"Atterbury, give her more power!" he shouted.
The engineer threw a frightened glance at him.
"I'm at the last notch now. Look at the tractor! The inductor-tubes are white-hot!"
With a feeling of utter helplessness, Bennie returned to Rhoda, who was lying on the floor with her face pressed against the glass, and threw himself at her side; and she clung to him, like a terrified child, as together they looked down fearfully through the deadlight. The yellow surface of the moon, gleaming like a mass of jewels, was rushing up at them with sickening velocity. A few seconds more, and—He turned away from the window.
"It's all up," he choked. "Good-by, Burke!"
Burke, standing rigid at the control, made no reply.
"We're slowing up; we're slowing up," whispered Rhoda suddenly. "Look, Bennie! That crater below us! It's not getting any larger!"
Bennie arose and framed the great circle of the crater in the rim of the deadlight.
"You're right!" he yelled exultantly. "We're hovering! We can land! Burke, shut down the power quick, and stand by to pick up your moorings!"
"I'm all ready," answered Burke, throwing over the rheostat that controlled the current.