A few moments later, Ben and the boys were hurrying across the rough ground toward the flier. Garry’s heart was pounding so hard with joy and excitement that he could hear its thumping over his helmet receiver.
Those inside had evidently seen their rescuers arrive, because the outer door of the air lock was open to receive them.
Garry would never forget the old captain’s happy face when he saw the three of them enter. Nor would he forget the tears glistening in the corners of Captain Eaton’s eyes as he clasped the boys to his chest in a great bear hug that nearly squeezed the life out of them.
“Thank God for this great moment!” the old man said in a husky voice. “And Ben—even you, whom we had long ago given up for dead! What have I ever done to deserve a happy moment like this?”
He released the boys and clasped Ben to him as if he were another lost son. Then the others came forward, their faces gleaming with the overwhelming joy they felt at seeing the lost ones returning.
“Ben, you old trickster you!” Mac shouted, pounding his friend on the back. “How in the world you came out of that thing alive I’ll never know. But right now I don’t care how you did it!”
“Welcome home, stranger!” Isaac said, shaking Ben’s hand vigorously as only Isaac could do.
“It’s most gratifying to see you, Ben,” Mr. Klecker said in his butler’s tone of voice, which, however, did not mean that he was any less deeply moved than the others.
Gino then came forward and took his turn at greeting Ben and the boys. The celebration went on for several more minutes, and the little flier was pleasantly noisy with joking and happy talk.
But, finally, Commander Staples had to interrupt the celebration with a smiling, apologetic voice: “I hate to break up this little party, but we’ve got to start back to the mining settlement. You see, I’m on duty and I’ve got a busy schedule. They have accommodations for all of you at the settlement, and you can make your future plans as soon as you’ve arrived there.”