17. DARK PERIL
Because of the light moon gravity, the boys found that they could move easily in spite of the deep dust and of the equipment strapped to their backs. The equipment took up as much room as it would have on earth, but here it weighed only one sixth of its earth weight and so was not much of a burden.
In a short while they were out of sight of the flier. They had mounted a low-lying hill and crossed down the other side. It would still be a long time before they got out of the giant crater in which the flier had landed, but by the time they did get out they would be well along toward their destination.
“We seem to be making good time, Patch,” Garry said over his helmet radio.
“Yeah,” Patch replied. “It’s so much easier walking on the moon than it is on the earth, once you get the hang of it.”
“Just think, Patch. Captain Eaton really was going to try to adopt us,” Garry said. “And all the time we thought he didn’t care enough.”
“He’s one in a million, Garry. He would have been the grandest father a guy could ever have.”
“What do you mean he would have?” Garry protested. “He will be our father. We’re going to save him, Patch. We’re going to save all of them.”
“I want to save them too,” Patch said earnestly. “I’d sure hate for us to make it and them not to.”