Bolts by Alexander Key Page A

city.”
    â€œA glass city !”
    â€œThat’s what Bingo thought. A glass city all gone crumbly with age. There was no way to explore it in the dark, though we anchored and tried. Terribly rough! Then Bingo got out his space camera. It’s a special atomic job that takes clear pictures in black dark. He took a few shots from the Space Jumper, and he had me set it up outside on a high spot for a time exposure.”
    Big Butch paused again. “I hate to tell you the rest.”
    â€œW-what happened?”
    â€œMy imagination fails me. When I started through the air lock to get the camera, I found we’d gone adrift. Our anchor had been stolen.”
    â€œStolen!”
    â€œAnd that’s not all. When I finally reached the spot where I’d set up the camera, it was gone too.”
    â€œOh, no!”
    â€œIt was,” Big Butch said gravely. “And Bingo wants it back. Your job is to sniff it out—if you can. And while you’re sniffing you’ll have a thimble-size camera strapped around your neck. It’ll be wound up and taking pictures of everything that crosses your path.”
    â€œUlp!” muttered Bolts, staring at him. “You mean I gotta go all alone in the black dark, through a place like that, and tangle with a bunch of I-dunno-whats, and—and—Why, that city may be crawling with all kinds of ornery glass space varmints!”
    â€œIt probably is,” Big Butch agreed in a sad voice. “That’s why I’m advising you to start recharging right now. Buster, you’re going to need all the juice and jump you’ve got in you or you’re a gone dog for sure.”
    Poor Bolts crawled miserably under a bunk, curled up, and instantly his circuits clicked off. He hoped, at least, to have one pleasant dream before he clicked on again. But his recharging was a long nightmare, filled with invisible glass critters that chased him endlessly through the dark.
    He awoke suddenly, twitching and groaning, to hear Pirate squawk, “Hit the deck and look alive! We’re almost there!”

9
    He Sniffs a Strange Trail
    Bolts crawled out glumly, blinking his eye lights. He was only slightly relieved to find that the Space Jumper had slowed down, and that vision was back to normal. Bingo was busy with the buttons, his red hair in a wild tangle. Beyond, Big Butch was hurrying to place food on the cabin table, where the commander sat drumming his fingers impatiently.
    â€œJiminy, Pops,” Bingo said nervously, “how can you eat anything at a time like this?”
    â€œAt a time like this,” snapped the commander, “I’d expire if I didn’t eat. Bolts,” he demanded, “how do you feel?”
    â€œKinda cautious,” Bolts admitted. “Butch gave me the low-down on that camera deal. Something as queer as that sure wrecks a feller’s gumption.”
    â€œBut—but don’t you realize how important this is?” Bingo exclaimed. “You’ve got the chance of a lifetime. Why, if that really is a glass city, it’s the biggest discovery of the century! It—it might even have glass people in it!”
    â€œThat’s what curdles me,” grumbled Bolts. “It’s mighty sure got something in it.”
    â€œBolts,” said Commander Brown, “your job is to find that something, and find it fast. Our time is limited. The asteroid has already curved around the sun, and now it’s shooting out into space, away from Earth. This is our last chance to examine it. We’ll land in three minutes in the middle of the dark side, and you’ll start your hunt immediately. If you’re not back in six hours, we’ll be forced to abandon you. Understand?”
    â€œYup,” Bolts said dolefully.
    Bingo swallowed. “Bolts, there’s no atmosphere on the asteroid, so it won’t be easy for you to pick up a trail. But you’ve got the best sniffer in the