“We didn’t get off course very much,” he announced. “I can make out the Dog Star about a quarter of a mile away.”
In their elevated position, the boys had an extensive view of the landscape. For miles around, the ground was dead black. Only in the distance did the razor-sharp line of sunlight begin. The Northern Cross was in the broad shadow of Archimedes and the distant Dog Star was also. Between the ships lay irregular rock shapes and uneven ground. A rift sliced across the area, appearing to make contact between the ships impossible.
“I wonder if Kalmus knows we’ve landed?” Shep said.
“Even if they don’t know we’re here,” Johnny put in, “they are protected by that big ditch. Not to mention being safely inside the ship.”
“I’ll admit we’ve got our job cut out for us,” Rock said, “but I don’t think we should try going back to Earth for help and count on the Dog Star remaining here to be captured. We might never see Ed and Leo again.”
“Rock is right,” Hugh said. “We’ll have to figure out how to get over to the Dog Star and free the boys from those crooks as soon as possible.”
Rock got out the pair of binoculars he had found among the things belonging to the ill-fated crewmen before them. Then he looked through them at the distant globe of the Dog Star. The ship had barely missed a high wall of dark-colored lunabase rock. The wall was jagged and spongy, like most formations on Luna, which had so little atmospheric erosion to wear them down. As he examined the wall, a sudden idea came to him.
“Why don’t a couple of us try to get over to that rock wall next to the Dog Star?” he proposed. “We can climb it and look through some of the ports. That way we may be able to see what the others are up to and make our plans accordingly.”
“Why just two?” Sparky wanted to know.
“Less chance of being seen by Kalmus,” Rock answered. “Also, if the two get caught, that still leaves three to think of something to do.”