I did not keep it, though. In less than ten minutes something happened which ended our expedition in a terrible manner.
What began it was a long shout which came echoing from LeConte back on the ship. The instant I heard the cry I knew, somehow, that trouble had started. Leider had kept off us as long as we had remained quiet, but at our first move he had gone into action.
While LeConte's cry still echoed in my ears, I swung to face the ship and saw him waving frantically from the deck. At that moment I also had a queer impression that the sunlight was growing brighter on all the glittering rocks, and that some new feeling was creeping into the air.
"Doctor Weeks!" LeConte cried across the distance between us. "Come at once!"
Terror had laid hold of the man. Captain Crane, Koto and I began to run to him.
"What is it?" I shouted.
"I don't know," came the thin answer. "I almost had Earth when my whole set went to pieces. Come, quickly!"
"We will, if we're able," I muttered to myself, and said aloud as I ran in the gigantic bounds possible on Orcon: "Koto, Captain, do you feel anything queer in the air as if—as if—"
I never finished. Suddenly Captain Crane screamed and flung out her arms to me with the gesture of one about to fall.
"Doctor Weeks!" she gasped. "Frederick, help me!"