The two young servants could restrain themselves no longer. Oblivious to danger, they began to run down the side of the landing-strip, racing toward a spot parallel to where they knew the spaceboat would draw to a standstill.
It was John Bridge who noticed them. The others were all looking in the opposite direction. He leaped to his feet and dashed outside.
"Come back!" he yelled. "For God's sake, come back! You'll get caught by the blast!"
They were so intent that they paid no heed to him. He ran on after them, trying to make himself heard, forgetful of his own peril.
"Look!" The strong fingers of Jason Tarsh dug deep into the lawyer's arm. Delman turned instinctively. Nearly four hundred yards away, three figures stumbled back toward the house.
"It's too late," Delman said. "Get down, all of you! If Ross sees them, he may try to overshoot. If he's going too slowly, he'll have to use the rear jets and they might splash us. Get down!"
They flattened themselves out on the floor of the veranda.
Above them, the thin whine of the approaching craft switched into a deep roar, then cut out almost instantly.