“Zowie! I’ll ferry it at once to Fearing,” Bud agreed.
SOS TO ENTERPRISES 15
Within half an hour Bud took off. Meanwhile Tom and his father, as they waited anxiously for a further message from their space friends, talked over the recent failure of the repelatron.
Suddenly they were interrupted by a startling message over the loudspeaker. It was from the radio operator in the communications center on the floor above.
“Just heard from Bud Barclay en route to Fearing,” he reported excitedly.
“His plane’s being attacked by a masked pilot!”
“What!” Tom was thunderstruck. “Keep in touch with him! I’ll be right there!”
He ran up to the radio room, two steps at a time. The operator switched on the speaker so Tom could hear Bud’s voice.
“Here he comes again!” the young pilot said. Bud’s next words were drowned out by the whine of a diving aircraft.
Tom grabbed the microphone. “Bud! Are you all right?”
“Whew!” They could hear Bud gasping with relief. “Yes, I’m all right, pal-so far! But I wouldn’t take any bets if he keeps on buzzing me!”
“Is the plane armed?” Tom asked tensely.
“Doesn’t look so. At least he hasn’t fired at me yet. Just keeps riding my tail and making passes at me.”
“What’s his game?”
“Search me,” Bud’s voice replied. “I called him on the radio, but he won’t answer. Looks as
16 THE RACE TO THE MOON
if he’s either trying to force me down or make me fly off course. Oh-oh-!”
Again came the roaring drone of a plane.
“Wow! Almost brushed wings that time!” Bud reported in a rage-choked voice. “If I ever get my hands on that hotrock-”