[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

"Our best chance of finding surface deposits of
iron, beryllium and the other ores we need, is in
those chasms," he pointed out. "We have to find the
stuff in easily worked surface deposits at first, for
as yet we have no tools for mining."
"When I think of all the work ahead of us, I wish
I was back home on the Moon," Otho said
gloomily.
They approached the black fields of solidified
lava. Beyond that crusted expanse lay the smoking
valleys through which came the sluggish red rivers
of molten rock that flowed down from the towering
volcanoes. The sulphurous fumes half-veiled the
forbidding vista.
Curt Newton turned to the Brain. "Simon, will
you reconnoiter as many of the chasms and gorges
as you can? See what deposits of ores you can spot.
We'll be working northward, from here."
The Brain glided off upon his mission, looking
like a glittering flying cube as he shot away through
the pale sunlight upon his traction-beams. He was
quickly out of sight.
George McClinton, to whom Simon was not as
familiar as to the others, looked after the Brain with
marveling wonder .
"If the Brain can f-f-fly like that so easily, w-w-
why couldn't he f-f-fly back to the System for
help?" he asked.
Curt shook his head. "Simon derives the power
for his beams from a tiny atomic generator inside
his case. It holds a charge of fuel sufficient for
many hours' activity, but not enough for a long
flight in space."
"That reminds me," Grag said dismayedly, "I'll
be needing copper and other elements for fuel for
my own generators pretty soon. Otherwise, my
power will run down."
Otho told the robot, "That's all right -- when
your power runs out, we can make some swell tools
out of you. Yes, sir, you're going to come in mighty
handy, Grag."
"Chief, will you make Otho quit threatening
me!" demanded Grag angrily. "He's getting on my
nerves by his talk of using me for metal."
"He can use up some of his wind climbing down
into this crevice and prospecting for iron, " Captain
Future said acidly as they started forward.
They had been moving northward and had come
to a deep crevasse driven in the rock of the
planetoid by quakes. It was quite narrow and its
jagged walls were almost vertical.
THO'S rubbery figure went down the walls
as though he were a fly. Presently his
voice echoed hollowly up to them.
O
"Yes, there's nickel-iron down here. Looks like
the core of Astarfall."
"That's what I was hoping for ," Curt declared. "I
figured from its mass that Astarfall would have a
nickel-iron core like most planetoids and planets,
and that its rock crust could not be a thick one."
They went back to the jungle and secured a
quantity of tough vines from which they fashioned
a strong, flexible ladder. Curt and Grag went down
this into the gloomy depths of the crevasse.
Glittering outcrops of nickel-iron ores were
plentiful in the bottom of the chasm. But digging
out the ore without tools was another matter. Here
Grag's great strength came into play. With a few
chunks of hard rock for hammers, the big robot
loosened small masses of ore.
Joan and McClinton had woven wicker baskets
which they let down by a vine rope. Thus the
34
THE FACE OF THE DEEP
masses of ore were hauled to the surface. It was
slow, toilsome work. The day was waning when
they finally had enough of the ore for Captain
Future's immediate purposes.
The Brain had returned and made his report. "I
investigated a good many of the chasms. And I
found indications of copper, manganese, chromium
and several other of the ores we need."
He listed them all, and Curt Newton listened
intently. He asked then, "What about the beryllium,
calcium and lead? They're vital."
"I've not found any of them yet," admitted the
Brain. "There are signs of possible beryllium: and
lead deposits in that huge gorge between the double
range of volcanoes. But I didn't risk going far down
into it, for, that abyss is highly dangerous. The
terrific air-currents, heat and fumes from the lava at
its bottom make it a veritable canyon of chaos."
"The Canyon of Chaos sounds like a good name
for that place, at that," remarked Otho.
"It's hardly worth while naming places on a
world that's going to blow up two months from
now," grumbled Grag.
The Sun was sinking when they returned to the
camp. The transformation there proved that Kim
Ivan and his men had been at work.
The stockade around the knoll was roughly
complete. A spring had been dug. The framework
of a dozen huts was up, and several had already
been thatched with flat fronds. The huge, barrel-
shaped cacti in the clearing had been left
untouched, since to attempt to cut down those giant
growths would have entailed immense labor for no
particular reason.
"Not bad," Kim Ivan admitted when Curt
complimented him on the day's work. "It won't take
us long to finish up the huts now."
RABO and his trappers soon returned
from the jungle. "We eat tonight, and not
just fruit," proclaimed the Jovian complacently.
G
They had snared four plump, rodent-like animals
as big as small pigs. And they had brought several
new varieties of edible fruits.
"But that jungle is a devilish place." swore the
Jovian."Beside those cursed tangle-trees, there's
smaller plants that eat insects and birds in the same
way. I never saw such evil plant-life as this world
has."
Nevertheless, the animals made a palatable sort
or stew. Although he didn't eat. the Brain passed
upon the flesh as being harmless and containing
nutriment. He waved his eye-stalks questioningly
when Captain Future thoughtfully fished a couple
of bones out of the stew and offered them for his
inspection.
"What is it, lad?" he asked.
"Note the glazed appearance of these bones,"
said Curt. "Just an interesting side problem, but do [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]