Air Wonder Stories, May 1930 — page 74: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Pxnd now it was-as though Fate herself had decided that the © projectile. should land at a most inopportune-time and in a re- gion extremely dangerous. Hardly could the adventurers have _ chosen a less auspicious spot, Had they landed elsewhere than - in the great craters of Dir, they would not have come in con- tact with the hairy Bat-men, who lived in an isolation as com- plete as if they inhabited another planet. CHAPTER V The Attack of the Bat-Men OTH Alicia and Randolph were enthusiastic.as the pro- B jectile was lowered gently to the ground. “I'm so tired,” confessed the girl. “My feet are just aching, and this turf looks wonderful to me.” Bhe had attired herself in Imickers and stout boots, An auomatic hung from her belt, and she carried-a light but high- es powered rifle, The two men armed themselves with heavy au- 5 m ~ tomatics and each carried a repeating rifle. bo Eagerly the trio stepped forth upon a verdant plain for their as first contact with a world other than their own. There was not a sign of life revealed as the adventurers swept the surrounding country for miles with their powerful glasses. No bird nor beast was perceived, although it was ap- parent when they opened the door of the projectile that the atmosphere: and its temperature were’ sufficient to support life, Tt was evidently midsummer in the latitude where they had landed. The plain on which the great shell rested was a roll- ing prairie covered with a heavy growth of grasses, There were flowers, too, which Alicia attempted to classify without much success, cs But as no animate life was seen after reconnoitering for a = taditis of some hundreds of yards from the projectile, they es returned to the craft for luncheon. 2 Dr, Fry emphatically vetoed Alicia’s suggestion for an out- door picnic, oy “We mustn't think of such a thing,” he declared, and Ran- — dolph agreed with him. oe - Although there wasapparently nothing-to fear, it-was Dr. ae Fry's conclusion that until more was known about their new-and strange environment it would be far safer to stick close to the projectile in which they could defend themselves from Se possible attack by retaliation or by flight. However, neither ; man demurred when Alicia announced she would go out and : pick some flowers for the luncheon table, I Randolph from the observatory surveyed the plain on all sides before 'the girl set out. But ~he did not think to look overhead, : Alicia had not gone more than fifty yards from the pro- oa jectile when the two. men, standing at an open window,- were horrified at seeing her snatched up from the ground by two strange flying creatures that suddenly descended upon her. The girl’s scream was drowned-‘by a roar from above, as hundreds Ww of strange flying beasts hurled themselves tipon the. projectile. re The window at which the two men had stood was. the only pe. one open. “Randolph had sufficient presence of mind to close it re quickly and: restrain Fry from leaping out in a futile attempt at the girl’s rescue. The scientist was suddenly frantic, He-had seen his sweet- heart lifted from the ground and borne swiftly up and away, But now he and Randolph were forced by the onslaught from ™s the flying men to considermeans of saving themselves and the craft, for any attempt at Alicia’s rescue must depend upon os their survival, pr Randolph, a natural fighter, manned a machine gun- and j » sprayed flapping swarms of the bat-like men. They fell like . leaves in a storm, but more:came. The air seemed to. be ED. literally filled with them. They could be heard on the roof aon of the projectile, clawing at the metal of the shell-in vain at- tempts to gain entrance. AIR WONDER STORIES Fry was like a madman. He leapt to the controls that directed the blasting, destructive force of atomic power. Randolph screamed a warning just in time, > “For God’s sake, Fry,” he yelled above the rattle of his machine gun, “don't do that! We don’t know where Alicia is, You might destroy her, too!” SHE scientist paled as he realized the danger. He went to another port onthe opposite side of the craft and got a machine gun into action, killing in a fury and yelling like a savage as he saw the hairy shapes of the flying creatures tumble to the ground torn and bleeding. ra These beasts were to live long in the memory of the two human beings who fought them-and slew them in greatnumbers. _ The creatures had no weapons, but it cofild not be-doubted that in a hand to hand-encounter they would be fortnidable, Sug- gesting the gorilla somewhat-in facial features, the Bat-men were covered with rough, coarse hair from head fo foot. With powerful torsos and slender legs, they suggested the bat, for stretched along their thick, heavy.arms were membranes that enabled them to fly with great rapidity, In size they were larger than. human beings, ~Never ‘had either man seen such demonstrations” ef ferocity, - The Bat-men hurled:themselves constantly upon the craft, They climbed over, it, peering through the windows and grimacing horribly, The slaughter continuéd:till it sickened the two men who had _ been esbansibie for the piles of dead creatures surrounding the: shell. “Great ‘eave Randolph,” cried Fry, at last, “what arewe going. to do? We're getting nowhere! Suggest something! We've got to save her!” “But that’s impossible so long as these beasts are attacking,” replied. Randolph, spraying the Bat-men with death the while, ‘T have it!” exclaimed the scientist. “We'll ascend. That * surely will get rid of them.” Dr. Fry set the rockets going and the projectile arose, The Bat-men continned to besiege the craft, tearing at the metal roof, It was. observed, however, that none of the creatures. followed the projectile on-wing, Fry, inspite of his excitement and anxiety, attributed this to the rarefied atmosphere which forced them to fly at lower levels, The projectile climbed rapidly. Yet the Bat-men on the roof continued to beat upon it with their great hairy hands. Now Fry reasoned that an even higher altitude would produce the desired: effect. ; At a higher leve! it-was seen that many -of:the Bat-men leapt from the projectile with membranes closed, and dived for the warmer regions below. The hardier ones hung on for a time, but at fast afl of them had leapt into space to escape the bitter cold. The projectile was now halted and allowed to drift in the upper air. The two men held council together. “Our only hope, of course,” said Randolph, Let’s assemble it as quickly as possible.” There was a deck on the roof of the projectile - af oas which to take off-in the airplane snugly stowed under trap-doors open- ing into the runway. In-half an hour the men had the light craft ready for flight, Both were skilled pilots, and the plane was armed with a machine-gun. The projectile was brought under such control, with its rocket power set at slow speed and its steering gear locked in position, as wotld catise it to soar slowly around: Mars in circtitous flight at a high: level. /They could return to it:in the plane at any time, whereas it was beyond the reach of the Bat-men because of its height, Randolph took the pilot’s seat-in the plane at his.companion’s suggestion, Dr, Fry manned the machine gun. The plane cruised swiftly here and there, darting over the “is the plane. 2 oe = y os. + 7 2.