A voice hissed, “Is anyone out there?”
Silence.
Again the footsteps advanced. Pete still lay flat, not daring to move, hardly daring to breathe. The light had swept away beyond the tower, but it would return in two minutes. Meanwhile, the guard came closer.
Pete stirred in the blackness, rose to hands and knees. He picked -up a handful of pebbles and hurled them far-off to the left. He heard them clatter on one of the paved runways which led out to the blasting pits, heard a surprised grunt from the guard.
Then the man was trotting away across the gravel, toward the sound. Pete got to his feet and darted toward the tower. His own feet disturbed the gravel and the sound they made was almost like thunder to his ears. He could not tell if the guard was still running.
“Hold it! Who are yo
