“Why don’t you go home, Dad? Hit the hay,” Tom said sympathetically.
Promising to take a turn on watch if the vigil continued through the next day, Mr. Swift drove off in his car.
Time dragged by slowly as the three remaining watchers chatted and looked hopefully at the stars. Eventually Chow propped himself against a tree and dropped off to sleep to the accompaniment of low-droning snores. Bud too began to drowse.
It was long past midnight when Tom suddenly caught sight of a moving light in the sky. He stiffened and held his breath. Another false alarm?
But no! A glowing, faintly bluish mass with a comet tail of luminous orange red was slowly proceeding through the pattern of stars!
“Hey, fellows! Wake up!” Tom shouted. He sprang to his feet and unlatched a single point of
90 THE VISITOR FROM PLANET X
the star head. Within seconds, Bud and Chow were both wide awake, as excited as Tom. The blue nebulous mass moved closer and closer. The three watchers were speechless with awe.
As the ball of energy descended toward them, it lit up the whole scene. The hillside looked almost as if it were on fire. The earth vibrated, and the air had the sharp smell of ozone. This was followed by a frightening clatter and rumble. The force of the energy was sweeping down rocks, gravel, and shrubbery in a hillside avalanche!
“Look out!” Chow shrieked. “We’ll be pulverized in this rock stampede!” He streaked for cover as a huge boulder came plunging straight toward him.
“Hold fast, Bud!” Tom cried. “Nothing’s headed our way!”