"Three degrees south
of east, one hundred and fifty-four miles away, if everything is
correct, should bring us smack on top of a major canal."
"So long, _Lady Venus_," said Astro, as he left the ship.
"Don't think it hasn't been fun," added Roger, "because it hasn't!"
Astro fell in behind Roger, who in turn followed Tom who walked some ten
feet ahead. A light breeze sprang up and blew across the surface of the
powdery sand. Ten minutes later, when they stopped to adjust their
shoulder packs, they looked back. The breeze had obliterated their
tracks and the mountain of sand covering the spaceship appeared to be no
different from any of the other small dunes on the desert. The New
Sahara desert of Mars had claimed another Earth-ship victim.
"If we can't see the _Lady Venus_ standing still, and knowing where to
look," said Astro, "how could a man in a rocket scout ever find it?"
"He wouldn't," said Roger flatly. "And when the water ran out, we'd just
be sitting there."
"We're losing time," said Tom. "Let's move." He lengthened his stride
through the soft sand that sucked at his high space boots and faced the
already dimming horizon. The light breeze felt good on his face.
* * * * *
The three cadets had no fear of running into anything in their march
through the darkness across the shifting sands.
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