Roy looked thoughtful. 'I hadn't thought of that danger,' he admitted.
'Nor did many others—or else they risked it, as we did. Many travellers must have been built in the past. I wonder how many of their unfortunate occupants reached this year at the bottom of new seas, entombed in mountains or even high above ground-level. It is nothing less than miraculous that we few survived.'
Roy gazed dubiously at the cage-work in which all their hopes were centred. His expression cleared; turning to Ril, he asked:
'Couldn't the machine carry it?'
Ril was doubtful. Since the traveller had to contain the whole party, it was far heavier and larger than its forerunners.
'We can try,' he said, with little conviction. Edging their captured ant-machine close, he wound the four tentacles firmly around the traveller, and carefully drew back the lifting lever. The burden lurched slightly, but it did not rise; instead, the white machine tilted forward, its back legs in the air.
'Too heavy in the bows,' Jim Hollis remarked. 'Let's see if we can bring her stern down.'
The combined weights of himself, Roy and the two Numen, perched at the extreme rear, served effectively to change the balance. The traveller was lifted clear of the ground. Very cautiously and slowly, Ril set the legs in motion, and the machine, with its load, moved unsteadily forward.
Progress to the break in the line of cliffs was slow, but slower still was the tedious climb to the top. Again and again it was necessary to assist the slipping legs of the machine, and to give purchase to scrambling metal claws. Nevertheless, their admiration for the adaptability of the machine rose as it overcame successive obstacles, forging patiently and relentlessly up the rough way. All nine of the castaways became increasingly jubilant as the top was neared, even the two Numen being caught up in the prevailing high spirits, and wearing grins of pleasure.
As they scrambled at last over the skyline, Roy looked back in triumph at the way they had come. But the sight which met him sent the joy from his face. He called out, and pointed below. Ant-machines were scuttling from the trees in a silver stream, racing for the gap.
A few yards more, and they were upon level ground where the traveller could be set down. Assured of its safety, Roy and Jim leaped down and ran back to the brink to meet the attack. Already the leaders were half-way up the rough scramble, before a fanning of rays sent them tumbling back on their fellows. Unencumbered as they were, they could climb with astonishing agility; and, as ever, they seemed careless of their casualties. Once the first rush was checked, it became an easy matter for the two men to hold them back. Jim Hollis made a grimace of distaste.
'How long do we keep this up?' he asked. 'It's nothing but a slaughter, even if they are only insects.'
Roy glanced back over his shoulder. He could see that Del was already in the traveller, intently setting his controls.
'Not long, now. Just until Del gets it all fixed,' he returned.
An alarmed cry broke from Jessica. She was pointing along the cliff-edge, where five red stalkers were advancing with deliberate strides. Roy gasped, for he could see that their jointed arms held nets, ready for use. He heard Ril call to him, and saw that the dwarf was manoeuvring the captured ant-craft to face the new danger.
'Your ray tube!' Ril cried, as Roy joined him. 'Hold it up in front!'
Wonderingly, he obeyed. Ril wrapped a tentacle about the tube and set the appendage swaying slowly from left to right. A red metal net came flying towards them. It fell only a few yards short. Ril flicked over the lever which would set the machine marching towards the red stalkers. Then he jumped clear. Roy caught him as he fell, and together they ran for the time traveller.
The entrance snapped to, and through the trellised sides of the cage, Roy took his last sight of the fantastic world. In front, a swarm of silver machines had reached the cliff-top and was pouring over the edge. Away to the right marched their capture, mechanically raying at the red giants. One had already fallen, to go hurtling below, but even as the leg was shorn from another, a metal net settled about the lone attacker.
A glimpse he had of another red net, sailing through the air towards themselves. Then Del pushed over the switch... .
Roy and Jessica stood in the darkness. Beside them was the traveller. Of the original nine, it now contained only two. Ril and Kal had been returned to the year 10,424, and with them had stayed the two Numen. Julian had regained his world of 3920, and now they rested at 2200.
'You're determined not to stay?' Roy asked Jim Hollis.
'I am. Twentieth century is where I belong, even if it is a bit over-civilised for me. Say,' he added, 'I wonder what they're goin' to say back there, when I spin 'em this yarn?'
'They won't believe you.'
'Maybe not, but I'll try it.'
The final farewells were exchanged. The entrance closed, and Del set off to deliver his last passenger before he returned to his own future age. Before the eyes of the two, the cage blurred and then, suddenly, was not. A green streak cut the sky.
'That means we're home,' said Jessica. 'It was the Asia-bound rocket.'
'Home,' Roy echoed.
'And we'll never leave it again?'
'Never again!' Roy meant the words as he said them. But somewhere at the back of his mind was a hankering, and that hankering would grow.... What civilisation, for instance, had preceded the ants? What manner of creatures drove the red stalkers? And, above all, what had happened to mankind?
DERELICT OF SPACE
INTRODUCTION
Even those too young to remember the Belford affair can scarcely fail to have heard of it, if only through the legend of Captain Belford's treasure hidden somewhere on the Moon. There can be few boys who have not read how Belford and a companion overpowered their police guard in the car that was taking them to prison nearly 60 years ago. And how, dressed in the uniforms of their captors, they bluffed the authorities at an airport and stole a racing rocket-ship from under the official noses.
Everyone who has heard the tale must have wondered what happened to the two who vanished from human knowledge in that ship, as well as about the treasure said to be on the Moon.
Now comes Captain Fearon's explanation. It was he who was the other man in that exploit. For reasons which will be obvious, he withheld publication until after his death, though the account which follows was dictated by him to our representative some six years ago. We have checked much of the story and are fully satisfied that Captain Fearon was actually that same Fearon associated with Captain Belford.
The account which follows was signed and sworn by him, and the original is still in our possession.
Chapter One
ON PASSAGE TO JUPITER
It all happened a long time ago. I'm eighty-three now: I was twenty-five then. But, although a lot of things get forgotten, Belford and I seem to have been remembered—though the funny thing is that we're remembered all wrong.
It's queer to live and hear yourself grow into a legend, getting a bit different and a bit more untrue all the time. And I've got a mind to clear things up a bit before I die. If only it stops people going to the Moon and making fools of themselves over the 'Belford Treasure' it'll be something.
The world was different when I first went to space—mind you, I'm not saying it was better or worse but, looking back on it, it seems to have been a whole lot simpler.