will
+probably be looking for you, and your bright-colored suits will make you
+stand out pretty strong against the gray ground.”
+
+Garry was studying the penciled map. “What is this gray part that you’ve
+shown here, Captain?”
+
+“It’s an area of rugged rock formations,” the captain explained. “You’ve
+got to go through it, as there is no way around. You must proceed with
+extreme caution, because we haven’t any flashlights left to give you.
+And, owing to the fact that there is just a trace of air on Luna, the
+earthshine can’t penetrate into the shadows. You will literally have to
+inch yourselves along until you’re in the open again.”
+
+The captain explained more of the dangers in this area and showed Garry
+and Patch other points on the map and what they stood for.
+
+Finally, the boys had their last look at the man who had been the best
+friend to them that they had ever known. Garry studied the captain’s
+brave, forced smile, and he could see the elderly man’s efforts to keep
+himself under control.
+
+Captain Eaton wiped his moist palm on his trousers and then pushed the
+button that swung open the inner door of the air lock.
+
+“There’s something I must tell both of you before you go,” he said. “I
+made application for adoption of you two as my sons just before we had
+the accident. I have a friend in a high position back on earth who, I
+felt, could put through the papers quickly if they were approved. I
+never told you this, though, because I did not want to raise your hopes
+falsely in case the adoption was not approved. But I couldn’t let you go
+not knowing what I had tried to do.”
+
+“We would have liked you for a father,” Patch said.
+
+Garry was too choked up to say anything except, “Let’s go, Patch, before
+we change our minds and never go at all.”
+
+“Yes, that is better,” the captain said. “Good-by, boys, and may God go
+with you.”
+
+The boys pulled on their helmets, and Captain Eaton helped fit them
+tightly. Then he made a little farewell wave with his hand and motioned
+the boys into the air lock. A moment later the door swished shut. The
+outer door opened, and the bleak face of Luna beckoned to them. They
+stepped out into the gray dust, and the “snowshoe” plates added to the
+bottom of their boots kept them from sinking too deeply into the moon
+dust.
+
+They were now on their own.
+
+
+
+
+                             17. DARK PERIL
+
+
+Because of the light moon gravity, the boys found that they could move
+easily in spite of the deep dust and of the equipment strapped to their
+backs. The equipment took up as much room as it would have on earth, but
+here it weighed only one sixth of its earth weight and so was not much
+of a burden.
+
+In a short while they were out of sight of the flier. They had mounted a
+low-lying hill and crossed down the other side. It would still be a long
+time before they got out of the giant crater in which the flier had
+landed, but by the time they did get out they would be well along toward
+their destination.
+
+“We seem to be making good time, Patch,” Garry said over his helmet
+radio.
+
+“Yeah,” Patch replied. “It’s so much easier walking on the moon than it
+is on the earth, once you get the hang of it.”
+
+“Just think, Patch. Captain Eaton really was going to try to adopt us,”
+Garry said. “And all the time we thought he didn’t care enough.”
+
+“He’s one in a million, Garry. He would have been the grandest father a
+guy could ever have.”
+
+“What do you mean he _would_ have?” Garry protested. “He _will_ be our
+father. We’re going to _save_ him, Patch. We’re going to save all of
+them.”
+
+“I want to save them too,” Patch said earnestly. “I’d sure hate for us
+to make it and them not to.”
+
+“Maybe we shouldn’t talk so much,” Garry advised. “It uses up more
+oxygen, and I don’t think we have a surplus of it.”
+
+They slogged silently through the gray dust in the bouncy, light-footed
+motion that they had become accustomed to by now. Every once in a while
+Garry would glance about him at the forbidding countryside of this dead
+world. Sight of the desolation chilled his soul. He wondered at first
+why this was so. Then he supposed that it must be because there was so
+much absolute _deadness_ all about. For nothing could live in the
+numbing cold and the boiling-hot temperatures that came to this
+landscape periodically. No, he and Patch were the only living creatures
+from one horizon to the other, and this fact was enough to give anyone
+the shivers.
+
+Finally Garry broke the long silence.
+
+“Patch, do you notice we’re able to move along easier now?” he asked.
+
+“It’s because the dust is thinning out, isn’t it?” Patch replied. “But I
+see the rocky country up ahead that the captain was telling us about.”
+
+“Yes,” Garry said, “and from the way he talked, it’s going to be plenty
+rugged getting through there.”
+
+They increased their speed, now that the going was easier.
+
+Garry stole a look at the big green jewel of earth afloat in the black
+sea of space, for it alone seemed to lend an air of friendliness and
+security to the otherwise lonely, sinister surroundings. The walls of
+Hornfield Crater about them were jagged as sharks’ teeth as they reached
+up into the darkness. The stars seemed to Garry like sparkling
+snowflakes dusted across the entire vault of the sky. The nebulae were
+like misty clouds, and there was the long arch of a great comet crossing
+just above the horizon and standing out remarkably because of its being
+so different from everything else in the whole visible sweep of the
+heavens.
+
+After a few hours of steady hiking, Patch suggested that they take a
+short break to rest and eat. Garry was ready for the same.
+
+Garry checked their map and compared the markings on it to their true
+surroundings. “We seem to be still on course, Patch,” he said.
+
+By now they had moved up on a higher plateau within the crater, and the
+dust had thinned so that solid rock could be felt underfoot. But not far
+beyond lay the wilderness of rock they had seen earlier at a distance.
+How huge and forbidding the region looked!
+
+Garry stopped walking and plopped down in his tracks, heaving a sigh.
+Patch sat down beside him.
+
+Garry took tubes of liquid food and a couple of water bottles from the
+pack he carried. He offered Patch his share and took some for himself.
+
+Each boy unscrewed a plate that covered the mouth of his helmet. Behind
+this was a rubber disk with a self-sealing opening in the middle of it.
+All the boys had to do was thrust the tubes of food and water through
+these openings and take them between their lips. By squeezing the tubes,
+they forced the contents into their mouths.
+
+“Got a napkin?” Patch joked, when they were through. “I’d like to wipe
+my mouth.”
+
+“Sorry,” Garry answered, “but they haven’t figured out a way to do that
+yet.”
+
+Patch climbed to his feet, screwing his outer mouthplate back on. “Well,
+that wasn’t exactly like carving into a steak, but I guess it’ll do
+until we can get something better,” he said.
+
+They started out again, and soon approached the forbidding rocky region
+they had dreaded. The ground was rough and uneven. Garry looked ahead,
+and it was like staring into the mouth of a vast cavern.
+
+“We’ve got to be careful, Patch,” Garry warned, as he slowed down and
+held back his friend. “There may be bad crevasses across our path, and
+they could be the end of us if we should fall in.”
+
+Garry took the responsibility of going first. Patch was right behind,
+holding on to a strap on Garry’s suit.
+
+It was like going into a dark underworld thriving with all kinds of
+unknown dangers. Although he was following very closely, Patch could
+barely see Garry’s outline ahead of him. Garry would carefully slide one
+foot ahead of him to be sure he had solid ground underfoot.
+
+After what seemed a very long time, Patch complained: “This is giving me
+the willies, Garry. How much farther do you think we’ve got to go?
+Besides, this is slowing us down almost to a crawl.”
+
+“I think I see a break up ahead,” Garry encouraged. “It seems we’re
+making a wide turn, and the farther we go the more earthshine I think I
+can make out.”
+
+“Gee, I’d give anything I’ve got for a light of some kind,” Patch
+groaned.
+
+“That’s about the only thing they couldn’t provide for us,” Garry said.
+“Remember we used up our flashlight when we cut down on our power supply
+in the flier.”
+
+“I remember,” Patch returned.
+
+Patch felt that Garry was slowly descending as he walked.
+
+“Hey, where are you going?” Patch asked.
+
+“There seems to be an incline going down,” Garry replied. “I sure hope
+it comes back up and doesn’t drop off so that we can’t cross to the
+other side.”
+
+“Ugh,” Patch shuddered. “Don’t even _think_ about that. Remember,
+Captain Eaton told us not to come back.”
+
+“Just keep up with me and go slowly,” Garry instructed. “We’ll find out
+what’s ahead in a few minutes.”
+
+Down, down they went on a gentle slope.
+
+“When are we going to start up?” Patch asked worriedly.
+
+“I don’t know,” Garry replied, a little anxious himself.
+
+Suddenly Garry moved too fast for Patch to keep up and lost contact with
+him. Patch lost his head momentarily and cried out, dashing forward to
+regain touch with Garry. In his haste, Patch tripped and fell on the
+jagged rocks. On the earth this would have been a bad fall, but the
+weaker gravity here saved him from serious injury. But the weaker
+gravity also gave him a longer sprawl and carried him down the slope.
+
+As soon as Garry heard Patch’s frantic cry, he grabbed wildly in the
+darkness, hoping by chance to reach his friend. But his hands met only
+empty air.
+
+Patch’s shrieks were cut off abruptly, and stark silence filled Garry’s
+ears.
+
+“Patch!” Garry called, dread making him tremble all over. “Patch, where
+are you?”
+
+He had a mad impulse to leap down the incline, grabbing desperately at
+anything within reach. But he knew this could be disastrous for both
+himself and Patch.
+
+Slowly, Garry inched farther downward, heartsick as he considered the
+things that might have happened to his friend—a fall knocking him out or
+worse, or a tumble down a deep, treacherous pit.
+
+“Patch!” he kept calling. “Patch!”
+
+The frightening moments of anguish were relieved when Garry finally
+heard a faint voice.
+
+“Patch, where are you?” Garry asked over and over, as he inched
+downward, ever downward.
+
+“Here, Garry,” came the very weak voice.
+
+Thinking Patch was still far off, Garry slid his feet with more urgent
+speed through the utter blackness. Then the toe of his boot kicked
+something soft.
+
+“Garry, don’t!” came a low-pitched, terrified voice. “You’re kicking the
+hand I’m holding on by!”
+
+Then Garry realized what had happened, and the thought of the costly
+mistake he had almost made sickened him for a moment. Patch’s radio
+antenna had evidently been damaged in his fall, making his call for help
+seem farther off than he really was.
+
+Garry stooped down, his hands closing over the gloved hand he had nearly
+knocked from its precarious position.
+
+“Garry!” Patch said, his voice still a little hysterical. “I’m hanging
+on a cliff of some kind, and my feet aren’t touching anything! Please,
+Garry, get me up before I let go! I feel my hands slipping!”
+
+“Hold on, Patch! Try to keep holding! I’ve got to get a foothold or we
+both may go over!”
+
+Garry quickly kicked loose dust from underfoot and brushed it some more
+with his gloved hands. Then he leaned over and reached for Patch’s
+clinging hands. He slid his own hands below Patch’s wrists, closing his
+fingers about those wrists for dear life.
+
+“I’ve got a good hold, Patch,” Garry panted. “Brace your feet and help
+me as I try to pull you up. Ready?”
+
+“Ready, Garry!” came Patch’s weak voice.
+
+Making sure his feet were well anchored, Garry pulled with all his
+might. For an instant Patch’s body resisted him like a dead weight.
+Then, with an almost superhuman effort, Garry was able to hoist him up
+... up ... up and over onto the ledge safely. Then both of them slumped
+exhaustedly on the rocky brink.
+
+The boys were quiet for several seconds as they caught their breath in
+the pitch darkness and considered how close it had come to being all
+over for Patch.
+
+“Garry,” his grateful friend managed to say finally, “I’ll make it up to
+you. If we ever get out of this alive, I’ll make it up to you.”
+
+“Never mind that,” Garry said. “You didn’t lose anything when you fell?
+You’ve still got the extra oxygen tanks?”
+
+A dead silence followed, and that silence caused Garry to feel a clutch
+of dread.
+
+“You lost them, didn’t you?” he asked with a hopeless groan.
+
+Garry heard a faint sob over his helmet receiver. Then Patch fairly wept
+out the words he next spoke: “Yes, yes, I did! Push me back in, Garry!
+Push me back in! We’re lost for sure now!”
+
+
+
+
+                         18. STRANGE DISCOVERY
+
+
+It took a long time for the boys to pull themselves together after
+experiencing this final fateful blow. Down into the depths with those
+precious air cylinders had gone whatever chance the boys had for
+escaping alive from the cruel moon and for saving their friends. Patch
+broke down and Garry felt just as badly himself, but he managed to hold
+back the tears.
+
+“Garry,” Patch burst out, “we may as well go back and die with the
+others now! There’s no use at all in going on any farther!” His voice
+still sounded far off to Garry because of the damaged antenna.
+
+“If we went back, then _they_ would no longer have any hope,” Garry
+argued. “We took everything else they had. We’ve got to leave them
+hope—even until the end. Besides, we couldn’t accomplish anything by
+going back. Maybe, Patch, there’s just the barest chance that we have
+enough oxygen to reach the settlement. Or enough to get out into the
+open again and wait to see if a rescue flier comes over.”
+
+“I’m not moving, Garry!” Patch snapped in utter despair. “I’m not going,
+do you hear?”
+
+“You _are_ going,” Garry said determinedly. “You’re going if I have to
+carry you! It’s no time to quit, Patch.”
+
+“Then when _is_ it time?” Patch shot back. “You and your hopes, Garry!
+Always hoping, even when there isn’t a smidgin of a chance.”
+
+“It may be only a smidgin,” Garry said firmly, “but sometimes that’s
+enough. Now stop being a quitter and get to your feet.”
+
+There was only silence over Garry’s receiver for several tense seconds.
+Garry didn’t know what he would do if Patch chose to defy him again. He
+knew he could not really make his friend do anything his heart refused
+to do.
+
+But Patch solved this latest problem himself. Garry heard rustling
+sounds as Patch climbed slowly to his feet.
+
+“I’m sorry I talked rough, Patch,” Garry apologized. “I don’t think
+we’ve quarreled twice in all our lives, have we? But we’re in this thing
+together, and we’ve got to keep going, no matter how bad things look.
+We’ve just _got_ to, don’t you see?”
+
+“We’re talking about keeping going,” Patch returned, “but we can’t even
+get across this crevasse. How do you propose to do that? Besides that,
+we can’t even see as well as moles in this darkness.”
+
+“Let’s walk along the edge, first in one direction and then the other,”
+Garry said. “Maybe the crevasse narrows and disappears before too far!”
+
+They began exploring the treacherous cliff edge, moving slowly and
+carefully along in one direction. Every once in a while they tested the
+width of the chasm. Garry would get down on hands and knees and reach
+out, feeling with his hand to see if he could contact the other side.
+Time after time this was done, but each time his hands met empty air.
+
+After a tedious hour, Patch complained bitterly, “Can’t you see it’s
+hopeless, Garry? Gee whiz, what does it take to convince you?”
+
+“Let’s try a few more times,” Garry replied doggedly. “Then if we still
+can’t find a way across, we’ll start going along the crevasse in the
+other direction.”
+
+Patch did not reply to this, and Garry knew how bitter his friend must
+feel toward him after so many setbacks.
+
+The next time Garry got down on his hands and knees and reached out, his
+probing hand touched hard, firm rock on the other side!
+
+“Patch!” he shouted. “I’ve found a place where we can cross!”
+
+Even Patch was heartened by this and made an enthusiastic comment. In
+the hope of finding the crevasse even narrower and safer farther along,
+Garry followed the ledge, and, sure enough, it grew narrower and
+narrower until it was a crack in the ground only a few inches across.
+
+Making the crossing to the other side, the boys, in feeling their way
+along, found that the ground began to rise again. Garry still maintained
+the lead, with Patch holding onto him and following blindly only a step
+behind.
+
+Up, up the slope they went, and before long they could see rays of light
+flickering down into their eyes.
+
+Soon there was enough light so that they could see a little distance
+ahead. They quickened their steps, although it still required some care
+on their part to avoid the sharp-edged stones and rugged underfooting
+that still lay in front of them.
+
+But the light grew steadily brighter and the trail flatter.
+
+“Look, Patch, I can see the stars again!” Garry was soon able to say.
+
+Then, scarcely before they realized it, they were completely out of the
+shadows of the rocky formation that had very nearly finished them. Above
+and behind them once more shone the big bright ball of earth floating
+among the stars.
+
+“Good old earth!” Patch exclaimed, with new hope. “I never thought I’d
+see it again!”
+
+“It’s a great sight!” Garry agreed.
+
+“Garry,” Patch said, “we can see right over the top of the crater wall
+in the distance. We seem to be higher than we were when we started.”
+
+“I’ve noticed that too,” Garry replied. “I’ll check the map again.”
+
+Garry did so, then told Patch that they were still on course.
+
+They moved on and presently stood at the raised edge of a gradually
+lowering basin that stretched out very far and flat ahead of them. They
+could see a break in the crater wall a few miles away, which the captain
+had pointed out to them on the map.
+
+“It looks like we’ll have easy traveling for awhile,” Garry said, “and
+we’ll be right out in the open in case a flier comes over. They’ll be
+sure to see us unless they’re completely blind.”
+
+“Garry,” Patch said in a thoughtful voice, “I’m sorry.”
+
+“Huh?” Garry asked in surprise.
+
+“I’m sorry for the way I acted. I lost my head completely. When I found
+out I’d lost the air cylinders over the ledge, I just seemed to go to
+pieces. It’s a good thing one of us knows how to keep his head.”
+
+“Forget it, Patch,” Garry soothed. “It could have been me just as easy
+as you. Besides, that’s not important now. We’ve still got a long way to
+go, and time is running short.”
+
+Suddenly, Patch ran past Garry in great haste and stood staring over the
+plain below, shielding his eyes with his hands.
+
+Garry joined him. “Patch, what is it? Do you see something?”
+
+“It’s impossible!” Patch gasped. “It’s completely impossible!”
+
+“What?” Garry begged, his own excitement growing.
+
+“Look! There’s somebody walking around down there or else I’m seeing
+things!”
+
+Garry looked where Patch pointed, and he too found it hard to believe
+his eyes. There _was_ someone or something moving around.
+
+“I see it!” Garry said. “Come on, let’s go down and get a closer look!”
+
+“I just hope it isn’t in as bad shape as we are!” Patch exclaimed.
+
+They hurried as fast as they dared over the bumpy ground, heading
+straight for the person or thing that was moving about in seemingly
+aimless fashion on the plain below.
+
+“He sees us!” Patch said. “He’s coming toward us!”
+
+Swiftly the distance closed between the boys and the lone stranger. And
+then Garry and Patch received the surprise of their lives.
+
+“Katrinka!” they shouted together, not believing what they saw.
+
+“It can’t be!” Patch cried in amazement. “Garry, we must be seeing a
+mirage or something! How could Katrinka...?”
+
+“It’s Katrinka all right!” Garry said, as the robot drew close enough to
+be fully recognized. “But I don’t understand it. I don’t understand it
+at all! Katrinka crashed with the _Carefree_ and poor Ben! But even if
+she didn’t crash, how is it she’s wandering around out here on the
+moon?”
+
+“And what could make her start moving toward us?” Patch asked, as the
+mystery deepened. “You’ll never make me believe she’s _really_ human,
+although at times it seemed that she was.”
+
+The big robot stopped in front of the boys and remained still. Garry and
+Patch felt almost as if they should say “Hello,” because indeed it was
+like meeting an old friend.
+
+After a few moments of remaining stock still, Katrinka turned and
+started shuffling off with great long strides.
+
+“What’ll we do, Garry?” Patch asked. “Follow her? But that would be
+silly! She’s still an unthinking machine.”
+
+“I don’t know, Patch. This whole thing seems very strange, although it
+may be that she was merely thrown clear when the _Carefree_ crashed and
+somehow her works were activated by the jolt. And yet I have the feeling
+that she almost knows what she’s doing, as if she wants us to follow
+her.”
+
+“Now you’re talking spooky,” Patch said. “You don’t really believe that
+Katrinka can _think_!”
+
+“I don’t know what to believe,” Garry replied. “But I sure would like to
+follow her a little way to see just what she’s going to do next.”
+
+“But our air, Garry! We don’t have enough to waste on playing ‘follow
+the leader’!”
+
+“Just a little way, Patch. Who knows—this might even lead to something
+important.”
+
+“I think you’re way off base, Garry, but I’ll admit I’m curious too.
+Let’s go.”
+
+Katrinka had already gained some distance on them while they were
+debating what to do, and she did not wait for them. They started running
+to catch up and presently did so. But the robot traveled at such a fast
+pace that they still had to move in long, antelopelike jumps to keep up.
+
+Katrinka was definitely headed in one particular direction because she
+varied hardly any in her line of motion. She seemed to be going toward
+an area where the rocks rose high and ominous looking. It was much like
+the spot where the boys had had their recent harrowing experience.
+
+“Garry, please,” Patch begged, panting for breath, “let’s call this
+crazy chase off! That athletic gal is running me ragged! Besides, she
+seems to be taking us straight into those rocky walls!”
+
+“Well, there’s one thing certain,” Garry replied. “She’s _got_ to change
+direction pretty quick, or she’ll crash into something. Let’s stick it
+out a few more minutes.”
+
+They drew closer to the shadowy outcropping. But the robot did not even
+slow her pace. The boys knew she was heading for a collision, but there
+was nothing they could do but watch.
+
+Somehow she got past the first row of stones, tripping and nearly
+falling, then recovering automatically. But her luck was short lived.
+The path went downhill beyond this spot, and her big metal foot slammed
+against a boulder. The robot arched through the air and crashed
+headfirst into a rocky wall. It crumpled her metal cranium, spewing out
+wires and electronic parts.
+
+The boys came running up and stood looking at the fallen giant.
+
+“Poor old Katrinka,” Garry said. “She was almost like one of us. It’s
+nearly as if another one of us had died.”
+
+“Yeah, I liked the old gal,” Patch replied. “She may have survived a
+crash on the moon, but it’s a cinch she’s reached the end of her rope
+now.”
+
+Garry cast a look around to see what sort of area they had come into.
+His eyes followed the downhill trail ahead that Katrinka would still be
+following had she not had her accident.
+
+What he saw brought a gasp of astonishment from him, and a nervous
+tremor coursed through his body.
+
+“Patch, look!” he shouted. “The _Carefree_! There’s the _Carefree_ down
+there, half buried in moon dust!”
+
+They rushed down the trail to get a closer look. The giant space ship
+was indeed buried half of her depth in pumice dust. The rear air lock
+was level with the ground, and extending from the air lock was a
+gangplank!
+
+The boys moved up to the edge of the gangplank, looking it over in
+bafflement.
+
+“Don’t tell me Katrinka put that down and walked out of the ship on it!”
+Patch challenged. “You can’t get me to believe that, Garry.”
+
+“No, you’re right; she couldn’t possibly have done that on her own. She
+might have done it, Patch, but she would have had to be guided by an
+intelligent _human_ brain.”
+
+“Garry, what are you saying? Are you trying to say that Ben might have
+survived that crash and rigged up Katrinka so that she could go out
+looking for us? Why, that’s fantastic!”
+
+“We’ll soon find out if it’s so fantastic,” Garry said. “The ship is
+nearly undamaged, as you can see.”
+
+“What are you going to do?” Patch asked, as Garry moved ahead.
+
+“I’m going to walk that gangplank up to the air lock and see if Ben is
+inside.”
+
+They could see that the gangplank had been put down because of the depth
+of the Lunar dust. It was obviously quite deep in this area, since the
+_Carefree_ itself was half buried in it. Deep, enormous dust pits were
+very common on the moon and were among the most dangerous obstacles to
+travel, because they never gave any indication of how deep they were
+until someone fell in and was suffocated.
+
+Carefully, Garry, with Patch right behind him, stepped out on the narrow
+gangplank and moved slowly forward toward the air lock at the other end.
+It was a little unsteady underfoot, but it was rigid and did not sink
+beneath the boys’ light lunar weight. Besides, Garry felt pretty sure
+now that Katrinka had crossed it, and she was far heavier than both of
+them together.
+
+Garry reached the air lock, his heart thumping rapidly with hope and
+expectation. He raised his gloved hand and began pounding on the outer
+door.
+
+They waited. Five seconds, then ten, fifteen....
+
+Garry’s hopes began to dim. It didn’t look as if there were anyone alive
+inside after all.
+
+But then the air-lock door began to swing open. The boys scrambled
+inside, too tense and excited to speak to one another. They heard air
+swishing into the air lock. Then, after another half minute, the inner
+door swung open.
+
+Standing there inside facing them was—Ben.
+
+
+
+
+                             19. A NEW LIFE
+
+
+“Ben!” Garry exclaimed jubilantly, rushing into the main part of the
+ship. “Is it really you?”
+
+“I’m not a ghost,” Ben said with a grin, “if that’s what you mean.”
+
+“How did you ever do it?” Patch asked, amazement written all over his
+chubby features. “I mean crash-land the _Carefree_.”
+
+“First tell me how the others are,” Ben asked anxiously.
+
+Garry told him that they were all right, at least for the time being.
+
+Ben was limping as he moved about. Patch asked about this, and Ben said
+it would come out in his story. The boys had entered into the central
+tunnel of the _Carefree_, with its webbing network, and Garry noticed
+that Ben had laid down metallic sheets over the webbing so that it could
+be more easily stood upon.
+
+Ben sat down on this and began his story.
+
+“I had made plans to remain aboard the _Carefree_ before we even started
+working on the flier. When I found that the space taxi would hold only
+seven passengers safely, I knew someone had to stay behind. I was afraid
+the captain would realize that the flier would be overcrowded, but I
+guess he was too busy thinking about other things. The likely one to bow
+out was myself, because I felt that quite possibly I might be able to
+bring the _Carefree_ down in one piece. I knew this region of Hornfield
+was full of huge dust pits that could cushion the fall of a ship if she
+belly-landed in one of them just right. But don’t think I wasn’t scared
+even thinking of trying such a thing! Don’t get me wrong, fellows—I
+wasn’t out to make a hero of myself!”
+
+“You must have had some control over the ship,” Garry said, “otherwise
+she would have crashed headlong onto the moon.”
+
+“I had some control,” Ben explained. “As soon as I released the flier
+from the _Carefree_, I started my attempt to save the ship and myself as
+well. I donned a pressure suit and went into the flight deck. Remember,
+I had gone in there before, soon after the collision. I had noticed then
+that most of the instrument panel had been destroyed.”
+
+“I remember too, Ben, that you helped build the _Carefree_,” Garry said,
+“so you must’ve known a lot about her.”
+
+“I tore out the cover of the console and began working in the section
+beneath. With tools, I was able to get the braking jets to functioning.
+This slowed the ship down to a slow orbit around the moon and gave me
+time to work on the steering controls. I couldn’t do much with them, but
+I was able to move the ship a little to the port or starboard side, as I
+wished. I knew this was as far as I could go, but with some luck I felt
+there was a chance of bringing her down safely.”
+
+“Why didn’t you try this before we all left the ship?” Patch wanted to
+know.
+
+Ben shook his head. “Risk everybody’s life on some crazy plan of my own?
+No, it was too farfetched in the first place, and I guess I would not
+even have tried it myself unless I’d had to. The flier was much the
+safer route to safety, and that’s why getting it to go was my first
+concern. With you guys out of the way, I had no one’s life to risk but
+my own.”
+
+“How did you manage to land as close to the flier as you did?” Garry
+asked.
+
+“My first thought was to land near one of the settlements, because if I
+did make it, then I would immediately send out a search party for the
+rest of you. But I knew I _had_ to land in one of the vast dust pits on
+Luna, because the ship would be destroyed by friction if it skidded
+along the bare ground. I made one orbit of the moon as the ship slowed
+down more and more and lost altitude. I knew roughly in what area the
+flier would likely come down, and I remembered Hornfield Crater as one
+being full of dust pits. As the ship glided lower and lower, I figured
+this would be where I would try to bring her down. The pit we’re in now
+is a very large, long trough, maybe a quarter of a mile long and a
+hundred feet wide. I therefore had a pretty good chance of landing in
+it.”
+
+“Gee, you had a lot of nerve to try something like that!” Patch
+exclaimed.
+
+“I took one last look out where I hoped to come down,” Ben said, “and
+then went under the console into the working parts again. I cut out a
+few of the upper braking jets, and this caused the ship to nose down. I
+felt it plough into the dust as if into a big flour barrel. The ship
+heated up from the friction created, but it slowed her down rapidly, and
+she came to rest on this spot, half buried in pumice. Even so, I nearly
+missed the dust pit, landing only about thirty feet from the edge of
+it.”
+
+“Now what about Katrinka?” Garry asked. “You did send her out, didn’t
+you?”
+
+“Right. I sprained my ankle when the ship landed and I was thrown
+against some machinery. I could hardly walk, but I wanted to make
+contact with the rest of you if it were possible. I then figured that
+the old gal might be able to help me. I worked her over so that I could
+operate her by remote control. I also made for her a command disk, so
+that when she moved near one of you or the flier she would give a radio
+signal to me. I laid down the gangplank myself over the pit, because I
+knew Katrinka would sink down in the dust. It nearly killed me getting
+about and using a hoist to lower the gangplank to the opposite bank, but
+I finally managed it.”
+
+“Then you sent her out?” Patch asked.
+
+“Yes. I used a small telescope to keep track of her. I couldn’t be sure
+where the rest of you had come down, but my plan was to start her moving
+about in a gradually enlarging circle. I was hoping that some of you
+would see her and come over to investigate. Once you had done that, I
+felt sure you would have the curiosity to follow her wherever she led
+you. And this you two fortunately did.”
+
+“We nearly didn’t,” Patch said. “We thought Katrinka had been thrown
+clear of the _Carefree_ after it had crashed and somehow had gotten
+accidentally activated as she had done once on the ship.”
+
+They heard a rap on the outer air-lock door. Patch and Garry exchanged
+bewildered glances, but Ben did not seem very surprised.
+
+“That must be the men from the settlement,” he said, limping over to the
+air lock and shoving the lever that opened the outer door. “I haven’t
+had time to tell you yet that I got through a message to them. You see,
+before I even thought of the trick with Katrinka, I was working on that
+damaged antenna dish that had prevented our sending an SOS after our
+collision in space. At first I didn’t have any replies, and I figured
+there must be interference from the Taurus Mountains beyond.”
+
+“That must be why _our_ SOS didn’t go through!” Patch said.
+
+Ben went on: “I increased my transmitting power and finally got through.
+It’s been less than an hour ago that they said they would send over a
+Service flier rocket immediately.”
+
+The two men who entered the air lock a few moments later were Commander
+Staples and his lieutenant, both members of the Space Service. They had
+been making a routine flight over the moon when they had been contacted
+by the mining scientists who had picked up Ben’s SOS.
+
+The two men had arrived in a big space flier that could easily take care
+of Captain Eaton and the others. Ben and the boys were anxious to get
+started so that the long-drawn-out ordeal their friends had been
+undergoing could be ended as quickly as possible. Commander Staples said
+they could leave immediately.
+
+The boys pulled on their helmets, and the officers helped Ben get into a
+pressure suit. This was painful for Ben because of his swollen ankle.
+Then, with everyone dressed to go out onto the moon’s surface, Ben
+pushed the lever that opened the inner air-lock door. Once outside, they
+started in single file across the gangplank. Ben was in the middle and
+limped along slowly with his hands on the shoulders of the officer in
+front of him to steady himself.
+
+On the way to the flier, they passed the smashed metal body of Katrinka.
+The officers looked at the strange robot with great interest, and Ben
+explained her to them.
+
+“She won’t remain out here to die,” Ben said over his suit radio, as if
+he were talking about a human being. “When we return to the _Carefree_
+one of these days, we’ll rebuild her, and she’ll be as good as new.”
+
+The boys were glad to hear this because now they realized that every one
+of their little group on the _Carefree_ would survive the frightening
+adventure and that once again they would all be together, including
+their robot friend.
+
+“Ben,” Patch asked, “will the _Carefree_ ever fly again?”
+
+“That’s up to Captain Eaton,” Ben replied. “It will take a lot of money
+to put her in shape again, and that includes a powerful set of rockets
+to lift her into space. But knowing how much the captain likes her, I
+believe he’ll spare no expense making her space borne again.”
+
+Commander Staples said to Ben: “I heard you mention Captain Eaton. Our
+radio picked up a spacegram that was addressed to a Captain Eaton. We
+tape those messages routinely, and I’ll be able to give it to him when
+we see him.”
+
+The Service flier was a sleek, streamlined rocket with fins that were
+built to support the craft in the earth’s atmosphere, if need be. She
+also had powerful jets for lifting her up off the surface of any of the
+minor planets.
+
+Commander Staples asked the boys to point out to him on a chart the
+approximate location of their flier, and Garry estimated the position as
+accurately as he could.
+
+Then, with everyone belted down, the flier’s rocket roared into action,
+and the craft lifted into the dark sky. It was a very short trip, and
+the ship did not have to fly too high. Commander Staples’ assistant
+spied the flier and pointed it out to his superior. The ship circled the
+area in a gradually lowering spiral and came to rest about a hundred
+feet from the small grounded space taxi.
+
+A few moments later, Ben and the boys were hurrying across the rough
+ground toward the flier. Garry’s heart was pounding so hard with joy and
+excitement that he could hear its thumping over his helmet receiver.
+
+Those inside had evidently seen their rescuers arrive, because the outer
+door of the air lock was open to receive them.
+
+Garry would never forget the old captain’s happy face when he saw the
+three of them enter. Nor would he forget the tears glistening in the
+corners of Captain Eaton’s eyes as he clasped the boys to his chest in a
+great bear hug that nearly squeezed the life out of them.
+
+“Thank God for this great moment!” the old man said in a husky voice.
+“And Ben—even you, whom we had long ago given up for dead! What have I
+ever done to deserve a happy moment like this?”
+
+He released the boys and clasped Ben to him as if he were another lost
+son. Then the others came forward, their faces gleaming with the
+overwhelming joy they felt at seeing the lost ones returning.
+
+“Ben, you old trickster you!” Mac shouted, pounding his friend on the
+back. “How in the world you came out of that thing alive I’ll never
+know. But right now I don’t care _how_ you did it!”
+
+“Welcome home, stranger!” Isaac said, shaking Ben’s hand vigorously as
+only Isaac could do.
+
+“It’s most gratifying to see you, Ben,” Mr. Klecker said in his butler’s
+tone of voice, which, however, did not mean that he was any less deeply
+moved than the others.
+
+Gino then came forward and took his turn at greeting Ben and the boys.
+The celebration went on for several more minutes, and the little flier
+was pleasantly noisy with joking and happy talk.
+
+But, finally, Commander Staples had to interrupt the celebration with a
+smiling, apologetic voice: “I hate to break up this little party, but
+we’ve got to start back to the mining settlement. You see, I’m on duty
+and I’ve got a busy schedule. They have accommodations for all of you at
+the settlement, and you can make your future plans as soon as you’ve
+arrived there.”
+
+The prisoners of so long a time in the cramped quarters of the flier
+were only too willing to get out of their prison. The commander and his
+assistant went back to the Service flier to get space suits for those
+who did not have them.
+
+After the suits had been distributed, Commander Staples gave a piece of
+paper to Captain Eaton. “Here’s a message for you, Sir, that our radio
+picked up.” He winked at the boys. “Something tells me they’ll be as
+interested in it as you will be.”
+
+The captain read the message and then turned to Garry and Patch with a
+warm expression. “Boys, it looks as though the adoption will go through
+as soon as we go back for a short time and make the arrangements.”
+
+“Gee, I—I don’t know what to say,” Garry murmured, almost too excited
+and happy for words. “It sounds too good to be true!”
+
+“They’re the best words you could have said to us, Sir,” Patch added.
+“Isn’t it just great, Garry!” His sparkling eyes showed how much he
+meant it.
+
+“It’ll be a little strange being called, ‘Father,’” the captain said,
+smiling, “but I think I’ll get used to it pretty quickly.”
+
+Captain Eaton stared off with a faraway look. “We’ll make up for lost
+time, boys. We’ll see as much of the universe as the old _Carefree_ will
+carry us to. Yes, we’ll fix her up again if it takes the rest of my
+fortune. You’ll get your education among the stars, my sons, and you’ll
+be that much wiser because of it.”
+
+Garry and Patch exchanged happy glances. Garry thought they were wiser
+already, just from knowing the grand skipper of the _Carefree_.
+
+
+
+
+                          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 Stowaways in Space, by Richard Mace Elam
+
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-The Project Gutenberg EBook of Young Stowaways in Space, by Richard Mace Elam

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-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

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-to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.

-

-Title: Young Stowaways in Space

-

-Author: Richard Mace Elam

-

-Release Date: April 14, 2017 [EBook #54547]

-

-Language: English

-

-Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

-

-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG STOWAWAYS IN SPACE ***

-

-

-

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-Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed

-Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

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-

-                                 YOUNG

-                               STOWAWAYS

-                                IN SPACE

-

-

-                           By RICHARD M. ELAM

-         Author of Young Readers Science Fiction Stories, etc.

-

-                     ILLUSTRATED BY GERALD MC CANN

-

-

-                   _LANTERN PRESS, INC., PUBLISHERS_

-                         257 PARK AVENUE SOUTH

-                           NEW YORK 10, N. Y.

-

-                Copyright � 1960 by Lantern Press, Inc.

-

-           LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 60-13785

-

-                 PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN CANADA BY

-                    GEORGE J. MC LEOD, LTD., TORONTO

-

-              MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

-

-

-

-

-                                CONTENTS

-

-

-  1. Space Ship _Orion_                                                9

-  2. Blast-off                                                        16

-  3. Stowaways in Space                                               25

-  4. Adrift in the Deeps                                              36

-  5. A "Flying Tin Can"                                               47

-  6. A _Carefree_ World                                               56

-  7. A Shock in the Night                                             65

-  8. Garry Has a Scare                                                75

-  9. Satellite Zone                                                   85

-  10. The Lady Goes Wild                                              94

-  11. A Friend Is Lost                                               107

-  12. A Startling Discovery                                          116

-  13. Abandon Ship!                                                  124

-  14. First Hours on Luna                                            133

-  15. A Dark Outlook                                                 142

-  16. A Sad Parting                                                  150

-  17. Dark Peril                                                     160

-  18. Strange Discovery                                              169

-  19. A New Life                                                     181

-

-

-

-

-                                 YOUNG

-                               STOWAWAYS

-                                IN SPACE

-

-

-

-

-                         1. SPACE SHIP _ORION_

-

-

-The orphanage dormitory was locked in the stillness of slumber. Light

-from the full moon filtered through the large window which ran the

-entire length of the boys sleeping quarters.

-

-Twenty cots filled the dormitory, and all but one held its sleeper.

-Dark-haired Garry Coleman was standing beside his cot, quietly dressing.

-Every now and then he would cast an anxious glance toward the darkened

-door at the end of the dormitory. Above all, he must not disturb the

-charge-of-quarters, or all would be lost.

-

-As he sat on the edge of the cot to put on his shoes, Garry heard a

-squeak from one of the cots. He stiffened, his heart thumping fearfully.

-

-Then Garry breathed easily. He saw that it was only Patch, who occupied

-the bunk next to his.

-

-"Hey, Garry, where are you going?" Patch asked interestedly.

-

-Patch was short and towheaded. He was Garry's best friend, and so Garry

-did not mind telling him.

-

-"I'm going to the spaceport and watch the _Orion_ blast off for the Von

-Braun Space Station. Want to go?"

-

-"Sure thing!" Patch said.

-

-"You'll have to take the same chance that I do," Garry reminded him.

-

-"That's okay by me." Patch grinned. "If we do get caught, we'll just be

-restricted to the grounds for two weeks. That won't keep us out of the

-science lab where we spend a lot of time anyhow."

-

-It was a warm April night. The sky was thick with stars as bright as

-diamond dust.

-

-"I'd give anything to be out there in the deeps among the planets,"

-Garry said, as they hurried across the newly sprouting lawn of the

-orphanage a few minutes later. "The life of a spaceman must be the most

-exciting thing in the world."

-

-"Yeah," Patch agreed. "But I guess we'll never make it, Garry, at least

-not for many years. And they say you sure have to know science and

-navigation. That takes a lot of study."

-

-"I wouldn't care what it takes," Garry said. "I'd be willing to study

-for as long as it would take, because the reward would be worth the

-effort."

-

-Their rapid steps took them onto one of the main streets of the city

-where moving sidewalks, called "Ped-A-Rides," were operating. The

-sidewalk was a continuous belt, about six feet wide, and there were

-benches located at intervals upon it where the pedestrians could sit. A

-railing was on both sides of the Ped-A-Ride, but at intervals of about

-half a block there were gates where pedestrians could enter.

-

-Patch and Garry went to the nearest gate, and Garry pulled the lever

-which slowed the sidewalk down so that they could board it. When Garry

-had deposited their fare in the meter, a bar slid away so that they

-could enter. It was about 2230 o'clock, an hour and a half before

-midnight, and not many people were on the Ped-A-Ride.

-

-The boys took seats, and the sidewalk carried them along into the night.

-

-As the Ped-A-Ride topped the crest of a hill, Garry pointed into the

-distance.

-

-"There she is, Patch--the _Orion_, smoking and straining like a race

-horse, just as if she can't wait to get going!"

-

-"She sure is a beauty," Patch agreed. "The earth-bound ships are a whole

-lot trimmer and better looking than the ships that never touch down."

-

-"The earth-bound ships have to be streamlined so that they can slide

-smoothly through the earth's atmosphere," Garry said, "but the ships

-that remain in space look like a bunch of globes and girders, because

-they never meet the friction of any planet's atmosphere and they don't

-need the sturdiness and rocket power."

-

-Patch laughed. "You sound like one of our schoolbooks, Garry," he said.

-

-As the Ped-A-Ride neared the spaceport, the brilliant lights of the busy

-area merged into a hazy glare that brightened the night until it was

-almost as light as day. The slim prow of the _Orion_ reached higher into

-the sky than any other object on the vast field, even loftier than the

-giant control tower.

-

-"They say the _Orion_ is more space scarred than any other ship in the

-Space Service," Garry remarked. "Meteor dust has grooved her sides so

-much that they look like the scratches on a rifle bullet."

-

-"I knew she was one of the oldest crafts in the Service," Patch said. "I

-guess she's carried many a person to the Von Braun Station on their way

-to Luna and the other planets."

-

-The Ped-A-Ride had nearly reached the gate of the spaceport when Garry

-said to his friend, "Patch, we'd better move down among those people

-ahead of us. It looks like they're going to get off at the port."

-

-"Why?"

-

-"If one of the port police spots us, he might get suspicious seeing a

-couple of kids alone at this time of night. If we mingle with the crowd,

-the police may think we are with them."

-

-They got up and began walking forward along the moving platform. Then

-they took seats behind a man who wore the uniform of the Space Service.

-He had several bags, and it seemed likely that he was going to board the

-_Orion_.

-

-As the Ped-A-Ride neared the port gate, Garry closely studied the

-stalwart young man seated before them. Garry wondered at the many

-experiences that must have been encountered by this spaceman during his

-career.

-

-Garry leaned over and touched the spaceman on the shoulder.

-

-"Excuse me, Sir," he said. "Are you boarding the _Orion_?"

-

-Garry saw a pleasant but deeply lined face turned upward toward his own.

-

-"Yes," the astronaut replied, then asked, "Are you?"

-

-"Er, no, Sir," Garry replied. "We--my friend and I--we just want to see

-her blast off."

-

-The spaceman smiled. "Guess you are pretty interested in space to be

-coming all the way to the port just to see an old crate like the _Orion_

-blast off."

-

-"Yes, we are, Sir," Garry replied. "I'm very interested in it. I hope to

-be a spaceman someday."

-

-"I think you will be, too," the man said confidently. "I can see the

-enthusiasm in your eyes."

-

-"Thanks," Garry returned. "Have you made many trips spaceward?"

-

-"A dozen or so," was the reply. "The number is not important, though,

-you must understand. Usually, one voyage can last quite a while."

-

-The spaceman extended a big, sunburned hand to Garry. "I'm First Space

-Officer Mulroy. What's your name?"

-

-"Garry, Sir. Garry Coleman. My friend here is Patrick Foster, but he's

-called Patch for short."

-

-As the Ped-A-Ride neared the gate of the spaceport, Garry had an idea by

-which he and Patch might get inside without being questioned by the port

-police.

-

-"Mr. Mulroy," Garry said, "I notice that you have some baggage. I wonder

-if Patch and I could help you carry it--maybe aboard the _Orion_."

-

-The officer smiled. "You want to see what she looks like, eh? Okay, it's

-a deal."

-

-"Thank you, Sir," Garry said.

-

-Presently Officer Mulroy stood up. "Here we are, fellows," he said.

-"Let's get our things together quickly. I can't afford to miss my

-blast-off on the _Orion_. I have a sailing date for Mars in a few weeks,

-and the stars wait for no man!"

-

-

-

-

-                              2. BLAST-OFF

-

-

-Once inside the gate, Mr. Mulroy spoke to a uniformed officer, who

-saluted. The officer turned a tiny dial on a lapel button he wore and

-spoke into it. Garry knew this to be a subminiature radio transmitter

-which was in wide use.

-

-Presently, a square little "T-Car," or tote car, drove up. It was

-painted green and white, streamlined, and had seats inside. It had a

-convertible top which was opened now because of the pleasant weather.

-

-The baggageman put the spaceman's things in the compartment, then

-invited his passengers to enter at the door he held open. Garry and

-Patch felt very important as Officer Mulroy motioned them in ahead of

-himself. They felt even more important as they sank down into the soft

-seats and were joined a moment later by this high-ranking officer of the

-Space Service.

-

-The swift little car whisked them off to the Operations Building, to

-which Officer Mulroy had to report before his flight.

-

-When the baggage had been unloaded outside and the T-Car had moved off,

-the spaceman said to the boys, "Wait out here, until I sign up and get

-my instructions. Then we'll carry my things aboard the _Orion_."

-

-While they waited, they turned their attention to the space craft some

-distance away. Its blue, satiny sides reflected the glow of thousands of

-lights on the field. Red smoke still curled up into the night, warning

-of the approach of blast-off time. And yet there was still a little

-while to go, for the spiderwebs of the gantry cranes still hugged the

-sides of the three-stage space vessel. Workmen were swarming all over

-the platforms, making last-minute checks on the ship.

-

-There was a high wire fence around the _Orion_ and only one entrance

-through it. A uniformed official was checking tickets as the passengers

-went through the gate. The official checked Officer Mulroy's ticket, and

-Mr. Mulroy told him it would be all right for the boys to help him carry

-his baggage aboard.

-

-The boys' new friend took them down some steps into a concrete tunnel

-that led to the launching pad. On the way they stopped at a little room

-where Mr. Mulroy was weighed.

-

-"Weight is a very important factor on a space ship," Mr. Mulroy said, as

-they were on their way again.

-

-The tunnel led to an elevator that ran up the side of the rocket. The

-elevator cab rose and rose, high into the black night. Finally, Officer

-Mulroy pressed a button and said this was where they were to get off.

-

-Garry and Patch followed their friend out into a corridor of the space

-ship. Officer Mulroy searched the doors they passed, then recognized his

-own, Stateroom 17. He drew out a key and unlocked the door, then

-preceded the boys into the room.

-

-"Gee, what a tiny room!" Patch exclaimed.

-

-"It has to be this small," Mr. Mulroy said. "Every inch of area on a

-space ship is at a premium, you know. For most travelers, the Von Braun

-Space Station is only a stopover on a longer trip into space. Sometimes

-the layover is for several days or even a week or two. Since rooms

-aboard the space station are very limited, most of the passengers are

-quartered in staterooms in the rocket in which they left earth."

-

-Suddenly, a voice came over a speaker in the room: "Blast-off in ten

-minutes. All nonpassengers are requested to leave the ship."

-

-"That's us," Garry said unhappily.

-

-How he envied Officer Mulroy on his coming trip into the deeps of space!

-He wanted to go so badly that his heart ached. But he realized that not

-for many years could his fondest dream come true.

-

-Officer Mulroy noticed Garry's reluctance to leave, and placed a

-friendly arm around his shoulder. "Don't take it so hard, Garry," he

-said. "Be the very best student you can. The years will go by fast, and

-then one day you will wake up to find that you are eligible to be a

-spaceman."

-

-"Thanks," Garry said, trying to smile convincingly, although he did not

-feel happy. The idea of the future did not interest him now, but only

-the present, because the queen of the spaceways was about to blast off,

-and he wanted so desperately to remain aboard her.

-

-"Let's go, Garry," Patch said. "We don't want to get Officer Mulroy into

-trouble by us being caught aboard at blast-off."

-

-"That's right," Officer Mulroy said with a smile. "Being a stowaway on a

-rocket is really a serious matter. You see, for every pound of pay load

-on a rocket, there must be many more pounds of fuel, so if an extra

-person remained aboard, the ship might not be able to reach its

-destination."

-

-"Thank you for letting us come aboard with you, Mr. Mulroy," Garry said.

-"And I'll remember what you told me."

-

-The space officer insisted on tipping the boys, and it was a generous

-tip at that. As the two left the room he called to them, "Good-by,

-fellows. I'll send you a post card from Mars. That's a promise."

-

-Garry and Patch said good-by and followed the directions that Officer

-Mulroy had given them for leaving the ship.

-

-Garry pressed the button of the elevator in which they had ridden

-earlier. As the doors parted and he and Patch went in, he said to his

-friend, "Gee, I hate to leave. I don't know what's the matter with me,

-Patch. Maybe I'm just tired of having to do the same thing every day,

-over and over."

-

-"I feel kind of the same way, Garry," Patch admitted, "but I guess we'll

-just have to sweat out the old grind for a few more years."

-

-They had no sooner started to descend than the light in the elevator

-went off, and then the elevator itself stopped.

-

-"Hey, what's going on!" Garry exclaimed.

-

-"The power's off!" Patch said.

-

-Presently, the light came on again, and the boys felt a lot better.

-

-"Whew, for a minute I was scared!" Patch said.

-

-"Me too. Hey, we're still not moving, though!" Garry pressed harder on

-the button, but the elevator refused to move.

-

-"We're stuck here, Garry!" Patch burst out.

-

-Garry started banging furiously on the walls of the elevator. "We've

-just _got_ to make ourselves heard, Patch!" he cried.

-

-The din was very loud in the cramped compartment, as both boys hammered

-on the wall.

-

-No one came to their rescue, but then a voice spoke over the

-public-address speaker in the ceiling of the elevator: "Don't be

-alarmed, folks. A short circuit in the fuel-pump relay caused us to lose

-electric power momentarily. But everything has been restored to

-normalcy. Warning: Three minutes to blast-off."

-

-"It _hasn't_ been restored!" Garry burst out desperately.

-

-The boys pounded on the metal walls until their knuckles hurt.

-

-In a final desperate action, Garry slammed his closed fist against the

-stubborn power button. Instantly, he felt the elevator throb underfoot

-and begin to descend once more.

-

-"Thank goodness!" Garry breathed prayerfully. "But we've still got to

-hurry in order to get off in time! No telling how long we've been stuck

-in this thing!"

-

-When the elevator stopped, the doors slid open and the boys ran out. But

-they found themselves in a strange corridor.

-

-"We're not out of the ship yet!" Garry exclaimed. "We've only gone down

-a deck or two. The elevator must still be fouled up."

-

-"What'll we do now?" Patch asked in desperation.

-

-"Go back into the elevator and try to get to the ground. We'll have to

-hurry! The elevator is part of the gantry crane, and it'll be rolled

-away any moment!"

-

-They rushed back to the closed doors of the elevator. But a sign in red

-lights on the door read: "DO NOT ENTER. ELEVATOR REMOVED."

-

-"They've already taken it away!" Patch said in dismay.

-

-"We've got to find a place to strap down, or every bone in our bodies

-will be broken on the blast-off!" Garry said.

-

-A speaker along the corridor next gave out with the dread words:

-"Blast-off in ninety seconds, ladies and gentlemen. Secure your seat

-harness and listen to the instructions of the stewards. Failure to obey

-directions could cost you your lives. In the first few moments of

-acceleration in a rocket ship, there is a crushing blow to the human

-body. This jolt will occur twice more as the second and third stages

-blast off. For that reason, it is absolutely necessary that everyone be

-strapped down securely to his G-couch."

-

-Patch grabbed his friends arm in a fierce grip. "Garry, we're going to

-die! We're going to die!" he cried.

-

-Garry shook off Patch and desperately began throwing open doors along

-the corridor, looking into one room after another. "There must be some

-G-couches along here," he said. "I read somewhere that space law says

-there must be emergency couches on all decks of a rocket ship."

-

-Patch tagged along after Garry, complaining. Garry could not afford to

-be sympathetic now. Both their lives depended on what he did within the

-next minute.

-

-Then Garry found it. Printed on the door was the heartening word:

-"G-COUCHES."

-

-He flung open the door and saw a row of six S-shaped reclining seats.

-

-Garry grabbed the arm of his quaking friend in a tight grip and told

-him, "Listen to me, Patch, and do what I tell you. Jump on a couch just

-as fast as you can and don't waste a second getting those buckles

-fastened across your chest, body, and legs. Now get going!"

-

-Garry helped him along with a shove, then dove for one of the couches

-close by.

-

-As he hastily fastened his own straps in place, Garry cast worried

-glances at his friend, who was fumbling as best he could in his nervous

-state.

-

-A speaker warned of the passing moments: "Zero minus twenty seconds,

-nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen...."

-

-A few seconds more, and Garry's straps were securely fastened. He

-twisted his head to see how Patch was doing. Patch had almost all his

-straps in place, but he could not seem to get the chest buckle

-tightened.

-

-"Hurry, Patch, please hurry!" Garry cried.

-

-"I--I'm doing the best I can," Patch said, and Garry could see the

-streams of sweat trickling down his round face.

-

-Then, with a final lucky tug, Patch had it. Turning his weakly smiling

-face to Garry, he murmured, "Garry, I guess I just barely did...."

-

-Garry never heard the rest of the words, for at that moment the _Orion_

-shook herself like a big dog, began a slow tug upward into the black

-night, and then, a few seconds later, with a deafening roar tore free of

-her earthly bonds and flung herself into space.

-

-

-

-

-                         3. STOWAWAYS IN SPACE

-

-

-Garry had read about the rough effects of blast-off, but the real thing

-was even worse than he had imagined. He felt like one of those

-characters in movie cartoons who gets flattened to the thickness of

-paper when run over. His lungs felt as though they had collapsed, and he

-could suck in only the barest trace of breath.

-

-But the discomfort did not last long. His body seemed to fill out like

-an inflated balloon, although he still felt the ache of having been

-nearly squashed. His stomach felt as though it had been stirred up with

-an egg beater, and his head swam.

-

-But no sooner had he recovered from the first violent thrust than it

-came again as the rocket's second stage began firing. Then the crushing

-pressure eased once more, only to return once again as the third stage,

-the occupied section of the _Orion_, began firing away. When this force

-let up, Garry knew it was the last.

-

-The ship did not appear to be moving, but Garry knew it must be

-traveling many thousands of miles an hour.

-

-Garry's shaky hands groped for the belts of the harness that snugly

-fitted his body. He worked the buckles loose from his upper body and sat

-up on his G-couch. He did not release his legs, because he was already

-feeling the dizzying effects of weightlessness. He looked across at

-Patch on the next couch.

-

-Patch was still lying flat, and his face was pasty white. His eyes were

-closed, and this alarmed Garry.

-

-"Patch!" Garry called, repeating the name over and over.

-

-Patch had blacked out, but after a few minutes he came back to

-consciousness.

-

-"Wh--what happened?" Patch asked in a weak voice.

-

-"We're in space, Patch," Garry replied. "They'll probably think we're

-stowaways and send us to jail. Maybe Officer Mulroy will get in trouble

-too."

-

-But this was the least of Patch's worries right now. He put his hand to

-his head, complaining, "Gee, I feel terrible. Everything's going around!

-And I had the worst nightmare all night long!"

-

-Garry had to grin at this. "We haven't been here all night, just a few

-minutes. It just seems like a long time."

-

-Patch fumbled loose his upper straps and struggled to a sitting

-position, but fell back down onto his contour seat. "Wow, I can't make

-it!" he said thickly.

-

-"There's no use trying to get up," Garry said. "We're weightless and

-would never be able to get about. It's funny how I wanted so terribly to

-go into space, but now that I'm out here I'm not enjoying it. I guess

-it's because I'm afraid of what's coming."

-

-Garry wondered what they should do. Should they turn themselves in and

-take their chances on being believed that their being aboard the _Orion_

-was due to an accident? But if they did this, then Mr. Mulroy might be

-held responsible for not seeing that the boys had left the ship. And

-yet, Garry realized, he and Patch could not stay in hiding indefinitely.

-Sooner or later they must be found out. If they did not turn themselves

-in, and they were discovered, they would surely be regarded as

-stowaways.

-

-Then a new fear came to Garry. What if his and Patch's combined weight

-was over the ship's allowable limit? What if their being aboard would

-keep them from reaching the space station and, instead, cause the

-earth's gravity to pull the _Orion_ back down? In that case the two of

-them could possibly cost the space-ship line a new rocket worth

-millions, not to mention the lives of all the persons aboard in case a

-safe landing could not be made!

-

-Garry was occupied with these grave thoughts until he heard the

-public-address system saying: "We are now in braking orbit."

-

-Garry knew this meant that the ship had reached the vicinity of the

-space station and was beginning to circle the station while the braking

-rockets were cut in. This procedure would slow down the _Orion_ so that

-she would be moving at the same orbital speed as the space station. Then

-it would be easy for her to slip into dock.

-

-Garry and Patch felt the tug of the ship's gradually diminishing speed,

-but this was not nearly as rough as the blast-off had been. As the

-_Orion_ moved into dock, the boys felt their weight returning. This was

-due to the station's rotation and artificial gravity.

-

-"Well, it looks like the ship has made it all right," Patch said,

-relieved. "They must not have had a full load."

-

-The boys heard the technical language of the docking procedure. Garry

-listened closely, even though he could not understand much of it. But

-this was all part of the spaceman's education, and he was eager to learn

-it, even at such a crucial moment as this.

-

-Yet as he listened, he had another unpleasant thought. Now that he and

-Patch had the blot of "stowaway" against them, would this misconduct

-prevent them from realizing their dream of being future spacemen?

-

-Finally, the ship's motion stopped altogether. The _Orion_ had nestled

-into her dock on the big Von Braun Space Station, named after the great

-space scientist of the past century.

-

-"Now where do we go from here?" Patch asked, as the two removed their

-harness straps and got to their feet. "Garry, I'm scared, plenty scared!

-Wow, I'm a little wobbly too!"

-

-"Let's stay put until we hear further announcements over the speaker,"

-Garry suggested. "It'll give us time to think this through a little

-longer."

-

-"We're just stalling, that's what we're doing, aren't we, Garry? We

-don't want to turn ourselves in because we're afraid of what will happen

-to us," Patch said.

-

-Garry hung his head. "I guess that's what it does amount to, Patch. I

-keep thinking what this will do to our hopes of being spacemen. I'm

-afraid we'll never make it now."

-

-They stayed in hiding for another half hour. Then Garry said: "We've got

-to have something to live on until we make up our minds what we're going

-to do, Patch. I think space ships have emergency-ration compartments

-located along the corridors. I'm in favor of looking for one."

-

-"That's better than just waiting here and doing nothing," Patch agreed.

-

-"I'll look out and see if the coast is clear," Garry said.

-

-He looked around outside and then motioned to Patch. They started off

-quietly down the corridor, but after a moment they heard footsteps

-approaching from around the corner behind them.

-

-"Garry, we've got to hide!" Patch whispered urgently. "Somebody's

-coming!"

-

-Garry saw a door up ahead. "That leads into an air lock, Patch. We may

-be safe in there."

-

-Garry turned a wheel on the door, and it swung open. They found

-themselves in a short tunnel, at the other end of which was another

-door. The air lock was used for entering and leaving the ship while it

-was in space. The spaceman would enter the chamber and wait for the air

-pressure to equalize before he left the air lock.

-

-Garry quickly turned another wheel on the inside of the door, closing

-it.

-

-"We can't stay in here very long without air," Garry said. "The other

-end of this air lock probably leads directly into the space station.

-Shall we try it?"

-

-"This running and hiding has got to end somewhere," Patch replied with

-discouragement. "Lead on."

-

-Garry checked the pressure gauge on the far door and saw that there was

-normal pressure on the other side. He turned the wheel on the door, and

-it swung open. The boys went through, and Garry wheeled the door shut

-behind them.

-

-They were in a huge enclosed dock of the space station. Lined up ahead

-were several space taxis, or fliers, which were used for trips outside

-the station and also doubled as lifeboats in time of emergency.

-

-"Gee, it's cold in here!" Patch said.

-

-"The main thing, though, is that there's no one around," Garry said.

-"It'll give us time to collect our thoughts."

-

-"That's what you think," Patch whispered, tugging at Garry's arm. "There

-come a couple of men down that corridor across the way!"

-

-Garry moved quickly and quietly, pulling Patch along. As the men entered

-the dock, the boys ducked out of sight behind one of the space fliers.

-

-The men approached the flier next to the outer door of the dock and

-pressed a button on the taxi's surface. Its door sprang open, and the

-men entered the flier.

-

-They were in there for fully five minutes. During that time, Garry began

-to shiver, but it was not from fright so much as it was the coldness of

-the dock. Garry felt Patch shaking beside him and knew his friend was

-just as uncomfortable as he. But they had to stay put. There was no

-other place they could go at this moment.

-

-Finally, the men came out of the space taxi, closed the door, and, to

-the relief of Garry and Patch, disappeared up the corridor.

-

-Garry stood up and hugged himself.

-

-"Garry, I--I'm freezing to death," Patch chattered.

-

-"So am I. We sure can't stay here like this," Garry replied.

-

-"Why don't we try getting into one of these ships?" Patch suggested.

-"Maybe they've got heaters inside."

-

-Garry pressed the button of the ship which they had been hiding behind,

-but the door did not open.

-

-"The power is off or something," Garry groaned.

-

-"Maybe the first one will open," Patch said. "It worked for those men."

-

-Garry went over to the first craft and pressed the door button.

-Instantly, the door sprang open. A tiny air-lock chamber faced them.

-

-"Thank goodness," Patch murmured. "Let's go in."

-

-"What if the men come back?" Garry cautioned. "They may be preparing for

-a trip."

-

-"There are windows facing the corridor," Patch said. "We can keep an eye

-out for them and duck for cover again if they return. Gee, let's try it

-anyhow, Garry! I feel like a penguin that's lost all its feathers!"

-

-Garry agreed and entered the flier, Patch climbing in behind. A second

-door led from the air lock chamber into the flier proper. Besides the

-pilot's seat, there were six other seats, three on a side. It was warmer

-in here than outside, and Garry felt heat gently blowing. This made him

-suspect that the men had just turned it on and that they were going to

-return for a trip in the craft.

-

-"I'm afraid we won't have long to stay in here," Garry told his friend

-and mentioned his suspicion to him.

-

-"I guess you're right," Patch agreed. "Where will we go from here?

-Garry, I'm tired of running. And I'm getting more scared by the minute

-because of what we're doing. Why don't we just turn ourselves in and

-face the music, whatever it is?"

-

-Through a window of the taxi, Garry was watching the corridor for signs

-of the returning men. "I guess you're right, Patch," he said. "We'll

-give ourselves up when those men return."

-

-"I don't think we should wait until then," Patch objected. "It will go a

-lot easier for us if we give ourselves up voluntarily instead of looking

-as if we had been caught."

-

-Once again Garry agreed, but, as he was reaching for the button to open

-the door, he heard a click.

-

-"What was that?" Patch asked in alarm. "What did you do?"

-

-"Nothing," Garry said. "Something was operating all by itself."

-

-A soft purring sound began to be heard inside the craft, and Garry felt

-the little ship vibrating ever so softly.

-

-"Patch," Garry said tensely, "I don't like this." He tried the door

-button, but it would not work.

-

-"What's happening?" Patch asked, and there was fright in his voice.

-

-A movement outside in the dock caught the boys' eyes. Through the wide

-front port of the ship, they watched a big door slide open, revealing a

-dark air-lock tunnel--a tunnel large enough to hold the craft which they

-were occupying!

-

-"Garry," Patch repeated, "what's happening!"

-

-Garry slumped into one of the seats, fear numbing his heart.

-

-"Now I know what kind of ship this is, Patch," he murmured. "It's remote

-controlled, guided by an operator inside the space station. We're

-heading straight out into space, Patch!"

-

-

-

-

-                         4. ADRIFT IN THE DEEPS

-

-

-Trapped within the space taxi, Garry and Patch watched the darkness of

-space enlarge before their eyes as the ship emerged from the air-lock

-tunnel of the space station. The stars about them were countless lights,

-some packed so closely together that they trailed across the sky like

-distant streaming veils. But the boys had no eye for their beauty at

-this time.

-

-"Garry," Patch asked in a dismal voice, "what's going to happen to us?"

-

-"As long as they have control of the ship, I guess we'll be all right,"

-Garry replied. "Maybe they are just sending the ship out on a practice

-run or possibly to pick someone up."

-

-"Pick someone up?" Patch asked, puzzled.

-

-"I was thinking of satellite workers or repairmen. The skies out here

-are flooded with satellites, you know. They must have men working on

-them all the time," Garry explained.

-

-Garry heard a hissing sound. He found a slit in the wall from which it

-was coming. Near the opening was a gauge.

-

-"That's an oxygen mixture coming in," Garry said. "It's probably

-automatic. It turns on whenever the air pressure drops or becomes

-fouled."

-

-"That's something in our favor," Patch said grudgingly.

-

-Garry found his feet beginning to lift weightlessly off the floor. His

-body sagged off balance, and he had to hold onto a handle on one of the

-seats.

-

-"Garry, what'll we do?" Patch exclaimed frantically. "We're going

-weightless!"

-

-"Let's look for a wardrobe compartment," Garry suggested. "Since these

-fliers are used as lifeboats sometimes, there must be space suits and

-things. Maybe we'll find magnetic shoes, too."

-

-"How'll we ever get around in here to look for anything?" Patch

-sputtered. By now he was floating, his legs and arms flailing helplessly

-like a bug on its back.

-

-Using the handles on the backs of the seats, Garry worked his way across

-to a cabinet set in the wall. Then he moved from the last seat handle to

-the wall rail and worked himself down it to the plastic case. Through

-the clear window Garry could see space suits and accessories. He pressed

-a button, and the door popped open.

-

-"We're in luck, Patch," Garry reported. "There are magnetic shoes in

-here. I hope the gravity plates in the floor are working."

-

-Garry managed to pick up two pairs of the shoes, tucking one pair under

-one arm. That left one hand holding the second pair and the other hand

-free.

-

-Even then, it took quite some doing for him to work his way across to

-Patch, who looked like a pennant floating in the breeze as he hung

-crossways in the air, one hand tightly clutching a seat handle.

-

-"Garry, I don't feel so good," Patch complained. "Everything in me feels

-like its pushing upward. Even my brain seems to be floating."

-

-"It's lack of gravity doing that," Garry said. "You are used to gravity

-always pulling down on you. When that pull is gone, it makes you feel as

-if your body is moving up. At least that's what all the books say. And I

-believe them, because I feel that way myself. Here are your shoes.

-They're pretty big, but they'll be better than nothing."

-

-"Garry, how'll I ever get them on?" Patch protested.

-

-"I'll hold onto you while you put them on," Garry offered. "That'll make

-it easier--I guess."

-

-Garry got behind Patch and held him by the collar. Then began Patch's

-struggles with the shoes. It was comical for Garry to see his friend

-having such a hard time, but he knew Patch would have the laugh on him

-later.

-

-It took them both a good while to get the shoes on. When the floor

-current of the gravity plates finally held them down, the boys laughed

-at each other in their oversized equipment.

-

-"I guess we look like snowshoe rabbits with our big feet!" Patch said

-with a laugh. "Good thing those straps pulled up tight, or we'd never be

-able to keep them on."

-

-The craft had been moving along smoothly, but before long it began to

-shudder irregularly.

-

-"The jets have cut out, Patch," Garry said. "We're coasting. Without any

-air friction out here in space, we _could_ coast along forever."

-

-"Garry, don't say that!" Patch gasped.

-

-But Garry found out that his guess was wrong, and he was glad that it

-had been. Presently, twin jets of flame were seen pouring from the front

-of the craft.

-

-"Garry, we're on fire!" Patch shouted.

-

-"No, they're the braking jets," Garry corrected. "We're being slowed

-down, Patch! I think we'll find out very soon now what our destination

-is."

-

-"Thank goodness for that," Patch replied. "You know, you got me plenty

-worried when you said that we might coast forever out here. Although

-after about a hundred years I probably wouldn't mind any longer!"

-

-"Look, Patch," Garry cried. "Up ahead--a satellite! That must be where

-we're headed!"

-

-As they approached, the craft still being slowed by the braking jets,

-Garry and Patch took in the scene before them. The satellite itself

-somewhat resembled a giant radio speaker. Its largest area was a huge

-reflecting surface, and this surface was made up of adjustable panels

-that could be banked in any direction. The boys could see around the

-side of the satellite, and backing up the front broad surface was a

-block-shaped structure with windows.

-

-As the tiny space craft drew closer, the boys saw a hatch open in the

-rear structure, and two men in space suits emerged, holding onto hand

-rails on the outside of the satellite.

-

-"That's one of the radio and TV relay satellites, Patch," Garry said.

-"There are three of them, spaced equally around the earth, for relaying

-TV and radio all over the world. Our ship has probably been sent out to

-pick up these men and bring them back to the station."

-

-"Won't they be surprised when they see us aboard?" Patch remarked.

-

-Garry noticed that the space taxi seemed to be moving a little off

-course, and this disturbed him, especially since one of the forward jets

-had cut off but the other hadn't.

-

-The craft was veering steadily away from the satellite and slowing

-rapidly. Finally, it came to a dead stop several hundred yards from the

-satellite, but then it began backing up. As the craft gained speed in

-reverse, Garry and Patch were nearly knocked off their feet from the

-acceleration.

-

-"The front jet is propelling us backward!" Garry cried. "There's

-something wrong with the remote control!"

-

-The craft began going into a dizzy spin. The boys had to hold on tightly

-to some anchored support to keep from being flung against the wall.

-

-Garry watched the satellite become lost against the sprawling background

-of stars. He knew they were hurtling farther out into space, out of

-control, headed for a destination now that even the space-station

-operators might not know.

-

-The boys were so disheartened by the latest bad break that, for the time

-being, they did not care what happened to them. This lowering of their

-spirits seemed to remind them that they were a long time past their

-slumber time, and they suddenly became very sleepy. By earth time, it

-would be the dark hours before dawn.

-

-They went to sleep on their feet, because in the zero gravity there was

-no need for them to lie down. Their magnetic soles held them in place to

-keep them from drifting about as they slept.

-

-Garry was the first to wake up, hours later. There was no way for him to

-know how much time had passed. He woke his friend, who stretched and

-yawned.

-

-"I never thought I'd be able to sleep standing up," Patch said. "I feel

-like a horse."

-

-"We got a good rest," Garry said. "I guess that's because of the zero

-gravity."

-

-Patch looked gloomily out of the front port of the flier. "We're still

-no better off than we were before, though, Garry, but, I think we have

-stopped moving."

-

-Garry shook his head. "It just seems like we're not moving because the

-stars and everything else around us are so still. We're moving all

-right--and fast. This ship may still be moving after we're dead, even if

-we could live for a hundred years, because there's nothing ever to slow

-us down out here; that is, unless we happened to move into the gravity

-field of some planet, which would pull us down."

-

-"I knew we should have turned ourselves in when we had the chance,"

-Patch said mournfully. "If we had, we wouldn't be in this fix now."

-

-Garry agreed. "It's all my fault for trying to hold out so long."

-

-"Well, too late now to do anything," Patch said.

-

-"I don't think we should give up hope," Garry said. "They might still

-send out a ship to try to pick up this one. They know it's lost, but of

-course they don't know there's anybody in it, and they may not know

-where to look for it."

-

-He investigated the sloping wall between him and the front window. The

-middle of it was shaped something like an old-fashioned roll-top desk,

-closed up.

-

-"Hmm," Garry thought to himself. "This ship has been run by remote

-control until now, but why shouldn't it have controls of its own? If it

-does have them, they should be right here in front of me."

-

-Garry's hopes soared again as he ran his hands over the light-green

-plastic slope in front of him.

-

-"A button," he whispered. "There must be a button or something that

-opens this thing up."

-

-"Hey, what're you mumbling about?" Patch asked.

-

-Garry was too concerned with what he was doing to answer his friend.

-Suddenly, he found something on the left side of the instrument. It was

-a button. He pressed it.

-

-Two covers began swinging open in front of him, as stage curtains would

-do, revealing a bank of dials and levers.

-

-"Patch!" Garry shouted. "Look what!"

-

-Patch came clicking over in his magnetic shoes. "Hey, they're

-instruments for running this crate! Why didn't we think of looking for

-them before?" he cried.

-

-"Probably because we don't know how to operate them," Garry replied.

-

-There was a half-circle steering wheel that pulled out, and the boys

-were sure what this was for.

-

-"Garry," Patch said happily, "the steering wheel--that may be all that

-we'll need! Since the ship is moving under its own power, all we have to

-do is turn her around and head back for the space station. We can keep

-circling it until one of the ships from the station intercepts us!"

-

-Garry tried the wheel. It was locked tight.

-

-"It's not that easy, Patch," he said. "First we've got to find how to

-unlock the wheel."

-

-"That ought not to be hard," Patch replied. "A button or switch...."

-

-They both began carefully examining the steering column and wheel, but

-did not find anything that would release the wheel. Then they went over

-the console panel very closely. They found switches and levers that

-could not be identified, but they decided to try them anyhow and see

-what they controlled.

-

-They got no result at first, but, when the fourth switch was thrown, the

-console lighted up and the ship began to throb with a new life.

-

-"That must have been one of the power levers," Garry said. "Look--the

-steering wheel is free! The power had to be on before it would unlock

-the wheel."

-

-"Garry!" Patch exclaimed, "we're on our way! We're on our way."

-

-"I hope my sense of direction is correct," Garry said, "because I can't

-read those directional meters. I think we'll be headed in the general

-direction of the station if we make a half turn. I remember the position

-of that brilliant nebula over there and also the planet Venus."

-

-Garry was beginning to turn the wheel slowly for their gradual turnabout

-in the sky when the smell of something burning issued from the console.

-

-"Hey, something seems to be shorting out," Patch said in alarm. "Look!

-There's smoke coming from the panel!"

-

-No sooner had he spoken than there was a small explosion inside the

-console, a strong odor of ozone filled the boys' nostrils, and all the

-lights went out. But what was worse, the steering wheel froze in Garry's

-hands and locked again.

-

-"Patch, we're ruined!" Garry groaned loudly. "I must have done something

-wrong!"

-

-Garry put his hands over his face in despair. "Patch, we were so close,

-so very close...."

-

-"It looks like something just doesn't want us to get out of this alive,"

-Patch said bitterly. "We're jinxed, Garry!"

-

-"It'll do no good to start feeling sorry for ourselves again," Garry

-said. "Remember, we thought we were goners before. Something may turn up

-to save us--something maybe like a Good Samaritan flying around in a

-space ship just looking for wandering boys. But how many of those do you

-think you would find in all the millions of miles of space that surround

-us?"

-

-Suddenly Garry stood upright, staring intently straight out the forward

-port. "Speaking of Good Samaritans, Patch, that might not be so

-farfetched after all. Look out there, straight ahead. There's a light

-moving against the stars. It just might be a space ship!"

-

-"I see it," Patch said, with a trace of hope returning, "but it's most

-likely a Sputnik or Tiros or some other satellite."

-

-"I don't think so. Its movement isn't perfectly straight. I'm sure I

-just saw it change direction as if heading this way. Patch, if you've

-ever prayed, do it now. The next few minutes may decide whether we live

-or die out here in space!"

-

-

-

-

-                         5. A "FLYING TIN CAN"

-

-

-The boys watched intently as the object neared them. Although it was

-still pretty far off, they knew that it was not a true celestial object,

-because they could determine already that it was shaped like nothing

-usually found in space. In fact, it looked remarkably like a tin can! It

-was an odd shape for a space ship, but the boys were sure that was what

-it was.

-

-"That's not like anything I've ever seen!" Garry said. "And I've seen

-all kinds of pictures of space ships in magazines and books."

-

-"It must be a special kind of ship," Patch suggested. "But just so it

-really is a space ship with living people in it, it can be shaped like a

-barbecue pit for all I care!"

-

-"Patch!" Garry said in a stricken voice. "What if it's from another

-planet and carries strange people? Maybe even _unfriendly_ passengers!"

-

-Patch's eyes shone like bright marbles. "Gee, you don't really think so,

-do you? I--I mean, how could it be possible? We've already explored Mars

-and Venus, and those planets aren't inhabited. How could anything

-possibly live on those big cold planets farther out?"

-

-"Maybe they are from another star," Garry said in a solemn tone.

-

-They would know pretty soon where the flying object was from, because it

-was still heading in their direction, and its passengers could not

-possibly miss seeing them.

-

-Garry and Patch were silent as the object drew steadily closer, each of

-them engrossed in his own thoughts.

-

-"It really does look like a tin can," Patch said. "A tin can with a big

-eye in front! But what a big tin can! It's big as one of those ancient

-dirigibles."

-

-"Patch, I can begin to make out some writing over the eye. See it?"

-

-"Yes. Just a moment. It's coming into focus. It says 'CAREFREE!' I don't

-know what it means, but it _sounds_ friendly."

-

-"That must be the name of it," Garry suggested. "No ship with a name

-like that could be carrying unfriendly passengers."

-

-"It also means that there must be earthmen aboard, because it's an earth

-word."

-

-"I don't think we have anything to worry about, Patch," Garry said

-confidently.

-

-"Now they're turning around," Patch said. "They--they're pulling even

-with us. I guess they'll anchor to us with magnetic grapples."

-

-Carefully, the _Carefree_ edged closer so that it could latch on. The

-big circular space ship dwarfed the tiny taxi so greatly that it seemed

-like David and Goliath.

-

-Garry and Patch heard a soft bump as the _Carefree_ coupled onto the

-side of their craft on which the door was located. Garry knew now that

-the ships were joined as one.

-

-Garry looked at Patch, and Patch looked at Garry. They knew all they had

-to do now was open the air locks between the ships. But they hesitated

-as if there were still some doubt in their minds as to the friendliness

-of those in the other space ship.

-

-There came a rap on their air-lock door. Once again Garry looked at

-Patch, and Patch looked at Garry. Then, after another few moments of

-hesitation, Garry shrugged and clicked over to the door.

-

-"We may as well open up," he said. "Whether or not they're friendly,

-they've certainly got the upper hand."

-

-Garry pressed the button that controlled the outer door of the air lock.

-Then he pressed another that opened the inner door.

-

-Garry and Patch looked through the double air locks into the face of a

-man who wore a small, neat white beard. He appeared to be in his early

-sixties, and he was clinging to a webbing of ropes that completely

-covered the walls of a giant tube or tunnel.

-

-"Hello," the man said, with a smile.

-

-"Hello," Garry and Patch replied together. And they smiled too, because

-they were very glad that it was an earthman who faced them.

-

-"I must say I didn't expect to find a couple of boys alone in here," the

-man went on. "What's happened to the adults with you? You didn't heave

-them out the waste hatch, did you?" The elderly man laughed.

-

-"Uh, no, Sir," Garry replied with hesitation. "We've been by ourselves

-ever since this flier left the Von Braun Space Station. It's a pretty

-long story, Sir."

-

-"The name is Captain Eaton, boys." The man winked at them, showing his

-white teeth in another smile. "Oh, I'm not really a space captain. I

-wouldn't deceive you. The _Carefree_ is a private ship, and the men call

-me 'Captain' because I'm the owner."

-

-Captain Eaton's dark, alert eyes flickered over the interior of the

-flier.

-

-"I thought whoever was in this ship must be in some sort of trouble," he

-said, "because of your erratic flight. That's why we latched onto you,

-to see if we could be of some help."

-

-"We _do_ need help, Captain," Patch said earnestly. "We don't know the

-first thing about running this thing. We had just about given ourselves

-up for lost."

-

-"How in the world did you get into such a spot as this?" Captain Eaton

-asked.

-

-"Well, Sir," Garry explained, lowering his eyes, "you see, we're

-stowaways, although we've been able to escape being caught all this

-time. We didn't _mean_ to be stowaways, Captain. We were helping an

-officer aboard the _Orion_ with his gear, and the rocket blasted off

-before we could get out."

-

-"Say, I'll bet your parents are worried to death about you," Captain

-Eaton said.

-

-"No, Sir," Patch answered. "You see, we're orphans, and we lived in an

-orphanage back in the United States."

-

-"I see," the elderly man replied, stroking his short, snowy beard. Then

-suddenly he grinned broadly. "Well, fellows, how would you like to be

-rescued?"

-

-"We're all for it!" Garry answered, and Patch nodded his head

-vigorously.

-

-"Come aboard then. The _Carefree_ welcomes you!"

-

-"What about the flier?" Garry asked. "We don't want to be charged with

-stealing a space craft."

-

-"I'll have Ben Dawes come aboard and set her adrift toward the satellite

-so that she can be picked up easily," the captain said.

-

-"I think we blew something out when we tried to start her," Patch said.

-

-"Ben's a genius," Captain Eaton replied. "He'll get her to running, no

-matter what's wrong with her."

-

-With this taken care of, the boys were anxious to board the _Carefree_

-and see if her interior were as strange and unusual looking as her outer

-hull. They removed their bulky magnetic shoes and entered the air lock

-of the _Carefree_.

-

-Captain Eaton first explained the purpose of the webbing that lined the

-walls of the tube.

-

-"As you boys saw us move in, you probably know that this is the rear of

-the ship, and this tunnel is in the center. It goes the full length of

-our 'tin can' and comes out front into the flight deck. We have to leave

-and enter the ship through the rear end of this tube. Understand?"

-

-"Yes, Sir," the boys answered together.

-

-"The outer round surface of our 'tin can' revolves around this center

-tube as though it were a wheel around an axis," the captain went on. "By

-so doing, an artificial gravity is induced along the inside rim of the

-'can.'" Captain Eaton frowned. "Am I getting too deep for you?"

-

-"I don't think so, Sir," Garry replied. "The gravity you are talking

-about is the result of centrifugal action--the same action that makes a

-ball swing out on the end of a string when a person swings it around his

-head. It's the same kind of artificial gravity they use on the manned

-space stations."

-

-"You're pretty sharp, son. I like a boy who doesn't think that facts

-belong only in a schoolroom."

-

-"I've always been very interested in space, Sir," Garry said. "I'll bet

-I'd surprise you with all I know about it."

-

-"I'm sure you would," Captain Eaton admitted. "Say, I don't even know

-your names. I've told you mine. Now let's have yours."

-

-"I'm Garry Coleman," Garry answered, "and this is my best friend, Patch

-Foster."

-

-Since the center tube of the _Carefree_ was not affected by the

-centrifugal force of the rotating "tin can," its gravity was zero. For

-that reason the webbing was used to pull oneself along with and not

-really for the purposes of climbing and descending.

-

-Captain Eaton turned around on the webbing so that he could lead the way

-along the tunnel into the living quarters of the _Carefree_. His slim,

-agile legs swung free in the zero gravity as he made the turn. Glossy

-black space boots covered his feet.

-

-The captain showed Garry where to pull a lever which closed a series of

-air-lock doors between the _Carefree_ and the taxi.

-

-The ship's master and the boys pulled themselves along the tunnel. Then

-Captain Eaton stopped and said, "Hold on tightly, fellows. We're going

-round and round for a few turns."

-

-He pushed a lever beneath the webbing, and Garry felt the tube begin to

-revolve slowly.

-

-"Hey, what's happening?" Patch called out.

-

-"I had to set the tunnel in rotation so that it could catch up with the

-rest of the ship, which is always turning. As soon as you've become used

-to the spinning, we'll go into the ship."

-

-When the boys said they thought they could navigate, the captain pointed

-to an open hatch that had appeared in the wall near them.

-

-"We'll turn around and back down these stairs," the skipper said. "As we

-descend, the gravity will become stronger, so that by the time we're at

-the bottom we'll be nearly at our earth weights."

-

-Garry and Patch followed their new friend down the stairs, moving

-carefully and holding onto the railing, for they still felt giddy from

-the rotation of the central tube. By the time they were at the bottom,

-their heads had begun to clear.

-

-That is, they _thought_ their heads had begun to clear. But no sooner

-had they gotten this impression than they became giddy all over again at

-the sight that met their eyes. For it was just as if they had entered a

-tropical paradise! There were real flowers in bloom all about, and

-aquariums full of live fishes were set into the surrounding walls.

-

-The boys were too surprised to say anything. All they could do was just

-stare and stare in disbelief.

-

-

-

-

-                         6. A _CAREFREE_ WORLD

-

-

-"How do you like my garden, fellows?" Captain Eaton asked. "It helps

-keep me from getting homesick. I used to have a most luxuriant garden

-back on earth."

-

-"I can't believe it!" Garry burst out. "It's just as if we were outdoors

-on a summer day, it's so real."

-

-"There's a goldfish pond, Garry," Patch said, "with lily pads floating

-on top and a bench beside it."

-

-"I never saw so many kinds of flowers," Garry said, "and shrubs too."

-

-"The flowers and shrubs serve a double purpose," Captain Eaton

-explained. "They not only provide homelike pleasure to me and my

-friends, but they also help keep the air in the _Carefree_ supplied with

-oxygen."

-

-"I remember," Garry replied. "Plants in light breathe exactly opposite

-from the way we do. They breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out

-oxygen."

-

-Patch stooped down, examining the roots of a shrub. "Hey, the roots

-aren't growing in soil! How can they live?"

-

-"The plants grow in richly fertilized liquid," the captain answered. "In

-that way, they can be placed much closer together. Besides, some of the

-water making up the fertilized liquid comes from waste products within

-the ship. There are other reasons too."

-

-Captain Eaton led the way along the aisle that ran beside the colorfully

-lighted aquariums. He stopped in front of a twenty-gallon tank which was

-in the process of being cleaned by two men.

-

-One of them was very tall, over six and a half feet. He was very thin

-and appeared to be in his late fifties. But the oddest thing about him,

-which made Garry and Patch stare at him in surprise, was the fact that

-he was in the full dress of a butler, complete with newly starched white

-shirt and neatly pressed coat and trousers! Although he was holding a

-bucket that was catching water from a draining aquarium, his clothing

-wasn't in the least mussed.

-

-Captain Eaton saw the boys staring at the tall gentleman and said,

-"Boys, I want you to meet Mr. Klecker, the Eaton family butler for many

-years. When I decided to set out into space on my permanent cruise, he

-would not think of being left behind. Klecker, this is Garry and this is

-Patch. They will be our guests for awhile."

-

-Mr. Klecker looked at them with heavy-lidded eyes. Then, bowing, he said

-in a deep stately voice, "Pleased, young gentlemen."

-

-"Glad to know you, Mr. Klecker," Garry said.

-

-"Me too," Patch added.

-

-The other person attending to the fish tank was a young man. He rose

-from a squatting position and smiled at the boys. He had crew-cut black

-hair and the kind of happy features which indicate a friendly nature. He

-wiped his damp hands on his trousers and offered a palm to Garry first,

-then to Patch.

-

-"Hi, boys. I'm Ben Dawes. Glad to have you aboard," he said. "It sure is

-a surprise meeting fellows as young as yourselves out here in space."

-

-"It'll probably be more of a surprise, Ben, to know that they are

-alone," the captain said.

-

-"Not really!" Ben said. "Say, I'll bet you two have a long story

-explaining that!"

-

-"We do," Garry answered, "and we'll tell you when we have lots of time."

-

-"Ben is my right-hand man, whom I wouldn't part with for all the

-millions I own," Captain Eaton said proudly. "He could build a space

-ship out of a safety pin if he had to. He had a big hand in designing

-the _Carefree_, and he knows every bolt and rivet in her."

-

-It was interesting to Garry to hear that the captain was a millionaire.

-That probably explained how he could afford to take such a leisurely

-cruise through space in something akin to a flying palace.

-

-"While Klecker and Ben are changing the water in this aquarium," Captain

-Eaton said, "how would you like to meet the rest of my friends?"

-

-"We would, Sir," Garry replied, "but are you sure you don't have things

-to do?" It was hard for Garry to believe that as important a person as a

-millionaire would be willing to devote so much time to a couple of

-orphans who were lost in space.

-

-"Here my time is my own," Captain Eaton said. "Back home there were

-hundreds of little details that always had to be attended to, and as I

-grew older the grind began to keep me in a state of tension and boredom.

-That's when I made up my mind that I would spend the rest of my life the

-way that I wanted to--without constant interruption and without ever

-hurrying. I sold everything I owned and came into space. That was four

-years ago."

-

-"Why are you so interested in space, Captain?" Garry asked.

-

-"In my early days I had a very keen interest in space travel. I became a

-space cadet, but after only four months' service I was hurt, and my

-injury was such that I had to give up any thoughts of a future in the

-Space Service. But my keen interest in space stayed with me through the

-years, and I never gave up hope of returning to the spaceways. So, you

-see, my hope was realized, and here I am as carefree as the name of my

-ship."

-

-"Then you never plan to return to earth, Captain Eaton, ever?" Garry

-asked.

-

-"No, I don't think so. In the first place, the _Carefree_ was built in

-space and could not stand the atmospheric friction of an earth return.

-Of course, I could get back if I really wanted to. But I don't believe I

-want to. My simple life out here is very satisfying. I never had any

-children, and my wife is now dead. No, no close relatives. It takes a

-little money to survive out here and pay my friends aboard ship, but it

-does not take too much. Yes, this is the good life, and it is enough for

-me."

-

-As Captain Eaton paced the boys by a couple of steps, Garry had to

-marvel at the youthful stride of their host. His body was as lean and

-spare as a man half his age, and Garry was sure he must have kept

-himself in good condition all his life.

-

-As the trio left the garden and moved into the next section, Garry and

-Patch heard a fine tenor voice singing a lusty aria from an opera. A

-quick study of their surroundings told Garry that they were in the

-galley.

-

-As the fragrance of good food reached the boys' noses, they suddenly

-remembered how hungry they were. They hadn't eaten since they left the

-orphanage!

-

-"That's Gino you hear," Captain Eaton explained.

-

-The boys presently saw a short, fat little Italian throwing a huge, flat

-wad of dough into the air. He stopped when he saw the boys and grinned

-so widely that his eyes disappeared and his mouth seemed as broad as

-that of a jack-o'-lantern.

-

-Captain Eaton exchanged names so that everyone quickly knew everyone

-else. Gino was the ship's cook, and his full name was Gino Spondini.

-

-Gino kept tossing the dough into the air, and each time he tossed it up

-it became thinner and bigger.

-

-"You _bambini_ chose a good day to come to the _Carefree_," Gino said.

-"This is a special day for good food, only once every two weeks, eh,

-Captain?"

-

-Captain Eaton nodded. "Unfortunately, there isn't a grocery store just

-around the corner, and so we fill our food room and deep freeze only a

-few times a year from the commissary satellite which supplies food to

-all the manned satellites around earth. But when we do have an

-exceptionally good meal, we enjoy it even more."

-

-"I don't know what you're making, Gino," Garry said, "but I'm hungry

-enough to eat it raw."

-

-Gino looked shocked. "You don't know pizza when you see it? Where have

-you been all your life, _bambino_?"

-

-"Gino makes the best pizza pie in the world--or should I say the best in

-the solar system?" the captain said. "Now, boys, shall we move on and

-meet the others?"

-

-They left the galley and proceeded on to the next section within the

-_Carefree_, leaving Gino singing another operatic air. The boys wondered

-if they could hold out until lunch time.

-

-"Up ahead of us," Captain Eaton said presently, after passing through a

-short hallway, "is the dormitory. Since the dorm is used solely for

-sleeping, we made it small so that we could give more area over to the

-other parts of the ship where we spend more of our time."

-

-Garry found the dormitory indeed small and quite simple. There were

-three-tiered bunks along the walls, with ladders leading up to the

-second and third levels.

-

-The captain smiled. "Patch, you seem to be looking over those bunks

-carefully to see if you find any that aren't made up." Patch blushed.

-"Yes, Sir. I was wondering if...."

-

-"If we have room for you two? Well, breathe easily, for we do have

-extras. The ship will sleep twelve, and special cots can be set up to

-accommodate more when necessary."

-

-"They look cozy," Garry said, "but how do you know when to sleep out

-here in space, without any real night or day?"

-

-"We observe a twenty-four-hour day just as they do on earth. Scientists

-have found out that space travelers get along much better if they keep

-the same hourly habits to which they are accustomed. We even simulate

-the appearance of night, turning down the lights and observing quiet.

-You'll find out that you get sleepy at just the right time and that you

-wake the 'next morning' feeling just as refreshed as you did on earth."

-

-Suddenly, they heard a stirring in one of the top bunks. A deeply tanned

-man with a thick shock of auburn hair raised up sleepily.

-

-"Oh, it's you, Captain," the man said with a yawn. Then he perked up.

-"Who is it with you, Sir?" The man's accent was a thick Scottish brogue.

-

-"We have guests, Mac," the captain replied. "These are Garry and Patch.

-Fellows, meet Mr. McIntosh, pilot, navigator, engineer, and what have

-you. He likes to be called Mac."

-

-"Hi, fellows, glad to have you aboard," Mac said cordially, then yawned

-again.

-

-"Sorry we woke you, Mac," the captain said.

-

-"I'm just about due to relieve Isaac upstairs, Sir. That's all right."

-

-"I was just showing the boys the ship. We'll move on so you can get

-dressed."

-

-As they left the dormitory to pass into another hallway, Captain Eaton

-asked, "You've heard of Isaac Newton, haven't you, boys?"

-

-"Oh yes, Sir," Garry responded eagerly. "He was one of the very greatest

-scientists. He died a long time ago."

-

-The captain winked at them. "Well, we're going to meet him," he said.

-

-

-

-

-                        7. A SHOCK IN THE NIGHT

-

-

-Captain Eaton's announcement that Garry and Patch were about to meet

-Isaac Newton, the great scientist, filled the boys with astonishment.

-

-"We're going back to the central tube," the skipper said, "and from

-there to the navigation room."

-

-They climbed a steep staircase, as they had done earlier. Garry felt the

-comfortable feel of artificial gravity leaving him as they went higher.

-The light-headed, floating sensation of zero gravity was returning.

-

-The captain shoved a lever so that the central tunnel would start

-revolving. When a doorway appeared in the tube, the three climbed

-through. Then the rotation of the tunnel was stopped. The captain then

-led the boys along the stationary axle of the _Carefree_, in the

-direction opposite from where they had first entered the ship. The three

-pulled themselves along the webbing as their legs swung free,

-weightlessly. They reached a platform outside a door at the nose of the

-ship. Holding onto the platform rail, Captain Eaton fished into a

-cabinet built into the platform and came out with two pairs of slippers.

-

-"You can attach these magnetic-soled slippers to your shoes, fellows,"

-their host said. "Because of the zero gravity in the navigation room, we

-have to use gravity plates. The rest of us wear these attached to our

-boots all the time because we are always going back and forth up here,

-and they are light and comfortable."

-

-After the boys had donned the slippers, Captain Eaton pressed a button,

-the door slid open, and the three of them walked through.

-

-Garry and Patch found themselves in a domed room, which had a wide front

-port that looked out into space. Below the port extended a long

-instrument panel, or console, with two seats in front of it, one of

-which was occupied.

-

-"This is the flight deck!" Garry said. "It's the part that looked like a

-big eye on the front of the ship."

-

-The pilot turned around in his swivel seat. He was a huge, muscular man

-with rugged features that suggested he might once have been a vigorous

-athlete.

-

-"Boys, meet Isaac Newton," Captain Eaton said.

-

-Garry could not help but laugh, because this Isaac Newton looked nothing

-whatsoever like pictures of the great scientist. But then Garry

-remembered that he was being impolite, and he apologized.

-

-"That's all right," Isaac Newton said good naturedly. "Everybody who

-ever heard of that scientist laughs. I've been defending my name ever

-since I was a kid. That's how I got to be a professional fighter, which

-I was until I got tired of bashing people and the good captain took me

-on as his chauffeur. I stayed on with him, and he said I could come into

-space with him if I wanted to. I've picked up navigation since I've been

-out here."

-

-"How did you get a name like Isaac Newton?" Patch asked.

-

-"Well, naturally my father was named Newton," Isaac explained, "and he

-was also a science teacher. He wanted me to be a scientist too, and

-thought he was helping me by giving me the name of one of the greatest

-scientists of all time. But, as I said, I got into so many fights

-because of being teased about my name that I had more practice as a

-fighter."

-

-He laughed, showing a two-tooth vacancy in the front of his mouth.

-"Funny thing is that I might've been a scientist if I hadn't been given

-the name of one!"

-

-With that, Isaac Newton turned back to check on how the ship was

-running. The captain went over to converse with him, and this gave the

-boys an opportunity to look around the navigation room.

-

-Of particular interest was a huge chart on the back wall near the

-entrance. On the map were countless globes of various sizes, and running

-through the globes were long curving lines.

-

-"What's that, do you suppose?" Patch asked his friend.

-

-Garry looked closely at the printed names beside the round symbols.

-

-"Hermes--Vanguard II--Adonis--Derelict Space Ship _Oberon_," he read.

-"These seem to be objects floating about in space," he said, "and the

-lines through them must be their orbits."

-

-"You're very observant, Garry."

-

-Garry looked back and saw that Captain Eaton had come over.

-

-"That's exactly what they are, and we have to know exactly where each

-one of them is at all times," the captain said. "If we missed keeping up

-with one, we might run into a collision orbit with it, and then it would

-be quickly over for all of us. Some of the objects are asteroids, some

-man-made satellites, some large meteor fragments whose orbits we have

-already plotted. And a few are derelicts, or empty shells of what were

-once proud space liners. Any one of them could destroy the _Carefree_ if

-it should hit us. In fact, a meteor as large as an orange could wreck us

-because of the terrific velocity at which it would strike."

-

-"Gee," Patch said, "you must be anxious all the time about being hit by

-something."

-

-"No. It's a risk, of course, but space is so very, very huge that

-actually there is little chance of being hit by anything any larger than

-a grain of sand. But of course there is always the chance that someday

-the big, unexpected one will come. Still, we don't worry about it

-because it would keep us from enjoying our life in space."

-

-Captain Eaton showed the boys some of the other things in the room. He

-explained the purpose of the various dials and switches on the

-console--facts that the boys would have given anything to know when they

-were so desperately trying to steer the space taxi. The skipper of the

-_Carefree_ told them that usually there was only one pilot on duty but

-that, in case of tricky navigation or on other special occasions, both

-Mac and Isaac or Ben would be on together. The captain added that he was

-quite a pilot himself and liked to take over the controls now and then.

-

-Suddenly chimes were heard over a loud-speaker.

-

-"That's the signal for us to get ready for lunch," Captain Eaton said.

-"Let's go, fellows, and wash up."

-

-"Tell Mac to shake a leg and get up here to relieve me, will you,

-Captain?" Isaac asked. "I'm starved. It's been a long shift."

-

-"I will, Isaac," the captain promised, and pushed the button which

-opened the door.

-

-A few minutes later, Garry and Patch sat down to the best meal they had

-had in a long time. Not even Thanksgiving at the orphanage could beat

-this, Garry told his friend. The boys had their first taste of pizza

-pie, and they were hoping it would not be their last, especially if Gino

-was the one who prepared it. They were sure he was the best chef in all

-the solar system.

-

-After lunch the patient Captain Eaton spent most of the afternoon

-showing the boys more of the ship. They saw the gym and swimming pool

-and the library filled with many recording tapes and films. There were

-also books for those who preferred reading instead of reclining in a

-soft contour chair and listening to tapes over earphones.

-

-As they passed from one section to another, Garry noticed that the

-indirect daylight effect, that filled every part of the _Carefree_, was

-fading steadily but slowly. He asked the captain about this.

-

-"It's an automatic control that helps put us in the mood for night," the

-skipper said. "Remember my telling you about how much better man works

-in a properly spaced twenty-four-hour day? Soon now, the main lights

-will be very low, with only an occasional lamp making things bright. It

-is just like the coming of night back at home. You will see."

-

-The space travelers had only a light snack for dinner because of the big

-meal earlier in the day. Soon afterward, the boys began to yawn and get

-sleepy as they watched the artificial daylight continue to fade. They

-were looking forward to sleeping lying down for a change.

-

-"Your minds are telling you it's time for bed, eh?" Captain Eaton said

-with a laugh. "Well, so is mine. I still haven't shown you the

-observatory, which is my favorite spot aboard ship. But that can wait

-until tomorrow. Let's go to the dorm and get you two settled before the

-fellows in there are ready to turn out the lights."

-

-The boys found all the people they had met today getting ready for bed.

-That is, all but two of them.

-

-"Mac is on pilot duty, isn't he, Captain?" Garry asked. "But where is

-Ben?"

-

-Captain Eaton was pulling off his shiny boots. He may have been the boss

-of the _Carefree_, with all the say-so, but he was not too proud to

-share the same sleeping quarters with those whom he called his

-"friends."

-

-"There are always two on duty at night, Garry," Captain Eaton replied to

-Garry's question. "One acts as pilot, while the other makes the rounds

-several times a night to be sure that the automatic controls are

-functioning properly. We all take turns sharing these duties."

-

-When everyone had climbed into his bunk and pulled the covers up,

-Captain Eaton called out from his own bunk, "Check?"

-

-There came answering "checks" from all the fellows, and the next moment

-Garry found the room plunged in darkness.

-

-Within only a few minutes' time, Garry began hearing the quiet breathing

-of those around him already in deep sleep. But he was too excited to

-drop off just yet. As he lay there staring into the darkness, he

-wondered if such a thrilling adventure as this could really be happening

-to him and Patch. Why, only a few hours ago they were in despair for

-their very lives. Now a whole new experience had been opened to them. It

-was almost as if the _Carefree_ had been sent by Providence to him and

-Patch alone.

-

-As Garry's thoughts roved, his eyelids began to feel heavy and the

-clutch of sleep was groping for him. He finally drifted off into

-slumber, only to wake--he didn't know how many hours later--with a

-parching thirst. He sat upright in his bunk and threw back the covers

-that cloaked him like a sweat-box. He found that he was breathing

-heavily and then suddenly remembered the end of a nightmare he had been

-having.

-

-As he sat in the quietness and darkness, he began to relax, and his

-heartbeats slowed to normal. But he was still very thirsty. He

-remembered that there was a water fountain in the hallway outside the

-dormitory.

-

-Slowly and carefully, so as to make no noise to disturb the others,

-Garry left his third-level bunk and made his way down the metal ladder

-to the floor. A dim night light, kept burning all the time, showed the

-way to the door. Garry pressed the button, and the door slid open

-silently.

-

-Garry went out into the faintly lighted hallway. He shivered as he made

-his way along the corridor. It was not that he was cold but that it was

-so creepy and lonesome with everything so quiet. The fountain was like a

-white ghost crouching against the wall a couple of dozen feet away.

-Garry made his way toward it. He leaned over it, pressed the lever, and

-felt the icy stream against his dry lips.

-

-"Boy, that's good," he said to himself, and he drank and drank as though

-he hadn't had water in all his lifetime.

-

-When he finally got his fill, he rubbed his sleeve across his mouth and

-turned to start back toward the dormitory.

-

-Then it seemed that all the blood flowed out of his head in one wild

-rush. His heart began to thump rapidly, and his legs went weak.

-

-It was due to a startling sight that faced him.

-

-

-

-

-                          8. GARRY HAS A SCARE

-

-

-A huge woman was lumbering toward him down the dim corridor. There was

-something strange and unreal about her face and her awkward movements

-that gave Garry chills.

-

-Garry started running. He slammed into the water fountain, bruising his

-side. But he kept moving, and so did the woman stalker.

-

-Garry knew that the corridor was in the shape of a square and that if he

-kept turning corners he would arrive back at the dormitory. He wondered

-why a woman should frighten him, and it embarrassed him when he thought

-what the others would say when they found out. But the creature was so

-hostile--and somehow monstrous in her looks--that Garry was sure she

-meant to attack him.

-

-As he ran, Garry did not even look back to see if his adversary were

-still in pursuit. Finally, he turned the last corner and saw the

-dormitory straight ahead at the end of the corridor. He looked back

-around the corner in the direction from which he had just come. He'd

-outdistanced her. She wasn't even in sight.

-

-By now his nerves were a little calmer, although his heart still drummed

-faster than usual. He began walking briskly, every now and then casting

-a look back over his shoulder.

-

-There was the dormitory at last. He felt a little silly now, as he

-reached for the button to open the door. He decided that he would not

-tell the others of his run and his fright lest they tease him about the

-incident. He would just tell them that he had _seen_ the strange woman

-but would not reveal the embarrassing circumstances. He still wondered

-who she could be, especially since Captain Eaton had not even mentioned

-her before.

-

-Just as Garry pressed the door button, he heard a metallic clanking

-behind him.

-

-There was the woman, coming very fast, the dim lights revealing the dark

-hollows of her eyes. Garry saw her tight-lipped mouth, her

-hugeness--fully as tall as Mr. Klecker and almost as broad, it seemed.

-

-The unexpectedness of it caused Garry to cry out for the first time. As

-the door of the dormitory slid back, he scrambled inside, hurriedly

-pressed the button closing the door, then sank back against it, panting.

-

-The bright lights went on in the room. Garry's eyes blurred in the

-sudden sharp brilliance. When they came into focus, Garry saw everyone

-sitting straight up in their bunks, their eyes squinting and staring at

-him in amazement.

-

-After a few tense moments, Captain Eaton asked from his bunk, "Garry,

-what's the matter?"

-

-"A woman--a big woman's out there!" he blurted. "She was after me!"

-

-Garry heard the men begin to laugh.

-

-"Garry, that's Katrinka," the captain explained. "She wouldn't hurt a

-thing. She _couldn't_. She's not _built_ that way."

-

-"Not _built_ that way?" Garry echoed. "What do you mean? She's built

-pretty strong I think!"

-

-Captain Eaton chuckled. "She's a robot, Garry."

-

-"A robot!" Garry said. "So that's why she looks so different!"

-

-"Yes, I made her as lifelike as possible," Captain Eaton went on, "but

-I'm afraid I'm no Michelangelo as a sculptor."

-

-"You _built_ her?" Garry asked in surprise.

-

-"Yes. We needed someone to do our chores--you know, the things that men

-dislike doing in the nature of housework and cleaning up. But she's

-quite controllable, Garry. She wouldn't have harmed you. Something must

-have slipped in her mechanism so that she became activated. It happens

-once in awhile. I'll go take a look at her."

-

-"You don't have to go far, Sir," Garry said, rubbing away the sweat that

-had gathered on his forehead. "She's right outside the door."

-

-As the captain climbed from his bunk and slipped into his robe, Garry

-avoided the eyes of the others in the dormitory. He had done just what

-he had hoped he would not do--shown his fear of a harmless robot. He

-knew they must think him squeamish, but they were not laughing now.

-

-Patch seemed to have been the only one who was not aroused by the

-excitement. Garry could see that he was still asleep in his bunk.

-

-Captain Eaton passed Garry, opened the door, and went outside. Garry

-followed a few steps behind.

-

-The robot still looked menacing to Garry. It stood, big and dark and

-unmoving, in the dimness of the corridor.

-

-Captain Eaton faced Katrinka and spoke in a clear, loud voice: "Closet!

-Closet!"

-

-Garry heard a humming sound coming from the robot. It shuffled about

-slowly on its ponderous feet and started walking away.

-

-"She's obeying!" Garry gasped.

-

-"Yes, she's all right," Captain Eaton replied. "Probably just a crossing

-of the wires in her mechanical brain that activated her. Maybe a slight

-lurch of the ship did it. I'll look her over thoroughly in the morning."

-

-"I don't see how you did it," Garry said, still amazed. "How can a

-machine like that take orders like a person, just as if it had a brain

-like us?"

-

-"Katrinka's brain is made up of electrical impulses in certain codes,"

-Captain Eaton replied. "There is a code disk for everything that she is

-able to do. For instance, there is one for making up the bunks, every

-step in that operation. There's one for washing the dishes, mopping the

-floor, and so on. When I have the time, I make her even smarter by

-adding new codes and duties."

-

-"But all you said was the word 'closet,' and off she went," Garry said.

-

-"That was the code for her heading for the closet down the corridor

-where she stays when we have no need for her. When she goes inside the

-closet, an automatic switch will cut off her mechanism, and she will

-remain dormant until we need her. Just as if I gave you an order to go

-somewhere and your muscles would carry you to that place, so it is with

-Katrinka. The code words I give her activate the wires that control her

-movement in a certain way, whatever that activity is."

-

-Garry nodded. "I understand it, but it sure must be a complicated thing

-the way she works."

-

-"It's complicated, all right," Captain Eaton agreed. "Katrinka

-represents many years of scientific study, long before I ever thought of

-venturing into space. It was a hobby of mine, in between my duties as a

-teacher and head of a space shipping corporation. My first models were

-very clumsy and crude, but I have developed them over the years and have

-finally come up with Katrinka, my finest yet. Many people are interested

-in her--manufacturers and the government too."

-

-The next morning Garry told Patch about Katrinka, and Captain Eaton gave

-them permission to watch him check out the robot.

-

-After breakfast the three went to the closet where the robot was kept.

-The captain pressed the door button, and the door slid open, revealing

-the hulking monster that had frightened Garry the night before. Even

-now, Garry felt chills along his spine.

-

-Captain Eaton spoke one word, "Follow," and then turned on his heel,

-heading on down the corridor. The boys tagged along and were amazed to

-see and hear Katrinka clomping behind.

-

-"She _is_ following, Garry!" Patch said.

-

-"Yeah, and I still don't understand it," his friend replied, with a

-shake of his head.

-

-"Why, that's the easiest command of all I've given her to do," Captain

-Eaton said. "The word 'follow' activates a sort of radar device in her

-and makes her follow the closest moving object. I believe that was what

-happened when she chased you last night, Garry. Something slipped,

-causing her to follow that particular action."

-

-The captain chuckled. "She could have pursued you all night, but she

-never would have come closer than three feet."

-

-The _Carefree_'s skipper entered a doorway leading off the corridor.

-"Here's my workshop. I'll have a look at Katrinka's workings now," he

-said.

-

-The shop was untidy, cluttered from top to bottom with electronic parts,

-tools, and metal plates.

-

-Captain Eaton gave Katrinka the command to stop and then with a screw

-driver removed a large plate from her back. He nosed about inside the

-robot for several minutes, making adjustments within the complicated

-network of wires and miniature parts. Then he replaced the plate.

-

-"Just a couple of wires got too close," he said. "She won't be chasing

-you any more, Garry."

-

-"That's a relief," Garry replied with a nervous smile. "I wouldn't want

-to go through that again, even if she _is_ harmless!"

-

-"I'll show you how I build commands into her system," the captain said.

-"Let's have a simple command, fellows."

-

-"I know," Garry replied. "Have her lift up Patch."

-

-Patch backed off hastily. "Oh no you don't!" he objected.

-

-The master of the _Carefree_ laughed. "Be a sport, Patch. She's very

-gentle. She won't hurt you," he said.

-

-Patch thought a moment, then replied, "Okay, if you promise it will be

-all right."

-

-"I promise," the captain said, and he set to work.

-

-He brought out tools and equipment of every kind. Then he removed some

-plates from various parts of the robot's body. But instead of tinkering

-around inside, as he had done before, he opened up a big chart and began

-working from it, using pencil and paper.

-

-"What are you doing, Captain?" Garry asked after a few moments.

-

-"This is a map of Katrinka's system, like the diagram of a radio or TV,"

-was the reply. "I have to figure out what connections I must bring

-together. You see, I must give her several actions that make up the

-command we have given her. There must be the action of walking over to

-Patch, of bending certain parts that serve as her muscles, and finally

-the action of lifting him up. Then I must activate these through the use

-of spoken words." The captain worked for about an hour. The last thing

-he did was to take a small disk out of stock and drill holes in it at

-very carefully measured positions. Then he slipped the disk into place

-inside the robot.

-

-"Now let's try her out," the captain said.

-

-Captain Eaton faced the robot and spoke in a loud clear voice: "Lift."

-

-Patch remained where he stood, but Garry could see that he was a little

-nervous as Katrinka began lumbering toward him. The robot stooped over

-and lifted the boy in her big metal arms. She stood motionless, holding

-him in a firm grip as Patch began to struggle impatiently after about

-fifteen seconds.

-

-"Tell her to put me down, Captain," Patch begged.

-

-The captain winked at Garry mischievously. "My goodness, Patch, I forgot

-to give her a command to release you!"

-

-Patch began struggling vigorously, but he could not escape the robot's

-iron grip.

-

-"Hey, somebody, get me out of this!" Patch cried, his face reddening

-from his exertions.

-

-Seeing that his fun had gone far enough, Captain Eaton barked out, as if

-he were a military commander: "Atten-tion!"

-

-The robot's arms slipped straight down to her sides, and her body

-stiffened rigidly. Patch tumbled unharmed to the floor.

-

-Patch sat up. He turned and looked up at Garry and the captain. Fear

-still showed in his eyes, but, as he saw the playful smile on the

-captain's face, a grin spread over his own.

-

-The captain laughed out loud. Then Garry joined in.

-

-Finally, Patch himself began laughing, having enjoyed the harmless

-experiment even if the captain _had_ played a little joke on him.

-

-

-

-

-                           9. SATELLITE ZONE

-

-

-Although Ben seemed to be one of the busiest persons aboard the

-_Carefree_, he still took time out to chat with the boys early that

-afternoon.

-

-"Have you been at the orphanage all your lives?" Ben asked Garry and

-Patch.

-

-"Almost that long," Garry replied.

-

-"Our parents were good friends," Patch added. "All four of them were

-killed at one time in a rocket-plane crash near Salt Lake City. We were

-only three then and were placed in the orphanage at the same time."

-

-"How long have you been in space, Ben?" Garry asked.

-

-"Oh, about eight years now, off and on. I started when I was in my

-teens. I was a sort of cabin boy aboard the old Mars exploration ship,

-the _Jules Verne_. We spent a year there. Boy, what a life! It was like

-living in a deep freeze. Since then I've traveled to Venus, Luna--the

-moon, you know--and there's no counting the trips I've made among the

-satellites."

-

-"How did you get in with Captain Eaton and the _Carefree_?" Patch wanted

-to know.

-

-"A few years ago I took time to go to school and learn space-ship

-engineering and design," Ben replied. "My teacher was Captain Eaton--or

-Professor Eaton, as he was called then. He was also a millionaire and

-president of Space Shipping Incorporated. He helped build the sturdiest

-ships ever to fly the solar system. I graduated stone broke and had to

-go back to flying the spaceways.

-

-"I thought I'd never be an engineer or designer, but then Professor

-Eaton got in touch with me and said he was going to design a space ship

-for his own use. He said I was the best pupil he had ever taught and

-asked if I would work with him on the project. Of course I jumped at the

-idea. We assembled the ship out here in space, and I've been with him

-ever since."

-

-"Captain Eaton is a grand person, isn't he?" Garry asked.

-

-A fond look came into Ben's dark eyes. "He's the wisest, kindest, and

-most generous person I've ever known or heard about. You may think he

-selfishly spends all his money for his own enjoyment as he cruises the

-spaceways, but that isn't the case. He gives far more than he spends out

-here to charities and churches back on earth. And he has built countless

-scientific libraries, but he's too modest to let them be named after

-himself."

-

-"The _Carefree_ is such a big ship, Ben," Patch said, "that I don't

-understand how it can be run by so few men."

-

-"It's due to the captain's genius," Ben explained. "Practically

-everything you can think of is automatic, and our batteries are

-constantly recharged by sunlight. Of course, once in a while something

-goes wrong, and we have to dock at a repair satellite. And we also have

-to refuel about every six months at a service station. But we don't use

-very much fuel ordinarily because we mostly just cruise about in the

-'satellite zone,' as it's called."

-

-Ben had to go back to work, and the boys joined Captain Eaton in the

-library, where he was waiting for a TV newscast to come on.

-

-Garry and Patch got the shock of their lives at the first feature to

-come over the telecast. For the subjects were _themselves_.

-

-They quickly discovered that they were the most celebrated missing

-persons on earth. The orphanage had first reported their absence, and

-then Mr. Mulroy had given his version of their disappearance. It seemed

-that Mr. Mulroy was in very hot water because he had not made sure that

-the boys had gotten off the _Orion_ before the blast-off. In fact, he

-was in such hot water that he faced court-martial unless Garry and Patch

-were found.

-

-"Well, I guess the vacation is over, Patch," Garry said sadly. "We can't

-let Mr. Mulroy be court-martialed for what we did."

-

-"We've got to tell them where we are, haven't we?" Patch replied.

-"Although I'd give _anything_ to stay aboard the _Carefree_--that is, if

-Captain Eaton would have us."

-

-"I'd like nothing better than to have you two stay on," the captain

-said. "But you must consider Mr. Mulroy and all the police forces who

-are working to uncover the mystery of your disappearance. Right,

-fellows?"

-

-"Yes, Sir," they both agreed reluctantly.

-

-"We must make full use of the time left you to finish seeing the marvels

-of the _Carefree_. I said I'd show you the observatory today. What do

-you say we go there now? I've got some double-star photos I want to

-check on."

-

-The boys liked the idea and went with their host along the zero-gravity

-tunnel toward the observatory.

-

-The observatory was a "bubble" attached to the _Carefree_'s center tube

-or axle, just a short distance from the air lock through which Garry and

-Patch had first entered the ship. The observatory was such that it never

-rotated with the tube or the rest of the ship. In this way its

-telescopes could always keep focus on objects in space.

-

-Three pairs of magnetic shoes clicked along the metal floor of the

-observatory as Captain Eaton led the boys to the reflector telescope,

-whose big six-inch eye was pointed out into space. Captain Eaton looked

-over a camera which was attached to the eyepiece of the telescope. Then

-he unfastened the camera and took it off.

-

-"The picture has been exposed long enough," the skipper said. "It takes

-a pretty long time for a photograph to be made in the heavens, you know.

-But when you give it full exposure, it shows you much more than your

-naked eye can do."

-

-Garry studied a satellite chart on the wall. "I didn't know there were

-so many satellites whirling around the earth. So many different kinds

-and sizes too!" he said.

-

-"Yes, there are many more than one would imagine," the captain agreed.

-"Here, let me show you some of them on the chart. The pictures you see

-are exactly the way each satellite looks, and they are all drawn in

-proportion."

-

-Garry and Patch studied the chart with its multitude of different shapes

-and sizes. There were satellites that resembled drums and others like

-round balls. Some were torpedo shaped, and some were circular and flat

-like "flying saucers." There were giant satellites, wherein people lived

-and worked, and many of them were in the shape of huge revolving wheels.

-Some of them had no regularity at all, appearing to Garry to resemble

-more than anything else huge space insects, bristling with antennas and

-sun mirrors.

-

-"As you probably know, fellows," Captain Eaton said, "the Von Braun

-Space Station is our largest satellite of all. But there are a few

-others that approach it in size. For example, here is Quartermaster 10,

-the biggest of the depot satellites that furnish supplies to men who

-live in the world of the artificial moons. Here is a big fueling

-satellite, and over here is another big one--Spaceharbor--which is

-really a network of smaller moons joined together. This is a shipyard

-satellite where space ships are built and repaired. The _Carefree_ was

-built in Spaceharbor."

-

-"Gee, with so many of those things orbiting earth every minute of the

-day, it seems that space ships are always in danger of hitting one of

-them," Patch remarked.

-

-"That is a very real danger," Captain Eaton said, "especially for us,

-since we usually cruise in that area above earth called the 'satellite

-zone.' For this reason, every person on pilot duty is responsible for

-knowing the position of every satellite within dangerous range of the

-_Carefree_. This requires constant study and figuring of orbit paths. It

-really is the biggest job the pilot has to do, because generally the

-_Carefree_ is on automatic pilot and runs itself, you might say."

-

-"What are some of these smaller satellites?" Garry asked.

-

-"Well, there, there, and there are some of the observation satellites

-called 'Tiros.' They are used to photograph part of the earth for

-different reasons. Some of the reasons are prediction of weather,

-mapping, and for military purposes to see that the countries of the

-world do not start arming themselves for aggression."

-

-"The Tiros moons were first put into orbit in the 1960's, weren't they?"

-Garry asked.

-

-Captain Eaton nodded. "Also these, Garry--the Transit satellites, which

-are used for navigation, both in space and on earth. This odd-looking

-little moon over here is one I'm sure you've heard about. It is WAS,

-which means weather-alteration satellite. Know what it does?"

-

-"Sure," Garry replied. "It's used to seed storm clouds with chemicals.

-If the seeding works, hurricanes and tornadoes can be broken up before

-they cause damage. I believe they were first put into orbit in the late

-1960's."

-

-"Very good," the captain complimented. "Of course there are many other

-kinds of man-made moons, some too technical to explain. But, in spite of

-their great number and complexity, each has its use, and they are a

-tribute to man's great achievements in the world of science. One of our

-big jobs aboard the _Carefree_ is to see that they remain in orbit,

-doing their duty for the people of earth. If we should ever change their

-orbit, for instance by colliding with one of them, we not only would

-destroy their usefulness but we would, in all likelihood, destroy the

-_Carefree_ as well."

-

-Garry did not even want to think about the possibility of such a

-disaster.

-

-After the visit to the observatory, the captain asked the boys if they

-would care to try out the swimming pool.

-

-"Hey, would we!" Garry and Patch said together.

-

-A few minutes later, as they were heading down the corridor toward the

-gym, they passed Mr. Klecker walking along stiffly--in full dress of

-course--and carrying a stack of books.

-

-"Hello, gentlemen," the tall man greeted them cordially, and the boys

-returned his greeting.

-

-As he passed, Patch whispered to Garry, "Bet those books are about the

-circus."

-

-Garry smiled and nodded.

-

-The boys had learned that Mr. Klecker had a hobby. He was very much

-interested in the circus of the old days. He had many books on the

-subject, and whenever he talked to anyone it was about the circus.

-

-Garry and Patch had heard from the others that Mr. Klecker still looked

-after the captain as if he were serving him in his mansion. He would lay

-out his clothes for him and attend to other small details. Once in

-awhile Mr. Klecker would be called on to assist in things of a

-mechanical nature, but he hated to get out of his full dress and don

-greasy coveralls.

-

-The boys proceeded to the gym. They were anticipating a good time. But

-something of a decisive nature was to happen which would have an

-important bearing on their future life aboard the _Carefree_.

-

-

-

-

-                         10. THE LADY GOES WILD

-

-

-"Beat you into the pool," Patch called a little while later.

-

-He dashed out of the dressing room and dove, with hands outstretched,

-into the water. Garry followed right behind, tumbling into the spray

-left by Patch's dive.

-

-"Say, this is nice and warm!" Garry said. "And we've got it all to

-ourselves!"

-

-A little way back from the pool's edge, Mac and Isaac were lifting

-weights. This exercise was to help them keep in good physical trim.

-

-Garry and Patch swam and splashed to their hearts' content. It was the

-most fun they had had in a long time. They knew no one would ever

-believe their story of swimming in a pool in deep space! It was almost

-too difficult for them to believe themselves. But they did not care if

-they were never believed.

-

-They frolicked in the water for about an hour and then climbed up on the

-pool's edge to catch their breath for a few minutes.

-

-"Boy, I could spend twenty-four hours a day in there," Patch said,

-flicking water from his face.

-

-"I could too, almost," Garry agreed. "But I would be satisfied if I

-could spend twenty-four hours a day aboard the _Carefree_ doing

-anything. Gee, it's going to be hard leaving here to go back to the

-orphanage."

-

-"Yeah," Patch said sourly. "Gee whiz, Garry, why can't they let a couple

-of guys live the way they want to?"

-

-"We can someday, when we are old enough," Garry said. "But the only way

-we could get around having to go back now would be for Captain Eaton to

-adopt us."

-

-"Say, that's the answer!" Patch replied excitedly. "Why don't we ask

-him?"

-

-"I don't think it's as easy as that, Patch. In the first place, I don't

-think _we_ should ask _him_. He knows how much we like the _Carefree_,

-and he may have thought of adoption. But he should be the one who

-suggests it."

-

-"Maybe we could drop a hint or something," Patch said.

-

-"I don't think they'd let him adopt us, Patch. Don't forget, when they

-find out where we are, they'll think we stowed away aboard the _Orion_,

-and that would ruin any chances we might have had."

-

-"But we didn't deliberately stow away!" Patch protested.

-

-"I know that, but how can we get them to believe us? I don't think

-they'd even consider adoption at this time, and I think Captain Eaton

-must feel that way too."

-

-Patch sighed. "Maybe later, then. Maybe someday Captain Eaton will want

-us back. Gosh, I hate to leave here, though."

-

-"Life won't be the same any more," Garry said. "Nothing can ever be as

-exciting as the adventure we've had."

-

-They heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Captain Eaton

-coming their way. Missing now was his usual sunny smile. He carried a

-piece of paper in his hand.

-

-"Well, fellows, the answer has come," Captain Eaton said, and his voice

-was laden with dejection. "I radioed that you two had been picked up,

-and they've already replied."

-

-Garry hated to ask, "Wh--what did they say?"

-

-"Just as I suspected. We must return to the Von Braun Space Station."

-

-"I was hoping we had a _few_ more days at least," Patch groaned.

-

-"I think that the sooner we straighten this matter out, the better it

-will be for everyone," Captain Eaton replied. "And another thing, you

-boys are still A.W.O.L. from the orphanage, you know. However, it will

-take a couple of days for us to work out a navigation plan and get a

-clearance approach to the station. Sorry, fellows. I wish you could have

-stayed on with us indefinitely, but...."

-

-As the captain's voice trailed off, Garry had a flicker of hope. The

-captain was looking at them as if debating something in his mind. Would

-he bring up the subject of adoption?

-

-But, saying nothing further, the captain turned and began walking toward

-the outer door of the gym.

-

-Then he seemed to think of something else and came back. The boys held

-their breath hopefully. Would he mention adoption now?

-

-"There's something else they told me that I thought you'd want to know,"

-the captain said. "I told them the story of your being stowaways

-accidentally, just as you told me. They checked back and found that the

-elevator attached to the _Orion_ was defective, as you said, and they

-are convinced of the truth of your story. As a result, Officer Mulroy

-has been cleared of any negligence."

-

-"I'm glad to know that, Sir," Garry said.

-

-Once more the captain left them, but this time for good.

-

-"Well, that's that," Patch commented unhappily. "No adoption. When he

-came back I thought he...."

-

-"I was hoping too," Garry replied, "but we've got to go back, and that's

-all there is to it."

-

-Mac and Isaac came over, still breathing hard from their exercises.

-

-"We couldn't help but overhear the bad news," Mac said. "We're going to

-hate to see you fellows go."

-

-"Yes, that's right," Isaac added.

-

-"Thanks," Garry replied. "We were getting to like this old ship."

-

-"In a way I'd almost like to go with you," Mac said, with a faraway look

-in his eyes.

-

-Garry guessed that the Scotsman was a little homesick. His hunch proved

-correct, because Mac began to reminisce about his homeland. He described

-the heather on the hillsides, the flowing streams, and the green vales.

-And yet, Mac admitted finally that space was still a good second home to

-him, and he enjoyed his life in the deeps.

-

-Isaac had no home he would rather live in than the _Carefree_. As he

-talked about his good friends aboard ship and the kindly captain, Garry

-noticed the softness of the big man's eyes.

-

-Garry had heard that Isaac was really quite a sentimental fellow.

-Whenever he learned of a tragedy over the TV, it would depress him.

-Later, the boys were to learn that Isaac had a secret liking for good

-poetry.

-

-Both Mac and Isaac seemed genuinely sorry that the boys were having to

-leave. It made Garry and Patch feel good that they were so popular, but

-it made them a little sad, too.

-

-The next morning Garry and Patch woke earlier than the others and were

-heading toward the washroom.

-

-Suddenly Garry stopped and caught Patch by the arm. "Patch, do you hear

-that? There's noise coming from the laundry room up ahead!"

-

-Patch listened and heard the sound of splashing and a machine laboring

-hard.

-

-"Yeah," Patch said. "Let's see what's going on!"

-

-Running, Garry led the way into the laundry room. But then he wished he

-had not been coming so fast. His feet skidded on the floor, that was

-covered with thick soapsuds, and he skated several feet forward on his

-bottom. Patch, coming right behind, could not help laughing at his

-friend's misfortune. But then he too went down and skidded alongside

-Garry.

-

-"Hey, what goes on here!" Garry gasped, trying to get to his feet. The

-entire floor was a miniature sea of soapsuds.

-

-In his efforts to get up, Garry's feet slid apart, and he hit the floor

-again. Patch had no better luck than Garry. When this happened, both

-boys broke into laughter.

-

-They struggled several times to their feet, half playing all the while,

-but did not succeed in keeping their feet until the fourth attempt. Then

-they held onto one another to steady themselves. Only now did they see

-what was causing the strange disorder.

-

-They looked over at the big washing machine against the wall and saw

-Katrinka standing over the open tank, pitching clothes right and left

-out of the machine and into the air! It was as if she were having the

-time of her life.

-

-"Look, Patch--Katrinka!" Garry burst out laughing once more. "She's gone

-crazy! Something must have flipped in her mechanism again."

-

-The machine was still making mountains of suds, and they were flooding

-out of the top like a flow of white lava. Katrinka's metal wrists

-clanged against the edge of the machine as she went up and down with her

-flinging motion, making a rhythmic clatter.

-

-"Hey, can't we give her some words to make her stop this?" Patch spoke

-loudly to be heard over all the noise. "She'll wreck the place!"

-

-"I remember one of the commands," Garry said. Then loudly he called out:

-"Atten-tion! Atten-tion!"

-

-"She's not paying any mind!" Patch said.

-

-"She must be short-circuited again," Garry said. "Let's go for Captain

-Eaton!"

-

-"I hate to wake him up after the hard day he had yesterday," Patch said,

-as he returned along the corridor with Garry, "but this is an

-emergency."

-

-It turned out that they did not have to wake the captain. He met them,

-clad in his robe, at the door of the dorm, having already been aroused

-by the commotion going on down the corridor.

-

-Captain Eaton yawned. "It's Katrinka, isn't it? Ben set her for laundry

-duty this morning, but I guess her wires got crossed again."

-

-The boys cautioned Captain Eaton to be careful about going into the

-slippery room. The captain promised he would be careful and promptly

-fell down as soon as he walked through the door. Garry and Patch tried

-to help the captain to his feet, but only succeeded in falling again

-themselves. They scrambled around, slipping and sliding. Then slowly

-learning how to become expert at moving about in soapsuds, they finally

-managed to stand up and stay up.

-

-Carefully, the three made their way toward the washing machine where

-Katrinka was still merrily flipping clothes through the air. But by now

-she was out of ammunition and was merely flailing her metal arms. The

-captain used the command, "Atten-tion!" several times, trying to stop

-Katrinka's wild actions, but he had no better luck with this than Garry

-had had.

-

-Captain Eaton moved forward over the slippery floor and groped for the

-control knob on the robot's back. But then, losing his footing, he hung

-on to the robot to keep from falling again. This brought Katrinka

-crashing down onto the floor along with the captain himself.

-

-Garry and Patch each offered the captain a hand and presently managed to

-get him upright again. Garry had a hard time keeping a straight face.

-Captain Eaton's face was red, and his beard was straggly and sudsy. His

-soggy bathrobe stuck to his thin legs, giving him the appearance of a

-saddened, snow-covered elf.

-

-In the meanwhile, Katrinka was still having her fun, swinging her arms

-gaily against the floor as she lay on her back.

-

-"We've got to turn her over," Captain Eaton said, crawling nearer the

-robot. "Be careful of her arms. She can knock you over with them."

-

-Garry thought he saw how the job could be done.

-

-"Let's both grab her right leg, Patch," he said. "Then we'll give a good

-heave-ho and flip her over on her stomach. Careful you don't slip."

-

-They did as Garry had suggested, yanking fiercely on the robot's leg and

-flipping the metal creature over, face down. But the motion also brought

-Garry and Patch down in the soap again, this time getting the suds all

-over their faces, causing them to make wry grimaces and blow away the

-froth from their lips even as they laughed.

-

-But what was funniest of all to Garry was when he saw Captain Eaton

-suddenly see an opening and scramble furiously, on all fours, over to

-the flailing robot. He threw himself upon her back, fighting her as a

-cowboy would wrestle a steer. He finally subdued her with a turn of the

-switch on her back, which he was at last able to grab and twist.

-

-Worn out by his exertions, the captain simply flopped back on his hands

-in the soapy billows, sighing heavily. Then the good-natured man caught

-Garry's eye and smiled. The smile turned into laughter, and presently

-all three of them joined in.

-

-The captain later determined what had happened. He found out that

-Katrinka, in doing her washing chores, had gotten water into her

-electronic parts, and this had caused trouble in her mechanism. Captain

-Eaton made the repair easily, and the robot maid was once more in proper

-working order.

-

-The boys were with the captain while he was making the repairs on

-Katrinka in the workshop. When the captain had put away his tools, he

-sent the robot on her way. Then he looked at Garry, as he washed his

-hands at the sink, and said in a sad voice, "Fellows, I've received a

-docking date at the Von Braun Space Station. We'll dock at 2100 tomorrow

-night. That isn't much time left, is it?"

-

-"No, Sir, it isn't," Garry replied unhappily.

-

-The captain did not look up again.

-

-Garry half expected him to say something else, but, instead, he remained

-silent. Garry tugged at Patch's sleeve, motioning for them to go.

-

-The boys made their way slowly toward the door of the workshop. As Garry

-pressed the button to open the sliding door, Captain Eaton spoke again.

-

-"Wait--just a minute."

-

-The boys turned. Garry gulped. He could see the sadness in the elderly

-man's eyes.

-

-"Boys, I haven't told you how much I've enjoyed having you with us for

-this short time," the captain said, holding his dripping hands over the

-sink, not bothering to dry them.

-

-Garry had a lump in his throat. "We've enjoyed it too, haven't we,

-Patch?"

-

-"Sure thing," Patch murmured.

-

-Captain Eaton continued: "You two have been a great big lift in our

-lives. It's been so long since we've seen young fellows, and you've made

-us feel younger ourselves once more. I think you know how we feel about

-your leaving us. But I don't want to get sentimental about it and make

-you feel worse. So this won't be good-by. We'll see each other again--I

-know we shall."

-

-Garry cleared his throat, trying to dissolve that lump. "You'd better

-dry your hands, Sir."

-

-Captain Eaton smiled, reaching for a towel. "Oh, of course," he said.

-

-"We'll miss all of you very much, Sir," Garry said, before starting

-through the door. "The _Carefree_ has been like a home to us."

-

-The boys were silent as they went on to the dormitory. They were

-overcome by sadness at having to leave the ship and her friendly people.

-

-As the boys were getting together the clothing and toilet articles they

-had been given, Patch remarked to Garry, "Maybe the captain doesn't like

-us enough for adoption. He may not care for the idea of being saddled

-with us permanently."

-

-"I hope it's not that," Garry answered, "but I still can't think of any

-other reason, now that the stowaway business is straightened out."

-

-Patch didn't answer. He had no explanation either.

-

-

-

-

-                          11. A FRIEND IS LOST

-

-

-That night, on their way to dinner in the galley, the boys were

-overtaken by the long-striding Mr. Klecker.

-

-"I heard you're leaving us, gentlemen," he said to them.

-

-"Yes, that's right, Mr. Klecker," Garry replied.

-

-"Too bad. I was hoping I would have the opportunity to talk to you about

-the old circus days. Yes, it's too bad."

-

-Gino, too, showed how much he liked the boys. He baked them special pies

-and told them that they were his going-away presents to them.

-

-After supper, Patch said to Garry, as they were leaving the galley,

-"Gee, they're not making our leaving very easy, are they?"

-

-"No, Patch, they're not making it very easy at all," Garry agreed.

-

-"We're not making what very easy?" asked a voice behind them.

-

-They turned and saw the smiling face of Ben. Garry explained to him what

-they were talking about.

-

-"Then I guess you don't want me to say I'm sorry to see you go either,

-do you?" Ben said.

-

-"Of course we really _do_ care," Garry admitted. "But it makes us sad

-when everybody tells us."

-

-"Then, I won't tell you good-by, fellows," Ben said. "I'll just say 'so

-long' for awhile. Before you know it, you'll come back into space and

-find us still cruising through the deeps in the _Carefree_. Yes, we'll

-all be here."

-

-"It does sound better that way, Ben," Garry replied. "But until then,

-we'll still miss all of you terribly."

-

-"We'll miss you too," Ben said quietly, "but we'll never forget you."

-

-The boys went to bed with a feeling of melancholy that night, for this

-was their last sleep aboard Captain Eaton's wonderland space ship. The

-thought of leaving these good friends, possibly forever, brought a pang

-to Garry's heart. But no matter how sorrowful he felt, he was determined

-to be brave about it.

-

-Garry fell asleep thinking of all the fun he and Patch had had in the

-brief happy hours of their stay aboard the _Carefree_. Since the time

-passes quickly during slumber, the boy expected he would be awake before

-he knew it on another quiet morning, and that very soon thereafter he

-would be bidding good-by to his friends as he and Patch made

-preparations for the voyage back to earth and the orphanage.

-

-But Garry woke far sooner than he expected. It was not morning, nor was

-it quiet; the air was charged with confusion and alarm.

-

-Garry was aware of bustling footsteps and urgent voices in the

-dormitory. His eyes popped open in the bright glare of the lights that

-had been turned on fully. He had a feeling that it was the middle of the

-night and not morning, although he was not to find this out until a

-little later.

-

-Garry sat bolt upright in his bunk. "What's wrong?" he asked.

-

-Gino, hastily pulling on his shirt, paused at Garry's bunk. His eyes

-showed the anxiety he felt.

-

-"Hurry and get dressed, Garry!" he said. "You and Patch. We're in great

-danger. We've got to get ready for the captain's orders."

-

-Garry leaped out of bed, his heart thumping swiftly. The cold floor on

-the soles of his feet shocked him fully awake. He seized his peacefully

-sleeping buddy and yanked him without mercy.

-

-"Patch, get up! There's trouble--I don't know just what kind yet!"

-

-Patch's eyes were still drugged with sleep, but he struggled to a

-sitting position.

-

-"Trouble? Wh--what trouble?" Patched muttered.

-

-"I told you I don't know, but Gino warned us to get ready for the

-captain's orders. Hurry! Everyone else is already dressed and out of the

-dorm!"

-

-Patch needed no more urging and popped out of bed. He and Garry quickly

-dressed and hurried out into the corridor to see what was going on.

-

-There was no one in sight. The boys went farther along. Then, at the

-foot of the stairs leading into the center tube, they heard excited

-voices.

-

-"Whatever it is, it seems to be up in the tunnel," Garry said. "Let's

-go."

-

-They hurried up the stairs. Reaching the top, Garry, who was in the

-lead, looked down the tunnel from which most of the sounds were coming.

-He saw Ben, Captain Eaton, Mr. Klecker, and Gino on or near the platform

-outside the flight deck, the door of which was closed.

-

-Garry and Patch pulled their weightless bodies along the webbing of the

-tube. As they approached the men, they heard Ben saying:

-

-"This is terrible! Poor Mac! And what's going to happen to the rest of

-us?"

-

-"What is going to happen?" Garry asked, as he and Patch came upon the

-scene.

-

-Captain Eaton turned to them with a distraught look. "I'm sorry, boys.

-If I had hastened to get you back to the space station promptly, you

-would have survived this--this disaster."

-

-"Disaster?" Garry echoed, with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

-

-"Yes," Captain Eaton answered, his voice shaking. "Mac is already done

-for, and we shall soon follow after him."

-

-"What happened?" Patch asked Mr. Klecker.

-

-The boys could see pain on the men's faces.

-

-"The _Carefree_ collided with an _Explorer_ satellite," the butler

-replied. "It destroyed the flight deck while Mac was on duty. It looks

-as if he had managed to close the door before he was swept off into

-space. The collision knocked us off course, and we're plunging into

-space--toward where, no one knows. We can't so much as lift a finger to

-bring her under control, and our antenna disk has been damaged so that

-we can't even send an SOS."

-

-"Oh, no!" was all Garry could say, sickened at the sudden fateful turn

-of events.

-

-Actually, he was thinking more of poor Mac than he was of their own grim

-outlook. He remembered how much the likable Scotsman wanted to return to

-the heather of his own land after his stint in space. Now he would never

-see Scotland again. Garry absently watched Ben squirting a thick liquid

-around the cracks of the flight-deck door, probably as a safeguard

-against air escaping from the ship.

-

-"Ben has been outside in a pressure suit to look over the damage,"

-Captain Eaton said.

-

-Patch turned away from the others, hanging his head in grief and

-despair. Captain Eaton put an arm around Garry's shoulder, but there was

-a helpless look on his face that seemed to show the uselessness of

-saying anything. Gino had lost his usual cheery smile and could only

-stare numbly at the closed door of the flight deck, where their friend

-had been the victim of such a cruel act of fate.

-

-Garry looked around at the ship's company. Everyone was accounted for

-except Isaac.

-

-"Where's Mr. Newton?" he asked.

-

-"Poor Isaac is completely crushed," Captain Eaton replied. "He had just

-changed shifts with Mac at the pilot's chair only a few moments before

-the accident. He's blaming himself for the whole thing. It seems he

-overlooked the position of the satellite that hit us. He missed it on

-his last check, and Mac did not see it in time. Isaac's gone off

-somewhere."

-

-It was indeed a dark moment aboard the once-happy vessel. Things had

-happened so swiftly that everyone appeared to be still in shock. No one

-spoke again for several minutes. Everyone just stood around idly, as if

-not knowing what to do next and not really caring.

-

-Ben was the first to try to rally everyone's deadened spirits. He had

-just finished sealing the cracks in the door.

-

-"It'll be some time before we can tell which way the ship is heading.

-The collision changed our course completely. Even when we do find out,

-there's nothing we can do to control the _Carefree_. She's just a

-runaway. But I still think there's hope for us."

-

-All eyes turned upon Ben questioningly.

-

-"That flier you two arrived in, Garry," Ben continued. "I've only had a

-quick look inside it, and the console seemed in pretty bad shape from

-your and Patch's efforts to start the engines. However, if I'm lucky and

-we have time before the _Carefree_ hits another satellite or something,

-I may be able to fix it up so that we can escape in it."

-

-"It's our only hope," Captain Eaton replied. "I suggest you get right on

-the job, Ben, and call on anyone you need to help you. Meanwhile, we'll

-sweat out the flight, although I must say I feel like a duck in a

-shooting gallery because of all the flying objects whirling out there

-all around us."

-

-"If we are able to escape in the flier," Mr. Klecker said, "we can use

-its radio to send for help."

-

-Ben shook his head. "The radio was removed for some reason. There's only

-the empty compartment it came out of."

-

-With faint hope of survival, some measure of good spirits was restored

-to the astronauts. Ben called upon Mr. Klecker to help him work on the

-space taxi, and Captain Eaton said he would go to the observatory to

-take a "fix" and try to determine the course the _Carefree_ had taken.

-

-"I'll have to change clothes," Mr. Klecker said. "I don't want to get my

-uniform soiled."

-

-"Guess I'll go and whip up some breakfast," Gino said. "That's about all

-_I_ can do, although maybe nobody will be hungry."

-

-Captain Eaton turned to Garry and Patch before he left. "I know it's

-going to be hard for you," he said, "but try to feel hopeful about this

-situation. A terrible misfortune has come our way, but try to believe

-that things will work out for us. Chins up, eh, fellows?"

-

-He forced a smile. The boys gave him a brave smile in return, although

-they did not feel it any more than he had.

-

-"May we go with you to the observatory, Captain?" Patch asked. "Maybe we

-can help."

-

-"Yes, if you like. I know how hard it will be to remain idle at a time

-like this. Let's go."

-

-In the observatory, Garry and Patch watched the captain at his telescope

-and other instruments. He worked for a little while, then turned away

-from his work with a brooding, disturbed look on his face. He stroked

-his neat beard. Then he worked again for several more minutes.

-

-He stopped once more, but then resumed his watching. He kept this up for

-some time, and, as the minutes passed, his face grew more and more

-serious.

-

-Garry was afraid to ask, but he felt that he had to know. "Captain,

-is--is it bad?" he said softly.

-

-Captain Eaton shook his head grimly, the look of despair in his eyes.

-

-"You may as well know," he replied. "I've been hoping I was wrong, but

-now I know I'm not. We're moving into the gravity field of the moon. My

-guess is that we're only a few hours away from collision."

-

-

-

-

-                       12. A STARTLING DISCOVERY

-

-

-This latest bad news filled Garry with a new dread. But he refused to

-give up hope. He remembered that Ben was working in the flier, trying to

-put it in shape.

-

-"Captain Eaton," he asked, "do you think Ben will have the flier ready

-by the time we begin falling to the moon?"

-

-"I couldn't even guess at that. If there's not too much wrong with the

-flier, he may get it repaired in short order. But a major repair--I just

-don't know. I guess the next thing now is to inform the men of our

-course and get Ben's estimate of the flier's damage."

-

-The three of them joined Ben and Mr. Klecker in the flier a few moments

-later. The small rocket ship was still held fast to the bigger

-_Carefree_, their two air locks joined as if they were one ship.

-

-When Captain Eaton had told the men that they were headed for the moon,

-whether they liked it or not, Ben replied, "Well, Captain, I suppose

-we've just _got_ to get the space taxi in shape in mighty short order. I

-don't imagine the _Carefree_ will bounce very well on the moon's hard,

-rocky surface."

-

-"Do you really think you can get it repaired in time, Ben?" Captain

-Eaton asked gravely.

-

-"How much time do you think you can give me?" Ben asked.

-

-"I'll have to do some more calculating before I can estimate exactly how

-long it will be before we go into final fall," was the reply, "but,

-offhand, I would say you've got no longer than six hours."

-

-Ben looked at the damaged control panel of the flier and shook his head.

-

-"Impossible," he said, "but I'll do it. I've _got_ to do it."

-

-"Everyone on the ship will be at your disposal, Ben," Captain Eaton

-said. "Call for anyone and anything at all that you need in order to

-hurry those repairs. Ben, there's no one else I'd rather trust with the

-lives of us all than you. You can't let us down."

-

-"That confidence means a lot, Captain," Ben replied, his expression

-showing the appreciation he felt. "Mac gave his life for the ship. I'd

-do no less if it meant saving the _Carefree_ and all you guys."

-

-"I know you mean what you say, Ben," Captain Eaton said, "but we won't

-call on you to go that far. Just get the flier in shape so that we can

-escape in it and not share the _Carefree_'s fate in crashing on the

-moon."

-

-Ben shook his head sadly. "I hadn't thought of the _Carefree_ plunging

-to her destruction. But we _know_ that's got to happen, don't we,

-because there's no way of saving her. Captain, this ship has become such

-a part of my life that I'd almost want to go down with her."

-

-"I feel the same way, Ben," Captain Eaton replied. "Life will never be

-the same again without the _Carefree_. I don't know how I'll get along

-without her deck beneath my feet."

-

-"If we get out of this alive," Mr. Klecker said, "we'll just have to

-return to earth and spend the rest of our days there."

-

-"That's true," the captain agreed sadly. "Even a millionaire is allowed

-a space ship as grand as this only once in a lifetime. I couldn't afford

-another."

-

-Ben seemed to realize that precious time was going to waste as they

-talked, and he began getting his tools together.

-

-"I know everyone wants to help," he said, "but I think that Kleck and I

-can work better together by ourselves just now. There'll be less

-confusion. I'll be sure to call on anyone else if he's needed."

-

-Mr. Klecker had donned some old clothes, but he did not look comfortable

-in them.

-

-Ben listed more tools and equipment he would need, and Captain Eaton

-gave the list to Garry.

-

-"Take this to Isaac, will you, Garry, and ask him to round these up as

-quickly as possible. I've got to get back to the observatory and see how

-much time there is to zero hour."

-

-"Isaac has taken Mac's loss pretty badly, Captain," Ben said. "Do you

-think he'll be working at top efficiency?"

-

-"I think it will do him good to have something to do," the captain

-replied. "He'll be of no use to himself, or us either, if he just keeps

-on brooding."

-

-Captain Eaton and the boys left the flier and went their separate ways

-to take care of their respective duties. Garry and Patch went to the

-dormitory and found Isaac Newton sitting on one of the lower bunks, his

-head in his hands. They stood beside the bunk for several moments,

-waiting for Isaac to look up, but he did not seem to know that there was

-anyone else around.

-

-"Isaac," Garry then said, "Ben needs a few things for the repair of the

-flier. The captain thought you could round them up for us."

-

-Isaac still did not look up.

-

-"Isaac, we're headed for the moon," Patch said urgently. "We've _got_ to

-get the flier repaired within six hours, or we're all goners!"

-

-Finally, Isaac looked up, his gentle eyes red. "It's all my fault," he

-said. "It's all my fault that Mac is dead! I didn't tell him about the

-satellite, and I should have. I ought to be shot like a soldier for

-neglecting his duty."

-

-"You shouldn't blame yourself, Isaac," Garry said gently. "Anyone could

-have made the same mistake."

-

-Isaac shook his head, as if pulling himself together, and held out his

-hand. "Let me have the list."

-

-He looked it over, climbed to his feet, and started out of the

-dormitory.

-

-"Gee, he _is_ taking it hard, isn't he?" Patch asked.

-

-Garry nodded. "I can imagine how he feels. How many times have you made

-a mistake that you'd give anything in the world to correct if you could?

-But with us, our mistakes have never cost a person his life."

-

-Isaac came back into the room. "One of the things on this list is the

-sealer gun. It must still be up there by the flight-deck door that was

-sealed to prevent the air leaking out. Will you fellows get it?"

-

-"Sure, Isaac," Garry replied. "Come on, Patch."

-

-As they pulled themselves along the center tunnel, Patch remarked,

-"Isaac didn't want to go back up there. That's why he asked us to get

-the sealer gun."

-

-"I think you're right," Garry replied. "But it will save him some time

-just the same."

-

-Reaching the platform in front of the flight deck, the boys stepped up

-onto the magnetized area. All at once Garry was struck by the awesome

-silence of this part of the ship. Along with this was the remembrance of

-the tragedy that had taken place beyond the door in front of them, and

-he had a lonesome, shivery feeling.

-

-Patch seemed to feel it too.

-

-"Let's hurry up and get out of here," he said. "It's kind of spooky here

-all by ourselves."

-

-"I don't see the sealer gun anywhere, do you?" Garry asked.

-

-"No. Maybe somebody carried it away with them."

-

-There was a well of darkness beneath the platform. Both boys glanced at

-one another. They knew that was the next place to look.

-

-"It may be down there someplace," Garry said. "We'll have to take a

-look."

-

-"How could it be down there?" Patch argued, not enjoying the prospect.

-"There's no gravity here in the tube. Things don't _fall_ in here like

-they do in the rest of the ship."

-

-"It may have been shoved off in that direction," Garry said. "That could

-easily have happened in all the excitement up here. Time's wasting,

-Patch. If you're scared, I'll poke around down there."

-

-"It's not that I'm exactly scared," Patch protested weakly.

-

-Garry held onto the railing and swung his feet off the

-magnetized-platform floor so that he floated weightlessly in the air.

-Then he began pulling himself down into the darkness, using the metal

-lattice-work that extended below the platform.

-

-"How can you see down there?" Patch called from above. "Want me to get a

-light for you?"

-

-"I'll feel around a little first," Garry answered. "I may put my hand

-right on it."

-

-With one hand holding onto the metal stripping, Garry fanned his free

-arm back and forth along the floor. All he felt was cold smooth

-metal--at first.

-

-Then, suddenly, he felt something soft to his touch. A chill raced up

-his backbone, ending in a prickle at the top of his head. He swallowed,

-then courageously began feeling around again on the object, trying to

-identify it. His hand touched flesh, warm flesh, and he could trace the

-outline of five fingers. He felt that chill again, but he fought to keep

-his nerves under control.

-

-"Hey, What's going on?" Patch called. "Have you found something?"

-

-Garry pulled himself back up to the platform and hung onto the rail,

-shaking.

-

-"Garry," Patch said, "you're white as you can be!"

-

-"I found something all right, Patch. There's a _person_ down there,"

-Garry whispered.

-

-

-

-

-                           13. ABANDON SHIP!

-

-

-Leaving a bewildered and frightened Patch behind him, Garry left the

-platform and began pulling himself as rapidly as possible along the

-webbing of the tube toward the ship's stern. Reaching the observatory

-bubble, he went in.

-

-"Captain Eaton!" Garry gasped. "I think I've found him! I think I've

-found Mac!"

-

-The captain swung from an instrument he was using, and looked at Garry

-in amazement. "You _what_?" he cried.

-

-Garry pulled himself into the observatory, the floor taking hold of the

-soles of his shoes by its magnetic attraction. "Yes, Sir!" he declared.

-"Patch and I were looking for the sealing gun in front of the flight

-deck, and I found a body in the darkness below the platform!"

-

-Captain Eaton clicked across the floor and entered the tube. Garry

-tagged along behind, as the skipper of the _Carefree_ set out toward the

-bow of the ship.

-

-A few minutes later, Captain Eaton was checking on Garry's discovery.

-Then he came back onto the platform, excitement showing on his face.

-

-"It _is_ Mac!" he burst out. "His body is warm, and I think he may be

-alive! We must call some of the others so that we can get him up from

-there. In this zero gravity it will take several of us."

-

-Garry and Patch were sent by the captain to round up the others.

-

-Then several began helping to get Mac onto the platform. Of course he

-weighed nothing, but, in the zero gravity, the difficulty in moving him

-lay in the fact that the others could not push him without bracing some

-part of their own body against something. Otherwise, they would only

-succeed in pushing themselves backward.

-

-Mac was finally moved onto the platform and stretched out. He lay,

-suspended in air, a few inches above the platform. Captain Eaton looked

-at the Scotsman's eyes and tested his pulse.

-

-"His pulse is a little slow," he stated, "but his color is good, and I

-think he'll come around pretty soon. That bad gash on his forehead must

-have knocked him out."

-

-They worked over Mac. Finally, he stirred and then opened his eyes. He

-stared as if unseeing for several moments, but then, as he began to

-recognize everybody, a weak smile formed on his lips.

-

-"What happened?" he murmured.

-

-"We don't know what happened, Mac," Captain Eaton replied. "Can you tell

-us? Can you remember what did happen before you blacked out?"

-

-Mac frowned, as if concentrating very hard. Then his face relaxed.

-

-"I remember," he said softly. "I was near the door when it hit

-us--whatever it was. If I'd been in the pilot's chair I would have been

-a goner. But I had gotten up only a moment before to check the chart.

-The door was open. I heard a terrific roar and saw the whole console

-burst into a sheet of fire. At the same time I felt myself being blown

-backward and right through the door onto the platform. I was dazed, but

-somehow I had the presence of mind to know I had to get that door shut

-or the ship would lose all her air. I managed to press the button and

-saw it slide shut. But then my head began to hurt terrifically and I

-felt dizzy. I reached out for the railing to hold on, but I guess I

-missed it then and unconsciously floated off to wherever you found me."

-

-"Garry found you," Captain Eaton said. "We thought you had been blown

-into space by the collision."

-

-"Thanks, Garry," Mac said, winking at him with gratitude.

-

-"That's all right," Garry replied. "We're just so glad to see that

-you're still alive."

-

-"Mac, don't ever scare me again like that!" Isaac put in, his voice

-shaky with emotion. "It was my fault the collision happened, because I

-overlooked the satellite that hit us. I knew your death was on me, and I

-was so torn up I don't think I'd ever have gotten over it. Thanks,

-buddy, for turning up as you did!"

-

-"Forget it, Isaac," Mac joked. "Maybe you can return the favor

-sometime."

-

-They told Mac about the existing crisis. He wanted to do something to

-help, but Captain Eaton insisted that he go to the dormitory to rest.

-Garry and Patch went with Captain Eaton to the observatory to recheck

-and see how much time the _Carefree_ had left.

-

-After another period of figuring and using his instruments, the skipper

-turned to the boys. "I wish I had better news, but it looks as if we

-have less time than I had thought at first."

-

-The boys returned with Captain Eaton to the flier. Isaac had taken over

-helping Ben, since he knew more about this kind of thing than Mr.

-Klecker.

-

-Captain Eaton stood at the door of the air lock. "How are you coming in

-there?" he asked.

-

-Ben gave him a report of their progress. The captain's face was lined

-and grave. "You may have to do better than that if we're going to get

-out of this alive," he said. "The moon is very close."

-

-Captain Eaton and the boys spent the time that followed in the

-observatory dome, watching the steadily growing disk of the moon. It was

-like a mocking face in the sky, luring the travelers to destruction.

-

-No telescope was needed, for the big, rocky satellite of earth appeared

-to take up the whole heavens. Garry and Patch studied the knife-edged

-mountaintops, the dry, gray wildernesses that were once thought to be

-seas, and the mysterious bowl-like craters. Where would the _Carefree_

-plunge to her death on the fierce moonscape, Garry wondered. And would

-he and the others still be aboard her when she crashed? Garry shuddered

-at the thought. As Captain Eaton had said, Luna was now so frightfully

-close.

-

-The captain made a final check of his instruments. Then he turned

-abruptly, heading for the door. The boys followed him out.

-

-In the flier, moments later, the captain said, "Ben, we're in our last

-hour. How do things look in here?"

-

-Garry could see Ben's grimy, tired face turned toward Captain Eaton.

-

-"It'll be close, Captain, awfully close," Ben answered, and immediately

-turned back to the network of wiring in the instrument panel.

-

-"Anything I can do, Ben?" Captain Eaton asked.

-

-"Just hope and pray," was the reply. "I think it'll be all up to me now.

-It's a one-man job getting these wires hooked up."

-

-"We could take one last look around the ship during this last hour," Mr.

-Klecker proposed. "I have some books I want to take along."

-

-"Sorry, Kleck," Ben said, "but we won't have room for them. The flier

-will be crowded as it is. We won't be able to take belongings of any

-kind, not even for survival, except for the emergency supplies the flier

-itself carries. The weight is that critical."

-

-"I don't want a last look," Gino spoke up. "Otherwise I might not want

-to leave the good old _Carefree_, even if she is going to crash."

-

-"Me either," Isaac Newton added. "I want to remember her the way she was

-when all of us were very happy and really carefree."

-

-"One thing about Patch and me," Garry put in. "We came aboard without

-anything but the clothes we're wearing, and we'll be leaving the same

-way."

-

-"There's one thing I surely hate to leave behind," Captain Eaton said.

-"Katrinka. She's only a robot, but I've had her for so long that she's

-almost like a member of the family."

-

-From now on, every minute was beginning to count desperately. Garry

-wished he could hold back the hands of the clock. He wished he could

-give Ben an extra hour. But this could not be.

-

-A little later there came the announcement that Garry had known must be

-coming finally. Captain Eaton had been in the observatory for the last

-time, and now he had returned with a final announcement: "It's now or

-never, Ben. Which is it?"

-

-Ben straightened up, and there was a pleased look on his weary face.

-"Just finished, Captain. The instrument panel isn't as good as new, but

-I'm pretty sure the flier can be navigated by it, at least long enough

-for a safe landing on Luna. Come here, Mac. Let me show you a few things

-about the console."

-

-Garry wondered why Ben was taking time to instruct Mac in the navigation

-of the ship. Why couldn't he do the piloting himself? Garry could see

-that Mac was a little puzzled too, as he went over to the instrument

-panel.

-

-Captain Eaton was looking at his wrist watch. "Ben, there's no more

-time. We've got to get off the _Carefree_ within five minutes, not a

-second longer."

-

-After a few more hurried moments of instruction, Ben said, "We're ready,

-Captain. Everybody into the rocket."

-

-Those who were not already in filed into the rocket and belted down into

-the seats. That is, everybody but one--Ben.

-

-"Ben, where are you going?" Captain Eaton asked.

-

-"To check on the air lock, Sir," Ben answered, and walked through the

-flier's doorway into the air lock between the two ships.

-

-Mac had belted down in the pilot's seat, as Ben had asked him to do.

-

-"How are you going to ride without a seat, Ben?" Mac called.

-

-"Everybody ready?" Ben called from the air lock.

-

-All answered that they were.

-

-"Start the motors, Mac," Ben said.

-

-Mac started the rocket motors, at the same time calling, "Hurry up,

-Ben!"

-

-Garry heard a whirring sound, and the outer door of the flier slid shut,

-with Ben still in the air lock beyond!

-

-"Hey, wait!" Isaac shouted. "Ben's in the air lock, and the door's

-closed!"

-

-No one could do anything, for in the very next moment the flier kicked

-out violently sideways, bending everyone over in his seat. There was

-another jerk forward as the flier went into motion.

-

-"What's happened?" Captain Eaton called.

-

-"Ben's tricked us!" Mac replied. "He cut off the magnetic grapples from

-the air lock that held us fast to the _Carefree_. How stupid I was! He

-told me to take over while he checked on some last-minute things."

-

-"I see it all," Isaac added. "If we check the weights we'll probably

-find out that we would be overloaded with one more passenger. Ben was

-that one more, and he chose not to come aboard rather than risk the

-safety of the rest of us!"

-

-"Yes," the captain said in a choked voice, "it seems that Ben elected to

-go down with the _Carefree_."

-

-

-

-

-                        14. FIRST HOURS ON LUNA

-

-

-Ben lost to them!

-

-Garry could hardly believe it. Surely Ben could have found _some_ way to

-save himself. Did he really have to make such a costly sacrifice?

-

-No one aboard the flier cared to speak for several minutes after Mac's

-tragic announcement. It had come as a devastating blow to all of them.

-

-Finally, Isaac broke the solemn quiet: "It won't be the same with good

-old Ben gone. He was a smart, brave guy. I'd like to have an ounce of

-all the scientific and mechanical knowledge he had."

-

-They had been so concerned over Ben's fate that they had almost

-overlooked the fact that the rocky wilderness of the moon was staring

-them in the face; that in a few moments the flier would be either

-touching down on her surface or crashing along with the _Carefree_ and

-Ben, her only human occupant.

-

-Mac was guiding the craft into a slowly descending spiral. This would

-give the flier's braking rockets time to reduce speed to safe level for

-the touchdown.

-

-The _Carefree_ was not in sight, although Garry searched the starry sky

-through the plastic walls of the flier. He was glad he could not find

-her. He would not have liked to see her crash.

-

-Down below, Garry could see the huge dish of a giant crater. It was

-within this area that Mac was circling. As if anticipating Garry's

-question, Mac explained: "Ben suggested that we try landing on the floor

-of this crater, which is called Hornfield. It was discovered by a lunar

-explorer in 1983. It is supposed to be covered by several inches of

-pumice dust, and that may help to break our fall if we make a bad

-touchdown."

-

-From high up, the walls of the crater did not appear very impressive,

-but as the flier spiraled lower, they looked like lofty battlements of

-ancient castles.

-

-As they dipped lower still, Garry watched those grim crater walls close

-in around the small space craft. Spread out below was the ocean of gray

-dust that carpeted the crater floor. Part way up, above the horizon, was

-seen the distant globe of earth. It cast ghostly greenish shadows around

-the walls, pits, and rock formations. This was the two-week period of

-night on Luna, and the temperature down there, in a nearly airless

-atmosphere, Garry knew, was more than two hundred degrees below zero.

-

-"Everyone make sure his restraining belts are tight," Mac called. "We're

-about to touchdown."

-

-The ground rushed up to meet them, as Garry felt himself tipped forward

-in his seat. The belly of the little flier skimmed the ocean of dust,

-sending it up in a giant cloud along both sides of the craft. The flier

-continued to plow along through the pumice until friction finally

-brought it to a halt.

-

-It was strange being still again, Garry thought. Another strange feeling

-was the gravity pull of the moon, which he knew to be only one sixth as

-strong as that of earth.

-

-"Is everybody all right?" Captain Eaton asked.

-

-No one said that he _wasn't_ all right. Garry and Patch began

-unfastening their restraining belts, as did the others.

-

-Captain Eaton was the first to his feet. He moved over to the window

-with a strange floating sort of step owing to his reduced moon weight.

-Then he looked out.

-

-"Where are we, Mac?" he asked.

-

-"Inside the Hornfield crater," Mac answered.

-

-"Are there any settlements close by?" the captain asked. "Anybody who

-can come to our rescue?"

-

-"About twenty-five miles to the southwest, captain," Mac answered. "Ben

-told me just where it was and advised me to land as close to it as

-possible. I thought this was as close as we dared approach, because the

-ground is treacherous between Hornfield and the settlement."

-

-"What sort of settlement is it, Mac?" Isaac asked.

-

-"An oxygen-mining outfit in the Taurus Mountains. They're mining for ore

-rich in oxygen to provide pressurized air for the underground terminal

-of Luna City, five hundred miles farther to the south. Ben said he

-thought they would have fliers that could get here in a short time as

-soon as they got our radio message."

-

-"But we don't have any radio," Mr. Klecker said.

-

-"Yes we do, and we can thank the flier's lifesaving equipment for that,"

-Captain Eaton said.

-

-He went to a cabinet built into the wall and pulled out an oblong box.

-On the top of it were the words: "SOS Automatic Transmitter."

-

-"You mean that was in the flier all this time and that we could have

-used it earlier ourselves?" Garry asked in surprise.

-

-"Yes, you could have," Captain Eaton replied.

-

-"I'm familiar with this transmitter," the captain went on. "Let's get

-the radio kit down."

-

-When this was done, Captain Eaton donned one of the two space suits

-which the flier carried. When he was dressed, he entered the flier's air

-lock, carrying the radio kit. Those inside the ship watched Captain

-Eaton walk about fifty feet from the flier and open the box containing

-the transmitter.

-

-"Gee, why does he have to open it up out there?" Patch wanted to know.

-"Couldn't he transmit from inside the ship just as easy?"

-

-"No, not nearly as well," Mac explained. "Just watch, and you'll see

-why!"

-

-Captain Eaton took some things out of the box, and then, after tinkering

-with them for a few minutes, he set the transmitter in the pumice dust

-and ran back toward the flier as if he had just lighted a bomb fuse. A

-few seconds later the boys were surprised to see something resembling a

-giant snake spring from the ground beside the transmitter and extend

-straight up in the dark sky!

-

-"What in the world was that?" Patch asked in amazement.

-

-"That's the antenna for the transmitter, isn't it, Mac?" Garry asked.

-

-Mac nodded. "That long ropelike thing is hollow, and the antenna is in

-the middle of it. Captain Eaton released a switch that caused the casing

-to fill with compressed air, and that is what keeps it extended into the

-sky. That gives us a much better antenna than we could possibly have in

-here. Also, being as tall as it is, the radio waves leaving it can

-travel great distances and cross high places which they could not do if

-it were short. Understand?"

-

-The boys nodded.

-

-"The transmitter is a very light and simple one," Mac went on. "All it

-can do is send out an SOS signal from time to time; it can't transmit

-words. Yet whoever picks it up can easily trace it. I hope our signal

-will carry as far as the mining settlement and that there's no

-interference between to block our radio waves. Those mountains could

-block the waves."

-

-"How long do you think we can hold out, just in case our rescue is slow

-in coming?" Garry asked Mac.

-

-"If we carefully ration food, water, and air, I'd say we could last

-about five days, earth time," Mac replied. "I'm pretty sure the captain

-will start rationing right away, just to make sure, but I can't see any

-reason why we won't see a rescue flier heading this way pretty soon,

-certainly by tomorrow."

-

-Captain Eaton presently came back inside and began taking off his space

-suit.

-

-"If we get out of this alive, we'll owe it all to Ben," Isaac remarked.

-

-Garry noticed the sudden sadness on the faces of the others at the

-mention of Ben's name. Presently, everyone in turn began saying

-something good about their friend; that is, everyone except Captain

-Eaton, whom Garry knew had been closer to Ben than any of the others.

-

-The captain was still plainly too broken up to say anything about Ben at

-this time. He just quietly finished removing his pressure-suit gear, and

-Garry could see the tragedy in his eyes. Garry was glad when Captain

-Eaton changed the subject, because he himself had grown very fond of the

-brilliant young spaceman.

-

-"We should take inventory of our stock," the captain was saying, "and

-then start a rationing schedule. We can't be sure how long we'll have to

-wait before help comes. I don't want to alarm everybody, but there's

-always the possibility of radioactivity or mineral deposits in the hills

-beyond the crater which would keep our SOS from going through. The moon

-is full of those things."

-

-Mac's prediction as to how long the food and water would last turned out

-to be fairly close, although it turned out to be four days instead of

-five. No one expected the fourth day to roll around with their still

-being trapped in the flier, but Captain Eaton was playing safe, as Mac

-had said he probably would do.

-

-Those who had invented the equipment making up the escape flier's

-emergency kit had seemingly thought of everything to ease the plight of

-those trapped on strange planets. They had not overlooked the boredom of

-those awaiting rescue. There was a special cabinet containing tiny

-games, and there were also miniature books.

-

-When the inventory was completed and everything was done that could be

-done, Captain Eaton distributed the games and books, and everyone

-settled down in the flight chairs.

-

-"This isn't so bad," Isaac said, sighing and stretching out comfortably

-with one of the little books. "I've always wanted to read this book on

-great poetry, but up to now I just haven't had the time because it's so

-long. It looks like I've finally gotten my chance to read it."

-

-"There aren't any books about the circus," Mr. Klecker said

-disappointedly. "I guess I'll just have to settle for what's left."

-

-The butler straightened his bow tie. He had changed back into his full

-dress after Isaac had taken over as Ben's helper.

-

-Garry and Patch started a game of chess, and the rest of the

-_Carefree_'s passengers took whatever game or book interested them.

-Except for the sadness of Ben's not being with them, Garry noticed that

-there was an air of contentment and optimism on the part of everyone.

-

-Later, he was to be glad that he did not have the talent of seeing into

-the future, for if those who were so relaxed now in their cozy hideaway

-on the dark moon had only known what was in store for them, they would

-not have been in the mood for enjoying _anything_ at this moment.

-

-

-

-

-                           15. A DARK OUTLOOK

-

-

-The idea of stretching out comfortably with a good book and plenty of

-spare time did not seem so satisfying after several hours. After this

-period, everyone began to get restless, with a desire to get up and

-stretch his legs, as they could have done if they were back on the

-_Carefree_.

-

-"I know how you feel, fellows," Captain Eaton said sympathetically, as

-he noticed how tired everyone had become of just sitting around. "I'd

-like to take a romp myself outside in a space suit, but without knowing

-how soon we'll be rescued and having no surplus of supplies, I don't

-think we should use up our oxygen that fast. Everyone agree?"

-

-Everyone did.

-

-Then to while away the hours that were beginning to drag slowly along,

-the captain suggested that they talk among themselves and exchange

-stories. This activity occupied the group for some time. Garry was glad

-that poor Ben was not mentioned again to further depress everyone.

-

-Finally, all became "talked out," just as they had become "read out"

-before that. And by this time some were ready for a nap and began dozing

-in their seats.

-

-Garry watched the captain settle back in his seat, sighing tiredly.

-

-"I suppose I should be grateful for being alive," he said, "but I feel

-almost as if I had died myself. Yes, this is a sad day for an old man

-who has lost at the same time the dearest things to his heart--one of

-his best friends and a funny-looking space ship that had come to be even

-homier than his earthly home."

-

-Garry noticed how much the conversation kept returning to Ben. He

-guessed that the unselfish spaceman would be on their minds for a long

-time to come.

-

-"I wonder where they went down, Captain?" Mac asked. "I didn't even see

-the _Carefree_, once Ben cut us free."

-

-"None of us saw her," the captain replied, "and I'm glad. I hope they

-never find her remains on the moon, because I would feel compelled to go

-to the site of the crash and I would not want to do that. No, it's

-better this way."

-

-Before long, someone mentioned food. There was some mild enthusiasm from

-the others, but not much. Everyone knew that all there was to eat were

-capsules that would provide nourishment but little enjoyment.

-

-Gino made a face when the capsule bottle was passed to him and he shook

-two of the pellets out into his hand.

-

-"To think that I would ever have to make a meal of these things," he

-said sadly, "I, who at one time or another, have served up the grandest

-dishes ever put together."

-

-All ate silently. Since the additional talk about Ben, it was as if cold

-water had been poured over their spirits.

-

-After the brief meal the captain suggested that the lights be turned

-down and everyone try to get a "night" of sleep.

-

-"I think all of us are brain fagged and bored after all that has

-happened," he said. "Maybe there'll be someone knocking on our air-lock

-door before we wake up."

-

-No one objected to the idea, as it seemed to be the only thing left for

-them to do.

-

-When everyone was settled down for the "night," Captain Eaton cut off

-all lights within the flier. It was still not very dark in the flier

-because outdoors it was brighter than the brightest moonlight night on

-earth, owing to the brilliant glow of earthshine.

-

-"If our rescuers do not show up some time tomorrow," Captain Eaton said,

-"we had better start cutting back on our battery power. That will mean

-no lights inside, except use of the flashlight in the cabinet, and less

-warmth. I have a feeling that our batteries will play out before any of

-our other supplies do."

-

-When Garry woke the next "morning," he heard some of the others stirring

-about. Patch was standing over him with two tablets and Garry's personal

-water bottle which squeezed the liquid into one's mouth.

-

-"What's this?" Garry mumbled. "Time for my medicine?"

-

-"Medicine nothing," Patch replied. "This, son, is breakfast. Or would

-you prefer nice crisp bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs?"

-

-"Aw, Patch, cut it out," Garry pleaded. "You don't have to make this any

-tougher than it is!"

-

-Garry took the food pills, chewing them slowly to get what little flavor

-there was in them. Then he finished off with the water, which was little

-more than enough to wet his throat.

-

-"Gee, the captain has really rationed the water, hasn't he?" Garry

-whispered.

-

-"He cut it back even further this morning," Patch replied. "Know why?

-Because nobody came knocking on our air lock as he had hoped maybe they

-would. On top of that, I heard him say he was going to run another close

-inventory on all our life-supporting items to see how much is left."

-

-"Gosh, do you think he's afraid _no_ one will be knocking any time

-soon?"

-

-"I don't know," Patch replied, "but he has been frowning quite a bit

-this morning."

-

-The captain presently made it clear to all why he had been doing so much

-frowning.

-

-"Frankly," he said, "I thought those people at the mining settlement

-would have had plenty of time while we slept to pay us a visit. If our

-SOS reached them soon after we began sending, as it should have, they

-should have had a flier over here within a few hours' time. Our chief

-essentials for staying alive are our food, water, air, and power supply

-which is necessary to keep us warm. It's several hundred degrees below

-zero outside, in case you haven't thought about it."

-

-They took another inventory, and the results were not very heartening.

-

-"We're using up much too much of our battery power," Captain Eaton said.

-"That's the weakest link in our chain of existence. I didn't realize

-that yesterday when we had the lights on for reading. From now on until

-someone comes, we'll have to do without light altogether except when

-necessary. That means we'll have to do our reading by earthshine and our

-one flashlight. We may have some strained eyes, but that's the best we

-can do. We'll also have to reduce our heat a little to save on power

-that way too."

-

-"Captain, do you think we should check the condition of the battery in

-the outside transmitter?" Isaac asked.

-

-"It's supposed to have a useful life of seventy-two hours, operating

-automatically for a few minutes every half hour," the captain said, "but

-the battery may have lost a lot of its power in storage. I think it

-would be a good idea to check it. It has a test meter on it, Isaac."

-

-"I'll go out and check it, Captain," Isaac said.

-

-When he had pulled on one of the space suits, Isaac checked the air and

-pressure and went outside.

-

-Garry and Patch watched him move in a light-footed gliding motion toward

-the spot where the antenna had been set up. He spent several minutes

-with the rig and then came back into the flier.

-

-As he lifted his helmet off, he said with a shake of his head, "It's

-quit sending, Captain. You were right. The battery must have been in bad

-shape to start with."

-

-"Not sending," Captain Eaton muttered to himself, a dark worried frown

-on his face. "That means that if our SOS was not picked up earlier, it

-never will be, and no one will know where we are."

-

-Garry's heart chilled at hearing this. What the captain really meant,

-but did not say, was that they were doomed to a slow death as their heat

-and air were depleted and they froze in the moon's incredible cold. That

-would happen long before their food and water gave out.

-

-Captain Eaton placed a fatherly arm around each of the boys and said,

-"Fellows, I wish there were something I could do. Believe me, if I could

-give my life to save you two, as Ben did, I would gladly do it. Do you

-believe that?"

-

-"Yes, Sir, I do believe it," Garry answered sincerely. "But can't we

-really do something--anything at all? It--it's better than waiting,

-isn't it?"

-

-"You're trembling, both of you," the captain said, "and I can't blame

-you. If it's any comfort to you, I think you're the bravest two boys I

-ever knew. I would have been proud to have had a couple of sons like

-you."

-

-The captain pressed their arms affectionately. Garry knew how he felt

-about his helplessness to do anything.

-

-"You ask if there's anything we could do," Captain Eaton said. "Of

-course we're not giving up hope completely at this early stage, but

-things do look bad. We could ration ourselves severely and maybe prolong

-our existence a few days, but after that...."

-

-Garry finished the gloomy sentence in his own mind.

-

-

-

-

-                           16. A SAD PARTING

-

-

-They _did_ wait--all the long day to follow.

-

-And in all that time, no one came.

-

-They did the same things that they had done the day before--reading by

-the light of the earth, which they feared they would never see again;

-reading until their eyes blurred and the battery had gone dead in their

-only flashlight.

-

-Garry and Patch did not read much. Instead, they spent most of their

-time looking out over the cold gray dust, and up into the black sky,

-looking hopefully for some moving object against the bleak wilderness

-and wanting to be the first to spot it should it appear. But it never

-appeared, and bed-time came, but no one was in the spirit for sleep. And

-yet, since there was little else to do, everyone prepared for bed.

-

-Garry and Patch lay awake in their adjoining seats, talking in low

-voices to each other.

-

-"Garry, we've been through a lot of close calls since we left the

-orphanage," Patch was saying, "but this looks like _it_, doesn't it?"

-

-"I don't know, Patch. I just don't know," his friend replied with a

-troubled sigh. "It sure doesn't look good. I won't ever really give up

-hope, though. There's still a chance that a rescue ship will come--maybe

-during the night."

-

-"But what if it doesn't?" Patch asked. "What if it doesn't come tonight

-or tomorrow--or the next night? How will we feel when we finally _know_

-that we won't be saved?"

-

-"You shouldn't think like that, Patch. It'll make you miserable. You've

-got to keep hoping, even when it doesn't make sense," Garry said.

-

-"It's funny about Ben," Patch went on. "I mean about what he did. He

-meant to save us, but it's turned out that he's made it worse for us. It

-would have been better if we had crashed along with the _Carefree_,

-because then it would have been over quickly."

-

-"You know the saying, Patch: 'Where there's life there's hope.' And I

-believe that."

-

-Patch said no more, and before long Garry heard him snoring softly. This

-made Garry feel better, and presently he too fell asleep.

-

-Garry and Patch woke the next morning to the sound of subdued voices

-around them. For a brief moment Garry wondered if help had come during

-the night. He searched the faces he saw, and quickly his hopes were

-dashed. Instead of happy faces, they were haggard ones that showed the

-lack of sleep, and there were no new faces among them.

-

-"No one came last night, did they?" Patch asked Captain Eaton.

-

-The skipper shook his head and tugged at his beard that, by now, had

-become scraggly and untidy looking. The others moved in close, and Garry

-noticed all at once that he and Patch were the center of attention. He

-had a feeling then that something important was about to be said.

-

-"Garry, Patch," Captain Eaton said slowly, "you respect my judgment and

-my experience, don't you?"

-

-"Sure," the boys answered together, puzzled looks on their faces.

-

-"Well then, you do believe I would do the best I knew for all of us,

-don't you?"

-

-Garry and Patch nodded again.

-

-"I've got something to say to the two of you," the captain continued,

-"and it's very important to me that you abide by my decision. Will you

-promise to do so if I tell you it will be to your best interests?"

-

-The boys thought a moment, then nodded together, trusting the man they

-had come to admire and respect.

-

-Just then Garry noticed the pair of space suits lying on the floor

-nearby, and they looked as if work had been done on them. They seemed to

-have been made smaller by the adjustable straps with which all such

-space suits were equipped.

-

-"As you can see, fellows," the captain said, "the rest of us didn't

-sleep much, but we were grateful that the two of you could, because it

-gave us time to come to our decision."

-

-Garry and Patch watched the captain's face intently, the suspense

-building up in them moment by moment. Garry had a hunch that he and

-Patch would not like what they were going to hear.

-

-The captain took a deep breath and said, "I'll come right out with it.

-The rest of us are forced to face the sad fact that rescue isn't coming.

-But there's no reason for everyone to perish. Garry, we decided that you

-and Patch...."

-

-As his voice trailed off, Garry saw the picture. "You want us to take

-the space suits and--and go out there."

-

-"It wasn't an easy decision to reach, Garry," Mac spoke. "We may be

-sending the two of you to a worse fate than would happen to you here.

-But in that way there lies a _chance_ for you. Here the chances would be

-very little. We are all agreed on that."

-

-"But why us?" Garry protested. "Why not two of the rest of you? We

-thought we had become one of you by now. We should all have drawn lots

-to see who would go. It's not democratic this way."

-

-"It's because we're kids, isn't it?" Patch asked. "You're packing us off

-like children to bed! We won't leave you here!"

-

-"Remember your promise, fellows," Captain Eaton said. "This is the way

-we want it. Believe us, we really do--unanimously."

-

-"There's even a chance you might make heroes of yourselves," Isaac

-added. "You may find someone who can come and rescue us before it's too

-late."

-

-"We realize it won't be easy for you to leave us behind, and it won't be

-easy to set out across unknown country for an unknown destination. It'll

-take courage, gentlemen, plenty of courage, more courage than it will

-require for us to stay on here," Mr. Klecker said.

-

-Garry could find no further argument. The others were too much against

-him and Patch. They simply would not have it any other way. In the end

-the boys gave in, but they felt guilty for accepting what was seemingly

-the only way to survival.

-

-Some time later the boys were ready to start out. The space suits still

-were a little large, but they would serve. Garry wore the luminous green

-suit, Patch the luminous orange one. The boots were so large that Garry

-and Patch had to wear them over their shoes. The helmets were big and

-bulky, but in the moon's light gravity they were not too heavy.

-

-When the boys were sealed in the suits completely, Captain Eaton ran a

-careful check on them--the air pressure and temperature, and the

-"walkie-talkie" radios that would enable the boys to talk to each other.

-Finally, the fellows were loaded down with all the supplies they could

-be expected to need. This included spare oxygen tanks, water bottles,

-and liquid food in tubes. These tubes could be squeezed through an

-opening in the helmet so that one in a space suit could take nourishment

-without opening his helmet.

-

-Garry argued against taking nearly all of the spare supplies and leaving

-their friends with very little.

-

-"You must take them," Captain Eaton insisted. "If you do not have enough

-to get you to the settlement, there is no purpose in starting out at

-all. Now, no more arguments."

-

-There finally came the moment of parting, which everyone dreaded.

-Garry's heart was heavy at the thought of leaving these people he had

-grown so fond of in such a short time. Very likely he and Patch would

-never see any of them again.

-

-Garry could see that the men's eyes were troubled and sorrowful. They

-didn't seem to know just how to say farewell. Isaac and Gino gave a

-little nervous wave of their hands. Mr. Klecker shook hands formally.

-Mac gave them a warm pat on the back.

-

-Captain Eaton walked slowly over to the air lock with the boys--slowly,

-as if he did not want to let them go. Garry and Patch had removed their

-helmets and held them in their hands. The captain had his arms around

-their shoulders, embracing them like a father.

-

-"Well, don't let's be sissies about this," the captain said with forced

-lightheartedness. "Let's just pretend that you boys are going on a short

-trip and that you'll be back in a little while. No sad words, no tears,

-eh?"

-

-"That's how we want it, Captain Eaton," Garry answered, but his throat

-was so tight he could hardly speak.

-

-"Whatever you do, don't give up," their older friend advised. "Take care

-of yourselves and don't lose your heads if you meet a crisis. And don't

-come back, whatever happens. It won't help."

-

-The captain took a piece of paper from Mac and gave it to Garry. "Mac

-and I have plotted your course as nearly as we can from what we remember

-of this territory. We both had a course in lunar study at one time.

-Follow these landmarks closely. You will be heading straight for the

-mining settlement, and if, by chance, a search flier should be coming

-from that direction, try to catch their attention by waving. They will

-probably be looking for you, and your bright-colored suits will make you

-stand out pretty strong against the gray ground."

-

-Garry was studying the penciled map. "What is this gray part that you've

-shown here, Captain?"

-

-"It's an area of rugged rock formations," the captain explained. "You've

-got to go through it, as there is no way around. You must proceed with

-extreme caution, because we haven't any flashlights left to give you.

-And, owing to the fact that there is just a trace of air on Luna, the

-earthshine can't penetrate into the shadows. You will literally have to

-inch yourselves along until you're in the open again."

-

-The captain explained more of the dangers in this area and showed Garry

-and Patch other points on the map and what they stood for.

-

-Finally, the boys had their last look at the man who had been the best

-friend to them that they had ever known. Garry studied the captain's

-brave, forced smile, and he could see the elderly man's efforts to keep

-himself under control.

-

-Captain Eaton wiped his moist palm on his trousers and then pushed the

-button that swung open the inner door of the air lock.

-

-"There's something I must tell both of you before you go," he said. "I

-made application for adoption of you two as my sons just before we had

-the accident. I have a friend in a high position back on earth who, I

-felt, could put through the papers quickly if they were approved. I

-never told you this, though, because I did not want to raise your hopes

-falsely in case the adoption was not approved. But I couldn't let you go

-not knowing what I had tried to do."

-

-"We would have liked you for a father," Patch said.

-

-Garry was too choked up to say anything except, "Let's go, Patch, before

-we change our minds and never go at all."

-

-"Yes, that is better," the captain said. "Good-by, boys, and may God go

-with you."

-

-The boys pulled on their helmets, and Captain Eaton helped fit them

-tightly. Then he made a little farewell wave with his hand and motioned

-the boys into the air lock. A moment later the door swished shut. The

-outer door opened, and the bleak face of Luna beckoned to them. They

-stepped out into the gray dust, and the "snowshoe" plates added to the

-bottom of their boots kept them from sinking too deeply into the moon

-dust.

-

-They were now on their own.

-

-

-

-

-                             17. DARK PERIL

-

-

-Because of the light moon gravity, the boys found that they could move

-easily in spite of the deep dust and of the equipment strapped to their

-backs. The equipment took up as much room as it would have on earth, but

-here it weighed only one sixth of its earth weight and so was not much

-of a burden.

-

-In a short while they were out of sight of the flier. They had mounted a

-low-lying hill and crossed down the other side. It would still be a long

-time before they got out of the giant crater in which the flier had

-landed, but by the time they did get out they would be well along toward

-their destination.

-

-"We seem to be making good time, Patch," Garry said over his helmet

-radio.

-

-"Yeah," Patch replied. "It's so much easier walking on the moon than it

-is on the earth, once you get the hang of it."

-

-"Just think, Patch. Captain Eaton really was going to try to adopt us,"

-Garry said. "And all the time we thought he didn't care enough."

-

-"He's one in a million, Garry. He would have been the grandest father a

-guy could ever have."

-

-"What do you mean he _would_ have?" Garry protested. "He _will_ be our

-father. We're going to _save_ him, Patch. We're going to save all of

-them."

-

-"I want to save them too," Patch said earnestly. "I'd sure hate for us

-to make it and them not to."

-

-"Maybe we shouldn't talk so much," Garry advised. "It uses up more

-oxygen, and I don't think we have a surplus of it."

-

-They slogged silently through the gray dust in the bouncy, light-footed

-motion that they had become accustomed to by now. Every once in a while

-Garry would glance about him at the forbidding countryside of this dead

-world. Sight of the desolation chilled his soul. He wondered at first

-why this was so. Then he supposed that it must be because there was so

-much absolute _deadness_ all about. For nothing could live in the

-numbing cold and the boiling-hot temperatures that came to this

-landscape periodically. No, he and Patch were the only living creatures

-from one horizon to the other, and this fact was enough to give anyone

-the shivers.

-

-Finally Garry broke the long silence.

-

-"Patch, do you notice we're able to move along easier now?" he asked.

-

-"It's because the dust is thinning out, isn't it?" Patch replied. "But I

-see the rocky country up ahead that the captain was telling us about."

-

-"Yes," Garry said, "and from the way he talked, it's going to be plenty

-rugged getting through there."

-

-They increased their speed, now that the going was easier.

-

-Garry stole a look at the big green jewel of earth afloat in the black

-sea of space, for it alone seemed to lend an air of friendliness and

-security to the otherwise lonely, sinister surroundings. The walls of

-Hornfield Crater about them were jagged as sharks' teeth as they reached

-up into the darkness. The stars seemed to Garry like sparkling

-snowflakes dusted across the entire vault of the sky. The nebulae were

-like misty clouds, and there was the long arch of a great comet crossing

-just above the horizon and standing out remarkably because of its being

-so different from everything else in the whole visible sweep of the

-heavens.

-

-After a few hours of steady hiking, Patch suggested that they take a

-short break to rest and eat. Garry was ready for the same.

-

-Garry checked their map and compared the markings on it to their true

-surroundings. "We seem to be still on course, Patch," he said.

-

-By now they had moved up on a higher plateau within the crater, and the

-dust had thinned so that solid rock could be felt underfoot. But not far

-beyond lay the wilderness of rock they had seen earlier at a distance.

-How huge and forbidding the region looked!

-

-Garry stopped walking and plopped down in his tracks, heaving a sigh.

-Patch sat down beside him.

-

-Garry took tubes of liquid food and a couple of water bottles from the

-pack he carried. He offered Patch his share and took some for himself.

-

-Each boy unscrewed a plate that covered the mouth of his helmet. Behind

-this was a rubber disk with a self-sealing opening in the middle of it.

-All the boys had to do was thrust the tubes of food and water through

-these openings and take them between their lips. By squeezing the tubes,

-they forced the contents into their mouths.

-

-"Got a napkin?" Patch joked, when they were through. "I'd like to wipe

-my mouth."

-

-"Sorry," Garry answered, "but they haven't figured out a way to do that

-yet."

-

-Patch climbed to his feet, screwing his outer mouthplate back on. "Well,

-that wasn't exactly like carving into a steak, but I guess it'll do

-until we can get something better," he said.

-

-They started out again, and soon approached the forbidding rocky region

-they had dreaded. The ground was rough and uneven. Garry looked ahead,

-and it was like staring into the mouth of a vast cavern.

-

-"We've got to be careful, Patch," Garry warned, as he slowed down and

-held back his friend. "There may be bad crevasses across our path, and

-they could be the end of us if we should fall in."

-

-Garry took the responsibility of going first. Patch was right behind,

-holding on to a strap on Garry's suit.

-

-It was like going into a dark underworld thriving with all kinds of

-unknown dangers. Although he was following very closely, Patch could

-barely see Garry's outline ahead of him. Garry would carefully slide one

-foot ahead of him to be sure he had solid ground underfoot.

-

-After what seemed a very long time, Patch complained: "This is giving me

-the willies, Garry. How much farther do you think we've got to go?

-Besides, this is slowing us down almost to a crawl."

-

-"I think I see a break up ahead," Garry encouraged. "It seems we're

-making a wide turn, and the farther we go the more earthshine I think I

-can make out."

-

-"Gee, I'd give anything I've got for a light of some kind," Patch

-groaned.

-

-"That's about the only thing they couldn't provide for us," Garry said.

-"Remember we used up our flashlight when we cut down on our power supply

-in the flier."

-

-"I remember," Patch returned.

-

-Patch felt that Garry was slowly descending as he walked.

-

-"Hey, where are you going?" Patch asked.

-

-"There seems to be an incline going down," Garry replied. "I sure hope

-it comes back up and doesn't drop off so that we can't cross to the

-other side."

-

-"Ugh," Patch shuddered. "Don't even _think_ about that. Remember,

-Captain Eaton told us not to come back."

-

-"Just keep up with me and go slowly," Garry instructed. "We'll find out

-what's ahead in a few minutes."

-

-Down, down they went on a gentle slope.

-

-"When are we going to start up?" Patch asked worriedly.

-

-"I don't know," Garry replied, a little anxious himself.

-

-Suddenly Garry moved too fast for Patch to keep up and lost contact with

-him. Patch lost his head momentarily and cried out, dashing forward to

-regain touch with Garry. In his haste, Patch tripped and fell on the

-jagged rocks. On the earth this would have been a bad fall, but the

-weaker gravity here saved him from serious injury. But the weaker

-gravity also gave him a longer sprawl and carried him down the slope.

-

-As soon as Garry heard Patch's frantic cry, he grabbed wildly in the

-darkness, hoping by chance to reach his friend. But his hands met only

-empty air.

-

-Patch's shrieks were cut off abruptly, and stark silence filled Garry's

-ears.

-

-"Patch!" Garry called, dread making him tremble all over. "Patch, where

-are you?"

-

-He had a mad impulse to leap down the incline, grabbing desperately at

-anything within reach. But he knew this could be disastrous for both

-himself and Patch.

-

-Slowly, Garry inched farther downward, heartsick as he considered the

-things that might have happened to his friend--a fall knocking him out

-or worse, or a tumble down a deep, treacherous pit.

-

-"Patch!" he kept calling. "Patch!"

-

-The frightening moments of anguish were relieved when Garry finally

-heard a faint voice.

-

-"Patch, where are you?" Garry asked over and over, as he inched

-downward, ever downward.

-

-"Here, Garry," came the very weak voice.

-

-Thinking Patch was still far off, Garry slid his feet with more urgent

-speed through the utter blackness. Then the toe of his boot kicked

-something soft.

-

-"Garry, don't!" came a low-pitched, terrified voice. "You're kicking the

-hand I'm holding on by!"

-

-Then Garry realized what had happened, and the thought of the costly

-mistake he had almost made sickened him for a moment. Patch's radio

-antenna had evidently been damaged in his fall, making his call for help

-seem farther off than he really was.

-

-Garry stooped down, his hands closing over the gloved hand he had nearly

-knocked from its precarious position.

-

-"Garry!" Patch said, his voice still a little hysterical. "I'm hanging

-on a cliff of some kind, and my feet aren't touching anything! Please,

-Garry, get me up before I let go! I feel my hands slipping!"

-

-"Hold on, Patch! Try to keep holding! I've got to get a foothold or we

-both may go over!"

-

-Garry quickly kicked loose dust from underfoot and brushed it some more

-with his gloved hands. Then he leaned over and reached for Patch's

-clinging hands. He slid his own hands below Patch's wrists, closing his

-fingers about those wrists for dear life.

-

-"I've got a good hold, Patch," Garry panted. "Brace your feet and help

-me as I try to pull you up. Ready?"

-

-"Ready, Garry!" came Patch's weak voice.

-

-Making sure his feet were well anchored, Garry pulled with all his

-might. For an instant Patch's body resisted him like a dead weight.

-Then, with an almost superhuman effort, Garry was able to hoist him up

-... up ... up and over onto the ledge safely. Then both of them slumped

-exhaustedly on the rocky brink.

-

-The boys were quiet for several seconds as they caught their breath in

-the pitch darkness and considered how close it had come to being all

-over for Patch.

-

-"Garry," his grateful friend managed to say finally, "I'll make it up to

-you. If we ever get out of this alive, I'll make it up to you."

-

-"Never mind that," Garry said. "You didn't lose anything when you fell?

-You've still got the extra oxygen tanks?"

-

-A dead silence followed, and that silence caused Garry to feel a clutch

-of dread.

-

-"You lost them, didn't you?" he asked with a hopeless groan.

-

-Garry heard a faint sob over his helmet receiver. Then Patch fairly wept

-out the words he next spoke: "Yes, yes, I did! Push me back in, Garry!

-Push me back in! We're lost for sure now!"

-

-

-

-

-                         18. STRANGE DISCOVERY

-

-

-It took a long time for the boys to pull themselves together after

-experiencing this final fateful blow. Down into the depths with those

-precious air cylinders had gone whatever chance the boys had for

-escaping alive from the cruel moon and for saving their friends. Patch

-broke down and Garry felt just as badly himself, but he managed to hold

-back the tears.

-

-"Garry," Patch burst out, "we may as well go back and die with the

-others now! There's no use at all in going on any farther!" His voice

-still sounded far off to Garry because of the damaged antenna.

-

-"If we went back, then _they_ would no longer have any hope," Garry

-argued. "We took everything else they had. We've got to leave them

-hope--even until the end. Besides, we couldn't accomplish anything by

-going back. Maybe, Patch, there's just the barest chance that we have

-enough oxygen to reach the settlement. Or enough to get out into the

-open again and wait to see if a rescue flier comes over."

-

-"I'm not moving, Garry!" Patch snapped in utter despair. "I'm not going,

-do you hear?"

-

-"You _are_ going," Garry said determinedly. "You're going if I have to

-carry you! It's no time to quit, Patch."

-

-"Then when _is_ it time?" Patch shot back. "You and your hopes, Garry!

-Always hoping, even when there isn't a smidgin of a chance."

-

-"It may be only a smidgin," Garry said firmly, "but sometimes that's

-enough. Now stop being a quitter and get to your feet."

-

-There was only silence over Garry's receiver for several tense seconds.

-Garry didn't know what he would do if Patch chose to defy him again. He

-knew he could not really make his friend do anything his heart refused

-to do.

-

-But Patch solved this latest problem himself. Garry heard rustling

-sounds as Patch climbed slowly to his feet.

-

-"I'm sorry I talked rough, Patch," Garry apologized. "I don't think

-we've quarreled twice in all our lives, have we? But we're in this thing

-together, and we've got to keep going, no matter how bad things look.

-We've just _got_ to, don't you see?"

-

-"We're talking about keeping going," Patch returned, "but we can't even

-get across this crevasse. How do you propose to do that? Besides that,

-we can't even see as well as moles in this darkness."

-

-"Let's walk along the edge, first in one direction and then the other,"

-Garry said. "Maybe the crevasse narrows and disappears before too far!"

-

-They began exploring the treacherous cliff edge, moving slowly and

-carefully along in one direction. Every once in a while they tested the

-width of the chasm. Garry would get down on hands and knees and reach

-out, feeling with his hand to see if he could contact the other side.

-Time after time this was done, but each time his hands met empty air.

-

-After a tedious hour, Patch complained bitterly, "Can't you see it's

-hopeless, Garry? Gee whiz, what does it take to convince you?"

-

-"Let's try a few more times," Garry replied doggedly. "Then if we still

-can't find a way across, we'll start going along the crevasse in the

-other direction."

-

-Patch did not reply to this, and Garry knew how bitter his friend must

-feel toward him after so many setbacks.

-

-The next time Garry got down on his hands and knees and reached out, his

-probing hand touched hard, firm rock on the other side!

-

-"Patch!" he shouted. "I've found a place where we can cross!"

-

-Even Patch was heartened by this and made an enthusiastic comment. In

-the hope of finding the crevasse even narrower and safer farther along,

-Garry followed the ledge, and, sure enough, it grew narrower and

-narrower until it was a crack in the ground only a few inches across.

-

-Making the crossing to the other side, the boys, in feeling their way

-along, found that the ground began to rise again. Garry still maintained

-the lead, with Patch holding onto him and following blindly only a step

-behind.

-

-Up, up the slope they went, and before long they could see rays of light

-flickering down into their eyes.

-

-Soon there was enough light so that they could see a little distance

-ahead. They quickened their steps, although it still required some care

-on their part to avoid the sharp-edged stones and rugged underfooting

-that still lay in front of them.

-

-But the light grew steadily brighter and the trail flatter.

-

-"Look, Patch, I can see the stars again!" Garry was soon able to say.

-

-Then, scarcely before they realized it, they were completely out of the

-shadows of the rocky formation that had very nearly finished them. Above

-and behind them once more shone the big bright ball of earth floating

-among the stars.

-

-"Good old earth!" Patch exclaimed, with new hope. "I never thought I'd

-see it again!"

-

-"It's a great sight!" Garry agreed.

-

-"Garry," Patch said, "we can see right over the top of the crater wall

-in the distance. We seem to be higher than we were when we started."

-

-"I've noticed that too," Garry replied. "I'll check the map again."

-

-Garry did so, then told Patch that they were still on course.

-

-They moved on and presently stood at the raised edge of a gradually

-lowering basin that stretched out very far and flat ahead of them. They

-could see a break in the crater wall a few miles away, which the captain

-had pointed out to them on the map.

-

-"It looks like we'll have easy traveling for awhile," Garry said, "and

-we'll be right out in the open in case a flier comes over. They'll be

-sure to see us unless they're completely blind."

-

-"Garry," Patch said in a thoughtful voice, "I'm sorry."

-

-"Huh?" Garry asked in surprise.

-

-"I'm sorry for the way I acted. I lost my head completely. When I found

-out I'd lost the air cylinders over the ledge, I just seemed to go to

-pieces. It's a good thing one of us knows how to keep his head."

-

-"Forget it, Patch," Garry soothed. "It could have been me just as easy

-as you. Besides, that's not important now. We've still got a long way to

-go, and time is running short."

-

-Suddenly, Patch ran past Garry in great haste and stood staring over the

-plain below, shielding his eyes with his hands.

-

-Garry joined him. "Patch, what is it? Do you see something?"

-

-"It's impossible!" Patch gasped. "It's completely impossible!"

-

-"What?" Garry begged, his own excitement growing.

-

-"Look! There's somebody walking around down there or else I'm seeing

-things!"

-

-Garry looked where Patch pointed, and he too found it hard to believe

-his eyes. There _was_ someone or something moving around.

-

-"I see it!" Garry said. "Come on, let's go down and get a closer look!"

-

-"I just hope it isn't in as bad shape as we are!" Patch exclaimed.

-

-They hurried as fast as they dared over the bumpy ground, heading

-straight for the person or thing that was moving about in seemingly

-aimless fashion on the plain below.

-

-"He sees us!" Patch said. "He's coming toward us!"

-

-Swiftly the distance closed between the boys and the lone stranger. And

-then Garry and Patch received the surprise of their lives.

-

-"Katrinka!" they shouted together, not believing what they saw.

-

-"It can't be!" Patch cried in amazement. "Garry, we must be seeing a

-mirage or something! How could Katrinka...?"

-

-"It's Katrinka all right!" Garry said, as the robot drew close enough to

-be fully recognized. "But I don't understand it. I don't understand it

-at all! Katrinka crashed with the _Carefree_ and poor Ben! But even if

-she didn't crash, how is it she's wandering around out here on the

-moon?"

-

-"And what could make her start moving toward us?" Patch asked, as the

-mystery deepened. "You'll never make me believe she's _really_ human,

-although at times it seemed that she was."

-

-The big robot stopped in front of the boys and remained still. Garry and

-Patch felt almost as if they should say "Hello," because indeed it was

-like meeting an old friend.

-

-After a few moments of remaining stock still, Katrinka turned and

-started shuffling off with great long strides.

-

-"What'll we do, Garry?" Patch asked. "Follow her? But that would be

-silly! She's still an unthinking machine."

-

-"I don't know, Patch. This whole thing seems very strange, although it

-may be that she was merely thrown clear when the _Carefree_ crashed and

-somehow her works were activated by the jolt. And yet I have the feeling

-that she almost knows what she's doing, as if she wants us to follow

-her."

-

-"Now you're talking spooky," Patch said. "You don't really believe that

-Katrinka can _think_!"

-

-"I don't know what to believe," Garry replied. "But I sure would like to

-follow her a little way to see just what she's going to do next."

-

-"But our air, Garry! We don't have enough to waste on playing 'follow

-the leader'!"

-

-"Just a little way, Patch. Who knows--this might even lead to something

-important."

-

-"I think you're way off base, Garry, but I'll admit I'm curious too.

-Let's go."

-

-Katrinka had already gained some distance on them while they were

-debating what to do, and she did not wait for them. They started running

-to catch up and presently did so. But the robot traveled at such a fast

-pace that they still had to move in long, antelopelike jumps to keep up.

-

-Katrinka was definitely headed in one particular direction because she

-varied hardly any in her line of motion. She seemed to be going toward

-an area where the rocks rose high and ominous looking. It was much like

-the spot where the boys had had their recent harrowing experience.

-

-"Garry, please," Patch begged, panting for breath, "let's call this

-crazy chase off! That athletic gal is running me ragged! Besides, she

-seems to be taking us straight into those rocky walls!"

-

-"Well, there's one thing certain," Garry replied. "She's _got_ to change

-direction pretty quick, or she'll crash into something. Let's stick it

-out a few more minutes."

-

-They drew closer to the shadowy outcropping. But the robot did not even

-slow her pace. The boys knew she was heading for a collision, but there

-was nothing they could do but watch.

-

-Somehow she got past the first row of stones, tripping and nearly

-falling, then recovering automatically. But her luck was short lived.

-The path went downhill beyond this spot, and her big metal foot slammed

-against a boulder. The robot arched through the air and crashed

-headfirst into a rocky wall. It crumpled her metal cranium, spewing out

-wires and electronic parts.

-

-The boys came running up and stood looking at the fallen giant.

-

-"Poor old Katrinka," Garry said. "She was almost like one of us. It's

-nearly as if another one of us had died."

-

-"Yeah, I liked the old gal," Patch replied. "She may have survived a

-crash on the moon, but it's a cinch she's reached the end of her rope

-now."

-

-Garry cast a look around to see what sort of area they had come into.

-His eyes followed the downhill trail ahead that Katrinka would still be

-following had she not had her accident.

-

-What he saw brought a gasp of astonishment from him, and a nervous

-tremor coursed through his body.

-

-"Patch, look!" he shouted. "The _Carefree_! There's the _Carefree_ down

-there, half buried in moon dust!"

-

-They rushed down the trail to get a closer look. The giant space ship

-was indeed buried half of her depth in pumice dust. The rear air lock

-was level with the ground, and extending from the air lock was a

-gangplank!

-

-The boys moved up to the edge of the gangplank, looking it over in

-bafflement.

-

-"Don't tell me Katrinka put that down and walked out of the ship on it!"

-Patch challenged. "You can't get me to believe that, Garry."

-

-"No, you're right; she couldn't possibly have done that on her own. She

-might have done it, Patch, but she would have had to be guided by an

-intelligent _human_ brain."

-

-"Garry, what are you saying? Are you trying to say that Ben might have

-survived that crash and rigged up Katrinka so that she could go out

-looking for us? Why, that's fantastic!"

-

-"We'll soon find out if it's so fantastic," Garry said. "The ship is

-nearly undamaged, as you can see."

-

-"What are you going to do?" Patch asked, as Garry moved ahead.

-

-"I'm going to walk that gangplank up to the air lock and see if Ben is

-inside."

-

-They could see that the gangplank had been put down because of the depth

-of the Lunar dust. It was obviously quite deep in this area, since the

-_Carefree_ itself was half buried in it. Deep, enormous dust pits were

-very common on the moon and were among the most dangerous obstacles to

-travel, because they never gave any indication of how deep they were

-until someone fell in and was suffocated.

-

-Carefully, Garry, with Patch right behind him, stepped out on the narrow

-gangplank and moved slowly forward toward the air lock at the other end.

-It was a little unsteady underfoot, but it was rigid and did not sink

-beneath the boys' light lunar weight. Besides, Garry felt pretty sure

-now that Katrinka had crossed it, and she was far heavier than both of

-them together.

-

-Garry reached the air lock, his heart thumping rapidly with hope and

-expectation. He raised his gloved hand and began pounding on the outer

-door.

-

-They waited. Five seconds, then ten, fifteen....

-

-Garry's hopes began to dim. It didn't look as if there were anyone alive

-inside after all.

-

-But then the air-lock door began to swing open. The boys scrambled

-inside, too tense and excited to speak to one another. They heard air

-swishing into the air lock. Then, after another half minute, the inner

-door swung open.

-

-Standing there inside facing them was--Ben.

-

-

-

-

-                             19. A NEW LIFE

-

-

-"Ben!" Garry exclaimed jubilantly, rushing into the main part of the

-ship. "Is it really you?"

-

-"I'm not a ghost," Ben said with a grin, "if that's what you mean."

-

-"How did you ever do it?" Patch asked, amazement written all over his

-chubby features. "I mean crash-land the _Carefree_."

-

-"First tell me how the others are," Ben asked anxiously.

-

-Garry told him that they were all right, at least for the time being.

-

-Ben was limping as he moved about. Patch asked about this, and Ben said

-it would come out in his story. The boys had entered into the central

-tunnel of the _Carefree_, with its webbing network, and Garry noticed

-that Ben had laid down metallic sheets over the webbing so that it could

-be more easily stood upon.

-

-Ben sat down on this and began his story.

-

-"I had made plans to remain aboard the _Carefree_ before we even started

-working on the flier. When I found that the space taxi would hold only

-seven passengers safely, I knew someone had to stay behind. I was afraid

-the captain would realize that the flier would be overcrowded, but I

-guess he was too busy thinking about other things. The likely one to bow

-out was myself, because I felt that quite possibly I might be able to

-bring the _Carefree_ down in one piece. I knew this region of Hornfield

-was full of huge dust pits that could cushion the fall of a ship if she

-belly-landed in one of them just right. But don't think I wasn't scared

-even thinking of trying such a thing! Don't get me wrong, fellows--I

-wasn't out to make a hero of myself!"

-

-"You must have had some control over the ship," Garry said, "otherwise

-she would have crashed headlong onto the moon."

-

-"I had some control," Ben explained. "As soon as I released the flier

-from the _Carefree_, I started my attempt to save the ship and myself as

-well. I donned a pressure suit and went into the flight deck. Remember,

-I had gone in there before, soon after the collision. I had noticed then

-that most of the instrument panel had been destroyed."

-

-"I remember too, Ben, that you helped build the _Carefree_," Garry said,

-"so you must've known a lot about her."

-

-"I tore out the cover of the console and began working in the section

-beneath. With tools, I was able to get the braking jets to functioning.

-This slowed the ship down to a slow orbit around the moon and gave me

-time to work on the steering controls. I couldn't do much with them, but

-I was able to move the ship a little to the port or starboard side, as I

-wished. I knew this was as far as I could go, but with some luck I felt

-there was a chance of bringing her down safely."

-

-"Why didn't you try this before we all left the ship?" Patch wanted to

-know.

-

-Ben shook his head. "Risk everybody's life on some crazy plan of my own?

-No, it was too farfetched in the first place, and I guess I would not

-even have tried it myself unless I'd had to. The flier was much the

-safer route to safety, and that's why getting it to go was my first

-concern. With you guys out of the way, I had no one's life to risk but

-my own."

-

-"How did you manage to land as close to the flier as you did?" Garry

-asked.

-

-"My first thought was to land near one of the settlements, because if I

-did make it, then I would immediately send out a search party for the

-rest of you. But I knew I _had_ to land in one of the vast dust pits on

-Luna, because the ship would be destroyed by friction if it skidded

-along the bare ground. I made one orbit of the moon as the ship slowed

-down more and more and lost altitude. I knew roughly in what area the

-flier would likely come down, and I remembered Hornfield Crater as one

-being full of dust pits. As the ship glided lower and lower, I figured

-this would be where I would try to bring her down. The pit we're in now

-is a very large, long trough, maybe a quarter of a mile long and a

-hundred feet wide. I therefore had a pretty good chance of landing in

-it."

-

-"Gee, you had a lot of nerve to try something like that!" Patch

-exclaimed.

-

-"I took one last look out where I hoped to come down," Ben said, "and

-then went under the console into the working parts again. I cut out a

-few of the upper braking jets, and this caused the ship to nose down. I

-felt it plough into the dust as if into a big flour barrel. The ship

-heated up from the friction created, but it slowed her down rapidly, and

-she came to rest on this spot, half buried in pumice. Even so, I nearly

-missed the dust pit, landing only about thirty feet from the edge of

-it."

-

-"Now what about Katrinka?" Garry asked. "You did send her out, didn't

-you?"

-

-"Right. I sprained my ankle when the ship landed and I was thrown

-against some machinery. I could hardly walk, but I wanted to make

-contact with the rest of you if it were possible. I then figured that

-the old gal might be able to help me. I worked her over so that I could

-operate her by remote control. I also made for her a command disk, so

-that when she moved near one of you or the flier she would give a radio

-signal to me. I laid down the gangplank myself over the pit, because I

-knew Katrinka would sink down in the dust. It nearly killed me getting

-about and using a hoist to lower the gangplank to the opposite bank, but

-I finally managed it."

-

-"Then you sent her out?" Patch asked.

-

-"Yes. I used a small telescope to keep track of her. I couldn't be sure

-where the rest of you had come down, but my plan was to start her moving

-about in a gradually enlarging circle. I was hoping that some of you

-would see her and come over to investigate. Once you had done that, I

-felt sure you would have the curiosity to follow her wherever she led

-you. And this you two fortunately did."

-

-"We nearly didn't," Patch said. "We thought Katrinka had been thrown

-clear of the _Carefree_ after it had crashed and somehow had gotten

-accidentally activated as she had done once on the ship."

-

-They heard a rap on the outer air-lock door. Patch and Garry exchanged

-bewildered glances, but Ben did not seem very surprised.

-

-"That must be the men from the settlement," he said, limping over to the

-air lock and shoving the lever that opened the outer door. "I haven't

-had time to tell you yet that I got through a message to them. You see,

-before I even thought of the trick with Katrinka, I was working on that

-damaged antenna dish that had prevented our sending an SOS after our

-collision in space. At first I didn't have any replies, and I figured

-there must be interference from the Taurus Mountains beyond."

-

-"That must be why _our_ SOS didn't go through!" Patch said.

-

-Ben went on: "I increased my transmitting power and finally got through.

-It's been less than an hour ago that they said they would send over a

-Service flier rocket immediately."

-

-The two men who entered the air lock a few moments later were Commander

-Staples and his lieutenant, both members of the Space Service. They had

-been making a routine flight over the moon when they had been contacted

-by the mining scientists who had picked up Ben's SOS.

-

-The two men had arrived in a big space flier that could easily take care

-of Captain Eaton and the others. Ben and the boys were anxious to get

-started so that the long-drawn-out ordeal their friends had been

-undergoing could be ended as quickly as possible. Commander Staples said

-they could leave immediately.

-

-The boys pulled on their helmets, and the officers helped Ben get into a

-pressure suit. This was painful for Ben because of his swollen ankle.

-Then, with everyone dressed to go out onto the moon's surface, Ben

-pushed the lever that opened the inner air-lock door. Once outside, they

-started in single file across the gangplank. Ben was in the middle and

-limped along slowly with his hands on the shoulders of the officer in

-front of him to steady himself.

-

-On the way to the flier, they passed the smashed metal body of Katrinka.

-The officers looked at the strange robot with great interest, and Ben

-explained her to them.

-

-"She won't remain out here to die," Ben said over his suit radio, as if

-he were talking about a human being. "When we return to the _Carefree_

-one of these days, we'll rebuild her, and she'll be as good as new."

-

-The boys were glad to hear this because now they realized that every one

-of their little group on the _Carefree_ would survive the frightening

-adventure and that once again they would all be together, including

-their robot friend.

-

-"Ben," Patch asked, "will the _Carefree_ ever fly again?"

-

-"That's up to Captain Eaton," Ben replied. "It will take a lot of money

-to put her in shape again, and that includes a powerful set of rockets

-to lift her into space. But knowing how much the captain likes her, I

-believe he'll spare no expense making her space borne again."

-

-Commander Staples said to Ben: "I heard you mention Captain Eaton. Our

-radio picked up a spacegram that was addressed to a Captain Eaton. We

-tape those messages routinely, and I'll be able to give it to him when

-we see him."

-

-The Service flier was a sleek, streamlined rocket with fins that were

-built to support the craft in the earth's atmosphere, if need be. She

-also had powerful jets for lifting her up off the surface of any of the

-minor planets.

-

-Commander Staples asked the boys to point out to him on a chart the

-approximate location of their flier, and Garry estimated the position as

-accurately as he could.

-

-Then, with everyone belted down, the flier's rocket roared into action,

-and the craft lifted into the dark sky. It was a very short trip, and

-the ship did not have to fly too high. Commander Staples' assistant

-spied the flier and pointed it out to his superior. The ship circled the

-area in a gradually lowering spiral and came to rest about a hundred

-feet from the small grounded space taxi.

-

-A few moments later, Ben and the boys were hurrying across the rough

-ground toward the flier. Garry's heart was pounding so hard with joy and

-excitement that he could hear its thumping over his helmet receiver.

-

-Those inside had evidently seen their rescuers arrive, because the outer

-door of the air lock was open to receive them.

-

-Garry would never forget the old captain's happy face when he saw the

-three of them enter. Nor would he forget the tears glistening in the

-corners of Captain Eaton's eyes as he clasped the boys to his chest in a

-great bear hug that nearly squeezed the life out of them.

-

-"Thank God for this great moment!" the old man said in a husky voice.

-"And Ben--even you, whom we had long ago given up for dead! What have I

-ever done to deserve a happy moment like this?"

-

-He released the boys and clasped Ben to him as if he were another lost

-son. Then the others came forward, their faces gleaming with the

-overwhelming joy they felt at seeing the lost ones returning.

-

-"Ben, you old trickster you!" Mac shouted, pounding his friend on the

-back. "How in the world you came out of that thing alive I'll never

-know. But right now I don't care _how_ you did it!"

-

-"Welcome home, stranger!" Isaac said, shaking Ben's hand vigorously as

-only Isaac could do.

-

-"It's most gratifying to see you, Ben," Mr. Klecker said in his butler's

-tone of voice, which, however, did not mean that he was any less deeply

-moved than the others.

-

-Gino then came forward and took his turn at greeting Ben and the boys.

-The celebration went on for several more minutes, and the little flier

-was pleasantly noisy with joking and happy talk.

-

-But, finally, Commander Staples had to interrupt the celebration with a

-smiling, apologetic voice: "I hate to break up this little party, but

-we've got to start back to the mining settlement. You see, I'm on duty

-and I've got a busy schedule. They have accommodations for all of you at

-the settlement, and you can make your future plans as soon as you've

-arrived there."

-

-The prisoners of so long a time in the cramped quarters of the flier

-were only too willing to get out of their prison. The commander and his

-assistant went back to the Service flier to get space suits for those

-who did not have them.

-

-After the suits had been distributed, Commander Staples gave a piece of

-paper to Captain Eaton. "Here's a message for you, Sir, that our radio

-picked up." He winked at the boys. "Something tells me they'll be as

-interested in it as you will be."

-

-The captain read the message and then turned to Garry and Patch with a

-warm expression. "Boys, it looks as though the adoption will go through

-as soon as we go back for a short time and make the arrangements."

-

-"Gee, I--I don't know what to say," Garry murmured, almost too excited

-and happy for words. "It sounds too good to be true!"

-

-"They're the best words you could have said to us, Sir," Patch added.

-"Isn't it just great, Garry!" His sparkling eyes showed how much he

-meant it.

-

-"It'll be a little strange being called, 'Father,'" the captain said,

-smiling, "but I think I'll get used to it pretty quickly."

-

-Captain Eaton stared off with a faraway look. "We'll make up for lost

-time, boys. We'll see as much of the universe as the old _Carefree_ will

-carry us to. Yes, we'll fix her up again if it takes the rest of my

-fortune. You'll get your education among the stars, my sons, and you'll

-be that much wiser because of it."

-

-Garry and Patch exchanged happy glances. Garry thought they were wiser

-already, just from knowing the grand skipper of the _Carefree_.

-

-

-

-

-                          Transcriber's Notes

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-

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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Young Stowaways in Space, by Richard Mace Elam
+
+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 Stowaways in Space
+
+Author: Richard Mace Elam
+
+Release Date: April 14, 2017 [EBook #54547]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG STOWAWAYS IN SPACE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
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+
+
+
+                                 YOUNG
+                               STOWAWAYS
+                                IN SPACE
+
+
+                           By RICHARD M. ELAM
+         Author of Young Readers Science Fiction Stories, etc.
+
+                     ILLUSTRATED BY GERALD MC CANN
+
+
+                   _LANTERN PRESS, INC., PUBLISHERS_
+                         257 PARK AVENUE SOUTH
+                           NEW YORK 10, N. Y.
+
+                Copyright � 1960 by Lantern Press, Inc.
+
+           LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 60-13785
+
+                 PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN CANADA BY
+                    GEORGE J. MC LEOD, LTD., TORONTO
+
+              MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
+
+
+
+
+                                CONTENTS
+
+
+  1. Space Ship _Orion_                                                9
+  2. Blast-off                                                        16
+  3. Stowaways in Space                                               25
+  4. Adrift in the Deeps                                              36
+  5. A "Flying Tin Can"                                               47
+  6. A _Carefree_ World                                               56
+  7. A Shock in the Night                                             65
+  8. Garry Has a Scare                                                75
+  9. Satellite Zone                                                   85
+  10. The Lady Goes Wild                                              94
+  11. A Friend Is Lost                                               107
+  12. A Startling Discovery                                          116
+  13. Abandon Ship!                                                  124
+  14. First Hours on Luna                                            133
+  15. A Dark Outlook                                                 142
+  16. A Sad Parting                                                  150
+  17. Dark Peril                                                     160
+  18. Strange Discovery                                              169
+  19. A New Life                                                     181
+
+
+
+
+                                 YOUNG
+                               STOWAWAYS
+                                IN SPACE
+
+
+
+
+                         1. SPACE SHIP _ORION_
+
+
+The orphanage dormitory was locked in the stillness of slumber. Light
+from the full moon filtered through the large window which ran the
+entire length of the boys sleeping quarters.
+
+Twenty cots filled the dormitory, and all but one held its sleeper.
+Dark-haired Garry Coleman was standing beside his cot, quietly dressing.
+Every now and then he would cast an anxious glance toward the darkened
+door at the end of the dormitory. Above all, he must not disturb the
+charge-of-quarters, or all would be lost.
+
+As he sat on the edge of the cot to put on his shoes, Garry heard a
+squeak from one of the cots. He stiffened, his heart thumping fearfully.
+
+Then Garry breathed easily. He saw that it was only Patch, who occupied
+the bunk next to his.
+
+"Hey, Garry, where are you going?" Patch asked interestedly.
+
+Patch was short and towheaded. He was Garry's best friend, and so Garry
+did not mind telling him.
+
+"I'm going to the spaceport and watch the _Orion_ blast off for the Von
+Braun Space Station. Want to go?"
+
+"Sure thing!" Patch said.
+
+"You'll have to take the same chance that I do," Garry reminded him.
+
+"That's okay by me." Patch grinned. "If we do get caught, we'll just be
+restricted to the grounds for two weeks. That won't keep us out of the
+science lab where we spend a lot of time anyhow."
+
+It was a warm April night. The sky was thick with stars as bright as
+diamond dust.
+
+"I'd give anything to be out there in the deeps among the planets,"
+Garry said, as they hurried across the newly sprouting lawn of the
+orphanage a few minutes later. "The life of a spaceman must be the most
+exciting thing in the world."
+
+"Yeah," Patch agreed. "But I guess we'll never make it, Garry, at least
+not for many years. And they say you sure have to know science and
+navigation. That takes a lot of study."
+
+"I wouldn't care what it takes," Garry said. "I'd be willing to study
+for as long as it would take, because the reward would be worth the
+effort."
+
+Their rapid steps took them onto one of the main streets of the city
+where moving sidewalks, called "Ped-A-Rides," were operating. The
+sidewalk was a continuous belt, about six feet wide, and there were
+benches located at intervals upon it where the pedestrians could sit. A
+railing was on both sides of the Ped-A-Ride, but at intervals of about
+half a block there were gates where pedestrians could enter.
+
+Patch and Garry went to the nearest gate, and Garry pulled the lever
+which slowed the sidewalk down so that they could board it. When Garry
+had deposited their fare in the meter, a bar slid away so that they
+could enter. It was about 2230 o'clock, an hour and a half before
+midnight, and not many people were on the Ped-A-Ride.
+
+The boys took seats, and the sidewalk carried them along into the night.
+
+As the Ped-A-Ride topped the crest of a hill, Garry pointed into the
+distance.
+
+"There she is, Patch--the _Orion_, smoking and straining like a race
+horse, just as if she can't wait to get going!"
+
+"She sure is a beauty," Patch agreed. "The earth-bound ships are a whole
+lot trimmer and better looking than the ships that never touch down."
+
+"The earth-bound ships have to be streamlined so that they can slide
+smoothly through the earth's atmosphere," Garry said, "but the ships
+that remain in space look like a bunch of globes and girders, because
+they never meet the friction of any planet's atmosphere and they don't
+need the sturdiness and rocket power."
+
+Patch laughed. "You sound like one of our schoolbooks, Garry," he said.
+
+As the Ped-A-Ride neared the spaceport, the brilliant lights of the busy
+area merged into a hazy glare that brightened the night until it was
+almost as light as day. The slim prow of the _Orion_ reached higher into
+the sky than any other object on the vast field, even loftier than the
+giant control tower.
+
+"They say the _Orion_ is more space scarred than any other ship in the
+Space Service," Garry remarked. "Meteor dust has grooved her sides so
+much that they look like the scratches on a rifle bullet."
+
+"I knew she was one of the oldest crafts in the Service," Patch said. "I
+guess she's carried many a person to the Von Braun Station on their way
+to Luna and the other planets."
+
+The Ped-A-Ride had nearly reached the gate of the spaceport when Garry
+said to his friend, "Patch, we'd better move down among those people
+ahead of us. It looks like they're going to get off at the port."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"If one of the port police spots us, he might get suspicious seeing a
+couple of kids alone at this time of night. If we mingle with the crowd,
+the police may think we are with them."
+
+They got up and began walking forward along the moving platform. Then
+they took seats behind a man who wore the uniform of the Space Service.
+He had several bags, and it seemed likely that he was going to board the
+_Orion_.
+
+As the Ped-A-Ride neared the port gate, Garry closely studied the
+stalwart young man seated before them. Garry wondered at the many
+experiences that must have been encountered by this spaceman during his
+career.
+
+Garry leaned over and touched the spaceman on the shoulder.
+
+"Excuse me, Sir," he said. "Are you boarding the _Orion_?"
+
+Garry saw a pleasant but deeply lined face turned upward toward his own.
+
+"Yes," the astronaut replied, then asked, "Are you?"
+
+"Er, no, Sir," Garry replied. "We--my friend and I--we just want to see
+her blast off."
+
+The spaceman smiled. "Guess you are pretty interested in space to be
+coming all the way to the port just to see an old crate like the _Orion_
+blast off."
+
+"Yes, we are, Sir," Garry replied. "I'm very interested in it. I hope to
+be a spaceman someday."
+
+"I think you will be, too," the man said confidently. "I can see the
+enthusiasm in your eyes."
+
+"Thanks," Garry returned. "Have you made many trips spaceward?"
+
+"A dozen or so," was the reply. "The number is not important, though,
+you must understand. Usually, one voyage can last quite a while."
+
+The spaceman extended a big, sunburned hand to Garry. "I'm First Space
+Officer Mulroy. What's your name?"
+
+"Garry, Sir. Garry Coleman. My friend here is Patrick Foster, but he's
+called Patch for short."
+
+As the Ped-A-Ride neared the gate of the spaceport, Garry had an idea by
+which he and Patch might get inside without being questioned by the port
+police.
+
+"Mr. Mulroy," Garry said, "I notice that you have some baggage. I wonder
+if Patch and I could help you carry it--maybe aboard the _Orion_."
+
+The officer smiled. "You want to see what she looks like, eh? Okay, it's
+a deal."
+
+"Thank you, Sir," Garry said.
+
+Presently Officer Mulroy stood up. "Here we are, fellows," he said.
+"Let's get our things together quickly. I can't afford to miss my
+blast-off on the _Orion_. I have a sailing date for Mars in a few weeks,
+and the stars wait for no man!"
+
+
+
+
+                              2. BLAST-OFF
+
+
+Once inside the gate, Mr. Mulroy spoke to a uniformed officer, who
+saluted. The officer turned a tiny dial on a lapel button he wore and
+spoke into it. Garry knew this to be a subminiature radio transmitter
+which was in wide use.
+
+Presently, a square little "T-Car," or tote car, drove up. It was
+painted green and white, streamlined, and had seats inside. It had a
+convertible top which was opened now because of the pleasant weather.
+
+The baggageman put the spaceman's things in the compartment, then
+invited his passengers to enter at the door he held open. Garry and
+Patch felt very important as Officer Mulroy motioned them in ahead of
+himself. They felt even more important as they sank down into the soft
+seats and were joined a moment later by this high-ranking officer of the
+Space Service.
+
+The swift little car whisked them off to the Operations Building, to
+which Officer Mulroy had to report before his flight.
+
+When the baggage had been unloaded outside and the T-Car had moved off,
+the spaceman said to the boys, "Wait out here, until I sign up and get
+my instructions. Then we'll carry my things aboard the _Orion_."
+
+While they waited, they turned their attention to the space craft some
+distance away. Its blue, satiny sides reflected the glow of thousands of
+lights on the field. Red smoke still curled up into the night, warning
+of the approach of blast-off time. And yet there was still a little
+while to go, for the spiderwebs of the gantry cranes still hugged the
+sides of the three-stage space vessel. Workmen were swarming all over
+the platforms, making last-minute checks on the ship.
+
+There was a high wire fence around the _Orion_ and only one entrance
+through it. A uniformed official was checking tickets as the passengers
+went through the gate. The official checked Officer Mulroy's ticket, and
+Mr. Mulroy told him it would be all right for the boys to help him carry
+his baggage aboard.
+
+The boys' new friend took them down some steps into a concrete tunnel
+that led to the launching pad. On the way they stopped at a little room
+where Mr. Mulroy was weighed.
+
+"Weight is a very important factor on a space ship," Mr. Mulroy said, as
+they were on their way again.
+
+The tunnel led to an elevator that ran up the side of the rocket. The
+elevator cab rose and rose, high into the black night. Finally, Officer
+Mulroy pressed a button and said this was where they were to get off.
+
+Garry and Patch followed their friend out into a corridor of the space
+ship. Officer Mulroy searched the doors they passed, then recognized his
+own, Stateroom 17. He drew out a key and unlocked the door, then
+preceded the boys into the room.
+
+"Gee, what a tiny room!" Patch exclaimed.
+
+"It has to be this small," Mr. Mulroy said. "Every inch of area on a
+space ship is at a premium, you know. For most travelers, the Von Braun
+Space Station is only a stopover on a longer trip into space. Sometimes
+the layover is for several days or even a week or two. Since rooms
+aboard the space station are very limited, most of the passengers are
+quartered in staterooms in the rocket in which they left earth."
+
+Suddenly, a voice came over a speaker in the room: "Blast-off in ten
+minutes. All nonpassengers are requested to leave the ship."
+
+"That's us," Garry said unhappily.
+
+How he envied Officer Mulroy on his coming trip into the deeps of space!
+He wanted to go so badly that his heart ached. But he realized that not
+for many years could his fondest dream come true.
+
+Officer Mulroy noticed Garry's reluctance to leave, and placed a
+friendly arm around his shoulder. "Don't take it so hard, Garry," he
+said. "Be the very best student you can. The years will go by fast, and
+then one day you will wake up to find that you are eligible to be a
+spaceman."
+
+"Thanks," Garry said, trying to smile convincingly, although he did not
+feel happy. The idea of the future did not interest him now, but only
+the present, because the queen of the spaceways was about to blast off,
+and he wanted so desperately to remain aboard her.
+
+"Let's go, Garry," Patch said. "We don't want to get Officer Mulroy into
+trouble by us being caught aboard at blast-off."
+
+"That's right," Officer Mulroy said with a smile. "Being a stowaway on a
+rocket is really a serious matter. You see, for every pound of pay load
+on a rocket, there must be many more pounds of fuel, so if an extra
+person remained aboard, the ship might not be able to reach its
+destination."
+
+"Thank you for letting us come aboard with you, Mr. Mulroy," Garry said.
+"And I'll remember what you told me."
+
+The space officer insisted on tipping the boys, and it was a generous
+tip at that. As the two left the room he called to them, "Good-by,
+fellows. I'll send you a post card from Mars. That's a promise."
+
+Garry and Patch said good-by and followed the directions that Officer
+Mulroy had given them for leaving the ship.
+
+Garry pressed the button of the elevator in which they had ridden
+earlier. As the doors parted and he and Patch went in, he said to his
+friend, "Gee, I hate to leave. I don't know what's the matter with me,
+Patch. Maybe I'm just tired of having to do the same thing every day,
+over and over."
+
+"I feel kind of the same way, Garry," Patch admitted, "but I guess we'll
+just have to sweat out the old grind for a few more years."
+
+They had no sooner started to descend than the light in the elevator
+went off, and then the elevator itself stopped.
+
+"Hey, what's going on!" Garry exclaimed.
+
+"The power's off!" Patch said.
+
+Presently, the light came on again, and the boys felt a lot better.
+
+"Whew, for a minute I was scared!" Patch said.
+
+"Me too. Hey, we're still not moving, though!" Garry pressed harder on
+the button, but the elevator refused to move.
+
+"We're stuck here, Garry!" Patch burst out.
+
+Garry started banging furiously on the walls of the elevator. "We've
+just _got_ to make ourselves heard, Patch!" he cried.
+
+The din was very loud in the cramped compartment, as both boys hammered
+on the wall.
+
+No one came to their rescue, but then a voice spoke over the
+public-address speaker in the ceiling of the elevator: "Don't be
+alarmed, folks. A short circuit in the fuel-pump relay caused us to lose
+electric power momentarily. But everything has been restored to
+normalcy. Warning: Three minutes to blast-off."
+
+"It _hasn't_ been restored!" Garry burst out desperately.
+
+The boys pounded on the metal walls until their knuckles hurt.
+
+In a final desperate action, Garry slammed his closed fist against the
+stubborn power button. Instantly, he felt the elevator throb underfoot
+and begin to descend once more.
+
+"Thank goodness!" Garry breathed prayerfully. "But we've still got to
+hurry in order to get off in time! No telling how long we've been stuck
+in this thing!"
+
+When the elevator stopped, the doors slid open and the boys ran out. But
+they found themselves in a strange corridor.
+
+"We're not out of the ship yet!" Garry exclaimed. "We've only gone down
+a deck or two. The elevator must still be fouled up."
+
+"What'll we do now?" Patch asked in desperation.
+
+"Go back into the elevator and try to get to the ground. We'll have to
+hurry! The elevator is part of the gantry crane, and it'll be rolled
+away any moment!"
+
+They rushed back to the closed doors of the elevator. But a sign in red
+lights on the door read: "DO NOT ENTER. ELEVATOR REMOVED."
+
+"They've already taken it away!" Patch said in dismay.
+
+"We've got to find a place to strap down, or every bone in our bodies
+will be broken on the blast-off!" Garry said.
+
+A speaker along the corridor next gave out with the dread words:
+"Blast-off in ninety seconds, ladies and gentlemen. Secure your seat
+harness and listen to the instructions of the stewards. Failure to obey
+directions could cost you your lives. In the first few moments of
+acceleration in a rocket ship, there is a crushing blow to the human
+body. This jolt will occur twice more as the second and third stages
+blast off. For that reason, it is absolutely necessary that everyone be
+strapped down securely to his G-couch."
+
+Patch grabbed his friends arm in a fierce grip. "Garry, we're going to
+die! We're going to die!" he cried.
+
+Garry shook off Patch and desperately began throwing open doors along
+the corridor, looking into one room after another. "There must be some
+G-couches along here," he said. "I read somewhere that space law says
+there must be emergency couches on all decks of a rocket ship."
+
+Patch tagged along after Garry, complaining. Garry could not afford to
+be sympathetic now. Both their lives depended on what he did within the
+next minute.
+
+Then Garry found it. Printed on the door was the heartening word:
+"G-COUCHES."
+
+He flung open the door and saw a row of six S-shaped reclining seats.
+
+Garry grabbed the arm of his quaking friend in a tight grip and told
+him, "Listen to me, Patch, and do what I tell you. Jump on a couch just
+as fast as you can and don't waste a second getting those buckles
+fastened across your chest, body, and legs. Now get going!"
+
+Garry helped him along with a shove, then dove for one of the couches
+close by.
+
+As he hastily fastened his own straps in place, Garry cast worried
+glances at his friend, who was fumbling as best he could in his nervous
+state.
+
+A speaker warned of the passing moments: "Zero minus twenty seconds,
+nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen...."
+
+A few seconds more, and Garry's straps were securely fastened. He
+twisted his head to see how Patch was doing. Patch had almost all his
+straps in place, but he could not seem to get the chest buckle
+tightened.
+
+"Hurry, Patch, please hurry!" Garry cried.
+
+"I--I'm doing the best I can," Patch said, and Garry could see the
+streams of sweat trickling down his round face.
+
+Then, with a final lucky tug, Patch had it. Turning his weakly smiling
+face to Garry, he murmured, "Garry, I guess I just barely did...."
+
+Garry never heard the rest of the words, for at that moment the _Orion_
+shook herself like a big dog, began a slow tug upward into the black
+night, and then, a few seconds later, with a deafening roar tore free of
+her earthly bonds and flung herself into space.
+
+
+
+
+                         3. STOWAWAYS IN SPACE
+
+
+Garry had read about the rough effects of blast-off, but the real thing
+was even worse than he had imagined. He felt like one of those
+characters in movie cartoons who gets flattened to the thickness of
+paper when run over. His lungs felt as though they had collapsed, and he
+could suck in only the barest trace of breath.
+
+But the discomfort did not last long. His body seemed to fill out like
+an inflated balloon, although he still felt the ache of having been
+nearly squashed. His stomach felt as though it had been stirred up with
+an egg beater, and his head swam.
+
+But no sooner had he recovered from the first violent thrust than it
+came again as the rocket's second stage began firing. Then the crushing
+pressure eased once more, only to return once again as the third stage,
+the occupied section of the _Orion_, began firing away. When this force
+let up, Garry knew it was the last.
+
+The ship did not appear to be moving, but Garry knew it must be
+traveling many thousands of miles an hour.
+
+Garry's shaky hands groped for the belts of the harness that snugly
+fitted his body. He worked the buckles loose from his upper body and sat
+up on his G-couch. He did not release his legs, because he was already
+feeling the dizzying effects of weightlessness. He looked across at
+Patch on the next couch.
+
+Patch was still lying flat, and his face was pasty white. His eyes were
+closed, and this alarmed Garry.
+
+"Patch!" Garry called, repeating the name over and over.
+
+Patch had blacked out, but after a few minutes he came back to
+consciousness.
+
+"Wh--what happened?" Patch asked in a weak voice.
+
+"We're in space, Patch," Garry replied. "They'll probably think we're
+stowaways and send us to jail. Maybe Officer Mulroy will get in trouble
+too."
+
+But this was the least of Patch's worries right now. He put his hand to
+his head, complaining, "Gee, I feel terrible. Everything's going around!
+And I had the worst nightmare all night long!"
+
+Garry had to grin at this. "We haven't been here all night, just a few
+minutes. It just seems like a long time."
+
+Patch fumbled loose his upper straps and struggled to a sitting
+position, but fell back down onto his contour seat. "Wow, I can't make
+it!" he said thickly.
+
+"There's no use trying to get up," Garry said. "We're weightless and
+would never be able to get about. It's funny how I wanted so terribly to
+go into space, but now that I'm out here I'm not enjoying it. I guess
+it's because I'm afraid of what's coming."
+
+Garry wondered what they should do. Should they turn themselves in and
+take their chances on being believed that their being aboard the _Orion_
+was due to an accident? But if they did this, then Mr. Mulroy might be
+held responsible for not seeing that the boys had left the ship. And
+yet, Garry realized, he and Patch could not stay in hiding indefinitely.
+Sooner or later they must be found out. If they did not turn themselves
+in, and they were discovered, they would surely be regarded as
+stowaways.
+
+Then a new fear came to Garry. What if his and Patch's combined weight
+was over the ship's allowable limit? What if their being aboard would
+keep them from reaching the space station and, instead, cause the
+earth's gravity to pull the _Orion_ back down? In that case the two of
+them could possibly cost the space-ship line a new rocket worth
+millions, not to mention the lives of all the persons aboard in case a
+safe landing could not be made!
+
+Garry was occupied with these grave thoughts until he heard the
+public-address system saying: "We are now in braking orbit."
+
+Garry knew this meant that the ship had reached the vicinity of the
+space station and was beginning to circle the station while the braking
+rockets were cut in. This procedure would slow down the _Orion_ so that
+she would be moving at the same orbital speed as the space station. Then
+it would be easy for her to slip into dock.
+
+Garry and Patch felt the tug of the ship's gradually diminishing speed,
+but this was not nearly as rough as the blast-off had been. As the
+_Orion_ moved into dock, the boys felt their weight returning. This was
+due to the station's rotation and artificial gravity.
+
+"Well, it looks like the ship has made it all right," Patch said,
+relieved. "They must not have had a full load."
+
+The boys heard the technical language of the docking procedure. Garry
+listened closely, even though he could not understand much of it. But
+this was all part of the spaceman's education, and he was eager to learn
+it, even at such a crucial moment as this.
+
+Yet as he listened, he had another unpleasant thought. Now that he and
+Patch had the blot of "stowaway" against them, would this misconduct
+prevent them from realizing their dream of being future spacemen?
+
+Finally, the ship's motion stopped altogether. The _Orion_ had nestled
+into her dock on the big Von Braun Space Station, named after the great
+space scientist of the past century.
+
+"Now where do we go from here?" Patch asked, as the two removed their
+harness straps and got to their feet. "Garry, I'm scared, plenty scared!
+Wow, I'm a little wobbly too!"
+
+"Let's stay put until we hear further announcements over the speaker,"
+Garry suggested. "It'll give us time to think this through a little
+longer."
+
+"We're just stalling, that's what we're doing, aren't we, Garry? We
+don't want to turn ourselves in because we're afraid of what will happen
+to us," Patch said.
+
+Garry hung his head. "I guess that's what it does amount to, Patch. I
+keep thinking what this will do to our hopes of being spacemen. I'm
+afraid we'll never make it now."
+
+They stayed in hiding for another half hour. Then Garry said: "We've got
+to have something to live on until we make up our minds what we're going
+to do, Patch. I think space ships have emergency-ration compartments
+located along the corridors. I'm in favor of looking for one."
+
+"That's better than just waiting here and doing nothing," Patch agreed.
+
+"I'll look out and see if the coast is clear," Garry said.
+
+He looked around outside and then motioned to Patch. They started off
+quietly down the corridor, but after a moment they heard footsteps
+approaching from around the corner behind them.
+
+"Garry, we've got to hide!" Patch whispered urgently. "Somebody's
+coming!"
+
+Garry saw a door up ahead. "That leads into an air lock, Patch. We may
+be safe in there."
+
+Garry turned a wheel on the door, and it swung open. They found
+themselves in a short tunnel, at the other end of which was another
+door. The air lock was used for entering and leaving the ship while it
+was in space. The spaceman would enter the chamber and wait for the air
+pressure to equalize before he left the air lock.
+
+Garry quickly turned another wheel on the inside of the door, closing
+it.
+
+"We can't stay in here very long without air," Garry said. "The other
+end of this air lock probably leads directly into the space station.
+Shall we try it?"
+
+"This running and hiding has got to end somewhere," Patch replied with
+discouragement. "Lead on."
+
+Garry checked the pressure gauge on the far door and saw that there was
+normal pressure on the other side. He turned the wheel on the door, and
+it swung open. The boys went through, and Garry wheeled the door shut
+behind them.
+
+They were in a huge enclosed dock of the space station. Lined up ahead
+were several space taxis, or fliers, which were used for trips outside
+the station and also doubled as lifeboats in time of emergency.
+
+"Gee, it's cold in here!" Patch said.
+
+"The main thing, though, is that there's no one around," Garry said.
+"It'll give us time to collect our thoughts."
+
+"That's what you think," Patch whispered, tugging at Garry's arm. "There
+come a couple of men down that corridor across the way!"
+
+Garry moved quickly and quietly, pulling Patch along. As the men entered
+the dock, the boys ducked out of sight behind one of the space fliers.
+
+The men approached the flier next to the outer door of the dock and
+pressed a button on the taxi's surface. Its door sprang open, and the
+men entered the flier.
+
+They were in there for fully five minutes. During that time, Garry began
+to shiver, but it was not from fright so much as it was the coldness of
+the dock. Garry felt Patch shaking beside him and knew his friend was
+just as uncomfortable as he. But they had to stay put. There was no
+other place they could go at this moment.
+
+Finally, the men came out of the space taxi, closed the door, and, to
+the relief of Garry and Patch, disappeared up the corridor.
+
+Garry stood up and hugged himself.
+
+"Garry, I--I'm freezing to death," Patch chattered.
+
+"So am I. We sure can't stay here like this," Garry replied.
+
+"Why don't we try getting into one of these ships?" Patch suggested.
+"Maybe they've got heaters inside."
+
+Garry pressed the button of the ship which they had been hiding behind,
+but the door did not open.
+
+"The power is off or something," Garry groaned.
+
+"Maybe the first one will open," Patch said. "It worked for those men."
+
+Garry went over to the first craft and pressed the door button.
+Instantly, the door sprang open. A tiny air-lock chamber faced them.
+
+"Thank goodness," Patch murmured. "Let's go in."
+
+"What if the men come back?" Garry cautioned. "They may be preparing for
+a trip."
+
+"There are windows facing the corridor," Patch said. "We can keep an eye
+out for them and duck for cover again if they return. Gee, let's try it
+anyhow, Garry! I feel like a penguin that's lost all its feathers!"
+
+Garry agreed and entered the flier, Patch climbing in behind. A second
+door led from the air lock chamber into the flier proper. Besides the
+pilot's seat, there were six other seats, three on a side. It was warmer
+in here than outside, and Garry felt heat gently blowing. This made him
+suspect that the men had just turned it on and that they were going to
+return for a trip in the craft.
+
+"I'm afraid we won't have long to stay in here," Garry told his friend
+and mentioned his suspicion to him.
+
+"I guess you're right," Patch agreed. "Where will we go from here?
+Garry, I'm tired of running. And I'm getting more scared by the minute
+because of what we're doing. Why don't we just turn ourselves in and
+face the music, whatever it is?"
+
+Through a window of the taxi, Garry was watching the corridor for signs
+of the returning men. "I guess you're right, Patch," he said. "We'll
+give ourselves up when those men return."
+
+"I don't think we should wait until then," Patch objected. "It will go a
+lot easier for us if we give ourselves up voluntarily instead of looking
+as if we had been caught."
+
+Once again Garry agreed, but, as he was reaching for the button to open
+the door, he heard a click.
+
+"What was that?" Patch asked in alarm. "What did you do?"
+
+"Nothing," Garry said. "Something was operating all by itself."
+
+A soft purring sound began to be heard inside the craft, and Garry felt
+the little ship vibrating ever so softly.
+
+"Patch," Garry said tensely, "I don't like this." He tried the door
+button, but it would not work.
+
+"What's happening?" Patch asked, and there was fright in his voice.
+
+A movement outside in the dock caught the boys' eyes. Through the wide
+front port of the ship, they watched a big door slide open, revealing a
+dark air-lock tunnel--a tunnel large enough to hold the craft which they
+were occupying!
+
+"Garry," Patch repeated, "what's happening!"
+
+Garry slumped into one of the seats, fear numbing his heart.
+
+"Now I know what kind of ship this is, Patch," he murmured. "It's remote
+controlled, guided by an operator inside the space station. We're
+heading straight out into space, Patch!"
+
+
+
+
+                         4. ADRIFT IN THE DEEPS
+
+
+Trapped within the space taxi, Garry and Patch watched the darkness of
+space enlarge before their eyes as the ship emerged from the air-lock
+tunnel of the space station. The stars about them were countless lights,
+some packed so closely together that they trailed across the sky like
+distant streaming veils. But the boys had no eye for their beauty at
+this time.
+
+"Garry," Patch asked in a dismal voice, "what's going to happen to us?"
+
+"As long as they have control of the ship, I guess we'll be all right,"
+Garry replied. "Maybe they are just sending the ship out on a practice
+run or possibly to pick someone up."
+
+"Pick someone up?" Patch asked, puzzled.
+
+"I was thinking of satellite workers or repairmen. The skies out here
+are flooded with satellites, you know. They must have men working on
+them all the time," Garry explained.
+
+Garry heard a hissing sound. He found a slit in the wall from which it
+was coming. Near the opening was a gauge.
+
+"That's an oxygen mixture coming in," Garry said. "It's probably
+automatic. It turns on whenever the air pressure drops or becomes
+fouled."
+
+"That's something in our favor," Patch said grudgingly.
+
+Garry found his feet beginning to lift weightlessly off the floor. His
+body sagged off balance, and he had to hold onto a handle on one of the
+seats.
+
+"Garry, what'll we do?" Patch exclaimed frantically. "We're going
+weightless!"
+
+"Let's look for a wardrobe compartment," Garry suggested. "Since these
+fliers are used as lifeboats sometimes, there must be space suits and
+things. Maybe we'll find magnetic shoes, too."
+
+"How'll we ever get around in here to look for anything?" Patch
+sputtered. By now he was floating, his legs and arms flailing helplessly
+like a bug on its back.
+
+Using the handles on the backs of the seats, Garry worked his way across
+to a cabinet set in the wall. Then he moved from the last seat handle to
+the wall rail and worked himself down it to the plastic case. Through
+the clear window Garry could see space suits and accessories. He pressed
+a button, and the door popped open.
+
+"We're in luck, Patch," Garry reported. "There are magnetic shoes in
+here. I hope the gravity plates in the floor are working."
+
+Garry managed to pick up two pairs of the shoes, tucking one pair under
+one arm. That left one hand holding the second pair and the other hand
+free.
+
+Even then, it took quite some doing for him to work his way across to
+Patch, who looked like a pennant floating in the breeze as he hung
+crossways in the air, one hand tightly clutching a seat handle.
+
+"Garry, I don't feel so good," Patch complained. "Everything in me feels
+like its pushing upward. Even my brain seems to be floating."
+
+"It's lack of gravity doing that," Garry said. "You are used to gravity
+always pulling down on you. When that pull is gone, it makes you feel as
+if your body is moving up. At least that's what all the books say. And I
+believe them, because I feel that way myself. Here are your shoes.
+They're pretty big, but they'll be better than nothing."
+
+"Garry, how'll I ever get them on?" Patch protested.
+
+"I'll hold onto you while you put them on," Garry offered. "That'll make
+it easier--I guess."
+
+Garry got behind Patch and held him by the collar. Then began Patch's
+struggles with the shoes. It was comical for Garry to see his friend
+having such a hard time, but he knew Patch would have the laugh on him
+later.
+
+It took them both a good while to get the shoes on. When the floor
+current of the gravity plates finally held them down, the boys laughed
+at each other in their oversized equipment.
+
+"I guess we look like snowshoe rabbits with our big feet!" Patch said
+with a laugh. "Good thing those straps pulled up tight, or we'd never be
+able to keep them on."
+
+The craft had been moving along smoothly, but before long it began to
+shudder irregularly.
+
+"The jets have cut out, Patch," Garry said. "We're coasting. Without any
+air friction out here in space, we _could_ coast along forever."
+
+"Garry, don't say that!" Patch gasped.
+
+But Garry found out that his guess was wrong, and he was glad that it
+had been. Presently, twin jets of flame were seen pouring from the front
+of the craft.
+
+"Garry, we're on fire!" Patch shouted.
+
+"No, they're the braking jets," Garry corrected. "We're being slowed
+down, Patch! I think we'll find out very soon now what our destination
+is."
+
+"Thank goodness for that," Patch replied. "You know, you got me plenty
+worried when you said that we might coast forever out here. Although
+after about a hundred years I probably wouldn't mind any longer!"
+
+"Look, Patch," Garry cried. "Up ahead--a satellite! That must be where
+we're headed!"
+
+As they approached, the craft still being slowed by the braking jets,
+Garry and Patch took in the scene before them. The satellite itself
+somewhat resembled a giant radio speaker. Its largest area was a huge
+reflecting surface, and this surface was made up of adjustable panels
+that could be banked in any direction. The boys could see around the
+side of the satellite, and backing up the front broad surface was a
+block-shaped structure with windows.
+
+As the tiny space craft drew closer, the boys saw a hatch open in the
+rear structure, and two men in space suits emerged, holding onto hand
+rails on the outside of the satellite.
+
+"That's one of the radio and TV relay satellites, Patch," Garry said.
+"There are three of them, spaced equally around the earth, for relaying
+TV and radio all over the world. Our ship has probably been sent out to
+pick up these men and bring them back to the station."
+
+"Won't they be surprised when they see us aboard?" Patch remarked.
+
+Garry noticed that the space taxi seemed to be moving a little off
+course, and this disturbed him, especially since one of the forward jets
+had cut off but the other hadn't.
+
+The craft was veering steadily away from the satellite and slowing
+rapidly. Finally, it came to a dead stop several hundred yards from the
+satellite, but then it began backing up. As the craft gained speed in
+reverse, Garry and Patch were nearly knocked off their feet from the
+acceleration.
+
+"The front jet is propelling us backward!" Garry cried. "There's
+something wrong with the remote control!"
+
+The craft began going into a dizzy spin. The boys had to hold on tightly
+to some anchored support to keep from being flung against the wall.
+
+Garry watched the satellite become lost against the sprawling background
+of stars. He knew they were hurtling farther out into space, out of
+control, headed for a destination now that even the space-station
+operators might not know.
+
+The boys were so disheartened by the latest bad break that, for the time
+being, they did not care what happened to them. This lowering of their
+spirits seemed to remind them that they were a long time past their
+slumber time, and they suddenly became very sleepy. By earth time, it
+would be the dark hours before dawn.
+
+They went to sleep on their feet, because in the zero gravity there was
+no need for them to lie down. Their magnetic soles held them in place to
+keep them from drifting about as they slept.
+
+Garry was the first to wake up, hours later. There was no way for him to
+know how much time had passed. He woke his friend, who stretched and
+yawned.
+
+"I never thought I'd be able to sleep standing up," Patch said. "I feel
+like a horse."
+
+"We got a good rest," Garry said. "I guess that's because of the zero
+gravity."
+
+Patch looked gloomily out of the front port of the flier. "We're still
+no better off than we were before, though, Garry, but, I think we have
+stopped moving."
+
+Garry shook his head. "It just seems like we're not moving because the
+stars and everything else around us are so still. We're moving all
+right--and fast. This ship may still be moving after we're dead, even if
+we could live for a hundred years, because there's nothing ever to slow
+us down out here; that is, unless we happened to move into the gravity
+field of some planet, which would pull us down."
+
+"I knew we should have turned ourselves in when we had the chance,"
+Patch said mournfully. "If we had, we wouldn't be in this fix now."
+
+Garry agreed. "It's all my fault for trying to hold out so long."
+
+"Well, too late now to do anything," Patch said.
+
+"I don't think we should give up hope," Garry said. "They might still
+send out a ship to try to pick up this one. They know it's lost, but of
+course they don't know there's anybody in it, and they may not know
+where to look for it."
+
+He investigated the sloping wall between him and the front window. The
+middle of it was shaped something like an old-fashioned roll-top desk,
+closed up.
+
+"Hmm," Garry thought to himself. "This ship has been run by remote
+control until now, but why shouldn't it have controls of its own? If it
+does have them, they should be right here in front of me."
+
+Garry's hopes soared again as he ran his hands over the light-green
+plastic slope in front of him.
+
+"A button," he whispered. "There must be a button or something that
+opens this thing up."
+
+"Hey, what're you mumbling about?" Patch asked.
+
+Garry was too concerned with what he was doing to answer his friend.
+Suddenly, he found something on the left side of the instrument. It was
+a button. He pressed it.
+
+Two covers began swinging open in front of him, as stage curtains would
+do, revealing a bank of dials and levers.
+
+"Patch!" Garry shouted. "Look what!"
+
+Patch came clicking over in his magnetic shoes. "Hey, they're
+instruments for running this crate! Why didn't we think of looking for
+them before?" he cried.
+
+"Probably because we don't know how to operate them," Garry replied.
+
+There was a half-circle steering wheel that pulled out, and the boys
+were sure what this was for.
+
+"Garry," Patch said happily, "the steering wheel--that may be all that
+we'll need! Since the ship is moving under its own power, all we have to
+do is turn her around and head back for the space station. We can keep
+circling it until one of the ships from the station intercepts us!"
+
+Garry tried the wheel. It was locked tight.
+
+"It's not that easy, Patch," he said. "First we've got to find how to
+unlock the wheel."
+
+"That ought not to be hard," Patch replied. "A button or switch...."
+
+They both began carefully examining the steering column and wheel, but
+did not find anything that would release the wheel. Then they went over
+the console panel very closely. They found switches and levers that
+could not be identified, but they decided to try them anyhow and see
+what they controlled.
+
+They got no result at first, but, when the fourth switch was thrown, the
+console lighted up and the ship began to throb with a new life.
+
+"That must have been one of the power levers," Garry said. "Look--the
+steering wheel is free! The power had to be on before it would unlock
+the wheel."
+
+"Garry!" Patch exclaimed, "we're on our way! We're on our way."
+
+"I hope my sense of direction is correct," Garry said, "because I can't
+read those directional meters. I think we'll be headed in the general
+direction of the station if we make a half turn. I remember the position
+of that brilliant nebula over there and also the planet Venus."
+
+Garry was beginning to turn the wheel slowly for their gradual turnabout
+in the sky when the smell of something burning issued from the console.
+
+"Hey, something seems to be shorting out," Patch said in alarm. "Look!
+There's smoke coming from the panel!"
+
+No sooner had he spoken than there was a small explosion inside the
+console, a strong odor of ozone filled the boys' nostrils, and all the
+lights went out. But what was worse, the steering wheel froze in Garry's
+hands and locked again.
+
+"Patch, we're ruined!" Garry groaned loudly. "I must have done something
+wrong!"
+
+Garry put his hands over his face in despair. "Patch, we were so close,
+so very close...."
+
+"It looks like something just doesn't want us to get out of this alive,"
+Patch said bitterly. "We're jinxed, Garry!"
+
+"It'll do no good to start feeling sorry for ourselves again," Garry
+said. "Remember, we thought we were goners before. Something may turn up
+to save us--something maybe like a Good Samaritan flying around in a
+space ship just looking for wandering boys. But how many of those do you
+think you would find in all the millions of miles of space that surround
+us?"
+
+Suddenly Garry stood upright, staring intently straight out the forward
+port. "Speaking of Good Samaritans, Patch, that might not be so
+farfetched after all. Look out there, straight ahead. There's a light
+moving against the stars. It just might be a space ship!"
+
+"I see it," Patch said, with a trace of hope returning, "but it's most
+likely a Sputnik or Tiros or some other satellite."
+
+"I don't think so. Its movement isn't perfectly straight. I'm sure I
+just saw it change direction as if heading this way. Patch, if you've
+ever prayed, do it now. The next few minutes may decide whether we live
+or die out here in space!"
+
+
+
+
+                         5. A "FLYING TIN CAN"
+
+
+The boys watched intently as the object neared them. Although it was
+still pretty far off, they knew that it was not a true celestial object,
+because they could determine already that it was shaped like nothing
+usually found in space. In fact, it looked remarkably like a tin can! It
+was an odd shape for a space ship, but the boys were sure that was what
+it was.
+
+"That's not like anything I've ever seen!" Garry said. "And I've seen
+all kinds of pictures of space ships in magazines and books."
+
+"It must be a special kind of ship," Patch suggested. "But just so it
+really is a space ship with living people in it, it can be shaped like a
+barbecue pit for all I care!"
+
+"Patch!" Garry said in a stricken voice. "What if it's from another
+planet and carries strange people? Maybe even _unfriendly_ passengers!"
+
+Patch's eyes shone like bright marbles. "Gee, you don't really think so,
+do you? I--I mean, how could it be possible? We've already explored Mars
+and Venus, and those planets aren't inhabited. How could anything
+possibly live on those big cold planets farther out?"
+
+"Maybe they are from another star," Garry said in a solemn tone.
+
+They would know pretty soon where the flying object was from, because it
+was still heading in their direction, and its passengers could not
+possibly miss seeing them.
+
+Garry and Patch were silent as the object drew steadily closer, each of
+them engrossed in his own thoughts.
+
+"It really does look like a tin can," Patch said. "A tin can with a big
+eye in front! But what a big tin can! It's big as one of those ancient
+dirigibles."
+
+"Patch, I can begin to make out some writing over the eye. See it?"
+
+"Yes. Just a moment. It's coming into focus. It says 'CAREFREE!' I don't
+know what it means, but it _sounds_ friendly."
+
+"That must be the name of it," Garry suggested. "No ship with a name
+like that could be carrying unfriendly passengers."
+
+"It also means that there must be earthmen aboard, because it's an earth
+word."
+
+"I don't think we have anything to worry about, Patch," Garry said
+confidently.
+
+"Now they're turning around," Patch said. "They--they're pulling even
+with us. I guess they'll anchor to us with magnetic grapples."
+
+Carefully, the _Carefree_ edged closer so that it could latch on. The
+big circular space ship dwarfed the tiny taxi so greatly that it seemed
+like David and Goliath.
+
+Garry and Patch heard a soft bump as the _Carefree_ coupled onto the
+side of their craft on which the door was located. Garry knew now that
+the ships were joined as one.
+
+Garry looked at Patch, and Patch looked at Garry. They knew all they had
+to do now was open the air locks between the ships. But they hesitated
+as if there were still some doubt in their minds as to the friendliness
+of those in the other space ship.
+
+There came a rap on their air-lock door. Once again Garry looked at
+Patch, and Patch looked at Garry. Then, after another few moments of
+hesitation, Garry shrugged and clicked over to the door.
+
+"We may as well open up," he said. "Whether or not they're friendly,
+they've certainly got the upper hand."
+
+Garry pressed the button that controlled the outer door of the air lock.
+Then he pressed another that opened the inner door.
+
+Garry and Patch looked through the double air locks into the face of a
+man who wore a small, neat white beard. He appeared to be in his early
+sixties, and he was clinging to a webbing of ropes that completely
+covered the walls of a giant tube or tunnel.
+
+"Hello," the man said, with a smile.
+
+"Hello," Garry and Patch replied together. And they smiled too, because
+they were very glad that it was an earthman who faced them.
+
+"I must say I didn't expect to find a couple of boys alone in here," the
+man went on. "What's happened to the adults with you? You didn't heave
+them out the waste hatch, did you?" The elderly man laughed.
+
+"Uh, no, Sir," Garry replied with hesitation. "We've been by ourselves
+ever since this flier left the Von Braun Space Station. It's a pretty
+long story, Sir."
+
+"The name is Captain Eaton, boys." The man winked at them, showing his
+white teeth in another smile. "Oh, I'm not really a space captain. I
+wouldn't deceive you. The _Carefree_ is a private ship, and the men call
+me 'Captain' because I'm the owner."
+
+Captain Eaton's dark, alert eyes flickered over the interior of the
+flier.
+
+"I thought whoever was in this ship must be in some sort of trouble," he
+said, "because of your erratic flight. That's why we latched onto you,
+to see if we could be of some help."
+
+"We _do_ need help, Captain," Patch said earnestly. "We don't know the
+first thing about running this thing. We had just about given ourselves
+up for lost."
+
+"How in the world did you get into such a spot as this?" Captain Eaton
+asked.
+
+"Well, Sir," Garry explained, lowering his eyes, "you see, we're
+stowaways, although we've been able to escape being caught all this
+time. We didn't _mean_ to be stowaways, Captain. We were helping an
+officer aboard the _Orion_ with his gear, and the rocket blasted off
+before we could get out."
+
+"Say, I'll bet your parents are worried to death about you," Captain
+Eaton said.
+
+"No, Sir," Patch answered. "You see, we're orphans, and we lived in an
+orphanage back in the United States."
+
+"I see," the elderly man replied, stroking his short, snowy beard. Then
+suddenly he grinned broadly. "Well, fellows, how would you like to be
+rescued?"
+
+"We're all for it!" Garry answered, and Patch nodded his head
+vigorously.
+
+"Come aboard then. The _Carefree_ welcomes you!"
+
+"What about the flier?" Garry asked. "We don't want to be charged with
+stealing a space craft."
+
+"I'll have Ben Dawes come aboard and set her adrift toward the satellite
+so that she can be picked up easily," the captain said.
+
+"I think we blew something out when we tried to start her," Patch said.
+
+"Ben's a genius," Captain Eaton replied. "He'll get her to running, no
+matter what's wrong with her."
+
+With this taken care of, the boys were anxious to board the _Carefree_
+and see if her interior were as strange and unusual looking as her outer
+hull. They removed their bulky magnetic shoes and entered the air lock
+of the _Carefree_.
+
+Captain Eaton first explained the purpose of the webbing that lined the
+walls of the tube.
+
+"As you boys saw us move in, you probably know that this is the rear of
+the ship, and this tunnel is in the center. It goes the full length of
+our 'tin can' and comes out front into the flight deck. We have to leave
+and enter the ship through the rear end of this tube. Understand?"
+
+"Yes, Sir," the boys answered together.
+
+"The outer round surface of our 'tin can' revolves around this center
+tube as though it were a wheel around an axis," the captain went on. "By
+so doing, an artificial gravity is induced along the inside rim of the
+'can.'" Captain Eaton frowned. "Am I getting too deep for you?"
+
+"I don't think so, Sir," Garry replied. "The gravity you are talking
+about is the result of centrifugal action--the same action that makes a
+ball swing out on the end of a string when a person swings it around his
+head. It's the same kind of artificial gravity they use on the manned
+space stations."
+
+"You're pretty sharp, son. I like a boy who doesn't think that facts
+belong only in a schoolroom."
+
+"I've always been very interested in space, Sir," Garry said. "I'll bet
+I'd surprise you with all I know about it."
+
+"I'm sure you would," Captain Eaton admitted. "Say, I don't even know
+your names. I've told you mine. Now let's have yours."
+
+"I'm Garry Coleman," Garry answered, "and this is my best friend, Patch
+Foster."
+
+Since the center tube of the _Carefree_ was not affected by the
+centrifugal force of the rotating "tin can," its gravity was zero. For
+that reason the webbing was used to pull oneself along with and not
+really for the purposes of climbing and descending.
+
+Captain Eaton turned around on the webbing so that he could lead the way
+along the tunnel into the living quarters of the _Carefree_. His slim,
+agile legs swung free in the zero gravity as he made the turn. Glossy
+black space boots covered his feet.
+
+The captain showed Garry where to pull a lever which closed a series of
+air-lock doors between the _Carefree_ and the taxi.
+
+The ship's master and the boys pulled themselves along the tunnel. Then
+Captain Eaton stopped and said, "Hold on tightly, fellows. We're going
+round and round for a few turns."
+
+He pushed a lever beneath the webbing, and Garry felt the tube begin to
+revolve slowly.
+
+"Hey, what's happening?" Patch called out.
+
+"I had to set the tunnel in rotation so that it could catch up with the
+rest of the ship, which is always turning. As soon as you've become used
+to the spinning, we'll go into the ship."
+
+When the boys said they thought they could navigate, the captain pointed
+to an open hatch that had appeared in the wall near them.
+
+"We'll turn around and back down these stairs," the skipper said. "As we
+descend, the gravity will become stronger, so that by the time we're at
+the bottom we'll be nearly at our earth weights."
+
+Garry and Patch followed their new friend down the stairs, moving
+carefully and holding onto the railing, for they still felt giddy from
+the rotation of the central tube. By the time they were at the bottom,
+their heads had begun to clear.
+
+That is, they _thought_ their heads had begun to clear. But no sooner
+had they gotten this impression than they became giddy all over again at
+the sight that met their eyes. For it was just as if they had entered a
+tropical paradise! There were real flowers in bloom all about, and
+aquariums full of live fishes were set into the surrounding walls.
+
+The boys were too surprised to say anything. All they could do was just
+stare and stare in disbelief.
+
+
+
+
+                         6. A _CAREFREE_ WORLD
+
+
+"How do you like my garden, fellows?" Captain Eaton asked. "It helps
+keep me from getting homesick. I used to have a most luxuriant garden
+back on earth."
+
+"I can't believe it!" Garry burst out. "It's just as if we were outdoors
+on a summer day, it's so real."
+
+"There's a goldfish pond, Garry," Patch said, "with lily pads floating
+on top and a bench beside it."
+
+"I never saw so many kinds of flowers," Garry said, "and shrubs too."
+
+"The flowers and shrubs serve a double purpose," Captain Eaton
+explained. "They not only provide homelike pleasure to me and my
+friends, but they also help keep the air in the _Carefree_ supplied with
+oxygen."
+
+"I remember," Garry replied. "Plants in light breathe exactly opposite
+from the way we do. They breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out
+oxygen."
+
+Patch stooped down, examining the roots of a shrub. "Hey, the roots
+aren't growing in soil! How can they live?"
+
+"The plants grow in richly fertilized liquid," the captain answered. "In
+that way, they can be placed much closer together. Besides, some of the
+water making up the fertilized liquid comes from waste products within
+the ship. There are other reasons too."
+
+Captain Eaton led the way along the aisle that ran beside the colorfully
+lighted aquariums. He stopped in front of a twenty-gallon tank which was
+in the process of being cleaned by two men.
+
+One of them was very tall, over six and a half feet. He was very thin
+and appeared to be in his late fifties. But the oddest thing about him,
+which made Garry and Patch stare at him in surprise, was the fact that
+he was in the full dress of a butler, complete with newly starched white
+shirt and neatly pressed coat and trousers! Although he was holding a
+bucket that was catching water from a draining aquarium, his clothing
+wasn't in the least mussed.
+
+Captain Eaton saw the boys staring at the tall gentleman and said,
+"Boys, I want you to meet Mr. Klecker, the Eaton family butler for many
+years. When I decided to set out into space on my permanent cruise, he
+would not think of being left behind. Klecker, this is Garry and this is
+Patch. They will be our guests for awhile."
+
+Mr. Klecker looked at them with heavy-lidded eyes. Then, bowing, he said
+in a deep stately voice, "Pleased, young gentlemen."
+
+"Glad to know you, Mr. Klecker," Garry said.
+
+"Me too," Patch added.
+
+The other person attending to the fish tank was a young man. He rose
+from a squatting position and smiled at the boys. He had crew-cut black
+hair and the kind of happy features which indicate a friendly nature. He
+wiped his damp hands on his trousers and offered a palm to Garry first,
+then to Patch.
+
+"Hi, boys. I'm Ben Dawes. Glad to have you aboard," he said. "It sure is
+a surprise meeting fellows as young as yourselves out here in space."
+
+"It'll probably be more of a surprise, Ben, to know that they are
+alone," the captain said.
+
+"Not really!" Ben said. "Say, I'll bet you two have a long story
+explaining that!"
+
+"We do," Garry answered, "and we'll tell you when we have lots of time."
+
+"Ben is my right-hand man, whom I wouldn't part with for all the
+millions I own," Captain Eaton said proudly. "He could build a space
+ship out of a safety pin if he had to. He had a big hand in designing
+the _Carefree_, and he knows every bolt and rivet in her."
+
+It was interesting to Garry to hear that the captain was a millionaire.
+That probably explained how he could afford to take such a leisurely
+cruise through space in something akin to a flying palace.
+
+"While Klecker and Ben are changing the water in this aquarium," Captain
+Eaton said, "how would you like to meet the rest of my friends?"
+
+"We would, Sir," Garry replied, "but are you sure you don't have things
+to do?" It was hard for Garry to believe that as important a person as a
+millionaire would be willing to devote so much time to a couple of
+orphans who were lost in space.
+
+"Here my time is my own," Captain Eaton said. "Back home there were
+hundreds of little details that always had to be attended to, and as I
+grew older the grind began to keep me in a state of tension and boredom.
+That's when I made up my mind that I would spend the rest of my life the
+way that I wanted to--without constant interruption and without ever
+hurrying. I sold everything I owned and came into space. That was four
+years ago."
+
+"Why are you so interested in space, Captain?" Garry asked.
+
+"In my early days I had a very keen interest in space travel. I became a
+space cadet, but after only four months' service I was hurt, and my
+injury was such that I had to give up any thoughts of a future in the
+Space Service. But my keen interest in space stayed with me through the
+years, and I never gave up hope of returning to the spaceways. So, you
+see, my hope was realized, and here I am as carefree as the name of my
+ship."
+
+"Then you never plan to return to earth, Captain Eaton, ever?" Garry
+asked.
+
+"No, I don't think so. In the first place, the _Carefree_ was built in
+space and could not stand the atmospheric friction of an earth return.
+Of course, I could get back if I really wanted to. But I don't believe I
+want to. My simple life out here is very satisfying. I never had any
+children, and my wife is now dead. No, no close relatives. It takes a
+little money to survive out here and pay my friends aboard ship, but it
+does not take too much. Yes, this is the good life, and it is enough for
+me."
+
+As Captain Eaton paced the boys by a couple of steps, Garry had to
+marvel at the youthful stride of their host. His body was as lean and
+spare as a man half his age, and Garry was sure he must have kept
+himself in good condition all his life.
+
+As the trio left the garden and moved into the next section, Garry and
+Patch heard a fine tenor voice singing a lusty aria from an opera. A
+quick study of their surroundings told Garry that they were in the
+galley.
+
+As the fragrance of good food reached the boys' noses, they suddenly
+remembered how hungry they were. They hadn't eaten since they left the
+orphanage!
+
+"That's Gino you hear," Captain Eaton explained.
+
+The boys presently saw a short, fat little Italian throwing a huge, flat
+wad of dough into the air. He stopped when he saw the boys and grinned
+so widely that his eyes disappeared and his mouth seemed as broad as
+that of a jack-o'-lantern.
+
+Captain Eaton exchanged names so that everyone quickly knew everyone
+else. Gino was the ship's cook, and his full name was Gino Spondini.
+
+Gino kept tossing the dough into the air, and each time he tossed it up
+it became thinner and bigger.
+
+"You _bambini_ chose a good day to come to the _Carefree_," Gino said.
+"This is a special day for good food, only once every two weeks, eh,
+Captain?"
+
+Captain Eaton nodded. "Unfortunately, there isn't a grocery store just
+around the corner, and so we fill our food room and deep freeze only a
+few times a year from the commissary satellite which supplies food to
+all the manned satellites around earth. But when we do have an
+exceptionally good meal, we enjoy it even more."
+
+"I don't know what you're making, Gino," Garry said, "but I'm hungry
+enough to eat it raw."
+
+Gino looked shocked. "You don't know pizza when you see it? Where have
+you been all your life, _bambino_?"
+
+"Gino makes the best pizza pie in the world--or should I say the best in
+the solar system?" the captain said. "Now, boys, shall we move on and
+meet the others?"
+
+They left the galley and proceeded on to the next section within the
+_Carefree_, leaving Gino singing another operatic air. The boys wondered
+if they could hold out until lunch time.
+
+"Up ahead of us," Captain Eaton said presently, after passing through a
+short hallway, "is the dormitory. Since the dorm is used solely for
+sleeping, we made it small so that we could give more area over to the
+other parts of the ship where we spend more of our time."
+
+Garry found the dormitory indeed small and quite simple. There were
+three-tiered bunks along the walls, with ladders leading up to the
+second and third levels.
+
+The captain smiled. "Patch, you seem to be looking over those bunks
+carefully to see if you find any that aren't made up." Patch blushed.
+"Yes, Sir. I was wondering if...."
+
+"If we have room for you two? Well, breathe easily, for we do have
+extras. The ship will sleep twelve, and special cots can be set up to
+accommodate more when necessary."
+
+"They look cozy," Garry said, "but how do you know when to sleep out
+here in space, without any real night or day?"
+
+"We observe a twenty-four-hour day just as they do on earth. Scientists
+have found out that space travelers get along much better if they keep
+the same hourly habits to which they are accustomed. We even simulate
+the appearance of night, turning down the lights and observing quiet.
+You'll find out that you get sleepy at just the right time and that you
+wake the 'next morning' feeling just as refreshed as you did on earth."
+
+Suddenly, they heard a stirring in one of the top bunks. A deeply tanned
+man with a thick shock of auburn hair raised up sleepily.
+
+"Oh, it's you, Captain," the man said with a yawn. Then he perked up.
+"Who is it with you, Sir?" The man's accent was a thick Scottish brogue.
+
+"We have guests, Mac," the captain replied. "These are Garry and Patch.
+Fellows, meet Mr. McIntosh, pilot, navigator, engineer, and what have
+you. He likes to be called Mac."
+
+"Hi, fellows, glad to have you aboard," Mac said cordially, then yawned
+again.
+
+"Sorry we woke you, Mac," the captain said.
+
+"I'm just about due to relieve Isaac upstairs, Sir. That's all right."
+
+"I was just showing the boys the ship. We'll move on so you can get
+dressed."
+
+As they left the dormitory to pass into another hallway, Captain Eaton
+asked, "You've heard of Isaac Newton, haven't you, boys?"
+
+"Oh yes, Sir," Garry responded eagerly. "He was one of the very greatest
+scientists. He died a long time ago."
+
+The captain winked at them. "Well, we're going to meet him," he said.
+
+
+
+
+                        7. A SHOCK IN THE NIGHT
+
+
+Captain Eaton's announcement that Garry and Patch were about to meet
+Isaac Newton, the great scientist, filled the boys with astonishment.
+
+"We're going back to the central tube," the skipper said, "and from
+there to the navigation room."
+
+They climbed a steep staircase, as they had done earlier. Garry felt the
+comfortable feel of artificial gravity leaving him as they went higher.
+The light-headed, floating sensation of zero gravity was returning.
+
+The captain shoved a lever so that the central tunnel would start
+revolving. When a doorway appeared in the tube, the three climbed
+through. Then the rotation of the tunnel was stopped. The captain then
+led the boys along the stationary axle of the _Carefree_, in the
+direction opposite from where they had first entered the ship. The three
+pulled themselves along the webbing as their legs swung free,
+weightlessly. They reached a platform outside a door at the nose of the
+ship. Holding onto the platform rail, Captain Eaton fished into a
+cabinet built into the platform and came out with two pairs of slippers.
+
+"You can attach these magnetic-soled slippers to your shoes, fellows,"
+their host said. "Because of the zero gravity in the navigation room, we
+have to use gravity plates. The rest of us wear these attached to our
+boots all the time because we are always going back and forth up here,
+and they are light and comfortable."
+
+After the boys had donned the slippers, Captain Eaton pressed a button,
+the door slid open, and the three of them walked through.
+
+Garry and Patch found themselves in a domed room, which had a wide front
+port that looked out into space. Below the port extended a long
+instrument panel, or console, with two seats in front of it, one of
+which was occupied.
+
+"This is the flight deck!" Garry said. "It's the part that looked like a
+big eye on the front of the ship."
+
+The pilot turned around in his swivel seat. He was a huge, muscular man
+with rugged features that suggested he might once have been a vigorous
+athlete.
+
+"Boys, meet Isaac Newton," Captain Eaton said.
+
+Garry could not help but laugh, because this Isaac Newton looked nothing
+whatsoever like pictures of the great scientist. But then Garry
+remembered that he was being impolite, and he apologized.
+
+"That's all right," Isaac Newton said good naturedly. "Everybody who
+ever heard of that scientist laughs. I've been defending my name ever
+since I was a kid. That's how I got to be a professional fighter, which
+I was until I got tired of bashing people and the good captain took me
+on as his chauffeur. I stayed on with him, and he said I could come into
+space with him if I wanted to. I've picked up navigation since I've been
+out here."
+
+"How did you get a name like Isaac Newton?" Patch asked.
+
+"Well, naturally my father was named Newton," Isaac explained, "and he
+was also a science teacher. He wanted me to be a scientist too, and
+thought he was helping me by giving me the name of one of the greatest
+scientists of all time. But, as I said, I got into so many fights
+because of being teased about my name that I had more practice as a
+fighter."
+
+He laughed, showing a two-tooth vacancy in the front of his mouth.
+"Funny thing is that I might've been a scientist if I hadn't been given
+the name of one!"
+
+With that, Isaac Newton turned back to check on how the ship was
+running. The captain went over to converse with him, and this gave the
+boys an opportunity to look around the navigation room.
+
+Of particular interest was a huge chart on the back wall near the
+entrance. On the map were countless globes of various sizes, and running
+through the globes were long curving lines.
+
+"What's that, do you suppose?" Patch asked his friend.
+
+Garry looked closely at the printed names beside the round symbols.
+
+"Hermes--Vanguard II--Adonis--Derelict Space Ship _Oberon_," he read.
+"These seem to be objects floating about in space," he said, "and the
+lines through them must be their orbits."
+
+"You're very observant, Garry."
+
+Garry looked back and saw that Captain Eaton had come over.
+
+"That's exactly what they are, and we have to know exactly where each
+one of them is at all times," the captain said. "If we missed keeping up
+with one, we might run into a collision orbit with it, and then it would
+be quickly over for all of us. Some of the objects are asteroids, some
+man-made satellites, some large meteor fragments whose orbits we have
+already plotted. And a few are derelicts, or empty shells of what were
+once proud space liners. Any one of them could destroy the _Carefree_ if
+it should hit us. In fact, a meteor as large as an orange could wreck us
+because of the terrific velocity at which it would strike."
+
+"Gee," Patch said, "you must be anxious all the time about being hit by
+something."
+
+"No. It's a risk, of course, but space is so very, very huge that
+actually there is little chance of being hit by anything any larger than
+a grain of sand. But of course there is always the chance that someday
+the big, unexpected one will come. Still, we don't worry about it
+because it would keep us from enjoying our life in space."
+
+Captain Eaton showed the boys some of the other things in the room. He
+explained the purpose of the various dials and switches on the
+console--facts that the boys would have given anything to know when they
+were so desperately trying to steer the space taxi. The skipper of the
+_Carefree_ told them that usually there was only one pilot on duty but
+that, in case of tricky navigation or on other special occasions, both
+Mac and Isaac or Ben would be on together. The captain added that he was
+quite a pilot himself and liked to take over the controls now and then.
+
+Suddenly chimes were heard over a loud-speaker.
+
+"That's the signal for us to get ready for lunch," Captain Eaton said.
+"Let's go, fellows, and wash up."
+
+"Tell Mac to shake a leg and get up here to relieve me, will you,
+Captain?" Isaac asked. "I'm starved. It's been a long shift."
+
+"I will, Isaac," the captain promised, and pushed the button which
+opened the door.
+
+A few minutes later, Garry and Patch sat down to the best meal they had
+had in a long time. Not even Thanksgiving at the orphanage could beat
+this, Garry told his friend. The boys had their first taste of pizza
+pie, and they were hoping it would not be their last, especially if Gino
+was the one who prepared it. They were sure he was the best chef in all
+the solar system.
+
+After lunch the patient Captain Eaton spent most of the afternoon
+showing the boys more of the ship. They saw the gym and swimming pool
+and the library filled with many recording tapes and films. There were
+also books for those who preferred reading instead of reclining in a
+soft contour chair and listening to tapes over earphones.
+
+As they passed from one section to another, Garry noticed that the
+indirect daylight effect, that filled every part of the _Carefree_, was
+fading steadily but slowly. He asked the captain about this.
+
+"It's an automatic control that helps put us in the mood for night," the
+skipper said. "Remember my telling you about how much better man works
+in a properly spaced twenty-four-hour day? Soon now, the main lights
+will be very low, with only an occasional lamp making things bright. It
+is just like the coming of night back at home. You will see."
+
+The space travelers had only a light snack for dinner because of the big
+meal earlier in the day. Soon afterward, the boys began to yawn and get
+sleepy as they watched the artificial daylight continue to fade. They
+were looking forward to sleeping lying down for a change.
+
+"Your minds are telling you it's time for bed, eh?" Captain Eaton said
+with a laugh. "Well, so is mine. I still haven't shown you the
+observatory, which is my favorite spot aboard ship. But that can wait
+until tomorrow. Let's go to the dorm and get you two settled before the
+fellows in there are ready to turn out the lights."
+
+The boys found all the people they had met today getting ready for bed.
+That is, all but two of them.
+
+"Mac is on pilot duty, isn't he, Captain?" Garry asked. "But where is
+Ben?"
+
+Captain Eaton was pulling off his shiny boots. He may have been the boss
+of the _Carefree_, with all the say-so, but he was not too proud to
+share the same sleeping quarters with those whom he called his
+"friends."
+
+"There are always two on duty at night, Garry," Captain Eaton replied to
+Garry's question. "One acts as pilot, while the other makes the rounds
+several times a night to be sure that the automatic controls are
+functioning properly. We all take turns sharing these duties."
+
+When everyone had climbed into his bunk and pulled the covers up,
+Captain Eaton called out from his own bunk, "Check?"
+
+There came answering "checks" from all the fellows, and the next moment
+Garry found the room plunged in darkness.
+
+Within only a few minutes' time, Garry began hearing the quiet breathing
+of those around him already in deep sleep. But he was too excited to
+drop off just yet. As he lay there staring into the darkness, he
+wondered if such a thrilling adventure as this could really be happening
+to him and Patch. Why, only a few hours ago they were in despair for
+their very lives. Now a whole new experience had been opened to them. It
+was almost as if the _Carefree_ had been sent by Providence to him and
+Patch alone.
+
+As Garry's thoughts roved, his eyelids began to feel heavy and the
+clutch of sleep was groping for him. He finally drifted off into
+slumber, only to wake--he didn't know how many hours later--with a
+parching thirst. He sat upright in his bunk and threw back the covers
+that cloaked him like a sweat-box. He found that he was breathing
+heavily and then suddenly remembered the end of a nightmare he had been
+having.
+
+As he sat in the quietness and darkness, he began to relax, and his
+heartbeats slowed to normal. But he was still very thirsty. He
+remembered that there was a water fountain in the hallway outside the
+dormitory.
+
+Slowly and carefully, so as to make no noise to disturb the others,
+Garry left his third-level bunk and made his way down the metal ladder
+to the floor. A dim night light, kept burning all the time, showed the
+way to the door. Garry pressed the button, and the door slid open
+silently.
+
+Garry went out into the faintly lighted hallway. He shivered as he made
+his way along the corridor. It was not that he was cold but that it was
+so creepy and lonesome with everything so quiet. The fountain was like a
+white ghost crouching against the wall a couple of dozen feet away.
+Garry made his way toward it. He leaned over it, pressed the lever, and
+felt the icy stream against his dry lips.
+
+"Boy, that's good," he said to himself, and he drank and drank as though
+he hadn't had water in all his lifetime.
+
+When he finally got his fill, he rubbed his sleeve across his mouth and
+turned to start back toward the dormitory.
+
+Then it seemed that all the blood flowed out of his head in one wild
+rush. His heart began to thump rapidly, and his legs went weak.
+
+It was due to a startling sight that faced him.
+
+
+
+
+                          8. GARRY HAS A SCARE
+
+
+A huge woman was lumbering toward him down the dim corridor. There was
+something strange and unreal about her face and her awkward movements
+that gave Garry chills.
+
+Garry started running. He slammed into the water fountain, bruising his
+side. But he kept moving, and so did the woman stalker.
+
+Garry knew that the corridor was in the shape of a square and that if he
+kept turning corners he would arrive back at the dormitory. He wondered
+why a woman should frighten him, and it embarrassed him when he thought
+what the others would say when they found out. But the creature was so
+hostile--and somehow monstrous in her looks--that Garry was sure she
+meant to attack him.
+
+As he ran, Garry did not even look back to see if his adversary were
+still in pursuit. Finally, he turned the last corner and saw the
+dormitory straight ahead at the end of the corridor. He looked back
+around the corner in the direction from which he had just come. He'd
+outdistanced her. She wasn't even in sight.
+
+By now his nerves were a little calmer, although his heart still drummed
+faster than usual. He began walking briskly, every now and then casting
+a look back over his shoulder.
+
+There was the dormitory at last. He felt a little silly now, as he
+reached for the button to open the door. He decided that he would not
+tell the others of his run and his fright lest they tease him about the
+incident. He would just tell them that he had _seen_ the strange woman
+but would not reveal the embarrassing circumstances. He still wondered
+who she could be, especially since Captain Eaton had not even mentioned
+her before.
+
+Just as Garry pressed the door button, he heard a metallic clanking
+behind him.
+
+There was the woman, coming very fast, the dim lights revealing the dark
+hollows of her eyes. Garry saw her tight-lipped mouth, her
+hugeness--fully as tall as Mr. Klecker and almost as broad, it seemed.
+
+The unexpectedness of it caused Garry to cry out for the first time. As
+the door of the dormitory slid back, he scrambled inside, hurriedly
+pressed the button closing the door, then sank back against it, panting.
+
+The bright lights went on in the room. Garry's eyes blurred in the
+sudden sharp brilliance. When they came into focus, Garry saw everyone
+sitting straight up in their bunks, their eyes squinting and staring at
+him in amazement.
+
+After a few tense moments, Captain Eaton asked from his bunk, "Garry,
+what's the matter?"
+
+"A woman--a big woman's out there!" he blurted. "She was after me!"
+
+Garry heard the men begin to laugh.
+
+"Garry, that's Katrinka," the captain explained. "She wouldn't hurt a
+thing. She _couldn't_. She's not _built_ that way."
+
+"Not _built_ that way?" Garry echoed. "What do you mean? She's built
+pretty strong I think!"
+
+Captain Eaton chuckled. "She's a robot, Garry."
+
+"A robot!" Garry said. "So that's why she looks so different!"
+
+"Yes, I made her as lifelike as possible," Captain Eaton went on, "but
+I'm afraid I'm no Michelangelo as a sculptor."
+
+"You _built_ her?" Garry asked in surprise.
+
+"Yes. We needed someone to do our chores--you know, the things that men
+dislike doing in the nature of housework and cleaning up. But she's
+quite controllable, Garry. She wouldn't have harmed you. Something must
+have slipped in her mechanism so that she became activated. It happens
+once in awhile. I'll go take a look at her."
+
+"You don't have to go far, Sir," Garry said, rubbing away the sweat that
+had gathered on his forehead. "She's right outside the door."
+
+As the captain climbed from his bunk and slipped into his robe, Garry
+avoided the eyes of the others in the dormitory. He had done just what
+he had hoped he would not do--shown his fear of a harmless robot. He
+knew they must think him squeamish, but they were not laughing now.
+
+Patch seemed to have been the only one who was not aroused by the
+excitement. Garry could see that he was still asleep in his bunk.
+
+Captain Eaton passed Garry, opened the door, and went outside. Garry
+followed a few steps behind.
+
+The robot still looked menacing to Garry. It stood, big and dark and
+unmoving, in the dimness of the corridor.
+
+Captain Eaton faced Katrinka and spoke in a clear, loud voice: "Closet!
+Closet!"
+
+Garry heard a humming sound coming from the robot. It shuffled about
+slowly on its ponderous feet and started walking away.
+
+"She's obeying!" Garry gasped.
+
+"Yes, she's all right," Captain Eaton replied. "Probably just a crossing
+of the wires in her mechanical brain that activated her. Maybe a slight
+lurch of the ship did it. I'll look her over thoroughly in the morning."
+
+"I don't see how you did it," Garry said, still amazed. "How can a
+machine like that take orders like a person, just as if it had a brain
+like us?"
+
+"Katrinka's brain is made up of electrical impulses in certain codes,"
+Captain Eaton replied. "There is a code disk for everything that she is
+able to do. For instance, there is one for making up the bunks, every
+step in that operation. There's one for washing the dishes, mopping the
+floor, and so on. When I have the time, I make her even smarter by
+adding new codes and duties."
+
+"But all you said was the word 'closet,' and off she went," Garry said.
+
+"That was the code for her heading for the closet down the corridor
+where she stays when we have no need for her. When she goes inside the
+closet, an automatic switch will cut off her mechanism, and she will
+remain dormant until we need her. Just as if I gave you an order to go
+somewhere and your muscles would carry you to that place, so it is with
+Katrinka. The code words I give her activate the wires that control her
+movement in a certain way, whatever that activity is."
+
+Garry nodded. "I understand it, but it sure must be a complicated thing
+the way she works."
+
+"It's complicated, all right," Captain Eaton agreed. "Katrinka
+represents many years of scientific study, long before I ever thought of
+venturing into space. It was a hobby of mine, in between my duties as a
+teacher and head of a space shipping corporation. My first models were
+very clumsy and crude, but I have developed them over the years and have
+finally come up with Katrinka, my finest yet. Many people are interested
+in her--manufacturers and the government too."
+
+The next morning Garry told Patch about Katrinka, and Captain Eaton gave
+them permission to watch him check out the robot.
+
+After breakfast the three went to the closet where the robot was kept.
+The captain pressed the door button, and the door slid open, revealing
+the hulking monster that had frightened Garry the night before. Even
+now, Garry felt chills along his spine.
+
+Captain Eaton spoke one word, "Follow," and then turned on his heel,
+heading on down the corridor. The boys tagged along and were amazed to
+see and hear Katrinka clomping behind.
+
+"She _is_ following, Garry!" Patch said.
+
+"Yeah, and I still don't understand it," his friend replied, with a
+shake of his head.
+
+"Why, that's the easiest command of all I've given her to do," Captain
+Eaton said. "The word 'follow' activates a sort of radar device in her
+and makes her follow the closest moving object. I believe that was what
+happened when she chased you last night, Garry. Something slipped,
+causing her to follow that particular action."
+
+The captain chuckled. "She could have pursued you all night, but she
+never would have come closer than three feet."
+
+The _Carefree_'s skipper entered a doorway leading off the corridor.
+"Here's my workshop. I'll have a look at Katrinka's workings now," he
+said.
+
+The shop was untidy, cluttered from top to bottom with electronic parts,
+tools, and metal plates.
+
+Captain Eaton gave Katrinka the command to stop and then with a screw
+driver removed a large plate from her back. He nosed about inside the
+robot for several minutes, making adjustments within the complicated
+network of wires and miniature parts. Then he replaced the plate.
+
+"Just a couple of wires got too close," he said. "She won't be chasing
+you any more, Garry."
+
+"That's a relief," Garry replied with a nervous smile. "I wouldn't want
+to go through that again, even if she _is_ harmless!"
+
+"I'll show you how I build commands into her system," the captain said.
+"Let's have a simple command, fellows."
+
+"I know," Garry replied. "Have her lift up Patch."
+
+Patch backed off hastily. "Oh no you don't!" he objected.
+
+The master of the _Carefree_ laughed. "Be a sport, Patch. She's very
+gentle. She won't hurt you," he said.
+
+Patch thought a moment, then replied, "Okay, if you promise it will be
+all right."
+
+"I promise," the captain said, and he set to work.
+
+He brought out tools and equipment of every kind. Then he removed some
+plates from various parts of the robot's body. But instead of tinkering
+around inside, as he had done before, he opened up a big chart and began
+working from it, using pencil and paper.
+
+"What are you doing, Captain?" Garry asked after a few moments.
+
+"This is a map of Katrinka's system, like the diagram of a radio or TV,"
+was the reply. "I have to figure out what connections I must bring
+together. You see, I must give her several actions that make up the
+command we have given her. There must be the action of walking over to
+Patch, of bending certain parts that serve as her muscles, and finally
+the action of lifting him up. Then I must activate these through the use
+of spoken words." The captain worked for about an hour. The last thing
+he did was to take a small disk out of stock and drill holes in it at
+very carefully measured positions. Then he slipped the disk into place
+inside the robot.
+
+"Now let's try her out," the captain said.
+
+Captain Eaton faced the robot and spoke in a loud clear voice: "Lift."
+
+Patch remained where he stood, but Garry could see that he was a little
+nervous as Katrinka began lumbering toward him. The robot stooped over
+and lifted the boy in her big metal arms. She stood motionless, holding
+him in a firm grip as Patch began to struggle impatiently after about
+fifteen seconds.
+
+"Tell her to put me down, Captain," Patch begged.
+
+The captain winked at Garry mischievously. "My goodness, Patch, I forgot
+to give her a command to release you!"
+
+Patch began struggling vigorously, but he could not escape the robot's
+iron grip.
+
+"Hey, somebody, get me out of this!" Patch cried, his face reddening
+from his exertions.
+
+Seeing that his fun had gone far enough, Captain Eaton barked out, as if
+he were a military commander: "Atten-tion!"
+
+The robot's arms slipped straight down to her sides, and her body
+stiffened rigidly. Patch tumbled unharmed to the floor.
+
+Patch sat up. He turned and looked up at Garry and the captain. Fear
+still showed in his eyes, but, as he saw the playful smile on the
+captain's face, a grin spread over his own.
+
+The captain laughed out loud. Then Garry joined in.
+
+Finally, Patch himself began laughing, having enjoyed the harmless
+experiment even if the captain _had_ played a little joke on him.
+
+
+
+
+                           9. SATELLITE ZONE
+
+
+Although Ben seemed to be one of the busiest persons aboard the
+_Carefree_, he still took time out to chat with the boys early that
+afternoon.
+
+"Have you been at the orphanage all your lives?" Ben asked Garry and
+Patch.
+
+"Almost that long," Garry replied.
+
+"Our parents were good friends," Patch added. "All four of them were
+killed at one time in a rocket-plane crash near Salt Lake City. We were
+only three then and were placed in the orphanage at the same time."
+
+"How long have you been in space, Ben?" Garry asked.
+
+"Oh, about eight years now, off and on. I started when I was in my
+teens. I was a sort of cabin boy aboard the old Mars exploration ship,
+the _Jules Verne_. We spent a year there. Boy, what a life! It was like
+living in a deep freeze. Since then I've traveled to Venus, Luna--the
+moon, you know--and there's no counting the trips I've made among the
+satellites."
+
+"How did you get in with Captain Eaton and the _Carefree_?" Patch wanted
+to know.
+
+"A few years ago I took time to go to school and learn space-ship
+engineering and design," Ben replied. "My teacher was Captain Eaton--or
+Professor Eaton, as he was called then. He was also a millionaire and
+president of Space Shipping Incorporated. He helped build the sturdiest
+ships ever to fly the solar system. I graduated stone broke and had to
+go back to flying the spaceways.
+
+"I thought I'd never be an engineer or designer, but then Professor
+Eaton got in touch with me and said he was going to design a space ship
+for his own use. He said I was the best pupil he had ever taught and
+asked if I would work with him on the project. Of course I jumped at the
+idea. We assembled the ship out here in space, and I've been with him
+ever since."
+
+"Captain Eaton is a grand person, isn't he?" Garry asked.
+
+A fond look came into Ben's dark eyes. "He's the wisest, kindest, and
+most generous person I've ever known or heard about. You may think he
+selfishly spends all his money for his own enjoyment as he cruises the
+spaceways, but that isn't the case. He gives far more than he spends out
+here to charities and churches back on earth. And he has built countless
+scientific libraries, but he's too modest to let them be named after
+himself."
+
+"The _Carefree_ is such a big ship, Ben," Patch said, "that I don't
+understand how it can be run by so few men."
+
+"It's due to the captain's genius," Ben explained. "Practically
+everything you can think of is automatic, and our batteries are
+constantly recharged by sunlight. Of course, once in a while something
+goes wrong, and we have to dock at a repair satellite. And we also have
+to refuel about every six months at a service station. But we don't use
+very much fuel ordinarily because we mostly just cruise about in the
+'satellite zone,' as it's called."
+
+Ben had to go back to work, and the boys joined Captain Eaton in the
+library, where he was waiting for a TV newscast to come on.
+
+Garry and Patch got the shock of their lives at the first feature to
+come over the telecast. For the subjects were _themselves_.
+
+They quickly discovered that they were the most celebrated missing
+persons on earth. The orphanage had first reported their absence, and
+then Mr. Mulroy had given his version of their disappearance. It seemed
+that Mr. Mulroy was in very hot water because he had not made sure that
+the boys had gotten off the _Orion_ before the blast-off. In fact, he
+was in such hot water that he faced court-martial unless Garry and Patch
+were found.
+
+"Well, I guess the vacation is over, Patch," Garry said sadly. "We can't
+let Mr. Mulroy be court-martialed for what we did."
+
+"We've got to tell them where we are, haven't we?" Patch replied.
+"Although I'd give _anything_ to stay aboard the _Carefree_--that is, if
+Captain Eaton would have us."
+
+"I'd like nothing better than to have you two stay on," the captain
+said. "But you must consider Mr. Mulroy and all the police forces who
+are working to uncover the mystery of your disappearance. Right,
+fellows?"
+
+"Yes, Sir," they both agreed reluctantly.
+
+"We must make full use of the time left you to finish seeing the marvels
+of the _Carefree_. I said I'd show you the observatory today. What do
+you say we go there now? I've got some double-star photos I want to
+check on."
+
+The boys liked the idea and went with their host along the zero-gravity
+tunnel toward the observatory.
+
+The observatory was a "bubble" attached to the _Carefree_'s center tube
+or axle, just a short distance from the air lock through which Garry and
+Patch had first entered the ship. The observatory was such that it never
+rotated with the tube or the rest of the ship. In this way its
+telescopes could always keep focus on objects in space.
+
+Three pairs of magnetic shoes clicked along the metal floor of the
+observatory as Captain Eaton led the boys to the reflector telescope,
+whose big six-inch eye was pointed out into space. Captain Eaton looked
+over a camera which was attached to the eyepiece of the telescope. Then
+he unfastened the camera and took it off.
+
+"The picture has been exposed long enough," the skipper said. "It takes
+a pretty long time for a photograph to be made in the heavens, you know.
+But when you give it full exposure, it shows you much more than your
+naked eye can do."
+
+Garry studied a satellite chart on the wall. "I didn't know there were
+so many satellites whirling around the earth. So many different kinds
+and sizes too!" he said.
+
+"Yes, there are many more than one would imagine," the captain agreed.
+"Here, let me show you some of them on the chart. The pictures you see
+are exactly the way each satellite looks, and they are all drawn in
+proportion."
+
+Garry and Patch studied the chart with its multitude of different shapes
+and sizes. There were satellites that resembled drums and others like
+round balls. Some were torpedo shaped, and some were circular and flat
+like "flying saucers." There were giant satellites, wherein people lived
+and worked, and many of them were in the shape of huge revolving wheels.
+Some of them had no regularity at all, appearing to Garry to resemble
+more than anything else huge space insects, bristling with antennas and
+sun mirrors.
+
+"As you probably know, fellows," Captain Eaton said, "the Von Braun
+Space Station is our largest satellite of all. But there are a few
+others that approach it in size. For example, here is Quartermaster 10,
+the biggest of the depot satellites that furnish supplies to men who
+live in the world of the artificial moons. Here is a big fueling
+satellite, and over here is another big one--Spaceharbor--which is
+really a network of smaller moons joined together. This is a shipyard
+satellite where space ships are built and repaired. The _Carefree_ was
+built in Spaceharbor."
+
+"Gee, with so many of those things orbiting earth every minute of the
+day, it seems that space ships are always in danger of hitting one of
+them," Patch remarked.
+
+"That is a very real danger," Captain Eaton said, "especially for us,
+since we usually cruise in that area above earth called the 'satellite
+zone.' For this reason, every person on pilot duty is responsible for
+knowing the position of every satellite within dangerous range of the
+_Carefree_. This requires constant study and figuring of orbit paths. It
+really is the biggest job the pilot has to do, because generally the
+_Carefree_ is on automatic pilot and runs itself, you might say."
+
+"What are some of these smaller satellites?" Garry asked.
+
+"Well, there, there, and there are some of the observation satellites
+called 'Tiros.' They are used to photograph part of the earth for
+different reasons. Some of the reasons are prediction of weather,
+mapping, and for military purposes to see that the countries of the
+world do not start arming themselves for aggression."
+
+"The Tiros moons were first put into orbit in the 1960's, weren't they?"
+Garry asked.
+
+Captain Eaton nodded. "Also these, Garry--the Transit satellites, which
+are used for navigation, both in space and on earth. This odd-looking
+little moon over here is one I'm sure you've heard about. It is WAS,
+which means weather-alteration satellite. Know what it does?"
+
+"Sure," Garry replied. "It's used to seed storm clouds with chemicals.
+If the seeding works, hurricanes and tornadoes can be broken up before
+they cause damage. I believe they were first put into orbit in the late
+1960's."
+
+"Very good," the captain complimented. "Of course there are many other
+kinds of man-made moons, some too technical to explain. But, in spite of
+their great number and complexity, each has its use, and they are a
+tribute to man's great achievements in the world of science. One of our
+big jobs aboard the _Carefree_ is to see that they remain in orbit,
+doing their duty for the people of earth. If we should ever change their
+orbit, for instance by colliding with one of them, we not only would
+destroy their usefulness but we would, in all likelihood, destroy the
+_Carefree_ as well."
+
+Garry did not even want to think about the possibility of such a
+disaster.
+
+After the visit to the observatory, the captain asked the boys if they
+would care to try out the swimming pool.
+
+"Hey, would we!" Garry and Patch said together.
+
+A few minutes later, as they were heading down the corridor toward the
+gym, they passed Mr. Klecker walking along stiffly--in full dress of
+course--and carrying a stack of books.
+
+"Hello, gentlemen," the tall man greeted them cordially, and the boys
+returned his greeting.
+
+As he passed, Patch whispered to Garry, "Bet those books are about the
+circus."
+
+Garry smiled and nodded.
+
+The boys had learned that Mr. Klecker had a hobby. He was very much
+interested in the circus of the old days. He had many books on the
+subject, and whenever he talked to anyone it was about the circus.
+
+Garry and Patch had heard from the others that Mr. Klecker still looked
+after the captain as if he were serving him in his mansion. He would lay
+out his clothes for him and attend to other small details. Once in
+awhile Mr. Klecker would be called on to assist in things of a
+mechanical nature, but he hated to get out of his full dress and don
+greasy coveralls.
+
+The boys proceeded to the gym. They were anticipating a good time. But
+something of a decisive nature was to happen which would have an
+important bearing on their future life aboard the _Carefree_.
+
+
+
+
+                         10. THE LADY GOES WILD
+
+
+"Beat you into the pool," Patch called a little while later.
+
+He dashed out of the dressing room and dove, with hands outstretched,
+into the water. Garry followed right behind, tumbling into the spray
+left by Patch's dive.
+
+"Say, this is nice and warm!" Garry said. "And we've got it all to
+ourselves!"
+
+A little way back from the pool's edge, Mac and Isaac were lifting
+weights. This exercise was to help them keep in good physical trim.
+
+Garry and Patch swam and splashed to their hearts' content. It was the
+most fun they had had in a long time. They knew no one would ever
+believe their story of swimming in a pool in deep space! It was almost
+too difficult for them to believe themselves. But they did not care if
+they were never believed.
+
+They frolicked in the water for about an hour and then climbed up on the
+pool's edge to catch their breath for a few minutes.
+
+"Boy, I could spend twenty-four hours a day in there," Patch said,
+flicking water from his face.
+
+"I could too, almost," Garry agreed. "But I would be satisfied if I
+could spend twenty-four hours a day aboard the _Carefree_ doing
+anything. Gee, it's going to be hard leaving here to go back to the
+orphanage."
+
+"Yeah," Patch said sourly. "Gee whiz, Garry, why can't they let a couple
+of guys live the way they want to?"
+
+"We can someday, when we are old enough," Garry said. "But the only way
+we could get around having to go back now would be for Captain Eaton to
+adopt us."
+
+"Say, that's the answer!" Patch replied excitedly. "Why don't we ask
+him?"
+
+"I don't think it's as easy as that, Patch. In the first place, I don't
+think _we_ should ask _him_. He knows how much we like the _Carefree_,
+and he may have thought of adoption. But he should be the one who
+suggests it."
+
+"Maybe we could drop a hint or something," Patch said.
+
+"I don't think they'd let him adopt us, Patch. Don't forget, when they
+find out where we are, they'll think we stowed away aboard the _Orion_,
+and that would ruin any chances we might have had."
+
+"But we didn't deliberately stow away!" Patch protested.
+
+"I know that, but how can we get them to believe us? I don't think
+they'd even consider adoption at this time, and I think Captain Eaton
+must feel that way too."
+
+Patch sighed. "Maybe later, then. Maybe someday Captain Eaton will want
+us back. Gosh, I hate to leave here, though."
+
+"Life won't be the same any more," Garry said. "Nothing can ever be as
+exciting as the adventure we've had."
+
+They heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Captain Eaton
+coming their way. Missing now was his usual sunny smile. He carried a
+piece of paper in his hand.
+
+"Well, fellows, the answer has come," Captain Eaton said, and his voice
+was laden with dejection. "I radioed that you two had been picked up,
+and they've already replied."
+
+Garry hated to ask, "Wh--what did they say?"
+
+"Just as I suspected. We must return to the Von Braun Space Station."
+
+"I was hoping we had a _few_ more days at least," Patch groaned.
+
+"I think that the sooner we straighten this matter out, the better it
+will be for everyone," Captain Eaton replied. "And another thing, you
+boys are still A.W.O.L. from the orphanage, you know. However, it will
+take a couple of days for us to work out a navigation plan and get a
+clearance approach to the station. Sorry, fellows. I wish you could have
+stayed on with us indefinitely, but...."
+
+As the captain's voice trailed off, Garry had a flicker of hope. The
+captain was looking at them as if debating something in his mind. Would
+he bring up the subject of adoption?
+
+But, saying nothing further, the captain turned and began walking toward
+the outer door of the gym.
+
+Then he seemed to think of something else and came back. The boys held
+their breath hopefully. Would he mention adoption now?
+
+"There's something else they told me that I thought you'd want to know,"
+the captain said. "I told them the story of your being stowaways
+accidentally, just as you told me. They checked back and found that the
+elevator attached to the _Orion_ was defective, as you said, and they
+are convinced of the truth of your story. As a result, Officer Mulroy
+has been cleared of any negligence."
+
+"I'm glad to know that, Sir," Garry said.
+
+Once more the captain left them, but this time for good.
+
+"Well, that's that," Patch commented unhappily. "No adoption. When he
+came back I thought he...."
+
+"I was hoping too," Garry replied, "but we've got to go back, and that's
+all there is to it."
+
+Mac and Isaac came over, still breathing hard from their exercises.
+
+"We couldn't help but overhear the bad news," Mac said. "We're going to
+hate to see you fellows go."
+
+"Yes, that's right," Isaac added.
+
+"Thanks," Garry replied. "We were getting to like this old ship."
+
+"In a way I'd almost like to go with you," Mac said, with a faraway look
+in his eyes.
+
+Garry guessed that the Scotsman was a little homesick. His hunch proved
+correct, because Mac began to reminisce about his homeland. He described
+the heather on the hillsides, the flowing streams, and the green vales.
+And yet, Mac admitted finally that space was still a good second home to
+him, and he enjoyed his life in the deeps.
+
+Isaac had no home he would rather live in than the _Carefree_. As he
+talked about his good friends aboard ship and the kindly captain, Garry
+noticed the softness of the big man's eyes.
+
+Garry had heard that Isaac was really quite a sentimental fellow.
+Whenever he learned of a tragedy over the TV, it would depress him.
+Later, the boys were to learn that Isaac had a secret liking for good
+poetry.
+
+Both Mac and Isaac seemed genuinely sorry that the boys were having to
+leave. It made Garry and Patch feel good that they were so popular, but
+it made them a little sad, too.
+
+The next morning Garry and Patch woke earlier than the others and were
+heading toward the washroom.
+
+Suddenly Garry stopped and caught Patch by the arm. "Patch, do you hear
+that? There's noise coming from the laundry room up ahead!"
+
+Patch listened and heard the sound of splashing and a machine laboring
+hard.
+
+"Yeah," Patch said. "Let's see what's going on!"
+
+Running, Garry led the way into the laundry room. But then he wished he
+had not been coming so fast. His feet skidded on the floor, that was
+covered with thick soapsuds, and he skated several feet forward on his
+bottom. Patch, coming right behind, could not help laughing at his
+friend's misfortune. But then he too went down and skidded alongside
+Garry.
+
+"Hey, what goes on here!" Garry gasped, trying to get to his feet. The
+entire floor was a miniature sea of soapsuds.
+
+In his efforts to get up, Garry's feet slid apart, and he hit the floor
+again. Patch had no better luck than Garry. When this happened, both
+boys broke into laughter.
+
+They struggled several times to their feet, half playing all the while,
+but did not succeed in keeping their feet until the fourth attempt. Then
+they held onto one another to steady themselves. Only now did they see
+what was causing the strange disorder.
+
+They looked over at the big washing machine against the wall and saw
+Katrinka standing over the open tank, pitching clothes right and left
+out of the machine and into the air! It was as if she were having the
+time of her life.
+
+"Look, Patch--Katrinka!" Garry burst out laughing once more. "She's gone
+crazy! Something must have flipped in her mechanism again."
+
+The machine was still making mountains of suds, and they were flooding
+out of the top like a flow of white lava. Katrinka's metal wrists
+clanged against the edge of the machine as she went up and down with her
+flinging motion, making a rhythmic clatter.
+
+"Hey, can't we give her some words to make her stop this?" Patch spoke
+loudly to be heard over all the noise. "She'll wreck the place!"
+
+"I remember one of the commands," Garry said. Then loudly he called out:
+"Atten-tion! Atten-tion!"
+
+"She's not paying any mind!" Patch said.
+
+"She must be short-circuited again," Garry said. "Let's go for Captain
+Eaton!"
+
+"I hate to wake him up after the hard day he had yesterday," Patch said,
+as he returned along the corridor with Garry, "but this is an
+emergency."
+
+It turned out that they did not have to wake the captain. He met them,
+clad in his robe, at the door of the dorm, having already been aroused
+by the commotion going on down the corridor.
+
+Captain Eaton yawned. "It's Katrinka, isn't it? Ben set her for laundry
+duty this morning, but I guess her wires got crossed again."
+
+The boys cautioned Captain Eaton to be careful about going into the
+slippery room. The captain promised he would be careful and promptly
+fell down as soon as he walked through the door. Garry and Patch tried
+to help the captain to his feet, but only succeeded in falling again
+themselves. They scrambled around, slipping and sliding. Then slowly
+learning how to become expert at moving about in soapsuds, they finally
+managed to stand up and stay up.
+
+Carefully, the three made their way toward the washing machine where
+Katrinka was still merrily flipping clothes through the air. But by now
+she was out of ammunition and was merely flailing her metal arms. The
+captain used the command, "Atten-tion!" several times, trying to stop
+Katrinka's wild actions, but he had no better luck with this than Garry
+had had.
+
+Captain Eaton moved forward over the slippery floor and groped for the
+control knob on the robot's back. But then, losing his footing, he hung
+on to the robot to keep from falling again. This brought Katrinka
+crashing down onto the floor along with the captain himself.
+
+Garry and Patch each offered the captain a hand and presently managed to
+get him upright again. Garry had a hard time keeping a straight face.
+Captain Eaton's face was red, and his beard was straggly and sudsy. His
+soggy bathrobe stuck to his thin legs, giving him the appearance of a
+saddened, snow-covered elf.
+
+In the meanwhile, Katrinka was still having her fun, swinging her arms
+gaily against the floor as she lay on her back.
+
+"We've got to turn her over," Captain Eaton said, crawling nearer the
+robot. "Be careful of her arms. She can knock you over with them."
+
+Garry thought he saw how the job could be done.
+
+"Let's both grab her right leg, Patch," he said. "Then we'll give a good
+heave-ho and flip her over on her stomach. Careful you don't slip."
+
+They did as Garry had suggested, yanking fiercely on the robot's leg and
+flipping the metal creature over, face down. But the motion also brought
+Garry and Patch down in the soap again, this time getting the suds all
+over their faces, causing them to make wry grimaces and blow away the
+froth from their lips even as they laughed.
+
+But what was funniest of all to Garry was when he saw Captain Eaton
+suddenly see an opening and scramble furiously, on all fours, over to
+the flailing robot. He threw himself upon her back, fighting her as a
+cowboy would wrestle a steer. He finally subdued her with a turn of the
+switch on her back, which he was at last able to grab and twist.
+
+Worn out by his exertions, the captain simply flopped back on his hands
+in the soapy billows, sighing heavily. Then the good-natured man caught
+Garry's eye and smiled. The smile turned into laughter, and presently
+all three of them joined in.
+
+The captain later determined what had happened. He found out that
+Katrinka, in doing her washing chores, had gotten water into her
+electronic parts, and this had caused trouble in her mechanism. Captain
+Eaton made the repair easily, and the robot maid was once more in proper
+working order.
+
+The boys were with the captain while he was making the repairs on
+Katrinka in the workshop. When the captain had put away his tools, he
+sent the robot on her way. Then he looked at Garry, as he washed his
+hands at the sink, and said in a sad voice, "Fellows, I've received a
+docking date at the Von Braun Space Station. We'll dock at 2100 tomorrow
+night. That isn't much time left, is it?"
+
+"No, Sir, it isn't," Garry replied unhappily.
+
+The captain did not look up again.
+
+Garry half expected him to say something else, but, instead, he remained
+silent. Garry tugged at Patch's sleeve, motioning for them to go.
+
+The boys made their way slowly toward the door of the workshop. As Garry
+pressed the button to open the sliding door, Captain Eaton spoke again.
+
+"Wait--just a minute."
+
+The boys turned. Garry gulped. He could see the sadness in the elderly
+man's eyes.
+
+"Boys, I haven't told you how much I've enjoyed having you with us for
+this short time," the captain said, holding his dripping hands over the
+sink, not bothering to dry them.
+
+Garry had a lump in his throat. "We've enjoyed it too, haven't we,
+Patch?"
+
+"Sure thing," Patch murmured.
+
+Captain Eaton continued: "You two have been a great big lift in our
+lives. It's been so long since we've seen young fellows, and you've made
+us feel younger ourselves once more. I think you know how we feel about
+your leaving us. But I don't want to get sentimental about it and make
+you feel worse. So this won't be good-by. We'll see each other again--I
+know we shall."
+
+Garry cleared his throat, trying to dissolve that lump. "You'd better
+dry your hands, Sir."
+
+Captain Eaton smiled, reaching for a towel. "Oh, of course," he said.
+
+"We'll miss all of you very much, Sir," Garry said, before starting
+through the door. "The _Carefree_ has been like a home to us."
+
+The boys were silent as they went on to the dormitory. They were
+overcome by sadness at having to leave the ship and her friendly people.
+
+As the boys were getting together the clothing and toilet articles they
+had been given, Patch remarked to Garry, "Maybe the captain doesn't like
+us enough for adoption. He may not care for the idea of being saddled
+with us permanently."
+
+"I hope it's not that," Garry answered, "but I still can't think of any
+other reason, now that the stowaway business is straightened out."
+
+Patch didn't answer. He had no explanation either.
+
+
+
+
+                          11. A FRIEND IS LOST
+
+
+That night, on their way to dinner in the galley, the boys were
+overtaken by the long-striding Mr. Klecker.
+
+"I heard you're leaving us, gentlemen," he said to them.
+
+"Yes, that's right, Mr. Klecker," Garry replied.
+
+"Too bad. I was hoping I would have the opportunity to talk to you about
+the old circus days. Yes, it's too bad."
+
+Gino, too, showed how much he liked the boys. He baked them special pies
+and told them that they were his going-away presents to them.
+
+After supper, Patch said to Garry, as they were leaving the galley,
+"Gee, they're not making our leaving very easy, are they?"
+
+"No, Patch, they're not making it very easy at all," Garry agreed.
+
+"We're not making what very easy?" asked a voice behind them.
+
+They turned and saw the smiling face of Ben. Garry explained to him what
+they were talking about.
+
+"Then I guess you don't want me to say I'm sorry to see you go either,
+do you?" Ben said.
+
+"Of course we really _do_ care," Garry admitted. "But it makes us sad
+when everybody tells us."
+
+"Then, I won't tell you good-by, fellows," Ben said. "I'll just say 'so
+long' for awhile. Before you know it, you'll come back into space and
+find us still cruising through the deeps in the _Carefree_. Yes, we'll
+all be here."
+
+"It does sound better that way, Ben," Garry replied. "But until then,
+we'll still miss all of you terribly."
+
+"We'll miss you too," Ben said quietly, "but we'll never forget you."
+
+The boys went to bed with a feeling of melancholy that night, for this
+was their last sleep aboard Captain Eaton's wonderland space ship. The
+thought of leaving these good friends, possibly forever, brought a pang
+to Garry's heart. But no matter how sorrowful he felt, he was determined
+to be brave about it.
+
+Garry fell asleep thinking of all the fun he and Patch had had in the
+brief happy hours of their stay aboard the _Carefree_. Since the time
+passes quickly during slumber, the boy expected he would be awake before
+he knew it on another quiet morning, and that very soon thereafter he
+would be bidding good-by to his friends as he and Patch made
+preparations for the voyage back to earth and the orphanage.
+
+But Garry woke far sooner than he expected. It was not morning, nor was
+it quiet; the air was charged with confusion and alarm.
+
+Garry was aware of bustling footsteps and urgent voices in the
+dormitory. His eyes popped open in the bright glare of the lights that
+had been turned on fully. He had a feeling that it was the middle of the
+night and not morning, although he was not to find this out until a
+little later.
+
+Garry sat bolt upright in his bunk. "What's wrong?" he asked.
+
+Gino, hastily pulling on his shirt, paused at Garry's bunk. His eyes
+showed the anxiety he felt.
+
+"Hurry and get dressed, Garry!" he said. "You and Patch. We're in great
+danger. We've got to get ready for the captain's orders."
+
+Garry leaped out of bed, his heart thumping swiftly. The cold floor on
+the soles of his feet shocked him fully awake. He seized his peacefully
+sleeping buddy and yanked him without mercy.
+
+"Patch, get up! There's trouble--I don't know just what kind yet!"
+
+Patch's eyes were still drugged with sleep, but he struggled to a
+sitting position.
+
+"Trouble? Wh--what trouble?" Patched muttered.
+
+"I told you I don't know, but Gino warned us to get ready for the
+captain's orders. Hurry! Everyone else is already dressed and out of the
+dorm!"
+
+Patch needed no more urging and popped out of bed. He and Garry quickly
+dressed and hurried out into the corridor to see what was going on.
+
+There was no one in sight. The boys went farther along. Then, at the
+foot of the stairs leading into the center tube, they heard excited
+voices.
+
+"Whatever it is, it seems to be up in the tunnel," Garry said. "Let's
+go."
+
+They hurried up the stairs. Reaching the top, Garry, who was in the
+lead, looked down the tunnel from which most of the sounds were coming.
+He saw Ben, Captain Eaton, Mr. Klecker, and Gino on or near the platform
+outside the flight deck, the door of which was closed.
+
+Garry and Patch pulled their weightless bodies along the webbing of the
+tube. As they approached the men, they heard Ben saying:
+
+"This is terrible! Poor Mac! And what's going to happen to the rest of
+us?"
+
+"What is going to happen?" Garry asked, as he and Patch came upon the
+scene.
+
+Captain Eaton turned to them with a distraught look. "I'm sorry, boys.
+If I had hastened to get you back to the space station promptly, you
+would have survived this--this disaster."
+
+"Disaster?" Garry echoed, with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
+
+"Yes," Captain Eaton answered, his voice shaking. "Mac is already done
+for, and we shall soon follow after him."
+
+"What happened?" Patch asked Mr. Klecker.
+
+The boys could see pain on the men's faces.
+
+"The _Carefree_ collided with an _Explorer_ satellite," the butler
+replied. "It destroyed the flight deck while Mac was on duty. It looks
+as if he had managed to close the door before he was swept off into
+space. The collision knocked us off course, and we're plunging into
+space--toward where, no one knows. We can't so much as lift a finger to
+bring her under control, and our antenna disk has been damaged so that
+we can't even send an SOS."
+
+"Oh, no!" was all Garry could say, sickened at the sudden fateful turn
+of events.
+
+Actually, he was thinking more of poor Mac than he was of their own grim
+outlook. He remembered how much the likable Scotsman wanted to return to
+the heather of his own land after his stint in space. Now he would never
+see Scotland again. Garry absently watched Ben squirting a thick liquid
+around the cracks of the flight-deck door, probably as a safeguard
+against air escaping from the ship.
+
+"Ben has been outside in a pressure suit to look over the damage,"
+Captain Eaton said.
+
+Patch turned away from the others, hanging his head in grief and
+despair. Captain Eaton put an arm around Garry's shoulder, but there was
+a helpless look on his face that seemed to show the uselessness of
+saying anything. Gino had lost his usual cheery smile and could only
+stare numbly at the closed door of the flight deck, where their friend
+had been the victim of such a cruel act of fate.
+
+Garry looked around at the ship's company. Everyone was accounted for
+except Isaac.
+
+"Where's Mr. Newton?" he asked.
+
+"Poor Isaac is completely crushed," Captain Eaton replied. "He had just
+changed shifts with Mac at the pilot's chair only a few moments before
+the accident. He's blaming himself for the whole thing. It seems he
+overlooked the position of the satellite that hit us. He missed it on
+his last check, and Mac did not see it in time. Isaac's gone off
+somewhere."
+
+It was indeed a dark moment aboard the once-happy vessel. Things had
+happened so swiftly that everyone appeared to be still in shock. No one
+spoke again for several minutes. Everyone just stood around idly, as if
+not knowing what to do next and not really caring.
+
+Ben was the first to try to rally everyone's deadened spirits. He had
+just finished sealing the cracks in the door.
+
+"It'll be some time before we can tell which way the ship is heading.
+The collision changed our course completely. Even when we do find out,
+there's nothing we can do to control the _Carefree_. She's just a
+runaway. But I still think there's hope for us."
+
+All eyes turned upon Ben questioningly.
+
+"That flier you two arrived in, Garry," Ben continued. "I've only had a
+quick look inside it, and the console seemed in pretty bad shape from
+your and Patch's efforts to start the engines. However, if I'm lucky and
+we have time before the _Carefree_ hits another satellite or something,
+I may be able to fix it up so that we can escape in it."
+
+"It's our only hope," Captain Eaton replied. "I suggest you get right on
+the job, Ben, and call on anyone you need to help you. Meanwhile, we'll
+sweat out the flight, although I must say I feel like a duck in a
+shooting gallery because of all the flying objects whirling out there
+all around us."
+
+"If we are able to escape in the flier," Mr. Klecker said, "we can use
+its radio to send for help."
+
+Ben shook his head. "The radio was removed for some reason. There's only
+the empty compartment it came out of."
+
+With faint hope of survival, some measure of good spirits was restored
+to the astronauts. Ben called upon Mr. Klecker to help him work on the
+space taxi, and Captain Eaton said he would go to the observatory to
+take a "fix" and try to determine the course the _Carefree_ had taken.
+
+"I'll have to change clothes," Mr. Klecker said. "I don't want to get my
+uniform soiled."
+
+"Guess I'll go and whip up some breakfast," Gino said. "That's about all
+_I_ can do, although maybe nobody will be hungry."
+
+Captain Eaton turned to Garry and Patch before he left. "I know it's
+going to be hard for you," he said, "but try to feel hopeful about this
+situation. A terrible misfortune has come our way, but try to believe
+that things will work out for us. Chins up, eh, fellows?"
+
+He forced a smile. The boys gave him a brave smile in return, although
+they did not feel it any more than he had.
+
+"May we go with you to the observatory, Captain?" Patch asked. "Maybe we
+can help."
+
+"Yes, if you like. I know how hard it will be to remain idle at a time
+like this. Let's go."
+
+In the observatory, Garry and Patch watched the captain at his telescope
+and other instruments. He worked for a little while, then turned away
+from his work with a brooding, disturbed look on his face. He stroked
+his neat beard. Then he worked again for several more minutes.
+
+He stopped once more, but then resumed his watching. He kept this up for
+some time, and, as the minutes passed, his face grew more and more
+serious.
+
+Garry was afraid to ask, but he felt that he had to know. "Captain,
+is--is it bad?" he said softly.
+
+Captain Eaton shook his head grimly, the look of despair in his eyes.
+
+"You may as well know," he replied. "I've been hoping I was wrong, but
+now I know I'm not. We're moving into the gravity field of the moon. My
+guess is that we're only a few hours away from collision."
+
+
+
+
+                       12. A STARTLING DISCOVERY
+
+
+This latest bad news filled Garry with a new dread. But he refused to
+give up hope. He remembered that Ben was working in the flier, trying to
+put it in shape.
+
+"Captain Eaton," he asked, "do you think Ben will have the flier ready
+by the time we begin falling to the moon?"
+
+"I couldn't even guess at that. If there's not too much wrong with the
+flier, he may get it repaired in short order. But a major repair--I just
+don't know. I guess the next thing now is to inform the men of our
+course and get Ben's estimate of the flier's damage."
+
+The three of them joined Ben and Mr. Klecker in the flier a few moments
+later. The small rocket ship was still held fast to the bigger
+_Carefree_, their two air locks joined as if they were one ship.
+
+When Captain Eaton had told the men that they were headed for the moon,
+whether they liked it or not, Ben replied, "Well, Captain, I suppose
+we've just _got_ to get the space taxi in shape in mighty short order. I
+don't imagine the _Carefree_ will bounce very well on the moon's hard,
+rocky surface."
+
+"Do you really think you can get it repaired in time, Ben?" Captain
+Eaton asked gravely.
+
+"How much time do you think you can give me?" Ben asked.
+
+"I'll have to do some more calculating before I can estimate exactly how
+long it will be before we go into final fall," was the reply, "but,
+offhand, I would say you've got no longer than six hours."
+
+Ben looked at the damaged control panel of the flier and shook his head.
+
+"Impossible," he said, "but I'll do it. I've _got_ to do it."
+
+"Everyone on the ship will be at your disposal, Ben," Captain Eaton
+said. "Call for anyone and anything at all that you need in order to
+hurry those repairs. Ben, there's no one else I'd rather trust with the
+lives of us all than you. You can't let us down."
+
+"That confidence means a lot, Captain," Ben replied, his expression
+showing the appreciation he felt. "Mac gave his life for the ship. I'd
+do no less if it meant saving the _Carefree_ and all you guys."
+
+"I know you mean what you say, Ben," Captain Eaton said, "but we won't
+call on you to go that far. Just get the flier in shape so that we can
+escape in it and not share the _Carefree_'s fate in crashing on the
+moon."
+
+Ben shook his head sadly. "I hadn't thought of the _Carefree_ plunging
+to her destruction. But we _know_ that's got to happen, don't we,
+because there's no way of saving her. Captain, this ship has become such
+a part of my life that I'd almost want to go down with her."
+
+"I feel the same way, Ben," Captain Eaton replied. "Life will never be
+the same again without the _Carefree_. I don't know how I'll get along
+without her deck beneath my feet."
+
+"If we get out of this alive," Mr. Klecker said, "we'll just have to
+return to earth and spend the rest of our days there."
+
+"That's true," the captain agreed sadly. "Even a millionaire is allowed
+a space ship as grand as this only once in a lifetime. I couldn't afford
+another."
+
+Ben seemed to realize that precious time was going to waste as they
+talked, and he began getting his tools together.
+
+"I know everyone wants to help," he said, "but I think that Kleck and I
+can work better together by ourselves just now. There'll be less
+confusion. I'll be sure to call on anyone else if he's needed."
+
+Mr. Klecker had donned some old clothes, but he did not look comfortable
+in them.
+
+Ben listed more tools and equipment he would need, and Captain Eaton
+gave the list to Garry.
+
+"Take this to Isaac, will you, Garry, and ask him to round these up as
+quickly as possible. I've got to get back to the observatory and see how
+much time there is to zero hour."
+
+"Isaac has taken Mac's loss pretty badly, Captain," Ben said. "Do you
+think he'll be working at top efficiency?"
+
+"I think it will do him good to have something to do," the captain
+replied. "He'll be of no use to himself, or us either, if he just keeps
+on brooding."
+
+Captain Eaton and the boys left the flier and went their separate ways
+to take care of their respective duties. Garry and Patch went to the
+dormitory and found Isaac Newton sitting on one of the lower bunks, his
+head in his hands. They stood beside the bunk for several moments,
+waiting for Isaac to look up, but he did not seem to know that there was
+anyone else around.
+
+"Isaac," Garry then said, "Ben needs a few things for the repair of the
+flier. The captain thought you could round them up for us."
+
+Isaac still did not look up.
+
+"Isaac, we're headed for the moon," Patch said urgently. "We've _got_ to
+get the flier repaired within six hours, or we're all goners!"
+
+Finally, Isaac looked up, his gentle eyes red. "It's all my fault," he
+said. "It's all my fault that Mac is dead! I didn't tell him about the
+satellite, and I should have. I ought to be shot like a soldier for
+neglecting his duty."
+
+"You shouldn't blame yourself, Isaac," Garry said gently. "Anyone could
+have made the same mistake."
+
+Isaac shook his head, as if pulling himself together, and held out his
+hand. "Let me have the list."
+
+He looked it over, climbed to his feet, and started out of the
+dormitory.
+
+"Gee, he _is_ taking it hard, isn't he?" Patch asked.
+
+Garry nodded. "I can imagine how he feels. How many times have you made
+a mistake that you'd give anything in the world to correct if you could?
+But with us, our mistakes have never cost a person his life."
+
+Isaac came back into the room. "One of the things on this list is the
+sealer gun. It must still be up there by the flight-deck door that was
+sealed to prevent the air leaking out. Will you fellows get it?"
+
+"Sure, Isaac," Garry replied. "Come on, Patch."
+
+As they pulled themselves along the center tunnel, Patch remarked,
+"Isaac didn't want to go back up there. That's why he asked us to get
+the sealer gun."
+
+"I think you're right," Garry replied. "But it will save him some time
+just the same."
+
+Reaching the platform in front of the flight deck, the boys stepped up
+onto the magnetized area. All at once Garry was struck by the awesome
+silence of this part of the ship. Along with this was the remembrance of
+the tragedy that had taken place beyond the door in front of them, and
+he had a lonesome, shivery feeling.
+
+Patch seemed to feel it too.
+
+"Let's hurry up and get out of here," he said. "It's kind of spooky here
+all by ourselves."
+
+"I don't see the sealer gun anywhere, do you?" Garry asked.
+
+"No. Maybe somebody carried it away with them."
+
+There was a well of darkness beneath the platform. Both boys glanced at
+one another. They knew that was the next place to look.
+
+"It may be down there someplace," Garry said. "We'll have to take a
+look."
+
+"How could it be down there?" Patch argued, not enjoying the prospect.
+"There's no gravity here in the tube. Things don't _fall_ in here like
+they do in the rest of the ship."
+
+"It may have been shoved off in that direction," Garry said. "That could
+easily have happened in all the excitement up here. Time's wasting,
+Patch. If you're scared, I'll poke around down there."
+
+"It's not that I'm exactly scared," Patch protested weakly.
+
+Garry held onto the railing and swung his feet off the
+magnetized-platform floor so that he floated weightlessly in the air.
+Then he began pulling himself down into the darkness, using the metal
+lattice-work that extended below the platform.
+
+"How can you see down there?" Patch called from above. "Want me to get a
+light for you?"
+
+"I'll feel around a little first," Garry answered. "I may put my hand
+right on it."
+
+With one hand holding onto the metal stripping, Garry fanned his free
+arm back and forth along the floor. All he felt was cold smooth
+metal--at first.
+
+Then, suddenly, he felt something soft to his touch. A chill raced up
+his backbone, ending in a prickle at the top of his head. He swallowed,
+then courageously began feeling around again on the object, trying to
+identify it. His hand touched flesh, warm flesh, and he could trace the
+outline of five fingers. He felt that chill again, but he fought to keep
+his nerves under control.
+
+"Hey, What's going on?" Patch called. "Have you found something?"
+
+Garry pulled himself back up to the platform and hung onto the rail,
+shaking.
+
+"Garry," Patch said, "you're white as you can be!"
+
+"I found something all right, Patch. There's a _person_ down there,"
+Garry whispered.
+
+
+
+
+                           13. ABANDON SHIP!
+
+
+Leaving a bewildered and frightened Patch behind him, Garry left the
+platform and began pulling himself as rapidly as possible along the
+webbing of the tube toward the ship's stern. Reaching the observatory
+bubble, he went in.
+
+"Captain Eaton!" Garry gasped. "I think I've found him! I think I've
+found Mac!"
+
+The captain swung from an instrument he was using, and looked at Garry
+in amazement. "You _what_?" he cried.
+
+Garry pulled himself into the observatory, the floor taking hold of the
+soles of his shoes by its magnetic attraction. "Yes, Sir!" he declared.
+"Patch and I were looking for the sealing gun in front of the flight
+deck, and I found a body in the darkness below the platform!"
+
+Captain Eaton clicked across the floor and entered the tube. Garry
+tagged along behind, as the skipper of the _Carefree_ set out toward the
+bow of the ship.
+
+A few minutes later, Captain Eaton was checking on Garry's discovery.
+Then he came back onto the platform, excitement showing on his face.
+
+"It _is_ Mac!" he burst out. "His body is warm, and I think he may be
+alive! We must call some of the others so that we can get him up from
+there. In this zero gravity it will take several of us."
+
+Garry and Patch were sent by the captain to round up the others.
+
+Then several began helping to get Mac onto the platform. Of course he
+weighed nothing, but, in the zero gravity, the difficulty in moving him
+lay in the fact that the others could not push him without bracing some
+part of their own body against something. Otherwise, they would only
+succeed in pushing themselves backward.
+
+Mac was finally moved onto the platform and stretched out. He lay,
+suspended in air, a few inches above the platform. Captain Eaton looked
+at the Scotsman's eyes and tested his pulse.
+
+"His pulse is a little slow," he stated, "but his color is good, and I
+think he'll come around pretty soon. That bad gash on his forehead must
+have knocked him out."
+
+They worked over Mac. Finally, he stirred and then opened his eyes. He
+stared as if unseeing for several moments, but then, as he began to
+recognize everybody, a weak smile formed on his lips.
+
+"What happened?" he murmured.
+
+"We don't know what happened, Mac," Captain Eaton replied. "Can you tell
+us? Can you remember what did happen before you blacked out?"
+
+Mac frowned, as if concentrating very hard. Then his face relaxed.
+
+"I remember," he said softly. "I was near the door when it hit
+us--whatever it was. If I'd been in the pilot's chair I would have been
+a goner. But I had gotten up only a moment before to check the chart.
+The door was open. I heard a terrific roar and saw the whole console
+burst into a sheet of fire. At the same time I felt myself being blown
+backward and right through the door onto the platform. I was dazed, but
+somehow I had the presence of mind to know I had to get that door shut
+or the ship would lose all her air. I managed to press the button and
+saw it slide shut. But then my head began to hurt terrifically and I
+felt dizzy. I reached out for the railing to hold on, but I guess I
+missed it then and unconsciously floated off to wherever you found me."
+
+"Garry found you," Captain Eaton said. "We thought you had been blown
+into space by the collision."
+
+"Thanks, Garry," Mac said, winking at him with gratitude.
+
+"That's all right," Garry replied. "We're just so glad to see that
+you're still alive."
+
+"Mac, don't ever scare me again like that!" Isaac put in, his voice
+shaky with emotion. "It was my fault the collision happened, because I
+overlooked the satellite that hit us. I knew your death was on me, and I
+was so torn up I don't think I'd ever have gotten over it. Thanks,
+buddy, for turning up as you did!"
+
+"Forget it, Isaac," Mac joked. "Maybe you can return the favor
+sometime."
+
+They told Mac about the existing crisis. He wanted to do something to
+help, but Captain Eaton insisted that he go to the dormitory to rest.
+Garry and Patch went with Captain Eaton to the observatory to recheck
+and see how much time the _Carefree_ had left.
+
+After another period of figuring and using his instruments, the skipper
+turned to the boys. "I wish I had better news, but it looks as if we
+have less time than I had thought at first."
+
+The boys returned with Captain Eaton to the flier. Isaac had taken over
+helping Ben, since he knew more about this kind of thing than Mr.
+Klecker.
+
+Captain Eaton stood at the door of the air lock. "How are you coming in
+there?" he asked.
+
+Ben gave him a report of their progress. The captain's face was lined
+and grave. "You may have to do better than that if we're going to get
+out of this alive," he said. "The moon is very close."
+
+Captain Eaton and the boys spent the time that followed in the
+observatory dome, watching the steadily growing disk of the moon. It was
+like a mocking face in the sky, luring the travelers to destruction.
+
+No telescope was needed, for the big, rocky satellite of earth appeared
+to take up the whole heavens. Garry and Patch studied the knife-edged
+mountaintops, the dry, gray wildernesses that were once thought to be
+seas, and the mysterious bowl-like craters. Where would the _Carefree_
+plunge to her death on the fierce moonscape, Garry wondered. And would
+he and the others still be aboard her when she crashed? Garry shuddered
+at the thought. As Captain Eaton had said, Luna was now so frightfully
+close.
+
+The captain made a final check of his instruments. Then he turned
+abruptly, heading for the door. The boys followed him out.
+
+In the flier, moments later, the captain said, "Ben, we're in our last
+hour. How do things look in here?"
+
+Garry could see Ben's grimy, tired face turned toward Captain Eaton.
+
+"It'll be close, Captain, awfully close," Ben answered, and immediately
+turned back to the network of wiring in the instrument panel.
+
+"Anything I can do, Ben?" Captain Eaton asked.
+
+"Just hope and pray," was the reply. "I think it'll be all up to me now.
+It's a one-man job getting these wires hooked up."
+
+"We could take one last look around the ship during this last hour," Mr.
+Klecker proposed. "I have some books I want to take along."
+
+"Sorry, Kleck," Ben said, "but we won't have room for them. The flier
+will be crowded as it is. We won't be able to take belongings of any
+kind, not even for survival, except for the emergency supplies the flier
+itself carries. The weight is that critical."
+
+"I don't want a last look," Gino spoke up. "Otherwise I might not want
+to leave the good old _Carefree_, even if she is going to crash."
+
+"Me either," Isaac Newton added. "I want to remember her the way she was
+when all of us were very happy and really carefree."
+
+"One thing about Patch and me," Garry put in. "We came aboard without
+anything but the clothes we're wearing, and we'll be leaving the same
+way."
+
+"There's one thing I surely hate to leave behind," Captain Eaton said.
+"Katrinka. She's only a robot, but I've had her for so long that she's
+almost like a member of the family."
+
+From now on, every minute was beginning to count desperately. Garry
+wished he could hold back the hands of the clock. He wished he could
+give Ben an extra hour. But this could not be.
+
+A little later there came the announcement that Garry had known must be
+coming finally. Captain Eaton had been in the observatory for the last
+time, and now he had returned with a final announcement: "It's now or
+never, Ben. Which is it?"
+
+Ben straightened up, and there was a pleased look on his weary face.
+"Just finished, Captain. The instrument panel isn't as good as new, but
+I'm pretty sure the flier can be navigated by it, at least long enough
+for a safe landing on Luna. Come here, Mac. Let me show you a few things
+about the console."
+
+Garry wondered why Ben was taking time to instruct Mac in the navigation
+of the ship. Why couldn't he do the piloting himself? Garry could see
+that Mac was a little puzzled too, as he went over to the instrument
+panel.
+
+Captain Eaton was looking at his wrist watch. "Ben, there's no more
+time. We've got to get off the _Carefree_ within five minutes, not a
+second longer."
+
+After a few more hurried moments of instruction, Ben said, "We're ready,
+Captain. Everybody into the rocket."
+
+Those who were not already in filed into the rocket and belted down into
+the seats. That is, everybody but one--Ben.
+
+"Ben, where are you going?" Captain Eaton asked.
+
+"To check on the air lock, Sir," Ben answered, and walked through the
+flier's doorway into the air lock between the two ships.
+
+Mac had belted down in the pilot's seat, as Ben had asked him to do.
+
+"How are you going to ride without a seat, Ben?" Mac called.
+
+"Everybody ready?" Ben called from the air lock.
+
+All answered that they were.
+
+"Start the motors, Mac," Ben said.
+
+Mac started the rocket motors, at the same time calling, "Hurry up,
+Ben!"
+
+Garry heard a whirring sound, and the outer door of the flier slid shut,
+with Ben still in the air lock beyond!
+
+"Hey, wait!" Isaac shouted. "Ben's in the air lock, and the door's
+closed!"
+
+No one could do anything, for in the very next moment the flier kicked
+out violently sideways, bending everyone over in his seat. There was
+another jerk forward as the flier went into motion.
+
+"What's happened?" Captain Eaton called.
+
+"Ben's tricked us!" Mac replied. "He cut off the magnetic grapples from
+the air lock that held us fast to the _Carefree_. How stupid I was! He
+told me to take over while he checked on some last-minute things."
+
+"I see it all," Isaac added. "If we check the weights we'll probably
+find out that we would be overloaded with one more passenger. Ben was
+that one more, and he chose not to come aboard rather than risk the
+safety of the rest of us!"
+
+"Yes," the captain said in a choked voice, "it seems that Ben elected to
+go down with the _Carefree_."
+
+
+
+
+                        14. FIRST HOURS ON LUNA
+
+
+Ben lost to them!
+
+Garry could hardly believe it. Surely Ben could have found _some_ way to
+save himself. Did he really have to make such a costly sacrifice?
+
+No one aboard the flier cared to speak for several minutes after Mac's
+tragic announcement. It had come as a devastating blow to all of them.
+
+Finally, Isaac broke the solemn quiet: "It won't be the same with good
+old Ben gone. He was a smart, brave guy. I'd like to have an ounce of
+all the scientific and mechanical knowledge he had."
+
+They had been so concerned over Ben's fate that they had almost
+overlooked the fact that the rocky wilderness of the moon was staring
+them in the face; that in a few moments the flier would be either
+touching down on her surface or crashing along with the _Carefree_ and
+Ben, her only human occupant.
+
+Mac was guiding the craft into a slowly descending spiral. This would
+give the flier's braking rockets time to reduce speed to safe level for
+the touchdown.
+
+The _Carefree_ was not in sight, although Garry searched the starry sky
+through the plastic walls of the flier. He was glad he could not find
+her. He would not have liked to see her crash.
+
+Down below, Garry could see the huge dish of a giant crater. It was
+within this area that Mac was circling. As if anticipating Garry's
+question, Mac explained: "Ben suggested that we try landing on the floor
+of this crater, which is called Hornfield. It was discovered by a lunar
+explorer in 1983. It is supposed to be covered by several inches of
+pumice dust, and that may help to break our fall if we make a bad
+touchdown."
+
+From high up, the walls of the crater did not appear very impressive,
+but as the flier spiraled lower, they looked like lofty battlements of
+ancient castles.
+
+As they dipped lower still, Garry watched those grim crater walls close
+in around the small space craft. Spread out below was the ocean of gray
+dust that carpeted the crater floor. Part way up, above the horizon, was
+seen the distant globe of earth. It cast ghostly greenish shadows around
+the walls, pits, and rock formations. This was the two-week period of
+night on Luna, and the temperature down there, in a nearly airless
+atmosphere, Garry knew, was more than two hundred degrees below zero.
+
+"Everyone make sure his restraining belts are tight," Mac called. "We're
+about to touchdown."
+
+The ground rushed up to meet them, as Garry felt himself tipped forward
+in his seat. The belly of the little flier skimmed the ocean of dust,
+sending it up in a giant cloud along both sides of the craft. The flier
+continued to plow along through the pumice until friction finally
+brought it to a halt.
+
+It was strange being still again, Garry thought. Another strange feeling
+was the gravity pull of the moon, which he knew to be only one sixth as
+strong as that of earth.
+
+"Is everybody all right?" Captain Eaton asked.
+
+No one said that he _wasn't_ all right. Garry and Patch began
+unfastening their restraining belts, as did the others.
+
+Captain Eaton was the first to his feet. He moved over to the window
+with a strange floating sort of step owing to his reduced moon weight.
+Then he looked out.
+
+"Where are we, Mac?" he asked.
+
+"Inside the Hornfield crater," Mac answered.
+
+"Are there any settlements close by?" the captain asked. "Anybody who
+can come to our rescue?"
+
+"About twenty-five miles to the southwest, captain," Mac answered. "Ben
+told me just where it was and advised me to land as close to it as
+possible. I thought this was as close as we dared approach, because the
+ground is treacherous between Hornfield and the settlement."
+
+"What sort of settlement is it, Mac?" Isaac asked.
+
+"An oxygen-mining outfit in the Taurus Mountains. They're mining for ore
+rich in oxygen to provide pressurized air for the underground terminal
+of Luna City, five hundred miles farther to the south. Ben said he
+thought they would have fliers that could get here in a short time as
+soon as they got our radio message."
+
+"But we don't have any radio," Mr. Klecker said.
+
+"Yes we do, and we can thank the flier's lifesaving equipment for that,"
+Captain Eaton said.
+
+He went to a cabinet built into the wall and pulled out an oblong box.
+On the top of it were the words: "SOS Automatic Transmitter."
+
+"You mean that was in the flier all this time and that we could have
+used it earlier ourselves?" Garry asked in surprise.
+
+"Yes, you could have," Captain Eaton replied.
+
+"I'm familiar with this transmitter," the captain went on. "Let's get
+the radio kit down."
+
+When this was done, Captain Eaton donned one of the two space suits
+which the flier carried. When he was dressed, he entered the flier's air
+lock, carrying the radio kit. Those inside the ship watched Captain
+Eaton walk about fifty feet from the flier and open the box containing
+the transmitter.
+
+"Gee, why does he have to open it up out there?" Patch wanted to know.
+"Couldn't he transmit from inside the ship just as easy?"
+
+"No, not nearly as well," Mac explained. "Just watch, and you'll see
+why!"
+
+Captain Eaton took some things out of the box, and then, after tinkering
+with them for a few minutes, he set the transmitter in the pumice dust
+and ran back toward the flier as if he had just lighted a bomb fuse. A
+few seconds later the boys were surprised to see something resembling a
+giant snake spring from the ground beside the transmitter and extend
+straight up in the dark sky!
+
+"What in the world was that?" Patch asked in amazement.
+
+"That's the antenna for the transmitter, isn't it, Mac?" Garry asked.
+
+Mac nodded. "That long ropelike thing is hollow, and the antenna is in
+the middle of it. Captain Eaton released a switch that caused the casing
+to fill with compressed air, and that is what keeps it extended into the
+sky. That gives us a much better antenna than we could possibly have in
+here. Also, being as tall as it is, the radio waves leaving it can
+travel great distances and cross high places which they could not do if
+it were short. Understand?"
+
+The boys nodded.
+
+"The transmitter is a very light and simple one," Mac went on. "All it
+can do is send out an SOS signal from time to time; it can't transmit
+words. Yet whoever picks it up can easily trace it. I hope our signal
+will carry as far as the mining settlement and that there's no
+interference between to block our radio waves. Those mountains could
+block the waves."
+
+"How long do you think we can hold out, just in case our rescue is slow
+in coming?" Garry asked Mac.
+
+"If we carefully ration food, water, and air, I'd say we could last
+about five days, earth time," Mac replied. "I'm pretty sure the captain
+will start rationing right away, just to make sure, but I can't see any
+reason why we won't see a rescue flier heading this way pretty soon,
+certainly by tomorrow."
+
+Captain Eaton presently came back inside and began taking off his space
+suit.
+
+"If we get out of this alive, we'll owe it all to Ben," Isaac remarked.
+
+Garry noticed the sudden sadness on the faces of the others at the
+mention of Ben's name. Presently, everyone in turn began saying
+something good about their friend; that is, everyone except Captain
+Eaton, whom Garry knew had been closer to Ben than any of the others.
+
+The captain was still plainly too broken up to say anything about Ben at
+this time. He just quietly finished removing his pressure-suit gear, and
+Garry could see the tragedy in his eyes. Garry was glad when Captain
+Eaton changed the subject, because he himself had grown very fond of the
+brilliant young spaceman.
+
+"We should take inventory of our stock," the captain was saying, "and
+then start a rationing schedule. We can't be sure how long we'll have to
+wait before help comes. I don't want to alarm everybody, but there's
+always the possibility of radioactivity or mineral deposits in the hills
+beyond the crater which would keep our SOS from going through. The moon
+is full of those things."
+
+Mac's prediction as to how long the food and water would last turned out
+to be fairly close, although it turned out to be four days instead of
+five. No one expected the fourth day to roll around with their still
+being trapped in the flier, but Captain Eaton was playing safe, as Mac
+had said he probably would do.
+
+Those who had invented the equipment making up the escape flier's
+emergency kit had seemingly thought of everything to ease the plight of
+those trapped on strange planets. They had not overlooked the boredom of
+those awaiting rescue. There was a special cabinet containing tiny
+games, and there were also miniature books.
+
+When the inventory was completed and everything was done that could be
+done, Captain Eaton distributed the games and books, and everyone
+settled down in the flight chairs.
+
+"This isn't so bad," Isaac said, sighing and stretching out comfortably
+with one of the little books. "I've always wanted to read this book on
+great poetry, but up to now I just haven't had the time because it's so
+long. It looks like I've finally gotten my chance to read it."
+
+"There aren't any books about the circus," Mr. Klecker said
+disappointedly. "I guess I'll just have to settle for what's left."
+
+The butler straightened his bow tie. He had changed back into his full
+dress after Isaac had taken over as Ben's helper.
+
+Garry and Patch started a game of chess, and the rest of the
+_Carefree_'s passengers took whatever game or book interested them.
+Except for the sadness of Ben's not being with them, Garry noticed that
+there was an air of contentment and optimism on the part of everyone.
+
+Later, he was to be glad that he did not have the talent of seeing into
+the future, for if those who were so relaxed now in their cozy hideaway
+on the dark moon had only known what was in store for them, they would
+not have been in the mood for enjoying _anything_ at this moment.
+
+
+
+
+                           15. A DARK OUTLOOK
+
+
+The idea of stretching out comfortably with a good book and plenty of
+spare time did not seem so satisfying after several hours. After this
+period, everyone began to get restless, with a desire to get up and
+stretch his legs, as they could have done if they were back on the
+_Carefree_.
+
+"I know how you feel, fellows," Captain Eaton said sympathetically, as
+he noticed how tired everyone had become of just sitting around. "I'd
+like to take a romp myself outside in a space suit, but without knowing
+how soon we'll be rescued and having no surplus of supplies, I don't
+think we should use up our oxygen that fast. Everyone agree?"
+
+Everyone did.
+
+Then to while away the hours that were beginning to drag slowly along,
+the captain suggested that they talk among themselves and exchange
+stories. This activity occupied the group for some time. Garry was glad
+that poor Ben was not mentioned again to further depress everyone.
+
+Finally, all became "talked out," just as they had become "read out"
+before that. And by this time some were ready for a nap and began dozing
+in their seats.
+
+Garry watched the captain settle back in his seat, sighing tiredly.
+
+"I suppose I should be grateful for being alive," he said, "but I feel
+almost as if I had died myself. Yes, this is a sad day for an old man
+who has lost at the same time the dearest things to his heart--one of
+his best friends and a funny-looking space ship that had come to be even
+homier than his earthly home."
+
+Garry noticed how much the conversation kept returning to Ben. He
+guessed that the unselfish spaceman would be on their minds for a long
+time to come.
+
+"I wonder where they went down, Captain?" Mac asked. "I didn't even see
+the _Carefree_, once Ben cut us free."
+
+"None of us saw her," the captain replied, "and I'm glad. I hope they
+never find her remains on the moon, because I would feel compelled to go
+to the site of the crash and I would not want to do that. No, it's
+better this way."
+
+Before long, someone mentioned food. There was some mild enthusiasm from
+the others, but not much. Everyone knew that all there was to eat were
+capsules that would provide nourishment but little enjoyment.
+
+Gino made a face when the capsule bottle was passed to him and he shook
+two of the pellets out into his hand.
+
+"To think that I would ever have to make a meal of these things," he
+said sadly, "I, who at one time or another, have served up the grandest
+dishes ever put together."
+
+All ate silently. Since the additional talk about Ben, it was as if cold
+water had been poured over their spirits.
+
+After the brief meal the captain suggested that the lights be turned
+down and everyone try to get a "night" of sleep.
+
+"I think all of us are brain fagged and bored after all that has
+happened," he said. "Maybe there'll be someone knocking on our air-lock
+door before we wake up."
+
+No one objected to the idea, as it seemed to be the only thing left for
+them to do.
+
+When everyone was settled down for the "night," Captain Eaton cut off
+all lights within the flier. It was still not very dark in the flier
+because outdoors it was brighter than the brightest moonlight night on
+earth, owing to the brilliant glow of earthshine.
+
+"If our rescuers do not show up some time tomorrow," Captain Eaton said,
+"we had better start cutting back on our battery power. That will mean
+no lights inside, except use of the flashlight in the cabinet, and less
+warmth. I have a feeling that our batteries will play out before any of
+our other supplies do."
+
+When Garry woke the next "morning," he heard some of the others stirring
+about. Patch was standing over him with two tablets and Garry's personal
+water bottle which squeezed the liquid into one's mouth.
+
+"What's this?" Garry mumbled. "Time for my medicine?"
+
+"Medicine nothing," Patch replied. "This, son, is breakfast. Or would
+you prefer nice crisp bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs?"
+
+"Aw, Patch, cut it out," Garry pleaded. "You don't have to make this any
+tougher than it is!"
+
+Garry took the food pills, chewing them slowly to get what little flavor
+there was in them. Then he finished off with the water, which was little
+more than enough to wet his throat.
+
+"Gee, the captain has really rationed the water, hasn't he?" Garry
+whispered.
+
+"He cut it back even further this morning," Patch replied. "Know why?
+Because nobody came knocking on our air lock as he had hoped maybe they
+would. On top of that, I heard him say he was going to run another close
+inventory on all our life-supporting items to see how much is left."
+
+"Gosh, do you think he's afraid _no_ one will be knocking any time
+soon?"
+
+"I don't know," Patch replied, "but he has been frowning quite a bit
+this morning."
+
+The captain presently made it clear to all why he had been doing so much
+frowning.
+
+"Frankly," he said, "I thought those people at the mining settlement
+would have had plenty of time while we slept to pay us a visit. If our
+SOS reached them soon after we began sending, as it should have, they
+should have had a flier over here within a few hours' time. Our chief
+essentials for staying alive are our food, water, air, and power supply
+which is necessary to keep us warm. It's several hundred degrees below
+zero outside, in case you haven't thought about it."
+
+They took another inventory, and the results were not very heartening.
+
+"We're using up much too much of our battery power," Captain Eaton said.
+"That's the weakest link in our chain of existence. I didn't realize
+that yesterday when we had the lights on for reading. From now on until
+someone comes, we'll have to do without light altogether except when
+necessary. That means we'll have to do our reading by earthshine and our
+one flashlight. We may have some strained eyes, but that's the best we
+can do. We'll also have to reduce our heat a little to save on power
+that way too."
+
+"Captain, do you think we should check the condition of the battery in
+the outside transmitter?" Isaac asked.
+
+"It's supposed to have a useful life of seventy-two hours, operating
+automatically for a few minutes every half hour," the captain said, "but
+the battery may have lost a lot of its power in storage. I think it
+would be a good idea to check it. It has a test meter on it, Isaac."
+
+"I'll go out and check it, Captain," Isaac said.
+
+When he had pulled on one of the space suits, Isaac checked the air and
+pressure and went outside.
+
+Garry and Patch watched him move in a light-footed gliding motion toward
+the spot where the antenna had been set up. He spent several minutes
+with the rig and then came back into the flier.
+
+As he lifted his helmet off, he said with a shake of his head, "It's
+quit sending, Captain. You were right. The battery must have been in bad
+shape to start with."
+
+"Not sending," Captain Eaton muttered to himself, a dark worried frown
+on his face. "That means that if our SOS was not picked up earlier, it
+never will be, and no one will know where we are."
+
+Garry's heart chilled at hearing this. What the captain really meant,
+but did not say, was that they were doomed to a slow death as their heat
+and air were depleted and they froze in the moon's incredible cold. That
+would happen long before their food and water gave out.
+
+Captain Eaton placed a fatherly arm around each of the boys and said,
+"Fellows, I wish there were something I could do. Believe me, if I could
+give my life to save you two, as Ben did, I would gladly do it. Do you
+believe that?"
+
+"Yes, Sir, I do believe it," Garry answered sincerely. "But can't we
+really do something--anything at all? It--it's better than waiting,
+isn't it?"
+
+"You're trembling, both of you," the captain said, "and I can't blame
+you. If it's any comfort to you, I think you're the bravest two boys I
+ever knew. I would have been proud to have had a couple of sons like
+you."
+
+The captain pressed their arms affectionately. Garry knew how he felt
+about his helplessness to do anything.
+
+"You ask if there's anything we could do," Captain Eaton said. "Of
+course we're not giving up hope completely at this early stage, but
+things do look bad. We could ration ourselves severely and maybe prolong
+our existence a few days, but after that...."
+
+Garry finished the gloomy sentence in his own mind.
+
+
+
+
+                           16. A SAD PARTING
+
+
+They _did_ wait--all the long day to follow.
+
+And in all that time, no one came.
+
+They did the same things that they had done the day before--reading by
+the light of the earth, which they feared they would never see again;
+reading until their eyes blurred and the battery had gone dead in their
+only flashlight.
+
+Garry and Patch did not read much. Instead, they spent most of their
+time looking out over the cold gray dust, and up into the black sky,
+looking hopefully for some moving object against the bleak wilderness
+and wanting to be the first to spot it should it appear. But it never
+appeared, and bed-time came, but no one was in the spirit for sleep. And
+yet, since there was little else to do, everyone prepared for bed.
+
+Garry and Patch lay awake in their adjoining seats, talking in low
+voices to each other.
+
+"Garry, we've been through a lot of close calls since we left the
+orphanage," Patch was saying, "but this looks like _it_, doesn't it?"
+
+"I don't know, Patch. I just don't know," his friend replied with a
+troubled sigh. "It sure doesn't look good. I won't ever really give up
+hope, though. There's still a chance that a rescue ship will come--maybe
+during the night."
+
+"But what if it doesn't?" Patch asked. "What if it doesn't come tonight
+or tomorrow--or the next night? How will we feel when we finally _know_
+that we won't be saved?"
+
+"You shouldn't think like that, Patch. It'll make you miserable. You've
+got to keep hoping, even when it doesn't make sense," Garry said.
+
+"It's funny about Ben," Patch went on. "I mean about what he did. He
+meant to save us, but it's turned out that he's made it worse for us. It
+would have been better if we had crashed along with the _Carefree_,
+because then it would have been over quickly."
+
+"You know the saying, Patch: 'Where there's life there's hope.' And I
+believe that."
+
+Patch said no more, and before long Garry heard him snoring softly. This
+made Garry feel better, and presently he too fell asleep.
+
+Garry and Patch woke the next morning to the sound of subdued voices
+around them. For a brief moment Garry wondered if help had come during
+the night. He searched the faces he saw, and quickly his hopes were
+dashed. Instead of happy faces, they were haggard ones that showed the
+lack of sleep, and there were no new faces among them.
+
+"No one came last night, did they?" Patch asked Captain Eaton.
+
+The skipper shook his head and tugged at his beard that, by now, had
+become scraggly and untidy looking. The others moved in close, and Garry
+noticed all at once that he and Patch were the center of attention. He
+had a feeling then that something important was about to be said.
+
+"Garry, Patch," Captain Eaton said slowly, "you respect my judgment and
+my experience, don't you?"
+
+"Sure," the boys answered together, puzzled looks on their faces.
+
+"Well then, you do believe I would do the best I knew for all of us,
+don't you?"
+
+Garry and Patch nodded again.
+
+"I've got something to say to the two of you," the captain continued,
+"and it's very important to me that you abide by my decision. Will you
+promise to do so if I tell you it will be to your best interests?"
+
+The boys thought a moment, then nodded together, trusting the man they
+had come to admire and respect.
+
+Just then Garry noticed the pair of space suits lying on the floor
+nearby, and they looked as if work had been done on them. They seemed to
+have been made smaller by the adjustable straps with which all such
+space suits were equipped.
+
+"As you can see, fellows," the captain said, "the rest of us didn't
+sleep much, but we were grateful that the two of you could, because it
+gave us time to come to our decision."
+
+Garry and Patch watched the captain's face intently, the suspense
+building up in them moment by moment. Garry had a hunch that he and
+Patch would not like what they were going to hear.
+
+The captain took a deep breath and said, "I'll come right out with it.
+The rest of us are forced to face the sad fact that rescue isn't coming.
+But there's no reason for everyone to perish. Garry, we decided that you
+and Patch...."
+
+As his voice trailed off, Garry saw the picture. "You want us to take
+the space suits and--and go out there."
+
+"It wasn't an easy decision to reach, Garry," Mac spoke. "We may be
+sending the two of you to a worse fate than would happen to you here.
+But in that way there lies a _chance_ for you. Here the chances would be
+very little. We are all agreed on that."
+
+"But why us?" Garry protested. "Why not two of the rest of you? We
+thought we had become one of you by now. We should all have drawn lots
+to see who would go. It's not democratic this way."
+
+"It's because we're kids, isn't it?" Patch asked. "You're packing us off
+like children to bed! We won't leave you here!"
+
+"Remember your promise, fellows," Captain Eaton said. "This is the way
+we want it. Believe us, we really do--unanimously."
+
+"There's even a chance you might make heroes of yourselves," Isaac
+added. "You may find someone who can come and rescue us before it's too
+late."
+
+"We realize it won't be easy for you to leave us behind, and it won't be
+easy to set out across unknown country for an unknown destination. It'll
+take courage, gentlemen, plenty of courage, more courage than it will
+require for us to stay on here," Mr. Klecker said.
+
+Garry could find no further argument. The others were too much against
+him and Patch. They simply would not have it any other way. In the end
+the boys gave in, but they felt guilty for accepting what was seemingly
+the only way to survival.
+
+Some time later the boys were ready to start out. The space suits still
+were a little large, but they would serve. Garry wore the luminous green
+suit, Patch the luminous orange one. The boots were so large that Garry
+and Patch had to wear them over their shoes. The helmets were big and
+bulky, but in the moon's light gravity they were not too heavy.
+
+When the boys were sealed in the suits completely, Captain Eaton ran a
+careful check on them--the air pressure and temperature, and the
+"walkie-talkie" radios that would enable the boys to talk to each other.
+Finally, the fellows were loaded down with all the supplies they could
+be expected to need. This included spare oxygen tanks, water bottles,
+and liquid food in tubes. These tubes could be squeezed through an
+opening in the helmet so that one in a space suit could take nourishment
+without opening his helmet.
+
+Garry argued against taking nearly all of the spare supplies and leaving
+their friends with very little.
+
+"You must take them," Captain Eaton insisted. "If you do not have enough
+to get you to the settlement, there is no purpose in starting out at
+all. Now, no more arguments."
+
+There finally came the moment of parting, which everyone dreaded.
+Garry's heart was heavy at the thought of leaving these people he had
+grown so fond of in such a short time. Very likely he and Patch would
+never see any of them again.
+
+Garry could see that the men's eyes were troubled and sorrowful. They
+didn't seem to know just how to say farewell. Isaac and Gino gave a
+little nervous wave of their hands. Mr. Klecker shook hands formally.
+Mac gave them a warm pat on the back.
+
+Captain Eaton walked slowly over to the air lock with the boys--slowly,
+as if he did not want to let them go. Garry and Patch had removed their
+helmets and held them in their hands. The captain had his arms around
+their shoulders, embracing them like a father.
+
+"Well, don't let's be sissies about this," the captain said with forced
+lightheartedness. "Let's just pretend that you boys are going on a short
+trip and that you'll be back in a little while. No sad words, no tears,
+eh?"
+
+"That's how we want it, Captain Eaton," Garry answered, but his throat
+was so tight he could hardly speak.
+
+"Whatever you do, don't give up," their older friend advised. "Take care
+of yourselves and don't lose your heads if you meet a crisis. And don't
+come back, whatever happens. It won't help."
+
+The captain took a piece of paper from Mac and gave it to Garry. "Mac
+and I have plotted your course as nearly as we can from what we remember
+of this territory. We both had a course in lunar study at one time.
+Follow these landmarks closely. You will be heading straight for the
+mining settlement, and if, by chance, a search flier should be coming
+from that direction, try to catch their attention by waving. They will
+probably be looking for you, and your bright-colored suits will make you
+stand out pretty strong against the gray ground."
+
+Garry was studying the penciled map. "What is this gray part that you've
+shown here, Captain?"
+
+"It's an area of rugged rock formations," the captain explained. "You've
+got to go through it, as there is no way around. You must proceed with
+extreme caution, because we haven't any flashlights left to give you.
+And, owing to the fact that there is just a trace of air on Luna, the
+earthshine can't penetrate into the shadows. You will literally have to
+inch yourselves along until you're in the open again."
+
+The captain explained more of the dangers in this area and showed Garry
+and Patch other points on the map and what they stood for.
+
+Finally, the boys had their last look at the man who had been the best
+friend to them that they had ever known. Garry studied the captain's
+brave, forced smile, and he could see the elderly man's efforts to keep
+himself under control.
+
+Captain Eaton wiped his moist palm on his trousers and then pushed the
+button that swung open the inner door of the air lock.
+
+"There's something I must tell both of you before you go," he said. "I
+made application for adoption of you two as my sons just before we had
+the accident. I have a friend in a high position back on earth who, I
+felt, could put through the papers quickly if they were approved. I
+never told you this, though, because I did not want to raise your hopes
+falsely in case the adoption was not approved. But I couldn't let you go
+not knowing what I had tried to do."
+
+"We would have liked you for a father," Patch said.
+
+Garry was too choked up to say anything except, "Let's go, Patch, before
+we change our minds and never go at all."
+
+"Yes, that is better," the captain said. "Good-by, boys, and may God go
+with you."
+
+The boys pulled on their helmets, and Captain Eaton helped fit them
+tightly. Then he made a little farewell wave with his hand and motioned
+the boys into the air lock. A moment later the door swished shut. The
+outer door opened, and the bleak face of Luna beckoned to them. They
+stepped out into the gray dust, and the "snowshoe" plates added to the
+bottom of their boots kept them from sinking too deeply into the moon
+dust.
+
+They were now on their own.
+
+
+
+
+                             17. DARK PERIL
+
+
+Because of the light moon gravity, the boys found that they could move
+easily in spite of the deep dust and of the equipment strapped to their
+backs. The equipment took up as much room as it would have on earth, but
+here it weighed only one sixth of its earth weight and so was not much
+of a burden.
+
+In a short while they were out of sight of the flier. They had mounted a
+low-lying hill and crossed down the other side. It would still be a long
+time before they got out of the giant crater in which the flier had
+landed, but by the time they did get out they would be well along toward
+their destination.
+
+"We seem to be making good time, Patch," Garry said over his helmet
+radio.
+
+"Yeah," Patch replied. "It's so much easier walking on the moon than it
+is on the earth, once you get the hang of it."
+
+"Just think, Patch. Captain Eaton really was going to try to adopt us,"
+Garry said. "And all the time we thought he didn't care enough."
+
+"He's one in a million, Garry. He would have been the grandest father a
+guy could ever have."
+
+"What do you mean he _would_ have?" Garry protested. "He _will_ be our
+father. We're going to _save_ him, Patch. We're going to save all of
+them."
+
+"I want to save them too," Patch said earnestly. "I'd sure hate for us
+to make it and them not to."
+
+"Maybe we shouldn't talk so much," Garry advised. "It uses up more
+oxygen, and I don't think we have a surplus of it."
+
+They slogged silently through the gray dust in the bouncy, light-footed
+motion that they had become accustomed to by now. Every once in a while
+Garry would glance about him at the forbidding countryside of this dead
+world. Sight of the desolation chilled his soul. He wondered at first
+why this was so. Then he supposed that it must be because there was so
+much absolute _deadness_ all about. For nothing could live in the
+numbing cold and the boiling-hot temperatures that came to this
+landscape periodically. No, he and Patch were the only living creatures
+from one horizon to the other, and this fact was enough to give anyone
+the shivers.
+
+Finally Garry broke the long silence.
+
+"Patch, do you notice we're able to move along easier now?" he asked.
+
+"It's because the dust is thinning out, isn't it?" Patch replied. "But I
+see the rocky country up ahead that the captain was telling us about."
+
+"Yes," Garry said, "and from the way he talked, it's going to be plenty
+rugged getting through there."
+
+They increased their speed, now that the going was easier.
+
+Garry stole a look at the big green jewel of earth afloat in the black
+sea of space, for it alone seemed to lend an air of friendliness and
+security to the otherwise lonely, sinister surroundings. The walls of
+Hornfield Crater about them were jagged as sharks' teeth as they reached
+up into the darkness. The stars seemed to Garry like sparkling
+snowflakes dusted across the entire vault of the sky. The nebulae were
+like misty clouds, and there was the long arch of a great comet crossing
+just above the horizon and standing out remarkably because of its being
+so different from everything else in the whole visible sweep of the
+heavens.
+
+After a few hours of steady hiking, Patch suggested that they take a
+short break to rest and eat. Garry was ready for the same.
+
+Garry checked their map and compared the markings on it to their true
+surroundings. "We seem to be still on course, Patch," he said.
+
+By now they had moved up on a higher plateau within the crater, and the
+dust had thinned so that solid rock could be felt underfoot. But not far
+beyond lay the wilderness of rock they had seen earlier at a distance.
+How huge and forbidding the region looked!
+
+Garry stopped walking and plopped down in his tracks, heaving a sigh.
+Patch sat down beside him.
+
+Garry took tubes of liquid food and a couple of water bottles from the
+pack he carried. He offered Patch his share and took some for himself.
+
+Each boy unscrewed a plate that covered the mouth of his helmet. Behind
+this was a rubber disk with a self-sealing opening in the middle of it.
+All the boys had to do was thrust the tubes of food and water through
+these openings and take them between their lips. By squeezing the tubes,
+they forced the contents into their mouths.
+
+"Got a napkin?" Patch joked, when they were through. "I'd like to wipe
+my mouth."
+
+"Sorry," Garry answered, "but they haven't figured out a way to do that
+yet."
+
+Patch climbed to his feet, screwing his outer mouthplate back on. "Well,
+that wasn't exactly like carving into a steak, but I guess it'll do
+until we can get something better," he said.
+
+They started out again, and soon approached the forbidding rocky region
+they had dreaded. The ground was rough and uneven. Garry looked ahead,
+and it was like staring into the mouth of a vast cavern.
+
+"We've got to be careful, Patch," Garry warned, as he slowed down and
+held back his friend. "There may be bad crevasses across our path, and
+they could be the end of us if we should fall in."
+
+Garry took the responsibility of going first. Patch was right behind,
+holding on to a strap on Garry's suit.
+
+It was like going into a dark underworld thriving with all kinds of
+unknown dangers. Although he was following very closely, Patch could
+barely see Garry's outline ahead of him. Garry would carefully slide one
+foot ahead of him to be sure he had solid ground underfoot.
+
+After what seemed a very long time, Patch complained: "This is giving me
+the willies, Garry. How much farther do you think we've got to go?
+Besides, this is slowing us down almost to a crawl."
+
+"I think I see a break up ahead," Garry encouraged. "It seems we're
+making a wide turn, and the farther we go the more earthshine I think I
+can make out."
+
+"Gee, I'd give anything I've got for a light of some kind," Patch
+groaned.
+
+"That's about the only thing they couldn't provide for us," Garry said.
+"Remember we used up our flashlight when we cut down on our power supply
+in the flier."
+
+"I remember," Patch returned.
+
+Patch felt that Garry was slowly descending as he walked.
+
+"Hey, where are you going?" Patch asked.
+
+"There seems to be an incline going down," Garry replied. "I sure hope
+it comes back up and doesn't drop off so that we can't cross to the
+other side."
+
+"Ugh," Patch shuddered. "Don't even _think_ about that. Remember,
+Captain Eaton told us not to come back."
+
+"Just keep up with me and go slowly," Garry instructed. "We'll find out
+what's ahead in a few minutes."
+
+Down, down they went on a gentle slope.
+
+"When are we going to start up?" Patch asked worriedly.
+
+"I don't know," Garry replied, a little anxious himself.
+
+Suddenly Garry moved too fast for Patch to keep up and lost contact with
+him. Patch lost his head momentarily and cried out, dashing forward to
+regain touch with Garry. In his haste, Patch tripped and fell on the
+jagged rocks. On the earth this would have been a bad fall, but the
+weaker gravity here saved him from serious injury. But the weaker
+gravity also gave him a longer sprawl and carried him down the slope.
+
+As soon as Garry heard Patch's frantic cry, he grabbed wildly in the
+darkness, hoping by chance to reach his friend. But his hands met only
+empty air.
+
+Patch's shrieks were cut off abruptly, and stark silence filled Garry's
+ears.
+
+"Patch!" Garry called, dread making him tremble all over. "Patch, where
+are you?"
+
+He had a mad impulse to leap down the incline, grabbing desperately at
+anything within reach. But he knew this could be disastrous for both
+himself and Patch.
+
+Slowly, Garry inched farther downward, heartsick as he considered the
+things that might have happened to his friend--a fall knocking him out
+or worse, or a tumble down a deep, treacherous pit.
+
+"Patch!" he kept calling. "Patch!"
+
+The frightening moments of anguish were relieved when Garry finally
+heard a faint voice.
+
+"Patch, where are you?" Garry asked over and over, as he inched
+downward, ever downward.
+
+"Here, Garry," came the very weak voice.
+
+Thinking Patch was still far off, Garry slid his feet with more urgent
+speed through the utter blackness. Then the toe of his boot kicked
+something soft.
+
+"Garry, don't!" came a low-pitched, terrified voice. "You're kicking the
+hand I'm holding on by!"
+
+Then Garry realized what had happened, and the thought of the costly
+mistake he had almost made sickened him for a moment. Patch's radio
+antenna had evidently been damaged in his fall, making his call for help
+seem farther off than he really was.
+
+Garry stooped down, his hands closing over the gloved hand he had nearly
+knocked from its precarious position.
+
+"Garry!" Patch said, his voice still a little hysterical. "I'm hanging
+on a cliff of some kind, and my feet aren't touching anything! Please,
+Garry, get me up before I let go! I feel my hands slipping!"
+
+"Hold on, Patch! Try to keep holding! I've got to get a foothold or we
+both may go over!"
+
+Garry quickly kicked loose dust from underfoot and brushed it some more
+with his gloved hands. Then he leaned over and reached for Patch's
+clinging hands. He slid his own hands below Patch's wrists, closing his
+fingers about those wrists for dear life.
+
+"I've got a good hold, Patch," Garry panted. "Brace your feet and help
+me as I try to pull you up. Ready?"
+
+"Ready, Garry!" came Patch's weak voice.
+
+Making sure his feet were well anchored, Garry pulled with all his
+might. For an instant Patch's body resisted him like a dead weight.
+Then, with an almost superhuman effort, Garry was able to hoist him up
+... up ... up and over onto the ledge safely. Then both of them slumped
+exhaustedly on the rocky brink.
+
+The boys were quiet for several seconds as they caught their breath in
+the pitch darkness and considered how close it had come to being all
+over for Patch.
+
+"Garry," his grateful friend managed to say finally, "I'll make it up to
+you. If we ever get out of this alive, I'll make it up to you."
+
+"Never mind that," Garry said. "You didn't lose anything when you fell?
+You've still got the extra oxygen tanks?"
+
+A dead silence followed, and that silence caused Garry to feel a clutch
+of dread.
+
+"You lost them, didn't you?" he asked with a hopeless groan.
+
+Garry heard a faint sob over his helmet receiver. Then Patch fairly wept
+out the words he next spoke: "Yes, yes, I did! Push me back in, Garry!
+Push me back in! We're lost for sure now!"
+
+
+
+
+                         18. STRANGE DISCOVERY
+
+
+It took a long time for the boys to pull themselves together after
+experiencing this final fateful blow. Down into the depths with those
+precious air cylinders had gone whatever chance the boys had for
+escaping alive from the cruel moon and for saving their friends. Patch
+broke down and Garry felt just as badly himself, but he managed to hold
+back the tears.
+
+"Garry," Patch burst out, "we may as well go back and die with the
+others now! There's no use at all in going on any farther!" His voice
+still sounded far off to Garry because of the damaged antenna.
+
+"If we went back, then _they_ would no longer have any hope," Garry
+argued. "We took everything else they had. We've got to leave them
+hope--even until the end. Besides, we couldn't accomplish anything by
+going back. Maybe, Patch, there's just the barest chance that we have
+enough oxygen to reach the settlement. Or enough to get out into the
+open again and wait to see if a rescue flier comes over."
+
+"I'm not moving, Garry!" Patch snapped in utter despair. "I'm not going,
+do you hear?"
+
+"You _are_ going," Garry said determinedly. "You're going if I have to
+carry you! It's no time to quit, Patch."
+
+"Then when _is_ it time?" Patch shot back. "You and your hopes, Garry!
+Always hoping, even when there isn't a smidgin of a chance."
+
+"It may be only a smidgin," Garry said firmly, "but sometimes that's
+enough. Now stop being a quitter and get to your feet."
+
+There was only silence over Garry's receiver for several tense seconds.
+Garry didn't know what he would do if Patch chose to defy him again. He
+knew he could not really make his friend do anything his heart refused
+to do.
+
+But Patch solved this latest problem himself. Garry heard rustling
+sounds as Patch climbed slowly to his feet.
+
+"I'm sorry I talked rough, Patch," Garry apologized. "I don't think
+we've quarreled twice in all our lives, have we? But we're in this thing
+together, and we've got to keep going, no matter how bad things look.
+We've just _got_ to, don't you see?"
+
+"We're talking about keeping going," Patch returned, "but we can't even
+get across this crevasse. How do you propose to do that? Besides that,
+we can't even see as well as moles in this darkness."
+
+"Let's walk along the edge, first in one direction and then the other,"
+Garry said. "Maybe the crevasse narrows and disappears before too far!"
+
+They began exploring the treacherous cliff edge, moving slowly and
+carefully along in one direction. Every once in a while they tested the
+width of the chasm. Garry would get down on hands and knees and reach
+out, feeling with his hand to see if he could contact the other side.
+Time after time this was done, but each time his hands met empty air.
+
+After a tedious hour, Patch complained bitterly, "Can't you see it's
+hopeless, Garry? Gee whiz, what does it take to convince you?"
+
+"Let's try a few more times," Garry replied doggedly. "Then if we still
+can't find a way across, we'll start going along the crevasse in the
+other direction."
+
+Patch did not reply to this, and Garry knew how bitter his friend must
+feel toward him after so many setbacks.
+
+The next time Garry got down on his hands and knees and reached out, his
+probing hand touched hard, firm rock on the other side!
+
+"Patch!" he shouted. "I've found a place where we can cross!"
+
+Even Patch was heartened by this and made an enthusiastic comment. In
+the hope of finding the crevasse even narrower and safer farther along,
+Garry followed the ledge, and, sure enough, it grew narrower and
+narrower until it was a crack in the ground only a few inches across.
+
+Making the crossing to the other side, the boys, in feeling their way
+along, found that the ground began to rise again. Garry still maintained
+the lead, with Patch holding onto him and following blindly only a step
+behind.
+
+Up, up the slope they went, and before long they could see rays of light
+flickering down into their eyes.
+
+Soon there was enough light so that they could see a little distance
+ahead. They quickened their steps, although it still required some care
+on their part to avoid the sharp-edged stones and rugged underfooting
+that still lay in front of them.
+
+But the light grew steadily brighter and the trail flatter.
+
+"Look, Patch, I can see the stars again!" Garry was soon able to say.
+
+Then, scarcely before they realized it, they were completely out of the
+shadows of the rocky formation that had very nearly finished them. Above
+and behind them once more shone the big bright ball of earth floating
+among the stars.
+
+"Good old earth!" Patch exclaimed, with new hope. "I never thought I'd
+see it again!"
+
+"It's a great sight!" Garry agreed.
+
+"Garry," Patch said, "we can see right over the top of the crater wall
+in the distance. We seem to be higher than we were when we started."
+
+"I've noticed that too," Garry replied. "I'll check the map again."
+
+Garry did so, then told Patch that they were still on course.
+
+They moved on and presently stood at the raised edge of a gradually
+lowering basin that stretched out very far and flat ahead of them. They
+could see a break in the crater wall a few miles away, which the captain
+had pointed out to them on the map.
+
+"It looks like we'll have easy traveling for awhile," Garry said, "and
+we'll be right out in the open in case a flier comes over. They'll be
+sure to see us unless they're completely blind."
+
+"Garry," Patch said in a thoughtful voice, "I'm sorry."
+
+"Huh?" Garry asked in surprise.
+
+"I'm sorry for the way I acted. I lost my head completely. When I found
+out I'd lost the air cylinders over the ledge, I just seemed to go to
+pieces. It's a good thing one of us knows how to keep his head."
+
+"Forget it, Patch," Garry soothed. "It could have been me just as easy
+as you. Besides, that's not important now. We've still got a long way to
+go, and time is running short."
+
+Suddenly, Patch ran past Garry in great haste and stood staring over the
+plain below, shielding his eyes with his hands.
+
+Garry joined him. "Patch, what is it? Do you see something?"
+
+"It's impossible!" Patch gasped. "It's completely impossible!"
+
+"What?" Garry begged, his own excitement growing.
+
+"Look! There's somebody walking around down there or else I'm seeing
+things!"
+
+Garry looked where Patch pointed, and he too found it hard to believe
+his eyes. There _was_ someone or something moving around.
+
+"I see it!" Garry said. "Come on, let's go down and get a closer look!"
+
+"I just hope it isn't in as bad shape as we are!" Patch exclaimed.
+
+They hurried as fast as they dared over the bumpy ground, heading
+straight for the person or thing that was moving about in seemingly
+aimless fashion on the plain below.
+
+"He sees us!" Patch said. "He's coming toward us!"
+
+Swiftly the distance closed between the boys and the lone stranger. And
+then Garry and Patch received the surprise of their lives.
+
+"Katrinka!" they shouted together, not believing what they saw.
+
+"It can't be!" Patch cried in amazement. "Garry, we must be seeing a
+mirage or something! How could Katrinka...?"
+
+"It's Katrinka all right!" Garry said, as the robot drew close enough to
+be fully recognized. "But I don't understand it. I don't understand it
+at all! Katrinka crashed with the _Carefree_ and poor Ben! But even if
+she didn't crash, how is it she's wandering around out here on the
+moon?"
+
+"And what could make her start moving toward us?" Patch asked, as the
+mystery deepened. "You'll never make me believe she's _really_ human,
+although at times it seemed that she was."
+
+The big robot stopped in front of the boys and remained still. Garry and
+Patch felt almost as if they should say "Hello," because indeed it was
+like meeting an old friend.
+
+After a few moments of remaining stock still, Katrinka turned and
+started shuffling off with great long strides.
+
+"What'll we do, Garry?" Patch asked. "Follow her? But that would be
+silly! She's still an unthinking machine."
+
+"I don't know, Patch. This whole thing seems very strange, although it
+may be that she was merely thrown clear when the _Carefree_ crashed and
+somehow her works were activated by the jolt. And yet I have the feeling
+that she almost knows what she's doing, as if she wants us to follow
+her."
+
+"Now you're talking spooky," Patch said. "You don't really believe that
+Katrinka can _think_!"
+
+"I don't know what to believe," Garry replied. "But I sure would like to
+follow her a little way to see just what she's going to do next."
+
+"But our air, Garry! We don't have enough to waste on playing 'follow
+the leader'!"
+
+"Just a little way, Patch. Who knows--this might even lead to something
+important."
+
+"I think you're way off base, Garry, but I'll admit I'm curious too.
+Let's go."
+
+Katrinka had already gained some distance on them while they were
+debating what to do, and she did not wait for them. They started running
+to catch up and presently did so. But the robot traveled at such a fast
+pace that they still had to move in long, antelopelike jumps to keep up.
+
+Katrinka was definitely headed in one particular direction because she
+varied hardly any in her line of motion. She seemed to be going toward
+an area where the rocks rose high and ominous looking. It was much like
+the spot where the boys had had their recent harrowing experience.
+
+"Garry, please," Patch begged, panting for breath, "let's call this
+crazy chase off! That athletic gal is running me ragged! Besides, she
+seems to be taking us straight into those rocky walls!"
+
+"Well, there's one thing certain," Garry replied. "She's _got_ to change
+direction pretty quick, or she'll crash into something. Let's stick it
+out a few more minutes."
+
+They drew closer to the shadowy outcropping. But the robot did not even
+slow her pace. The boys knew she was heading for a collision, but there
+was nothing they could do but watch.
+
+Somehow she got past the first row of stones, tripping and nearly
+falling, then recovering automatically. But her luck was short lived.
+The path went downhill beyond this spot, and her big metal foot slammed
+against a boulder. The robot arched through the air and crashed
+headfirst into a rocky wall. It crumpled her metal cranium, spewing out
+wires and electronic parts.
+
+The boys came running up and stood looking at the fallen giant.
+
+"Poor old Katrinka," Garry said. "She was almost like one of us. It's
+nearly as if another one of us had died."
+
+"Yeah, I liked the old gal," Patch replied. "She may have survived a
+crash on the moon, but it's a cinch she's reached the end of her rope
+now."
+
+Garry cast a look around to see what sort of area they had come into.
+His eyes followed the downhill trail ahead that Katrinka would still be
+following had she not had her accident.
+
+What he saw brought a gasp of astonishment from him, and a nervous
+tremor coursed through his body.
+
+"Patch, look!" he shouted. "The _Carefree_! There's the _Carefree_ down
+there, half buried in moon dust!"
+
+They rushed down the trail to get a closer look. The giant space ship
+was indeed buried half of her depth in pumice dust. The rear air lock
+was level with the ground, and extending from the air lock was a
+gangplank!
+
+The boys moved up to the edge of the gangplank, looking it over in
+bafflement.
+
+"Don't tell me Katrinka put that down and walked out of the ship on it!"
+Patch challenged. "You can't get me to believe that, Garry."
+
+"No, you're right; she couldn't possibly have done that on her own. She
+might have done it, Patch, but she would have had to be guided by an
+intelligent _human_ brain."
+
+"Garry, what are you saying? Are you trying to say that Ben might have
+survived that crash and rigged up Katrinka so that she could go out
+looking for us? Why, that's fantastic!"
+
+"We'll soon find out if it's so fantastic," Garry said. "The ship is
+nearly undamaged, as you can see."
+
+"What are you going to do?" Patch asked, as Garry moved ahead.
+
+"I'm going to walk that gangplank up to the air lock and see if Ben is
+inside."
+
+They could see that the gangplank had been put down because of the depth
+of the Lunar dust. It was obviously quite deep in this area, since the
+_Carefree_ itself was half buried in it. Deep, enormous dust pits were
+very common on the moon and were among the most dangerous obstacles to
+travel, because they never gave any indication of how deep they were
+until someone fell in and was suffocated.
+
+Carefully, Garry, with Patch right behind him, stepped out on the narrow
+gangplank and moved slowly forward toward the air lock at the other end.
+It was a little unsteady underfoot, but it was rigid and did not sink
+beneath the boys' light lunar weight. Besides, Garry felt pretty sure
+now that Katrinka had crossed it, and she was far heavier than both of
+them together.
+
+Garry reached the air lock, his heart thumping rapidly with hope and
+expectation. He raised his gloved hand and began pounding on the outer
+door.
+
+They waited. Five seconds, then ten, fifteen....
+
+Garry's hopes began to dim. It didn't look as if there were anyone alive
+inside after all.
+
+But then the air-lock door began to swing open. The boys scrambled
+inside, too tense and excited to speak to one another. They heard air
+swishing into the air lock. Then, after another half minute, the inner
+door swung open.
+
+Standing there inside facing them was--Ben.
+
+
+
+
+                             19. A NEW LIFE
+
+
+"Ben!" Garry exclaimed jubilantly, rushing into the main part of the
+ship. "Is it really you?"
+
+"I'm not a ghost," Ben said with a grin, "if that's what you mean."
+
+"How did you ever do it?" Patch asked, amazement written all over his
+chubby features. "I mean crash-land the _Carefree_."
+
+"First tell me how the others are," Ben asked anxiously.
+
+Garry told him that they were all right, at least for the time being.
+
+Ben was limping as he moved about. Patch asked about this, and Ben said
+it would come out in his story. The boys had entered into the central
+tunnel of the _Carefree_, with its webbing network, and Garry noticed
+that Ben had laid down metallic sheets over the webbing so that it could
+be more easily stood upon.
+
+Ben sat down on this and began his story.
+
+"I had made plans to remain aboard the _Carefree_ before we even started
+working on the flier. When I found that the space taxi would hold only
+seven passengers safely, I knew someone had to stay behind. I was afraid
+the captain would realize that the flier would be overcrowded, but I
+guess he was too busy thinking about other things. The likely one to bow
+out was myself, because I felt that quite possibly I might be able to
+bring the _Carefree_ down in one piece. I knew this region of Hornfield
+was full of huge dust pits that could cushion the fall of a ship if she
+belly-landed in one of them just right. But don't think I wasn't scared
+even thinking of trying such a thing! Don't get me wrong, fellows--I
+wasn't out to make a hero of myself!"
+
+"You must have had some control over the ship," Garry said, "otherwise
+she would have crashed headlong onto the moon."
+
+"I had some control," Ben explained. "As soon as I released the flier
+from the _Carefree_, I started my attempt to save the ship and myself as
+well. I donned a pressure suit and went into the flight deck. Remember,
+I had gone in there before, soon after the collision. I had noticed then
+that most of the instrument panel had been destroyed."
+
+"I remember too, Ben, that you helped build the _Carefree_," Garry said,
+"so you must've known a lot about her."
+
+"I tore out the cover of the console and began working in the section
+beneath. With tools, I was able to get the braking jets to functioning.
+This slowed the ship down to a slow orbit around the moon and gave me
+time to work on the steering controls. I couldn't do much with them, but
+I was able to move the ship a little to the port or starboard side, as I
+wished. I knew this was as far as I could go, but with some luck I felt
+there was a chance of bringing her down safely."
+
+"Why didn't you try this before we all left the ship?" Patch wanted to
+know.
+
+Ben shook his head. "Risk everybody's life on some crazy plan of my own?
+No, it was too farfetched in the first place, and I guess I would not
+even have tried it myself unless I'd had to. The flier was much the
+safer route to safety, and that's why getting it to go was my first
+concern. With you guys out of the way, I had no one's life to risk but
+my own."
+
+"How did you manage to land as close to the flier as you did?" Garry
+asked.
+
+"My first thought was to land near one of the settlements, because if I
+did make it, then I would immediately send out a search party for the
+rest of you. But I knew I _had_ to land in one of the vast dust pits on
+Luna, because the ship would be destroyed by friction if it skidded
+along the bare ground. I made one orbit of the moon as the ship slowed
+down more and more and lost altitude. I knew roughly in what area the
+flier would likely come down, and I remembered Hornfield Crater as one
+being full of dust pits. As the ship glided lower and lower, I figured
+this would be where I would try to bring her down. The pit we're in now
+is a very large, long trough, maybe a quarter of a mile long and a
+hundred feet wide. I therefore had a pretty good chance of landing in
+it."
+
+"Gee, you had a lot of nerve to try something like that!" Patch
+exclaimed.
+
+"I took one last look out where I hoped to come down," Ben said, "and
+then went under the console into the working parts again. I cut out a
+few of the upper braking jets, and this caused the ship to nose down. I
+felt it plough into the dust as if into a big flour barrel. The ship
+heated up from the friction created, but it slowed her down rapidly, and
+she came to rest on this spot, half buried in pumice. Even so, I nearly
+missed the dust pit, landing only about thirty feet from the edge of
+it."
+
+"Now what about Katrinka?" Garry asked. "You did send her out, didn't
+you?"
+
+"Right. I sprained my ankle when the ship landed and I was thrown
+against some machinery. I could hardly walk, but I wanted to make
+contact with the rest of you if it were possible. I then figured that
+the old gal might be able to help me. I worked her over so that I could
+operate her by remote control. I also made for her a command disk, so
+that when she moved near one of you or the flier she would give a radio
+signal to me. I laid down the gangplank myself over the pit, because I
+knew Katrinka would sink down in the dust. It nearly killed me getting
+about and using a hoist to lower the gangplank to the opposite bank, but
+I finally managed it."
+
+"Then you sent her out?" Patch asked.
+
+"Yes. I used a small telescope to keep track of her. I couldn't be sure
+where the rest of you had come down, but my plan was to start her moving
+about in a gradually enlarging circle. I was hoping that some of you
+would see her and come over to investigate. Once you had done that, I
+felt sure you would have the curiosity to follow her wherever she led
+you. And this you two fortunately did."
+
+"We nearly didn't," Patch said. "We thought Katrinka had been thrown
+clear of the _Carefree_ after it had crashed and somehow had gotten
+accidentally activated as she had done once on the ship."
+
+They heard a rap on the outer air-lock door. Patch and Garry exchanged
+bewildered glances, but Ben did not seem very surprised.
+
+"That must be the men from the settlement," he said, limping over to the
+air lock and shoving the lever that opened the outer door. "I haven't
+had time to tell you yet that I got through a message to them. You see,
+before I even thought of the trick with Katrinka, I was working on that
+damaged antenna dish that had prevented our sending an SOS after our
+collision in space. At first I didn't have any replies, and I figured
+there must be interference from the Taurus Mountains beyond."
+
+"That must be why _our_ SOS didn't go through!" Patch said.
+
+Ben went on: "I increased my transmitting power and finally got through.
+It's been less than an hour ago that they said they would send over a
+Service flier rocket immediately."
+
+The two men who entered the air lock a few moments later were Commander
+Staples and his lieutenant, both members of the Space Service. They had
+been making a routine flight over the moon when they had been contacted
+by the mining scientists who had picked up Ben's SOS.
+
+The two men had arrived in a big space flier that could easily take care
+of Captain Eaton and the others. Ben and the boys were anxious to get
+started so that the long-drawn-out ordeal their friends had been
+undergoing could be ended as quickly as possible. Commander Staples said
+they could leave immediately.
+
+The boys pulled on their helmets, and the officers helped Ben get into a
+pressure suit. This was painful for Ben because of his swollen ankle.
+Then, with everyone dressed to go out onto the moon's surface, Ben
+pushed the lever that opened the inner air-lock door. Once outside, they
+started in single file across the gangplank. Ben was in the middle and
+limped along slowly with his hands on the shoulders of the officer in
+front of him to steady himself.
+
+On the way to the flier, they passed the smashed metal body of Katrinka.
+The officers looked at the strange robot with great interest, and Ben
+explained her to them.
+
+"She won't remain out here to die," Ben said over his suit radio, as if
+he were talking about a human being. "When we return to the _Carefree_
+one of these days, we'll rebuild her, and she'll be as good as new."
+
+The boys were glad to hear this because now they realized that every one
+of their little group on the _Carefree_ would survive the frightening
+adventure and that once again they would all be together, including
+their robot friend.
+
+"Ben," Patch asked, "will the _Carefree_ ever fly again?"
+
+"That's up to Captain Eaton," Ben replied. "It will take a lot of money
+to put her in shape again, and that includes a powerful set of rockets
+to lift her into space. But knowing how much the captain likes her, I
+believe he'll spare no expense making her space borne again."
+
+Commander Staples said to Ben: "I heard you mention Captain Eaton. Our
+radio picked up a spacegram that was addressed to a Captain Eaton. We
+tape those messages routinely, and I'll be able to give it to him when
+we see him."
+
+The Service flier was a sleek, streamlined rocket with fins that were
+built to support the craft in the earth's atmosphere, if need be. She
+also had powerful jets for lifting her up off the surface of any of the
+minor planets.
+
+Commander Staples asked the boys to point out to him on a chart the
+approximate location of their flier, and Garry estimated the position as
+accurately as he could.
+
+Then, with everyone belted down, the flier's rocket roared into action,
+and the craft lifted into the dark sky. It was a very short trip, and
+the ship did not have to fly too high. Commander Staples' assistant
+spied the flier and pointed it out to his superior. The ship circled the
+area in a gradually lowering spiral and came to rest about a hundred
+feet from the small grounded space taxi.
+
+A few moments later, Ben and the boys were hurrying across the rough
+ground toward the flier. Garry's heart was pounding so hard with joy and
+excitement that he could hear its thumping over his helmet receiver.
+
+Those inside had evidently seen their rescuers arrive, because the outer
+door of the air lock was open to receive them.
+
+Garry would never forget the old captain's happy face when he saw the
+three of them enter. Nor would he forget the tears glistening in the
+corners of Captain Eaton's eyes as he clasped the boys to his chest in a
+great bear hug that nearly squeezed the life out of them.
+
+"Thank God for this great moment!" the old man said in a husky voice.
+"And Ben--even you, whom we had long ago given up for dead! What have I
+ever done to deserve a happy moment like this?"
+
+He released the boys and clasped Ben to him as if he were another lost
+son. Then the others came forward, their faces gleaming with the
+overwhelming joy they felt at seeing the lost ones returning.
+
+"Ben, you old trickster you!" Mac shouted, pounding his friend on the
+back. "How in the world you came out of that thing alive I'll never
+know. But right now I don't care _how_ you did it!"
+
+"Welcome home, stranger!" Isaac said, shaking Ben's hand vigorously as
+only Isaac could do.
+
+"It's most gratifying to see you, Ben," Mr. Klecker said in his butler's
+tone of voice, which, however, did not mean that he was any less deeply
+moved than the others.
+
+Gino then came forward and took his turn at greeting Ben and the boys.
+The celebration went on for several more minutes, and the little flier
+was pleasantly noisy with joking and happy talk.
+
+But, finally, Commander Staples had to interrupt the celebration with a
+smiling, apologetic voice: "I hate to break up this little party, but
+we've got to start back to the mining settlement. You see, I'm on duty
+and I've got a busy schedule. They have accommodations for all of you at
+the settlement, and you can make your future plans as soon as you've
+arrived there."
+
+The prisoners of so long a time in the cramped quarters of the flier
+were only too willing to get out of their prison. The commander and his
+assistant went back to the Service flier to get space suits for those
+who did not have them.
+
+After the suits had been distributed, Commander Staples gave a piece of
+paper to Captain Eaton. "Here's a message for you, Sir, that our radio
+picked up." He winked at the boys. "Something tells me they'll be as
+interested in it as you will be."
+
+The captain read the message and then turned to Garry and Patch with a
+warm expression. "Boys, it looks as though the adoption will go through
+as soon as we go back for a short time and make the arrangements."
+
+"Gee, I--I don't know what to say," Garry murmured, almost too excited
+and happy for words. "It sounds too good to be true!"
+
+"They're the best words you could have said to us, Sir," Patch added.
+"Isn't it just great, Garry!" His sparkling eyes showed how much he
+meant it.
+
+"It'll be a little strange being called, 'Father,'" the captain said,
+smiling, "but I think I'll get used to it pretty quickly."
+
+Captain Eaton stared off with a faraway look. "We'll make up for lost
+time, boys. We'll see as much of the universe as the old _Carefree_ will
+carry us to. Yes, we'll fix her up again if it takes the rest of my
+fortune. You'll get your education among the stars, my sons, and you'll
+be that much wiser because of it."
+
+Garry and Patch exchanged happy glances. Garry thought they were wiser
+already, just from knowing the grand skipper of the _Carefree_.
+
+
+
+
+                          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 Stowaways in Space, by Richard Mace Elam
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Young Stowaways in Space, by Richard Mace Elam
+
+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 Stowaways in Space
+
+Author: Richard Mace Elam
+
+Release Date: April 14, 2017 [EBook #54547]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG STOWAWAYS IN SPACE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+<div id="cover" class="img">
+<img id="coverpage" src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Young Stowaways in Space" width="500" height="725" />
+</div>
+<div class="img" id="i01">
+<img src="images/i01.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="464" height="799" />
+</div>
+<div class="box">
+<h1>YOUNG
+<br />STOWAWAYS
+<br />IN SPACE</h1>
+<p class="center">By RICHARD M. ELAM
+<br /><span class="small">Author of Young Readers Science Fiction Stories, etc.</span></p>
+<div class="img" id="i02">
+<img src="images/i02.jpg" alt="(uncaptioned)" width="400" height="276" />
+</div>
+<p class="center"><span class="smaller">ILLUSTRATED BY GERALD MC CANN</span></p>
+<p class="tbcenter"><i>LANTERN PRESS, INC., PUBLISHERS</i>
+<br /><span class="small">257 PARK AVENUE SOUTH
+<br />NEW YORK 10, N. Y.</span></p>
+</div>
+<p class="center small">Copyright &copy; 1960 by Lantern Press, Inc.</p>
+<p class="center smaller">LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 60-13785</p>
+<p class="center smaller">PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN CANADA BY
+<br />GEORGE J. MC LEOD, LTD., TORONTO</p>
+<p class="center smaller">MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA</p>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+<dl class="toc">
+<dt><a href="#c1">1. Space Ship <i>Orion</i></a> 9</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c2">2. Blast-off</a> 16</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c3">3. Stowaways in Space</a> 25</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c4">4. Adrift in the Deeps</a> 36</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c5">5. A &ldquo;Flying Tin Can&rdquo;</a> 47</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c6">6. A <i>Carefree</i> World</a> 56</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c7">7. A Shock in the Night</a> 65</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c8">8. Garry Has a Scare</a> 75</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c9">9. Satellite Zone</a> 85</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c10">10. The Lady Goes Wild</a> 94</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c11">11. A Friend Is Lost</a> 107</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c12">12. A Startling Discovery</a> 116</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c13">13. Abandon Ship!</a> 124</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c14">14. First Hours on Luna</a> 133</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c15">15. A Dark Outlook</a> 142</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c16">16. A Sad Parting</a> 150</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c17">17. Dark Peril</a> 160</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c18">18. Strange Discovery</a> 169</dt>
+<dt><a href="#c19">19. A New Life</a> 181</dt>
+</dl>
+<h1 title="">YOUNG
+<br />STOWAWAYS
+<br />IN SPACE</h1>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_9">9</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c1"><br />1. SPACE SHIP <i>ORION</i></h2>
+<p>The orphanage dormitory was locked in the stillness
+of slumber. Light from the full moon filtered
+through the large window which ran the entire
+length of the boys sleeping quarters.</p>
+<p>Twenty cots filled the dormitory, and all but one
+held its sleeper. Dark-haired Garry Coleman was
+standing beside his cot, quietly dressing. Every now
+and then he would cast an anxious glance toward
+the darkened door at the end of the dormitory.
+Above all, he must not disturb the charge-of-quarters,
+or all would be lost.</p>
+<p>As he sat on the edge of the cot to put on his
+shoes, Garry heard a squeak from one of the cots.
+He stiffened, his heart thumping fearfully.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_10">10</div>
+<p>Then Garry breathed easily. He saw that it was
+only Patch, who occupied the bunk next to his.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, Garry, where are you going?&rdquo; Patch asked
+interestedly.</p>
+<p>Patch was short and towheaded. He was Garry&rsquo;s
+best friend, and so Garry did not mind telling him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to the spaceport and watch the <i>Orion</i>
+blast off for the Von Braun Space Station. Want to
+go?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sure thing!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;ll have to take the same chance that I do,&rdquo;
+Garry reminded him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s okay by me.&rdquo; Patch grinned. &ldquo;If we do
+get caught, we&rsquo;ll just be restricted to the grounds
+for two weeks. That won&rsquo;t keep us out of the
+science lab where we spend a lot of time anyhow.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>It was a warm April night. The sky was thick
+with stars as bright as diamond dust.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d give anything to be out there in the deeps
+among the planets,&rdquo; Garry said, as they hurried
+across the newly sprouting lawn of the orphanage
+a few minutes later. &ldquo;The life of a spaceman must
+be the most exciting thing in the world.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Patch agreed. &ldquo;But I guess we&rsquo;ll never
+make it, Garry, at least not for many years. And
+they say you sure have to know science and navigation.
+That takes a lot of study.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_11">11</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t care what it takes,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d
+be willing to study for as long as it would take, because
+the reward would be worth the effort.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Their rapid steps took them onto one of the
+main streets of the city where moving sidewalks,
+called &ldquo;Ped-A-Rides,&rdquo; were operating. The sidewalk
+was a continuous belt, about six feet wide, and
+there were benches located at intervals upon it
+where the pedestrians could sit. A railing was on
+both sides of the Ped-A-Ride, but at intervals of
+about half a block there were gates where pedestrians
+could enter.</p>
+<p>Patch and Garry went to the nearest gate, and
+Garry pulled the lever which slowed the sidewalk
+down so that they could board it. When Garry had
+deposited their fare in the meter, a bar slid away so
+that they could enter. It was about 2230 o&rsquo;clock, an
+hour and a half before midnight, and not many
+people were on the Ped-A-Ride.</p>
+<p>The boys took seats, and the sidewalk carried
+them along into the night.</p>
+<p>As the Ped-A-Ride topped the crest of a hill,
+Garry pointed into the distance.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There she is, Patch&mdash;the <i>Orion</i>, smoking and
+straining like a race horse, just as if she can&rsquo;t wait
+to get going!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;She sure is a beauty,&rdquo; Patch agreed. &ldquo;The earth-bound
+ships are a whole lot trimmer and better
+looking than the ships that never touch down.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_12">12</div>
+<p>&ldquo;The earth-bound ships have to be streamlined
+so that they can slide smoothly through the earth&rsquo;s
+atmosphere,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;but the ships that remain
+in space look like a bunch of globes and girders,
+because they never meet the friction of any planet&rsquo;s
+atmosphere and they don&rsquo;t need the sturdiness and
+rocket power.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch laughed. &ldquo;You sound like one of our
+schoolbooks, Garry,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<p>As the Ped-A-Ride neared the spaceport, the
+brilliant lights of the busy area merged into a hazy
+glare that brightened the night until it was almost
+as light as day. The slim prow of the <i>Orion</i> reached
+higher into the sky than any other object on the
+vast field, even loftier than the giant control tower.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They say the <i>Orion</i> is more space scarred than
+any other ship in the Space Service,&rdquo; Garry remarked.
+&ldquo;Meteor dust has grooved her sides so
+much that they look like the scratches on a rifle
+bullet.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I knew she was one of the oldest crafts in the
+Service,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;I guess she&rsquo;s carried many a
+person to the Von Braun Station on their way to
+Luna and the other planets.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_13">13</div>
+<p>The Ped-A-Ride had nearly reached the gate of
+the spaceport when Garry said to his friend,
+&ldquo;Patch, we&rsquo;d better move down among those people
+ahead of us. It looks like they&rsquo;re going to get
+off at the port.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If one of the port police spots us, he might get
+suspicious seeing a couple of kids alone at this time
+of night. If we mingle with the crowd, the police
+may think we are with them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They got up and began walking forward along
+the moving platform. Then they took seats behind
+a man who wore the uniform of the Space Service.
+He had several bags, and it seemed likely that he
+was going to board the <i>Orion</i>.</p>
+<p>As the Ped-A-Ride neared the port gate, Garry
+closely studied the stalwart young man seated before
+them. Garry wondered at the many experiences
+that must have been encountered by this
+spaceman during his career.</p>
+<p>Garry leaned over and touched the spaceman on
+the shoulder.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Excuse me, Sir,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Are you boarding the
+<i>Orion</i>?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry saw a pleasant but deeply lined face
+turned upward toward his own.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; the astronaut replied, then asked, &ldquo;Are
+you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Er, no, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;We&mdash;my friend and
+I&mdash;we just want to see her blast off.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_14">14</div>
+<p>The spaceman smiled. &ldquo;Guess you are pretty interested
+in space to be coming all the way to the
+port just to see an old crate like the <i>Orion</i> blast off.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, we are, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very interested
+in it. I hope to be a spaceman someday.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think you will be, too,&rdquo; the man said confidently.
+&ldquo;I can see the enthusiasm in your eyes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Garry returned. &ldquo;Have you made
+many trips spaceward?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A dozen or so,&rdquo; was the reply. &ldquo;The number is
+not important, though, you must understand. Usually,
+one voyage can last quite a while.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The spaceman extended a big, sunburned hand
+to Garry. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m First Space Officer Mulroy. What&rsquo;s
+your name?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, Sir. Garry Coleman. My friend here is
+Patrick Foster, but he&rsquo;s called Patch for short.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As the Ped-A-Ride neared the gate of the spaceport,
+Garry had an idea by which he and Patch
+might get inside without being questioned by the
+port police.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Mulroy,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;I notice that you
+have some baggage. I wonder if Patch and I could
+help you carry it&mdash;maybe aboard the <i>Orion</i>.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The officer smiled. &ldquo;You want to see what she
+looks like, eh? Okay, it&rsquo;s a deal.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thank you, Sir,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_15">15</div>
+<p>Presently Officer Mulroy stood up. &ldquo;Here we are,
+fellows,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s get our things together
+quickly. I can&rsquo;t afford to miss my blast-off on the
+<i>Orion</i>. I have a sailing date for Mars in a few weeks,
+and the stars wait for no man!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_16">16</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c2"><br />2. BLAST-OFF</h2>
+<p>Once inside the gate, Mr. Mulroy spoke to a uniformed
+officer, who saluted. The officer turned a
+tiny dial on a lapel button he wore and spoke into
+it. Garry knew this to be a subminiature radio
+transmitter which was in wide use.</p>
+<p>Presently, a square little &ldquo;T-Car,&rdquo; or tote car,
+drove up. It was painted green and white, streamlined,
+and had seats inside. It had a convertible
+top which was opened now because of the pleasant
+weather.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_17">17</div>
+<p>The baggageman put the spaceman&rsquo;s things in
+the compartment, then invited his passengers to
+enter at the door he held open. Garry and Patch
+felt very important as Officer Mulroy motioned
+them in ahead of himself. They felt even more important
+as they sank down into the soft seats and
+were joined a moment later by this high-ranking
+officer of the Space Service.</p>
+<p>The swift little car whisked them off to the Operations
+Building, to which Officer Mulroy had to
+report before his flight.</p>
+<p>When the baggage had been unloaded outside
+and the T-Car had moved off, the spaceman said to
+the boys, &ldquo;Wait out here, until I sign up and get my
+instructions. Then we&rsquo;ll carry my things aboard the
+<i>Orion</i>.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>While they waited, they turned their attention
+to the space craft some distance away. Its blue,
+satiny sides reflected the glow of thousands of
+lights on the field. Red smoke still curled up into
+the night, warning of the approach of blast-off time.
+And yet there was still a little while to go, for the
+spiderwebs of the gantry cranes still hugged the
+sides of the three-stage space vessel. Workmen
+were swarming all over the platforms, making last-minute
+checks on the ship.</p>
+<p>There was a high wire fence around the <i>Orion</i>
+and only one entrance through it. A uniformed official
+was checking tickets as the passengers went
+through the gate. The official checked Officer Mulroy&rsquo;s
+ticket, and Mr. Mulroy told him it would be
+all right for the boys to help him carry his baggage
+aboard.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_18">18</div>
+<p>The boys&rsquo; new friend took them down some steps
+into a concrete tunnel that led to the launching pad.
+On the way they stopped at a little room where
+Mr. Mulroy was weighed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Weight is a very important factor on a space
+ship,&rdquo; Mr. Mulroy said, as they were on their way
+again.</p>
+<p>The tunnel led to an elevator that ran up the side
+of the rocket. The elevator cab rose and rose, high
+into the black night. Finally, Officer Mulroy pressed
+a button and said this was where they were to get
+off.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch followed their friend out into
+a corridor of the space ship. Officer Mulroy
+searched the doors they passed, then recognized
+his own, Stateroom 17. He drew out a key and
+unlocked the door, then preceded the boys into the
+room.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, what a tiny room!&rdquo; Patch exclaimed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It has to be this small,&rdquo; Mr. Mulroy said. &ldquo;Every
+inch of area on a space ship is at a premium, you
+know. For most travelers, the Von Braun Space Station
+is only a stopover on a longer trip into space.
+Sometimes the layover is for several days or even
+a week or two. Since rooms aboard the space station
+are very limited, most of the passengers are
+quartered in staterooms in the rocket in which
+they left earth.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_19">19</div>
+<p>Suddenly, a voice came over a speaker in the
+room: &ldquo;Blast-off in ten minutes. All nonpassengers
+are requested to leave the ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s us,&rdquo; Garry said unhappily.</p>
+<p>How he envied Officer Mulroy on his coming
+trip into the deeps of space! He wanted to go so
+badly that his heart ached. But he realized that not
+for many years could his fondest dream come true.</p>
+<p>Officer Mulroy noticed Garry&rsquo;s reluctance to
+leave, and placed a friendly arm around his shoulder.
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t take it so hard, Garry,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Be the
+very best student you can. The years will go by
+fast, and then one day you will wake up to find that
+you are eligible to be a spaceman.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Garry said, trying to smile convincingly,
+although he did not feel happy. The idea of
+the future did not interest him now, but only the
+present, because the queen of the spaceways was
+about to blast off, and he wanted so desperately
+to remain aboard her.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go, Garry,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to
+get Officer Mulroy into trouble by us being caught
+aboard at blast-off.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_20">20</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s right,&rdquo; Officer Mulroy said with a smile.
+&ldquo;Being a stowaway on a rocket is really a serious
+matter. You see, for every pound of pay load on a
+rocket, there must be many more pounds of fuel,
+so if an extra person remained aboard, the ship
+might not be able to reach its destination.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thank you for letting us come aboard with you,
+Mr. Mulroy,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;ll remember what
+you told me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The space officer insisted on tipping the boys,
+and it was a generous tip at that. As the two left the
+room he called to them, &ldquo;Good-by, fellows. I&rsquo;ll send
+you a post card from Mars. That&rsquo;s a promise.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch said good-by and followed the
+directions that Officer Mulroy had given them for
+leaving the ship.</p>
+<p>Garry pressed the button of the elevator in which
+they had ridden earlier. As the doors parted and
+he and Patch went in, he said to his friend, &ldquo;Gee,
+I hate to leave. I don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s the matter with
+me, Patch. Maybe I&rsquo;m just tired of having to do the
+same thing every day, over and over.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I feel kind of the same way, Garry,&rdquo; Patch admitted,
+&ldquo;but I guess we&rsquo;ll just have to sweat out the
+old grind for a few more years.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They had no sooner started to descend than the
+light in the elevator went off, and then the elevator
+itself stopped.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, what&rsquo;s going on!&rdquo; Garry exclaimed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The power&rsquo;s off!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>Presently, the light came on again, and the boys
+felt a lot better.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_21">21</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Whew, for a minute I was scared!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Me too. Hey, we&rsquo;re still not moving, though!&rdquo;
+Garry pressed harder on the button, but the elevator
+refused to move.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re stuck here, Garry!&rdquo; Patch burst out.</p>
+<p>Garry started banging furiously on the walls of
+the elevator. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just <i>got</i> to make ourselves
+heard, Patch!&rdquo; he cried.</p>
+<p>The din was very loud in the cramped compartment,
+as both boys hammered on the wall.</p>
+<p>No one came to their rescue, but then a voice
+spoke over the public-address speaker in the ceiling
+of the elevator: &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be alarmed, folks. A
+short circuit in the fuel-pump relay caused us to
+lose electric power momentarily. But everything
+has been restored to normalcy. Warning: Three
+minutes to blast-off.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It <i>hasn&rsquo;t</i> been restored!&rdquo; Garry burst out desperately.</p>
+<p>The boys pounded on the metal walls until their
+knuckles hurt.</p>
+<p>In a final desperate action, Garry slammed his
+closed fist against the stubborn power button. Instantly,
+he felt the elevator throb underfoot and
+begin to descend once more.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_22">22</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Thank goodness!&rdquo; Garry breathed prayerfully.
+&ldquo;But we&rsquo;ve still got to hurry in order to get off in
+time! No telling how long we&rsquo;ve been stuck in this
+thing!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When the elevator stopped, the doors slid open
+and the boys ran out. But they found themselves in
+a strange corridor.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not out of the ship yet!&rdquo; Garry exclaimed.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve only gone down a deck or two.
+The elevator must still be fouled up.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;ll we do now?&rdquo; Patch asked in desperation.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Go back into the elevator and try to get to the
+ground. We&rsquo;ll have to hurry! The elevator is part
+of the gantry crane, and it&rsquo;ll be rolled away any
+moment!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They rushed back to the closed doors of the
+elevator. But a sign in red lights on the door read:
+&ldquo;DO NOT ENTER. ELEVATOR REMOVED.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve already taken it away!&rdquo; Patch said in
+dismay.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to find a place to strap down, or every
+bone in our bodies will be broken on the blast-off!&rdquo;
+Garry said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_23">23</div>
+<p>A speaker along the corridor next gave out with
+the dread words: &ldquo;Blast-off in ninety seconds,
+ladies and gentlemen. Secure your seat harness and
+listen to the instructions of the stewards. Failure
+to obey directions could cost you your lives. In the
+first few moments of acceleration in a rocket ship,
+there is a crushing blow to the human body. This
+jolt will occur twice more as the second and third
+stages blast off. For that reason, it is absolutely
+necessary that everyone be strapped down securely
+to his G-couch.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch grabbed his friends arm in a fierce grip.
+&ldquo;Garry, we&rsquo;re going to die! We&rsquo;re going to die!&rdquo; he
+cried.</p>
+<p>Garry shook off Patch and desperately began
+throwing open doors along the corridor, looking
+into one room after another. &ldquo;There must be some
+G-couches along here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I read somewhere
+that space law says there must be emergency
+couches on all decks of a rocket ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch tagged along after Garry, complaining.
+Garry could not afford to be sympathetic now. Both
+their lives depended on what he did within the next
+minute.</p>
+<p>Then Garry found it. Printed on the door was the
+heartening word: &ldquo;G-COUCHES.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He flung open the door and saw a row of six S-shaped
+reclining seats.</p>
+<p>Garry grabbed the arm of his quaking friend in a
+tight grip and told him, &ldquo;Listen to me, Patch, and
+do what I tell you. Jump on a couch just as fast as
+you can and don&rsquo;t waste a second getting those
+buckles fastened across your chest, body, and legs.
+Now get going!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_24">24</div>
+<p>Garry helped him along with a shove, then dove
+for one of the couches close by.</p>
+<p>As he hastily fastened his own straps in place,
+Garry cast worried glances at his friend, who was
+fumbling as best he could in his nervous state.</p>
+<p>A speaker warned of the passing moments: &ldquo;Zero
+minus twenty seconds, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen,
+sixteen....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>A few seconds more, and Garry&rsquo;s straps were securely
+fastened. He twisted his head to see how
+Patch was doing. Patch had almost all his straps in
+place, but he could not seem to get the chest
+buckle tightened.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hurry, Patch, please hurry!&rdquo; Garry cried.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&mdash;I&rsquo;m doing the best I can,&rdquo; Patch said, and
+Garry could see the streams of sweat trickling down
+his round face.</p>
+<p>Then, with a final lucky tug, Patch had it. Turning
+his weakly smiling face to Garry, he murmured,
+&ldquo;Garry, I guess I just barely did....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry never heard the rest of the words, for at
+that moment the <i>Orion</i> shook herself like a big dog,
+began a slow tug upward into the black night, and
+then, a few seconds later, with a deafening roar
+tore free of her earthly bonds and flung herself
+into space.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_25">25</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c3"><br />3. STOWAWAYS IN SPACE</h2>
+<p>Garry had read about the rough effects of blast-off,
+but the real thing was even worse than he had imagined.
+He felt like one of those characters in movie
+cartoons who gets flattened to the thickness of
+paper when run over. His lungs felt as though they
+had collapsed, and he could suck in only the barest
+trace of breath.</p>
+<p>But the discomfort did not last long. His body
+seemed to fill out like an inflated balloon, although
+he still felt the ache of having been nearly
+squashed. His stomach felt as though it had been
+stirred up with an egg beater, and his head swam.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_26">26</div>
+<p>But no sooner had he recovered from the first
+violent thrust than it came again as the rocket&rsquo;s second
+stage began firing. Then the crushing pressure
+eased once more, only to return once again as the
+third stage, the occupied section of the <i>Orion</i>, began
+firing away. When this force let up, Garry knew
+it was the last.</p>
+<p>The ship did not appear to be moving, but
+Garry knew it must be traveling many thousands
+of miles an hour.</p>
+<p>Garry&rsquo;s shaky hands groped for the belts of the
+harness that snugly fitted his body. He worked the
+buckles loose from his upper body and sat up on his
+G-couch. He did not release his legs, because he
+was already feeling the dizzying effects of weightlessness.
+He looked across at Patch on the next
+couch.</p>
+<p>Patch was still lying flat, and his face was
+pasty white. His eyes were closed, and this alarmed
+Garry.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; Garry called, repeating the name over
+and over.</p>
+<p>Patch had blacked out, but after a few minutes
+he came back to consciousness.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Wh&mdash;what happened?&rdquo; Patch asked in a weak
+voice.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re in space, Patch,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll
+probably think we&rsquo;re stowaways and send us to
+jail. Maybe Officer Mulroy will get in trouble too.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_27">27</div>
+<p>But this was the least of Patch&rsquo;s worries
+right now. He put his hand to his head, complaining,
+&ldquo;Gee, I feel terrible. Everything&rsquo;s going
+around! And I had the worst nightmare all night
+long!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry had to grin at this. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t been here
+all night, just a few minutes. It just seems like a
+long time.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch fumbled loose his upper straps and struggled
+to a sitting position, but fell back down onto
+his contour seat. &ldquo;Wow, I can&rsquo;t make it!&rdquo; he said
+thickly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no use trying to get up,&rdquo; Garry said.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;re weightless and would never be able to get
+about. It&rsquo;s funny how I wanted so terribly to go
+into space, but now that I&rsquo;m out here I&rsquo;m not enjoying
+it. I guess it&rsquo;s because I&rsquo;m afraid of what&rsquo;s
+coming.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry wondered what they should do. Should
+they turn themselves in and take their chances on
+being believed that their being aboard the <i>Orion</i>
+was due to an accident? But if they did this, then
+Mr. Mulroy might be held responsible for not seeing
+that the boys had left the ship. And yet, Garry
+realized, he and Patch could not stay in hiding indefinitely.
+Sooner or later they must be found out.
+If they did not turn themselves in, and they were
+discovered, they would surely be regarded as stowaways.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_28">28</div>
+<p>Then a new fear came to Garry. What if his
+and Patch&rsquo;s combined weight was over the ship&rsquo;s
+allowable limit? What if their being aboard would
+keep them from reaching the space station and, instead,
+cause the earth&rsquo;s gravity to pull the <i>Orion</i>
+back down? In that case the two of them could
+possibly cost the space-ship line a new rocket worth
+millions, not to mention the lives of all the persons
+aboard in case a safe landing could not be made!</p>
+<p>Garry was occupied with these grave thoughts
+until he heard the public-address system saying:
+&ldquo;We are now in braking orbit.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry knew this meant that the ship had
+reached the vicinity of the space station and was
+beginning to circle the station while the braking
+rockets were cut in. This procedure would slow
+down the <i>Orion</i> so that she would be moving at
+the same orbital speed as the space station. Then it
+would be easy for her to slip into dock.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch felt the tug of the ship&rsquo;s gradually
+diminishing speed, but this was not nearly as
+rough as the blast-off had been. As the <i>Orion</i> moved
+into dock, the boys felt their weight returning. This
+was due to the station&rsquo;s rotation and artificial
+gravity.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, it looks like the ship has made it all right,&rdquo;
+Patch said, relieved. &ldquo;They must not have had a
+full load.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_29">29</div>
+<p>The boys heard the technical language of the
+docking procedure. Garry listened closely, even
+though he could not understand much of it. But
+this was all part of the spaceman&rsquo;s education, and
+he was eager to learn it, even at such a crucial moment
+as this.</p>
+<p>Yet as he listened, he had another unpleasant
+thought. Now that he and Patch had the blot of
+&ldquo;stowaway&rdquo; against them, would this misconduct
+prevent them from realizing their dream of being
+future spacemen?</p>
+<p>Finally, the ship&rsquo;s motion stopped altogether.
+The <i>Orion</i> had nestled into her dock on the big Von
+Braun Space Station, named after the great space
+scientist of the past century.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now where do we go from here?&rdquo; Patch asked,
+as the two removed their harness straps and got
+to their feet. &ldquo;Garry, I&rsquo;m scared, plenty scared!
+Wow, I&rsquo;m a little wobbly too!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s stay put until we hear further announcements
+over the speaker,&rdquo; Garry suggested. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll
+give us time to think this through a little longer.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just stalling, that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re doing,
+aren&rsquo;t we, Garry? We don&rsquo;t want to turn ourselves
+in because we&rsquo;re afraid of what will happen to us,&rdquo;
+Patch said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_30">30</div>
+<p>Garry hung his head. &ldquo;I guess that&rsquo;s what it does
+amount to, Patch. I keep thinking what this will do
+to our hopes of being spacemen. I&rsquo;m afraid we&rsquo;ll
+never make it now.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They stayed in hiding for another half hour.
+Then Garry said: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to have something to
+live on until we make up our minds what we&rsquo;re
+going to do, Patch. I think space ships have emergency-ration
+compartments located along the corridors.
+I&rsquo;m in favor of looking for one.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s better than just waiting here and doing
+nothing,&rdquo; Patch agreed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll look out and see if the coast is clear,&rdquo;
+Garry said.</p>
+<p>He looked around outside and then motioned to
+Patch. They started off quietly down the corridor,
+but after a moment they heard footsteps approaching
+from around the corner behind them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, we&rsquo;ve got to hide!&rdquo; Patch whispered
+urgently. &ldquo;Somebody&rsquo;s coming!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry saw a door up ahead. &ldquo;That leads into an
+air lock, Patch. We may be safe in there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry turned a wheel on the door, and it swung
+open. They found themselves in a short tunnel, at
+the other end of which was another door. The air
+lock was used for entering and leaving the ship
+while it was in space. The spaceman would enter
+the chamber and wait for the air pressure to equalize
+before he left the air lock.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_31">31</div>
+<p>Garry quickly turned another wheel on the inside
+of the door, closing it.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t stay in here very long without air,&rdquo;
+Garry said. &ldquo;The other end of this air lock probably
+leads directly into the space station. Shall we try
+it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This running and hiding has got to end somewhere,&rdquo;
+Patch replied with discouragement. &ldquo;Lead
+on.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry checked the pressure gauge on the far
+door and saw that there was normal pressure on the
+other side. He turned the wheel on the door, and it
+swung open. The boys went through, and Garry
+wheeled the door shut behind them.</p>
+<p>They were in a huge enclosed dock of the space
+station. Lined up ahead were several space taxis,
+or fliers, which were used for trips outside the
+station and also doubled as lifeboats in time of
+emergency.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, it&rsquo;s cold in here!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The main thing, though, is that there&rsquo;s no one
+around,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll give us time to collect
+our thoughts.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what you think,&rdquo; Patch whispered, tugging
+at Garry&rsquo;s arm. &ldquo;There come a couple of men
+down that corridor across the way!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_32">32</div>
+<p>Garry moved quickly and quietly, pulling Patch
+along. As the men entered the dock, the boys
+ducked out of sight behind one of the space fliers.</p>
+<p>The men approached the flier next to the outer
+door of the dock and pressed a button on the taxi&rsquo;s
+surface. Its door sprang open, and the men entered
+the flier.</p>
+<p>They were in there for fully five minutes. During
+that time, Garry began to shiver, but it was not
+from fright so much as it was the coldness of the
+dock. Garry felt Patch shaking beside him and
+knew his friend was just as uncomfortable as he.
+But they had to stay put. There was no other place
+they could go at this moment.</p>
+<p>Finally, the men came out of the space taxi,
+closed the door, and, to the relief of Garry and
+Patch, disappeared up the corridor.</p>
+<p>Garry stood up and hugged himself.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, I&mdash;I&rsquo;m freezing to death,&rdquo; Patch chattered.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;So am I. We sure can&rsquo;t stay here like this,&rdquo;
+Garry replied.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why don&rsquo;t we try getting into one of these
+ships?&rdquo; Patch suggested. &ldquo;Maybe they&rsquo;ve got heaters
+inside.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry pressed the button of the ship which they
+had been hiding behind, but the door did not open.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The power is off or something,&rdquo; Garry groaned.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Maybe the first one will open,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;It
+worked for those men.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_33">33</div>
+<p>Garry went over to the first craft and pressed the
+door button. Instantly, the door sprang open. A
+tiny air-lock chamber faced them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thank goodness,&rdquo; Patch murmured. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go
+in.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What if the men come back?&rdquo; Garry cautioned.
+&ldquo;They may be preparing for a trip.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There are windows facing the corridor,&rdquo; Patch
+said. &ldquo;We can keep an eye out for them and duck
+for cover again if they return. Gee, let&rsquo;s try it anyhow,
+Garry! I feel like a penguin that&rsquo;s lost all its
+feathers!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry agreed and entered the flier, Patch climbing
+in behind. A second door led from the air lock
+chamber into the flier proper. Besides the pilot&rsquo;s
+seat, there were six other seats, three on a side. It
+was warmer in here than outside, and Garry felt
+heat gently blowing. This made him suspect that
+the men had just turned it on and that they were
+going to return for a trip in the craft.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid we won&rsquo;t have long to stay in here,&rdquo;
+Garry told his friend and mentioned his suspicion
+to him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I guess you&rsquo;re right,&rdquo; Patch agreed. &ldquo;Where will
+we go from here? Garry, I&rsquo;m tired of running. And
+I&rsquo;m getting more scared by the minute because of
+what we&rsquo;re doing. Why don&rsquo;t we just turn ourselves
+in and face the music, whatever it is?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_34">34</div>
+<p>Through a window of the taxi, Garry was watching
+the corridor for signs of the returning men. &ldquo;I
+guess you&rsquo;re right, Patch,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll give ourselves
+up when those men return.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we should wait until then,&rdquo; Patch
+objected. &ldquo;It will go a lot easier for us if we give
+ourselves up voluntarily instead of looking as if we
+had been caught.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Once again Garry agreed, but, as he was reaching
+for the button to open the door, he heard a click.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What was that?&rdquo; Patch asked in alarm. &ldquo;What
+did you do?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Nothing,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Something was operating
+all by itself.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>A soft purring sound began to be heard inside
+the craft, and Garry felt the little ship vibrating
+ever so softly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch,&rdquo; Garry said tensely, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like this.&rdquo;
+He tried the door button, but it would not work.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s happening?&rdquo; Patch asked, and there
+was fright in his voice.</p>
+<p>A movement outside in the dock caught the boys&rsquo;
+eyes. Through the wide front port of the ship, they
+watched a big door slide open, revealing a dark air-lock
+tunnel&mdash;a tunnel large enough to hold the craft
+which they were occupying!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch repeated, &ldquo;what&rsquo;s happening!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_35">35</div>
+<p>Garry slumped into one of the seats, fear numbing
+his heart.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now I know what kind of ship this is, Patch,&rdquo;
+he murmured. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s remote controlled, guided by
+an operator inside the space station. We&rsquo;re heading
+straight out into space, Patch!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_36">36</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c4"><br />4. ADRIFT IN THE DEEPS</h2>
+<p>Trapped within the space taxi, Garry and Patch
+watched the darkness of space enlarge before their
+eyes as the ship emerged from the air-lock tunnel
+of the space station. The stars about them were
+countless lights, some packed so closely together
+that they trailed across the sky like distant streaming
+veils. But the boys had no eye for their beauty
+at this time.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch asked in a dismal voice, &ldquo;what&rsquo;s
+going to happen to us?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As long as they have control of the ship, I guess
+we&rsquo;ll be all right,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;Maybe they are
+just sending the ship out on a practice run or possibly
+to pick someone up.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Pick someone up?&rdquo; Patch asked, puzzled.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_37">37</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I was thinking of satellite workers or repairmen.
+The skies out here are flooded with satellites, you
+know. They must have men working on them all
+the time,&rdquo; Garry explained.</p>
+<p>Garry heard a hissing sound. He found a slit in
+the wall from which it was coming. Near the opening
+was a gauge.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s an oxygen mixture coming in,&rdquo; Garry
+said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s probably automatic. It turns on whenever
+the air pressure drops or becomes fouled.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s something in our favor,&rdquo; Patch said
+grudgingly.</p>
+<p>Garry found his feet beginning to lift weightlessly
+off the floor. His body sagged off balance, and
+he had to hold onto a handle on one of the seats.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, what&rsquo;ll we do?&rdquo; Patch exclaimed frantically.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going weightless!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s look for a wardrobe compartment,&rdquo; Garry
+suggested. &ldquo;Since these fliers are used as lifeboats
+sometimes, there must be space suits and things.
+Maybe we&rsquo;ll find magnetic shoes, too.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How&rsquo;ll we ever get around in here to look for
+anything?&rdquo; Patch sputtered. By now he was floating,
+his legs and arms flailing helplessly like a bug
+on its back.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_38">38</div>
+<p>Using the handles on the backs of the seats, Garry
+worked his way across to a cabinet set in the wall.
+Then he moved from the last seat handle to the
+wall rail and worked himself down it to the plastic
+case. Through the clear window Garry could see
+space suits and accessories. He pressed a button,
+and the door popped open.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re in luck, Patch,&rdquo; Garry reported. &ldquo;There
+are magnetic shoes in here. I hope the gravity plates
+in the floor are working.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry managed to pick up two pairs of the shoes,
+tucking one pair under one arm. That left one hand
+holding the second pair and the other hand free.</p>
+<p>Even then, it took quite some doing for him to
+work his way across to Patch, who looked like a
+pennant floating in the breeze as he hung crossways
+in the air, one hand tightly clutching a seat handle.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, I don&rsquo;t feel so good,&rdquo; Patch complained.
+&ldquo;Everything in me feels like its pushing upward.
+Even my brain seems to be floating.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s lack of gravity doing that,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;You
+are used to gravity always pulling down on you.
+When that pull is gone, it makes you feel as if your
+body is moving up. At least that&rsquo;s what all the books
+say. And I believe them, because I feel that way
+myself. Here are your shoes. They&rsquo;re pretty big, but
+they&rsquo;ll be better than nothing.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, how&rsquo;ll I ever get them on?&rdquo; Patch protested.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll hold onto you while you put them on,&rdquo; Garry
+offered. &ldquo;That&rsquo;ll make it easier&mdash;I guess.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_39">39</div>
+<p>Garry got behind Patch and held him by the collar.
+Then began Patch&rsquo;s struggles with the shoes.
+It was comical for Garry to see his friend having
+such a hard time, but he knew Patch would have
+the laugh on him later.</p>
+<p>It took them both a good while to get the shoes
+on. When the floor current of the gravity plates
+finally held them down, the boys laughed at each
+other in their oversized equipment.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I guess we look like snowshoe rabbits with our
+big feet!&rdquo; Patch said with a laugh. &ldquo;Good thing
+those straps pulled up tight, or we&rsquo;d never be able
+to keep them on.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The craft had been moving along smoothly, but
+before long it began to shudder irregularly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The jets have cut out, Patch,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re
+coasting. Without any air friction out here in space,
+we <i>could</i> coast along forever.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, don&rsquo;t say that!&rdquo; Patch gasped.</p>
+<p>But Garry found out that his guess was wrong,
+and he was glad that it had been. Presently, twin
+jets of flame were seen pouring from the front of
+the craft.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, we&rsquo;re on fire!&rdquo; Patch shouted.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, they&rsquo;re the braking jets,&rdquo; Garry corrected.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;re being slowed down, Patch! I think we&rsquo;ll
+find out very soon now what our destination is.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_40">40</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Thank goodness for that,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;You
+know, you got me plenty worried when you said
+that we might coast forever out here. Although after
+about a hundred years I probably wouldn&rsquo;t mind
+any longer!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Look, Patch,&rdquo; Garry cried. &ldquo;Up ahead&mdash;a satellite!
+That must be where we&rsquo;re headed!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As they approached, the craft still being slowed
+by the braking jets, Garry and Patch took in the
+scene before them. The satellite itself somewhat
+resembled a giant radio speaker. Its largest area
+was a huge reflecting surface, and this surface was
+made up of adjustable panels that could be banked
+in any direction. The boys could see around the side
+of the satellite, and backing up the front broad surface
+was a block-shaped structure with windows.</p>
+<p>As the tiny space craft drew closer, the boys saw
+a hatch open in the rear structure, and two men in
+space suits emerged, holding onto hand rails on
+the outside of the satellite.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s one of the radio and TV relay satellites,
+Patch,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;There are three of them,
+spaced equally around the earth, for relaying TV
+and radio all over the world. Our ship has probably
+been sent out to pick up these men and bring them
+back to the station.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Won&rsquo;t they be surprised when they see us
+aboard?&rdquo; Patch remarked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_41">41</div>
+<p>Garry noticed that the space taxi seemed to be
+moving a little off course, and this disturbed him,
+especially since one of the forward jets had cut off
+but the other hadn&rsquo;t.</p>
+<p>The craft was veering steadily away from the
+satellite and slowing rapidly. Finally, it came to a
+dead stop several hundred yards from the satellite,
+but then it began backing up. As the craft gained
+speed in reverse, Garry and Patch were nearly
+knocked off their feet from the acceleration.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The front jet is propelling us backward!&rdquo; Garry
+cried. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s something wrong with the remote
+control!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The craft began going into a dizzy spin. The boys
+had to hold on tightly to some anchored support to
+keep from being flung against the wall.</p>
+<p>Garry watched the satellite become lost against
+the sprawling background of stars. He knew they
+were hurtling farther out into space, out of control,
+headed for a destination now that even the space-station
+operators might not know.</p>
+<p>The boys were so disheartened by the latest bad
+break that, for the time being, they did not care
+what happened to them. This lowering of their
+spirits seemed to remind them that they were a long
+time past their slumber time, and they suddenly became
+very sleepy. By earth time, it would be the
+dark hours before dawn.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_42">42</div>
+<p>They went to sleep on their feet, because in the
+zero gravity there was no need for them to lie down.
+Their magnetic soles held them in place to keep
+them from drifting about as they slept.</p>
+<p>Garry was the first to wake up, hours later. There
+was no way for him to know how much time had
+passed. He woke his friend, who stretched and
+yawned.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I never thought I&rsquo;d be able to sleep standing
+up,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;I feel like a horse.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We got a good rest,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;I guess that&rsquo;s
+because of the zero gravity.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch looked gloomily out of the front port of
+the flier. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re still no better off than we were
+before, though, Garry, but, I think we have stopped
+moving.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry shook his head. &ldquo;It just seems like we&rsquo;re
+not moving because the stars and everything else
+around us are so still. We&rsquo;re moving all right&mdash;and
+fast. This ship may still be moving after we&rsquo;re dead,
+even if we could live for a hundred years, because
+there&rsquo;s nothing ever to slow us down out here; that
+is, unless we happened to move into the gravity
+field of some planet, which would pull us down.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I knew we should have turned ourselves in when
+we had the chance,&rdquo; Patch said mournfully. &ldquo;If we
+had, we wouldn&rsquo;t be in this fix now.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry agreed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all my fault for trying to hold
+out so long.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_43">43</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, too late now to do anything,&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we should give up hope,&rdquo; Garry
+said. &ldquo;They might still send out a ship to try to pick
+up this one. They know it&rsquo;s lost, but of course they
+don&rsquo;t know there&rsquo;s anybody in it, and they may not
+know where to look for it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He investigated the sloping wall between him
+and the front window. The middle of it was shaped
+something like an old-fashioned roll-top desk,
+closed up.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hmm,&rdquo; Garry thought to himself. &ldquo;This ship
+has been run by remote control until now, but why
+shouldn&rsquo;t it have controls of its own? If it does have
+them, they should be right here in front of me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry&rsquo;s hopes soared again as he ran his hands
+over the light-green plastic slope in front of him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A button,&rdquo; he whispered. &ldquo;There must be a button
+or something that opens this thing up.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, what&rsquo;re you mumbling about?&rdquo; Patch
+asked.</p>
+<p>Garry was too concerned with what he was doing
+to answer his friend. Suddenly, he found something
+on the left side of the instrument. It was a
+button. He pressed it.</p>
+<p>Two covers began swinging open in front of him,
+as stage curtains would do, revealing a bank of dials
+and levers.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; Garry shouted. &ldquo;Look what!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_44">44</div>
+<p>Patch came clicking over in his magnetic shoes.
+&ldquo;Hey, they&rsquo;re instruments for running this crate!
+Why didn&rsquo;t we think of looking for them before?&rdquo;
+he cried.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Probably because we don&rsquo;t know how to operate
+them,&rdquo; Garry replied.</p>
+<p>There was a half-circle steering wheel that pulled
+out, and the boys were sure what this was for.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch said happily, &ldquo;the steering wheel&mdash;that
+may be all that we&rsquo;ll need! Since the ship is
+moving under its own power, all we have to do is
+turn her around and head back for the space station.
+We can keep circling it until one of the ships
+from the station intercepts us!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry tried the wheel. It was locked tight.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that easy, Patch,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;First we&rsquo;ve
+got to find how to unlock the wheel.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That ought not to be hard,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;A
+button or switch....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They both began carefully examining the steering
+column and wheel, but did not find anything
+that would release the wheel. Then they went over
+the console panel very closely. They found switches
+and levers that could not be identified, but they decided
+to try them anyhow and see what they controlled.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_45">45</div>
+<p>They got no result at first, but, when the fourth
+switch was thrown, the console lighted up and the
+ship began to throb with a new life.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That must have been one of the power levers,&rdquo;
+Garry said. &ldquo;Look&mdash;the steering wheel is free! The
+power had to be on before it would unlock the
+wheel.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry!&rdquo; Patch exclaimed, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re on our way!
+We&rsquo;re on our way.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I hope my sense of direction is correct,&rdquo; Garry
+said, &ldquo;because I can&rsquo;t read those directional meters.
+I think we&rsquo;ll be headed in the general direction
+of the station if we make a half turn. I remember
+the position of that brilliant nebula over there
+and also the planet Venus.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry was beginning to turn the wheel slowly
+for their gradual turnabout in the sky when the
+smell of something burning issued from the console.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, something seems to be shorting out,&rdquo; Patch
+said in alarm. &ldquo;Look! There&rsquo;s smoke coming from
+the panel!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>No sooner had he spoken than there was a small
+explosion inside the console, a strong odor of ozone
+filled the boys&rsquo; nostrils, and all the lights went out.
+But what was worse, the steering wheel froze in
+Garry&rsquo;s hands and locked again.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch, we&rsquo;re ruined!&rdquo; Garry groaned loudly. &ldquo;I
+must have done something wrong!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_46">46</div>
+<p>Garry put his hands over his face in despair.
+&ldquo;Patch, we were so close, so very close....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It looks like something just doesn&rsquo;t want us to
+get out of this alive,&rdquo; Patch said bitterly. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re
+jinxed, Garry!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll do no good to start feeling sorry for ourselves
+again,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Remember, we thought
+we were goners before. Something may turn up to
+save us&mdash;something maybe like a Good Samaritan
+flying around in a space ship just looking for wandering
+boys. But how many of those do you think
+you would find in all the millions of miles of space
+that surround us?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Suddenly Garry stood upright, staring intently
+straight out the forward port. &ldquo;Speaking of Good
+Samaritans, Patch, that might not be so farfetched
+after all. Look out there, straight ahead. There&rsquo;s a
+light moving against the stars. It just might be a
+space ship!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I see it,&rdquo; Patch said, with a trace of hope returning,
+&ldquo;but it&rsquo;s most likely a Sputnik or Tiros or some
+other satellite.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think so. Its movement isn&rsquo;t perfectly
+straight. I&rsquo;m sure I just saw it change direction as if
+heading this way. Patch, if you&rsquo;ve ever prayed, do
+it now. The next few minutes may decide whether
+we live or die out here in space!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_47">47</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c5"><br />5. A &ldquo;FLYING TIN CAN&rdquo;</h2>
+<p>The boys watched intently as the object neared
+them. Although it was still pretty far off, they knew
+that it was not a true celestial object, because they
+could determine already that it was shaped like
+nothing usually found in space. In fact, it looked
+remarkably like a tin can! It was an odd shape for a
+space ship, but the boys were sure that was what it
+was.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not like anything I&rsquo;ve ever seen!&rdquo; Garry
+said. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;ve seen all kinds of pictures of space
+ships in magazines and books.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It must be a special kind of ship,&rdquo; Patch suggested.
+&ldquo;But just so it really is a space ship with
+living people in it, it can be shaped like a barbecue
+pit for all I care!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_48">48</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; Garry said in a stricken voice. &ldquo;What if
+it&rsquo;s from another planet and carries strange people?
+Maybe even <i>unfriendly</i> passengers!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch&rsquo;s eyes shone like bright marbles. &ldquo;Gee, you
+don&rsquo;t really think so, do you? I&mdash;I mean, how could
+it be possible? We&rsquo;ve already explored Mars and
+Venus, and those planets aren&rsquo;t inhabited. How
+could anything possibly live on those big cold planets
+farther out?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Maybe they are from another star,&rdquo; Garry said
+in a solemn tone.</p>
+<p>They would know pretty soon where the flying
+object was from, because it was still heading in
+their direction, and its passengers could not possibly
+miss seeing them.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch were silent as the object drew
+steadily closer, each of them engrossed in his own
+thoughts.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It really does look like a tin can,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;A
+tin can with a big eye in front! But what a big tin
+can! It&rsquo;s big as one of those ancient dirigibles.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch, I can begin to make out some writing
+over the eye. See it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes. Just a moment. It&rsquo;s coming into focus. It
+says &lsquo;CAREFREE!&rsquo; I don&rsquo;t know what it means,
+but it <i>sounds</i> friendly.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_49">49</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That must be the name of it,&rdquo; Garry suggested.
+&ldquo;No ship with a name like that could be carrying
+unfriendly passengers.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It also means that there must be earthmen
+aboard, because it&rsquo;s an earth word.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we have anything to worry about,
+Patch,&rdquo; Garry said confidently.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now they&rsquo;re turning around,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;They&mdash;they&rsquo;re
+pulling even with us. I guess they&rsquo;ll anchor
+to us with magnetic grapples.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Carefully, the <i>Carefree</i> edged closer so that it
+could latch on. The big circular space ship dwarfed
+the tiny taxi so greatly that it seemed like David
+and Goliath.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch heard a soft bump as the <i>Carefree</i>
+coupled onto the side of their craft on which
+the door was located. Garry knew now that the
+ships were joined as one.</p>
+<p>Garry looked at Patch, and Patch looked at Garry.
+They knew all they had to do now was open the air
+locks between the ships. But they hesitated as if
+there were still some doubt in their minds as to the
+friendliness of those in the other space ship.</p>
+<p>There came a rap on their air-lock door. Once
+again Garry looked at Patch, and Patch looked at
+Garry. Then, after another few moments of hesitation,
+Garry shrugged and clicked over to the door.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_50">50</div>
+<p>&ldquo;We may as well open up,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Whether or
+not they&rsquo;re friendly, they&rsquo;ve certainly got the upper
+hand.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry pressed the button that controlled the
+outer door of the air lock. Then he pressed another
+that opened the inner door.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch looked through the double air
+locks into the face of a man who wore a small, neat
+white beard. He appeared to be in his early sixties,
+and he was clinging to a webbing of ropes that completely
+covered the walls of a giant tube or tunnel.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hello,&rdquo; the man said, with a smile.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hello,&rdquo; Garry and Patch replied together. And
+they smiled too, because they were very glad that
+it was an earthman who faced them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I must say I didn&rsquo;t expect to find a couple of
+boys alone in here,&rdquo; the man went on. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s happened
+to the adults with you? You didn&rsquo;t heave
+them out the waste hatch, did you?&rdquo; The elderly
+man laughed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Uh, no, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied with hesitation.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been by ourselves ever since this flier left
+the Von Braun Space Station. It&rsquo;s a pretty long
+story, Sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The name is Captain Eaton, boys.&rdquo; The man
+winked at them, showing his white teeth in another
+smile. &ldquo;Oh, I&rsquo;m not really a space captain. I
+wouldn&rsquo;t deceive you. The <i>Carefree</i> is a private
+<span class="pb" id="Page_51">51</span>
+ship, and the men call me &lsquo;Captain&rsquo; because I&rsquo;m the
+owner.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton&rsquo;s dark, alert eyes flickered over
+the interior of the flier.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I thought whoever was in this ship must be in
+some sort of trouble,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;because of your erratic
+flight. That&rsquo;s why we latched onto you, to see
+if we could be of some help.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We <i>do</i> need help, Captain,&rdquo; Patch said earnestly.
+&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know the first thing about running
+this thing. We had just about given ourselves
+up for lost.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How in the world did you get into such a spot
+as this?&rdquo; Captain Eaton asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, Sir,&rdquo; Garry explained, lowering his eyes,
+&ldquo;you see, we&rsquo;re stowaways, although we&rsquo;ve been
+able to escape being caught all this time. We didn&rsquo;t
+<i>mean</i> to be stowaways, Captain. We were helping
+an officer aboard the <i>Orion</i> with his gear, and the
+rocket blasted off before we could get out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Say, I&rsquo;ll bet your parents are worried to death
+about you,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, Sir,&rdquo; Patch answered. &ldquo;You see, we&rsquo;re orphans,
+and we lived in an orphanage back in the
+United States.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_52">52</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I see,&rdquo; the elderly man replied, stroking his
+short, snowy beard. Then suddenly he grinned
+broadly. &ldquo;Well, fellows, how would you like to be
+rescued?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all for it!&rdquo; Garry answered, and Patch
+nodded his head vigorously.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Come aboard then. The <i>Carefree</i> welcomes
+you!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What about the flier?&rdquo; Garry asked. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t
+want to be charged with stealing a space craft.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have Ben Dawes come aboard and set her
+adrift toward the satellite so that she can be picked
+up easily,&rdquo; the captain said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think we blew something out when we tried
+to start her,&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben&rsquo;s a genius,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll
+get her to running, no matter what&rsquo;s wrong with
+her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>With this taken care of, the boys were anxious to
+board the <i>Carefree</i> and see if her interior were as
+strange and unusual looking as her outer hull. They
+removed their bulky magnetic shoes and entered
+the air lock of the <i>Carefree</i>.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton first explained the purpose of the
+webbing that lined the walls of the tube.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_53">53</div>
+<p>&ldquo;As you boys saw us move in, you probably know
+that this is the rear of the ship, and this tunnel is in
+the center. It goes the full length of our &lsquo;tin can&rsquo;
+and comes out front into the flight deck. We have
+to leave and enter the ship through the rear end of
+this tube. Understand?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, Sir,&rdquo; the boys answered together.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The outer round surface of our &lsquo;tin can&rsquo; revolves
+around this center tube as though it were a wheel
+around an axis,&rdquo; the captain went on. &ldquo;By so doing,
+an artificial gravity is induced along the inside rim
+of the &lsquo;can.&rsquo;&rdquo; Captain Eaton frowned. &ldquo;Am I getting
+too deep for you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think so, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;The gravity
+you are talking about is the result of centrifugal action&mdash;the
+same action that makes a ball swing out
+on the end of a string when a person swings it
+around his head. It&rsquo;s the same kind of artificial gravity
+they use on the manned space stations.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re pretty sharp, son. I like a boy who doesn&rsquo;t
+think that facts belong only in a schoolroom.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been very interested in space, Sir,&rdquo;
+Garry said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll bet I&rsquo;d surprise you with all I know
+about it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure you would,&rdquo; Captain Eaton admitted.
+&ldquo;Say, I don&rsquo;t even know your names. I&rsquo;ve told you
+mine. Now let&rsquo;s have yours.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m Garry Coleman,&rdquo; Garry answered, &ldquo;and this
+is my best friend, Patch Foster.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_54">54</div>
+<p>Since the center tube of the <i>Carefree</i> was not affected
+by the centrifugal force of the rotating &ldquo;tin
+can,&rdquo; its gravity was zero. For that reason the webbing
+was used to pull oneself along with and not
+really for the purposes of climbing and descending.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton turned around on the webbing so
+that he could lead the way along the tunnel into the
+living quarters of the <i>Carefree</i>. His slim, agile legs
+swung free in the zero gravity as he made the turn.
+Glossy black space boots covered his feet.</p>
+<p>The captain showed Garry where to pull a lever
+which closed a series of air-lock doors between the
+<i>Carefree</i> and the taxi.</p>
+<p>The ship&rsquo;s master and the boys pulled themselves
+along the tunnel. Then Captain Eaton stopped and
+said, &ldquo;Hold on tightly, fellows. We&rsquo;re going round
+and round for a few turns.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He pushed a lever beneath the webbing, and
+Garry felt the tube begin to revolve slowly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, what&rsquo;s happening?&rdquo; Patch called out.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I had to set the tunnel in rotation so that it could
+catch up with the rest of the ship, which is always
+turning. As soon as you&rsquo;ve become used to the spinning,
+we&rsquo;ll go into the ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When the boys said they thought they could navigate,
+the captain pointed to an open hatch that had
+appeared in the wall near them.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_55">55</div>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll turn around and back down these stairs,&rdquo;
+the skipper said. &ldquo;As we descend, the gravity will
+become stronger, so that by the time we&rsquo;re at the
+bottom we&rsquo;ll be nearly at our earth weights.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch followed their new friend down
+the stairs, moving carefully and holding onto the
+railing, for they still felt giddy from the rotation of
+the central tube. By the time they were at the bottom,
+their heads had begun to clear.</p>
+<p>That is, they <i>thought</i> their heads had begun to
+clear. But no sooner had they gotten this impression
+than they became giddy all over again at the
+sight that met their eyes. For it was just as if they
+had entered a tropical paradise! There were real
+flowers in bloom all about, and aquariums full of
+live fishes were set into the surrounding walls.</p>
+<p>The boys were too surprised to say anything. All
+they could do was just stare and stare in disbelief.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_56">56</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c6"><br />6. A <i>CAREFREE</i> WORLD</h2>
+<p>&ldquo;How do you like my garden, fellows?&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton asked. &ldquo;It helps keep me from getting homesick.
+I used to have a most luxuriant garden back on
+earth.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t believe it!&rdquo; Garry burst out. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just as
+if we were outdoors on a summer day, it&rsquo;s so real.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a goldfish pond, Garry,&rdquo; Patch said,
+&ldquo;with lily pads floating on top and a bench beside
+it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I never saw so many kinds of flowers,&rdquo; Garry
+said, &ldquo;and shrubs too.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_57">57</div>
+<p>&ldquo;The flowers and shrubs serve a double purpose,&rdquo;
+Captain Eaton explained. &ldquo;They not only provide
+homelike pleasure to me and my friends, but they
+also help keep the air in the <i>Carefree</i> supplied
+with oxygen.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I remember,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;Plants in light
+breathe exactly opposite from the way we do. They
+breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch stooped down, examining the roots of a
+shrub. &ldquo;Hey, the roots aren&rsquo;t growing in soil! How
+can they live?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The plants grow in richly fertilized liquid,&rdquo; the
+captain answered. &ldquo;In that way, they can be placed
+much closer together. Besides, some of the water
+making up the fertilized liquid comes from waste
+products within the ship. There are other reasons
+too.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton led the way along the aisle that
+ran beside the colorfully lighted aquariums. He
+stopped in front of a twenty-gallon tank which was
+in the process of being cleaned by two men.</p>
+<p>One of them was very tall, over six and a half feet.
+He was very thin and appeared to be in his late
+fifties. But the oddest thing about him, which made
+Garry and Patch stare at him in surprise, was the
+fact that he was in the full dress of a butler, complete
+with newly starched white shirt and neatly
+pressed coat and trousers! Although he was holding
+a bucket that was catching water from a draining
+aquarium, his clothing wasn&rsquo;t in the least mussed.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_58">58</div>
+<p>Captain Eaton saw the boys staring at the tall
+gentleman and said, &ldquo;Boys, I want you to meet Mr.
+Klecker, the Eaton family butler for many years.
+When I decided to set out into space on my permanent
+cruise, he would not think of being left behind.
+Klecker, this is Garry and this is Patch. They will
+be our guests for awhile.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mr. Klecker looked at them with heavy-lidded
+eyes. Then, bowing, he said in a deep stately voice,
+&ldquo;Pleased, young gentlemen.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Glad to know you, Mr. Klecker,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Me too,&rdquo; Patch added.</p>
+<p>The other person attending to the fish tank was a
+young man. He rose from a squatting position and
+smiled at the boys. He had crew-cut black hair and
+the kind of happy features which indicate a friendly
+nature. He wiped his damp hands on his trousers
+and offered a palm to Garry first, then to Patch.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hi, boys. I&rsquo;m Ben Dawes. Glad to have you
+aboard,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It sure is a surprise meeting fellows
+as young as yourselves out here in space.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll probably be more of a surprise, Ben, to
+know that they are alone,&rdquo; the captain said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Not really!&rdquo; Ben said. &ldquo;Say, I&rsquo;ll bet you two have
+a long story explaining that!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We do,&rdquo; Garry answered, &ldquo;and we&rsquo;ll tell you
+when we have lots of time.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_59">59</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben is my right-hand man, whom I wouldn&rsquo;t
+part with for all the millions I own,&rdquo; Captain Eaton
+said proudly. &ldquo;He could build a space ship out of a
+safety pin if he had to. He had a big hand in designing
+the <i>Carefree</i>, and he knows every bolt and
+rivet in her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>It was interesting to Garry to hear that the captain
+was a millionaire. That probably explained how
+he could afford to take such a leisurely cruise
+through space in something akin to a flying palace.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;While Klecker and Ben are changing the water
+in this aquarium,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said, &ldquo;how would
+you like to meet the rest of my friends?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We would, Sir,&rdquo; Garry replied, &ldquo;but are you
+sure you don&rsquo;t have things to do?&rdquo; It was hard for
+Garry to believe that as important a person as a millionaire
+would be willing to devote so much time to
+a couple of orphans who were lost in space.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Here my time is my own,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.
+&ldquo;Back home there were hundreds of little details
+that always had to be attended to, and as I grew
+older the grind began to keep me in a state of tension
+and boredom. That&rsquo;s when I made up my mind
+that I would spend the rest of my life the way that
+I wanted to&mdash;without constant interruption and
+without ever hurrying. I sold everything I owned
+and came into space. That was four years ago.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why are you so interested in space, Captain?&rdquo;
+Garry asked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_60">60</div>
+<p>&ldquo;In my early days I had a very keen interest in
+space travel. I became a space cadet, but after only
+four months&rsquo; service I was hurt, and my injury was
+such that I had to give up any thoughts of a future
+in the Space Service. But my keen interest in space
+stayed with me through the years, and I never gave
+up hope of returning to the spaceways. So, you see,
+my hope was realized, and here I am as carefree as
+the name of my ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then you never plan to return to earth, Captain
+Eaton, ever?&rdquo; Garry asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, I don&rsquo;t think so. In the first place, the <i>Carefree</i>
+was built in space and could not stand the atmospheric
+friction of an earth return. Of course, I
+could get back if I really wanted to. But I don&rsquo;t believe
+I want to. My simple life out here is very satisfying.
+I never had any children, and my wife is now
+dead. No, no close relatives. It takes a little money
+to survive out here and pay my friends aboard ship,
+but it does not take too much. Yes, this is the good
+life, and it is enough for me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As Captain Eaton paced the boys by a couple of
+steps, Garry had to marvel at the youthful stride of
+their host. His body was as lean and spare as a man
+half his age, and Garry was sure he must have kept
+himself in good condition all his life.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_61">61</div>
+<p>As the trio left the garden and moved into the
+next section, Garry and Patch heard a fine tenor
+voice singing a lusty aria from an opera. A quick
+study of their surroundings told Garry that they
+were in the galley.</p>
+<p>As the fragrance of good food reached the boys&rsquo;
+noses, they suddenly remembered how hungry they
+were. They hadn&rsquo;t eaten since they left the orphanage!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s Gino you hear,&rdquo; Captain Eaton explained.</p>
+<p>The boys presently saw a short, fat little Italian
+throwing a huge, flat wad of dough into the air. He
+stopped when he saw the boys and grinned so
+widely that his eyes disappeared and his mouth
+seemed as broad as that of a jack-o&rsquo;-lantern.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton exchanged names so that everyone
+quickly knew everyone else. Gino was the ship&rsquo;s
+cook, and his full name was Gino Spondini.</p>
+<p>Gino kept tossing the dough into the air, and
+each time he tossed it up it became thinner and
+bigger.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You <i>bambini</i> chose a good day to come to the
+<i>Carefree</i>,&rdquo; Gino said. &ldquo;This is a special day for
+good food, only once every two weeks, eh, Captain?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_62">62</div>
+<p>Captain Eaton nodded. &ldquo;Unfortunately, there
+isn&rsquo;t a grocery store just around the corner, and so
+we fill our food room and deep freeze only a few
+times a year from the commissary satellite which
+supplies food to all the manned satellites around
+earth. But when we do have an exceptionally good
+meal, we enjoy it even more.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what you&rsquo;re making, Gino,&rdquo; Garry
+said, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;m hungry enough to eat it raw.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Gino looked shocked. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t know pizza
+when you see it? Where have you been all your
+life, <i>bambino</i>?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gino makes the best pizza pie in the world&mdash;or
+should I say the best in the solar system?&rdquo; the captain
+said. &ldquo;Now, boys, shall we move on and meet
+the others?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They left the galley and proceeded on to the next
+section within the <i>Carefree</i>, leaving Gino singing
+another operatic air. The boys wondered if they
+could hold out until lunch time.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Up ahead of us,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said presently,
+after passing through a short hallway, &ldquo;is the dormitory.
+Since the dorm is used solely for sleeping, we
+made it small so that we could give more area over
+to the other parts of the ship where we spend more
+of our time.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry found the dormitory indeed small and
+quite simple. There were three-tiered bunks along
+the walls, with ladders leading up to the second and
+third levels.</p>
+<p>The captain smiled. &ldquo;Patch, you seem to be looking
+over those bunks carefully to see if you find any
+that aren&rsquo;t made up.&rdquo;
+Patch blushed. &ldquo;Yes, Sir. I was wondering if....&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_63">63</div>
+<p>&ldquo;If we have room for you two? Well, breathe easily,
+for we do have extras. The ship will sleep
+twelve, and special cots can be set up to accommodate
+more when necessary.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They look cozy,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;but how do you
+know when to sleep out here in space, without any
+real night or day?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We observe a twenty-four-hour day just as they
+do on earth. Scientists have found out that space
+travelers get along much better if they keep the
+same hourly habits to which they are accustomed.
+We even simulate the appearance of night, turning
+down the lights and observing quiet. You&rsquo;ll find
+out that you get sleepy at just the right time and
+that you wake the &lsquo;next morning&rsquo; feeling just as refreshed
+as you did on earth.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Suddenly, they heard a stirring in one of the top
+bunks. A deeply tanned man with a thick shock of
+auburn hair raised up sleepily.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, it&rsquo;s you, Captain,&rdquo; the man said with a yawn.
+Then he perked up. &ldquo;Who is it with you, Sir?&rdquo; The
+man&rsquo;s accent was a thick Scottish brogue.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We have guests, Mac,&rdquo; the captain replied.
+&ldquo;These are Garry and Patch. Fellows, meet Mr. McIntosh,
+pilot, navigator, engineer, and what have
+you. He likes to be called Mac.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_64">64</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Hi, fellows, glad to have you aboard,&rdquo; Mac said
+cordially, then yawned again.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sorry we woke you, Mac,&rdquo; the captain said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just about due to relieve Isaac upstairs, Sir.
+That&rsquo;s all right.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I was just showing the boys the ship. We&rsquo;ll move
+on so you can get dressed.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As they left the dormitory to pass into another
+hallway, Captain Eaton asked, &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve heard of
+Isaac Newton, haven&rsquo;t you, boys?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh yes, Sir,&rdquo; Garry responded eagerly. &ldquo;He
+was one of the very greatest scientists. He died a
+long time ago.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain winked at them. &ldquo;Well, we&rsquo;re going
+to meet him,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_65">65</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c7"><br />7. A SHOCK IN THE NIGHT</h2>
+<p>Captain Eaton&rsquo;s announcement that Garry and
+Patch were about to meet Isaac Newton, the great
+scientist, filled the boys with astonishment.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going back to the central tube,&rdquo; the skipper
+said, &ldquo;and from there to the navigation room.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They climbed a steep staircase, as they had done
+earlier. Garry felt the comfortable feel of artificial
+gravity leaving him as they went higher. The light-headed,
+floating sensation of zero gravity was returning.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_66">66</div>
+<p>The captain shoved a lever so that the central
+tunnel would start revolving. When a doorway appeared
+in the tube, the three climbed through.
+Then the rotation of the tunnel was stopped. The
+captain then led the boys along the stationary axle
+of the <i>Carefree</i>, in the direction opposite from
+where they had first entered the ship. The three
+pulled themselves along the webbing as their legs
+swung free, weightlessly. They reached a platform
+outside a door at the nose of the ship. Holding onto
+the platform rail, Captain Eaton fished into a cabinet
+built into the platform and came out with two
+pairs of slippers.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You can attach these magnetic-soled slippers to
+your shoes, fellows,&rdquo; their host said. &ldquo;Because of
+the zero gravity in the navigation room, we have to
+use gravity plates. The rest of us wear these attached
+to our boots all the time because we are always
+going back and forth up here, and they are
+light and comfortable.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>After the boys had donned the slippers, Captain
+Eaton pressed a button, the door slid open, and the
+three of them walked through.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch found themselves in a domed
+room, which had a wide front port that looked out
+into space. Below the port extended a long instrument
+panel, or console, with two seats in front of it,
+one of which was occupied.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This is the flight deck!&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the
+part that looked like a big eye on the front of the
+ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_67">67</div>
+<p>The pilot turned around in his swivel seat. He
+was a huge, muscular man with rugged features
+that suggested he might once have been a vigorous
+athlete.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Boys, meet Isaac Newton,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.</p>
+<p>Garry could not help but laugh, because this
+Isaac Newton looked nothing whatsoever like pictures
+of the great scientist. But then Garry remembered
+that he was being impolite, and he apologized.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; Isaac Newton said good naturedly.
+&ldquo;Everybody who ever heard of that scientist
+laughs. I&rsquo;ve been defending my name ever since I
+was a kid. That&rsquo;s how I got to be a professional
+fighter, which I was until I got tired of bashing people
+and the good captain took me on as his chauffeur.
+I stayed on with him, and he said I could come
+into space with him if I wanted to. I&rsquo;ve picked up
+navigation since I&rsquo;ve been out here.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How did you get a name like Isaac Newton?&rdquo;
+Patch asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, naturally my father was named Newton,&rdquo;
+Isaac explained, &ldquo;and he was also a science teacher.
+He wanted me to be a scientist too, and thought he
+was helping me by giving me the name of one of
+the greatest scientists of all time. But, as I said, I got
+into so many fights because of being teased about
+my name that I had more practice as a fighter.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_68">68</div>
+<p>He laughed, showing a two-tooth vacancy in
+the front of his mouth. &ldquo;Funny thing is that I
+might&rsquo;ve been a scientist if I hadn&rsquo;t been given the
+name of one!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>With that, Isaac Newton turned back to check
+on how the ship was running. The captain went
+over to converse with him, and this gave the boys
+an opportunity to look around the navigation room.</p>
+<p>Of particular interest was a huge chart on the
+back wall near the entrance. On the map were
+countless globes of various sizes, and running
+through the globes were long curving lines.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s that, do you suppose?&rdquo; Patch asked his
+friend.</p>
+<p>Garry looked closely at the printed names beside
+the round symbols.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hermes&mdash;Vanguard II&mdash;Adonis&mdash;Derelict Space
+Ship <i>Oberon</i>,&rdquo; he read. &ldquo;These seem to be objects
+floating about in space,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and the lines
+through them must be their orbits.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re very observant, Garry.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry looked back and saw that Captain Eaton
+had come over.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_69">69</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s exactly what they are, and we have to
+know exactly where each one of them is at all
+times,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;If we missed keeping up
+with one, we might run into a collision orbit with it,
+and then it would be quickly over for all of us. Some
+of the objects are asteroids, some man-made satellites,
+some large meteor fragments whose orbits we
+have already plotted. And a few are derelicts, or
+empty shells of what were once proud space liners.
+Any one of them could destroy the <i>Carefree</i> if it
+should hit us. In fact, a meteor as large as an orange
+could wreck us because of the terrific velocity at
+which it would strike.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee,&rdquo; Patch said, &ldquo;you must be anxious all the
+time about being hit by something.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No. It&rsquo;s a risk, of course, but space is so very,
+very huge that actually there is little chance of being
+hit by anything any larger than a grain of sand.
+But of course there is always the chance that someday
+the big, unexpected one will come. Still, we
+don&rsquo;t worry about it because it would keep us from
+enjoying our life in space.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton showed the boys some of the other
+things in the room. He explained the purpose of
+the various dials and switches on the console&mdash;facts
+that the boys would have given anything to
+know when they were so desperately trying to steer
+the space taxi. The skipper of the <i>Carefree</i> told
+them that usually there was only one pilot on duty
+but that, in case of tricky navigation or on other
+special occasions, both Mac and Isaac or Ben would
+be on together. The captain added that he was quite
+a pilot himself and liked to take over the controls
+now and then.</p>
+<p>Suddenly chimes were heard over a loud-speaker.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_70">70</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the signal for us to get ready for lunch,&rdquo;
+Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go, fellows, and wash
+up.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Tell Mac to shake a leg and get up here to relieve
+me, will you, Captain?&rdquo; Isaac asked. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m
+starved. It&rsquo;s been a long shift.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I will, Isaac,&rdquo; the captain promised, and pushed
+the button which opened the door.</p>
+<p>A few minutes later, Garry and Patch sat down
+to the best meal they had had in a long time. Not
+even Thanksgiving at the orphanage could beat
+this, Garry told his friend. The boys had their first
+taste of pizza pie, and they were hoping it would
+not be their last, especially if Gino was the one who
+prepared it. They were sure he was the best chef
+in all the solar system.</p>
+<p>After lunch the patient Captain Eaton spent most
+of the afternoon showing the boys more of the ship.
+They saw the gym and swimming pool and the library
+filled with many recording tapes and films.
+There were also books for those who preferred
+reading instead of reclining in a soft contour chair
+and listening to tapes over earphones.</p>
+<p>As they passed from one section to another, Garry
+noticed that the indirect daylight effect, that filled
+every part of the <i>Carefree</i>, was fading steadily but
+slowly. He asked the captain about this.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_71">71</div>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an automatic control that helps put us in the
+mood for night,&rdquo; the skipper said. &ldquo;Remember my
+telling you about how much better man works in a
+properly spaced twenty-four-hour day? Soon now,
+the main lights will be very low, with only an occasional
+lamp making things bright. It is just like
+the coming of night back at home. You will see.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The space travelers had only a light snack for
+dinner because of the big meal earlier in the day.
+Soon afterward, the boys began to yawn and get
+sleepy as they watched the artificial daylight continue
+to fade. They were looking forward to sleeping
+lying down for a change.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Your minds are telling you it&rsquo;s time for bed,
+eh?&rdquo; Captain Eaton said with a laugh. &ldquo;Well, so is
+mine. I still haven&rsquo;t shown you the observatory,
+which is my favorite spot aboard ship. But that can
+wait until tomorrow. Let&rsquo;s go to the dorm and get
+you two settled before the fellows in there are ready
+to turn out the lights.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys found all the people they had met today
+getting ready for bed. That is, all but two of
+them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mac is on pilot duty, isn&rsquo;t he, Captain?&rdquo; Garry
+asked. &ldquo;But where is Ben?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_72">72</div>
+<p>Captain Eaton was pulling off his shiny boots. He
+may have been the boss of the <i>Carefree</i>, with all the
+say-so, but he was not too proud to share the same
+sleeping quarters with those whom he called his
+&ldquo;friends.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There are always two on duty at night, Garry,&rdquo;
+Captain Eaton replied to Garry&rsquo;s question. &ldquo;One
+acts as pilot, while the other makes the rounds several
+times a night to be sure that the automatic controls
+are functioning properly. We all take turns
+sharing these duties.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When everyone had climbed into his bunk and
+pulled the covers up, Captain Eaton called out from
+his own bunk, &ldquo;Check?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>There came answering &ldquo;checks&rdquo; from all the fellows,
+and the next moment Garry found the room
+plunged in darkness.</p>
+<p>Within only a few minutes&rsquo; time, Garry began
+hearing the quiet breathing of those around him
+already in deep sleep. But he was too excited to
+drop off just yet. As he lay there staring into the
+darkness, he wondered if such a thrilling adventure
+as this could really be happening to him and Patch.
+Why, only a few hours ago they were in despair
+for their very lives. Now a whole new experience
+had been opened to them. It was almost as if the
+<i>Carefree</i> had been sent by Providence to him and
+Patch alone.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_73">73</div>
+<p>As Garry&rsquo;s thoughts roved, his eyelids began to
+feel heavy and the clutch of sleep was groping for
+him. He finally drifted off into slumber, only to
+wake&mdash;he didn&rsquo;t know how many hours later&mdash;with
+a parching thirst. He sat upright in his bunk and
+threw back the covers that cloaked him like a sweat-box.
+He found that he was breathing heavily and
+then suddenly remembered the end of a nightmare
+he had been having.</p>
+<p>As he sat in the quietness and darkness, he began
+to relax, and his heartbeats slowed to normal. But
+he was still very thirsty. He remembered that there
+was a water fountain in the hallway outside the
+dormitory.</p>
+<p>Slowly and carefully, so as to make no noise to
+disturb the others, Garry left his third-level bunk
+and made his way down the metal ladder to the
+floor. A dim night light, kept burning all the time,
+showed the way to the door. Garry pressed the button,
+and the door slid open silently.</p>
+<p>Garry went out into the faintly lighted hallway.
+He shivered as he made his way along the corridor.
+It was not that he was cold but that it was so creepy
+and lonesome with everything so quiet. The fountain
+was like a white ghost crouching against the
+wall a couple of dozen feet away. Garry made his
+way toward it. He leaned over it, pressed the lever,
+and felt the icy stream against his dry lips.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_74">74</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Boy, that&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; he said to himself, and he
+drank and drank as though he hadn&rsquo;t had water in
+all his lifetime.</p>
+<p>When he finally got his fill, he rubbed his sleeve
+across his mouth and turned to start back toward
+the dormitory.</p>
+<p>Then it seemed that all the blood flowed out of
+his head in one wild rush. His heart began to thump
+rapidly, and his legs went weak.</p>
+<p>It was due to a startling sight that faced him.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_75">75</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c8"><br />8. GARRY HAS A SCARE</h2>
+<p>A huge woman was lumbering toward him down
+the dim corridor. There was something strange and
+unreal about her face and her awkward movements
+that gave Garry chills.</p>
+<p>Garry started running. He slammed into the water
+fountain, bruising his side. But he kept moving,
+and so did the woman stalker.</p>
+<p>Garry knew that the corridor was in the shape of
+a square and that if he kept turning corners he
+would arrive back at the dormitory. He wondered
+why a woman should frighten him, and it embarrassed
+him when he thought what the others would
+say when they found out. But the creature was so
+hostile&mdash;and somehow monstrous in her looks&mdash;that
+Garry was sure she meant to attack him.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_76">76</div>
+<p>As he ran, Garry did not even look back to see if
+his adversary were still in pursuit. Finally, he turned
+the last corner and saw the dormitory straight
+ahead at the end of the corridor. He looked back
+around the corner in the direction from which he
+had just come. He&rsquo;d outdistanced her. She wasn&rsquo;t
+even in sight.</p>
+<p>By now his nerves were a little calmer, although
+his heart still drummed faster than usual. He began
+walking briskly, every now and then casting a look
+back over his shoulder.</p>
+<p>There was the dormitory at last. He felt a little
+silly now, as he reached for the button to open the
+door. He decided that he would not tell the others
+of his run and his fright lest they tease him about
+the incident. He would just tell them that he had
+<i>seen</i> the strange woman but would not reveal the
+embarrassing circumstances. He still wondered who
+she could be, especially since Captain Eaton had
+not even mentioned her before.</p>
+<p>Just as Garry pressed the door button, he heard
+a metallic clanking behind him.</p>
+<p>There was the woman, coming very fast, the dim
+lights revealing the dark hollows of her eyes. Garry
+saw her tight-lipped mouth, her hugeness&mdash;fully
+as tall as Mr. Klecker and almost as broad, it
+seemed.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_77">77</div>
+<p>The unexpectedness of it caused Garry to cry out
+for the first time. As the door of the dormitory slid
+back, he scrambled inside, hurriedly pressed the
+button closing the door, then sank back against it,
+panting.</p>
+<p>The bright lights went on in the room. Garry&rsquo;s
+eyes blurred in the sudden sharp brilliance. When
+they came into focus, Garry saw everyone sitting
+straight up in their bunks, their eyes squinting and
+staring at him in amazement.</p>
+<p>After a few tense moments, Captain Eaton asked
+from his bunk, &ldquo;Garry, what&rsquo;s the matter?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A woman&mdash;a big woman&rsquo;s out there!&rdquo; he
+blurted. &ldquo;She was after me!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry heard the men begin to laugh.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, that&rsquo;s Katrinka,&rdquo; the captain explained.
+&ldquo;She wouldn&rsquo;t hurt a thing. She <i>couldn&rsquo;t</i>. She&rsquo;s not
+<i>built</i> that way.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Not <i>built</i> that way?&rdquo; Garry echoed. &ldquo;What do
+you mean? She&rsquo;s built pretty strong I think!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton chuckled. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s a robot, Garry.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A robot!&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;So that&rsquo;s why she looks
+so different!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, I made her as lifelike as possible,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton went on, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;m afraid I&rsquo;m no Michelangelo
+as a sculptor.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You <i>built</i> her?&rdquo; Garry asked in surprise.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_78">78</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes. We needed someone to do our chores&mdash;you
+know, the things that men dislike doing in the
+nature of housework and cleaning up. But she&rsquo;s
+quite controllable, Garry. She wouldn&rsquo;t have
+harmed you. Something must have slipped in her
+mechanism so that she became activated. It happens
+once in awhile. I&rsquo;ll go take a look at her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have to go far, Sir,&rdquo; Garry said, rubbing
+away the sweat that had gathered on his forehead.
+&ldquo;She&rsquo;s right outside the door.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As the captain climbed from his bunk and
+slipped into his robe, Garry avoided the eyes of the
+others in the dormitory. He had done just what he
+had hoped he would not do&mdash;shown his fear of a
+harmless robot. He knew they must think him
+squeamish, but they were not laughing now.</p>
+<p>Patch seemed to have been the only one who was
+not aroused by the excitement. Garry could see that
+he was still asleep in his bunk.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton passed Garry, opened the door,
+and went outside. Garry followed a few steps behind.</p>
+<p>The robot still looked menacing to Garry. It
+stood, big and dark and unmoving, in the dimness
+of the corridor.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton faced Katrinka and spoke in a
+clear, loud voice: &ldquo;Closet! Closet!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry heard a humming sound coming from the
+robot. It shuffled about slowly on its ponderous
+feet and started walking away.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_79">79</div>
+<p>&ldquo;She&rsquo;s obeying!&rdquo; Garry gasped.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, she&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied.
+&ldquo;Probably just a crossing of the wires in her
+mechanical brain that activated her. Maybe a slight
+lurch of the ship did it. I&rsquo;ll look her over
+thoroughly in the morning.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see how you did it,&rdquo; Garry said, still
+amazed. &ldquo;How can a machine like that take orders
+like a person, just as if it had a brain like us?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Katrinka&rsquo;s brain is made up of electrical impulses
+in certain codes,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied.
+&ldquo;There is a code disk for everything that she is able
+to do. For instance, there is one for making up the
+bunks, every step in that operation. There&rsquo;s one for
+washing the dishes, mopping the floor, and so on.
+When I have the time, I make her even smarter by
+adding new codes and duties.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But all you said was the word &lsquo;closet,&rsquo; and off
+she went,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That was the code for her heading for the closet
+down the corridor where she stays when we have
+no need for her. When she goes inside the closet, an
+automatic switch will cut off her mechanism, and
+she will remain dormant until we need her. Just as
+if I gave you an order to go somewhere and your
+muscles would carry you to that place, so it is
+with Katrinka. The code words I give her activate
+the wires that control her movement in a certain
+way, whatever that activity is.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_80">80</div>
+<p>Garry nodded. &ldquo;I understand it, but it sure must
+be a complicated thing the way she works.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s complicated, all right,&rdquo; Captain Eaton
+agreed. &ldquo;Katrinka represents many years of scientific
+study, long before I ever thought of venturing
+into space. It was a hobby of mine, in between my
+duties as a teacher and head of a space shipping
+corporation. My first models were very clumsy and
+crude, but I have developed them over the years
+and have finally come up with Katrinka, my finest
+yet. Many people are interested in her&mdash;manufacturers
+and the government too.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The next morning Garry told Patch about Katrinka,
+and Captain Eaton gave them permission
+to watch him check out the robot.</p>
+<p>After breakfast the three went to the closet where
+the robot was kept. The captain pressed the door
+button, and the door slid open, revealing the hulking
+monster that had frightened Garry the night
+before. Even now, Garry felt chills along his spine.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton spoke one word, &ldquo;Follow,&rdquo; and
+then turned on his heel, heading on down the corridor.
+The boys tagged along and were amazed to
+see and hear Katrinka clomping behind.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;She <i>is</i> following, Garry!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_81">81</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Yeah, and I still don&rsquo;t understand it,&rdquo; his friend
+replied, with a shake of his head.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why, that&rsquo;s the easiest command of all I&rsquo;ve given
+her to do,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;The word &lsquo;follow&rsquo;
+activates a sort of radar device in her and makes
+her follow the closest moving object. I believe
+that was what happened when she chased you last
+night, Garry. Something slipped, causing her to follow
+that particular action.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain chuckled. &ldquo;She could have pursued
+you all night, but she never would have come
+closer than three feet.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The <i>Carefree</i>&rsquo;s skipper entered a doorway leading
+off the corridor. &ldquo;Here&rsquo;s my workshop. I&rsquo;ll have
+a look at Katrinka&rsquo;s workings now,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<p>The shop was untidy, cluttered from top to bottom
+with electronic parts, tools, and metal plates.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton gave Katrinka the command to
+stop and then with a screw driver removed a large
+plate from her back. He nosed about inside the
+robot for several minutes, making adjustments
+within the complicated network of wires and miniature
+parts. Then he replaced the plate.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Just a couple of wires got too close,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;She won&rsquo;t be chasing you any more, Garry.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a relief,&rdquo; Garry replied with a nervous
+smile. &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t want to go through that again,
+even if she <i>is</i> harmless!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_82">82</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll show you how I build commands into her
+system,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s have a simple
+command, fellows.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I know,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;Have her lift up Patch.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch backed off hastily. &ldquo;Oh no you don&rsquo;t!&rdquo; he
+objected.</p>
+<p>The master of the <i>Carefree</i> laughed. &ldquo;Be a sport,
+Patch. She&rsquo;s very gentle. She won&rsquo;t hurt you,&rdquo; he
+said.</p>
+<p>Patch thought a moment, then replied, &ldquo;Okay, if
+you promise it will be all right.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I promise,&rdquo; the captain said, and he set to work.</p>
+<p>He brought out tools and equipment of every
+kind. Then he removed some plates from various
+parts of the robot&rsquo;s body. But instead of tinkering
+around inside, as he had done before, he opened up
+a big chart and began working from it, using pencil
+and paper.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What are you doing, Captain?&rdquo; Garry asked
+after a few moments.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_83">83</div>
+<p>&ldquo;This is a map of Katrinka&rsquo;s system, like the diagram
+of a radio or TV,&rdquo; was the reply. &ldquo;I have to
+figure out what connections I must bring together.
+You see, I must give her several actions that make
+up the command we have given her. There must be
+the action of walking over to Patch, of bending certain
+parts that serve as her muscles, and finally the
+action of lifting him up. Then I must activate these
+through the use of spoken words.&rdquo; The captain
+worked for about an hour. The last thing he did
+was to take a small disk out of stock and drill holes
+in it at very carefully measured positions. Then he
+slipped the disk into place inside the robot.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now let&rsquo;s try her out,&rdquo; the captain said.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton faced the robot and spoke in a
+loud clear voice: &ldquo;Lift.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch remained where he stood, but Garry could
+see that he was a little nervous as Katrinka began
+lumbering toward him. The robot stooped over
+and lifted the boy in her big metal arms. She stood
+motionless, holding him in a firm grip as Patch began
+to struggle impatiently after about fifteen
+seconds.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Tell her to put me down, Captain,&rdquo; Patch
+begged.</p>
+<p>The captain winked at Garry mischievously. &ldquo;My
+goodness, Patch, I forgot to give her a command to
+release you!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch began struggling vigorously, but he could
+not escape the robot&rsquo;s iron grip.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, somebody, get me out of this!&rdquo; Patch cried,
+his face reddening from his exertions.</p>
+<p>Seeing that his fun had gone far enough, Captain
+Eaton barked out, as if he were a military commander:
+&ldquo;Atten-tion!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_84">84</div>
+<p>The robot&rsquo;s arms slipped straight down to her
+sides, and her body stiffened rigidly. Patch tumbled
+unharmed to the floor.</p>
+<p>Patch sat up. He turned and looked up at Garry
+and the captain. Fear still showed in his eyes, but,
+as he saw the playful smile on the captain&rsquo;s face, a
+grin spread over his own.</p>
+<p>The captain laughed out loud. Then Garry joined
+in.</p>
+<p>Finally, Patch himself began laughing, having
+enjoyed the harmless experiment even if the captain
+<i>had</i> played a little joke on him.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_85">85</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c9"><br />9. SATELLITE ZONE</h2>
+<p>Although Ben seemed to be one of the busiest persons
+aboard the <i>Carefree</i>, he still took time out to
+chat with the boys early that afternoon.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Have you been at the orphanage all your lives?&rdquo;
+Ben asked Garry and Patch.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Almost that long,&rdquo; Garry replied.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Our parents were good friends,&rdquo; Patch added.
+&ldquo;All four of them were killed at one time in a
+rocket-plane crash near Salt Lake City. We were
+only three then and were placed in the orphanage
+at the same time.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How long have you been in space, Ben?&rdquo; Garry
+asked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_86">86</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, about eight years now, off and on. I started
+when I was in my teens. I was a sort of cabin boy
+aboard the old Mars exploration ship, the <i>Jules
+Verne</i>. We spent a year there. Boy, what a life! It
+was like living in a deep freeze. Since then I&rsquo;ve
+traveled to Venus, Luna&mdash;the moon, you know&mdash;and
+there&rsquo;s no counting the trips I&rsquo;ve made among
+the satellites.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How did you get in with Captain Eaton and the
+<i>Carefree</i>?&rdquo; Patch wanted to know.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A few years ago I took time to go to school and
+learn space-ship engineering and design,&rdquo; Ben replied.
+&ldquo;My teacher was Captain Eaton&mdash;or Professor
+Eaton, as he was called then. He was also a
+millionaire and president of Space Shipping Incorporated.
+He helped build the sturdiest ships ever
+to fly the solar system. I graduated stone broke and
+had to go back to flying the spaceways.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I thought I&rsquo;d never be an engineer or designer,
+but then Professor Eaton got in touch with me and
+said he was going to design a space ship for his own
+use. He said I was the best pupil he had ever taught
+and asked if I would work with him on the project.
+Of course I jumped at the idea. We assembled the
+ship out here in space, and I&rsquo;ve been with him ever
+since.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Captain Eaton is a grand person, isn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo; Garry
+asked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_87">87</div>
+<p>A fond look came into Ben&rsquo;s dark eyes. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s
+the wisest, kindest, and most generous person I&rsquo;ve
+ever known or heard about. You may think he selfishly
+spends all his money for his own enjoyment
+as he cruises the spaceways, but that isn&rsquo;t the case.
+He gives far more than he spends out here to
+charities and churches back on earth. And he has
+built countless scientific libraries, but he&rsquo;s too
+modest to let them be named after himself.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The <i>Carefree</i> is such a big ship, Ben,&rdquo; Patch
+said, &ldquo;that I don&rsquo;t understand how it can be run by
+so few men.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s due to the captain&rsquo;s genius,&rdquo; Ben explained.
+&ldquo;Practically everything you can think of is automatic,
+and our batteries are constantly recharged
+by sunlight. Of course, once in a while something
+goes wrong, and we have to dock at a repair satellite.
+And we also have to refuel about every six
+months at a service station. But we don&rsquo;t use very
+much fuel ordinarily because we mostly just cruise
+about in the &lsquo;satellite zone,&rsquo; as it&rsquo;s called.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Ben had to go back to work, and the boys joined
+Captain Eaton in the library, where he was waiting
+for a TV newscast to come on.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch got the shock of their lives at the
+first feature to come over the telecast. For the subjects
+were <i>themselves</i>.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_88">88</div>
+<p>They quickly discovered that they were the most
+celebrated missing persons on earth. The orphanage
+had first reported their absence, and then Mr.
+Mulroy had given his version of their disappearance.
+It seemed that Mr. Mulroy was in very hot
+water because he had not made sure that the boys
+had gotten off the <i>Orion</i> before the blast-off. In
+fact, he was in such hot water that he faced court-martial
+unless Garry and Patch were found.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I guess the vacation is over, Patch,&rdquo;
+Garry said sadly. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t let Mr. Mulroy be
+court-martialed for what we did.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to tell them where we are, haven&rsquo;t
+we?&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;Although I&rsquo;d give <i>anything</i>
+to stay aboard the <i>Carefree</i>&mdash;that is, if Captain
+Eaton would have us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d like nothing better than to have you two stay
+on,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;But you must consider Mr.
+Mulroy and all the police forces who are working
+to uncover the mystery of your disappearance.
+Right, fellows?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, Sir,&rdquo; they both agreed reluctantly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We must make full use of the time left you to
+finish seeing the marvels of the <i>Carefree</i>. I said I&rsquo;d
+show you the observatory today. What do you say
+we go there now? I&rsquo;ve got some double-star photos
+I want to check on.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys liked the idea and went with their host
+along the zero-gravity tunnel toward the observatory.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_89">89</div>
+<p>The observatory was a &ldquo;bubble&rdquo; attached to the
+<i>Carefree</i>&rsquo;s center tube or axle, just a short distance
+from the air lock through which Garry and Patch
+had first entered the ship. The observatory was such
+that it never rotated with the tube or the rest of the
+ship. In this way its telescopes could always keep
+focus on objects in space.</p>
+<p>Three pairs of magnetic shoes clicked along the
+metal floor of the observatory as Captain Eaton led
+the boys to the reflector telescope, whose big six-inch
+eye was pointed out into space. Captain Eaton
+looked over a camera which was attached to the
+eyepiece of the telescope. Then he unfastened the
+camera and took it off.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The picture has been exposed long enough,&rdquo;
+the skipper said. &ldquo;It takes a pretty long time for a
+photograph to be made in the heavens, you know.
+But when you give it full exposure, it shows you
+much more than your naked eye can do.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry studied a satellite chart on the wall. &ldquo;I
+didn&rsquo;t know there were so many satellites whirling
+around the earth. So many different kinds and sizes
+too!&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, there are many more than one would imagine,&rdquo;
+the captain agreed. &ldquo;Here, let me show
+you some of them on the chart. The pictures you
+see are exactly the way each satellite looks, and
+they are all drawn in proportion.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_90">90</div>
+<p>Garry and Patch studied the chart with its multitude
+of different shapes and sizes. There were satellites
+that resembled drums and others like round
+balls. Some were torpedo shaped, and some were
+circular and flat like &ldquo;flying saucers.&rdquo; There were
+giant satellites, wherein people lived and worked,
+and many of them were in the shape of huge revolving
+wheels. Some of them had no regularity at all,
+appearing to Garry to resemble more than anything
+else huge space insects, bristling with antennas and
+sun mirrors.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As you probably know, fellows,&rdquo; Captain Eaton
+said, &ldquo;the Von Braun Space Station is our largest
+satellite of all. But there are a few others that approach
+it in size. For example, here is Quartermaster
+10, the biggest of the depot satellites that furnish
+supplies to men who live in the world of the artificial
+moons. Here is a big fueling satellite, and over
+here is another big one&mdash;Spaceharbor&mdash;which is
+really a network of smaller moons joined together.
+This is a shipyard satellite where space ships are
+built and repaired. The <i>Carefree</i> was built in Spaceharbor.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, with so many of those things orbiting earth
+every minute of the day, it seems that space ships
+are always in danger of hitting one of them,&rdquo; Patch
+remarked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_91">91</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That is a very real danger,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said,
+&ldquo;especially for us, since we usually cruise in that
+area above earth called the &lsquo;satellite zone.&rsquo; For this
+reason, every person on pilot duty is responsible
+for knowing the position of every satellite within
+dangerous range of the <i>Carefree</i>. This requires constant
+study and figuring of orbit paths. It really is
+the biggest job the pilot has to do, because generally
+the <i>Carefree</i> is on automatic pilot and runs itself,
+you might say.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What are some of these smaller satellites?&rdquo;
+Garry asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, there, there, and there are some of the observation
+satellites called &lsquo;Tiros.&rsquo; They are used to
+photograph part of the earth for different reasons.
+Some of the reasons are prediction of weather,
+mapping, and for military purposes to see that the
+countries of the world do not start arming themselves
+for aggression.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The Tiros moons were first put into orbit in the
+1960&rsquo;s, weren&rsquo;t they?&rdquo; Garry asked.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton nodded. &ldquo;Also these, Garry&mdash;the
+Transit satellites, which are used for navigation,
+both in space and on earth. This odd-looking little
+moon over here is one I&rsquo;m sure you&rsquo;ve heard about.
+It is WAS, which means weather-alteration satellite.
+Know what it does?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_92">92</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Sure,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s used to seed storm
+clouds with chemicals. If the seeding works, hurricanes
+and tornadoes can be broken up before they
+cause damage. I believe they were first put into orbit
+in the late 1960&rsquo;s.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Very good,&rdquo; the captain complimented. &ldquo;Of
+course there are many other kinds of man-made
+moons, some too technical to explain. But, in spite
+of their great number and complexity, each has its
+use, and they are a tribute to man&rsquo;s great achievements
+in the world of science. One of our big jobs
+aboard the <i>Carefree</i> is to see that they remain in
+orbit, doing their duty for the people of earth. If
+we should ever change their orbit, for instance by
+colliding with one of them, we not only would destroy
+their usefulness but we would, in all likelihood,
+destroy the <i>Carefree</i> as well.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry did not even want to think about the possibility
+of such a disaster.</p>
+<p>After the visit to the observatory, the captain
+asked the boys if they would care to try out
+the swimming pool.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, would we!&rdquo; Garry and Patch said together.</p>
+<p>A few minutes later, as they were heading down
+the corridor toward the gym, they passed Mr.
+Klecker walking along stiffly&mdash;in full dress of
+course&mdash;and carrying a stack of books.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hello, gentlemen,&rdquo; the tall man greeted them
+cordially, and the boys returned his greeting.</p>
+<p>As he passed, Patch whispered to Garry, &ldquo;Bet
+those books are about the circus.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_93">93</div>
+<p>Garry smiled and nodded.</p>
+<p>The boys had learned that Mr. Klecker had a
+hobby. He was very much interested in the circus
+of the old days. He had many books on the subject,
+and whenever he talked to anyone it was about the
+circus.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch had heard from the others that
+Mr. Klecker still looked after the captain as if he
+were serving him in his mansion. He would lay out
+his clothes for him and attend to other small details.
+Once in awhile Mr. Klecker would be called
+on to assist in things of a mechanical nature, but he
+hated to get out of his full dress and don greasy
+coveralls.</p>
+<p>The boys proceeded to the gym. They were anticipating
+a good time. But something of a decisive
+nature was to happen which would have an
+important bearing on their future life aboard the
+<i>Carefree</i>.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_94">94</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c10"><br />10. THE LADY GOES WILD</h2>
+<p>&ldquo;Beat you into the pool,&rdquo; Patch called a little while
+later.</p>
+<p>He dashed out of the dressing room and dove,
+with hands outstretched, into the water. Garry followed
+right behind, tumbling into the spray left
+by Patch&rsquo;s dive.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Say, this is nice and warm!&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;And
+we&rsquo;ve got it all to ourselves!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>A little way back from the pool&rsquo;s edge, Mac and
+Isaac were lifting weights. This exercise was to
+help them keep in good physical trim.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_95">95</div>
+<p>Garry and Patch swam and splashed to their
+hearts&rsquo; content. It was the most fun they had had in
+a long time. They knew no one would ever believe
+their story of swimming in a pool in deep space! It
+was almost too difficult for them to believe themselves.
+But they did not care if they were never
+believed.</p>
+<p>They frolicked in the water for about an hour
+and then climbed up on the pool&rsquo;s edge to catch
+their breath for a few minutes.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Boy, I could spend twenty-four hours a day in
+there,&rdquo; Patch said, flicking water from his face.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I could too, almost,&rdquo; Garry agreed. &ldquo;But I would
+be satisfied if I could spend twenty-four hours a
+day aboard the <i>Carefree</i> doing anything. Gee, it&rsquo;s
+going to be hard leaving here to go back to the orphanage.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Patch said sourly. &ldquo;Gee whiz, Garry, why
+can&rsquo;t they let a couple of guys live the way they
+want to?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We can someday, when we are old enough,&rdquo;
+Garry said. &ldquo;But the only way we could get around
+having to go back now would be for Captain Eaton
+to adopt us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Say, that&rsquo;s the answer!&rdquo; Patch replied excitedly.
+&ldquo;Why don&rsquo;t we ask him?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s as easy as that, Patch. In the
+first place, I don&rsquo;t think <i>we</i> should ask <i>him</i>. He
+knows how much we like the <i>Carefree</i>, and he may
+have thought of adoption. But he should be the one
+who suggests it.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_96">96</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Maybe we could drop a hint or something,&rdquo;
+Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think they&rsquo;d let him adopt us, Patch.
+Don&rsquo;t forget, when they find out where we are,
+they&rsquo;ll think we stowed away aboard the <i>Orion</i>,
+and that would ruin any chances we might have
+had.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But we didn&rsquo;t deliberately stow away!&rdquo; Patch
+protested.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I know that, but how can we get them to believe
+us? I don&rsquo;t think they&rsquo;d even consider adoption at
+this time, and I think Captain Eaton must feel that
+way too.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch sighed. &ldquo;Maybe later, then. Maybe someday
+Captain Eaton will want us back. Gosh, I hate
+to leave here, though.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Life won&rsquo;t be the same any more,&rdquo; Garry said.
+&ldquo;Nothing can ever be as exciting as the adventure
+we&rsquo;ve had.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They heard footsteps approaching and looked
+up to see Captain Eaton coming their way. Missing
+now was his usual sunny smile. He carried a piece
+of paper in his hand.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, fellows, the answer has come,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton said, and his voice was laden with dejection.
+&ldquo;I radioed that you two had been picked up,
+and they&rsquo;ve already replied.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry hated to ask, &ldquo;Wh&mdash;what did they say?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_97">97</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Just as I suspected. We must return to the Von
+Braun Space Station.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I was hoping we had a <i>few</i> more days at least,&rdquo;
+Patch groaned.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think that the sooner we straighten this matter
+out, the better it will be for everyone,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton replied. &ldquo;And another thing, you boys are
+still A.W.O.L. from the orphanage, you know.
+However, it will take a couple of days for us to work
+out a navigation plan and get a clearance approach
+to the station. Sorry, fellows. I wish you could have
+stayed on with us indefinitely, but....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As the captain&rsquo;s voice trailed off, Garry had a
+flicker of hope. The captain was looking at them
+as if debating something in his mind. Would he
+bring up the subject of adoption?</p>
+<p>But, saying nothing further, the captain turned
+and began walking toward the outer door of the
+gym.</p>
+<p>Then he seemed to think of something else and
+came back. The boys held their breath hopefully.
+Would he mention adoption now?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s something else they told me that I
+thought you&rsquo;d want to know,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;I
+told them the story of your being stowaways accidentally,
+just as you told me. They checked back
+and found that the elevator attached to the <i>Orion</i>
+was defective, as you said, and they are convinced
+of the truth of your story. As a result, Officer Mulroy
+has been cleared of any negligence.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_98">98</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad to know that, Sir,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>
+<p>Once more the captain left them, but this time for
+good.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, that&rsquo;s that,&rdquo; Patch commented unhappily.
+&ldquo;No adoption. When he came back I thought
+he....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I was hoping too,&rdquo; Garry replied, &ldquo;but we&rsquo;ve got
+to go back, and that&rsquo;s all there is to it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mac and Isaac came over, still breathing hard
+from their exercises.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We couldn&rsquo;t help but overhear the bad news,&rdquo;
+Mac said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to hate to see you fellows
+go.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, that&rsquo;s right,&rdquo; Isaac added.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;We were getting to
+like this old ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;In a way I&rsquo;d almost like to go with you,&rdquo; Mac
+said, with a faraway look in his eyes.</p>
+<p>Garry guessed that the Scotsman was a little
+homesick. His hunch proved correct, because Mac
+began to reminisce about his homeland. He described
+the heather on the hillsides, the flowing
+streams, and the green vales. And yet, Mac admitted
+finally that space was still a good second
+home to him, and he enjoyed his life in the deeps.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_99">99</div>
+<p>Isaac had no home he would rather live in than
+the <i>Carefree</i>. As he talked about his good friends
+aboard ship and the kindly captain, Garry noticed
+the softness of the big man&rsquo;s eyes.</p>
+<p>Garry had heard that Isaac was really quite a
+sentimental fellow. Whenever he learned of a
+tragedy over the TV, it would depress him. Later,
+the boys were to learn that Isaac had a secret
+liking for good poetry.</p>
+<p>Both Mac and Isaac seemed genuinely sorry that
+the boys were having to leave. It made Garry and
+Patch feel good that they were so popular, but it
+made them a little sad, too.</p>
+<p>The next morning Garry and Patch woke earlier
+than the others and were heading toward the washroom.</p>
+<p>Suddenly Garry stopped and caught Patch by
+the arm. &ldquo;Patch, do you hear that? There&rsquo;s noise
+coming from the laundry room up ahead!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch listened and heard the sound of splashing
+and a machine laboring hard.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s see what&rsquo;s going on!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_100">100</div>
+<p>Running, Garry led the way into the laundry
+room. But then he wished he had not been coming
+so fast. His feet skidded on the floor, that was covered
+with thick soapsuds, and he skated several
+feet forward on his bottom. Patch, coming right
+behind, could not help laughing at his friend&rsquo;s misfortune.
+But then he too went down and skidded
+alongside Garry.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, what goes on here!&rdquo; Garry gasped, trying
+to get to his feet. The entire floor was a miniature
+sea of soapsuds.</p>
+<p>In his efforts to get up, Garry&rsquo;s feet slid apart,
+and he hit the floor again. Patch had no better luck
+than Garry. When this happened, both boys broke
+into laughter.</p>
+<p>They struggled several times to their feet, half
+playing all the while, but did not succeed in keeping
+their feet until the fourth attempt. Then they
+held onto one another to steady themselves. Only
+now did they see what was causing the strange
+disorder.</p>
+<p>They looked over at the big washing machine
+against the wall and saw Katrinka standing over
+the open tank, pitching clothes right and left out of
+the machine and into the air! It was as if she were
+having the time of her life.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Look, Patch&mdash;Katrinka!&rdquo; Garry burst out
+laughing once more. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s gone crazy! Something
+must have flipped in her mechanism again.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The machine was still making mountains of suds,
+and they were flooding out of the top like a flow of
+white lava. Katrinka&rsquo;s metal wrists clanged against
+the edge of the machine as she went up and down
+with her flinging motion, making a rhythmic clatter.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_101">101</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, can&rsquo;t we give her some words to make her
+stop this?&rdquo; Patch spoke loudly to be heard over all
+the noise. &ldquo;She&rsquo;ll wreck the place!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I remember one of the commands,&rdquo; Garry said.
+Then loudly he called out: &ldquo;Atten-tion! Atten-tion!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;She&rsquo;s not paying any mind!&rdquo; Patch said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;She must be short-circuited again,&rdquo; Garry said.
+&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go for Captain Eaton!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I hate to wake him up after the hard day he had
+yesterday,&rdquo; Patch said, as he returned along the
+corridor with Garry, &ldquo;but this is an emergency.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>It turned out that they did not have to wake the
+captain. He met them, clad in his robe, at the door
+of the dorm, having already been aroused by the
+commotion going on down the corridor.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton yawned. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s Katrinka, isn&rsquo;t it?
+Ben set her for laundry duty this morning, but I
+guess her wires got crossed again.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_102">102</div>
+<p>The boys cautioned Captain Eaton to be careful
+about going into the slippery room. The captain
+promised he would be careful and promptly fell
+down as soon as he walked through the door. Garry
+and Patch tried to help the captain to his feet, but
+only succeeded in falling again themselves. They
+scrambled around, slipping and sliding. Then
+slowly learning how to become expert at moving
+about in soapsuds, they finally managed to stand up
+and stay up.</p>
+<p>Carefully, the three made their way toward the
+washing machine where Katrinka was still merrily
+flipping clothes through the air. But by now she
+was out of ammunition and was merely flailing her
+metal arms. The captain used the command, &ldquo;Atten-tion!&rdquo;
+several times, trying to stop Katrinka&rsquo;s wild
+actions, but he had no better luck with this than
+Garry had had.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton moved forward over the slippery
+floor and groped for the control knob on the robot&rsquo;s
+back. But then, losing his footing, he hung on
+to the robot to keep from falling again. This
+brought Katrinka crashing down onto the floor
+along with the captain himself.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch each offered the captain a hand
+and presently managed to get him upright again.
+Garry had a hard time keeping a straight face. Captain
+Eaton&rsquo;s face was red, and his beard was straggly
+and sudsy. His soggy bathrobe stuck to his thin
+legs, giving him the appearance of a saddened,
+snow-covered elf.</p>
+<p>In the meanwhile, Katrinka was still having her
+fun, swinging her arms gaily against the floor as she
+lay on her back.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_103">103</div>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to turn her over,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said,
+crawling nearer the robot. &ldquo;Be careful of her arms.
+She can knock you over with them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry thought he saw how the job could be done.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s both grab her right leg, Patch,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;Then we&rsquo;ll give a good heave-ho and flip her
+over on her stomach. Careful you don&rsquo;t slip.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They did as Garry had suggested, yanking
+fiercely on the robot&rsquo;s leg and flipping the metal
+creature over, face down. But the motion also
+brought Garry and Patch down in the soap again,
+this time getting the suds all over their faces,
+causing them to make wry grimaces and blow away
+the froth from their lips even as they laughed.</p>
+<p>But what was funniest of all to Garry was when
+he saw Captain Eaton suddenly see an opening
+and scramble furiously, on all fours, over to the
+flailing robot. He threw himself upon her back,
+fighting her as a cowboy would wrestle a steer. He
+finally subdued her with a turn of the switch on her
+back, which he was at last able to grab and twist.</p>
+<p>Worn out by his exertions, the captain simply
+flopped back on his hands in the soapy billows,
+sighing heavily. Then the good-natured man
+caught Garry&rsquo;s eye and smiled. The smile turned
+into laughter, and presently all three of them
+joined in.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_104">104</div>
+<p>The captain later determined what had happened.
+He found out that Katrinka, in doing her
+washing chores, had gotten water into her electronic
+parts, and this had caused trouble in her
+mechanism. Captain Eaton made the repair easily,
+and the robot maid was once more in proper working
+order.</p>
+<p>The boys were with the captain while he was
+making the repairs on Katrinka in the workshop.
+When the captain had put away his tools, he sent
+the robot on her way. Then he looked at Garry, as
+he washed his hands at the sink, and said in a sad
+voice, &ldquo;Fellows, I&rsquo;ve received a docking date at the
+Von Braun Space Station. We&rsquo;ll dock at 2100 tomorrow
+night. That isn&rsquo;t much time left, is it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, Sir, it isn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Garry replied unhappily.</p>
+<p>The captain did not look up again.</p>
+<p>Garry half expected him to say something else,
+but, instead, he remained silent. Garry tugged at
+Patch&rsquo;s sleeve, motioning for them to go.</p>
+<p>The boys made their way slowly toward the door
+of the workshop. As Garry pressed the button to
+open the sliding door, Captain Eaton spoke again.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Wait&mdash;just a minute.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys turned. Garry gulped. He could see
+the sadness in the elderly man&rsquo;s eyes.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_105">105</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Boys, I haven&rsquo;t told you how much I&rsquo;ve enjoyed
+having you with us for this short time,&rdquo; the captain
+said, holding his dripping hands over the sink, not
+bothering to dry them.</p>
+<p>Garry had a lump in his throat. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve enjoyed
+it too, haven&rsquo;t we, Patch?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sure thing,&rdquo; Patch murmured.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton continued: &ldquo;You two have been a
+great big lift in our lives. It&rsquo;s been so long since
+we&rsquo;ve seen young fellows, and you&rsquo;ve made us feel
+younger ourselves once more. I think you know how
+we feel about your leaving us. But I don&rsquo;t want to
+get sentimental about it and make you feel worse.
+So this won&rsquo;t be good-by. We&rsquo;ll see each other
+again&mdash;I know we shall.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry cleared his throat, trying to dissolve that
+lump. &ldquo;You&rsquo;d better dry your hands, Sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton smiled, reaching for a towel.
+&ldquo;Oh, of course,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll miss all of you very much, Sir,&rdquo; Garry said,
+before starting through the door. &ldquo;The <i>Carefree</i>
+has been like a home to us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys were silent as they went on to the
+dormitory. They were overcome by sadness at having
+to leave the ship and her friendly people.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_106">106</div>
+<p>As the boys were getting together the clothing
+and toilet articles they had been given, Patch remarked
+to Garry, &ldquo;Maybe the captain doesn&rsquo;t like
+us enough for adoption. He may not care for the
+idea of being saddled with us permanently.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I hope it&rsquo;s not that,&rdquo; Garry answered, &ldquo;but I still
+can&rsquo;t think of any other reason, now that the stowaway
+business is straightened out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch didn&rsquo;t answer. He had no explanation
+either.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_107">107</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c11"><br />11. A FRIEND IS LOST</h2>
+<p>That night, on their way to dinner in the galley, the
+boys were overtaken by the long-striding Mr.
+Klecker.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I heard you&rsquo;re leaving us, gentlemen,&rdquo; he said
+to them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, that&rsquo;s right, Mr. Klecker,&rdquo; Garry replied.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Too bad. I was hoping I would have the opportunity
+to talk to you about the old circus days.
+Yes, it&rsquo;s too bad.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Gino, too, showed how much he liked the boys.
+He baked them special pies and told them that
+they were his going-away presents to them.</p>
+<p>After supper, Patch said to Garry, as they were
+leaving the galley, &ldquo;Gee, they&rsquo;re not making our
+leaving very easy, are they?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_108">108</div>
+<p>&ldquo;No, Patch, they&rsquo;re not making it very easy at all,&rdquo;
+Garry agreed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not making what very easy?&rdquo; asked a
+voice behind them.</p>
+<p>They turned and saw the smiling face of Ben.
+Garry explained to him what they were talking
+about.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then I guess you don&rsquo;t want me to say I&rsquo;m sorry
+to see you go either, do you?&rdquo; Ben said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Of course we really <i>do</i> care,&rdquo; Garry admitted.
+&ldquo;But it makes us sad when everybody tells us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then, I won&rsquo;t tell you good-by, fellows,&rdquo; Ben
+said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll just say &lsquo;so long&rsquo; for awhile. Before you
+know it, you&rsquo;ll come back into space and find us
+still cruising through the deeps in the <i>Carefree</i>.
+Yes, we&rsquo;ll all be here.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It does sound better that way, Ben,&rdquo; Garry replied.
+&ldquo;But until then, we&rsquo;ll still miss all of you
+terribly.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll miss you too,&rdquo; Ben said quietly, &ldquo;but we&rsquo;ll
+never forget you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys went to bed with a feeling of melancholy
+that night, for this was their last sleep aboard
+Captain Eaton&rsquo;s wonderland space ship. The
+thought of leaving these good friends, possibly forever,
+brought a pang to Garry&rsquo;s heart. But no matter
+how sorrowful he felt, he was determined to be
+brave about it.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_109">109</div>
+<p>Garry fell asleep thinking of all the fun he and
+Patch had had in the brief happy hours of their
+stay aboard the <i>Carefree</i>. Since the time passes
+quickly during slumber, the boy expected he
+would be awake before he knew it on another quiet
+morning, and that very soon thereafter he would
+be bidding good-by to his friends as he and Patch
+made preparations for the voyage back to earth
+and the orphanage.</p>
+<p>But Garry woke far sooner than he expected. It
+was not morning, nor was it quiet; the air was
+charged with confusion and alarm.</p>
+<p>Garry was aware of bustling footsteps and urgent
+voices in the dormitory. His eyes popped open in
+the bright glare of the lights that had been turned
+on fully. He had a feeling that it was the middle of
+the night and not morning, although he was not to
+find this out until a little later.</p>
+<p>Garry sat bolt upright in his bunk. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s
+wrong?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+<p>Gino, hastily pulling on his shirt, paused at
+Garry&rsquo;s bunk. His eyes showed the anxiety he felt.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hurry and get dressed, Garry!&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You
+and Patch. We&rsquo;re in great danger. We&rsquo;ve got to get
+ready for the captain&rsquo;s orders.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_110">110</div>
+<p>Garry leaped out of bed, his heart thumping
+swiftly. The cold floor on the soles of his feet
+shocked him fully awake. He seized his peacefully
+sleeping buddy and yanked him without mercy.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch, get up! There&rsquo;s trouble&mdash;I don&rsquo;t know
+just what kind yet!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch&rsquo;s eyes were still drugged with sleep, but
+he struggled to a sitting position.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Trouble? Wh&mdash;what trouble?&rdquo; Patched muttered.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I told you I don&rsquo;t know, but Gino warned us to
+get ready for the captain&rsquo;s orders. Hurry! Everyone
+else is already dressed and out of the dorm!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch needed no more urging and popped out of
+bed. He and Garry quickly dressed and hurried
+out into the corridor to see what was going on.</p>
+<p>There was no one in sight. The boys went farther
+along. Then, at the foot of the stairs leading
+into the center tube, they heard excited voices.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Whatever it is, it seems to be up in the tunnel,&rdquo;
+Garry said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They hurried up the stairs. Reaching the top,
+Garry, who was in the lead, looked down the tunnel
+from which most of the sounds were coming.
+He saw Ben, Captain Eaton, Mr. Klecker, and Gino
+on or near the platform outside the flight deck, the
+door of which was closed.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch pulled their weightless bodies
+along the webbing of the tube. As they approached
+the men, they heard Ben saying:</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_111">111</div>
+<p>&ldquo;This is terrible! Poor Mac! And what&rsquo;s going to
+happen to the rest of us?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What is going to happen?&rdquo; Garry asked, as he
+and Patch came upon the scene.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton turned to them with a distraught
+look. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry, boys. If I had hastened to get you
+back to the space station promptly, you would have
+survived this&mdash;this disaster.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Disaster?&rdquo; Garry echoed, with a sinking feeling
+in his stomach.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; Captain Eaton answered, his voice shaking.
+&ldquo;Mac is already done for, and we shall soon
+follow after him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What happened?&rdquo; Patch asked Mr. Klecker.</p>
+<p>The boys could see pain on the men&rsquo;s faces.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The <i>Carefree</i> collided with an <i>Explorer</i> satellite,&rdquo;
+the butler replied. &ldquo;It destroyed the flight
+deck while Mac was on duty. It looks as if he had
+managed to close the door before he was swept off
+into space. The collision knocked us off course, and
+we&rsquo;re plunging into space&mdash;toward where, no one
+knows. We can&rsquo;t so much as lift a finger to bring
+her under control, and our antenna disk has been
+damaged so that we can&rsquo;t even send an SOS.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no!&rdquo; was all Garry could say, sickened at
+the sudden fateful turn of events.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_112">112</div>
+<p>Actually, he was thinking more of poor Mac than
+he was of their own grim outlook. He remembered
+how much the likable Scotsman wanted to return
+to the heather of his own land after his stint in
+space. Now he would never see Scotland again.
+Garry absently watched Ben squirting a thick
+liquid around the cracks of the flight-deck door,
+probably as a safeguard against air escaping from
+the ship.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben has been outside in a pressure suit to look
+over the damage,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.</p>
+<p>Patch turned away from the others, hanging his
+head in grief and despair. Captain Eaton put an
+arm around Garry&rsquo;s shoulder, but there was a helpless
+look on his face that seemed to show the uselessness
+of saying anything. Gino had lost his usual
+cheery smile and could only stare numbly at the
+closed door of the flight deck, where their friend
+had been the victim of such a cruel act of fate.</p>
+<p>Garry looked around at the ship&rsquo;s company.
+Everyone was accounted for except Isaac.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Where&rsquo;s Mr. Newton?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Poor Isaac is completely crushed,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton replied. &ldquo;He had just changed shifts with
+Mac at the pilot&rsquo;s chair only a few moments before
+the accident. He&rsquo;s blaming himself for the whole
+thing. It seems he overlooked the position of the
+satellite that hit us. He missed it on his last check,
+and Mac did not see it in time. Isaac&rsquo;s gone off
+somewhere.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_113">113</div>
+<p>It was indeed a dark moment aboard the once-happy
+vessel. Things had happened so swiftly that
+everyone appeared to be still in shock. No one
+spoke again for several minutes. Everyone just
+stood around idly, as if not knowing what to do next
+and not really caring.</p>
+<p>Ben was the first to try to rally everyone&rsquo;s deadened
+spirits. He had just finished sealing the cracks
+in the door.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be some time before we can tell which way
+the ship is heading. The collision changed our
+course completely. Even when we do find out,
+there&rsquo;s nothing we can do to control the <i>Carefree</i>.
+She&rsquo;s just a runaway. But I still think there&rsquo;s hope
+for us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>All eyes turned upon Ben questioningly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That flier you two arrived in, Garry,&rdquo; Ben continued.
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve only had a quick look inside it, and the
+console seemed in pretty bad shape from your and
+Patch&rsquo;s efforts to start the engines. However, if I&rsquo;m
+lucky and we have time before the <i>Carefree</i> hits
+another satellite or something, I may be able to fix
+it up so that we can escape in it.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_114">114</div>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s our only hope,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied. &ldquo;I
+suggest you get right on the job, Ben, and call on
+anyone you need to help you. Meanwhile, we&rsquo;ll
+sweat out the flight, although I must say I feel like a
+duck in a shooting gallery because of all the flying
+objects whirling out there all around us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If we are able to escape in the flier,&rdquo; Mr.
+Klecker said, &ldquo;we can use its radio to send for
+help.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Ben shook his head. &ldquo;The radio was removed for
+some reason. There&rsquo;s only the empty compartment
+it came out of.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>With faint hope of survival, some measure of
+good spirits was restored to the astronauts. Ben
+called upon Mr. Klecker to help him work on the
+space taxi, and Captain Eaton said he would go to
+the observatory to take a &ldquo;fix&rdquo; and try to determine
+the course the <i>Carefree</i> had taken.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have to change clothes,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker said.
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to get my uniform soiled.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Guess I&rsquo;ll go and whip up some breakfast,&rdquo; Gino
+said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s about all <i>I</i> can do, although maybe nobody
+will be hungry.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton turned to Garry and Patch before
+he left. &ldquo;I know it&rsquo;s going to be hard for you,&rdquo; he
+said, &ldquo;but try to feel hopeful about this situation.
+A terrible misfortune has come our way, but try to
+believe that things will work out for us. Chins up,
+eh, fellows?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He forced a smile. The boys gave him a brave
+smile in return, although they did not feel it any
+more than he had.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_115">115</div>
+<p>&ldquo;May we go with you to the observatory, Captain?&rdquo;
+Patch asked. &ldquo;Maybe we can help.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, if you like. I know how hard it will be to
+remain idle at a time like this. Let&rsquo;s go.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>In the observatory, Garry and Patch watched
+the captain at his telescope and other instruments.
+He worked for a little while, then turned away
+from his work with a brooding, disturbed look on
+his face. He stroked his neat beard. Then he worked
+again for several more minutes.</p>
+<p>He stopped once more, but then resumed his
+watching. He kept this up for some time, and, as the
+minutes passed, his face grew more and more
+serious.</p>
+<p>Garry was afraid to ask, but he felt that he had
+to know. &ldquo;Captain, is&mdash;is it bad?&rdquo; he said softly.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton shook his head grimly, the look
+of despair in his eyes.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You may as well know,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been
+hoping I was wrong, but now I know I&rsquo;m not. We&rsquo;re
+moving into the gravity field of the moon. My guess
+is that we&rsquo;re only a few hours away from collision.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_116">116</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c12"><br />12. A STARTLING DISCOVERY</h2>
+<p>This latest bad news filled Garry with a new dread.
+But he refused to give up hope. He remembered
+that Ben was working in the flier, trying to put it in
+shape.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Captain Eaton,&rdquo; he asked, &ldquo;do you think Ben
+will have the flier ready by the time we begin falling
+to the moon?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t even guess at that. If there&rsquo;s not too
+much wrong with the flier, he may get it repaired
+in short order. But a major repair&mdash;I just don&rsquo;t
+know. I guess the next thing now is to inform the
+men of our course and get Ben&rsquo;s estimate of the
+flier&rsquo;s damage.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_117">117</div>
+<p>The three of them joined Ben and Mr. Klecker
+in the flier a few moments later. The small rocket
+ship was still held fast to the bigger <i>Carefree</i>, their
+two air locks joined as if they were one ship.</p>
+<p>When Captain Eaton had told the men that they
+were headed for the moon, whether they liked it
+or not, Ben replied, &ldquo;Well, Captain, I suppose
+we&rsquo;ve just <i>got</i> to get the space taxi in shape in
+mighty short order. I don&rsquo;t imagine the <i>Carefree</i>
+will bounce very well on the moon&rsquo;s hard, rocky
+surface.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do you really think you can get it repaired in
+time, Ben?&rdquo; Captain Eaton asked gravely.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How much time do you think you can give me?&rdquo;
+Ben asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have to do some more calculating before I
+can estimate exactly how long it will be before we
+go into final fall,&rdquo; was the reply, &ldquo;but, offhand, I
+would say you&rsquo;ve got no longer than six hours.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Ben looked at the damaged control panel of the
+flier and shook his head.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Impossible,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;ll do it. I&rsquo;ve <i>got</i> to
+do it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Everyone on the ship will be at your disposal,
+Ben,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;Call for anyone and
+anything at all that you need in order to hurry those
+repairs. Ben, there&rsquo;s no one else I&rsquo;d rather trust with
+the lives of us all than you. You can&rsquo;t let us down.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_118">118</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That confidence means a lot, Captain,&rdquo; Ben
+replied, his expression showing the appreciation
+he felt. &ldquo;Mac gave his life for the ship. I&rsquo;d do no
+less if it meant saving the <i>Carefree</i> and all you
+guys.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I know you mean what you say, Ben,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton said, &ldquo;but we won&rsquo;t call on you to go that far.
+Just get the flier in shape so that we can escape in
+it and not share the <i>Carefree</i>&rsquo;s fate in crashing on
+the moon.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Ben shook his head sadly. &ldquo;I hadn&rsquo;t thought of
+the <i>Carefree</i> plunging to her destruction. But we
+<i>know</i> that&rsquo;s got to happen, don&rsquo;t we, because
+there&rsquo;s no way of saving her. Captain, this ship has
+become such a part of my life that I&rsquo;d almost want
+to go down with her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I feel the same way, Ben,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied.
+&ldquo;Life will never be the same again without
+the <i>Carefree</i>. I don&rsquo;t know how I&rsquo;ll get along without
+her deck beneath my feet.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If we get out of this alive,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker said,
+&ldquo;we&rsquo;ll just have to return to earth and spend the
+rest of our days there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s true,&rdquo; the captain agreed sadly. &ldquo;Even
+a millionaire is allowed a space ship as grand as
+this only once in a lifetime. I couldn&rsquo;t afford another.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Ben seemed to realize that precious time was going
+to waste as they talked, and he began getting
+his tools together.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_119">119</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I know everyone wants to help,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but
+I think that Kleck and I can work better together
+by ourselves just now. There&rsquo;ll be less confusion.
+I&rsquo;ll be sure to call on anyone else if he&rsquo;s needed.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mr. Klecker had donned some old clothes, but
+he did not look comfortable in them.</p>
+<p>Ben listed more tools and equipment he would
+need, and Captain Eaton gave the list to Garry.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Take this to Isaac, will you, Garry, and ask him
+to round these up as quickly as possible. I&rsquo;ve got
+to get back to the observatory and see how much
+time there is to zero hour.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Isaac has taken Mac&rsquo;s loss pretty badly, Captain,&rdquo;
+Ben said. &ldquo;Do you think he&rsquo;ll be working at
+top efficiency?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think it will do him good to have something to
+do,&rdquo; the captain replied. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll be of no use to himself,
+or us either, if he just keeps on brooding.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton and the boys left the flier and went
+their separate ways to take care of their respective
+duties. Garry and Patch went to the dormitory and
+found Isaac Newton sitting on one of the lower
+bunks, his head in his hands. They stood beside the
+bunk for several moments, waiting for Isaac to look
+up, but he did not seem to know that there was
+anyone else around.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_120">120</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Isaac,&rdquo; Garry then said, &ldquo;Ben needs a few things
+for the repair of the flier. The captain thought you
+could round them up for us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Isaac still did not look up.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Isaac, we&rsquo;re headed for the moon,&rdquo; Patch said
+urgently. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve <i>got</i> to get the flier repaired within
+six hours, or we&rsquo;re all goners!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Finally, Isaac looked up, his gentle eyes red. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s
+all my fault,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all my fault that Mac is
+dead! I didn&rsquo;t tell him about the satellite, and I
+should have. I ought to be shot like a soldier for
+neglecting his duty.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You shouldn&rsquo;t blame yourself, Isaac,&rdquo; Garry
+said gently. &ldquo;Anyone could have made the same
+mistake.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Isaac shook his head, as if pulling himself together,
+and held out his hand. &ldquo;Let me have the
+list.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He looked it over, climbed to his feet, and started
+out of the dormitory.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, he <i>is</i> taking it hard, isn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo; Patch asked.</p>
+<p>Garry nodded. &ldquo;I can imagine how he feels. How
+many times have you made a mistake that you&rsquo;d
+give anything in the world to correct if you could?
+But with us, our mistakes have never cost a person
+his life.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_121">121</div>
+<p>Isaac came back into the room. &ldquo;One of the
+things on this list is the sealer gun. It must still be
+up there by the flight-deck door that was sealed to
+prevent the air leaking out. Will you fellows get
+it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sure, Isaac,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;Come on, Patch.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As they pulled themselves along the center tunnel,
+Patch remarked, &ldquo;Isaac didn&rsquo;t want to go back
+up there. That&rsquo;s why he asked us to get the sealer
+gun.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re right,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;But it will
+save him some time just the same.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Reaching the platform in front of the flight deck,
+the boys stepped up onto the magnetized area. All
+at once Garry was struck by the awesome silence
+of this part of the ship. Along with this was the remembrance
+of the tragedy that had taken place
+beyond the door in front of them, and he had a
+lonesome, shivery feeling.</p>
+<p>Patch seemed to feel it too.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s hurry up and get out of here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s
+kind of spooky here all by ourselves.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see the sealer gun anywhere, do you?&rdquo;
+Garry asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No. Maybe somebody carried it away with
+them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>There was a well of darkness beneath the platform.
+Both boys glanced at one another. They
+knew that was the next place to look.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It may be down there someplace,&rdquo; Garry said.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll have to take a look.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_122">122</div>
+<p>&ldquo;How could it be down there?&rdquo; Patch argued,
+not enjoying the prospect. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no gravity here
+in the tube. Things don&rsquo;t <i>fall</i> in here like they do
+in the rest of the ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It may have been shoved off in that direction,&rdquo;
+Garry said. &ldquo;That could easily have happened in all
+the excitement up here. Time&rsquo;s wasting, Patch. If
+you&rsquo;re scared, I&rsquo;ll poke around down there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that I&rsquo;m exactly scared,&rdquo; Patch protested
+weakly.</p>
+<p>Garry held onto the railing and swung his feet
+off the magnetized-platform floor so that he floated
+weightlessly in the air. Then he began pulling himself
+down into the darkness, using the metal lattice-work
+that extended below the platform.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How can you see down there?&rdquo; Patch called
+from above. &ldquo;Want me to get a light for you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll feel around a little first,&rdquo; Garry answered. &ldquo;I
+may put my hand right on it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>With one hand holding onto the metal stripping,
+Garry fanned his free arm back and forth along the
+floor. All he felt was cold smooth metal&mdash;at first.</p>
+<p>Then, suddenly, he felt something soft to his
+touch. A chill raced up his backbone, ending in a
+prickle at the top of his head. He swallowed, then
+courageously began feeling around again on the
+object, trying to identify it. His hand touched flesh,
+warm flesh, and he could trace the outline of five
+fingers. He felt that chill again, but he fought to
+keep his nerves under control.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_123">123</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, What&rsquo;s going on?&rdquo; Patch called. &ldquo;Have you
+found something?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry pulled himself back up to the platform and
+hung onto the rail, shaking.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch said, &ldquo;you&rsquo;re white as you can
+be!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I found something all right, Patch. There&rsquo;s a
+<i>person</i> down there,&rdquo; Garry whispered.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_124">124</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c13"><br />13. ABANDON SHIP!</h2>
+<p>Leaving a bewildered and frightened Patch behind
+him, Garry left the platform and began pulling
+himself as rapidly as possible along the webbing
+of the tube toward the ship&rsquo;s stern. Reaching
+the observatory bubble, he went in.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Captain Eaton!&rdquo; Garry gasped. &ldquo;I think I&rsquo;ve
+found him! I think I&rsquo;ve found Mac!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain swung from an instrument he was
+using, and looked at Garry in amazement. &ldquo;You
+<i>what</i>?&rdquo; he cried.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_125">125</div>
+<p>Garry pulled himself into the observatory, the
+floor taking hold of the soles of his shoes by its magnetic
+attraction. &ldquo;Yes, Sir!&rdquo; he declared. &ldquo;Patch
+and I were looking for the sealing gun in front of
+the flight deck, and I found a body in the darkness
+below the platform!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton clicked across the floor and entered
+the tube. Garry tagged along behind, as the
+skipper of the <i>Carefree</i> set out toward the bow of
+the ship.</p>
+<p>A few minutes later, Captain Eaton was checking
+on Garry&rsquo;s discovery. Then he came back onto
+the platform, excitement showing on his face.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It <i>is</i> Mac!&rdquo; he burst out. &ldquo;His body is warm, and
+I think he may be alive! We must call some of the
+others so that we can get him up from there. In this
+zero gravity it will take several of us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch were sent by the captain to
+round up the others.</p>
+<p>Then several began helping to get Mac onto the
+platform. Of course he weighed nothing, but, in
+the zero gravity, the difficulty in moving him lay
+in the fact that the others could not push him without
+bracing some part of their own body against
+something. Otherwise, they would only succeed in
+pushing themselves backward.</p>
+<p>Mac was finally moved onto the platform and
+stretched out. He lay, suspended in air, a few inches
+above the platform. Captain Eaton looked at the
+Scotsman&rsquo;s eyes and tested his pulse.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_126">126</div>
+<p>&ldquo;His pulse is a little slow,&rdquo; he stated, &ldquo;but his
+color is good, and I think he&rsquo;ll come around pretty
+soon. That bad gash on his forehead must have
+knocked him out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They worked over Mac. Finally, he stirred and
+then opened his eyes. He stared as if unseeing for
+several moments, but then, as he began to recognize
+everybody, a weak smile formed on his lips.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What happened?&rdquo; he murmured.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know what happened, Mac,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton replied. &ldquo;Can you tell us? Can you remember
+what did happen before you blacked out?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mac frowned, as if concentrating very hard.
+Then his face relaxed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I remember,&rdquo; he said softly. &ldquo;I was near the
+door when it hit us&mdash;whatever it was. If I&rsquo;d been in
+the pilot&rsquo;s chair I would have been a goner. But I
+had gotten up only a moment before to check the
+chart. The door was open. I heard a terrific roar
+and saw the whole console burst into a sheet of fire.
+At the same time I felt myself being blown backward
+and right through the door onto the platform.
+I was dazed, but somehow I had the presence of
+mind to know I had to get that door shut or the ship
+would lose all her air. I managed to press the button
+and saw it slide shut. But then my head began
+to hurt terrifically and I felt dizzy. I reached out for
+the railing to hold on, but I guess I missed it then
+and unconsciously floated off to wherever you
+found me.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_127">127</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry found you,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;We
+thought you had been blown into space by the collision.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thanks, Garry,&rdquo; Mac said, winking at him with
+gratitude.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re just so
+glad to see that you&rsquo;re still alive.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mac, don&rsquo;t ever scare me again like that!&rdquo; Isaac
+put in, his voice shaky with emotion. &ldquo;It was my
+fault the collision happened, because I overlooked
+the satellite that hit us. I knew your death was on
+me, and I was so torn up I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;d ever have
+gotten over it. Thanks, buddy, for turning up as
+you did!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Forget it, Isaac,&rdquo; Mac joked. &ldquo;Maybe you can
+return the favor sometime.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They told Mac about the existing crisis. He
+wanted to do something to help, but Captain Eaton
+insisted that he go to the dormitory to rest. Garry
+and Patch went with Captain Eaton to the observatory
+to recheck and see how much time the <i>Carefree</i>
+had left.</p>
+<p>After another period of figuring and using his instruments,
+the skipper turned to the boys. &ldquo;I wish
+I had better news, but it looks as if we have less
+time than I had thought at first.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_128">128</div>
+<p>The boys returned with Captain Eaton to the
+flier. Isaac had taken over helping Ben, since he
+knew more about this kind of thing than Mr.
+Klecker.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton stood at the door of the air lock.
+&ldquo;How are you coming in there?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+<p>Ben gave him a report of their progress. The
+captain&rsquo;s face was lined and grave. &ldquo;You may have
+to do better than that if we&rsquo;re going to get out of
+this alive,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The moon is very close.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton and the boys spent the time that
+followed in the observatory dome, watching the
+steadily growing disk of the moon. It was like a
+mocking face in the sky, luring the travelers to destruction.</p>
+<p>No telescope was needed, for the big, rocky
+satellite of earth appeared to take up the whole
+heavens. Garry and Patch studied the knife-edged
+mountaintops, the dry, gray wildernesses that were
+once thought to be seas, and the mysterious bowl-like
+craters. Where would the <i>Carefree</i> plunge to
+her death on the fierce moonscape, Garry wondered.
+And would he and the others still be aboard
+her when she crashed? Garry shuddered at the
+thought. As Captain Eaton had said, Luna was now
+so frightfully close.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_129">129</div>
+<p>The captain made a final check of his instruments.
+Then he turned abruptly, heading for the
+door. The boys followed him out.</p>
+<p>In the flier, moments later, the captain said,
+&ldquo;Ben, we&rsquo;re in our last hour. How do things look in
+here?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry could see Ben&rsquo;s grimy, tired face turned
+toward Captain Eaton.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be close, Captain, awfully close,&rdquo; Ben answered,
+and immediately turned back to the network
+of wiring in the instrument panel.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Anything I can do, Ben?&rdquo; Captain Eaton asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Just hope and pray,&rdquo; was the reply. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;ll
+be all up to me now. It&rsquo;s a one-man job getting these
+wires hooked up.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We could take one last look around the ship
+during this last hour,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker proposed. &ldquo;I
+have some books I want to take along.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sorry, Kleck,&rdquo; Ben said, &ldquo;but we won&rsquo;t have
+room for them. The flier will be crowded as it is.
+We won&rsquo;t be able to take belongings of any kind,
+not even for survival, except for the emergency
+supplies the flier itself carries. The weight is that
+critical.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want a last look,&rdquo; Gino spoke up.
+&ldquo;Otherwise I might not want to leave the good old
+<i>Carefree</i>, even if she is going to crash.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_130">130</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Me either,&rdquo; Isaac Newton added. &ldquo;I want to remember
+her the way she was when all of us were
+very happy and really carefree.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;One thing about Patch and me,&rdquo; Garry put in.
+&ldquo;We came aboard without anything but the clothes
+we&rsquo;re wearing, and we&rsquo;ll be leaving the same way.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s one thing I surely hate to leave behind,&rdquo;
+Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;Katrinka. She&rsquo;s only a robot,
+but I&rsquo;ve had her for so long that she&rsquo;s almost like a
+member of the family.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>From now on, every minute was beginning to
+count desperately. Garry wished he could hold
+back the hands of the clock. He wished he could
+give Ben an extra hour. But this could not be.</p>
+<p>A little later there came the announcement
+that Garry had known must be coming finally. Captain
+Eaton had been in the observatory for the last
+time, and now he had returned with a final announcement:
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s now or never, Ben. Which is it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Ben straightened up, and there was a pleased
+look on his weary face. &ldquo;Just finished, Captain. The
+instrument panel isn&rsquo;t as good as new, but I&rsquo;m
+pretty sure the flier can be navigated by it, at least
+long enough for a safe landing on Luna. Come here,
+Mac. Let me show you a few things about the console.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_131">131</div>
+<p>Garry wondered why Ben was taking time to instruct
+Mac in the navigation of the ship. Why
+couldn&rsquo;t he do the piloting himself? Garry could see
+that Mac was a little puzzled too, as he went
+over to the instrument panel.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton was looking at his wrist watch.
+&ldquo;Ben, there&rsquo;s no more time. We&rsquo;ve got to get off the
+<i>Carefree</i> within five minutes, not a second longer.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>After a few more hurried moments of instruction,
+Ben said, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re ready, Captain. Everybody into
+the rocket.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Those who were not already in filed into the
+rocket and belted down into the seats. That is,
+everybody but one&mdash;Ben.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben, where are you going?&rdquo; Captain Eaton
+asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To check on the air lock, Sir,&rdquo; Ben answered,
+and walked through the flier&rsquo;s doorway into the air
+lock between the two ships.</p>
+<p>Mac had belted down in the pilot&rsquo;s seat, as Ben
+had asked him to do.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How are you going to ride without a seat, Ben?&rdquo;
+Mac called.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Everybody ready?&rdquo; Ben called from the air lock.</p>
+<p>All answered that they were.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Start the motors, Mac,&rdquo; Ben said.</p>
+<p>Mac started the rocket motors, at the same time
+calling, &ldquo;Hurry up, Ben!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry heard a whirring sound, and the outer door
+of the flier slid shut, with Ben still in the air lock
+beyond!</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_132">132</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, wait!&rdquo; Isaac shouted. &ldquo;Ben&rsquo;s in the air lock,
+and the door&rsquo;s closed!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>No one could do anything, for in the very next
+moment the flier kicked out violently sideways,
+bending everyone over in his seat. There was another
+jerk forward as the flier went into motion.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s happened?&rdquo; Captain Eaton called.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben&rsquo;s tricked us!&rdquo; Mac replied. &ldquo;He cut off the
+magnetic grapples from the air lock that held us
+fast to the <i>Carefree</i>. How stupid I was! He told me
+to take over while he checked on some last-minute
+things.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I see it all,&rdquo; Isaac added. &ldquo;If we check the
+weights we&rsquo;ll probably find out that we would be
+overloaded with one more passenger. Ben was that
+one more, and he chose not to come aboard rather
+than risk the safety of the rest of us!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; the captain said in a choked voice, &ldquo;it
+seems that Ben elected to go down with the <i>Carefree</i>.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_133">133</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c14"><br />14. FIRST HOURS ON LUNA</h2>
+<p>Ben lost to them!</p>
+<p>Garry could hardly believe it. Surely Ben could
+have found <i>some</i> way to save himself. Did he really
+have to make such a costly sacrifice?</p>
+<p>No one aboard the flier cared to speak for several
+minutes after Mac&rsquo;s tragic announcement. It
+had come as a devastating blow to all of them.</p>
+<p>Finally, Isaac broke the solemn quiet: &ldquo;It won&rsquo;t
+be the same with good old Ben gone. He was a
+smart, brave guy. I&rsquo;d like to have an ounce of all the
+scientific and mechanical knowledge he had.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_134">134</div>
+<p>They had been so concerned over Ben&rsquo;s fate that
+they had almost overlooked the fact that the rocky
+wilderness of the moon was staring them in the
+face; that in a few moments the flier would be either
+touching down on her surface or crashing along
+with the <i>Carefree</i> and Ben, her only human occupant.</p>
+<p>Mac was guiding the craft into a slowly descending
+spiral. This would give the flier&rsquo;s braking rockets
+time to reduce speed to safe level for the touchdown.</p>
+<p>The <i>Carefree</i> was not in sight, although Garry
+searched the starry sky through the plastic walls of
+the flier. He was glad he could not find her. He
+would not have liked to see her crash.</p>
+<p>Down below, Garry could see the huge dish of a
+giant crater. It was within this area that Mac was
+circling. As if anticipating Garry&rsquo;s question, Mac
+explained: &ldquo;Ben suggested that we try landing on
+the floor of this crater, which is called Hornfield.
+It was discovered by a lunar explorer in 1983. It is
+supposed to be covered by several inches of pumice
+dust, and that may help to break our fall if we
+make a bad touchdown.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>From high up, the walls of the crater did not appear
+very impressive, but as the flier spiraled lower,
+they looked like lofty battlements of ancient castles.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_135">135</div>
+<p>As they dipped lower still, Garry watched those
+grim crater walls close in around the small space
+craft. Spread out below was the ocean of gray dust
+that carpeted the crater floor. Part way up, above
+the horizon, was seen the distant globe of earth. It
+cast ghostly greenish shadows around the walls,
+pits, and rock formations. This was the two-week
+period of night on Luna, and the temperature down
+there, in a nearly airless atmosphere, Garry knew,
+was more than two hundred degrees below zero.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Everyone make sure his restraining belts are
+tight,&rdquo; Mac called. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re about to touchdown.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The ground rushed up to meet them, as Garry
+felt himself tipped forward in his seat. The belly of
+the little flier skimmed the ocean of dust, sending it
+up in a giant cloud along both sides of the craft. The
+flier continued to plow along through the pumice
+until friction finally brought it to a halt.</p>
+<p>It was strange being still again, Garry thought.
+Another strange feeling was the gravity pull of the
+moon, which he knew to be only one sixth as strong
+as that of earth.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Is everybody all right?&rdquo; Captain Eaton asked.</p>
+<p>No one said that he <i>wasn&rsquo;t</i> all right. Garry and
+Patch began unfastening their restraining belts, as
+did the others.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton was the first to his feet. He moved
+over to the window with a strange floating sort of
+step owing to his reduced moon weight. Then he
+looked out.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Where are we, Mac?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_136">136</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Inside the Hornfield crater,&rdquo; Mac answered.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Are there any settlements close by?&rdquo; the captain
+asked. &ldquo;Anybody who can come to our rescue?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;About twenty-five miles to the southwest, captain,&rdquo;
+Mac answered. &ldquo;Ben told me just where it
+was and advised me to land as close to it as possible.
+I thought this was as close as we dared approach,
+because the ground is treacherous between
+Hornfield and the settlement.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What sort of settlement is it, Mac?&rdquo; Isaac asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;An oxygen-mining outfit in the Taurus Mountains.
+They&rsquo;re mining for ore rich in oxygen to provide
+pressurized air for the underground terminal
+of Luna City, five hundred miles farther to the
+south. Ben said he thought they would have fliers
+that could get here in a short time as soon as they
+got our radio message.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But we don&rsquo;t have any radio,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes we do, and we can thank the flier&rsquo;s lifesaving
+equipment for that,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said.</p>
+<p>He went to a cabinet built into the wall and
+pulled out an oblong box. On the top of it were the
+words: &ldquo;SOS Automatic Transmitter.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You mean that was in the flier all this time and
+that we could have used it earlier ourselves?&rdquo; Garry
+asked in surprise.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, you could have,&rdquo; Captain Eaton replied.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_137">137</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m familiar with this transmitter,&rdquo; the captain
+went on. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s get the radio kit down.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When this was done, Captain Eaton donned one
+of the two space suits which the flier carried. When
+he was dressed, he entered the flier&rsquo;s air lock, carrying
+the radio kit. Those inside the ship watched
+Captain Eaton walk about fifty feet from the flier
+and open the box containing the transmitter.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, why does he have to open it up out there?&rdquo;
+Patch wanted to know. &ldquo;Couldn&rsquo;t he transmit from
+inside the ship just as easy?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, not nearly as well,&rdquo; Mac explained. &ldquo;Just
+watch, and you&rsquo;ll see why!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton took some things out of the box,
+and then, after tinkering with them for a few minutes,
+he set the transmitter in the pumice dust and
+ran back toward the flier as if he had just lighted a
+bomb fuse. A few seconds later the boys were surprised
+to see something resembling a giant snake
+spring from the ground beside the transmitter and
+extend straight up in the dark sky!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What in the world was that?&rdquo; Patch asked in
+amazement.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the antenna for the transmitter, isn&rsquo;t it,
+Mac?&rdquo; Garry asked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_138">138</div>
+<p>Mac nodded. &ldquo;That long ropelike thing is hollow,
+and the antenna is in the middle of it. Captain
+Eaton released a switch that caused the casing to
+fill with compressed air, and that is what keeps it
+extended into the sky. That gives us a much better
+antenna than we could possibly have in here. Also,
+being as tall as it is, the radio waves leaving it can
+travel great distances and cross high places which
+they could not do if it were short. Understand?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys nodded.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The transmitter is a very light and simple one,&rdquo;
+Mac went on. &ldquo;All it can do is send out an SOS signal
+from time to time; it can&rsquo;t transmit words. Yet
+whoever picks it up can easily trace it. I hope our
+signal will carry as far as the mining settlement and
+that there&rsquo;s no interference between to block our
+radio waves. Those mountains could block the
+waves.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How long do you think we can hold out, just in
+case our rescue is slow in coming?&rdquo; Garry asked
+Mac.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If we carefully ration food, water, and air, I&rsquo;d
+say we could last about five days, earth time,&rdquo; Mac
+replied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m pretty sure the captain will start rationing
+right away, just to make sure, but I can&rsquo;t
+see any reason why we won&rsquo;t see a rescue flier
+heading this way pretty soon, certainly by tomorrow.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton presently came back inside and
+began taking off his space suit.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_139">139</div>
+<p>&ldquo;If we get out of this alive, we&rsquo;ll owe it all to
+Ben,&rdquo; Isaac remarked.</p>
+<p>Garry noticed the sudden sadness on the faces of
+the others at the mention of Ben&rsquo;s name. Presently,
+everyone in turn began saying something good
+about their friend; that is, everyone except Captain
+Eaton, whom Garry knew had been closer to
+Ben than any of the others.</p>
+<p>The captain was still plainly too broken up to say
+anything about Ben at this time. He just quietly finished
+removing his pressure-suit gear, and Garry
+could see the tragedy in his eyes. Garry was glad
+when Captain Eaton changed the subject, because
+he himself had grown very fond of the brilliant
+young spaceman.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We should take inventory of our stock,&rdquo; the captain
+was saying, &ldquo;and then start a rationing schedule.
+We can&rsquo;t be sure how long we&rsquo;ll have to wait
+before help comes. I don&rsquo;t want to alarm everybody,
+but there&rsquo;s always the possibility of radioactivity
+or mineral deposits in the hills beyond the
+crater which would keep our SOS from going
+through. The moon is full of those things.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mac&rsquo;s prediction as to how long the food and water
+would last turned out to be fairly close, although
+it turned out to be four days instead of five. No one
+expected the fourth day to roll around with their
+still being trapped in the flier, but Captain Eaton
+was playing safe, as Mac had said he probably
+would do.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_140">140</div>
+<p>Those who had invented the equipment making
+up the escape flier&rsquo;s emergency kit had seemingly
+thought of everything to ease the plight of those
+trapped on strange planets. They had not overlooked
+the boredom of those awaiting rescue. There
+was a special cabinet containing tiny games, and
+there were also miniature books.</p>
+<p>When the inventory was completed and everything
+was done that could be done, Captain Eaton
+distributed the games and books, and everyone settled
+down in the flight chairs.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t so bad,&rdquo; Isaac said, sighing and
+stretching out comfortably with one of the little
+books. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always wanted to read this book on
+great poetry, but up to now I just haven&rsquo;t had the
+time because it&rsquo;s so long. It looks like I&rsquo;ve finally
+gotten my chance to read it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There aren&rsquo;t any books about the circus,&rdquo; Mr.
+Klecker said disappointedly. &ldquo;I guess I&rsquo;ll just have
+to settle for what&rsquo;s left.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The butler straightened his bow tie. He had
+changed back into his full dress after Isaac had
+taken over as Ben&rsquo;s helper.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_141">141</div>
+<p>Garry and Patch started a game of chess, and the
+rest of the <i>Carefree</i>&rsquo;s passengers took whatever
+game or book interested them. Except for the sadness
+of Ben&rsquo;s not being with them, Garry noticed
+that there was an air of contentment and optimism
+on the part of everyone.</p>
+<p>Later, he was to be glad that he did not have the
+talent of seeing into the future, for if those who
+were so relaxed now in their cozy hideaway on the
+dark moon had only known what was in store for
+them, they would not have been in the mood for
+enjoying <i>anything</i> at this moment.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_142">142</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c15"><br />15. A DARK OUTLOOK</h2>
+<p>The idea of stretching out comfortably with a good
+book and plenty of spare time did not seem so satisfying
+after several hours. After this period, everyone
+began to get restless, with a desire to get up
+and stretch his legs, as they could have done if
+they were back on the <i>Carefree</i>.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I know how you feel, fellows,&rdquo; Captain Eaton
+said sympathetically, as he noticed how tired everyone
+had become of just sitting around. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to
+take a romp myself outside in a space suit, but without
+knowing how soon we&rsquo;ll be rescued and having
+no surplus of supplies, I don&rsquo;t think we should
+use up our oxygen that fast. Everyone agree?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Everyone did.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_143">143</div>
+<p>Then to while away the hours that were beginning
+to drag slowly along, the captain suggested
+that they talk among themselves and exchange stories.
+This activity occupied the group for some time.
+Garry was glad that poor Ben was not mentioned
+again to further depress everyone.</p>
+<p>Finally, all became &ldquo;talked out,&rdquo; just as they had
+become &ldquo;read out&rdquo; before that. And by this time
+some were ready for a nap and began dozing in
+their seats.</p>
+<p>Garry watched the captain settle back in his seat,
+sighing tiredly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I suppose I should be grateful for being alive,&rdquo;
+he said, &ldquo;but I feel almost as if I had died myself.
+Yes, this is a sad day for an old man who has lost at
+the same time the dearest things to his heart&mdash;one
+of his best friends and a funny-looking space ship
+that had come to be even homier than his earthly
+home.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry noticed how much the conversation kept
+returning to Ben. He guessed that the unselfish
+spaceman would be on their minds for a long time
+to come.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I wonder where they went down, Captain?&rdquo;
+Mac asked. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t even see the <i>Carefree</i>, once
+Ben cut us free.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_144">144</div>
+<p>&ldquo;None of us saw her,&rdquo; the captain replied, &ldquo;and
+I&rsquo;m glad. I hope they never find her remains on the
+moon, because I would feel compelled to go to the
+site of the crash and I would not want to do that.
+No, it&rsquo;s better this way.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Before long, someone mentioned food. There
+was some mild enthusiasm from the others, but not
+much. Everyone knew that all there was to eat were
+capsules that would provide nourishment but little
+enjoyment.</p>
+<p>Gino made a face when the capsule bottle was
+passed to him and he shook two of the pellets out
+into his hand.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To think that I would ever have to make a meal
+of these things,&rdquo; he said sadly, &ldquo;I, who at one time
+or another, have served up the grandest dishes ever
+put together.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>All ate silently. Since the additional talk about
+Ben, it was as if cold water had been poured over
+their spirits.</p>
+<p>After the brief meal the captain suggested that
+the lights be turned down and everyone try to get a
+&ldquo;night&rdquo; of sleep.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think all of us are brain fagged and bored after
+all that has happened,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Maybe there&rsquo;ll be
+someone knocking on our air-lock door before we
+wake up.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>No one objected to the idea, as it seemed to be
+the only thing left for them to do.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_145">145</div>
+<p>When everyone was settled down for the &ldquo;night,&rdquo;
+Captain Eaton cut off all lights within the flier. It
+was still not very dark in the flier because outdoors
+it was brighter than the brightest moonlight night
+on earth, owing to the brilliant glow of earthshine.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If our rescuers do not show up some time tomorrow,&rdquo;
+Captain Eaton said, &ldquo;we had better start cutting
+back on our battery power. That will mean no
+lights inside, except use of the flashlight in the cabinet,
+and less warmth. I have a feeling that our batteries
+will play out before any of our other supplies
+do.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When Garry woke the next &ldquo;morning,&rdquo; he heard
+some of the others stirring about. Patch was standing
+over him with two tablets and Garry&rsquo;s personal
+water bottle which squeezed the liquid into one&rsquo;s
+mouth.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s this?&rdquo; Garry mumbled. &ldquo;Time for my
+medicine?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Medicine nothing,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;This, son, is
+breakfast. Or would you prefer nice crisp bacon
+and fluffy scrambled eggs?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Aw, Patch, cut it out,&rdquo; Garry pleaded. &ldquo;You
+don&rsquo;t have to make this any tougher than it is!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry took the food pills, chewing them slowly
+to get what little flavor there was in them. Then he
+finished off with the water, which was little more
+than enough to wet his throat.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, the captain has really rationed the water,
+hasn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo; Garry whispered.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_146">146</div>
+<p>&ldquo;He cut it back even further this morning,&rdquo; Patch
+replied. &ldquo;Know why? Because nobody came knocking
+on our air lock as he had hoped maybe they
+would. On top of that, I heard him say he was going
+to run another close inventory on all our life-supporting
+items to see how much is left.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gosh, do you think he&rsquo;s afraid <i>no</i> one will be
+knocking any time soon?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Patch replied, &ldquo;but he has been
+frowning quite a bit this morning.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain presently made it clear to all why he
+had been doing so much frowning.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Frankly,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I thought those people at the
+mining settlement would have had plenty of time
+while we slept to pay us a visit. If our SOS reached
+them soon after we began sending, as it should
+have, they should have had a flier over here within
+a few hours&rsquo; time. Our chief essentials for staying
+alive are our food, water, air, and power supply
+which is necessary to keep us warm. It&rsquo;s several
+hundred degrees below zero outside, in case you
+haven&rsquo;t thought about it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They took another inventory, and the results were
+not very heartening.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_147">147</div>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re using up much too much of our battery
+power,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the weakest
+link in our chain of existence. I didn&rsquo;t realize that
+yesterday when we had the lights on for reading.
+From now on until someone comes, we&rsquo;ll have to do
+without light altogether except when necessary.
+That means we&rsquo;ll have to do our reading by earthshine
+and our one flashlight. We may have some
+strained eyes, but that&rsquo;s the best we can do. We&rsquo;ll
+also have to reduce our heat a little to save on power
+that way too.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Captain, do you think we should check the condition
+of the battery in the outside transmitter?&rdquo;
+Isaac asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s supposed to have a useful life of seventy-two
+hours, operating automatically for a few minutes
+every half hour,&rdquo; the captain said, &ldquo;but the battery
+may have lost a lot of its power in storage. I
+think it would be a good idea to check it. It has a
+test meter on it, Isaac.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll go out and check it, Captain,&rdquo; Isaac said.</p>
+<p>When he had pulled on one of the space suits,
+Isaac checked the air and pressure and went outside.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch watched him move in a light-footed
+gliding motion toward the spot where the
+antenna had been set up. He spent several minutes
+with the rig and then came back into the flier.</p>
+<p>As he lifted his helmet off, he said with a shake
+of his head, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s quit sending, Captain. You were
+right. The battery must have been in bad shape to
+start with.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_148">148</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Not sending,&rdquo; Captain Eaton muttered to himself,
+a dark worried frown on his face. &ldquo;That means
+that if our SOS was not picked up earlier, it never
+will be, and no one will know where we are.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry&rsquo;s heart chilled at hearing this. What the
+captain really meant, but did not say, was that they
+were doomed to a slow death as their heat and air
+were depleted and they froze in the moon&rsquo;s incredible
+cold. That would happen long before their food
+and water gave out.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton placed a fatherly arm around each
+of the boys and said, &ldquo;Fellows, I wish there were
+something I could do. Believe me, if I could give
+my life to save you two, as Ben did, I would gladly
+do it. Do you believe that?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, Sir, I do believe it,&rdquo; Garry answered sincerely.
+&ldquo;But can&rsquo;t we really do something&mdash;anything
+at all? It&mdash;it&rsquo;s better than waiting, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re trembling, both of you,&rdquo; the captain said,
+&ldquo;and I can&rsquo;t blame you. If it&rsquo;s any comfort to you, I
+think you&rsquo;re the bravest two boys I ever knew. I
+would have been proud to have had a couple of
+sons like you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain pressed their arms affectionately.
+Garry knew how he felt about his helplessness to do
+anything.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_149">149</div>
+<p>&ldquo;You ask if there&rsquo;s anything we could do,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton said. &ldquo;Of course we&rsquo;re not giving up
+hope completely at this early stage, but things do
+look bad. We could ration ourselves severely and
+maybe prolong our existence a few days, but after
+that....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry finished the gloomy sentence in his own
+mind.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_150">150</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c16"><br />16. A SAD PARTING</h2>
+<p>They <i>did</i> wait&mdash;all the long day to follow.</p>
+<p>And in all that time, no one came.</p>
+<p>They did the same things that they had done the
+day before&mdash;reading by the light of the earth,
+which they feared they would never see again;
+reading until their eyes blurred and the battery had
+gone dead in their only flashlight.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch did not read much. Instead,
+they spent most of their time looking out over the
+cold gray dust, and up into the black sky, looking
+hopefully for some moving object against the bleak
+wilderness and wanting to be the first to spot it
+should it appear. But it never appeared, and bed-time
+came, but no one was in the spirit for sleep.
+And yet, since there was little else to do, everyone
+prepared for bed.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_151">151</div>
+<p>Garry and Patch lay awake in their adjoining
+seats, talking in low voices to each other.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, we&rsquo;ve been through a lot of close calls
+since we left the orphanage,&rdquo; Patch was saying,
+&ldquo;but this looks like <i>it</i>, doesn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know, Patch. I just don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; his
+friend replied with a troubled sigh. &ldquo;It sure doesn&rsquo;t
+look good. I won&rsquo;t ever really give up hope, though.
+There&rsquo;s still a chance that a rescue ship will come&mdash;maybe
+during the night.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But what if it doesn&rsquo;t?&rdquo; Patch asked. &ldquo;What if it
+doesn&rsquo;t come tonight or tomorrow&mdash;or the next
+night? How will we feel when we finally <i>know</i> that
+we won&rsquo;t be saved?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You shouldn&rsquo;t think like that, Patch. It&rsquo;ll make
+you miserable. You&rsquo;ve got to keep hoping, even
+when it doesn&rsquo;t make sense,&rdquo; Garry said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s funny about Ben,&rdquo; Patch went on. &ldquo;I mean
+about what he did. He meant to save us, but it&rsquo;s
+turned out that he&rsquo;s made it worse for us. It would
+have been better if we had crashed along with the
+<i>Carefree</i>, because then it would have been over
+quickly.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You know the saying, Patch: &lsquo;Where there&rsquo;s life
+there&rsquo;s hope.&rsquo; And I believe that.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_152">152</div>
+<p>Patch said no more, and before long Garry heard
+him snoring softly. This made Garry feel better,
+and presently he too fell asleep.</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch woke the next morning to the
+sound of subdued voices around them. For a brief
+moment Garry wondered if help had come during
+the night. He searched the faces he saw, and
+quickly his hopes were dashed. Instead of happy
+faces, they were haggard ones that showed the lack
+of sleep, and there were no new faces among them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No one came last night, did they?&rdquo; Patch asked
+Captain Eaton.</p>
+<p>The skipper shook his head and tugged at his
+beard that, by now, had become scraggly and untidy
+looking. The others moved in close, and Garry
+noticed all at once that he and Patch were the center
+of attention. He had a feeling then that something
+important was about to be said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, Patch,&rdquo; Captain Eaton said slowly, &ldquo;you
+respect my judgment and my experience, don&rsquo;t
+you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sure,&rdquo; the boys answered together, puzzled
+looks on their faces.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well then, you do believe I would do the best I
+knew for all of us, don&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch nodded again.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_153">153</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got something to say to the two of you,&rdquo;
+the captain continued, &ldquo;and it&rsquo;s very important to
+me that you abide by my decision. Will you promise
+to do so if I tell you it will be to your best interests?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys thought a moment, then nodded together,
+trusting the man they had come to admire
+and respect.</p>
+<p>Just then Garry noticed the pair of space suits
+lying on the floor nearby, and they looked as if work
+had been done on them. They seemed to have been
+made smaller by the adjustable straps with which
+all such space suits were equipped.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As you can see, fellows,&rdquo; the captain said, &ldquo;the
+rest of us didn&rsquo;t sleep much, but we were grateful
+that the two of you could, because it gave us time
+to come to our decision.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch watched the captain&rsquo;s face intently,
+the suspense building up in them moment
+by moment. Garry had a hunch that he and Patch
+would not like what they were going to hear.</p>
+<p>The captain took a deep breath and said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll
+come right out with it. The rest of us are forced to
+face the sad fact that rescue isn&rsquo;t coming. But
+there&rsquo;s no reason for everyone to perish. Garry, we
+decided that you and Patch....&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As his voice trailed off, Garry saw the picture.
+&ldquo;You want us to take the space suits and&mdash;and go
+out there.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_154">154</div>
+<p>&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t an easy decision to reach, Garry,&rdquo; Mac
+spoke. &ldquo;We may be sending the two of you to a
+worse fate than would happen to you here. But in
+that way there lies a <i>chance</i> for you. Here the
+chances would be very little. We are all agreed on
+that.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But why us?&rdquo; Garry protested. &ldquo;Why not two of
+the rest of you? We thought we had become one of
+you by now. We should all have drawn lots to see
+who would go. It&rsquo;s not democratic this way.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s because we&rsquo;re kids, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo; Patch asked.
+&ldquo;You&rsquo;re packing us off like children to bed! We
+won&rsquo;t leave you here!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Remember your promise, fellows,&rdquo; Captain
+Eaton said. &ldquo;This is the way we want it. Believe us,
+we really do&mdash;unanimously.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s even a chance you might make heroes
+of yourselves,&rdquo; Isaac added. &ldquo;You may find someone
+who can come and rescue us before it&rsquo;s too
+late.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We realize it won&rsquo;t be easy for you to leave us
+behind, and it won&rsquo;t be easy to set out across unknown
+country for an unknown destination. It&rsquo;ll
+take courage, gentlemen, plenty of courage, more
+courage than it will require for us to stay on here,&rdquo;
+Mr. Klecker said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_155">155</div>
+<p>Garry could find no further argument. The others
+were too much against him and Patch. They simply
+would not have it any other way. In the end the
+boys gave in, but they felt guilty for accepting what
+was seemingly the only way to survival.</p>
+<p>Some time later the boys were ready to start out.
+The space suits still were a little large, but they
+would serve. Garry wore the luminous green suit,
+Patch the luminous orange one. The boots were so
+large that Garry and Patch had to wear them over
+their shoes. The helmets were big and bulky, but
+in the moon&rsquo;s light gravity they were not too heavy.</p>
+<p>When the boys were sealed in the suits completely,
+Captain Eaton ran a careful check on them&mdash;the
+air pressure and temperature, and the
+&ldquo;walkie-talkie&rdquo; radios that would enable the boys
+to talk to each other. Finally, the fellows were
+loaded down with all the supplies they could be expected
+to need. This included spare oxygen tanks,
+water bottles, and liquid food in tubes. These tubes
+could be squeezed through an opening in the helmet
+so that one in a space suit could take nourishment
+without opening his helmet.</p>
+<p>Garry argued against taking nearly all of the
+spare supplies and leaving their friends with very
+little.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You must take them,&rdquo; Captain Eaton insisted.
+&ldquo;If you do not have enough to get you to the settlement,
+there is no purpose in starting out at all. Now,
+no more arguments.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_156">156</div>
+<p>There finally came the moment of parting, which
+everyone dreaded. Garry&rsquo;s heart was heavy at the
+thought of leaving these people he had grown so
+fond of in such a short time. Very likely he and
+Patch would never see any of them again.</p>
+<p>Garry could see that the men&rsquo;s eyes were troubled
+and sorrowful. They didn&rsquo;t seem to know just
+how to say farewell. Isaac and Gino gave a little
+nervous wave of their hands. Mr. Klecker shook
+hands formally. Mac gave them a warm pat on the
+back.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton walked slowly over to the air lock
+with the boys&mdash;slowly, as if he did not want to let
+them go. Garry and Patch had removed their helmets
+and held them in their hands. The captain had
+his arms around their shoulders, embracing them
+like a father.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, don&rsquo;t let&rsquo;s be sissies about this,&rdquo; the captain
+said with forced lightheartedness. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s just
+pretend that you boys are going on a short trip and
+that you&rsquo;ll be back in a little while. No sad words,
+no tears, eh?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s how we want it, Captain Eaton,&rdquo; Garry
+answered, but his throat was so tight he could
+hardly speak.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Whatever you do, don&rsquo;t give up,&rdquo; their older
+friend advised. &ldquo;Take care of yourselves and don&rsquo;t
+lose your heads if you meet a crisis. And don&rsquo;t come
+back, whatever happens. It won&rsquo;t help.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_157">157</div>
+<p>The captain took a piece of paper from Mac and
+gave it to Garry. &ldquo;Mac and I have plotted your
+course as nearly as we can from what we remember
+of this territory. We both had a course in lunar
+study at one time. Follow these landmarks closely.
+You will be heading straight for the mining settlement,
+and if, by chance, a search flier should be
+coming from that direction, try to catch their attention
+by waving. They will probably be looking for
+you, and your bright-colored suits will make you
+stand out pretty strong against the gray ground.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry was studying the penciled map. &ldquo;What is
+this gray part that you&rsquo;ve shown here, Captain?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an area of rugged rock formations,&rdquo; the captain
+explained. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to go through it, as there
+is no way around. You must proceed with extreme
+caution, because we haven&rsquo;t any flashlights left to
+give you. And, owing to the fact that there is just a
+trace of air on Luna, the earthshine can&rsquo;t penetrate
+into the shadows. You will literally have to inch
+yourselves along until you&rsquo;re in the open again.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain explained more of the dangers in this
+area and showed Garry and Patch other points on
+the map and what they stood for.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_158">158</div>
+<p>Finally, the boys had their last look at the man
+who had been the best friend to them that they had
+ever known. Garry studied the captain&rsquo;s brave,
+forced smile, and he could see the elderly man&rsquo;s
+efforts to keep himself under control.</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton wiped his moist palm on his trousers
+and then pushed the button that swung open
+the inner door of the air lock.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s something I must tell both of you before
+you go,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I made application for adoption
+of you two as my sons just before we had the
+accident. I have a friend in a high position back on
+earth who, I felt, could put through the papers
+quickly if they were approved. I never told you this,
+though, because I did not want to raise your hopes
+falsely in case the adoption was not approved. But I
+couldn&rsquo;t let you go not knowing what I had tried to
+do.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We would have liked you for a father,&rdquo; Patch
+said.</p>
+<p>Garry was too choked up to say anything except,
+&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go, Patch, before we change our minds and
+never go at all.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, that is better,&rdquo; the captain said. &ldquo;Good-by,
+boys, and may God go with you.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_159">159</div>
+<p>The boys pulled on their helmets, and Captain
+Eaton helped fit them tightly. Then he made a little
+farewell wave with his hand and motioned the boys
+into the air lock. A moment later the door swished
+shut. The outer door opened, and the bleak face of
+Luna beckoned to them. They stepped out into
+the gray dust, and the &ldquo;snowshoe&rdquo; plates added to
+the bottom of their boots kept them from sinking
+too deeply into the moon dust.</p>
+<p>They were now on their own.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_160">160</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c17"><br />17. DARK PERIL</h2>
+<p>Because of the light moon gravity, the boys found
+that they could move easily in spite of the deep
+dust and of the equipment strapped to their backs.
+The equipment took up as much room as it would
+have on earth, but here it weighed only one sixth
+of its earth weight and so was not much of a burden.</p>
+<p>In a short while they were out of sight of the
+flier. They had mounted a low-lying hill and crossed
+down the other side. It would still be a long time
+before they got out of the giant crater in which the
+flier had landed, but by the time they did get out
+they would be well along toward their destination.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We seem to be making good time, Patch,&rdquo; Garry
+said over his helmet radio.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_161">161</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s so much easier walking
+on the moon than it is on the earth, once you
+get the hang of it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Just think, Patch. Captain Eaton really was going
+to try to adopt us,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;And all the time
+we thought he didn&rsquo;t care enough.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one in a million, Garry. He would have
+been the grandest father a guy could ever have.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What do you mean he <i>would</i> have?&rdquo; Garry protested.
+&ldquo;He <i>will</i> be our father. We&rsquo;re going to <i>save</i>
+him, Patch. We&rsquo;re going to save all of them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I want to save them too,&rdquo; Patch said earnestly.
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;d sure hate for us to make it and them not to.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Maybe we shouldn&rsquo;t talk so much,&rdquo; Garry advised.
+&ldquo;It uses up more oxygen, and I don&rsquo;t think
+we have a surplus of it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They slogged silently through the gray dust in
+the bouncy, light-footed motion that they had become
+accustomed to by now. Every once in a while
+Garry would glance about him at the forbidding
+countryside of this dead world. Sight of the desolation
+chilled his soul. He wondered at first why this
+was so. Then he supposed that it must be because
+there was so much absolute <i>deadness</i> all about. For
+nothing could live in the numbing cold and the
+boiling-hot temperatures that came to this landscape
+periodically. No, he and Patch were the only
+living creatures from one horizon to the other, and
+this fact was enough to give anyone the shivers.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_162">162</div>
+<p>Finally Garry broke the long silence.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch, do you notice we&rsquo;re able to move along
+easier now?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s because the dust is thinning out, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo;
+Patch replied. &ldquo;But I see the rocky country up ahead
+that the captain was telling us about.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;and from the way he talked,
+it&rsquo;s going to be plenty rugged getting through
+there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They increased their speed, now that the going
+was easier.</p>
+<p>Garry stole a look at the big green jewel of earth
+afloat in the black sea of space, for it alone seemed
+to lend an air of friendliness and security to the
+otherwise lonely, sinister surroundings. The walls
+of Hornfield Crater about them were jagged as
+sharks&rsquo; teeth as they reached up into the darkness.
+The stars seemed to Garry like sparkling snowflakes
+dusted across the entire vault of the sky. The nebulae
+were like misty clouds, and there was the long
+arch of a great comet crossing just above the horizon
+and standing out remarkably because of its being
+so different from everything else in the whole
+visible sweep of the heavens.</p>
+<p>After a few hours of steady hiking, Patch suggested
+that they take a short break to rest and eat.
+Garry was ready for the same.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_163">163</div>
+<p>Garry checked their map and compared the
+markings on it to their true surroundings. &ldquo;We seem
+to be still on course, Patch,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<p>By now they had moved up on a higher plateau
+within the crater, and the dust had thinned so that
+solid rock could be felt underfoot. But not far beyond
+lay the wilderness of rock they had seen earlier
+at a distance. How huge and forbidding the
+region looked!</p>
+<p>Garry stopped walking and plopped down in his
+tracks, heaving a sigh. Patch sat down beside him.</p>
+<p>Garry took tubes of liquid food and a couple of
+water bottles from the pack he carried. He offered
+Patch his share and took some for himself.</p>
+<p>Each boy unscrewed a plate that covered the
+mouth of his helmet. Behind this was a rubber disk
+with a self-sealing opening in the middle of it. All
+the boys had to do was thrust the tubes of food and
+water through these openings and take them between
+their lips. By squeezing the tubes, they
+forced the contents into their mouths.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Got a napkin?&rdquo; Patch joked, when they were
+through. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to wipe my mouth.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sorry,&rdquo; Garry answered, &ldquo;but they haven&rsquo;t figured
+out a way to do that yet.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch climbed to his feet, screwing his outer
+mouthplate back on. &ldquo;Well, that wasn&rsquo;t exactly like
+carving into a steak, but I guess it&rsquo;ll do until we can
+get something better,&rdquo; he said.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_164">164</div>
+<p>They started out again, and soon approached the
+forbidding rocky region they had dreaded. The
+ground was rough and uneven. Garry looked ahead,
+and it was like staring into the mouth of a vast cavern.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to be careful, Patch,&rdquo; Garry warned,
+as he slowed down and held back his friend.
+&ldquo;There may be bad crevasses across our path, and
+they could be the end of us if we should fall in.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry took the responsibility of going first. Patch
+was right behind, holding on to a strap on Garry&rsquo;s
+suit.</p>
+<p>It was like going into a dark underworld thriving
+with all kinds of unknown dangers. Although he
+was following very closely, Patch could barely
+see Garry&rsquo;s outline ahead of him. Garry would carefully
+slide one foot ahead of him to be sure he had
+solid ground underfoot.</p>
+<p>After what seemed a very long time, Patch complained:
+&ldquo;This is giving me the willies, Garry. How
+much farther do you think we&rsquo;ve got to go? Besides,
+this is slowing us down almost to a crawl.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think I see a break up ahead,&rdquo; Garry encouraged.
+&ldquo;It seems we&rsquo;re making a wide turn, and the
+farther we go the more earthshine I think I can
+make out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, I&rsquo;d give anything I&rsquo;ve got for a light of
+some kind,&rdquo; Patch groaned.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_165">165</div>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s about the only thing they couldn&rsquo;t provide
+for us,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Remember we used up
+our flashlight when we cut down on our power supply
+in the flier.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I remember,&rdquo; Patch returned.</p>
+<p>Patch felt that Garry was slowly descending as
+he walked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hey, where are you going?&rdquo; Patch asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There seems to be an incline going down,&rdquo;
+Garry replied. &ldquo;I sure hope it comes back up and
+doesn&rsquo;t drop off so that we can&rsquo;t cross to the other
+side.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ugh,&rdquo; Patch shuddered. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t even <i>think</i> about
+that. Remember, Captain Eaton told us not to come
+back.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Just keep up with me and go slowly,&rdquo; Garry instructed.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll find out what&rsquo;s ahead in a few minutes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Down, down they went on a gentle slope.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;When are we going to start up?&rdquo; Patch asked
+worriedly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Garry replied, a little anxious
+himself.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_166">166</div>
+<p>Suddenly Garry moved too fast for Patch to keep
+up and lost contact with him. Patch lost his head
+momentarily and cried out, dashing forward to regain
+touch with Garry. In his haste, Patch tripped
+and fell on the jagged rocks. On the earth this
+would have been a bad fall, but the weaker gravity
+here saved him from serious injury. But the weaker
+gravity also gave him a longer sprawl and carried
+him down the slope.</p>
+<p>As soon as Garry heard Patch&rsquo;s frantic cry, he
+grabbed wildly in the darkness, hoping by chance
+to reach his friend. But his hands met only empty
+air.</p>
+<p>Patch&rsquo;s shrieks were cut off abruptly, and stark
+silence filled Garry&rsquo;s ears.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; Garry called, dread making him tremble
+all over. &ldquo;Patch, where are you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He had a mad impulse to leap down the incline,
+grabbing desperately at anything within reach.
+But he knew this could be disastrous for both himself
+and Patch.</p>
+<p>Slowly, Garry inched farther downward, heartsick
+as he considered the things that might have
+happened to his friend&mdash;a fall knocking him out or
+worse, or a tumble down a deep, treacherous pit.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; he kept calling. &ldquo;Patch!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The frightening moments of anguish were relieved
+when Garry finally heard a faint voice.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch, where are you?&rdquo; Garry asked over and
+over, as he inched downward, ever downward.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Here, Garry,&rdquo; came the very weak voice.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_167">167</div>
+<p>Thinking Patch was still far off, Garry slid his
+feet with more urgent speed through the utter
+blackness. Then the toe of his boot kicked something
+soft.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, don&rsquo;t!&rdquo; came a low-pitched, terrified
+voice. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re kicking the hand I&rsquo;m holding on
+by!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Then Garry realized what had happened, and the
+thought of the costly mistake he had almost made
+sickened him for a moment. Patch&rsquo;s radio antenna
+had evidently been damaged in his fall, making his
+call for help seem farther off than he really was.</p>
+<p>Garry stooped down, his hands closing over the
+gloved hand he had nearly knocked from its precarious
+position.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry!&rdquo; Patch said, his voice still a little hysterical.
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m hanging on a cliff of some kind, and my
+feet aren&rsquo;t touching anything! Please, Garry, get
+me up before I let go! I feel my hands slipping!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hold on, Patch! Try to keep holding! I&rsquo;ve got
+to get a foothold or we both may go over!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry quickly kicked loose dust from underfoot
+and brushed it some more with his gloved hands.
+Then he leaned over and reached for Patch&rsquo;s clinging
+hands. He slid his own hands below Patch&rsquo;s
+wrists, closing his fingers about those wrists for
+dear life.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a good hold, Patch,&rdquo; Garry panted.
+&ldquo;Brace your feet and help me as I try to pull you
+up. Ready?&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_168">168</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Ready, Garry!&rdquo; came Patch&rsquo;s weak voice.</p>
+<p>Making sure his feet were well anchored, Garry
+pulled with all his might. For an instant Patch&rsquo;s
+body resisted him like a dead weight. Then, with
+an almost superhuman effort, Garry was able to
+hoist him up ... up ... up and over onto the
+ledge safely. Then both of them slumped exhaustedly
+on the rocky brink.</p>
+<p>The boys were quiet for several seconds as they
+caught their breath in the pitch darkness and considered
+how close it had come to being all over
+for Patch.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; his grateful friend managed to say
+finally, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll make it up to you. If we ever get out of
+this alive, I&rsquo;ll make it up to you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Never mind that,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t lose
+anything when you fell? You&rsquo;ve still got the extra
+oxygen tanks?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>A dead silence followed, and that silence caused
+Garry to feel a clutch of dread.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You lost them, didn&rsquo;t you?&rdquo; he asked with a
+hopeless groan.</p>
+<p>Garry heard a faint sob over his helmet receiver.
+Then Patch fairly wept out the words he next
+spoke: &ldquo;Yes, yes, I did! Push me back in, Garry!
+Push me back in! We&rsquo;re lost for sure now!&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_169">169</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c18"><br />18. STRANGE DISCOVERY</h2>
+<p>It took a long time for the boys to pull themselves
+together after experiencing this final fateful blow.
+Down into the depths with those precious air cylinders
+had gone whatever chance the boys had for
+escaping alive from the cruel moon and for saving
+their friends. Patch broke down and Garry felt just
+as badly himself, but he managed to hold back the
+tears.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch burst out, &ldquo;we may as well go
+back and die with the others now! There&rsquo;s no use
+at all in going on any farther!&rdquo; His voice still
+sounded far off to Garry because of the damaged
+antenna.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_170">170</div>
+<p>&ldquo;If we went back, then <i>they</i> would no longer
+have any hope,&rdquo; Garry argued. &ldquo;We took everything
+else they had. We&rsquo;ve got to leave them hope&mdash;even
+until the end. Besides, we couldn&rsquo;t accomplish
+anything by going back. Maybe, Patch, there&rsquo;s
+just the barest chance that we have enough oxygen
+to reach the settlement. Or enough to get out into
+the open again and wait to see if a rescue flier comes
+over.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not moving, Garry!&rdquo; Patch snapped in utter
+despair. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going, do you hear?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You <i>are</i> going,&rdquo; Garry said determinedly.
+&ldquo;You&rsquo;re going if I have to carry you! It&rsquo;s no time to
+quit, Patch.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then when <i>is</i> it time?&rdquo; Patch shot back. &ldquo;You
+and your hopes, Garry! Always hoping, even when
+there isn&rsquo;t a smidgin of a chance.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It may be only a smidgin,&rdquo; Garry said firmly,
+&ldquo;but sometimes that&rsquo;s enough. Now stop being a
+quitter and get to your feet.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>There was only silence over Garry&rsquo;s receiver for
+several tense seconds. Garry didn&rsquo;t know what he
+would do if Patch chose to defy him again. He knew
+he could not really make his friend do anything
+his heart refused to do.</p>
+<p>But Patch solved this latest problem himself.
+Garry heard rustling sounds as Patch climbed
+slowly to his feet.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_171">171</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry I talked rough, Patch,&rdquo; Garry apologized.
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;ve quarreled twice in all
+our lives, have we? But we&rsquo;re in this thing together,
+and we&rsquo;ve got to keep going, no matter how
+bad things look. We&rsquo;ve just <i>got</i> to, don&rsquo;t you see?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re talking about keeping going,&rdquo; Patch returned,
+&ldquo;but we can&rsquo;t even get across this crevasse.
+How do you propose to do that? Besides that, we
+can&rsquo;t even see as well as moles in this darkness.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s walk along the edge, first in one direction
+and then the other,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Maybe the crevasse
+narrows and disappears before too far!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They began exploring the treacherous cliff edge,
+moving slowly and carefully along in one direction.
+Every once in a while they tested the width
+of the chasm. Garry would get down on hands and
+knees and reach out, feeling with his hand to see if
+he could contact the other side. Time after time this
+was done, but each time his hands met empty air.</p>
+<p>After a tedious hour, Patch complained bitterly,
+&ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you see it&rsquo;s hopeless, Garry? Gee whiz, what
+does it take to convince you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s try a few more times,&rdquo; Garry replied doggedly.
+&ldquo;Then if we still can&rsquo;t find a way across,
+we&rsquo;ll start going along the crevasse in the other direction.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Patch did not reply to this, and Garry knew how
+bitter his friend must feel toward him after so many
+setbacks.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_172">172</div>
+<p>The next time Garry got down on his hands and
+knees and reached out, his probing hand touched
+hard, firm rock on the other side!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch!&rdquo; he shouted. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve found a place where
+we can cross!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Even Patch was heartened by this and made an
+enthusiastic comment. In the hope of finding the
+crevasse even narrower and safer farther along,
+Garry followed the ledge, and, sure enough, it grew
+narrower and narrower until it was a crack in the
+ground only a few inches across.</p>
+<p>Making the crossing to the other side, the boys,
+in feeling their way along, found that the ground
+began to rise again. Garry still maintained the lead,
+with Patch holding onto him and following blindly
+only a step behind.</p>
+<p>Up, up the slope they went, and before long
+they could see rays of light flickering down into
+their eyes.</p>
+<p>Soon there was enough light so that they could
+see a little distance ahead. They quickened their
+steps, although it still required some care on their
+part to avoid the sharp-edged stones and rugged
+underfooting that still lay in front of them.</p>
+<p>But the light grew steadily brighter and the trail
+flatter.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Look, Patch, I can see the stars again!&rdquo; Garry
+was soon able to say.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_173">173</div>
+<p>Then, scarcely before they realized it, they were
+completely out of the shadows of the rocky formation
+that had very nearly finished them. Above and
+behind them once more shone the big bright ball
+of earth floating among the stars.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Good old earth!&rdquo; Patch exclaimed, with new
+hope. &ldquo;I never thought I&rsquo;d see it again!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great sight!&rdquo; Garry agreed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch said, &ldquo;we can see right over the
+top of the crater wall in the distance. We seem to be
+higher than we were when we started.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve noticed that too,&rdquo; Garry replied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll check
+the map again.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry did so, then told Patch that they were still
+on course.</p>
+<p>They moved on and presently stood at the raised
+edge of a gradually lowering basin that stretched
+out very far and flat ahead of them. They could see
+a break in the crater wall a few miles away, which
+the captain had pointed out to them on the map.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It looks like we&rsquo;ll have easy traveling for
+awhile,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;and we&rsquo;ll be right out in the
+open in case a flier comes over. They&rsquo;ll be sure to
+see us unless they&rsquo;re completely blind.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry,&rdquo; Patch said in a thoughtful voice, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m
+sorry.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Huh?&rdquo; Garry asked in surprise.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_174">174</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry for the way I acted. I lost my head
+completely. When I found out I&rsquo;d lost the air cylinders
+over the ledge, I just seemed to go to pieces.
+It&rsquo;s a good thing one of us knows how to keep his
+head.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Forget it, Patch,&rdquo; Garry soothed. &ldquo;It could have
+been me just as easy as you. Besides, that&rsquo;s not important
+now. We&rsquo;ve still got a long way to go, and
+time is running short.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Suddenly, Patch ran past Garry in great haste
+and stood staring over the plain below, shielding
+his eyes with his hands.</p>
+<p>Garry joined him. &ldquo;Patch, what is it? Do you see
+something?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s impossible!&rdquo; Patch gasped. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s completely
+impossible!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What?&rdquo; Garry begged, his own excitement growing.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Look! There&rsquo;s somebody walking around down
+there or else I&rsquo;m seeing things!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry looked where Patch pointed, and he too
+found it hard to believe his eyes. There <i>was</i> someone
+or something moving around.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I see it!&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;Come on, let&rsquo;s go down
+and get a closer look!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I just hope it isn&rsquo;t in as bad shape as we are!&rdquo;
+Patch exclaimed.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_175">175</div>
+<p>They hurried as fast as they dared over the
+bumpy ground, heading straight for the person or
+thing that was moving about in seemingly aimless
+fashion on the plain below.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;He sees us!&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s coming toward
+us!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Swiftly the distance closed between the boys and
+the lone stranger. And then Garry and Patch received
+the surprise of their lives.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Katrinka!&rdquo; they shouted together, not believing
+what they saw.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It can&rsquo;t be!&rdquo; Patch cried in amazement. &ldquo;Garry,
+we must be seeing a mirage or something! How
+could Katrinka...?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s Katrinka all right!&rdquo; Garry said, as the robot
+drew close enough to be fully recognized. &ldquo;But I
+don&rsquo;t understand it. I don&rsquo;t understand it at all!
+Katrinka crashed with the <i>Carefree</i> and poor Ben!
+But even if she didn&rsquo;t crash, how is it she&rsquo;s wandering
+around out here on the moon?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And what could make her start moving toward
+us?&rdquo; Patch asked, as the mystery deepened. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll
+never make me believe she&rsquo;s <i>really</i> human, although
+at times it seemed that she was.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The big robot stopped in front of the boys and
+remained still. Garry and Patch felt almost as if
+they should say &ldquo;Hello,&rdquo; because indeed it was like
+meeting an old friend.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_176">176</div>
+<p>After a few moments of remaining stock still, Katrinka
+turned and started shuffling off with great
+long strides.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;ll we do, Garry?&rdquo; Patch asked. &ldquo;Follow
+her? But that would be silly! She&rsquo;s still an unthinking
+machine.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know, Patch. This whole thing seems
+very strange, although it may be that she was
+merely thrown clear when the <i>Carefree</i> crashed
+and somehow her works were activated by the jolt.
+And yet I have the feeling that she almost knows
+what she&rsquo;s doing, as if she wants us to follow her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now you&rsquo;re talking spooky,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;You
+don&rsquo;t really believe that Katrinka can <i>think</i>!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what to believe,&rdquo; Garry replied.
+&ldquo;But I sure would like to follow her a little way to
+see just what she&rsquo;s going to do next.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But our air, Garry! We don&rsquo;t have enough to
+waste on playing &lsquo;follow the leader&rsquo;!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Just a little way, Patch. Who knows&mdash;this might
+even lead to something important.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re way off base, Garry, but I&rsquo;ll admit
+I&rsquo;m curious too. Let&rsquo;s go.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Katrinka had already gained some distance on
+them while they were debating what to do, and she
+did not wait for them. They started running to catch
+up and presently did so. But the robot traveled at
+such a fast pace that they still had to move in long,
+antelopelike jumps to keep up.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_177">177</div>
+<p>Katrinka was definitely headed in one particular
+direction because she varied hardly any in her line
+of motion. She seemed to be going toward an area
+where the rocks rose high and ominous looking. It
+was much like the spot where the boys had had
+their recent harrowing experience.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, please,&rdquo; Patch begged, panting for
+breath, &ldquo;let&rsquo;s call this crazy chase off! That athletic
+gal is running me ragged! Besides, she seems to
+be taking us straight into those rocky walls!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, there&rsquo;s one thing certain,&rdquo; Garry replied.
+&ldquo;She&rsquo;s <i>got</i> to change direction pretty quick, or she&rsquo;ll
+crash into something. Let&rsquo;s stick it out a few more
+minutes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They drew closer to the shadowy outcropping.
+But the robot did not even slow her pace. The boys
+knew she was heading for a collision, but there was
+nothing they could do but watch.</p>
+<p>Somehow she got past the first row of stones,
+tripping and nearly falling, then recovering automatically.
+But her luck was short lived. The path
+went downhill beyond this spot, and her big metal
+foot slammed against a boulder. The robot arched
+through the air and crashed headfirst into a rocky
+wall. It crumpled her metal cranium, spewing out
+wires and electronic parts.</p>
+<p>The boys came running up and stood looking at
+the fallen giant.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_178">178</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Poor old Katrinka,&rdquo; Garry said. &ldquo;She was almost
+like one of us. It&rsquo;s nearly as if another one of us had
+died.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yeah, I liked the old gal,&rdquo; Patch replied. &ldquo;She
+may have survived a crash on the moon, but it&rsquo;s a
+cinch she&rsquo;s reached the end of her rope now.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry cast a look around to see what sort of area
+they had come into. His eyes followed the downhill
+trail ahead that Katrinka would still be following
+had she not had her accident.</p>
+<p>What he saw brought a gasp of astonishment
+from him, and a nervous tremor coursed through
+his body.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Patch, look!&rdquo; he shouted. &ldquo;The <i>Carefree</i>!
+There&rsquo;s the <i>Carefree</i> down there, half buried in
+moon dust!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They rushed down the trail to get a closer look.
+The giant space ship was indeed buried half of her
+depth in pumice dust. The rear air lock was level
+with the ground, and extending from the air lock
+was a gangplank!</p>
+<p>The boys moved up to the edge of the gangplank,
+looking it over in bafflement.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t tell me Katrinka put that down and
+walked out of the ship on it!&rdquo; Patch challenged.
+&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t get me to believe that, Garry.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_179">179</div>
+<p>&ldquo;No, you&rsquo;re right; she couldn&rsquo;t possibly have done
+that on her own. She might have done it, Patch,
+but she would have had to be guided by an intelligent
+<i>human</i> brain.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Garry, what are you saying? Are you trying to
+say that Ben might have survived that crash and
+rigged up Katrinka so that she could go out looking
+for us? Why, that&rsquo;s fantastic!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll soon find out if it&rsquo;s so fantastic,&rdquo; Garry
+said. &ldquo;The ship is nearly undamaged, as you can
+see.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What are you going to do?&rdquo; Patch asked, as
+Garry moved ahead.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to walk that gangplank up to the air
+lock and see if Ben is inside.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They could see that the gangplank had been put
+down because of the depth of the Lunar dust. It was
+obviously quite deep in this area, since the <i>Carefree</i>
+itself was half buried in it. Deep, enormous dust
+pits were very common on the moon and were
+among the most dangerous obstacles to travel, because
+they never gave any indication of how deep
+they were until someone fell in and was suffocated.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_180">180</div>
+<p>Carefully, Garry, with Patch right behind him,
+stepped out on the narrow gangplank and moved
+slowly forward toward the air lock at the other
+end. It was a little unsteady underfoot, but it was
+rigid and did not sink beneath the boys&rsquo; light lunar
+weight. Besides, Garry felt pretty sure now that
+Katrinka had crossed it, and she was far heavier
+than both of them together.</p>
+<p>Garry reached the air lock, his heart thumping
+rapidly with hope and expectation. He raised his
+gloved hand and began pounding on the outer door.</p>
+<p>They waited. Five seconds, then ten, fifteen....</p>
+<p>Garry&rsquo;s hopes began to dim. It didn&rsquo;t look as if
+there were anyone alive inside after all.</p>
+<p>But then the air-lock door began to swing open.
+The boys scrambled inside, too tense and excited
+to speak to one another. They heard air swishing
+into the air lock. Then, after another half minute,
+the inner door swung open.</p>
+<p>Standing there inside facing them was&mdash;Ben.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_181">181</div>
+<div class="img"><img src="images/chapter.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="35" /></div><h2 id="c19"><br />19. A NEW LIFE</h2>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben!&rdquo; Garry exclaimed jubilantly, rushing into the
+main part of the ship. &ldquo;Is it really you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a ghost,&rdquo; Ben said with a grin, &ldquo;if that&rsquo;s
+what you mean.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How did you ever do it?&rdquo; Patch asked, amazement
+written all over his chubby features. &ldquo;I mean
+crash-land the <i>Carefree</i>.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;First tell me how the others are,&rdquo; Ben asked
+anxiously.</p>
+<p>Garry told him that they were all right, at least
+for the time being.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_182">182</div>
+<p>Ben was limping as he moved about. Patch asked
+about this, and Ben said it would come out in his
+story. The boys had entered into the central tunnel
+of the <i>Carefree</i>, with its webbing network, and
+Garry noticed that Ben had laid down metallic
+sheets over the webbing so that it could be more
+easily stood upon.</p>
+<p>Ben sat down on this and began his story.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I had made plans to remain aboard the <i>Carefree</i>
+before we even started working on the flier. When
+I found that the space taxi would hold only seven
+passengers safely, I knew someone had to stay behind.
+I was afraid the captain would realize that the
+flier would be overcrowded, but I guess he was
+too busy thinking about other things. The likely one
+to bow out was myself, because I felt that quite
+possibly I might be able to bring the <i>Carefree</i> down
+in one piece. I knew this region of Hornfield was
+full of huge dust pits that could cushion the fall of a
+ship if she belly-landed in one of them just right.
+But don&rsquo;t think I wasn&rsquo;t scared even thinking of
+trying such a thing! Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, fellows&mdash;I
+wasn&rsquo;t out to make a hero of myself!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You must have had some control over the ship,&rdquo;
+Garry said, &ldquo;otherwise she would have crashed
+headlong onto the moon.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I had some control,&rdquo; Ben explained. &ldquo;As soon as
+I released the flier from the <i>Carefree</i>, I started my
+attempt to save the ship and myself as well. I
+donned a pressure suit and went into the flight deck.
+Remember, I had gone in there before, soon after
+the collision. I had noticed then that most of the instrument
+panel had been destroyed.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_183">183</div>
+<p>&ldquo;I remember too, Ben, that you helped build the
+<i>Carefree</i>,&rdquo; Garry said, &ldquo;so you must&rsquo;ve known a lot
+about her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I tore out the cover of the console and began
+working in the section beneath. With tools, I was
+able to get the braking jets to functioning. This
+slowed the ship down to a slow orbit around the
+moon and gave me time to work on the steering controls.
+I couldn&rsquo;t do much with them, but I was able
+to move the ship a little to the port or starboard
+side, as I wished. I knew this was as far as I
+could go, but with some luck I felt there was a
+chance of bringing her down safely.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why didn&rsquo;t you try this before we all left the
+ship?&rdquo; Patch wanted to know.</p>
+<p>Ben shook his head. &ldquo;Risk everybody&rsquo;s life on
+some crazy plan of my own? No, it was too farfetched
+in the first place, and I guess I would not
+even have tried it myself unless I&rsquo;d had to. The flier
+was much the safer route to safety, and that&rsquo;s why
+getting it to go was my first concern. With you guys
+out of the way, I had no one&rsquo;s life to risk but my
+own.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How did you manage to land as close to the
+flier as you did?&rdquo; Garry asked.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_184">184</div>
+<p>&ldquo;My first thought was to land near one of the settlements,
+because if I did make it, then I would immediately
+send out a search party for the rest of
+you. But I knew I <i>had</i> to land in one of the vast
+dust pits on Luna, because the ship would be destroyed
+by friction if it skidded along the bare
+ground. I made one orbit of the moon as the ship
+slowed down more and more and lost altitude. I
+knew roughly in what area the flier would likely
+come down, and I remembered Hornfield Crater as
+one being full of dust pits. As the ship glided lower
+and lower, I figured this would be where I would
+try to bring her down. The pit we&rsquo;re in now is a
+very large, long trough, maybe a quarter of a mile
+long and a hundred feet wide. I therefore had a
+pretty good chance of landing in it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, you had a lot of nerve to try something like
+that!&rdquo; Patch exclaimed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I took one last look out where I hoped to come
+down,&rdquo; Ben said, &ldquo;and then went under the console
+into the working parts again. I cut out a few of the
+upper braking jets, and this caused the ship to nose
+down. I felt it plough into the dust as if into a big
+flour barrel. The ship heated up from the friction
+created, but it slowed her down rapidly, and she
+came to rest on this spot, half buried in pumice.
+Even so, I nearly missed the dust pit, landing only
+about thirty feet from the edge of it.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_185">185</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Now what about Katrinka?&rdquo; Garry asked. &ldquo;You
+did send her out, didn&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Right. I sprained my ankle when the ship landed
+and I was thrown against some machinery. I could
+hardly walk, but I wanted to make contact with the
+rest of you if it were possible. I then figured that the
+old gal might be able to help me. I worked her over
+so that I could operate her by remote control. I also
+made for her a command disk, so that when she
+moved near one of you or the flier she would give a
+radio signal to me. I laid down the gangplank myself
+over the pit, because I knew Katrinka would
+sink down in the dust. It nearly killed me getting
+about and using a hoist to lower the gangplank to
+the opposite bank, but I finally managed it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then you sent her out?&rdquo; Patch asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes. I used a small telescope to keep track of her.
+I couldn&rsquo;t be sure where the rest of you had come
+down, but my plan was to start her moving about
+in a gradually enlarging circle. I was hoping that
+some of you would see her and come over to investigate.
+Once you had done that, I felt sure you
+would have the curiosity to follow her wherever she
+led you. And this you two fortunately did.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We nearly didn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Patch said. &ldquo;We thought Katrinka
+had been thrown clear of the <i>Carefree</i> after
+it had crashed and somehow had gotten accidentally
+activated as she had done once on the ship.&rdquo;</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_186">186</div>
+<p>They heard a rap on the outer air-lock door. Patch
+and Garry exchanged bewildered glances, but Ben
+did not seem very surprised.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That must be the men from the settlement,&rdquo;
+he said, limping over to the air lock and shoving the
+lever that opened the outer door. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t had
+time to tell you yet that I got through a message to
+them. You see, before I even thought of the trick
+with Katrinka, I was working on that damaged antenna
+dish that had prevented our sending an SOS
+after our collision in space. At first I didn&rsquo;t have any
+replies, and I figured there must be interference
+from the Taurus Mountains beyond.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That must be why <i>our</i> SOS didn&rsquo;t go through!&rdquo;
+Patch said.</p>
+<p>Ben went on: &ldquo;I increased my transmitting power
+and finally got through. It&rsquo;s been less than an hour
+ago that they said they would send over a Service
+flier rocket immediately.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The two men who entered the air lock a few moments
+later were Commander Staples and his
+lieutenant, both members of the Space Service.
+They had been making a routine flight over the
+moon when they had been contacted by the mining
+scientists who had picked up Ben&rsquo;s SOS.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_187">187</div>
+<p>The two men had arrived in a big space flier that
+could easily take care of Captain Eaton and the
+others. Ben and the boys were anxious to get started
+so that the long-drawn-out ordeal their friends had
+been undergoing could be ended as quickly as possible.
+Commander Staples said they could leave immediately.</p>
+<p>The boys pulled on their helmets, and the officers
+helped Ben get into a pressure suit. This was painful
+for Ben because of his swollen ankle. Then, with
+everyone dressed to go out onto the moon&rsquo;s surface,
+Ben pushed the lever that opened the inner air-lock
+door. Once outside, they started in single file across
+the gangplank. Ben was in the middle and limped
+along slowly with his hands on the shoulders of the
+officer in front of him to steady himself.</p>
+<p>On the way to the flier, they passed the smashed
+metal body of Katrinka. The officers looked at the
+strange robot with great interest, and Ben explained
+her to them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;She won&rsquo;t remain out here to die,&rdquo; Ben said over
+his suit radio, as if he were talking about a human
+being. &ldquo;When we return to the <i>Carefree</i> one of
+these days, we&rsquo;ll rebuild her, and she&rsquo;ll be as good
+as new.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boys were glad to hear this because now
+they realized that every one of their little group
+on the <i>Carefree</i> would survive the frightening adventure
+and that once again they would all be together,
+including their robot friend.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_188">188</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben,&rdquo; Patch asked, &ldquo;will the <i>Carefree</i> ever fly
+again?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s up to Captain Eaton,&rdquo; Ben replied. &ldquo;It
+will take a lot of money to put her in shape again,
+and that includes a powerful set of rockets to lift
+her into space. But knowing how much the captain
+likes her, I believe he&rsquo;ll spare no expense making
+her space borne again.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Commander Staples said to Ben: &ldquo;I heard you
+mention Captain Eaton. Our radio picked up a
+spacegram that was addressed to a Captain Eaton.
+We tape those messages routinely, and I&rsquo;ll be able
+to give it to him when we see him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The Service flier was a sleek, streamlined rocket
+with fins that were built to support the craft in the
+earth&rsquo;s atmosphere, if need be. She also had powerful
+jets for lifting her up off the surface of any of the
+minor planets.</p>
+<p>Commander Staples asked the boys to point out
+to him on a chart the approximate location of their
+flier, and Garry estimated the position as accurately
+as he could.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_189">189</div>
+<p>Then, with everyone belted down, the flier&rsquo;s
+rocket roared into action, and the craft lifted into
+the dark sky. It was a very short trip, and the ship
+did not have to fly too high. Commander Staples&rsquo;
+assistant spied the flier and pointed it out to his
+superior. The ship circled the area in a gradually
+lowering spiral and came to rest about a hundred
+feet from the small grounded space taxi.</p>
+<p>A few moments later, Ben and the boys were
+hurrying across the rough ground toward the flier.
+Garry&rsquo;s heart was pounding so hard with joy and
+excitement that he could hear its thumping over
+his helmet receiver.</p>
+<p>Those inside had evidently seen their rescuers
+arrive, because the outer door of the air lock was
+open to receive them.</p>
+<p>Garry would never forget the old captain&rsquo;s happy
+face when he saw the three of them enter. Nor
+would he forget the tears glistening in the corners
+of Captain Eaton&rsquo;s eyes as he clasped the boys to
+his chest in a great bear hug that nearly squeezed
+the life out of them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thank God for this great moment!&rdquo; the old
+man said in a husky voice. &ldquo;And Ben&mdash;even you,
+whom we had long ago given up for dead! What
+have I ever done to deserve a happy moment like
+this?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He released the boys and clasped Ben to him as
+if he were another lost son. Then the others came
+forward, their faces gleaming with the overwhelming
+joy they felt at seeing the lost ones returning.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_190">190</div>
+<p>&ldquo;Ben, you old trickster you!&rdquo; Mac shouted,
+pounding his friend on the back. &ldquo;How in the world
+you came out of that thing alive I&rsquo;ll never know. But
+right now I don&rsquo;t care <i>how</i> you did it!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Welcome home, stranger!&rdquo; Isaac said, shaking
+Ben&rsquo;s hand vigorously as only Isaac could do.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s most gratifying to see you, Ben,&rdquo; Mr. Klecker
+said in his butler&rsquo;s tone of voice, which, however,
+did not mean that he was any less deeply moved
+than the others.</p>
+<p>Gino then came forward and took his turn at
+greeting Ben and the boys. The celebration went
+on for several more minutes, and the little flier was
+pleasantly noisy with joking and happy talk.</p>
+<p>But, finally, Commander Staples had to interrupt
+the celebration with a smiling, apologetic
+voice: &ldquo;I hate to break up this little party, but we&rsquo;ve
+got to start back to the mining settlement. You see,
+I&rsquo;m on duty and I&rsquo;ve got a busy schedule. They
+have accommodations for all of you at the settlement,
+and you can make your future plans as soon
+as you&rsquo;ve arrived there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The prisoners of so long a time in the cramped
+quarters of the flier were only too willing to get out
+of their prison. The commander and his assistant
+went back to the Service flier to get space suits for
+those who did not have them.</p>
+<div class="pb" id="Page_191">191</div>
+<p>After the suits had been distributed, Commander
+Staples gave a piece of paper to Captain Eaton.
+&ldquo;Here&rsquo;s a message for you, Sir, that our radio
+picked up.&rdquo; He winked at the boys. &ldquo;Something
+tells me they&rsquo;ll be as interested in it as you will be.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The captain read the message and then turned
+to Garry and Patch with a warm expression. &ldquo;Boys,
+it looks as though the adoption will go through as
+soon as we go back for a short time and make the
+arrangements.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Gee, I&mdash;I don&rsquo;t know what to say,&rdquo; Garry murmured,
+almost too excited and happy for words. &ldquo;It
+sounds too good to be true!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re the best words you could have said to
+us, Sir,&rdquo; Patch added. &ldquo;Isn&rsquo;t it just great, Garry!&rdquo;
+His sparkling eyes showed how much he meant it.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be a little strange being called, &lsquo;Father,&rsquo;&rdquo;
+the captain said, smiling, &ldquo;but I think I&rsquo;ll get used
+to it pretty quickly.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Captain Eaton stared off with a faraway look.
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll make up for lost time, boys. We&rsquo;ll see as
+much of the universe as the old <i>Carefree</i> will carry
+us to. Yes, we&rsquo;ll fix her up again if it takes the rest
+of my fortune. You&rsquo;ll get your education among the
+stars, my sons, and you&rsquo;ll be that much wiser because
+of it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garry and Patch exchanged happy glances.
+Garry thought they were wiser already, just from
+knowing the grand skipper of the <i>Carefree</i>.</p>
+<h2 id="tn">Transcriber&rsquo;s Notes</h2><ul>
+<li>Copyright notice provided as in the original&mdash;this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.</li>
+<li>Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.</li>
+<li>In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)</li>
+</ul>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Young Stowaways in Space, by Richard Mace Elam
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+</pre>
+
+</body>
+</html>
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