Transcriber's Note:
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyrighton this publication was renewed. The 3-dot ellipsis has been retainedas in the original.
A Million Miles Beyond the Moon...
... Nelson and Ramos sped on toward Mars intheir tiny plastic-bubble spacecraft. They wereon the alert—it didn't pay to take anythingfor granted in the Big Vacuum....
The way between the worlds was mostlyempty space—except for the outlaws of thevoid who drifted, patiently and vengefullywaiting for a victim, then struck!
Nelsen and Ramos tensed—blips on the radarscreen! Maybe meteors... More blips—andfist-sized chunks of rock flicked through theirfragile vehicles. Air puffed out ... and Nelsonand Ramos were fighting for their lives...
... A Million Miles Beyond the Moon!
THEPLANETSTRAPPERS
Raymond
Z. Gallun
PYRAMID BOOKS, 444 Madison Avenue, New York 22, New York
THE PLANET STRAPPERS,
by Raymond Z. Gallun
This book is fiction. No resemblance is intended between anycharacter herein and any person (Here or Out There), living ordead; any such resemblance is purely coincidental.
Published by Pyramid Books
First printing: October 1961
Printed in the United States of America
I
The Archer Five came in a big packing box,bound with steel ribbons and marked, This end up—handlewith care. It was delivered at a subsidized government surplusprice of fifty dollars to Hendricks' Sports and Hobbies Center,a store in Jarviston, Minnesota, that used to deal mostly inskin diving equipment, model plane kits, parts for souping upold cars, and the like. The Archer Five was a bit obsolete forthe elegant U.S. Space Force boys—hence the fantastic dropin price from two thousand dollars since only last June. It wasstill a plenty-good piece of equipment, however; and the costchange was a real break for the Bunch.
By 4:30 that bright October afternoon, those members whowere attending regular astronautics classes at Jarviston TechnicalCollege had gathered at Hendricks' store. Ramos andTiflin, two wild characters with seldom-cut hair and pipe stempants, who didn't look as if they could be trusted with a delicateunpacking operation, broke the Archer out with a care bornof love, there in Paul Hendricks' big backroom shop, whilethe more stolid members—and old Paul, silent in his swivelchair—watched like hawks.
"So who tries it on first?" Ramos challenged. "Dumb question.You, Eileen—naturally."
Most Bunches have a small, hard, ponytailed member,dungareed like the rest.
Still kidding around, Ramos dropped an arm across EileenSands' shoulders, and got her sharp elbow jabbed with vigorinto his stomach.