Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 03 – And His Rocket Ship

Bud observed.

By this time the Star Spear was hurtling above the wastes of northern Siberia. Ahead, the glowing globe was darkening. By now the natives in the palm-thatched huts on the Philippines, Borneo, and Sumatra lay sleeping. Soon the boys were racing across the islands.

“What’s our position now?” Bud asked, as he saw Tom turn on the space navigational instrument.

“We’re 105 degrees east of Greenwich and 60 degrees south latitude,” Tom replied, taking the reading. “Almost at the South Pole!”

The rocket soon passed over the Antarctic region and was heading for the lower shank of South America when morning began to break on this side of the earth.

Looking at the radarscope, Tom said, “Still no sign of Rotzog or our Australian rival!”

Tom continued to scan every direction with the radar screens. There was no trace of any rockets, meteors, or other interference.

“This is almost too easy,” Bud complained, stretching his cramped muscles.

He had no sooner spoken than a pip on the radar indicated an object dead ahead, slightly above the course of their rocket.

“Rotzog!” Bud cried.

The image began to sweep at crazy angles, up, down, and across.

194 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ROCKET SHIP

“It is no ordinary rocket!” Tom cried.

Instantly the idea flashed through his mind that this strangely maneuvering sky traveler must be the one belonging to the message senders.

“It’s our space friends!”

“I hope so,” Bud said. “I’d hate to be dropping in on an arsenal!”

On the scope the image of the dodging rocket grew larger as the Star Spear closed the distance between them.