large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_13_various_64kb_79
large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_13_various_64kb
English
10361
His belt chronometer told him it would be about time for Morones to get up from his "night's" sleep. A little discreet observation might tell much. Long before he reached the compound, Olear heard the rushing of the great Blue River in its headlong plunge to the corrosive heat of the desert. HIS BELLE CHRONOMETER TOLD HIM IT WOULD BE ABOUT TIME FOR MORONES TO GET UP FROM HIS NIGHT'S SLEEP A LITTLE DISCREET OBSERVATION MIGHT TELL MUCH LONG BEFORE HE REACHED THE COMPOUND O'LIE HEARD THE RUSHING OF THE GREAT BLUE RIVER IN ITS HEADLONG PLUNGE TO THE CORROSIVE HEAT OF THE DESERT
anks had been opened. Had Olear actually continued on his way to Earth he would have perished miserably of suffocation long before he could have returned to the Mercurian atmosphere. The officer whistled tunelessly through his teeth as he considered this fact. The visibility was by this time normal; that is, so poor it would have been possible to land very close to the trading station. Olear was taking no chances, however, and came down a good three Earth miles away. The egg-shaped hull sank through the glossy, brilliant treetops, through twisted vines, and was buried in the dank gloom of the jungle. Here it might remain hidden for a hundred years. * * * * * The twilight of the jungle was almost darkness. Landmarks were not. But Olear made a few small, inconspicuous marks on trees with his knife until he came to an outcropping rock. He had noticed the scarlike white of it slashing through the jungle from the air, and used it as a guide to direct his stealthy return to the trading post. ERY ONE OF THE SPARE TANKS HAD BEEN OPENED HAD O'LIEAR ACTUALLY CONTINUED ON HIS WAY TO EARTH HE WOULD HAVE PERISHED MISERABLY OF SUFFOCATION LONG BEFORE HE COULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE MERCURIAN ATMOSPHERE THE OFFICER WHISTLED TUNELESSLY THROUGH HIS TEETH AS HE CONSIDERED THIS FACT THE VISIBILITY WAS BY THIS TIME NORMAL THAT IS SO POOR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE TO LAND VERY CLOSE TO THE TRADING STATION O'LIEIR WAS TAKING NO CHANCES HOWEVER AND CAME DOWN A GOOD THREE EARTH MILES AWAY THE EGG SHAPED HULLS SANK THROUGH THE GLOSSY BRILLIANT TREE TOPS THROUGH TWISTED VINES AND WAS BURIED IN THE DANK GLOOM OF THE JUNGLE HERE IT MIGHT REMAIN HIDDEN FOR A HUNDRED YEARS THE TWILIGHT OF THE JUNGLE WAS ALMOST DARKNESS LANDMARKS WERE NOT BUT IT LEE MADE A FEW SMALL INCONSPICUOUS MARKS ON TREES WITH HIS KNIFE UNTIL HE CAME TO AN OUTCROPPING ROCK HE HAD NOTICED THE SCAR LIKE WHITE OF IT SLASHING THROUGH THE JUNGLE FROM THE AIR AND USED IT AS A GUIDE TO DIRECT HIS STEALTHY RETURN TO THE TRADING POST
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