Read Captain Future 06 - Star Trail to Glory (Spring 1941) for Free Online Page A

it for a ship to land on."
    They dropped through the last cloud-layer into the clear lower atmosphere. The Great South Marsh lay beneath them. Giant green reeds and tangled, snaky vines choked the spaces between the larger swamp-trees. So dense was the vegetation that it completely hid the semi-liquid muck beneath. Queer reptilian birds flew above the foliage roof, uttering harsh screams.
    "There ain't nothin' in this mess for a thousand miles," Ezra grunted. "Even the Venusians are afraid to go into it."
    "That's just why it's a good hideout," Curt declared, scanning the horizons. "Keep watching for a ship or solid land."
    For two hours the Patrol ship cruised in widening spirals over the vast morass. The cloudy sky above was beginning to grow dark. The night fog was rising from the swamp in thickening white mists. The Brain's keen lens-eyes, straining through the gathering darkness, descried something.
    "There, lad — to the west!"
    Curt peered quickly. He glimpsed something that looked like a big, flat, square metal platform, floating on the marsh. Half a dozen space ships were parked upon it.
    "Descend at once before they see us!" he ordered sharply. "We daren't approach in this cruiser. They'd use the same mysterious weapon on us that they used on the Comet and the Rocketeers' ships."
    "Then what're we goin' to do?" Ezra asked.
    "We'll land here and a few of us can get through the marsh to that base," Curt explained. "We can slip in secretly and find Otho and the Comet. Then we'll jump these raiders before they can use the secret weapon."
    The Patrol cruiser dropped in the gathering night until its keel crushed the vegetation and began sinking into the muck.
    "You'll have to keep the keel-jets going to prevent sinking," Curt said. "All right, Ezra. You, Grag, Simon and I will go."
    But when they reached the door, Joan Randall was with them.
    "Do you think I'm going to miss the fun?" she demanded resentfully.
    "This marsh is no picnic," Curt rapped. "You've seen Venusian marsh tigers. The marsh men here are worse."
    "I've met lots of Venusian swamp men," scoffed Joan.
    "Swamp men are different," Curt stated. "They're just ordinary Venusian humans who live in some of the swamps. But marsh men are a different species from swamp men. They're an indigenous, amphibious race. They are fierce and hate anyone who intrudes into their great marshes."
    Joan shrugged calmly. "I think I'd like to see some of them. They sound sort of intriguing."
    "Intriguing?" Curt repeated in amazement. "I give up. Come on, and don't let yourself sink in this muck or you're through."
    They plunged down into the sticky marsh, sinking to their knees. Curt Newton led the way, using a broad-bladed swamper's knife to hack a path through the dense vegetation. Joan trudged manfully, while Ezra swore at the blood-flies viciously attacking them. Grag wallowed on with difficulty, but the Brain glided easily on his beams beside Curt.
    The darkness was misty, warm and oppressive, heavy with rank swamp smells and flower fragrances. The hum of huge insects, the slap of hanging vines and the suck of their feet in the muck were occasionally drowned out by the distant, appalling screech of a marsh tiger. Curt suddenly halted. They heard a confused swimming sound, a vague rippling swashing in the muck.
    "Marsh men!" Curt whispered. "I think they're surrounding us!"
     

     
Chapter 5: Oog Redeems Himself
     
    OTHO was still chuckling as he left Captain Future, Grag and Simon in the Moon-laboratory and made his way to the Comer. "Oog, we out-talked Grag that time," he told the queer little pet who was trotting beside him.
    The Comet was kept in an underground hangar near the Moon-home. Otho entered the compact, teardrop-shaped vessel with his pet, closed the door and strode forward through the laboratory-cabin to the control room. He took the pilot chair and touched the cyclotron switches and throttles. Its keel-tubes jetting fire, the Comet rose toward the roof of the