The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Beast of Space, by F.E. Hardart

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Title: The Beast of Space

Author: F.E. Hardart

Release Date: November 16, 2007 [EBook #23509]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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The BEAST of SPACE

_A tale of the prospectors of the starways--of dangers--_

by F. E. HARDART

[Illustration: He staggered back from the lapping pool--the gas--the
weight of the girl's body--the dog--]

Here the dark cave, along which Nat Starrett had been creeping,
broadened into what his powerful searchlight revealed to be a low,
wide, smoothly circular room. At his feet lapped black, thick-looking
waves of an underground lake, a pool of viscous substance that gave off
a penetrating, poignant odor of acid, sweetish and intoxicating, unlike
any acid he knew. The smell rolled up in a sickening, sultry cloud that
penetrated his helmet, made him cough and choke. Near its center
projected from the sticky stuff what appeared to be the nose of a
spaceship.

He looked down near his feet at the edge of the pool where thick,
slowly-moving tongues of the liquid appeared to reach up toward him, as
if intent on pulling him into its depths. As each hungry wave fell
back, it left a slimy, snake-like trail behind.

Now came a wave of strange music, music such as he had never heard
before. Faintly it had begun some time back, so faintly he was barely
aware of it. Now it swelled into a smooth, impelling wail lulling him
into drowsiness. He did not wonder why he could hear through the
soundproof space helmet he wore; he ceased to wonder about anything.
There was only the strange sweetness of acid and the throbbing music.

Abruptly the spell was broken by something shrilling in his brain,
sending little chills racing up and down his spine. Digger! A small,
oddly canine-like creature with telepathic powers, a space-dweller
which men found when first they came to the asteroids. The relationship
between spacehoun