By this time, Hank and Arv had the piping installed halfway into the tunnel.
Spurred on as if by a sixth sense of danger, Tom told them to go back to the beach and get the pump working while he and Bud connected the few remaining pipe lengths into the machine room.
Minutes later, their job done, Tom and Bud rushed out to the mouth of the cave and waved their flashlights. Soon the water could be heard boiling through the pipeline. It gushed out with a roar, flooding the machine room.
“Let’s go!” Tom cried, yanking Bud’s arm.
170 THE VISITOR FROM PLANET X
As they reached the beach and joined Hank and Arv, Tom’s keen ears picked up the drone of a plane somewhere in the darkness.
He gave a yell of alarm and pointed skyward. A ghostlike jet came zooming into view, boring straight toward them. All four broke into a mad dash for the seacopter.
They were halfway out on the reef when the plane leveled out of its dive with an earsplitting whine.
“Hide!” Tom shouted, fearing a bomb might be dropped.
A FIENDISH MACHINE 171
All leaped for cover among the rocks. At the same instant, a fiery beam like a bolt of lightning shot from the plane. It seared the spot on the reef they had just vacated!
“A ray gun!” Bud gasped.
The plane’s speed had already carried it far past the island. Before it could maneuver around for another pass, Tom and his companions were on their feet, racing for the safety of the Sea Hound.
They were aboard and clamping shut the hatch lid as the jet made its second pass. This time its fiery ray glanced harmlessly off the seacopter’s Tomasite sheathing. Seconds later, the Sea Hound had darted off beyond reach into the ocean waters.