"Now if the moon doesn't come up for fifteen hours," I said to Jim, "we'll know that the worst is not going to happen."
"Why?"
"It will mean that the force that flung it in the direction of the earth has been neutralized in some way, and that it will continue to revolve around the earth about 90,000 miles away instead of 240,000."
Jim looked cheerful for the first time in two days.
"We'll know by two o'clock tomorrow morning, then?"
"If the news is bad, we'll know it before that."
There was no possibility of our venturing out of the depression between the two sandstone cliffs where we were sheltered from the wind. There was nothing to do except wait. As the half light, that we called day, faded, Jim and I began to watch the eastern cliff. Six o'clock, seven o'clock, eight o'clock passed.
Jim turned to me with a half grin. "Seems funny to be watching for the moon and frightened to death for fear we'll see it."
"Well I guess we're safe if we don't see it for the next six hours."
I climbed into the cabin of the plane and began going over the engine. Suddenly I heard a shout from Jim. I jumped out of the door to the ground and saw him pointing to the eastern cliff.