Unless
one knew there was a spaceship beneath it, it would have been impossible
to distinguish it from the rest of the desert.
"We're not in the clear yet!" commented Astro grimly. "It would take a
hundred men at least a week to clear away enough of that sand so search
parties could recognize it." He glanced toward the horizon. "There isn't
anything but sand here, fellows, sand that stretches for a thousand
miles in every direction."
"And we've got to walk it," said Tom.
"Either that or sit here and die of thirst," said Roger.
"Any canals around here, Tom?" asked Astro softly.
"There better be," replied Tom thoughtfully. He turned to Roger. "If you
can estimate our position, Roger, I'll go back inside and see if I can
find a chart to plot it on. That way, we might get a direction to start
on at least."
Astro glanced up at the pale-blue sky. "It's going to be a hot day," he
said softly, looking out over the flat plain of the desert, "an awful
hot day!"
[Illustration]
CHAPTER 20
"Got everything we need?" asked Tom.
"Everything we'll need--and about all we can safely carry without
weighing ourselves down too much," answered Roger. "Enough food for a
week, the rest of the Martian water, space goggles to protect our eyes
from the sun and emergency lights for each of us."
"Not much to walk a hundred and fifty miles on," offered Astro.
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