Bent double, the two scurried across the waste of cracked clay and loose
stones, and in less than half the time they had taken for their first
journey, reached the point where it debouched upon the open beach.
Ken dropped, panting slightly, and Roy slipping down beside him, caught a
glint of dark water rippling under the starlight.
From somewhere to the left came a murmur of voices, and the breeze brought
to his nostrils a faint odour of tobacco smoke.
Seconds dragged like minutes as they lay waiting. The suspense was very
hard to bear.
Roy put his mouth close to Ken's ear.
'Afraid your contraption's gone wrong, old son. Don't seem to hear that
bust up you promised.'
'Unless the powder was damp--' began Ken. His sentence was cut short by a
thunderous boom. The earth quivered beneath them, and sky, sea, even the
tall cliffs opposite flared crimson.
The great glow passed as swiftly as it had come, there followed a rattle
of falling rubbish, then silence dropped. Silence, however, which lasted
no longer than the flash.
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