Meanwhile, Tom had gone inside the station to complete the hookup. Bert Everett, one of the crewmen, continued working on the energy-conversion cells.
Suddenly Bud and the others were startled as a piercing scream came over their transiphones.
“Look! It’s Bert!” yelled Ted Spring.
To their horror, the men saw Bert’s space-suited figure writhing in agony! His limbs thrashed wildly, but he seemed unable to move from the spot where he had been working.
Bud did not waste a second in puzzling out the situation. He triggered his jet pistol and darted to aid the helpless crewman. But as he approached the working area, Bud felt a wave of searing heat pass through his space suit.
In a flash Bud realized what was causing it! Somehow, the foil reflector had been turned toward the sun. Like a burning glass, it was concentrating the sun’s rays directly on the spot where Bert Everett was trapped! Not only Bert, LARIAT LIFELINE 91
but anyone who tried to rescue him, would literally be broiled alive!
“Chow! Get Bert out of here with your lariat!” Bud screamed into his suit mike as he veered away from the danger zone.
Chow responded with the cool skill of a cowboy at roundup time. Grabbing the rope from Ted, he coiled it in a twinkling, and swung the loop above his head.
A second later the lariat snaked out through the void and settled around Bert’s shoulders. With a yank, Chow dragged the victim to safety!
Cheers rose from the watching crewmen. But they died away in shocked silence after a glimpse at Bert’s deathly pale features.