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 hungr

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