large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_13_various_64kb_1
large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_13_various_64kb
English
10361
* * * * * 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. 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. 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 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
d was almost inside its atmosphere when he made a discovery that caused him to lose for a moment his natural indifference, and to clamp his jaws in anger. The current oxygen tank became empty, and when he removed it from the rack and put in a new one he found someone had let out all of this essential gas. The valve of every one of the spare tanks 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. RY AGAIN AND WAS ALMOST INSIDE ITS ATMOSPHERE WHEN HE MADE A DISCOVERY THAT CAUSED HIM TO LOSE FOR A MOMENT HIS NATURAL INDIFFERENCE AND TO CLAMP HIS JAWS IN ANGER THE CURRENT OXYGEN TANK BECAME EMPTY AND WHEN HE REMOVED IT FROM THE RACK AND PUT IN A NEW ONE HE FOUND SOME ONE HAD LED OUT ALL OF THIS ESSENTIAL GAS THE VALVE OF EVERY 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
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