“Great bellowin’ buffaloes!” Chow gulped. “Please make it quick, Tom! We got to save that space critter!”
Tom glanced at his illuminated watch dial. The countdown ticked by.
Suddenly his hand closed a switch, transmitting the rescue beam. More moments passed as the Swifts and the watchers strained their eyes toward the night sky.
“Here it comes!” Bud yelled suddenly.
A fiery bluish-white light had suddenly flamed into view. It grew steadily larger. Tom poised the container and opened one point of the star head.
Now the blue fireball was arcing down over the hillside, trailing its orange-red comet tail. It hissed into the container and Tom snapped shut the star head.
The next moment, the young inventor wavered and slumped unconscious!
CHAPTER XX
THE ROBOT SPY’S STORY
“TOM!” his rather cried. Anxiously the others crowded around the lanky young inventor, who had fallen beside the new robot.
“Stand back! Give him air!” Bud urged. “How is he, Mr. Swift?”
The elder scientist was feeling Tom’s wrist. “His pulse is beating, but it’s a bit weak. He must have received a terrific shock from all that energy 1 … Tom! …
Tom, son, can you hear me?”
The young inventor moaned and stirred faintly but his eyes did not open. His cheeks and lips seemed colorless in the glow of Mr. Swift’s flashlight. Chow was terrified, hovering about help lessly.
“I’ll call Doc Simpson to bring a pulmotorl” Hank exclaimed.
“Yes, do, Hank!” Mr. Swift pleaded. “Quick!”
177
178 THE VISITOR FROM PLANET X
An ambulance arrived a few minutes later. Doc Simpson and an attendant leaped out, and the resuscitation equipment-specially designed by the Swifts for their plant infirmary-was hastily unloaded.