The Moon Colony Read online

  CHAPTER XIV

  A Moon Army

  The fact that they were physically comfortable gave the Americans muchsatisfaction. They were not too warm, and not cold. Toplinsky had beenexceedingly wise in selecting a deep shaded valley for his colonizingidea, and after being two days of twenty-four hours’ duration each, ina cave hidden from the giant, Epworth concluded that Toplinsky’sscheme of heating the valley by solar heat during the long night andwithdrawing the heat during the day might prove successful, and thatthe air created by firing the projectiles from the earth might in thecourse of time, provided the bombardment continued indefinitely,spread all over the face of the moon.

  He did not attempt to get food and water during this time, feelingsure that Toplinsky would keep a careful watch, but after forty-eighthours the necessity for water prompted action. He started out withBilly to go to the Aerolite and attempt to steal into the storeroom.They waited until the Aerolite seemed in a state of rest, and itscrew, Epworth reasoned, slept.

  They had to be careful of footsteps because of the Lunar attraction.

  Like shadows they flitted across the open space, and approached theairship, gaining the sides of the vessel, they thought, without beingobserved. Here they paused and Epworth placed his hand on the steelladder-steps, and glanced around. He was startled at the clearness ofthe light. Men on guard would have had little trouble seeing them comeacross the open space. He shuddered. It would be easy for Toplinsky toprepare an ambush for him; and as easy for him to keep an eye on thecave.

  From where he stood he could readily make out the mouth of theirhiding place.

  “Thank goodness,” he murmured, “he doesn’t know where we are hiding.”

  He looked up at the deck of the plane. It was entirely toostill—suspiciously quiet. If he was preparing to receive an enemy insecret he would maintain just such a stillness. He would lead hisvictim on.

  Nevertheless, it was board the Aerolite or starve.

  With a cat-like step he climbed the ladder, gun in hand, his knife inhis mouth. At the balcony there was a dark shadow. Instantly hecovered it with his gun.

  “Not a whimper!” he commanded in a low voice.

  “Sh—h.” It was Michael Strauss, and he put up his gun. “Toplinsky isexpecting you just inside of the door,” Michael continued. “I letmyself down from the balcony on top of the airship when I saw youcoming. He has purposely left the door open in the hope that you willpush it, and walk in.”

  “We must have food,” Epworth stated tersely. “Also water.”

  “Slip back down the ladder, and go around to the rear of the ship. Ialso have been waiting for you, and have dropped several days’supplies on the ground. Take this, and come back the day aftertomorrow, when the coast is clear. By that time Toplinsky will thinkthat you have discovered other means of getting food. Then you cankeep coming back until you are well supplied. Fortunately Toplinskyhas not yet discovered that I aided you when you were on board.”

  “Michael, you’re a fine sport,” Epworth whispered. “Some day I willfind a means of returning this great favor. By your efforts you savethe lives of three people.”

  “It is enough for me to know that,” Michael replied quietly.

  Epworth squeezed his hand, and dropped down the ladder.

  They found the supplies where Michael had designated, and returnedwith them to their cave. Two days later they made another trip, andagain Michael aided them. They kept this up for over a week, andduring this time Toplinsky and his men were busily engaged in buildinga large house, which they supposed he would turn into a warehouse aswell as a barracks for his men. Another force erected the solar heateron the rim of the northern range of mountains.

  At the end of six days, they had enough food and water on hand to lastthree months, and as a final inspiration Epworth got Michael to senddown material to use in the construction of gliders. With thismaterial they worked for another day, building three small gliderspropelled with foot-power and elevated by running down hill.

  The gliders were, of course, a venture, constructed along originallines, but when Epworth tried them out the night they were finished,he found that he could easily float them in the air against the slightgravity of the moon.

  Quite pleased with their idea, and determined to fly over Toplinsky’scamp the next day, they retired in high spirits to sleep like rocksuntil quite late. They were awakened by loud shouts and the noise ofexploding guns. When they rushed to the mouth of their cave a strangespectacle met their gaze.

  Swarming across the space north between the Aerolite and the northernrange of mountains an army of mammoth cricket-shaped things wereapproaching. They came in military formation, hopping with steady,persistent leaps, measured to an exactness that enabled each companyto land and leave the ground at the same time and in perfect unison.Each cricket was as large as a man, and possessed six legs and twolong sharp antennas extending straight out from the eyes. Theytraveled on the four rear legs, and held long, sharp, steel-pointedlances in their front antennas and two front legs. Their backs werehard and black, and Epworth wondered as he noted the strength of thecoating if they were bullet proof.

  That they were possessed of a rare degree of intelligence wasevidenced by their military approach, and their splendid formation.That they could use these weapons the Americans did not doubt, andcongratulated themselves that they were not the objects of attack.

  When he turned his eyes toward the Aerolite, Epworth saw thatToplinsky was already fighting. Many of his men were backed againstthe half-built wall of the house, and were sharp-shooting with theirrifles.

  “If Toplinsky had only a few projectiles of liquid air,” Billyobserved regretfully, “he might teach these Things something aboutwar.”

  “As it is he and his men are going to have the fight of their lives,”Epworth replied soberly.

  “Look at their leaders!” Joan exclaimed in amazement. “They have somekind of marvelous growth on their backs.”

  Epworth, who never went without a pair of binoculars, put the glassesto his eyes, and studied the things she pointed out. The things he sawon top of the crickets were more wonderful than the huge insects.

  They were men-shaped humps riding on the back of the crickets. Atleast their small bodies, legs and arms were shaped like men but theirheads were enormous knotty projections with eye openings an inch and ahalf in diameter.

  “Do I see properly?” the young man inquired, handing the glasses toJoan. “Do I see some kind of a man with a metallic-like head?”

  Joan examined the riders thoughtfully. They were now approaching withincredible rapidity and she got a better view of them.