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Below, an Asternoid craft took off in pursuit of me. "The hostage has escaped," yelled the occupants. "There he is---on a flying tree."
But my tree soared faster than they could climb. I rose at terrific speed---straight for the airless void of space. I was becoming alarmed.
"I'm rising faster every minute," I told myself. "It's getting harder to breathe!" I had given up all home when suddenly I spied Alda and one of her officers coming out of the clouds. I couldn't help emitting a loud "Hooray!"
They had some difficulty cutting me loose, and we were all gasping for breath, when at last, we dropped like stones for several miles.
"We'll separate here," I said at last. "Each drop back to our own command and attack the Asternoids at once from both sides. We have them trapped just like we wanted."
Our heavy artillery went into action. I led an aerial charge, and Alda hurled her girls headlong from the other side. But when we met where the enemy should have been, we faced only each other.
Not a trace of them was to be found. But in the forest nearby, one of our men ran across a lone, frightened Asternoid. He brought his little prisoner to us.
Alda tried to make him talk by signs. "Which way they go---comprende? Eh? You speak."315Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7F0DjKt4V7
"It's no use, Alda. I've got a better plan," said I. "I wonder if the medico has any quinine pills?"
The medico did have plenty of them.
"Why are you putting the solution in those flat glass bottles?" asked Alda.
"To fix up a couple of infra-red flashlights!" I explained.
"Don't you know that infra-red light becomes visible through a quinine solution?" I added. The Asternoid will think he's in total darkness and when he tries to escape we'll follow him.
I called one of the guards over.
"Loosen the prisoner's bonds," I ordered. "When it grows dark, pretend to fall asleep and let him get away."
When darkness had fallen, we watched as the little hombre slipped away.
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