Mainly the
strangeness was a matter of color; the slope was of a brilliant
orange, and seemingly covered with frost, for it sparkled so
brightly in the sun as to actually hurt the eyes. In fact, the
geologist's first thought was "A glacier," although he could not
conceive of ice or snow of that tint.
Running down the sides of the pit were a number of dark-brown
streaks, about a yard wide; Van Emmon could make them out, more or
less clearly, on the other side of the pit as well. From the
irregular way in which the walls were formed, he quickly decided
that the pit was a natural one. The streaks, he thought, might have
been due to lava flow.
His agent proceeded to drive straight over the rim and down the
slope into the pit. His engine was quite stopped; like Smith, the
geologist wondered just how the craft's wheels were operated. Next
he was holding his breath as the machine reached so steep a point
in the slope that, most surely, no brakes could hold it.
Simultaneously he heard the hiss and whine which seemed to indicate
the suction device.
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