What does a boy do when he meets a danger
from another world? Should he run for help—or
fight bravely as he comes face to face with—
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy
November 1954
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Right then he was the scaredest he'd ever been in his life. Yet even ashe watched the spaceship turning within the glow of its flaring jets,he kept thinking of his father's warning:
"A boy's duty, son, is to keep his eyes and ears open and to give thealarm. We must be alerted ... or we're doomed."
It had been drummed into him ever since the landing and explosion ofthe rockets. He'd been very little then and it was hard to understand.But they'd explained it carefully—over and over again.
The rockets were a test. They'd been fired by beings on another planet.Some day the beings themselves would come to invade.
He'd often thought about it—especially at night in bed. And he'ddreamed about it, too. Horrible dreams. And now the dreams had cometrue!
Trembling, he watched the silver hulk aim its jets at the ground andbegin to come down. It slipped past him with a roar. Its fires reddenedthe hillside. It settled with a jarring thud. Then all was silence.
Edging forward, he peered down into the glen. The dust and smoke wasclearing and he could see most of the ship gleaming evilly in thetwilight....
Others, he thought, must have seen or heard the landing. Soon they'dcome to fight off the invaders. He'd be found, quivering with fear, andbranded a coward. He must do something....
A sudden metallic clanging made him jump. A light flicked on. He suckeda deep breath. The beings!
They stood on a platform next to a trap-door. Three of them: squat,fat, and silvery-white ... like the insects he often found under flatrocks.
One held the light. The other two carried strange looking boxes. Theymade their way down a ladder and began to set up the boxes on theground. This was his chance, he told himself. While they were busy, hecould climb to the top of the hill and escape down the other side.
But he'd only taken three steps when he stubbed his toe on a rock,jarred it loose, and sent it pelting into the glen.
They hurried over to see what it was and he got a better look at them.Their wrinkled skin hung from their bulgy bodies in thick folds. Insectfeelers waved over their humped backs. Flat expressionless facesglittered in the light of their lamp.... He shuddered.
After they'd looked at the rock, two of them started climbing in thedirection from which it had rolled. The third stayed behind, beamingthe light to guide the way.
Cringing against the hill, he moved along the ledge to a point where itcurled past a jutting crag. On the other side of that he'd be hiddenfrom view and could make a run for it.
But as soon as he'd made it, he gasped, horror-stricken.... The vagueshadow of the ledge pinched inward till it became the gulfing black ofa sheer cliff. He was trapped!
His only hope now was the coming of the town people and he listenedfor noises of their approach. But all he heard was the scuffle of twobeings cresting the ledge.
Was it possible that he alone knew of the landing? The town peopleshould have come by now.
As it was, a lot of lives depended on him. His father and mother, theother kids, and all the people, too. He couldn't let them down!
The beam of light, moving along the ledge ahead of the two beings, nowtouched the crag and spilled over to where he stood. Then, almost asif