up his family.
Your father's company will have to take care of them if they need help."

Slowly the men forced their way back toward their ship, fighting against
the roaring column of air, their burden hindering them somewhat; but at
last they reached the open tunnel. Even here the air was in violent
motion.

They got into their boat as quickly as possible, and set the controls
for reverse flight. Then Wade fired the signal shot. In moments they saw
Lieutenant Greer bucking against the current of air, continuing under
its own momentum.

By the time he was in the ship an ominous calm had fallen. Swiftly they
sped down the corridor, and had almost reached the open air, when
suddenly there was a dull rumble behind them, and they were caught on a
wave of pressure that hurled them along at terrific speed. In a flash
they sped into the open air, the great tunnel with its thick walls and
flared opening acting like a gigantic blunderbus, with the ship as its
bullet. Arcot made no attempt to slow down the little craft, but pressed
his foot heavily on the vertical accelerator. The ship rocketed up with
terrific speed, and the acceleration pinned the men down to their seats
with tripled weight.

Anxiously they watched the huge invader as they sped away from it. At
Arcot's direction Morey signaled the other groups of scientists to get
out of danger with all speed, warning of the impending blow-up. As the
moments sped by the tension mounted. Arcot stared fixedly into the
screen before him, keeping the giant space ship in focus. As they sped
mile upon miles away from it, he began to relax a bit.

Not a word was spoken as they watched and waited. Actually, very little
time passed before the explosion, but to the watchers the seconds
dragged endlessly. Then at twenty-seven miles, the screen flared into a
sheet of blinding white radiance. There was a timeless instant--then a
tremendous wave of sound, a roaring, stunning concussion smote the ship,
shaking it with unrestrained fury--to cease as abruptly as it came.

Immediately they realized the reason. They were rushing away from the
explosion faster than the sound it made, hence could not hear it. After
the first intolerable flash, details became visible. The great ship
seemed to leap into countless tremendous fragments, each rushing away
from the point of the blow-up. They did not go far; the force was not
sustained long enough, nor was it great enough to overcome the inertia
o