[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.'How much farther intothis not so virgin forest do you propose to lead us?' he added disconsolatelyto Dale.'A bit farther yet,' Dale told him.'Doe's got to get all the odds and ends hecan, and it looks as if there might be more variety ahead.'As they continued, now with little enthusiasm, an uphill slope of the groundbecame increasingly perceptible.Almost another mile must have been coveredwhenDale stopped suddenly and held up his hand.They stopped wonderingly in asilence broken only by the rubbing together of the harsh stems and a flutterof leaves.'What is it?' Joan asked.Dale relaxed his listening attitude.'I thought I heard something ahead a sort of clanking noise.Didn't anyoneelse?'They shook their heads, and he owned that he might have been mistaken.But, inspite of his words, his manner was more cautious as they went on and the restcaught from it a sense of expectation.A little later it was Joan who stoppedthem with a sudden command:'Listen!'But again the silence remained unbroken save by natural stirrings.'What's the idea?' Froud inquired.'Are you trying to make it more exciting byputting the wind up us.?''Shut up' snapped Dale.Page 71 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlFaintly, but quite unplaceably, the whole party distinguished a sound ofcrackling somewhere not far away.Without a word, Dale unslung his rifle andreleased the safety catch.He moved ahead, holding it ready.But whatever hadbeen responsible for the sound was not in his path, nor did it betray itspresence again.Nevertheless'This place doesn't seem to be quite empty, after all,' Dugan said.'It musthave been something pretty big.'As the bushes became stronger and higher and the going more difficult, Daletook the lead, and they fell without prearrangement into single file.Theground changed its character, becoming softer and less desiccated.Beforelong, Dale was calling back that it was lighter ahead, and a few minuteslater, they emerged into the open.In the astonished silence Dugan said:'I suppose this is a canal, and not a sea?'To both right and left the bank stretched away in an unbroken line.In front,the water reached to the horizon, ruffled lightly by the breeze, and sparklingin the sunlight.Dale tasted the water and spat it out again; it was brackish.'All the same, it's one of the canals.They're a goodmany miles wide, remember, even the smallest of them.' `And the horizon'scloser than it is at home,' the doctor put in.`It's almost incredible thatthey should have been made artificially and we don't seem to be much closer toknowing who or what made them.The slope we've been climbing must have beenthe stuff which they ''Look! What's that?' Dugan cried in sudden excitement.He was pointing away to the left.A dark object, difficult to make out at sucha distance, was pushing its way through the water.A fleck of white at thenearer end suggested a low bow wave.Dale pulled out his field glasses.'What is it?' Froud asked, striving to erect a tripod and change the lens ofhis camera simultaneously.`Coming this way?'`Can't see.There's not much of it above the waterline.Shaped something likea whale.Seems to be going due south.''Here, let me look.' The doctor almost snatched the glasses and hurriedlyrefocused.But he could make out no more.It was even impossible for him todecide whether he was looking at a living creature or a form of vessel.Heswore fluently.'How about letting off a few shots to attract its attention,' Dugan suggested.But Dale disapproved.`No, there's no telling what that might let us in for and we're a gooddistance from the Gloria Mundi.It'll be better to go a bit cautiously till weknow more.'Froud had set up his small camera behind an enormous lens, and was hopefullytaking a series of pictures, with Dale, Dugan and the doctor standing besidehim, straining their eyes to catch more details.An exclamation behind themcaused all four to turn at once.Burns was facing them.His left arm was around Joan's waist, holding her withher back pressed against his chest.In his right hand he held a pistol.Page 72 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlDale frowned and his eyes narrowed; he opened his lips to speak, but changedhis mind.The look on the engineer's face warned him to be cautious.With aneffort he cleared his frown; his voice sounded almost casual as he asked:'Hullo, what's the trouble, Burns?'At the same time he kept his eyes on the girl's face, trying to convey by hisattitude that she could behave calmly.It seemed that she understood, for henoticed that she relaxed a trifle, but he had reckoned without his companions.'What the hell do you think you're doing? Take your hands off her, damnyou,' Dugan shouted.He stepped forward with his fists clenched.'Get back,' snapped the engineer.'Get back, or I'll drill you.'There could be no doubt that he meant it [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl trzylatki.xlx.pl
.'How much farther intothis not so virgin forest do you propose to lead us?' he added disconsolatelyto Dale.'A bit farther yet,' Dale told him.'Doe's got to get all the odds and ends hecan, and it looks as if there might be more variety ahead.'As they continued, now with little enthusiasm, an uphill slope of the groundbecame increasingly perceptible.Almost another mile must have been coveredwhenDale stopped suddenly and held up his hand.They stopped wonderingly in asilence broken only by the rubbing together of the harsh stems and a flutterof leaves.'What is it?' Joan asked.Dale relaxed his listening attitude.'I thought I heard something ahead a sort of clanking noise.Didn't anyoneelse?'They shook their heads, and he owned that he might have been mistaken.But, inspite of his words, his manner was more cautious as they went on and the restcaught from it a sense of expectation.A little later it was Joan who stoppedthem with a sudden command:'Listen!'But again the silence remained unbroken save by natural stirrings.'What's the idea?' Froud inquired.'Are you trying to make it more exciting byputting the wind up us.?''Shut up' snapped Dale.Page 71 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlFaintly, but quite unplaceably, the whole party distinguished a sound ofcrackling somewhere not far away.Without a word, Dale unslung his rifle andreleased the safety catch.He moved ahead, holding it ready.But whatever hadbeen responsible for the sound was not in his path, nor did it betray itspresence again.Nevertheless'This place doesn't seem to be quite empty, after all,' Dugan said.'It musthave been something pretty big.'As the bushes became stronger and higher and the going more difficult, Daletook the lead, and they fell without prearrangement into single file.Theground changed its character, becoming softer and less desiccated.Beforelong, Dale was calling back that it was lighter ahead, and a few minuteslater, they emerged into the open.In the astonished silence Dugan said:'I suppose this is a canal, and not a sea?'To both right and left the bank stretched away in an unbroken line.In front,the water reached to the horizon, ruffled lightly by the breeze, and sparklingin the sunlight.Dale tasted the water and spat it out again; it was brackish.'All the same, it's one of the canals.They're a goodmany miles wide, remember, even the smallest of them.' `And the horizon'scloser than it is at home,' the doctor put in.`It's almost incredible thatthey should have been made artificially and we don't seem to be much closer toknowing who or what made them.The slope we've been climbing must have beenthe stuff which they ''Look! What's that?' Dugan cried in sudden excitement.He was pointing away to the left.A dark object, difficult to make out at sucha distance, was pushing its way through the water.A fleck of white at thenearer end suggested a low bow wave.Dale pulled out his field glasses.'What is it?' Froud asked, striving to erect a tripod and change the lens ofhis camera simultaneously.`Coming this way?'`Can't see.There's not much of it above the waterline.Shaped something likea whale.Seems to be going due south.''Here, let me look.' The doctor almost snatched the glasses and hurriedlyrefocused.But he could make out no more.It was even impossible for him todecide whether he was looking at a living creature or a form of vessel.Heswore fluently.'How about letting off a few shots to attract its attention,' Dugan suggested.But Dale disapproved.`No, there's no telling what that might let us in for and we're a gooddistance from the Gloria Mundi.It'll be better to go a bit cautiously till weknow more.'Froud had set up his small camera behind an enormous lens, and was hopefullytaking a series of pictures, with Dale, Dugan and the doctor standing besidehim, straining their eyes to catch more details.An exclamation behind themcaused all four to turn at once.Burns was facing them.His left arm was around Joan's waist, holding her withher back pressed against his chest.In his right hand he held a pistol.Page 72 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlDale frowned and his eyes narrowed; he opened his lips to speak, but changedhis mind.The look on the engineer's face warned him to be cautious.With aneffort he cleared his frown; his voice sounded almost casual as he asked:'Hullo, what's the trouble, Burns?'At the same time he kept his eyes on the girl's face, trying to convey by hisattitude that she could behave calmly.It seemed that she understood, for henoticed that she relaxed a trifle, but he had reckoned without his companions.'What the hell do you think you're doing? Take your hands off her, damnyou,' Dugan shouted.He stepped forward with his fists clenched.'Get back,' snapped the engineer.'Get back, or I'll drill you.'There could be no doubt that he meant it [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]