THE REVOLT ON VENUS

THE TOM CORBETTSPACE CADET STORIES

By Carey Rockwell

STAND BY FOR MARS!DANGER IN DEEP SPACEON THE TRAIL OF THE SPACE PIRATESTHE SPACE PIONEERSTHE REVOLT ON VENUS

[Illustration: Frontispiece]

A TOM CORBETT Space Cadet Adventure

THE REVOLT ON VENUS

By CAREY ROCKWELL

WILLY LEY _Technical Adviser_

GROSSET & DUNLAP _Publishers_ New York

COPYRIGHT, 1954, BYROCKHILL RADIO

ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDILLUSTRATIONS BY LOUIS GLANZMAN

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Transcriber's Note | | | | The DP team has failed to uncover any evidence that the | | copyright on this work was renewed. | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+

ILLUSTRATIONS

_Frontispiece_

"She tried to get farther into the cave" 54

They were completely surrounded by the jungle 57

Astro kept his blaster aimed at the monsters 107

His eyes probed the jungle for further movement 115

"Mr. Sinclair!" cried Tom, suddenly relieved 161

The Solar Guard troops landed on the rim of the canyon 189

Sinclair wasn't able to get clear in time 210

THE REVOLT ON VENUS

CHAPTER 1

"Emergency air lock open!"

The tall, broad-shouldered officer, wearing the magnificentblack-and-gold uniform of the Solar Guard, spoke into a small microphoneand waited for an acknowledgment. It came almost immediately. 

"Cadet Corbett ready for testing, " a voice crackled thinly over theloud-speaker. 

"Very well. Proceed. "

Seated in front of the scanner screen on the control deck of the rocketcruiser _Polaris_, Captain Steve Strong replaced the microphone in itsslot and watched a bulky figure in a space suit step out of the air lockand drift away from the side of the ship. Behind him, five boys, alldressed in the vivid blue uniforms of the Space Cadet Corps, strainedforward to watch the lone figure adjust the nozzles of the jet unit onthe back of his space suit. 

"Come on, Tom!" said the biggest of the five boys, his voice a low, powerful rumble as he rooted for his unit mate. 

"If Tom makes this one, " crowed the cadet next to him, a slender boywith a thick shock of close-cropped blond hair, "the _Polaris_ unit ishome free!"

"This is the last test, Manning, " replied one of the remaining threecadets, the insigne of the _Arcturus_ unit on the sleeve of his uniform. "_If_ Corbett makes this one, you fellows deserve to win. "

Aboard the rocket cruiser _Polaris_, blasting through the black void ofspace two hundred miles above Earth, six Space Cadets and a Solar Guardofficer were conducting the final test for unit honors for the term. Allother Academy units had been eliminated in open competition. Now, theresults of the individual space orientation test would decide whetherthe three cadets of the _Arcturus_ unit or the three cadets of the_Polaris_ unit would win final top unit honors. 

Roger Manning and Astro kept their eyes glued to the telescanner screen, watching their unit mate, Tom Corbett, drift slowly through space towardhis starting position. The young cadet's task was basically simple; withhis space helmet blacked out so that he could not see in any direction, he was to make his way back to the ship from a point a mile away, guidedonly by the audio orders from the examining officer aboard the ship. Hisscore was measured by the time elapsed, and the amount of correctionsand orders given by the examining officer. It was an exercise designedto test a cadet's steadiness under emergency conditions of space. 

The three members of the _Arcturus_ unit had completed their runs andhad returned to the ship in excellent time. Roger and Astro had alsotaken their tests and now it depended on Tom. If he could return to the_Polaris_ in less than ten minutes, with no more than three corrections, the _Polaris_ unit would be victorious. 

Seated directly in front of the scanner, Captain Steve Strong, theexamining officer, watched the space-suited figure dwindle to a merespeck on the screen. As the regular skipper of the _Polaris_ crew, hecould not help secretly rooting for Tom, but he was determined to befair, even to the extent of declaring the _Arcturus_ unit the winner, should the decision be very close. He leaned forward to adjust the focuson the scanner, bringing the drifting figure into a close-up view, andthen lifted the microphone to his lips. 

"Stand by, Corbett!" he called. "You're getting close to range. "

"Very well, sir, " replied Tom. "Standing by. "

Behind Strong, Roger and Astro looked at each other and turned back tothe screen. As one, they crossed the fingers of both hands. 

"Ready, Corbett!" called Strong. "You'll be clocked from the secondyou're on range. One hundred feet--seventy-five--fifty--twenty-five--ten--_time_!"

As the signal echoed in his blacked-out space helmet, Tom jerked hisbody around in a sudden violent move, and grasping the valve of the jetunit on his back, he opened it halfway. He waited, holding his breath, expecting to hear Captain Strong correct his course. He counted to tenslowly, and when no correction came over the headphones, he opened thevalve wide and blindly shot through space. 

Aboard the Polaris, Astro and Roger shouted with joy and Strong couldnot repress a grin. The tiny figure on the scanner was hurtling straightfor the side of the _Polaris_!

As the image grew larger and larger, anxious eyes swiveled back andforth from the scanner screen to the steady sweeping hand of thechronometer. Roger bit his lip nervously, and Astro's hands trembled. 

When Tom reached a point five hundred feet away from the ship, Strongflipped open the audio circuit and issued his first order. 

"Range five hundred feet, " he called. "Cut jets!"

"You're already here, spaceboy!" yelled Roger into the mike, leaningover Strong's shoulder. The captain silenced him with a glare. No onecould speak to the examinee but the testing officer. 

Tom closed the valve of his jet unit and blindly jerked himself aroundagain to drift feet first toward the ship. Strong watched this approachclosely, silently admiring the effortless way the cadet handled himselfin weightless space. When Tom was fifty feet away from the ship, andstill traveling quite fast, Strong gave the second order to break hisspeed. Tom opened the valve again and felt the tug of the jets brakinghis acceleration. He drifted slower and slower, and realizing that hewas close to the hull of the ship, he stretched his legs, striving tomake contact. Seconds later he felt a heavy thump at the soles of hisfeet, and within the ship there was the muffled clank of metal bootweights hitting the metal skin of the hull. 

"_Time!_" roared Strong and glanced at the astral chronometer over hishead. The boys crowded around as the Solar Guard captain quicklycomputed Tom's score. "Nine minutes, fifty-one seconds, and twocorrections, " he announced, unable to keep the pride out of his voice. 

"We win! We win!" roared Roger. "Term honors go to the _Polaris_!"

Roger turned around and began pounding Astro on the chest, and the giantVenusian picked him up and waltzed him around the deck. The threemembers of the _Arcturus_ unit waited until the first flush of victorydied away and then crowded around the two boys to congratulate them. 

"Don't forget the cadet who did it, " commented Strong dryly, and thefive cadets rushed below to the jet-boat deck to wait for Tom. 

When Tom emerged from the air lock a few moments later, Roger and Astroswarmed all over him, and another wild dance began. Finally, shakingfree of his well-meaning but violent unit mates, he grinned and gasped, "Well, from that reception, I guess I did it. "

"Spaceboy"--Roger smiled--"you made the _Arcturus_ unit look like threeold men in a washtub counting toes!"

"Congratulations, Corbett, " said Tony Richards of the _Arcturus_ crew, offering his hand. "That was really fast maneuvering out there. "

"Thanks, Tony. " Tom grinned, running his hand through his brown curlyhair. "But I have to admit I was a little scared. Wow! What a creepyfeeling to know you're out in space alone and not able to see anything. "

Their excitement was interrupted by Strong's voice over the ship'sintercom. "Stand by, all stations!"

"Here we go!" shouted Roger. "Back to the Academy--and leave!"

"_Yeeeeooooow!_" Astro's bull-like roar echoed through the ship as thecadets hurried to their flight stations. 

As command cadet of the _Polaris_, Tom climbed up to the control deck, and strapping himself into the command pilot's seat, prepared to getunder way. Astro, the power-deck cadet who could "take apart a rocketengine and put it back together again with his thumbs, " thundered belowto the atomic rockets he loved more than anything else in the universe. Roger Manning, the third member of the famed _Polaris_ unit, raced upthe narrow ladder leading to the radar bridge to take command ofastrogation and communications. 

While Captain Strong and the members of the _Arcturus_ unit strappedthemselves into acceleration cushions, Tom conducted a routine check ofthe many gauges on the great control panel before him. Satisfied, heflipped open the intercom and called, "All stations, check in!"

"Radar deck, aye!" drawled Roger's lazy voice. 

"Power deck, aye!" rumbled Astro. 

"Energize the cooling pumps!" ordered Tom. 

"Cooling pumps, aye!"

The whine of the mighty pumps was suddenly heard, moaning eerilythroughout the ship. 

"Feed reactant!"

The sharp hiss of fuel being forced into the rocket engines rose abovethe whine of the pumps, and the ship trembled. 

"Stand by to blast, " called Tom. "Standard space speed!"

Instantly the _Polaris_ shot toward Earth in a long, curving arc. Moments later, when the huge round ball of the mother planet loomedlarge on the scanner screen, Roger's voice reported over the intercom, "Academy spaceport control gives us approach orbit 074 for touchdown onRamp Twelve, Tom. "

"074 Ramp Twelve, " repeated Tom. "Got it!"

"Twelve!" roared Astro suddenly over the intercom. "Couldn't you make itcloser to the Academy than that, Manning? We'll have to walk two milesto the nearest slidewalk!"

"Too bad, Astro, " retorted Roger, "but I guess if I had to carry aroundas much useless muscle and bone as you do, I'd complain too!"

"I'm just not as lucky as you, Manning, " snapped Astro quickly. "I don'thave all that space gas to float me around. "

"Knock it off, fellows, " interjected Tom firmly. "We're going into ourapproach. "

Lying on his acceleration cushion, Strong looked over at Tony Richardsof the _Arcturus_ unit and winked. Richards winked and smiled back. "They never stop, do they, sir?"

"When they do, " replied Strong, "I'll send all three of them to sick bayfor examination. "

"Two hundred thousand feet to Earth's surface, " called Tom. "Stand byfor landing operations. "

As Tom adjusted the many controls on the complicated operations panel ofthe ship, Roger and Astro followed his orders quickly and exactly. "Cutmain drive rockets and give me one-half thrust on forward brakingrockets!" ordered Tom, his eyes glued to the altimeter. 

The _Polaris_ shuddered under the sudden reverse in power, then began anupward curve, nose pointing back toward space. Tom barked anothercommand. "Braking rockets full! Stand by main drive rockets!"

The sleek ship began to settle tailfirst toward its destination--SpaceAcademy, U. S. A. 

In the heart of a great expanse of cleared land in the western part ofthe North American continent, the cluster of buildings that marked SpaceAcademy gleamed brightly in the noon sun. Towering over the green grassyquadrangle of the Academy was the magnificent Tower of Galileo, built ofpure Titan crystal which gleamed like a gigantic diamond. With smallerbuildings, including the study halls, the nucleonics laboratory, thecadet dormitories, mess halls, recreation halls, all connected byrolling slidewalks--and to the north, the vast area of the spaceportwith its blast-pitted ramps--the Academy was the goal of every boy inthe year A. D. 2353, the age of the conquest of space. 

Founded over a hundred years before, Space Academy trained the youth ofthe Solar Alliance for service in the Solar Guard, the powerful forcecreated to protect the liberties of the planets. But from the beginning, Academy standards were so high, requirements so strict, that not manymade it. Of the one thousand boys enrolled every year, it was expectedthat only twenty-one of them would become officers, and of this group, only seven would be command pilots. The great Solar Guard fleet thatpatrolled the space lanes across the millions of miles between thesatellites and planets possessed the finest, yet most complicated, equipment in the Alliance. To be an officer in the fleet required acombination of skills and technical knowledge so demanding that eightyper cent of the Solar Guard officers retired at the age of forty. 

High over the spaceport, the three cadets of the _Polaris_ unit, happyover the prospect of a full month of freedom, concentrated on the taskof landing the great ship on the Academy spaceport. Watching theteleceiver screen that gave him a view of the spaceport astern of theship, Tom called into the intercom, "One thousand feet to touchdown. Cutbraking rockets. Main drive full!"

The thunderous blast of the rockets was his answer, building up intoroaring violence. Shuddering, the great cruiser eased to the ground footby foot, perfectly balanced on the fiery exhaust from her main tubes. 

Seconds later the giant shock absorbers crunched on the ramp and Tomclosed the master switch cutting all power. He glanced at the astralchronometer over his head and then turned to speak into the audio logrecorder. "Rocket cruiser _Polaris_ completed space flight one-seven-sixat 1301. "

Captain Strong stepped up to Tom and clapped him on the shoulder. "Secure the _Polaris_, Tom, and tell Astro to get the reactant pile fromthe firing chamber ready for dumping when the hot-soup wagon gets here. "The Solar Guard officer referred to the lead-lined jet sled that removedthe reactant piles from all ships that were to be laid up for longerthan three days. "And you'd better get over to your dorm right away, "Strong continued. "You have to get ready for parade and full Corpsdismissal. "

Tom grinned. "Yes, sir!"

"We're blasting off, sir, " said Tony Richards, stepping forward with hisunit mates. "Congratulations again, Corbett. I still can't figure outhow you did it so quickly!"

"Thanks, Tony, " replied Tom graciously. "It was luck and the pressure ofgood competition. "

Richards shook hands and then turned to Strong. "Do I have yourpermission to leave the ship, sir?" he asked. 

"Permission granted, " replied Strong. "And have a good leave. "

"Thank you, sir. "

The three _Arcturus_ cadets saluted and left the ship. A moment laterRoger and Astro joined Strong and Tom on the control deck. 

"Well, " said Strong, "what nonsense have you three planned for yourleave? Try and see Liddy Tamal. I hear she's making a new stereo aboutthe Solar Guard. You might be hired as technical assistants. " He smiled. The famous actress was a favorite of the cadets. Strong waited. "Well, is it a secret?"

"It was your idea, Astro, " said Roger. "Go ahead. "

"Yeah, " said Tom. "You got us into this. "

"Well, sir, " mumbled Astro, turning red with embarrassment, "we're goingto Venus. "

"What's so unusual about going to Venus?" asked Strong. 

"We're going hunting, " replied Astro. 

"Hunting?"

"Yes, sir, " gulped the big Venusian. "For tyrannosaurus. "

Strong's jaw dropped and he sat down suddenly on the nearestacceleration cushion. "I expected something a little strange from youthree whiz kids. " He laughed. "It would be impossible for you to go homeand relax for a month. But this blasts me! Hunting for a tyrannosaurus!What are you going to do with it after you catch it?" He paused and thenadded, "If you do. "

"Eat it, " said Astro simply. "Tyrannosaurus steak is delicious!"

Strong doubled with laughter at the seriousness of Astro's expression. The giant Venusian continued doggedly, "And besides, there's a bounty onthem. A thousand credits for every tyranno head brought in. They'redangerous and destroy a lot of crops. "

Strong straightened up. "All right, all right! Go ahead! Have yourselvesa good time, but don't take any unnecessary chances. I like my cadets tohave all the arms and legs and heads they're supposed to have. " Hepaused and glanced at his watch. "You'd better get hopping. Astro, didyou get the pile ready for the soup wagon?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Very well, Tom, secure the ship. " He came to attention. "Unit, _stand--to_!"

The three cadets stiffened and saluted sharply. 

"Unit dismissed!"

Captain Strong turned and left the ship. 

Hurriedly, Tom, Roger, and Astro checked the great spaceship and fifteenminutes later were racing out of the main air lock. Hitching a ride on ajet sled to the nearest slidewalk, they were soon being whisked alongtoward their quarters. Already, cadet units were standing around infresh blues waiting for the call for final dress parade. 

At exactly fifteen hundred, the entire Cadet Corps stepped off withelectronic precision for the final drill of the term. By threes, eachunit marching together, with the _Polaris_ unit walking behind thestandard bearers as honor unit, they passed the reviewing stand. Seniorofficers of the Solar Guard, delegates from the Solar Alliance, andstaff officers of the Academy accepted their salute. Commander Waltersstood stiffly in front of the stand, his heart filled with pride as herecognized the honor unit. He had almost washed out the _Polaris_ unitin the beginning of their Academy training. 

Major Lou Connel, Senior Line Officer of the Solar Guard, steppedforward when the cadets came to a stop and presented Tom, Roger, andAstro with the emblem of their achievement, a small gold pin in theshape of a rocket ship. He, too, had had his difficulties with the_Polaris_ unit, and while he had never been heard to compliment anyoneon anything, expecting nothing but the best all the time, henevertheless congratulated them heartily as he gave them their hard-wontrophy. 

After several other awards had been presented, Commander Waltersaddressed the Cadet Corps, concluding with ". .. Each of you has had atough year. But when you come back in four weeks, you'll think this pastterm has been a picnic. And remember, wherever you go, whatever you do, you're Space Cadets! Act like one! But above all, have a good time!Spaceman's luck!"

A cadet stepped forward quickly, turned to face the line of cadets, andheld up his hands. He brought them down quickly and words of the Academysong thundered from a thousand voices. 

 "_From the rocket fields of the Academy To the far-flung stars of outer space, We're Space Cadets training to be Ready for dangers we may face. 

 Up in the sky, rocketing past, Higher than high, faster than fast, Out into space, into the sun, Look at her go when we give her the gun. 

 We are Space Cadets, and we are proud to say Our fight for right will never cease. Like a cosmic ray, we light the way To interplanet peace!_"

"_Dis_-missed!" roared Walters. Immediately the precise lines of cadetsturned into a howling mob of eager boys, everyone seemingly running in adifferent direction. 

"Come on, " said Roger. "I've got everything set! Let's get to thestation ahead of the mob. "

"But what about our gear?" said Tom. "We've got to get back to thedorm. "

"I had it sent down to the station last night. I got the monorailtickets to Atom City last week, and reserved seats on the _Venus Lark_two weeks ago! Come on!"

"Only Roger could handle it so sweetly, " sighed Astro. "You know, hotshot, sometimes I think you're useful!"

The three cadets turned and raced across the quadrangle for the nearestslidewalk that would take them to the Academy monorail station and thebeginning of their adventure in the jungles of Venus. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 2

"The situation may be serious and it may not, but I don't want to takeany chances. "

Commander Walters sat in his office, high up in the Tower of Galileo, with department heads from the Academy and Solar Guard. Behind him, anentire wall made of clear crystal offered a breath-taking view of theAcademy grounds. Before him, their faces showing their concern over areport Walters had just read, Captain Strong, Major Connel, Dr. JoanDale, and Professor Sykes waited for the commanding officer of theAcademy to continue. 

"As you know, " said Walters, "the resolution passed by the Council inestablishing the Solar Guard specifically states that it shall be theduty of the Solar Guard to investigate and secure evidence for the SolarAlliance Council of any acts by any person, or group of persons, suspected of overt action against the Solar Constitution or theUniversal Bill of Rights. Now, based on the report I've just read toyou, I would like an opinion from each of you. "

"For what purpose, Commander?" asked Joan Dale, the young and prettyastrophysicist. 

"To decide whether it would be advisable to have a full and openinvestigation of this information from the Solar Guard attaché onVenus. "

"Why waste time talking?" snapped Professor Sykes, the chief of thenucleonics laboratory. "Let's investigate. That report sounds serious. "

Major Connel leveled a beady eye on the little gray-haired man. 

"Professor Sykes, an investigation is serious. When it is based on areport like this one, it is doubly serious, and needs straight andcareful thinking. We don't want to hurt innocent people. "

Sykes shifted around in his chair and glared at the burly Solar Guardofficer. "Don't try to tell me anything about straight thinking, Connel. I know more about the Solar Constitution and the rights of our citizensthan you'll know in ten thousand light years!"

"Yeah?" roared Connel. "And with all your brains you'd probably find outthese people are nothing more than a harmless bunch of colonists out ona picnic!"

The professor shot out of his chair and waved an angry finger underConnel's nose. "And that would be a lot more than I'm finding out rightnow with that contraption of yours!" he shouted. 

Connel's face turned red. "So that's how you feel about my invention!"he snapped. 

"Yes, that's the way I feel about your invention!" replied Sykes hotly. "I know three cadets that could build that gadget in half the time it'staken you just to figure out the theory!"

Commander Walters, Captain Strong, and Joan Dale were fighting to keepfrom laughing at the hot exchange between the two veteran spacemen. 

"They sound like the _Polaris_ unit, " Joan whispered to Strong. 

Walters stood up. "Gentlemen! Please! We're here to discuss a report onthe activities of a secret organization on Venus. I will have to ask youto keep to the subject at hand. Dr. Dale, do you have any comments onthe report?" He turned to the young physicist who was choking off alaugh. 

"Well, Commander, " she began, still smiling, "the report is rathersketchy. I would like to see more information before any real decisionis made. "

Walters turned to Strong. "Steve?"

"I think Joan has the right idea, sir, " he replied. "While the reportindicates that a group of people on Venus are meeting regularly andsecretly, and wearing some silly uniform, I think we need moreinformation before ordering a full-scale investigation. "

"He's right, Commander, " Connel broke in. "You just can't walk into anoutfit and demand a look at their records, books, and membership index, unless you're pretty sure you'll find something. "

"Send a man from here, " Strong suggested. "If you use anyone out of theVenus office, he might be recognized. "

"Good idea, " commented Sykes. 

Joan nodded. "Sounds reasonable. "

"How do you feel about it, Connel?" asked Walters. 

Connel, still furious over Sykes's comment on his spectrum recorder, shot an angry glance at the professor. "I think it's fine, " he saidbluntly. "Who're you going to send?"

Walters paused before answering. He glanced at Strong and then back atConnel. "What about yourself?"

"Me?"

"Why not?" continued Walters. "You know as much about Venus as anyone, and you have a lot of friends there you can trust. Nose around a while, see what you can learn, unofficially. "

"But what about my work on the spectrum recorder?" asked Connel. 

"That!" snorted Sykes derisively. "Huh, that can be completed any timeyou want to listen to some plain facts about--"

"I'll never listen to anything you have to say, you dried-up old neutronchaser!" blasted Connel. 

"Of course not, " cackled Sykes. "And it's the same bullheadedstubbornness that'll keep you from finishing that recorder. "

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, " said Walters firmly. "I cannot allow personaldiscussions to interfere with the problem at hand. How about it, Connel?Will you go to Venus?"

Lou Connel was the oldest line officer in the Solar Guard, havingrecommended the slightly younger Walters for the post of commandant ofSpace Academy and the Solar Guard so that he himself could escape a deskjob and continue blasting through space where he had devoted his entirelife. While Walters had the authority to order him to accept theassignment, Connel knew that if he begged off because of his work on therecorder, Walters would understand and offer the assignment to Strong. He paused and then growled, "When do I blast off?"

Walters smiled and answered, "As soon as we contact Venus headquartersand tell them to expect you. "

"Wouldn't it be better to let me go without any fanfare?" mused theburly spaceman. "I could just take a ship and act as though I'm on somekind of special detail. As a matter of fact, Higgleston at the Venusportlab has some information I could use. "

"Anything Higgleston could tell you, " interjected Sykes, "I can tellyou! You're just too stubborn to listen to me. "

Connel opened his mouth to blast the professor in return, but he caughta sharp look from Walters and he clamped his lips together tightly. 

"I guess that's it, then, " said Walters. "Anyone have any other ideas?"He glanced around the room. "Joan? Steve?"

Dr. Dale and Captain Strong shook their heads silently. Strong wasdisappointed that he had not been given the assignment on Venus. Fourweeks at the deserted Academy would seem like living in a graveyard. Walters sensed his feelings, and smiling, he said, "You've been goinglike a hot rocket this past year, Steve. I have a specific assignmentfor you. "

"Yes, sir!" Strong looked up eagerly. 

"I want you to go to the Sweet Water Lakes around New Chicago--"

"Yes, sir?"

"--go to my cabin--"

"Sir?"

"--_and go fishing_!"

Strong grinned. "Thanks, skipper, " he said quietly. "I guess I could usea little relaxation. I was almost tempted to join Corbett, Manning, andAstro. They're going hunting in the jungle belt of Venus for atyrannosaurus!"

"Blast my jets!" roared Connel. "Those boys haven't killed themselves inline of duty, so they go out and tangle with the biggest and mostdangerous monster in the entire solar system!"

"Well, " said Joan with a smile, "I'll put my money on Astro against atyranno any time, pound for pound!"

"Hear, hear!" chimed in Sykes, and forgetting his argument with Connel, he turned to the spaceman. "Say, Lou, " he said, "when you get to Venustell Higgy I said to show you that magnetic ionoscope he's rigging up. It might give you some ideas. "

"Thanks, " replied Connel, also forgetting the hot exchange of a fewminutes before. He stood up. "I'll take the _Polaris_, Commander. She'sthe fastest ship available with automatic controls for a solo hop. "

"She's been stripped of her reactant pile, Major, " said Strong. "It'lltake a good eighteen hours to soup her up again. "

"I'll take care of it, " said Connel. "Are there any specific orders, Commander?"

"Use your own judgment, Lou, " said Walters. "You know what we want andhow far to go to get it. If you learn anything, we'll start a full-scaleinvestigation. If not, we'll forget the whole matter and no one will gethurt. "

"And the Solar Guard won't get a reputation of being nosy, " addedStrong. 

Connel nodded. "I'll take care of it. " He shook hands all around, comingto Sykes last. "Sorry I lost my temper, Professor, " he said gruffly. 

"Forget it, Major. " Sykes smiled. He really admired the gruff spaceman. 

The thick-set senior officer came to smart attention, saluted crisply, turned, and left the office. For the time being, the mysterious troubleon Venus was his responsibility. 

 * * * * *

"Atom City express leaving on Track Four!"

A metallic voice boomed over the station loud-speaker, as last-minutepassengers boarded the long line of gleaming white monorail cars, hanging from a single overhead steel rail. In the open doorway of oneof the end cars, a conductor lifted his arm, then paused and waitedpatiently as three Space Cadets raced down the stairs and along theplatform in a headlong dash for the train. They piled inside, almost oneon top of the other. 

"Thanks for waiting, sir, " gasped Tom Corbett. 

"Not at all, Cadet, " said the conductor. "I couldn't let you waste yourleave waiting for another train. "

The elderly man flipped a switch in the narrow vestibule and the doorclosed with a soft hiss of air. He inserted a light key into a near-bysocket and twisted it gently, completing a circuit that flashed the "go"light in the engineer's cab. Almost immediately, the monorail traineased forward, suspended on the overhead rail. By the time the lastbuilding of Space Academy flashed past, the train was rolling along atfull speed on its dash across the plains to Atom City. 

The ride to the great metropolis of the North American continent wasfilled with excitement and anticipation for the three members of the_Polaris_ crew. The cars were crowded with cadets on leave, and whilethere was a lot of joking and horseplay, the few civilian passengerswere impressed with the gentlemanly bearing of the young spacemen. Tomand Roger finally settled down to read the latest magazines supplied bythe monorail company. But Astro headed for the dining car where heattracted a great deal of attention by his order of a dozen eggs, followed by two orders of waffles and a full quart of milk. Finally, when the dining-car steward called a halt, because it was closing time, Astro made his way back to Tom and Roger with a plastic bag of Frenchfried potatoes, and the three boys sat, munching them happily. Thecountryside flashed by in a blur of summer color as the train roared onat a speed of two hundred miles an hour. 

A few hours and four bags of potatoes later, Astro yawned and stretchedhis enormous arms, nearly poking Roger in the eye. 

"Hey, ya big ape!" growled Roger. "Watch the eye!"

"You'd never miss it, Manning, " said Astro. "Just use your radar. "

"Never mind, I like this eye just the way it is. "

"We're almost there, " called Tom. He pointed out the crystal window andthey could see the high peaks of the Rocky Mountain range looming ahead. "We cut through the new tunnel in those mountains and we'll be in AtomCity in ten minutes!"

There was a bustle of activity around them as other cadets rousedthemselves and collected their gear. Once again conversation becameanimated and excited as the train neared its destination. Flashing intothe tunnel, the line of cars began to slow down, rocking gently. 

"We'd better go right out to the spaceport, " said Tom, pulling his gearout of the recessed rack under his seat. "Our ship blasts off for Venusin less than a half-hour. "

"Boy, it'll be a pleasure to ride a spaceship without having toastrogate, " said Roger. "I'll just sit back and take it easy. Hope thereare some good-looking space dolls aboard. "

Tom turned to Astro. "You know, Astro, " he said seriously, "it's a goodthing we're along to take care of this Romeo. If he were alone, he'dwind up in another kind of hunt. "

"I'd like to see how Manning's tactics work on a female dasypusnovemcinctur maximus, " said Astro with a sly grin. 

"A female what?" yelled Roger. 

"A giant armadillo, Roger, " Tom explained, laughing. "Very big and verymean when they don't like you. Don't forget, everything on Venus growsbig because of the lighter gravity. "

"Yeah, " drawled Roger, looking at Astro. "Big and dumb!"

"What was that again?" bellowed the giant Venusian, reaching for theflip cadet. The next moment, Roger was struggling futilely, feet kickingwildly as Astro held him at arm's length six inches off the floor. Thecadets in the car roared with laughter. 

"Atom City!" a voice over the intercar communicator boomed and the boyslooked out the window to see the towering buildings of Atom City slowlyslide by. The train had scarcely reached a full stop when the threecadets piled out of the door, raced up the slidestairs, and jumped intoa jet cab. Fifteen minutes later they marched up to one of the manyticket counters of the Atom City Interplanetary Spaceport. 

"Reservations for Cadets Corbett, Manning, and Astro on the _VenusLark_, please, " announced Tom. 

The girl behind the counter ran her finger down a passenger manifest, nodded, and then suddenly frowned. She turned back to Tom and said, "I'msorry, Cadet, but your reservations have been pre-empted by a prioritylisting. "

"Priority!" roared Roger. "But I made those reservations two weeks ago. If there was a change, why didn't you tell us before?"

"I'm sorry, sir, " said the girl patiently, "but according to themanifest, the priority call just came in a few hours ago. Someonecontacted Space Academy, but you had already left. "

"Well, is there another ship for Venusport today?"

"Yes, " she replied and picked up another manifest. Glancing at itquickly, she shook her head. "There are no open reservations, " she said. "I'm afraid the next flight for Venusport with open reservations isn'tfor four days. "

"Blast my jets!" growled Roger disgustedly. "Four days!" He sat down onhis gear and scowled. Astro leaned against the desk and stared gloomilyat the floor. At that moment a young man with a thin face and a strainedintense look pushed Tom to one side with a curt "Excuse me!" and steppedup to the desk. 

"You're holding three reservations on the _Venus Lark_, " he spokequickly. "Priority number four-seven-six, S. D. "

Tom, Roger, and Astro looked at him closely. They saw him nervously payfor his tickets and then walk away quickly without another look at theticket girl. 

"Were those our seats, miss?" asked Tom. The girl nodded. 

The three cadets stared after the young man who had bumped them offtheir ship. 

"The symbol S. D. On the priority stands for Solar Delegate, " said Roger. "Maybe he's a messenger. "

The young man was joined by two other men also dressed in Venusianclothing, and after a few words, they all turned and stepped onto theslidewalk rolling out to the giant passenger ship preparing to blastoff. 

"This is the most rocket-blasting bit of luck in the universe!" growledRoger. "Four days!"

"Cheer up, Roger, " said Tom. "We can spend the four days in Atom City. Maybe Liddy Tamal is here. We can follow Captain Strong's suggestion. "

"Even she doesn't make four days delay sound exciting, " interruptedRoger. "Come on. We might as well go back to town or we won't even get aroom. "

He picked up his gear and walked back to the jet cab-stand. Astro andTom followed the blond-haired cadet glumly. 

The stand was empty, but a jet cab was just pulling up to the platformwith a passenger. As the boys walked over to wait at the door, it openedand a familiar figure in a black-and-gold uniform stepped out. 

"Captain Strong!"

[Illustration]

"Corbett!" exclaimed Strong. "What are you doing here? I thought youwere aboard the _Venus Lark_. "

"We were bumped out of our reservation by an S. D. Priority, " said Astro. 

"And we can't get out of here for another four days, " added Rogerglumly. 

Strong sympathized. "That's rough, Astro. " He looked at the three dourfaces and then said, "Would you consider getting a free ride to Venus?"

The three cadets looked up hopefully. 

"Major Connel's taking the _Polaris_ to Venus to complete some work withProfessor Higgleston in the Venus lab, " explained Strong. "If you canget back to the Academy before he blasts off, he might give you a ride. "

"No, thanks!" said Roger. "I'd rather sit here. "

"Wait a minute, Roger, " said Tom. "We're on leave, remember? And it'sonly a short hop to Venus. "

"Yeah, hotshot, " added Astro. "We'll get to Venus faster than the _VenusLark_, and save money besides. "

"O. K. , " said Roger. "I guess I can take him for a little while. "

Strong suppressed a smile. Roger's reluctance to go with Connel was wellfounded. Any cadet within hailing distance of the hard-bitten spacemanwas likely to wind up with a bookful of demerits. 

"Are you on an assignment, sir?" asked Tom. 

"Vacation, " said Strong. "Four weeks of fishing at Commander Walters'cabin at Sweet Water Lakes. "

"If you pass through New Chicago, " said Tom, "you would be welcome tostop in at my house. Mom and Dad would be mighty happy to meet you. AndI think Billy, my kid brother, would flip a rocket. "

"Thank you, Tom. I might do that if I have time. " He looked at hiswatch. "You three had better hurry. I'd advise taking a jetcopter backto the Academy. You might not make it if you wait for a monorail. "

"We'll do that, sir, " said Tom. 

The three boys threw their gear into the waiting cab and piled in. Strong watched them roar away, frowning in thought. An S. D. Priority, the highest priority in space, was used only by special couriers onimportant missions for one of the delegates. He shrugged it off. "Getting to be as suspicious as an old space hen, " he said to himself. "Fishing is what I need. A good fight with a trout instead of a spaceconspiracy!"

CHAPTER 3

"Blast off--minus--five--four--three--two--one--_zero_!"

As the main drive rockets blasted into life, Tom fell back in his seatbefore the control panel of the _Polaris_ and felt the growing thrust asthe giant ship lifted off the ground, accelerating rapidly. He kept hiseyes on the teleceiver screen and saw Space Academy fall away behindthem. On the power deck Astro lay strapped in his acceleration cushion, his outstretched hand on the emergency booster rocket switch should themain rockets fail before the ship could reach the free fall of space. Onthe radar bridge Roger watched the far-flung stars become brighter asthe rocket ship hurtled through the dulling layers of the atmosphere. 

As soon as the ship reached weightless space, Tom flipped on the gravitygenerators and put the _Polaris_ on her course to Venus. Almostimmediately the intercom began to blast. 

"Now hear this!" Major Connel's voice roared. "Corbett, Manning, andAstro! I don't want any of your space-blasted nonsense on this trip! Getthis ship to Venusport in the shortest possible time without burning outthe pump bearings. And, Manning--!"

"Yes, sir, " replied the blond-haired cadet. 

"If I so much as hear one wisecrack between you and that overgrownrocket jockey, Astro, I'll log both of you twenty-five demerits!"

"I understand, sir, " acknowledged Roger lazily. "I rather appreciateyour relieving me of the necessity of speaking to that space ape!"

Listening to their voices on the control deck, Tom grinned and waitedexpectantly. He wasn't disappointed. 

"Ape!" came a bull-like roar from the power deck. "Why, you skinnymoth-eaten piece of space junk--"

"Cadet Astro!"

"Yes, sir?" Astro was suddenly meek. 

"If you say one more word, I'll bury you in demerits!"

"But, sir--"

"No _buts_!" roared Connel. "And you, Manning--!"

"Yes, sir?" chimed in Roger innocently. 

"Keep your mouth shut!"

"Very well, sir, " said Roger. 

"Corbett?"

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm putting you in charge of monitoring the intercom. If those twospace idiots start jabbering again, call me. That's an order! I'll be inmy quarters working. " Connel switched off abruptly. 

"You hear that, fellows?" said Tom. "Knock it off. "

"O. K. , Tom, " replied Roger, "just keep him out of my sight. "

"That goes for me, too, " added Astro. "Ape! Just wait till I--"

"Astro!" Tom interrupted sharply. 

"O. K. , O. K. , " groaned the big cadet. 

Glancing over the panel once more and satisfying himself that the shipwas functioning smoothly, Tom sighed and settled back in his seat, enjoying the temporary peace and solitude. It had been a tough year, filled with intensive study in the quest for an officer's commission inthe Solar Guard. Space Academy was the finest school in the world, butit was also the toughest. The young cadet shook his head, remembering asix-weeks' grind he, Roger, and Astro had gone through on a nuclearproject. Knowing how to operate an atomic rocket motor was one thing, but understanding what went on inside the reactant pile was somethingelse entirely. Never had the three cadets worked harder, or more closelytogether. But Astro's thorough, practical knowledge of basic nucleonics, combined with Roger's native wizardry at higher mathematics, and his ownunderstanding of the theory, had enabled them to pull through with agrade of seventy-two, the highest average ever made by a cadet unit notspecializing in physics. 

As the ship rocketed smoothly through the airless void of space towardthe misty planet of Venus, Tom made another quick but thorough check ofthe panel, and then returned to his reflections on the past term. It hadbeen particularly difficult since they had missed many valuable hours ofclassroom work and study because of their adventure on the new colony ofRoald (as described in _The Space Pioneers_), but they had come throughsomehow. He shook his head wondering how they had made it. Forty-twounits had washed out during the term. Instead of getting easier, thecourses of study were getting more difficult all the time, and in hisspeech on the parade grounds, Commander Walters had promised--

"Emergency!"

Roger's voice over the intercom brought Tom out of his reverie sharply. 

"All hands, " continued the cadet on the radar bridge hurriedly, "secureyour stations and get to the jet-boat deck on the double! Emergency!"

As the sharp clang of the emergency alarm rang out, Tom did not stop toquestion Roger's sudden order. Neutralizing all controls, he leaped forthe hatch leading below. Taking the ladder four steps at a time, Tom sawMajor Connel tear out of his quarters. The elder spaceman dived for theladder himself, not stopping to ask questions. He was automatic in hisreliance on the judgment of others. The few seconds spent in talk couldmean the difference between life and death in space where you seldom gota second chance. 

Tom and Connel arrived on the jet-boat deck to find Astro alreadypreparing the small space craft for launching. As they struggled intospace suits, Roger appeared. In answer to their questioning looks, heexplained laconically, "Unidentifiable object attached to ship on finparallel to steering vanes. Thought we'd better go outside first andexamine later. "

Connel nodded his mute agreement, and thirty seconds later the tiny jetboat was blasting out of the escape lock into space. 

Circling around the ship to the stern, the jet boat, under MajorConnel's sure touch, stopped fifty feet from the still glowing, exhausttubes. He and the three cadets stared out at a small metallic boxlikeobject attached to the underside of the stabilizer fin. 

"What do you suppose it is?" asked Astro. 

"I don't know, " replied Roger, "but it sure doesn't belong there. That'swhy I rang the emergency on you. "

"You were absolutely right, Manning, " asserted Connel. "If it'sharmless, we can always get back aboard and nothing's been lost except alittle time. " He rose from the pilot's seat and stepped toward thehatch. "Come with me, Corbett. We'll have a look. And bring theradiation counter along. "

"Aye, aye, sir!"

Tom reached into a near-by locker, and pulling out a small, rectangularbox with a round hornlike grid in its face, plunged out of the hatchwith Major Connel and blasted across the fifty-foot gap to thestabilizer fin of the _Polaris_. 

Connel gestured toward the object on the fin. "See if she's hot, Corbett. "

The young cadet pressed a small button on the counter and turned thehorn toward the mysterious box. Immediately the needle on the dial abovethe horn jumped from white to pink and finally red, quivering againstthe stop pin. 

"Hot!" exclaimed Tom. "She almost kicked the pin off!"

"Get off the ship!" roared Connel. "It's a fission bomb with a timefuse!"

Tom dove at the box and tried to pull it off the stabilizer, but MajorConnel grabbed him by the arm and wrenched him out into space. 

"You space-blasted idiot!" Connel growled. "That thing's liable to gooff any second! Get away from here!"

With a mighty shove, the spaceman sent Tom flying out toward the jetboat and then jumped to safety himself. Within seconds he and the youngcadet were aboard the jet boat again and, not stopping to answer Astro'sor Roger's questions, he jammed his foot down hard on the accelerationlever, sending the tiny ship blasting away from the _Polaris_. 

Not until they were two miles away from the stricken rocket ship didConnel bring the craft to a stop. He turned and gazed helplessly at thegleaming hull of the _Polaris_. 

"So they know, " he said bitterly. "They're trying to stop me from evenreaching Venus. "

The three cadets looked at each other and then at the burly spaceman, bewilderment in their eyes. 

"What's this all about, sir?" Roger finally asked. 

"I'm not at liberty to tell you, Manning, " replied Connel. "Though Iwant to thank you for your quick thinking. How did you happen todiscover the bomb?"

"I was sighting on Regulus for a position check and Regulus was deadastern, so when I swung the periscope scanner around, I spotted thatthing stuck to the fin. I didn't bother to think about it, I justyelled. "

[Illustration]

"Glad you did, " nodded Connel and turned to stare at the _Polaris_again. "Now I'm afraid we'll just have to wait until that bomb goesoff. "

"Isn't there anything we can do?" asked Tom. 

"Not a blasted thing, " replied Connel grimly. "Thank the universe weshut off all power. If that baby had blown while the reactant wasfeeding into the firing chambers, we'd have wound up a big splash ofnothing. "

"This way, " commented Astro sourly, "it'll just blast a hole in the sideof the ship. "

"We might be able to repair that, " said Tom hopefully. 

"There she goes!" shouted Roger. 

[Illustration]

Staring out the windshield, they saw a sudden blinding flash of lightappear over the stern section of the _Polaris_, a white-hot blaze ofincandescence that made them flinch and crouch back. 

"By the craters of Luna!" exclaimed Connel. 

Before their eyes they saw the stabilizer fin melt and curl under theintense heat of the bomb. There was no sound or shock wave in the vacuumof space, but they all shuddered as though an overwhelming force hadswept over them. Within seconds the flash was gone and the _Polaris_ wasdrifting in the cold blackness of space! The only outward damage visiblewas the twisted stabilizer, but the boys realized that she must be ashambles within. 

"I guess we'll have to wait a while before we go back aboard. Theremight be radioactivity around the hull, " Roger remarked. 

"I don't think so, " said Tom. "The _Polaris_ was still coasting when weleft her. We cut out the drive rockets, but we didn't brake her. She'sprobably drifted away from the radioactivity already. "

"Corbett's right, " said Connel. "A hot cloud would be a hundred milesaway by now. " He pressed down on the acceleration lever and the jet boateased toward the ship. Edging cautiously toward the stern of thespaceship, they saw the blasted section of the fin already cooling inthe intense cold of outer space. 

"Think I'd better call a Solar Guard patrol ship, sir?" asked Roger. 

"Let's wait until we check the damage, Manning, " replied Connel. 

"Yeah, " chimed in Astro grimly, "if I can help it, I'm going to bringthe _Polaris_ in. " He paused and then added, "If I have to carry her onmy back. "

As soon as a quick check with the radiation counter showed them that thehull was free of radioactivity, Major Connel and the three cadetsre-entered the ship. 

While the lack of atmosphere outside had dissipated the full force ofthe blast, the effect on the inside of the ship, where Earth's airpressure was maintained, was devastating. Whole banks of delicatemachinery were torn from the walls and scattered over the decks. Theprecision instruments of the inner hull showed no signs of leakage, andthe oxygen-circulating machinery could still function on an auxiliarypower hookup. 

Completing the quick survey of the ship, Major Connel realized that theywould never be able to continue their flight to Venus and instructedRoger to contact the nearest Solar Guard patrol ship to pick them up. 

"The _Polaris_ will have to be left in space, " continued Connel, "and amaintenance crew will be sent out to see if she can be repaired. If theydecide it isn't worth the labor, they'll junk her here in space. "

The faces of the three cadets fell. 

"But there's no real damage on her power deck, sir, " said Astro. "Andthe hull is in good shape, except for the stabilizer fin and some of thestern plates. Why, sometimes a green Earthworm unit will crack a fin ontheir first touchdown. "

"And the radar deck can be patched up easy, sir, " spoke up Roger. "Withsome new tubes and a few rolls of wire I could have her back in shape inno time. "

"That goes for the control deck, too!" said Tom doggedly. Then, after aquick glance at his unit mates, he faced Connel squarely. "I think itgoes without saying, sir, that we'd appreciate it very much if you couldrecommend that she be restored instead of junked. "

Connel allowed himself a smile in the face of such obvious love for theship. "You forget that to repair her out in space, the parts have to behauled from Venus. But I'll see what I can do. Meantime, Roger, see ifyou can't get that patrol ship to give us a lift to Venusport. Tell theC. O. I'm aboard and on urgent official business. "

"Yes, sir, " said Roger. 

"And, " continued the spaceman, noticing the downcast looks of Tom andAstro, "it wouldn't hurt if you two started repairing as much as youcan. So when the maintenance crew arrives, they won't find her in such amess. "

"Yes, sir!" chorused the two cadets happily. 

Connel returned to his quarters and sat down heavily in the remains ofhis bunk, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Somehow, word had gotten outthat he was going to check on the secret organization on Venus andsomeone had made a bold and desperate attempt to stop him before hecould get started. It infuriated him to think that anyone wouldinterrupt official business. As far as Connel was concerned, nothingcame before official business. And he was doubly furious at the dangerto the three cadets, who had innocently hitched a ride on what wasalmost a death ship. Someone was going to pay, Connel vowed, clenchinghis huge fists--and pay dearly. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 4

"_Yeeooowww!_"

Roaring with jubilation and jumping high in the air at every other step, Astro raced out of the gigantic maintenance hangar at the Venusportspaceport and charged at his two unit mates waiting on the concreteapron. 

"Everything's O. K. , " he yelled, throwing his arms around them. "The_Polaris_ is going to be brought in for full repairs! I just saw theaudiograph report from the maintenance chief!"

Tom and Roger broke into loud cheers and pounded each other on the back. 

"Great Jupiter, " gasped Roger, "I feel as though I've been sitting upwith a sick friend!"

"Your friend's going to make a full recovery, " asserted Astro. 

"Did you see Major Connel?" asked Tom. 

"Yeah, " said Astro. "I think he had a lot to do with it. I saw himtalking to the head maintenance officer. "

"Well, now that we've sweated the old girl through the crisis, " assertedRoger, "how's about us concentrating on our vacation?"

"Great, " agreed Tom. "This is your party, Astro. Lead the way. "

The three cadets left the spaceport in a jet cab and rode happily intothe city of Venusport. As they slid along the superhighway toward thefirst and largest of the Venusian cities, Astro pointed out the sights. Like slim fingers of glass, the towering Titan crystal buildings of thecity arose before them, reaching above the misty atmosphere to catch thesunlight. 

"Where do we get our safari gear, Astro?" asked Roger. 

"In the secondhand shops along Spaceman's Row, " replied the bigVenusian. "We can get good equipment down there at half the price. "

The cab turned abruptly off the main highway and began twisting througha section of the city shunned by the average Venusian citizen. Spaceman's Row had a long and unsavory history. For ten square blocks itwas the hide-out and refuge of the underworld of space. The grimy storesand shadowy buildings supplied the needs of the countless shadowyfigures who lived beyond the law and moved as silently as ghosts. 

Leaving the jet cab, the three cadets walked along the streets, past thecheaply decorated store fronts and dingy hallways, until they finallycame to a corner shop showing the universal symbol of the pawnshop:three golden balls. Tom and Roger looked at Astro who nodded, and theystepped inside. 

The interior of the shop was filthy. Rusted and worn space gear waspiled in heaps along the walls and on dusty counters. An old-fashionedmultiple neon light fixture cast an eerie blue glow over everything. Roger grimaced as he looked around. "Are you sure we're in the rightplace, Astro?"

Tom winked. Roger had a reputation for being fastidious. 

"This is it, " nodded Astro. "I know the old geezer that runs thisplace. Nice guy. Name's Spike. " He turned to the back of the shop andbawled, "Hey, Spike! Customers!"

Out of the gloomy darkness a figure emerged slowly. "Yeah?" The manstepped out into the pale light. He dragged one foot as he walked. "Whaddaya want?"

Astro looked puzzled. "Where's Spike?" he asked. "Doesn't Spike Freyerown this place?"

"He died a couple months ago. I bought him out just before. " Thecrippled man eyed the three cadets warily. "Wanna buy something?"

Astro looked shocked. "Spike, dead? What happened?"

"How should I know, " snarled the little man. "I bought him out and hedied a few weeks later. Now, you wanna buy something or not?"

"We're looking for jungle gear, " said Tom, puzzled by the man's strangebelligerence. 

"Jungle gear?" the man's eyes widened. "Going hunting?"

"Yeah, " supplied Roger. "We need complete outfits for three. But youdon't look like you have them. Let's go, fellas. " He turned toward thedoor, anxious to get out into the open air. 

"Just a minute! Just a minute, Cadet, " said the proprietor eagerly. "I've got some fine hunting gear here! A little used, but you won't mindthat! Save you at least half on anything you'd buy up in the city. " Hestarted toward the back of the store and then paused. "Where you goinghunting?"

"Why?" asked Tom. 

"So I'll know what kind of gear you need. Light--heavy--kind of guns--"

"Jungle belt in the Eastern Hemisphere, " supplied Astro. 

"Big game?" asked the man. 

"Yeah. Tyrannosaurus. "

"Tyranno, eh?" nodded the little man. "Well, now, you'll need heavystuff for that. I'd say at least three heavy-duty paralo-ray pistols forside arms, and three shock rifles. Then you'll need camping equipment, synthetics, and all the rest. " He counted the items off on grubby littlefingers. 

"Let's take a look at the blasters, " said Tom. 

[Illustration]

"Right this way, " said the man. He turned and limped to the rear of theshop, followed by the three cadets. Opening a large cabinet, he pulledout a heavy rifle, a shock gun that could knock out any living thing ata range of a thousand yards, and stun the largest animal at twice thedistance. 

"This blaster will knock the scales off any tyranno that you hit, " hesaid, handing the weapon over to Tom who expertly broke it down andexamined it. 

As Tom checked the gun, the proprietor turned to the other cadetscasually. 

"Why would three cadets want to go into that section of the junglebelt?"

"We just told you, " said Roger. "We're hunting tyranno. "

"Uh, yes, of course. " He turned away and pulled three heavy-dutyparalo-ray pistols out of the cabinet. "Now these ray guns are thefinest money can buy. Standard Solar Guard equipment. .. . "

"Where did you get them?" demanded Roger sharply. 

"Well, you know how it is, Cadet. " The man laughed. "One way or another, we get a lot of gear. A man is discharged from the Solar Guard and hecan keep his equipment, then he gets hard up for a few credits and so hecomes to me. "

Tom closed the shock rifle and turned to Astro. "This gun is cleanenough. Think it can stop a tyranno, Astro?"

"Sure, " said the big cadet confidently. "Easy. "

"O. K. , " announced Tom, turning back to the proprietor. "Give us the restof the stuff. "

"And watch your addition when you make out the bill, " said Rogerblandly. "We can add, too. "

A half-hour later the three cadets stood in front of the shop with allthe gear they would need and hailed a jet cab. They stowed their newlypurchased equipment inside and started to climb in as Astro announced, "Spaceport, driver!"

"Huh?" Roger paused. "Why back there?"

"How do you think we're going to get to the jungle belt?" asked Astro. "Walk?"

"Well, no, but--"

"We have to rent a jet launch, " said Astro. "Or try to buy a used onethat we can sell back again. Pile in, now!"

As the cab shot away from the curb with the three cadets, the proprietorof the pawnshop stepped out of the doorway and watched it disappear, apuzzled frown on his face. Quickly he re-entered the shop, and limpingto a small locker in the rear, opened it, exposing the screen of ateleceiver. He flipped on the switch, tuned it carefully, and in amoment the screen glowed to life. 

"Hello, this is the shop, " called the little man. "Lemme speak to Lactu!This is urgent!" As he waited he stared out through the dirty window tothe street where the cadets had been a moment before and he smiledthinly. 

 * * * * *

Arriving at the spaceport, Astro led his unit mates to a privately ownedrepair hangar and dry dock where wealthier Venusian citizens kept theirspace yachts, jet-powered craft, and small runabouts. Astro opened thedoor to the office with a bang, and a young girl, operating an automatictypewriter, looked up. 

"Astro!" she cried. "How wonderful to see you!"

"Hiya, Agnes, " replied Astro shyly. The big cadet was well known andliked at the repair hangar. His early life had been spent in and aroundthe spaceport. First just listening to the stories of the older spacemenand running errands for them, then lending a helping hand wherever hecould, and finally becoming a rigger and mechanic. This all preceded hisyears as an enlisted spaceman and his eventual appointment to SpaceAcademy. His big heart and honesty, his wild enthusiasm for any kind ofrocket power had won him many friends. 

"Is Mr. Keene around?" asked Astro. 

"He's with a customer right now, " replied Agnes. "He'll be out in aminute. " Her eyes swept past Astro to Tom and Roger who were standing inthe doorway. "Who are your friends?"

"Oh, excuse me!" mumbled Astro. "These are my unit mates, Cadet Corbettand Cadet Manning. "

Before Tom could acknowledge the introduction, Roger stepped in front ofhim and sat on the edge of the desk. Looking into her eyes, heannounced, "Tell you what, Astro, you and Tom go hunting. I've found allI could ever want to find right here. Tell me, my little space pet, areyou engaged for dinner tonight?"

Agnes looked back into his eyes innocently. "As a matter of fact I am. "Then, grinning mischievously, she added, "But don't let that stop you. "

"I wouldn't let a tyranno stop me, " bragged the blond-haired cadet. "Tell me who your previous engagement is with and I'll get rid of him innothing flat!"

The girl giggled and looked past Roger. He turned to see a tall, solidlybuilt man in coveralls scowling at him. 

"Friend of yours, Agnes?" the newcomer asked. 

"Friend of Astro's, Roy, " said Agnes. "Cadet Manning, I'd like you tomeet my brother, Roy Keene. "

Roger jumped up and stuck out his hand. "Oh--er--ah--how do you do, sir?"

"Quite well, Cadet, " replied Keene gruffly, but with a slight twinkle inhis eye. He turned to Astro and gripped the big cadet's hand solidly. "Well, Astro, it's good to see you. How's everything going at SpaceAcademy?"

"Swell, sir, " replied Astro, and after introducing Tom and bringingKeene up to date on his life history, he explained the purpose of theirvisit. "We're on summer leave, sir, and we'd like to go huntingtyrannosaurus. But what we need most right now is a jet boat. We'd liketo rent one, or if you've got something cheap, we'd buy it. "

Keene rubbed his chin. "I'm afraid I can't help you, Astro. There'snothing available in the shop right now. I'd lend you my Beetle, but oneof the boys has it out on a three-day repair job. "

Astro's face fell. "Oh, that's too bad. " He turned to Tom and Roger. "Well, we could drop in from a stratosphere cruiser and then work ourway back to the nearest colony in three or four weeks. "

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Keene. "I've got an idea. " He turned andcalled to a man standing on the other side of the hangar, studying aradar scanner for private yachts. "Hey, Rex, mind coming over here aminute. "

The man walked over. He was in his late thirties, tall andbroad-shouldered, his hair was almost snow-white, contrasting sharplywith his deeply tanned and handsome features. 

"This is the _Polaris_ unit from Space Academy, Rex, " said Keene. "Boys, meet Rex Sinclair. " After the introductions were completed, Keeneexplained the cadets' situation. Sinclair broke into a smile. "It wouldbe a pleasure to have you three boys as my guests!"

"Guests!" exclaimed Tom. 

Sinclair nodded. "I have a plantation right on the edge of the junglebelt. Things get pretty dull down there in the middle of the summer. I'dbe honored if you'd use my home as a base of operations while you huntfor your tyrannosaurus. As a matter of fact, you'd be helping me out. Those brutes destroy a lot of my crops and we have to go after themevery three or four years. "

"Well, thanks, " said Tom, "but we wouldn't want to impose. We'd be happyto pay you--"

Sinclair held up his hand. "Wouldn't think of it. Do you have yourgear?"

"Yes, sir, " replied Astro. "Arms, synthetics, the works. Everything buttransportation. "

"Well, that's sitting out on the spaceport. That black space yacht onRamp Three. " Sinclair smiled. "Get your gear aboard and make yourselvesat home. I'll be ready to blast off in half an hour. "

Astro turned to Keene. "Thanks a lot, sir. It was swell of you to set usup this way. "

Keene slapped him on the shoulder. "Go on. Have a good time. "

Shaking hands all around and saying quick good-bys, the three boyshurried out to stow their gear aboard Sinclair's luxurious space yacht. While Roger and Tom relaxed in the comfortable main cabin, Astro hurriedbelow to inspect the power deck. 

Roger laughed as the big cadet disappeared down the hatch. "That guywould rather play with a rocket tube than do anything else in theuniverse!"

"Yes, " said Tom. "He's a real lucky guy. "

"How?"

"Ever meet anyone that didn't love that big hick?"

"Nope, " said Roger with a sly grin. "And that goes for me too! But don'tyou ever tell him!"

 * * * * *

Major Connel had been waiting to see the Solar Alliance Delegate fromVenus for three hours. And Major Connel didn't like to wait for anyoneor anything. He had read every magazine in the lavish outer office atopthe Solar Guard Building in downtown Venusport, drunk ten glasses ofwater, and was now wearing a path in the rug as he paced back and forthin front of the secretary who watched him shyly. 

The buzzer on the desk finally broke the silence and the girl answeredquickly as Connel stopped and glared at her expectantly. She listenedfor a second, then replacing the receiver, turned to the seething SolarGuard officer and smiled sweetly. "Delegate James will see you now, Major. "

"Thank you, " said Connel gruffly, trying hard not to take his impatienceout on the pretty girl. He stepped toward an apparently solid wall thatsuddenly slid back as he passed a light beam and entered the spaciousoffice of E. Philips James, Venusian Delegate to the Grand Council ofthe Solar Alliance. 

E. Philips James was a small man, with small hands that were movingnervously all the time. His head was a little too large for his narrowbody that was clothed in the latest fashion, and his tiny black mustachewas carefully trimmed. As Connel stalked into the room, James bouncedout of his chair to meet him, smiling warmly. 

"Major Connel! How delightful to see you again, " he said, extending aperfumed hand. 

"You could have seen me a lot sooner, " growled Connel. "I've beensitting outside for over three hours!"

James lifted one eyebrow and sat down without making any comment. A truediplomat, E. Philips James never said anything unless it was absolutelynecessary. And when he spoke, he never really said very much. He satback and waited patiently for Connel to cool off and get to the point ofhis call. 

In typical fashion, Connel jumped to it without any idle conversationalprologue. "I'm here on a security assignment. I need confidentialinformation. "

"Just one moment, Major, " said James. He flipped open his desk intercomand called to his secretary outside. "Record this conversation, please. "

"Record!" roared Connel. "I just told you this was secret!"

"It will be secret, Major, " assured James softly. "The record will gointo the confidential files of the Alliance for future reference. Aprecaution, Major. Standard procedure. Please go on. "

Connel hesitated, and then, shrugging his shoulders, continued, "I wantto know everything you know about an organization here on Venus known asthe Venusian Nationalists. "

James's expression changed slightly. "Specific information, Major? Orjust random bits of gossip?"

"No rocket wash, Mr. James. Information. Everything you know!"

"I don't know why you've come to me, " replied James, visibly annoyed atthe directness of the rough spaceman. "I know really very little. "

"I'm working under direct orders of Commander Walters, " said Connelgrimly, "who is also a delegate to the Solar Council. His position ashead of the Solar Guard is equal to yours in every respect. This requestcomes from his office, not out of my personal curiosity. "

"Ah, yes, of course, Major, " replied James. "Of course. "

The delegate rose and walked over to the window, seemingly trying tocollect his thoughts. After a moment he turned back. "Major, theorganization you speak of is, so far as I know, an innocent group ofVenusian farmers and frontier people who meet regularly to exchangeinformation about crops, prices, and the latest farming methods. Yousee, Major"--James's voice took on a slightly singsong tone, as thoughhe were making a speech--"Venus is a young planet, a vast new world, with Venusport the only large metropolis and cultural center. Out inthe wilderness, there are great tracts of cultivated land that supplyfood to the planets of the Solar Alliance and her satellites. We arebecoming the breadbasket of the universe, you might say. " James smiledat Connel, who did not return the smile. 

"Great distances separate these plantations, " continued James. "Life ishard and lonely for the Venusian plantation owner. The VenusianNationalists are, to my knowledge, no more than a group of landownerswho have gotten together and formed a club, a fraternity. It's true theyspeak the Venusian dialect, these groups have taken names from the oldVenusian explorers, but I hardly think it is worth while investigating. "

"Do they have a headquarters?" Connel asked. "A central meeting place?"

"So far as I know, they don't. But Al Sharkey, the owner of the largestplantation on Venus, is the president of the organization. He's a veryamiable fellow. Why don't you talk to him?"

"Al Sharkey, eh?" Connel made a mental note of the name. 

"And there's Rex Sinclair, a rather stubborn individualist who wrote tome recently complaining that he was being pressured into joining theorganization. "

"What kind of pressure?" asked Connel sharply. 

James held up his hand. "Don't get me wrong, Major. There was noviolence. " The delegate suddenly became very businesslike. "I'm afraidthat's all the information I can give you, Major. " He offered his hand. "So nice to see you again. Please don't hesitate to call on me again forany assistance you feel we can give you. "

"Thank you, Mr. James, " said Connel gruffly and left the office, a frowncreasing his forehead. Being a straightforward person himself, MajorConnel could not understand why anyone would hesitate about answering adirect question. He didn't for a moment consider the delegate anythingbut an intelligent man. It was the rocket wash that went with being adiplomat that annoyed the ramrod spaceman. He shrugged it off. Perhapshe would find out something from Al Sharkey or the other plantationowner, Rex Sinclair. 

When he crossed the slidewalk and waited at the curb for a jet cab, Connel suddenly paused and looked around. He felt a strange excitementin the air--a kind of tension. The faces of passing pedestrians seemedstrained, intense, their eyes were glowing, as though they all were inon some huge secret. He saw groups of men and women sitting in opensidewalk cafés, leaning over the table to talk to each other, theirvoices low and guarded. Connel shivered. He didn't like it. Somethingwas happening on Venus and he had to find out what it was before it wastoo late. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 5

"Wow!" exclaimed Roger. 

"Jumping Jupiter!" commented Tom. 

"Blast my jets!" roared Astro. 

Rex Sinclair smiled as he maneuvered the sleek black space yacht in atight circle a thousand feet above the Titan crystal roof of hisluxurious home in the heart of the wild Venusian jungle. 

"She's built out of Venusian teak, " said Sinclair. "Everything but theroof. I wanted to keep the feeling of the jungle around me, so I usedthe trees right out of the jungle there. " He pointed to the sea of densetropical growth that surrounded the house and cleared land. 

The ship nosed up for a thousand yards and then eased back, smoothlybraked, to a concrete ramp a thousand yards from the house. Thetouchdown was as gentle as a falling leaf, and when Sinclair opened theair lock, a tall man in worn but clean fatigues was waiting for them. 

"Howdy, Mr. Sinclair, " he called, a smile on his lined, weather-beatenface. "Have a good trip?"

"Fine trip, George, " replied Sinclair, climbing out of the ship. "I wantyou to meet some friends of mine. Space Cadets Tom Corbett, RogerManning, and Astro. They're going to stay with us during their summerleave while they hunt for tyranno. Boys, this is my foreman, GeorgeHill. "

The boys shook hands with the thick-set, muscular man, who smiledbroadly. "Glad to meet you, boys. Always wanted to talk to someone fromthe Academy. Wanted to go there myself but couldn't pass the physical. Bad eyes. "

Reaching into the ship, he began lifting out their equipment. "You chapsgo on up to the house now, " he said. "I'll take care of your gear. "

With Sinclair leading the way, the boys slowly walked up a flagstonepath toward the house, and they had their first chance to see a Venusianplantation home at close range. 

The Sinclair house stood in the middle of a clearing more than fivethousand yards square. At the edges, like a solid wall of greenvegetation, the Venusian jungle rose more than two hundred feet. It wasnoon and the heat was stifling. They were twenty-six million milescloser to the sun, and on the equator of the misty planet. While Astro, George, and Sinclair didn't seem to mind the temperature, Tom and Rogerwere finding it unbearable. 

"Can you imagine what it'll be like in the house with that crystalroof!" whispered Roger. 

"I'll bet, " replied Tom. "But as soon as the sun drops out of thezenith, it should cool off some. "

When the group stepped up onto the porch, two house servants met themand took their gear. Then Sinclair and the foreman ushered the cadetsinside. They were surprised to feel a distinct drop in temperature. 

"Your cooling unit must be pretty large, Mr. Sinclair, " commented Tom, looking up at the crystal roof where the sun was clearly visible. 

Sinclair smiled. "That's special crystal, mined on Titan at a depth often thousand feet. It's tinted, and shuts out the heat and glare of thesun. "

George then left to lay out their gear for their first hunt the nextmorning, and Sinclair took them on a tour of the house. They walkedthrough long corridors looking into all the rooms, eventually winding upin the kitchen, and the three boys marveled at the simplicity yetabsolute perfection of the place. Every modern convenience was at handfor the occupant's comfort. When the sun had dropped a little, they allput on sunglasses with glareproof eye shields and walked around theplantation. Sinclair showed them his prize-winning stock and the vastfields of crops. Aside from the main house, there were only four otherbuildings in the clearing. They visited the smallest, a cowshed. 

"Where do your field hands live, Mr. Sinclair?" asked Tom, as theywalked through the modern, spotless, milking room. 

"I don't have any, " replied the planter. "Do most of the work withmachinery, and George and the houseboys do what has to be done by hand. "

As they left the shed and started back toward the main house they cameabreast of a small wooden structure. Thinking they were headed there, Roger started to open the door. 

"Close that door!" snapped Sinclair. Roger jerked back. Astro and Tomlooked at the planter, startled by the sharpness in his voice. 

Sinclair smiled and explained, "We keep some experiments on differentkinds of plants in there at special low temperatures. You might have letin hot air and ruined something. "

"I'm sorry, sir, " said Roger. "I didn't know. "

"Forget it, " replied the planter. "Well, let's get back to the house. We're having an early dinner. You boys have to get started at fouro'clock in the morning. "

"Four o'clock!" exclaimed Roger. 

"Why?" asked Tom. 

"We have to go deep into the thicket, " Astro explained, using the localterm for the jungle, "so that at high noon we can make camp and take abreak. You can't move out there at noon. It gets so hot you'd fall onyour face after fifteen minutes of fighting the creepers. "

"Everything stops at noon, " added Sinclair. "Even the tyrannosaurus. Youhave to do your traveling in the cool of the day, early and late. Sixhours or so will take you far enough away from the plantation to findtracks, if there are any. "

"Tell me, Mr. Sinclair, " asked Roger suddenly, "is this the wholeplantation?" He spread his hands in a wide arc, taking in the clearingto the edge of the jungle. 

Sinclair grinned. "Roger, it'd take a man two weeks to go from onecorner of my property to another. This is just where I live. Three yearsago I had five hundred square miles under cultivation. "

Back in the house, they found George setting the table on the porch andhis wife busy in the kitchen. Mrs. Hill was a stout woman, with apleasant face and a ready smile. With very little ceremony, the cadets, Sinclair, George, and his wife sat down to eat. The food was simplefare, but the sure touch of Mrs. Hill's cooking and the free use ofdelicate Venusian jungle spices added exotic flavor, new but immenselysatisfying to the three hungry boys, a satisfaction they demonstrated bycleaning their plates quickly and coming back for second helpings. Astro, of course, was not happy until he had polished off his fourthround. Mrs. Hill beamed with pleasure at their unspoken compliment toher cooking. 

After the meal, Mrs. Hill stacked the dishes and put them into a smallcarrier concealed in the wall. Pressing a button, near the opening, sheexplained, "That dingus takes them to the sink, washes them, dries them, and puts everything in its right place. That's the kind of modern livingI like!"

As the sun dropped behind the wall of the jungle and the sky darkened, they all relaxed. Sinclair and George smoked contentedly, Mrs. Hillbrought out some needle point, and the three cadets rested incomfortable contour chairs. They chatted idly, stopping only to listento the wild calls of birds and animals out in the jungle as George, orSinclair, identified them all. George told of his experiences ontyrannosaurus hunts, and Astro described his method of hunting as a boy. 

"I was a big kid, " he explained. "And since the only way of earning aliving was by working, I found I could combine business with pleasure. Iused to hitch rides over the belt and parachute in to hunt for babytyrannos. " He grinned and added, "When I think back, I wonder how I everstayed in one piece. "

"Land sakes!" exclaimed Mrs. Hill. "It's a wonder you weren't eatenalive! Those tyrannos are horrible things. "

"I was almost a meal once, " confessed Astro sheepishly, and at theurging of the others he described the incident that had cured him ofhunting alone in the jungles of Venus with only a low-powered shockblaster. 

"If I didn't get it at the base of the brain where the nerve centersaren't so well protected with the first shot, I was in trouble, " hesaid. "I took a lot of chances, but was careful not to tangle with amama or papa tyrannosaurus. I'd stalk the young ones. I'd wait for himto feed and then let him have it. If I was lucky, I'd get him with oneshot, but most of the time I'd just stun him and have to finish him offwith a second blast. Then I'd skin him, take the hams and shoulders, andget out of there fast before the wild dogs got wind of the blood. I'dusually hunt pretty close to a settlement where I could get the meatfrozen. After that, I'd just have to call a couple of the bigrestaurants in Venusport and get the best price. I used to make as muchas fifty credits on one kill. "

"How would you get the meat to Venusport?" asked Roger, who, for all hisbraggadocio, was awed by his unit mate's calm bravery and skill as ahunter. 

"The restaurant that bought it would send a jet boat out for it and I'dride back with it. After a while the restaurant owners got to know meand would give me regular orders. I was trying to fill a special orderon that last hunt. "

"What happened?" asked Tom, equally impressed with Astro's life as a boyhunter. 

"I had just about finished hunting in a section near a little settlementon the other side of Venus, " began the big cadet, "but I thought theremight be one more five-hundred-pound baby around, so I dropped in. "Astro paused and grinned. "I didn't find a baby, I found his mother! Shemust have weighed twenty-five or thirty tons. Biggest tyranno I've everseen. She spotted me the same time I saw her and I didn't even stop tofire. I never could have dented her hide. I started running and she cameafter me. I made it to a cave and went as far back inside as I could. She stuck her head in after me, and by the craters of Luna, she was onlyabout three feet away, with me backed up against a wall. She tried toget farther in, opened her mouth, and snapped and roared like twentyrocket cruisers going off at once. "

[Illustration: "_She tried to get farther into the cave. _"]

Tom gulped and Roger's eyes widened. 

"I figured there was only one thing to do, " continued Astro. "Use theblaster, even though it couldn't do much damage. I let her have oneright in the eye!" Astro shook his head and laughed. "You should haveseen her pull her head out of that cave! I couldn't sleep for monthsafter that. I used to dream that she was sticking her head in my window, always getting closer. "

"Did the blaster do any damage at all?" asked Sinclair. 

"Oh, yes, sir, " said Astro. "I was close enough for the heat charge fromthe muzzle to get her on the side of the head. Nothing fatal, but she'sprobably still out there in the jungle more ugly than ever with half aface. "

The group fell silent, each thinking of how he would have reacted undersimilar conditions; each silently thankful that it hadn't happened tohim. Finally Mrs. Hill rose and said good night, and George excusedhimself to take a last look at the stock. Remembering their early callfor the next morning, the cadets said good night to Sinclair and retiredto their comfortable rooms. In bed at last, each boy stretched fulllength on his bed and in no time was sound asleep. 

It was still dark, an hour and a half before the sun would burst overthe top of the jungle, when Sinclair went to the cadets' room to rousethem. He found them already up and dressed in their jungle garb. Eachboy was wearing skin-tight trousers and jerseys made of double strengthspace-suit cloth and colored a dark moldy green. A hunter dressed inthis manner and standing still could not be seen at twenty paces. Thesnug fit of the suit was protection against thorns and snags that couldfind no hold on the hard, smooth-surfaced material. 

After a hearty breakfast the three cadets collected their gear, theparalo-ray pistols, the shock rifles, and the small shoulder packs ofsynthetic food and camping equipment. Each boy also carried a two-footjungle knife with a compass inlaid in the handle. A helmet of clearplastic with a small mesh-covered opening in the face covered each boy'shead. Dressed as they were, they could walk through the worst part ofthe jungles and not get so much as a scratch. 

"Well, " commented Sinclair, looking them over, "I guess you boys haveeverything. I'd hate to be the tyranno that crosses your path!"

The boys grinned. "Thanks for everything, sir, " said Tom. "You've been alot of help. "

"Think nothing of it, Tom. Just bring back a pair of tyranno scalps!"

"Where are Mr. And Mrs. Hill?" asked Astro. "We'd like to say good-by tothem. "

"They left before you got up, " replied Sinclair. "They're taking a fewdays off for a visit to Venusport. "

The boys pulled on their jungle boots. Knee-length and paper-thin, theywere nonetheless unpenetrable even if the boys should step on one of theneedle-sharp ground thorns. 

They waved a last good-by to their host, standing on the steps of thebig house, and moved across the clearing to the edge of the jungle wall. 

As the cadets approached the thick tangle of vines, the calls andrustling noises from the many crawling things hidden in the forbiddingthicket slowly died down. They walked along the edge of the tangle ofjungle creepers until they found an opening and stepped through. 

[Illustration: _They were completely surrounded by the jungle_]

After walking only ten feet they were completely surrounded by thejungle and could not even see the clearing they had just left. It wasdark, the network of vines, the thick tree trunks and rank growingvegetation shutting out the sun, leaving the interior of the junglestrangely plunged in gloom. Astro moved ahead, followed by Roger, withTom bringing up the rear. They followed the path they had entered, asfar as it went, and then began cutting their way through the underbrush, stopping only to cut notches in the trees to mark their passage. 

Their long-bladed knives slicing through vines and brush easily, Tom, Roger, and Astro hacked their way deeper and deeper into the mysteriousand suffocating green world. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 6

"I guess that's the Sharkey place over there, " mumbled Major Connel tohimself, banking his jet launch over the green jungles and pointing thespeedy little craft's nose toward the clearing in the distance. TheSolar Guard officer wrenched the scout around violently in his approach. He was still boiling over the Venusian Delegate's indifference towardhis mission. 

The launch skimmed the jungle treetops and glided to a perfect stop nearthe largest of a group of farm buildings. Cutting the motors, Connel satand waited for someone to appear. He sat there for ten minutes but noone came out to greet him. Finally he climbed out of the launch andstood by the hatch, peering intently at the buildings around him, hiseyes squinting against the glare of the fiery sun overhead. Theplantation seemed deserted. Reaching back into the launch and pullingout a paralo-ray gun, he strapped its reassuring bulk to his side andstepped toward the building that was obviously the main house. Nothingelse moved in the hot noon sun. 

As he strode purposefully toward the house, eyes alert for any sign oflife, he thought for a moment everyone might be taking a midday nap. Many of the Venusian colonists adapted the age-old custom of the tropicsto escape the intense heat of midday. But he dismissed the thoughtimmediately, realizing that his approach in the jet would have awakenedthe deepest of sleepers. 

Entering the house, he stopped in the spacious front hall and called:

"Hello! Anybody home? Halloo!"

The only answer was the echo of his own voice, vibrating through thelarge rooms. 

"Funny, " muttered the spaceman. "Why is this place deserted?"

He walked slowly through the house, opening doors and looking into allthe rooms, searching the whole place thoroughly before returning to theclearing. Going to the nearest of the outbuildings, he opened one of thewide doors and stared into the gloomy interior. With his experienced eyehe saw immediately that the building had been used to house a large jetcraft. There was the slightly pungent odor of jet fuel, and on the floorthe tire marks of a dolly used to roll the craft out to the launchingstrip. He followed the tracks outside and around to the side of thebuilding where he saw the dolly. It was empty. 

Shaking his head grimly, Connel made a quick tour of the remainingbuildings. They were all deserted but the last one, which seemed to bebuilt a little more sturdily than the others. Unlike the others, it waslocked. He looked for a window and discovered that the walls were solid. There were no openings except the locked door. He hesitated in front ofthe door, looking down at the ground for a sign of what might have beenstored in the building. The surrounding area revealed no tracks. Hepulled out a thick-bladed pocketknife and stepped to the lock, thensuddenly stopped and grinned. 

"Great, " he said to himself. "A Solar Guard officer about to break intoprivate property without a warrant. Fine thing to have known back at theAcademy!"

He turned abruptly and strode back to the scout. Climbing into thecraft, he picked up the audioscriber microphone and recorded a briefmessage. Removing the threadlike tape from the machine, he returned tothe house and left it on the spool of the audioscribe-replay machinenear the front door. 

A few moments later the eerie silence of the Sharkey plantation was onceagain shattered by the hissing roar of jets as the launch took off andclimbed rapidly over the jungle. Air-borne, Connel glanced briefly at achart, changed course, and sent the launch hurtling at full speed acrossthe jungle toward the Sinclair plantation. 

 * * * * *

"How far do you think we've come?" asked Tom sleepily. 

Astro yawned and stretched before answering. "I'd say about fifteenmiles, Tom. "

"Seems more like a hundred and fifteen, " moaned Roger who was sprawledon the ground. "I ache all over. Start at the top of my head and workdown, and you won't find one square inch that isn't sore. "

Tom grinned. He was tired himself, but the three-day march through thejungle had been three of the most exciting days in his life. Coming froma large city where he had to travel two hours by monorail to get to opengreen country, the curly-haired cadet found this passage through thewildest jungle in the solar system new and fascinating. He had seenflowers of every color in the spectrum, some as large as himself; giantshrubs with leaves so fine that they looked like spider webs; Venusianteakwood trees fifty to a hundred feet thick at the base with sometwisted into strange spirals as their trunks, shaded by another largertree, sought a clear avenue to the sun. There were bushes that grewthorns three inches long, hard as steel and thin as needles; junglecreepers, vines two and three feet thick, twisting around tree trunksand strangling them. He saw animals too, all double the size of anythingon Earth because of the lighter Venusian gravity; insects the size ofrats, rats the size of dogs, and wild dogs the size of ponies. Up in thetrees, small anthropoids, cousins to the monkeys of Earth, scamperedfrom limb to limb, screaming at the invaders of their jungle home. Smooth-furred animals that looked like deer, their horns curlingoverhead, scampered about the cadets like puppies, nuzzling them, nipping at their heels playfully, and barking as though in laughter whenAstro roared at them for getting in the way. 

But there were dangerous creatures in the jungle too; the beautiful butdeadly poisonous brush snakes that lurked unseen in the varicoloredfoliage, striking out at anything that passed; animals resemblingchipmunks with enlarged razor-sharp fangs, whose craving for raw meatwas so great that they would attack an animal ten times its size;lizards the size of elephants with scales like armor plate that rootedin swampy ground for their food, but which would attack any intruder, charging with amazing speed, their three horns poised; and, finally, there were the monsters of Venus--giant beasts whose weights weremeasured in tons, ruled over by the most horrible of them all--thetyrannosaurus. 

Fights to death between the jungle creatures were common sights for theboys during their march. They saw a weird soundless fight between aforty-foot snake and a giant vulture with talons nearly two feet acrossand a beak resembling a mammoth nutcracker. The vulture won, methodically cutting the reptile's body into sections, its beak slicingthrough the snake as easily as a knife going through butter. 

More than once Astro spotted a dangerous creature, and telling Roger andTom to stand back, he would level his shock rifle and blast it. 

So far they had seen nothing of their prey--the tyrannosaurus. Tracksaround the steaming swamps were as close as they had come. Once, late inthe evening of the second day they caught a fleeting glimpse of aplant-eating brontosaurus lumbering through the brush. 

All three of the boys had found it difficult to sleep in the jungle. Thefirst two nights they had taken turns at staying on guard and tendingthe campfire. Nothing had bothered them, and on the third night out, they decided the fire would be enough to scare off the jungle animals. It was risky, but the continual fight through the jungle underbrush hadtired the three boys to the bone and the few hours they stood guard weresorely missed the next day, so they decided to chance it. 

Roger was already asleep. Astro had just finished checking his rifle tobe ready for instant fire, when Tom threw the last log on the campfireand crawled into his sleeping bag. 

"Think it'll be all right, Astro?" asked Tom. "I'm not anxious to wakeup inside one of these critter's stomachs. "

"Most of them have never seen fire, Tom, " Astro said reassuringly. "Itscares them. Besides, we're getting close to the big stuff now. Youmight see a tyranno or a big bronto any time. And if they come along, you'll hear 'em, believe me. They're about as quiet as a squadron ofcruisers on battle emergency blasting off from the Academy in the middleof the night!"

"O. K. , " replied Tom. "You're the hunter in this crew. " Suddenly helaughed. "You know I really got a bang out of the way Roger jumped backfrom that waddling ground bird yesterday. "

Astro grinned. "Yeah, the one thing in this place that's as ferocious asa kitten and he pulls his ray gun like an ancient cowboy!"

A very tired voice spoke up from the other sleeping bag. "Is that so!Well, when you two brave men came face to face with that baby lizard ona tree root, you were ready to finish your leave in Atom City!" Rogerunzipped the end of the bag, stuck his blond head out, and gave his unitmates a sour look. "Sack in, will you? Your rocket wash is keeping meawake!"

Laughing, Astro and Tom nodded good night to each other and closed theirsleeping bags. The jungle was still, the only movement being the leapingtongues of flame from the campfire. 

An hour later it began to rain, a light drizzle at first that increaseduntil it reached the steady pounding of a tropical downpour. Tom awokefirst, opening the flap of his sleeping bag only to get his face full ofslimy water that spilled in. Spluttering and coughing he sat up and sawthat the campfire was out and the campsite was already six inches deepin water. 

"Roger, Astro!" he called and slapped the nearest sleeping bag. Astroopened the flap a little and peered out sleepily. Instantly he rolledout of the bag and jumped to his feet. 

"Wake Roger up!" he snapped. "We've got to get out of here!"

"What's the matter?" Roger mumbled through the bag, not opening it. "Whythe excitement over a little rain?"

"The fire's out, hotshot, " said Astro. "It's as dark as the inside of acow's number-four belly. We've got to move!"

"Why?" asked Tom, not understanding the big cadet's sudden nervousexcitement. "What's the matter with staying right where we are? Why gotrooping around in the dark?"

"We can't light a fire anywhere, " added Roger, finally sticking his headout of his sleeping bag. 

"We've got to get on high ground!" said Astro, hurriedly packing thecamping equipment. "We're in a hollow here. The rain really comes downon Venus, and in another hour this place will be a pond!"

Sensing the urgency in Astro's voice, Roger began packing up hisequipment and in a few moments the three boys had their gear slung overtheir shoulders and were slogging through water already knee-deep. 

"I still don't see why we have to go tracking through the jungle in themiddle of the night, " grumbled Roger. "We could climb up a tree and waitout the storm. "

"You'd have to wait long after the rain stops, " replied Astro. "There isone thing in this place nothing ever gets enough of, and that's water. Animals know it and hang around all the water holes. If a small animaltries to get a drink, he more than likely winds up in something'sstomach. When it rains like this, hollows fill up like the one we justleft, and everything within running, hopping, and crawling distanceheads for it to get a bellyful of water. In another hour our camp willbe like something out of a nightmare, with every animal in the junglecoming down for a drink and starting to fight one another. "

"Then if we stayed there--" Roger stopped. 

"We'd be in the middle of it, " said Astro grimly. "We wouldn't last twominutes. "

Walking single file, with Astro in the lead, followed by Roger and thenTom, they stumbled through the pitch-black darkness. Astro refused toshine a light, for fear of being attacked by a desperate animal, moreeager for water than afraid of the light. They carried their shockblasters cocked and ready to fire. The rain continued, increasing infury until they were enveloped in a nearly solid wall of water. In alittle while the floor of the jungle became one continuous mudhole, witheach step taking them ankle-deep into the sucking mud. Their climb wasuphill, and the water from above increased, washing down around them intorrents. More than once one of the cadets fell, gasping for breath, into the dirty water, only to be jerked back to more solid footing bythe other two. Stumbling, their hands groping wildly in the dark, theypushed forward. 

They were reaching higher ground when Astro stopped suddenly. 

"Listen!" he whispered hoarsely. 

The boys stood still, the rain pounding down on their plastic headgear, holding rifles ready and straining their ears for some sound other thanthe drumming of rain. 

"I don't hear anything, " said Roger. 

"_Shhh!_" hissed Astro. 

They waited, and then from a distance they heard the faint crashing ofunderbrush. Gradually it became more distinct until there was nomistaking its source. A large monster was moving through the jungle nearthem!

"What is it?" asked Tom, trying to keep his voice calm. 

"A big one, " said Astro. "A real big one. And I think it's heading thisway!"

"By the craters of Luna!" gasped Roger. "What do we do?"

"We either run, or stay here and try to blast it. "

"Whatever you say, Astro, " said Roger. "You're the boss. "

"Same here, " said Tom. "Call it. "

Astro did not answer right away. He strained his ears, listening to themovements of the advancing monster, trying to ascertain the exactdirection the beast was taking. The noise became more violent, thecrashing more sharply defined as small trees were crushed to the ground. 

"If only I knew exactly what it is!" said Astro desperately. "If it's atyranno, it walks on its hind legs and has its head way up in the trees, and could pass within ten feet of us and not see us. But if it's abronto, it has a long snakelike neck that he pokes all around and hewouldn't miss us at a hundred feet!"

"Make up your mind quick, big boy, " said Roger. "If that thing gets anycloser, I'm opening up with this blaster. He might eat me, but I'll suremake his teeth rattle first!"

The ground began to shake as the approaching monster came nearer. Astroremained still, ears straining for some sound to indicate exactly whatwas crashing down on them. 

Above them, the shrill scream of an anthropoid suddenly pierced the darknight as its tree home was sent crashing to the ground. There was agrowing roar and the crashing stopped momentarily. 

"Let's get out of here, " said Astro tensely. "That's a tyranno, but he'sdown on all fours now, looking for that monkey! Keep together and makeas little noise as you can. No talking. Keep your blasters and emergencylights ready. If he discovers us, you shine the light on his face Roger, and Tom and I will shoot. O. K. ?"

Tom and Roger agreed. 

"All right, " said Astro, "let's go--and spaceman's luck!"

CHAPTER 7

"What can I do for you, Officer?"

Connel heaved his bulk out of the jet launch and looked hard at the manstanding in front of him. "You Rex Sinclair?"

Sinclair nodded. "That's right. "

Connel offered his hand. "Major Connel, Solar Guard. "

"Glad to meet you, " replied the planter, gripping the spaceman's hand. "Have something to cool you off. "

"Thanks, " said Connel. "I can use it. Whew! Must be at least one twentyin the shade. "

Sinclair chuckled. "This way, Major. "

They didn't say anything more until Connel was resting comfortably in adeep chair, admiring the crystal roof of Sinclair's house. After apleasant exchange about crops and problems of farming on Venus, thegruff spaceman squared his back and stared straight at his host. "Mr. James, the Solar Delegate, told me you've resisted pressure to join theVenusian Nationalists. "

Sinclair's expression changed slightly. His eyebrows liftingquizzically. "Why--yes, that's true. "

"I'd like you to tell me what you know about the organization. "

"I see, " mused Sinclair. "Is that an order?" he added, chuckling. 

"That's a request. I'd like to learn as much about the Nationalists aspossible. "

"For what purpose?"

Connel paused and then said casually, "A spot check. The Solar Guardlikes to keep its eyes open for trouble. "

"Trouble?" exclaimed Sinclair. "You're not serious!"

Connel nodded his head. "It's probably nothing but a club. However, I'dlike to get some facts on it. "

"Have you spoken to anyone else?" asked Sinclair. 

"I just came from the Sharkey plantation. It's deserted. Not a soularound. I'll drop back by there before I return to Venusport. " Connelpaused and looked squarely at Sinclair. "Well?"

"I don't know much about them, Major, " replied the planter. "It alwaysseemed to me nothing more than a group of planters getting together--"

Connel cut him off. "Possibly, but why didn't you join?"

"Well--"

"Aren't all your friends in it?"

"Yes, but I just don't have time. I have a big place, and there's onlyme and my foreman and housekeeper now. All the field hands left sometime ago. "

"Where'd they go?"

"Venusport, I guess. Can't get people to farm these days. "

"All right, Mr. Sinclair, " declared Connel, "let's lay our cards on thetable. I know how you must feel talking about your friends, but this isreally important. Vitally important to every citizen in the SolarAlliance. Suppose the Nationalists were really a tight organization witha purpose--a purpose of making Venus independent of the Solar Alliance. If they succeeded, if Venus did break away, Mercury might follow, thenMars--the whole system fall apart--break up into independent states. Andwhen that happens, there's trouble--customs barriers, jealousies, individual armies and navies, and then, ultimately, a space war. It'smore than just friendship, Sinclair, it's the smallest crack in thesolid front of the Solar Alliance, but it's a crack that _can_ be openedfurther if we don't stop it now. "

Sinclair was impressed. "Very well, Major, I'll tell you everything Iknow about them. And you're right, it is hard to talk about yourfriends. I've grown up here in the Venusian jungle. I helped my fatherclear this land where the house is built. Most of the men in theNationalists are friends of mine, but"--he sighed--"you're right, Ican't allow this to happen to the Solar Alliance. "

"Allow what to happen?" asked Connel. 

"Just what you said, about Venus becoming an independent state. "

"Tell me all you know, " said Connel. 

"The group began to form about three years ago. Al Sharkey came overhere one night and said a group of the planters were getting togetherevery so often to exchange information about crops and farmingconditions. I went a few times, we all did, on this part of Venus. Atfirst it was fun. We even had picnics and barn dances every three orfour weeks. Then one night someone suggested we come dressed in oldcostumes--the type worn by our forefathers who founded Venus. "

Connel nodded. 

"Well, one thing led to another, " continued Sinclair. "They startedtalking about the great history of our planet, and complaining aboutpaying taxes to support the Solar Alliance. Instead of opening up newcolonies like the one out on Pluto, we should develop our own planet. We stopped dancing, the women stopped coming, and then one night weelected a president. Al Sharkey. The first thing he did was order allmembers to attend meetings in the dress of our forefathers. He gave theorganization a name, the Venusian Nationalists. Right after that, Istopped going. I got tired of listening to speeches about the wonderfulplanet we live on, and how terrible it was to be governed by men onEarth, millions of miles away. "

"Didn't they consider that they had equal representation in the SolarAlliance Chamber?" asked Connel. 

"No, Major. There wasn't anything you could say to any of them. If youtried to reason with them, they called you a--a--" Sinclair stopped andturned away. 

"What did they call you?" demanded Connel, getting madder by the minute. 

"Anyone that disagreed with them was called an Earthling. "

"And you disagreed?" asked Connel. 

"I quit, " said Sinclair stoutly. "And right after that, I started losinglivestock. I found them dead in the pens, poisoned. And some of my cropswere burned. "

"Did you protest to the Solar Guard?"

"Of course, but there wasn't any proof any one of my neighbors had doneit. They don't bother me any more, but they don't speak to me either. It's as though I had a horrible disease. There hasn't been a guest inthis house in nearly two years. Three space cadets are the firstvisitors here since I quit the organization. "

"Space Cadets?" Connel looked at the planter quizzically. 

"Yes, nice young chaps. Corbett, Manning, and a big fellow named Astro. They're out in the jungle now hunting for tyrannosaurus. I met themthrough a friend in Venusport and invited them to use my house as a baseof operations. Do you know them?"

Connel nodded. "Very well. Finest cadet unit at the Academy. How longhave they been in the jungle?"

"About four and a half days now. "

"Hope they get themselves a tyranno. But at the same time"--Connelcouldn't help chuckling--"if they do, Space Academy will never hear theend of it!"

Suddenly the hot wilting silence around the house was shattered by athunderous roar. Connel jumped up, followed Sinclair to the window, andstared out over the clearing. They saw what appeared to be awell-organized squadron of jet boats come in for a landing with nearmilitary precision. The doors opened quickly and men poured out onto thedusty field. They were dressed alike in coveralls with shortquarter-length space boots and round plastic crash helmets. Each mancarried a paralo-ray gun strapped to his hips. The uniforms were abrilliant green, with a white band across the chest. The men formedranks, waited for a command from a man dressed in darker green, and thenmarched up toward the house. 

"By the craters of Luna!" roared Connel. "Who are they?"

"The Nationalists!" cried Sinclair. "They threatened to burn down myhouse and destroy my farm if I wrote that letter to the delegate. They've come to carry out their threat!"

Connel pulled the paralo-ray gun from his hip and gripped it firmly. "Doyou want those men in your house?" he asked Sinclair. 

"No--no, of course not!"

"Then you have Solar Guard protection. "

"How--?" Sinclair asked. "There are no Solar Guardsmen around here!"

"What in blazes do you think I am, man!" roared Connel as he lunged forthe door and stepped out onto the porch. The men were within a hundredfeet of the porch when they saw Connel. The Solar Guard officer spreadhis legs and stuck out his jaw, his paralo-ray gun leveled. "The firstone of you tin soldiers that puts a foot on these steps gets frozenstiffer than a snowball on Pluto! Now stand where you are, state yourbusiness, and then _blast off_!"

"Halt!" The leader of the column of men held up his hand. Connel sawthat the plastic helmets were frosted over, except for a clear bandacross the eye level. All of the faces were hidden. The leader steppedforward, his hand on his paralo-ray gun. "Greetings, Major Connel. "

Connel snorted. "If you'd take off that Halloween mask, I might know whoI'm talking to!"

"My name is Hilmarc. "

"Hilmarc?"

"Yes. I am the leader of this detachment. "

"Leader, huh?" grunted Connel. "Leader of what? A bunch of little tinsoldiers?"

"You shall see, Major. " Hilmarc's voice was low and threatening. 

"I'm going to count to five, " announced Connel grimly, lifting hisparalo-ray gun, "and if you and your playmates aren't back in yourships, I start blasting. "

"That would be unwise, " replied Hilmarc. "Your one gun against all ofours. "

Connel grinned. "I know. It's going to be a whale of a fight, isn't it?"Then, without pause, he shouted, "_One--two--three--four--five!_"

He opened fire, squeezing the trigger rapidly. The first row ofgreen-clad men were immediately frozen. Dropping to one knee, thespaceman again opened fire, and men in the second row stiffened as theytried to return the fire. 

"Fire! Cut him down!" roared Hilmarc frantically. 

[Illustration]

The men broke ranks and the area in front of Sinclair's house crackledwith paralo-ray gunfire. Darting behind a chair, Connel dropped to thefloor, his gun growing hot under the continuous discharge of paralyzingenergy. In a matter of moments the Solar Guard officer had frozen nearlyhalf of the attacking troop, their bodies scattered in variouspositions. Suddenly his gun spit fire and began to smoke. The energycharge was exhausted. Connel jumped to his feet and snapped toattention. He knew from experience that if being hit was inevitable, thebest way to receive the charge was by standing at attention, taking thestrain off the heart. He faced the clearing and a dozen shots ofparalyzing energy hit him simultaneously. He became rigid and the shortfurious battle was over. 

[Illustration]

One of the green-clad men released Hilmarc from the effects of Connel'sninth shot and he stepped forward to stare straight into Connel's eyes. "I know you can hear me, Major. I want to compliment you on yourshooting. But your brave resistance now is as futile as the resistanceof the entire Solar Guard in the near future. " Hilmarc smiledarrogantly and stepped back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I will attend tothe business I came here for--to take care of a weakling and aninformer!" He turned and shouted to his men. "You have your orders! GetSinclair and then burn everything in sight. "

 * * * * *

"Astro, Tom, " gasped Roger. "I--I can't go on. "

The blond-haired cadet fell headlong to the ground, almost buryinghimself in the mud. Tom and Astro turned without a word, and grippingRoger under each arm, helped him to his feet. Behind them, the thunderof the stalking tyrannosaurus came closer, and they forced themselves togreater effort. For two days they had been running before the monster. It was a wild flight through a wild jungle that offered them littleprotection. And while their fears were centered on the brute behindthem, their sleepy, weary eyes sought out other dangers that lay ahead. More than once they stopped to blast a hungry, frightened beast thatbarred their path, leaving it for the tyrannosaurus and givingthemselves a momentary respite in their flight. 

Astro led the way, tirelessly slashing at the vines and creepers withhis jungle knife, opening the path for Roger and Tom. The Venusian cadetwas sure that they were near the clearing around the Sinclairplantation. Since early morning he had seen the trail markers they hadleft when they started into the jungle. The cadets knew that if theydidn't reach the clearing soon they would have to stand and fight theterrible thing that trailed them. During the first wild night, they hadstumbled into a sinkhole, and as Tom wallowed helplessly in theclinging, suffocating mud, Astro and Roger stood and fought the giantbeast. The shock rifles cracked against the armorlike hide of themonster, momentarily stunning him, but in the darkness and rain, theywere unable to get a clear head shot. When Tom finally pulled himselfout of the mudhole, they struggled onward through the jungle, with onlyone shot left in each blaster. 

"How much farther, Astro?" asked Tom, his voice weak with fatigue. "I'mstarting to fold too. "

"Not too far now, Tom, " the big cadet assured him. "We should be hittingthe clearing soon now. " He turned and looked back. "If we could only geta clear shot at that brute's head!"

"Hang on, Roger, " said Tom. "Just a little more now. "

Roger didn't answer, merely bobbing his head in acknowledgment. 

Behind them, the crashing thunderous steps seemed to be getting closerand Astro drove himself harder, slashing at the vines and tangledunderbrush, sometimes just bursting through by sheer driving strength. But the heavy-footed creature still stalked them ponderously. 

Suddenly Astro stopped and sniffed the air. "Smoke!" he cried. "We'realmost there!"

Tom and Roger smiled wanly and they pushed on. A moment later the giantcadet pointed through the underbrush. "There! I see the clearing!And--by the stars--there's a fire! The house is burning!"

Forgetting the danger behind them, the three boys raced toward theclearing. Just before they emerged from the jungle, they stopped andstood openmouthed with astonishment, staring at the scene before them. 

"By the craters of Luna!" gasped Astro. "Look!"

The outbuildings of the plantation were burning furiously, sending upthick columns of smoke. The wind blew the dense fumes toward them andthey began to cough and gag. Through the smoke they saw a strange arrayof jet craft in the clearing. Then suddenly their attention was jerkedback to another danger. The tyrannosaurus was nearly upon them. 

"Run!" roared Astro. He broke for the clearing, followed by Roger andTom. Once in the open, the boys ran several hundred yards to the nearestjet craft, and safely in the hatch, turned to see the monster come tothe edge of the clearing and stop. They saw the brute clearly for thefirst time. 

It stood up on its hind legs, standing almost a hundred feet high. Itmoved its flat, triangular-shaped head in a slow arc, peering out overthe clearing. The smoke billowed around it. It snorted several times infear and anger. Astro looked at it, wide-eyed, and finally spoke in awedtones. "By the rings of Saturn, it is!"

"Is what?" asked Tom. 

"The same tyranno I blasted when I was a kid, the one that trapped me inthe cave!"

"Impossible!" snorted Roger. "How can you tell?"

"There on the head, the scars--and that eye. That's the mark of ablaster!"

"Well, I'll be a rocket-headed Earthworm!" said Tom. 

The smoke thickened at the moment, and when it cleared again, the greatbeast was gone. "I guess the smoke chased him away, " said Astro. "Smoke!" He whirled around. With the threat of the tyrannosaurus gone, they could face the strange happenings around the clearing. 

"Come on, " said Tom. He started for the burning buildings in back of thehouse. 

Just at that moment a group of the green-clad men came around the sideof the house. Astro grabbed Tom by the arm and pulled him back. 

"What's going on here? All these ships, buildings burning, and those mendressed in green. What is it?"

The three boys huddled behind the jet and studied the scene. 

"I don't get it, " said Tom. "Who are those men? They almost look as ifthey're soldiers of some kind, but I don't recognize the uniform. "

"Maybe it's the fire department, " suggested Roger. 

"Wait a minute!" roared Tom suddenly. "There on the porch! MajorConnel!"

"Omigosh!" said Astro. "It is, but what's the matter with him? Why is hestanding there like that?"

"He's been paralo-rayed!" exclaimed Roger. "See how still he is!Whatever these jokers in uniforms are, they're not friendly!" He raisedhis shock rifle. "This last shot in my blaster should--"

"Wait a minute, Roger, " said Tom, "don't go off half-cocked. We can't domuch with just three shots. We'd better take over one of these ships. There must be guns aboard. "

"Yeah, " said Astro. "How about that big one over there?" He pointed tothe largest of the assembled crafts. 

"O. K. , " said Tom. "Sneak around this side and make a dash for it. "

Gripping their rifles, they slipped around the stern of the small ship, and keeping a wary eye on the milling men around the front of thebuilding, they dashed toward the bigger ship. 

On the porch of the main house, Major Connel, every muscle in his bodyparalyzed, saw the three cadets dart across the field and his heartskipped a beat. Immediately before him, two of the green-clad men wereholding Sinclair while Hilmarc addressed him arrogantly. 

"This is just the beginning, Sinclair. Don't try to cross us again. Neither you nor anyone else can stop us!" He whirled around and facedConnel. "And as for you and your Solar Guard, Major Connel, you cantell them--"

Hilmarc's tirade was suddenly interrupted by a shrill whistle and theglare of a red flare overhead. There was a chorus of shouts as the menducked for cover. 

A voice, Connel recognized as Tom's, boomed out over the loud-speaker ofthe large jet ship near the edge of the clearing. "Now hear this! Youare covered by an atomic mortar. Drop your guns and raise your hands!"

The men stared at the ship, confused, but Hilmarc issued a curt command. "Return to the ships!"

"But--but he'll blast us, " whined one of the men. "He'll kill us all. "

"You fool!" roared Hilmarc. "It must be a friend of Connel's orSinclair's. He won't dare fire an atomic shell near this house, for fearof killing his friends! Now get aboard your ships and blast off!"

From their ship, Tom, Roger, and Astro saw the men scatter across thefield, and realizing their bluff had failed, they opened fire with theparalo-ray guns. But their range was too far. In a few moments theclearing around the Sinclair home was alive with the coughing roar ofthe jets blasting off. 

As soon as they were alone, Sinclair snatched up an abandoned ray gunand released the major from the charge. Connel immediately jumped foranother gun. But then, as the jets started to take off, he saw that itwould be useless to pursue the invaders. Thankful that the cadets hadarrived in time, he trotted across the clearing to meet them as theyclimbed wearily from the remaining jet ship. 

"By the craters of Luna, " he roared good-naturedly, "you threespace-brained idiots had me scared! I thought you would really let gowith that mortar!"

Tom and Roger grinned, relieved to find the spaceman unhurt, whileAstro looked off at the disappearing fleet of ships. 

"What's happened, sir?" asked Tom. "What's it all about?"

"Haven't time to explain now, " said Connel. "I just want you three toknow you got back here in time to save the rest of this man's property. "He turned toward Sinclair, who was just approaching. "Did you recognizeany of them?" he asked the planter. 

Sinclair shook his head. "I thought I did--by their voices, I mean. ButI couldn't see anyone through that frosted headgear they were wearing. "

"Well, they left a ship. We'll find out who that belongs to, " saidConnel. "All right, Corbett, Manning, Astro. Stand by to blast off!"

"Blast off?" exclaimed Roger. "But we're on leave, sir!"

[Illustration]

"Not any more, you're not!" snapped Connel. "You're recalled as of now!Get this ship ready to blast off for Venusport in five minutes!"

CHAPTER 8

"Are you sure they went south, Astro?"

Major Connel was examining a map of the Southern Hemisphere of Venus. The three cadets were grouped around him in the small control room ofthe jet ship. 

"I think so, sir, " replied Astro. "I watched them circle and then climb. There would be no reason to climb unless they were going over themountains. "

"What do you think, Tom?" asked Connel. 

"I don't know, sir. The map doesn't show anything but jungle for about athousand square miles. Unless there's a secret base somewhere betweenhere and there"--he placed his fingers on the map where the Sharkey andSinclair plantations were marked--"I don't see where they could havegone. "

"Well, that must be the answer, then, " sighed the gruff spaceman. "Ouralert to the patrol ships in this area narrows it down. Nothing wasspotted in the air. And they couldn't have blasted off into space. Alltheir ships were low-flying stuff. "

Blasting off from the Sinclair plantation immediately, the three cadetsand the major had hoped to find the operations base of the green-cladinvaders, but the ships had disappeared. The ship they had capturedproved to be a freighter with no name and all identifying marks removed. They had asked the Solar Guard ship registry in Venusport to check onthe vessel's title but so far had received no answer. 

Now blasting back to Venusport at full speed, Connel told the boys thereal nature of his mission to Venus. The boys were shocked, unable tobelieve that anyone, or any group of persons, would dare to buck theauthority of the Solar Guard. Yet they had seen with their own eyes ademonstration of the strength of the Nationalists. Roger had sent atop-secret teleceiver message to Commander Walters at Space Academy, requesting an immediate conference with Connel, and had receivedconfirmation within a half-hour. 

"I think Captain Strong will be along too, " said Roger to Tom afterConnel had retired to a compartment with a recorder to transcribe areport of the affair at Sinclair's. "The message said we were to preparea full report for consideration by Commander Walters, Professor Sykes, and Captain Strong. "

"Boy, " said the curly-haired cadet, "this thing is too big for me toswallow. Imagine a bunch of dopes dressing up in uniforms and burning aguy's buildings because he wrote a letter to his delegate!"

"I'd hate to be a member of that organization when Commander Waltersgets through with them, " said Roger in a slow drawl. "And particularlythe guy that ordered Connel blasted with that ray gun. Ten shots atonce! Wow! That guy must have nerves made of steel!"

Within an hour the jet freighter was circling Venusport and was givenpriority clearance for an immediate landing. Immediately upon landing, the ship swarmed with Solar Guardsmen, grim-faced men assigned to guardit, while technicians checked the ship for identification. The threeboys were still wearing the jungle garb when they presented themselvesto Major Connel with the request for a little sleep. 

"Take an aspirin!" roared Connel. "We've got important work to do!"

"But, sir, " said Roger, his eyes half-closed, "we're dead on our feet!We've been out in the jungle for three days and--"

"Manning, " interrupted the spaceman, "everything you saw during thatbusiness back at Sinclair's might be valuable. I'm sorry, but I'll haveto insist that you talk to the Solar Guard security officers first. Astired as you are, you might forget something after a heavy sleep. "

There was little else the boys could do but follow the burly officer outof the ship to a well-guarded jet cab which took them through thestreets of Venusport to the Solar Guard headquarters. 

They rode the elevator to the conference room in silence, each boyfeeling at any moment that he would collapse from exhaustion. In thelong corridor they passed tough-looking enlisted guardsmen who wereheavily armed, and before being allowed into the conference room, theywere scrutinized by a burly officer. Finally inside, they were allowedto sit down in soft chairs and were given hot cups of tea to drink whileprecise, careful interrogators took down the story of their firstmeeting with the Venusian Nationalists. They were forced to repeatdetails many times, in the hope that something new might be added. Groggy after nearly two hours of this, the boys felt sure that the timehad come for them to be allowed to get some sleep, but after the lastquestion from the interrogators, they were ushered into the presence ofCommander Walters, Major Connel, Professor Sykes, Captain Strong, andseveral recording secretaries. Before the conference began, Delegate E. Philips James arrived with his personal secretary. He offered hisexcuses for being late and took his place at the long table. Tom shot aglance at the secretary. The man looked vaguely familiar to him. Thecadet tried to place him, but he was so tired that he could not think. 

"Major Connel, " began Commander Walters abruptly, "what do you considerthe best possible move for the Solar Guard to make? Under the presentcircumstances, do you think we should undertake a full-scaleinvestigation? We talked to Al Sharkey, and while he admits being headof an organization known as the Venusian Nationalists, he denies anyknowledge of any attack on Sinclair such as you describe. And he claimsto have been in Venusport when the incident happened. "

Connel thought a moment. "I don't know about Sharkey, but I don't thinka public investigation should be made yet. I think it would arouse a lotof speculation and achieve no results. "

"Then you think we should move against them merely on the basis of thisencounter at the Sinclair plantation, " asked E. Philips James in hissmoothest manner. 

Connel shook his head. "I think our best bet is to locate their base. Ifwe can nail them with solid evidence, we'll have a good case to presentbefore the Grand Council of the Solar Alliance. "

"I agree with you, Major. " James smiled. Behind him, his secretary wasbusy transcribing the conversational exchange on his audioscriber. 

"What would you require to locate the base?" asked Walters. 

"I haven't worked out the details yet, " said Connel, "but a smallexpedition into the jungle would be better than sending a regiment ofguardsmen, or a fleet of ships. "

"Do you have any idea where the base might be?" Sykes suddenly spoke up. "Most of those men were supposed to be planters who know the junglewell. Isn't it possible that they might have their base well hidden anda small party, such as you suggest, could cover too little ground?"

Connel turned to Astro. "Astro, do you know that section of the belt?"

"Yes, sir, " replied Astro. "I hunted all over that area when I was aboy. " The big cadet went on to explain how he had become so familiarwith the jungle, and described briefly their experience with thetyrannosaurus. All of the men at the table were impressed by hisknowledge of jungle lore. 

"I gather you plan to take these cadets on your expedition, Major, "commented James. 

"Yes, I do. They work well together and have already been in thejungle, " answered Connel. 

"What do you three boys think of the idea?" asked Walters. "I don't haveto remind you that you'll be up against two kinds of danger: the jungleitself, and the Nationalists. "

"We understand, sir, " replied Tom, without even waiting for his unitmates' quick nods. 

"There's another factor, " Captain Strong broke in. "You'll be giving upyour leave. There won't be any extra time off. Should this mission becompleted before the next term at the Academy begins, fine. But if not, you'll have to return to work immediately. "

"We understand that too, sir, " said Tom. "We're willing to do anythingwe can. And if I might offer a personal opinion"--he glanced at Astroand Roger--"I think the _Polaris_ unit appreciates the seriousness ofthe situation and we agree with the major. A small party, especiallyours, since we're already established as hunters, would be less suspectthan a larger one. "

"I think we all agree that the _Polaris_ unit is qualified for themission, Corbett, " said Walters, who saw through Tom's eagerness to beassigned to go with the major. 

The meeting broke up soon afterward. Connel remained with Strong andWalters to work out the details of the mission and to draft a top-secretreport to the Grand Council of the Solar Alliance. 

The three weary cadets were quartered in the finest hotel in Venusportand had just stumbled into bed when the room teleceiver signal buzzed. Tom shuffled over to the screen near the table where the remains of ahuge supper gave mute evidence of their hunger. Switching on themachine, he saw Strong's face come into focus. 

"I hope you boys aren't too comfortable, " announced Strong. "I'm afraidthe sleep you're so hungry for will have to wait. This is an emergency!"

"Oh, no!" groaned Roger. "I can't understand why emergencies come upevery time I try to pound the pillow!"

Astro fell back onto his bed with the look of a martyred saint andgroaned. 

"What is it, sir?" asked Tom, who was as tired as the others. Nonetheless he felt the urgency in Strong's voice. 

"You blast off in half an hour, " said the Solar Guard captain. "The_Polaris_ has been refitted and you're to check her over beforereturning to Sinclair's. Everything has been prepared for you. Getdressed and you'll find a jet cab waiting for you in front of the hotel. I had hoped to see you again before you left, but I've been orderedback to the Academy with Commander Walters. We've got to report to theSolar Council, personally. "

"O. K. , sir, " said Tom, then smiled and added, "We're sorry your fishingwas interrupted. "

"I wasn't catching anything, anyway. " Strong laughed. "I've got to go. See you back at the Academy. Spaceman's luck!"

"Same to you, sir, " replied Tom. The screen blurred and the image fadedas the connection was broken. Tom turned to face his sleepy-eyed unitmates. "Well, I guess we'd better take another aspirin. It looks like ahard night!"

Hastily donning fresh jungle gear supplied the night before inanticipation of the mission, the three cadets trouped wearily out oftheir rooms and rode down to the lobby in the vacuum elevator. Theywalked across the deserted lobby as though in a trance and outside tothe quiet street. A jet cab stood at the curb, the driver watching them. He whistled sharply and waved at them. "Hey, cadets! Over here!"

Still in a fog, the three cadets climbed into the back seat, floppinginto the soft cushions with audible groans as the cab shot away from thehotel and sped into the main highway which led to the spaceport. 

The traffic was light and the cab zoomed along at a smooth, fast clip, lulling the boys into a fitful doze. But they were rudely awakened whenthe car spun into a small country lane and the driver slammed on thebrakes. He whirled around and grinned at them over a paralo-ray pistol. "Sorry, boys, the ride ends here. Now climb out and start stripping. "

The three sleepy cadets came alive instantly. Without a word they movedin three different directions simultaneously. Tom dived for one door, Astro the other, while Roger flopped to the floor. The driver fired, missing all of them, and before he could fire again he was jerked outof his seat and held in a viselike grip by Astro. Tom quickly wrenchedthe paralo-ray gun from his hand. 

"All right, you little space crawler, " growled Astro, "start talking!"

[Illustration]

"Take it easy, Astro, " said Tom. "How do you expect him to talk whenyou've got him around the Adam's apple!"

"Yeah, you big ape, " said Roger in a slow drawl. "Find out what he hasto say before you twist his head off!"

Astro released the man, pushing him against the cab door and pinning himthere. 

"Now let's have it, " he growled. "What's this all about?"

"I didn't mean any harm, " whined the cab driver. "A guy calls me andsays for me to meet three Space Cadets. "

"What guy?" snapped Tom. 

"A guy I once knew when I was working the fields in the jungle belt. Iworked on a plantation as a digger. "

"What's his name?" asked Roger. 

"I don't know his name. He's just a guy. He calls me and says it's wortha hundred credits to pick up three Space Cadets from the hotel and hold'em for an hour. I figured the best way to hold you would be to make youtake your clothes off. "

"What did he look like?" asked Roger. 

"A little guy, with a bald head and a limp. That's all I know--honest. "

"A limp, eh?" asked Tom. "A little fellow?"

"How little?" asked Astro, getting the drift of Tom's question. 

"Real little. About five feet maybe, not much more'n that!"

The three boys looked at each other and nodded. 

"The guy we bought our jungle gear from in the pawnshop!" exclaimedAstro. 

"Yeah, " said Tom. "It sure sounds like him. But why would he want tostop us? And more important, who told him that Captain Strong wassending a cab for us?"

They turned back to the cab driver for further explanation, but the manwas now actually crying with fright. 

"We won't get anything more out of this little creep, " said Astro. "Let's just turn him over to the Solar Guard at the spaceport. They'llknow how to handle him. "

"Right, " Tom agreed. "We've lost enough time as it is. "

"No, no--please!" moaned the cabman. "Lemme go! Take the cab. Drive itto the spaceport and just leave it, but please don't turn me over tothe Solar Guard. If I'm seen with them, I'll be--" Suddenly the mandarted to one side, eluded Astro's lunge, and scampered away. In amoment he was swallowed up in the darkness. 

"Boy, " breathed Astro, "he was sure scared of something!"

"Yes, " said Tom. "And I'm beginning to get a little scared myself!"

The cadets climbed into the cab and roared off toward the spaceport, each boy with the feeling that he was sitting on a smoldering volcanothat was suddenly starting to erupt around him. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 9

"Rocket cruiser _Polaris_ to Solar Guard Venusport! Request emergencyrelay circuit to Commander Walters en route Earth!"

On the radar bridge of the _Polaris_, Roger Manning spoke quickly intothe teleceiver microphone. Just a few minutes before the giant spaceshiphad blasted off from Venusport, heading for the Sinclair plantation, Major Connel had ordered Roger to get in touch with Walters to reportthe latest security leak. On the control deck the major paced back andforth restlessly as Tom guided the _Polaris_ on its short flight. 

"I'll find the spy in the Solar Guard if I have to tear Venusport apartpiece by piece!" fumed Connel. 

"What about that jet freighter we took away from the Nationalists, sir?"asked Tom. "Did you ever find out where it came from?"

Connel nodded. "It was an old bucket on the Southern Colonial run. Shewas reported lost last year. Somehow those jokers got hold of her andarmed her to the teeth. "

"You think maybe the crew could have mutinied, sir?"

"It's highly possible, Corbett, " answered Connel, and glanced around. "If they have any other ships of that size, the _Polaris_ will be ableto handle them. "

"Yes, sir. " Tom smiled. "The repair crew did a good job on her. " Thecadet paused. "Do you suppose one of the Nationalists planted that bombon her fin?"

"No doubt of it, " replied Connel. "And it seems to tie in with a ratherstrange thing that happened in the Venusian Delegate's office the daybefore it happened. "

"What was that, sir?" asked Tom. 

"Three priority orders for seats aboard a Venusport--Atom City expresswere stolen. Before a check could be made, the ship had made its run andthe people using the priorities were gone. They must have been the onesthat bumped you off your seats. "

"How do you think that ties in with the bomb on the _Polaris_, sir?"

"We're trying to figure that out now, " said Connel. "If only we knewwhat they looked like it would help. The girl at the ticket officedoesn't remember them and neither does the ship's stewardess. "

"But we saw them, sir!" exclaimed Tom. 

"You what!" roared Connel. 

"Yes, sir. We were standing there at the ticket counter when they calledfor their tickets. "

"Do you think you'd recognize them again?"

"I'll say!" asserted Tom. "And I'm sure Astro and Roger would, too. Wewere so mad, we could have blasted them on the spot. "

Connel turned to the intercom and shouted, "Manning, haven't you gotthat circuit through yet?"

"Working on it, sir. " Roger's voice was smooth and unruffled over theintercom. "I'm in contact with the commander's ship now. They're callinghim to the radar bridge now. "

Tom suddenly jumped out of his seat as though stung. "Say! I saw one ofthe fellows again too!"

Connel whirled quickly to face the young cadet. "Where?" he demanded. "Where did you see him?"

"I--I'm trying to remember. " Tom began pacing the deck, snapping hisfingers impatiently. "It was sometime during the past few days--I knowit was!"

"In Venusport?" demanded Connel, following Tom around the deck. 

"Yes, sir--"

"Before or after your trip into the jungle?"

"Uhh--before, I think, " Tom replied hesitantly. "No. No. It was after wecame back. "

"Well, out with it, Corbett!" exploded the major. "When? Where? Youdidn't do that much visiting! You were too tired to move!"

"That's just it, sir, " said Tom, shaking his head. "I was so tiredeverything was a blur. Faces are all mixed up. I--I--" The boy stoppedand put his hands to his head as though trying to squeeze the one vitalface out of his hazy memory. 

Connel kept after him like a hungry, stalking animal. "Where, Corbett?When?" he shouted. "You've got to remember. This is important! Think, blast you!"

"I'm trying, sir, " replied the cadet. "But it just won't come to me. "

The buzz of the intercom suddenly sounded and Connel reluctantly leftTom to answer it. Roger's voice crackled over the speaker. "I haveCommander Walters now, sir. Feeding him down to the control-deckteleceiver. "

"Oh, all right, " replied Connel and turned to Tom. "Come on, Corbett. Iwant you to report to the commander personally. "

"Yes, sir, " replied Tom, walking slowly to the teleceiver. "I'm sorry Ican't remember where I saw that man. "

"Forget it, " Connel said gruffly. "It'll come to you again sometime. " Hepaused and then added as gently as he could, "Sorry I blasted you likethat. "

When Commander Walters' face appeared on the teleceiver screen, Connelreported the incident of the cab driver and the news that Tom, Roger, and Astro had seen the three men who had taken the priorities on the_Venus Lark_. 

"Just a minute, " said Walters. "I'll have a recorder take down thedescriptions. "

Connel motioned to Tom, who stepped before the screen. When he sawWalters nod, he gave a complete description of the three men he had seenin the Atom City spaceport. 

"Let's see, now, " said Walters, after Tom had concluded his report. "Theman who asked for the tickets was young, about twenty-two, dressed inVenusian clothing, dark, six feet tall, weighed about one hundred andfifty pounds. Right?"

"Yes, sir, " replied Tom. 

Connel suddenly stepped before the screen to interject, "And Corbett sawhim in Venusport again sometime during the last two days. "

"Really? Where?"

Connel glanced at Tom and then replied hurriedly, "Well, he can't besure, sir. We rushed him around pretty fast and he saw a lot of people. But at least we know he's in Venusport somewhere. "

"Yes, " nodded Walters. "That's something to work on, at least. And youhave nothing more to add to the descriptions of the other two, Corbett?"

"Not anything particular, sir, " said Tom. "They were dressed inVenusian-type clothes also, but we didn't get a close look at them. "

"Very well, " said Walters. "Proceed with your mission, Major. I'll havean alert sent out for the cab driver, and I'll have the owner of thepawnshop picked up. There must be someone on the Solar Delegate's staffwho stole those priorities. We'll start searching there first, and if wecome up with anyone who can't explain his absence from Venusport at thetime the priorities were used, and fits Corbett's description, we'llcontact you. End transmission!"

"End transmission!" repeated Connel. The screen blanked out and Roger'svoice came over the intercom immediately. "We'll be over Sinclair's inthree minutes, " he called. "Stand by. "

Tom turned to the controls and in exactly two minutes and fifty secondsthe clearing surrounding Sinclair's home and the burned outbuildingscame into view. Working effortlessly, with almost casual teamwork, thethree cadets brought the giant spaceship to rest in the middle of theclearing. As the power was cut, the cadets saw George and Mrs. Hilljumping into a jet car and speeding out to greet them. 

After Tom introduced Connel to the couple, the major questioned themclosely about their absence during the attack by the shock troops. 

"Mr. Sinclair often gives us time off for a trip into Venusport, "explained Hill. "It gets pretty lonely out here. "

"Is Mr. Sinclair in now?" asked Connel. 

"No, he isn't, " replied the plantation foreman. "He's on his weekly triparound the outer fields. I don't expect him back for another day ortwo. "

"For goodness sakes, " exclaimed Mrs. Hill, "you can ask your questionsjust as easily and a darn sight more comfortably in the house! Come on. Let's get out of the sun. "

The small group climbed into the jet car and roared off across theclearing toward the house. The lone building left standing by theNationalists looked strange amid the charred ruins of the otherbuildings. In the house, the three cadets busied themselves withhome-baked apple pie which the housekeeper had brought out, while Connelwas telling George of the attack on the plantation. 

[Illustration]

"I've known about them all along, of course, " said the foreman. "But Inever paid any attention to them. I just quit, like Mr. Sinclair, whenthey started all that tomfoolery about wearing uniforms and stuff. "

"Well, " said Connel, accepting a wedge of pie at Mrs. Hill's insistence, "now they've made the wrong move. Burning Sinclair's property andattacking an officer of the Solar Guard is going too far. "

"What are you going to do about it?" asked George. 

"I'm not at liberty to say, Mr. Hill, " replied Connel. "But I can tellyou this. When any person, or group of persons, tries to dictate to theAlliance, the Solar Guard steps in and puts a stop to it!"

Suddenly the silence of the jungle clearing was shattered by the roar ofa single jet craft coming in for a landing. Without looking out thewindow, George smiled and said, "There's Mr. Sinclair now! I know thesound of his jets. "

The group crowded out onto the front porch while George took the jet carand drove off to pick up his employer. A few moments later Sinclair wasseated before Connel, wiping his sweating brow and accepting a cooldrink from Mrs. Hill. 

"I was on my way to the north boundary when I saw your ship landing, "explained Sinclair. "At first I thought it might be those devils comingback, but then I saw the Solar Guard insigne on the ship and figured itmight be you. " He looked at Connel closely. "Anything new, Major?"

"Not yet, " replied Connel. "But you can rest assured that you won't bebothered by them again. "

Sinclair paused, eying the major speculatively. "You know, as soon asyou left, I went over to talk to Al Sharkey. I was plenty mad and reallyblasted him, but he swears that he was in Venusport at the time anddoesn't know a thing about the raid. "

Connel nodded. "That's true. We checked on him. But while he might nothave been in on the raid itself, there's nothing that says he didn'torder it done!"

"I doubt it, " said Sinclair, with a queer apologetic note in his voice. "I'm inclined to believe that it was nothing more than a bunch of theyounger, more hotheaded kids in the organization. As a matter of fact, Sharkey told me he was quitting as president. Seems you fellows inVenusport scared him plenty. Not only that, but I heard him calling upthe other planters telling them what happened and every one of them ischipping in to rebuild my plantation. "

Connel looked at the planter steely-eyed. "So you think it was done by abunch of kids, huh?"

Sinclair nodded. "Wouldn't be surprised if they're not scared too!"

"Well, you are entitled to your opinion, Mr. Sinclair. And if the otherplanters are going to rebuild your buildings, that's fine and charitableof them. " Suddenly Connel's voice became harsh. "That does not, however, erase the fact that a group of uniformed men, armed with paralo-ray gunsand with ships equipped with blasters, attacked you! Atomic blasters, Mr. Sinclair, are not bought at the local credit exchange. They are madeexclusively for the Solar Guard! That bunch of hotheaded kids, as youcall them, are capable of attacking any community--even ships of theSolar Guard itself! That is a threat to the peace of the solar systemand must be stopped!"

Sinclair nodded quickly. "Oh, I agree, Major, I agree. I'm just sayingthat--"

Connel stopped him. "I understand, Mr. Sinclair. You're a peaceful manand want to keep your life peaceful. But my job is to ensure that peace. As long as a group of militant toughs like we had here are on the loose, you won't have peace. You'll have pieces!"

Tom, Roger, and Astro, sitting quietly and listening, felt like standingup and cheering as the major finished. 

"I know you can't tell me what you're going to do, Major Connel, " saidthe planter, "but I hope that you'll allow me to help in any way I can. "

Connel hesitated before answering. "Thank you, Mr. Sinclair. But I'm nothere officially now. " And then he added, "Nor in regard to theNationalists. "

Sinclair's eyes lit up slightly. "Oh?"

"No. As you know, the cadets had quite a time with a tyrannosaurus. Theywounded it and it might still be dangerous. That is, more dangerous thannormally. I've got orders to track him down and finish him off. "

"But I thought you said you were going to put a stop to this businesswith the Nationalists, " said the planter. 

"I said the Solar Guard would, Sinclair. "

"Oh, yes, " mumbled Sinclair, "the Solar Guard. Of course. "

Connel got up abruptly. "I would appreciate it if you would look afterour ship, though, " he said. "I don't think we'll be longer than a week. Shouldn't be hard to track a tyrannosaurus, especially if it's wounded. "

"I suppose you have all the equipment you need, " said Sinclair. 

"Yes, thank you, " replied Connel. Then, thanking Mrs. Hill for therefreshments, the burly spaceman and the three cadets said good-by andleft the house. 

An hour later, ready to strike off into the jungle, the Solar Guardofficer took four of the latest model shock rifles out of the armslocker of the _Polaris_ and gave one to each boy with extra ammunition. "Never go after a giant with a popgun, " he said. "It's a wonder youdidn't kill yourselves with those old blasters you used, let alone killa tyranno. "

The three cadets examined the rifles closely and with enthusiasm. 

"These are the latest Solar Guard issue, " said Connel. "When you pullthat trigger, you release a force three times greater than anything putinto a rifle before. "

Then, checking the _Polaris_ and cutting all power, Connel removed themaster switch and hid it. "That's so no one will get any bright ideaswhile we're gone, " he explained as the boys watched curiously. 

"You think someone might try to steal her, sir?" asked Tom. 

"You never can tell, Corbett, " answered Connel noncommittally. 

Once again the three boys moved across the clearing toward the junglewall. Astro took the lead as before, followed by Roger and Tom, andConnel brought up the rear. They moved directly to the spot where theyhad last seen the tyrannosaurus, found the trampled underbrush andmassive tracks, and moved purposefully into the dank, suffocating greenworld. 

The trail was plain to see. Where the boys once had to hack their waythrough the thick underbrush, the monster had created a path for them. The three cadets felt better about being back in the jungle with morereliable equipment and joked about what they would do to thetyrannosaurus when they saw it again. 

"I thought you were supposed to be the home-grown Venusian hick thatcould manage in the jungle like that fairy-tale character, Tarzan, "Roger teased Astro. 

"Listen, you sleepwalking space Romeo, " growled Astro, "I know moreabout this jungle than you could learn in ten years. And I'm not foolishenough to battle with a tyranno with the odds on his side. I ran for agood reason!"

"Boy, did you run!" taunted Roger. "You were as fast as the _Polaris_ onemergency thrust!"

"Knock off that rocket wash!" roared Connel. "The Nationalists mighthave security patrols in this area. They could hear you talking andblast you before you could bat an eyelash! Now keep quiet and stayalert!"

The three cadets quieted down after that, walking carefully, steppingaround dead brush that might betray their presence. After working theirway along the tyrannosaurus's trail for several hours, Connel called ahalt, and after a quick look at his compass, motioned for them to cutaway from the monster's tracks. 

"We'll start working around in a circle, " he said. "One day east, onesouth, west, and north. Then we'll move in closer to the heart of thecircle, and repeat the same procedure. That should cover a lot of groundin eight days. If anything's moving around out here, besides what shouldbe here, we'll find it. From now on, we'll have a scout. Astro, you knowthe jungle, you take the point, about five hundred yards ahead. If yousee anything, signs of a patrol or any danger from the jungle, fall backand report. Don't try to do anything yourself. Four guns in a goodposition are better than one popping off by itself. "

"Aye, aye, sir, " said Astro. With a quick nod to Tom and Roger, he movedoff through the jungle. In ten feet he was invisible. In thirty secondshis footsteps were lost in the thousands of jungle sounds around them. 

"I'll take the lead now, " said Connel. "Corbett, you bring up the rear. All right, move out!"

From above, in the leafy roof covering the jungle; from the side, in thethick tangle of vines; and from below, in the thorny underbrush, theeyes of living things, jungle things, followed the movements of thethree spacemen, perhaps wondering if these new beasts were a threat totheir lives. 

CHAPTER 10

"Hal-loo-ooo!"

Astro's voice boomed out over the tops of the trees, where the birdsfluttered in sudden fright. It echoed through the darkness around him, where smaller creatures crawled and slithered into the protection oftheir holes. The voice of the big cadet was loud, but it was not loudenough for his mates to hear. 

Astro was lost. 

He couldn't understand how it had happened. Over and over during thepast six hours he had retraced his steps mentally, trying to visualizethe trail, trying to locate the telltale marks he had made with hisjungle knife, and so find Major Connel, Tom, and Roger. It was dark nowand the big cadet had to face the dangerous jungle alone. He laughedironically. Connel had given him the point because he knew the jungle!And now he was lost. 

Astro was a little frightened too. It was his frank realization oftrouble that made him afraid. He knew what was in the jungle, and thoughhe had been there alone before, he had never been in it as deeply asthis, nor had he ever been lost in the nightmarish place after sundown. 

While he was desperately anxious to find his unit mates, he had notfired his rifle. The threat of exposing his position to a possibleNationalist patrol prevented him from signaling with the blaster or evenfrom building a fire. During the last hours of the day, when thesuspicion that he was lost became a concrete fact, the big cadet hadbeen reluctant even to yell. Now, with pitch-black night closing aroundhim, he dared to call, hoping it would be heard and recognized by hisfriends, or if not, considered the howl of a jungle beast by an enemypatrol should one be near. 

He stood with his back against the rough bark of a teakwood tree toprotect his rear and to face out toward the pitch-black night. More thanonce the big cadet felt the sudden ripple of a crawling thing movingaround him, across his toes or down the tree trunk. There was a suddenthrashing in the underbrush near by and he brought the shock rifle upquickly, ears tuned for the growl, or scream, or hiss of an attackingbeast. 

The luminous dial of his watch showed it to be three thirty in themorning, two and a half hours to go before the sun would drive thefearful darkness away. He had been calling every five minutes. And everytime he shouted, the movements in the darkness around him increased. 

"Hal-loo-ooo!"

He waited, turning his head from one side to the other, intent on thesounds that came from a distance; the answering call of the waddlingground bird that had confused him at first until he recognized it; theshrill scream of the tiny swamp hog; the distant chattering of themonkeylike creatures in the treetops. But there was no sound from ahuman throat. 

Astro called again and again. The seconds dragged by into minutes, theminutes into an hour, and then two hours, and finally, as every musclein his body ached from standing backed up to the tree all night andholding his rifle on alert, the gray murky dawn broke over the jungleand he began to see the green of the jungle around him. When the sun atlast broke over the Venusian horizon, the night's frost on the leavesand bushes danced and glittered like jewels. 

He washed his face in a near-by pool, careful not to drink any of thewater. He opened a can of synthetic food, and after eating his fill, cleared away the brush down to the naked black soil and banking it highon all sides he stretched full length on the ground. He dared not sleep. Hungry animals were moving about freely now. A paralo-ray gun and therifle, both cocked and ready to fire, were held in his hands. He relaxedas completely as he could, idly watching the mother of a brood of theanthropoids scamper through the branches of the trees overhead, bringingher squalling young their breakfast. An hour later, refreshed, hestarted through the jungle again, eyes open for signs of recentactivity, human activity, for the big cadet wanted to return to hiscomrades. 

Stopping occasionally to climb a tree, Astro searched the sky above thetreetops for smoke that would mark a campsite. He felt that sure ifthere was any, he would find Roger, Tom, and Connel, since a Nationalistpatrol wouldn't advertise its presence in the jungle. But there were nosmoke signs. The top of the jungle stretched green and still as far ashe could see, steaming under the burning rays of the sun. 

Astro knew that it would be impossible to spend another night like thefirst in the jungle, so after searching through the forest until threein the afternoon, he stopped, opened another can of synthetic food, andate. He was used to being alone now. The first wave of fear had lefthim and he was beginning to remember things he knew as a young boy;jungle signs that warned him of dangers, the quick identification of theanimal cries, and the knowledge of the habits of the jungle creatures. 

After eating, he took his jungle knife and hacked at a long, tough vine, yanking it down from its lofty tangle. He started weaving it into atight oblong basket and two hours later, just before the sun droppedinto the jungle for the night, he was finished. He had a seven-foot bagwoven tightly and pulled together with a small opening at one end. Justbefore the sky darkened, the big cadet crawled into this makeshiftsleeping bag, pulled the opening closed with a tight draw cord, and inthirty seconds was asleep. Nothing would be able to bite through thetough vine matting, and the chances of a larger beast accidentallystepping on him were small. Nevertheless, Astro had pulled the bag closeto a huge tree and placed it deep between the swollen roots. 

He awoke with a start. The ground was shaking violently. He was sweatingprofusely and judged that it must be late in the morning with the sunbeating directly on him. Carefully he opened the end of the makeshiftsleeping bag and peered out. He gasped and reached for his shock rifle, bringing it up into firing position. The sight that confronted him wasat once horrifying and fascinating. A hundred yards away, a giant snake, easily a hundred feet long and five feet thick, was wrapped around araging tyrannosaurus. The monsters were in a fight to death. Astroshuddered and pulled back into the bag, keeping the blaster aimed at thetwo struggling beasts. 

[Illustration: _Astro kept his blaster aimed at the monsters_]

The big cadet deduced that the snake must have been surprised in itsfeeding by the tyrannosaurus, and was trying to defend itself. Therewasn't a living thing in the jungle that would deliberately attack atyrannosaurus. Only man, with his intelligence and deadly weapons, could win over the brute force and cunning of the jungle giant. And eventhat had failed with this monster. Astro quickly saw it was the samebeast that had chased the three cadets out of the jungle!

With three coils wrapped around the tyrannosaurus's body, the snake wastrying to wrap a fourth around its neck and strangle it, but the monsterwas too wily. Rearing back, it suddenly fell to the ground, its weightcrushing the three coils around its middle. The snake jerkedspasmodically, stunned, as the tyrannosaurus scrambled up again. Theground trembled and branches were ripped from near-by trees. All aroundthe jungle had been leveled. Everything fell before the thrashingmonsters. 

Recovering, the snake's head darted in again, trying to circle thetyrannosaurus's head and complete the last and fatal coil, but the giantbeast lunged, its massive jaws snapping, and the snake drew back. Suddenly its tail lashed out and circled the left legs of thetyrannosaurus. Astro could see the beast straining against the suddenpressure, at the same time alert for the swooping head of the snake. Thepressure on the leg was too great, and the beast fell to the ground, giving the snake a momentary advantage. Its head darted in again, butthe tyrannosaurus drew its head into its narrow shoulders, then shot outagain as the snake missed. Astro saw the snake quiver and jerk back asthe tyrannosaurus clamped its jaws closed and bit a chunk out of thegreen, scaly body. 

The snake had enough. It wanted to get away, to slip to the top of thetallest tree in the forest, out of reach of the tyrannosaurus, and waitfor the wound to heal or for death to come. It unwound in a maddenedconvulsive movement and slithered toward the tree where Astro lay. Butthe monster was after it, immediately grabbing it by the tail andjerking it back. The snake was forced to turn and fight back. 

Astro knew that if the snake could get away it would head for theteakwood above his head, the highest tree around, and the tyrannosauruswould stamp the ground around its base into powder. He had to move!

A hundred feet to the left was a wild thicket of ground thorns, theirneedlelike tips bristling. Even the snake would stay away from them. Itwas his only chance should the snake get loose from the tyrannosaurusagain. Making up his mind quickly, the cadet opened the end of thesleeping bag and shoved his weapons out before him. Then hugging theground, he dashed across the clearing. This gave the tyrannosaurus itsfinal advantage. The snake pulled back, momentarily attracted by Astro'smove, and the tyrannosaurus struck, catching the snake just behind thehead in a grip of death. 

The thorns ripped at Astro's tight-fitting jungle dress, tearing intohis flesh as he dove into the thicket. But once inside the cadet laystill, pointing his rifle at the tyrannosaurus who was methodicallyfinishing off the giant snake. In a few seconds the snake was dead andthe tyrannosaurus began to feast. 

Astro stayed in the thicket, watching the monster devour nearly all ofthe dead reptile foe and then rise up and move off through the jungle. Astro knew that in no time the scavengers of the jungle would beswarming over the remains of the snake. Once again he had to move. 

Getting out of the thicket was painful. From every direction the thornsjabbed at him, and but for the toughness of his jungle suit, Astro wouldhave been ripped to shreds. After easing his way back into theclearing, the cadet pulled out the remains of his jungle pack. He thensaw that his suit was torn to ribbons, and the many slashes on his chestand arms were bleeding profusely. The scent of the blood would attractthe carnivorous creatures, so he stripped off the bloody jungle suit, dropping it back in the thicket, and hurried away. A short time later hecame to a water hole where he sponged himself off and applied medicationfrom his emergency kit to the scratches. Finished, he took stock. Thenight's sleep had refreshed him, and except for the loss of hisprotective clothing, he was in good shape. He shouldered the pack, strapped the paralo-ray gun to his hips, and gripping the rifle tightly, he moved off through the jungle once more. He decided to follow thetyrannosaurus. The beast would leave a path for him, saving him theeffort of hacking his way through the vines and creepers, and should anenemy patrol be out, it would stay away from the tyrannosaurus. Finally, he knew Tom, Roger, and Connel would go after the beast if they saw it. 

The sun shone down on the half-naked giant moving through the jungle, anew white-skinned animal who was braver than the rest, a creature whodared to trail the king of the jungle. 

 * * * * *

"It's all my fault!" said Connel disgustedly. "I should have been ableto read his trail signs. "

Tom did not answer. He pulled the straps of his jungle pack tighter andslung it over his shoulder. Roger stood to one side, watching MajorConnel. Both boys sensed what was coming. 

"Well, this is the last day we can spend searching for him, " saidConnel. "We've already lost two days. "

Roger glanced at Tom and said casually, "It wouldn't hurt to keep oureyes open for signs of him, would it, sir?"

"Now listen, boys, " said Connel firmly, "I know how you feel aboutAstro. I have to admit I have a liking for the lad myself. But we'vebeen sent out here to locate the base of operations of the Nationalists. The best way to do that is to work around the jungle in a given area. Wehaven't done that so far. We've put all our time and effort into arandom search for Astro. We can't signal him, build a fire, shoot off ablaster--or use any of the simple communication devices. We have to workunder cover, for fear of giving away our presence here in the jungle. "He slung his gear over his shoulder and added, "We'll continue oursearch for Astro until noon and then we simply will have to abandon it. And stop worrying about him. He's a big strong lad and he's been in thisjungle alone before. I have every confidence that he can make his wayback to Sinclair's plantation safely. "

The Solar Guard officer paused and looked at the two downcast cadetsbefore him. "None of that sulking business!" he growled. "You're cadetson an urgent mission. Now move out. I'll take the point first and youbring up the rear, Corbett. " Without another word, the burly spacemanturned and moved off through the jungle. 

Roger hung back to talk to Tom. "What do you think, Tom?"

Tom shook his head before answering. "He's right, Roger. We're on a job. It's the same here in the jungle as it is in space. We know thatsomething is liable to happen to any one of us at any time. And themission always comes first. "

Roger nodded. "Sure, that's the way it is in the book. But this isreal. That big hick might be hurt--or trapped. Maybe he needs our help!"

"I know how you feel, Roger, " replied Tom. "I want to take off and huntfor Astro myself, but Connel needs us. Don't forget that bunch of guysin uniforms back at Sinclair's. Commander Walters and the others don'thold conferences like that one back in Venusport for the fun of it. Thisis serious. "

Roger shrugged and started off after Connel, Tom following slowlybehind. Their march through the jungle was made in silence, each hopingfor a miracle. But as the sun grew higher and the deadline hour of noonapproached, they steeled themselves to the fact that they might neversee the Venusian cadet again. A short time later, when Tom was takinghis turn at cutting the trail through the brush, he broke through into aclearing. He stopped and called out, "Major! Roger! Quick!"

Connel and the blond-haired cadet rushed forward, stopping beside Tom tostare in amazement. Before them, a large area of the jungle was poundeddown and lying amidst the tangle of giant creepers and uprooted busheswas the remains of a giant snake. 

"By the rings of Saturn!" gasped Connel, walking forward to inspect theclearing. Tom and Roger followed, breaking to the side, their rifles atready. The two boys had become jungle-wise quickly and knew that deathlurked behind the wall of green surrounding the cleared area. 

"It must have been some fight!" Connel pointed to the tracks of thetyrannosaurus. "The tyranno must have stumbled on the snake while it wasfeeding, " said Connel. "Otherwise it would have lit out for that treeover there. " He pointed to the giant teakwood that Astro had sleptunder. The three spacemen saw the makeshift sleeping bag at the sametime. 

"Major! Look!" cried Tom and raced to the base of the tree. 

"It's Astro's, all right, " said Connel, examining the woven bag. "Iwonder if he was here when those two things were going after eachother. "

"Yes, sir, " said Roger in a choked whisper, "he was. " He pointed to theragged remains of Astro's jungle suit dangling on the near-by thornbush. The blood was stiff on the material. 

The three Earthmen stared at the suit, each too horrified to speak. 

Connel's face was set in hard lines as he finally found his voice andgrowled, "Our search is over. Let's get back to our job. "

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 11

It was not until late the same afternoon that Astro, following the trailof the tyrannosaurus, realized that the giant beast was seriously hurt. At first the traces of blood on the ground and underbrush were slight, but gradually the blood spots became more profuse and the trail wascovered with huge blotches of red. The Venusian cadet grew morecautious. The tyrannosaurus would be ten times as dangerous now. And itmight be close by, lying in the jungle, licking its wounds. 

As the sun began to sink in the western Venusian sky, Astro began tothink about the coming night. He would have to hole up. He couldn'tchance stumbling into the beast in the dark. But it would also meantaking time to make another sleeping bag. Suddenly he saw a movement inthe brush to his left. He dropped to the ground and aimed the shockrifle in that direction, eyes probing the green tangle for furthermovement. 

"Make one move and you'll die!" a harsh voice cut through the jungle. Astro remained still, his eyes darting to left and right, trying tolocate the owner of the voice. 

"Throw down your gun and stand up with your hands over your head!" cameanother voice, this one immediately behind him. 

[Illustration: _His eyes probed the jungle for further movement_]

A patrol! Astro swore at himself for blindly walking into a trap anddropped his gun. He stood up and raised his hands over his head, turningslowly. 

"Don't turn around! Stand still!"

Astro stopped. 

He could hear the rustle of movement in the underbrush behind him andthen someone called, "Circle around to the right. Spread out and see ifthere are any others!"

Off to the side, he could hear the crashing of footsteps moving away inthe jungle. 

"All right, " continued the unknown voice, "drop that paralo-ray pistolto the ground. But no smart tricks. We can see you and you can't see us, so take it easy and do as we say. "

Astro lowered his hands and unbuckled the gun belt, letting it fall tothe ground. There was a sudden burst of movement behind him and powerfularms gripped his wrists. Within seconds his hands were tied quickly andexpertly, and he was spun around to face his captors. 

There were ten men, all dressed in the same green uniforms and plasticheadgear he had seen at the Sinclair plantation. They stood in asemicircle around him, their guns leveled at his naked chest. The leaderof the party nudged the nearest man and commented, "Never thought I'dsee any animal like this in the jungle!" The other men laughedappreciatively. 

"Who are you?" the leader demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"My name is Astro, " replied the big cadet boldly. "I'm a Space Cadet, _Polaris_ unit, Space Academy, U. S. A. I'm here in the jungle with therest of my unit hunting tyrannosaurus. "

"Tyranno, eh?" queried the man. "How long have you been trailing thisone?"

"Just today. I saw him fight a big snake and lost my jungle gear in athicket where I was hiding. I was separated from my space buddies twodays ago. "

"Say, Helia, " suddenly called one of the other men, "he sounds like aVenusian. "

"Is that true?" asked the leader. "Are you from Venus?"

Astro nodded. "Venusport. "

"Then why are you in Space Academy?"

"I want to be a spaceman. "

"Why didn't you go to school on Venus, instead of Earth. We have goodspace schools here. "

"I want a commission in the Solar Guard. You can only get that throughthe Academy, " replied Astro stoutly. 

"Solar Guard!" snorted the leader, and then turned to the nearest man, speaking rapidly in a strange tongue. 

For a moment the language confused Astro, then he recognized it as theancient Venusian dialect. He understood it and started to answer, butthen, on second thought, he decided not to reveal his knowledge of thelanguage. 

The leader turned back to Astro and asked a question. 

Astro shook his head and said, "If you're talking to me, you have tospeak English. I know that's the Venusian dialect you're speaking, but Inever learned it. "

The leader's fist shot out and crashed against Astro's jaw. The bigcadet rocked back with the punch and then he lunged forward, strainingagainst his bonds. 

"Why, you--!" he exploded angrily. 

"That was for not being a true Venusian!" snapped the leader. "Every sonof Venus should understand his mother tongue!"

Astro bit his lip and fell silent. 

The leader turned away, and shouting a command, started off through thejungle. Astro knew that the patrol had been ordered to move out, but hestood still, waiting for them to push him. They did. A hard jab in hisnaked side with the butt of a gun sent him stumbling forward in thecenter of the patrol. 

Well, there was one consolation, he thought grimly. At least he wouldn'thave to spend the night out in the jungle alone again!

Astro had expected a long march, but to his surprise, he was pushedalong a well-worn jungle trail for only three hundred yards in from thetyrannosaurus's track. Finally they stopped before a huge teakwood tree. The leader pounded his rifle butt on the trunk three times. 

Mystified, Astro watched a small section of the trunk open to reveal amodern vacuum-tube elevator shaft. He was pushed inside with the men ofthe patrol and the tree-trunk door was closed. The leader pushed a leverand the car dropped so suddenly that Astro nearly lost his balance. Hejudged that they must have fallen two hundred feet when the car stoppedand another door opened. He was pushed out into a high-vaulted tunnelwith cement walls. 

"Hurry up!" snapped the leader. 

The big cadet moved along the tunnel, followed by the patrol, turningfrom one tunnel into another, all of them slanting downhill. Astroguessed that he was being taken to some subterranean cave. He asked hiscaptors where they were taking him. 

"Don't talk!" snapped one of the men at his side. 

"This jungle will be swarming with Solar Guardsmen once they discoverI'm lost, " said Astro. "Who are you and what are you holding me prisonerfor?" The big cadet decided it would be better to feign ignorance of theexistence of the rebel organization. 

"Let the Solar Guard come!" snapped the leader. "They'll find somethingthey never expected. "

"But what do you want with _me_?" asked the cadet. 

"You'll know soon enough!"

They had been walking for nearly an hour and the tunnels still slanteddownward but more sharply now. Turning into a much larger tunnel thanany of the rest, Astro noticed a huge door on one side. Through itscrystal-covered ports he saw racks of illegal heat blasters andparalo-ray guns. A man stepped out of the door, and raising his hand ina form of salute, called out a few words in the Venusian tongue. Astrorecognized it as a greeting, "Long live Venusians!" and suppressed asmile. 

One by one, the men of the patrol handed over their rifles and ray guns, while the man in the armory checked off their names. Then they allremoved their knee-length jungle boots and traded their plastic helmetsfor others of the same design but of a lighter material. Each man turnedhis back while switching helmets, obviously to avoid being recognized byany of the others, since the new helmet was also frosted except for aslit at eye level. Wearing the lighter headgear and common street shoes, the men continued their march through the tunnel. They passed into astill larger tunnel, and for the first time, Astro could see daylight. As they drew nearer to the mouth of the tunnel, the cadet could seeoutside, and the scene before him made him gasp for breath. 

A full twenty miles long and fifteen miles wide, a canyon stretchedbefore him. And it seemed to the big cadet that every square inch of thecanyon floor was occupied by buildings and spaceships. Hundreds ofgreen-clad men were moving around the ships and buildings. 

"By the craters of Luna!" gasped Astro as the patrol paused in the mouthof the tunnel. "What--what is this?"

"The first city of Venus. True Venus. Built by Venusians with Venusianmaterials only!" said the leader proudly. "There's the answer to yourSolar Guard!"

"I don't understand, " said Astro. "What are you going to do?"

"You'll see. " The man chuckled. "You'll see. Move on!"

As they trooped out of the tunnel and down into the canyon they passedgroups of men working on the many ships. The cadet recognized what theywere doing at once. The unmistakable outlines of gun ports were beingcut into the sides of several bulky space freighters. Elsewhere, thesteady pounding of metal and grinding of machinery told the cadet thatmachine shops were going at full blast. He noticed a difference betweenthe men of the patrol and the workers. Neither spoke to the other. Infact, Astro saw that it was rarely that a worker even glanced at them asthey passed by. 

Up ahead, Astro saw a huge building, wide and sprawling but only a fewstories high. It was nearly dark now and lights began to wink on in themany windows. He guessed that he was being taken to the building and wasnot surprised when the leader pulled him by the arm, guiding him towarda small side door. There was a curious look about the building and thecadet couldn't figure out what it was. Glancing quickly at the wall ashe passed through the door, he nearly burst out laughing. The buildingwas made of wood! He guessed that the rebels were using materials athand rather than importing anything from outside planets. And sinceVenus was largely a planet of jungles and vegetation, with few largemineral deposits, wood would be the easiest thing to use. 

The inside of the building was handsomely decorated and designed. He sawwalls covered with carvings, depicting old legends about the firstcolonists. He shook his head. "Boy, " he thought, "they sure go for theVenusian stuff in a big way!"

"All right!" snapped the leader. "Stop here!"

Astro stood before a huge double door that had been polished to abrilliant luster. The cadet waited for the leader to enter, but theNationalist stood perfectly still, eyes straight ahead. Suddenly thedoors swung open, revealing a huge chamber, at least a hundred and fiftyfeet long. At the far end a man dressed in white with a green bandacross his chest sat in a beautifully carved chair. Arrayed on eitherside of him were fifty or more men dressed in various shades of green. The man in white lifted his hand and the patrol leader stepped forward, pushing Astro before him. They walked across the polished floor andstopped ten feet away from the man in white, the patrol leader bowingdeeply. Astro glanced at the men standing at either side of the man inwhite. The bulge of paralo-ray pistols was plainly visible beneath theirflowing robes. 

The man in white lifted his hand in the salute Astro had seen before. Then the patrol leader straightened up and began to speak rapidly in theVenusian dialect. Translating easily, Astro heard him report hiscapture. When he concluded, the man in white looked at Astro closely andspoke three words. Astro shook his head. 

"He does not speak our mother tongue, Lactu, " volunteered the patrolleader. 

The man in white nodded. "How is it, " he said in English, "that you area native-born Venusian and do not speak the language of your planet?"

"I was an orphan. I had very little formal education, " said Astro. "Andas long as we're asking questions around here, how about my asking afew? Who in space are you? What's the idea of holding me a prisoner?"

"One question at a time, please, brother Venusian, " said the man inwhite. "And when you address me, my name is Lactu. "

"Lactu what?" asked Astro belligerently. 

"Your own name should tell you that we on Venus only have one name. "

"Never mind that rocket wash!" barked Astro. "When do I get out ofhere?"

"You will never leave here as you came, " said Lactu quietly. 

"What does that mean?" demanded the cadet. 

"You have discovered the existence of our base. Ordinarily you wouldhave been burned to a crisp and left in the jungle. Fortunately, you area Venusian by birth, and therefore have the right to join ourorganization. "

"What does that mean?"

"It means, " said Lactu, "that you will take an oath to fight until deathif necessary to free the planet Venus and the Venusian citizens from theslavery of the Solar Alliance and--"

"Awright, buster!" roared Astro. "I've had enough of that rocket wash! Itook an oath of allegiance to the Solar Guard and the Solar Alliance, touphold the cause of peace throughout the universe and defend theliberties of the planets. Your idea is to destroy peace and make slavesout of the people of Venus--like these dummies you've got here!" Astrogestured contemptuously at the men standing on both sides of Lactu. "Idon't want any part of you, so start blasting!" continued the big cadet, his voice booming out in the big room. "But make it good, 'cause I'mtough!"

There was a murmur among the men and several put their hands on thebutts of their paralo-ray guns. Even the calm expression in Lactu's eyeschanged. 

"You are not afraid of us, are you?" he asked in a low, almost surprisedtone of voice. 

"You, nor anything that crawls in the jungle like you!" shouted Astro. "If you're not happy with the way things are run on Venus, why don'tyou take your beef to the Solar Alliance?"

"We prefer to do it our way!" snapped one of the men near Lactu. "And asfor you, a few lashes with a Venusian wet whip will teach you to keep acivil tongue!"

Astro turned around slowly, looking at each of the men individually. "Ipromise you, " he said slowly, "the first man who lays a whip on me willdie. "

"And who, pray, will do the killing?" snorted a short, stout figure inthe darkest of the green uniforms. "You? Hardly!"

"If it isn't me"--Astro turned to face the man--"it will be any one of athousand Space Cadets. "

"You have a lot of confidence in yourself and your friends, " said Lactu. "Death apparently doesn't frighten you. "

"No more than it does any man of honor, " said the cadet. "I've faceddeath before. As for my friends"--Astro shrugged and grinned--"touch meand wait for what happens. And by the stars, mister, you can depend onit happening!"

"Enough of this, Lactu!" said a man near the end of the group. "We haveimportant business to conduct. Take this foolish boy out and do awaywith him!"

Lactu waved his hand gently. "Observe, gentlemen, here is the truespirit of Venus. This boy is not an Earthman, nor a Martian. He is aVenusian--a proud Venusian who has drifted with the tides of space andtaken life where he found it. Tell me honestly, gentlemen, what wouldyou have thought of Astro, a Venusian, if he had acted any differentlythan he has? If he had taken an oath he does not believe and groveled atour feet? No, gentlemen, to kill this proud, freeborn Venusian would bea crime. Tell me, Astro, do you have any skills?"

"I can handle nuclear materials in any form. "

"We are wasting time, Lactu!" exclaimed one of the men suddenly. "Settlewith this upstart later. Now let us take a vote on the issue before us. The ship is waiting to blast off for Mercury. Do we ask for herassistance, or not?"

There was a loud murmur among the assembled men, and Lactu held up hishand. "Very well, we will vote. All in favor of asking the people ofMercury to join our movement against the Alliance will say aye!"

"Aye, " chorused the men. 

"Against?"

Lactu looked around, but there was no reply. 

Lactu turned back to Astro. "Well, Venusian, this is your last chance tojoin forces with us and to fight for your mother planet. "

"Go blast your jets!" snapped Astro. Immediately Lactu's eyes becamehard steely points. 

"That was your last chance!" he said. "Take him out and kill him!"

The door suddenly burst open and a green-clad trooper raced across thebare floor, bowing hastily before Lactu. "Forgive this interruption, Lactu, " he said breathlessly. "There are men in the jungle headed forthe canyon rim. Three of them!"

Lactu turned to Astro. "Your friends, no doubt!" He snapped an order. "Capture them and bring them to me. And as for you, Astro, we are inneed of capable men to build war heads for our space torpedoes. Toensure the safety of your friends, I would advise your working for us. If not, your friends will die before another night falls. "

CHAPTER 12

"You're right, Tom, " said Major Connel. "They must be around heresomewhere. Start looking. If they're not here, it may mean he's stillalive. "

It was Tom who had thought of looking for Astro's weapons. Refusing tobelieve that his unit mate had been killed, the curly-haired cadet wasexamining the torn jungle suit when the idea occurred to him. 

Quickly Roger, Connel, and Tom spread out over the trampled area, searching the underbrush for Astro's paralo-ray pistol or shock rifle. Connel examined the underbrush and vines closely for scorch marks madeby the blaster. Finding none, he rejoined the boys. 

"Well?" he asked. 

"Nothing, sir, " replied Roger. 

"Can't find them, Major, " said Tom. 

Connel smacked his fists together and spoke excitedly. "I'm sure Astrowouldn't be caught unawares by a couple of things like a snake or atyrannosaurus without putting up a fight. If he was attacked suddenly, he would have fired at least one shot, and if it went wild, it wouldhave burned the vines and brush around here. You didn't find hisweapons, and there are no scorched areas. I'll stake my life on it, Astro's alive!"

Roger's and Tom's faces brightened. They knew Connel had no proof, butthey were willing to believe anything that would keep their hopes fortheir giant unit mate alive. 

"Now, " said Connel, "assuming he is not dead, and that he is somewherein the jungle, we have to figure out what he would do. "

Roger was thoughtful a moment. "How long would he last without hisjungle suit, sir?"

"What do you mean?" asked Connel. 

Tom's eyes lit up. "If he's alive, sir, then he's probably following apath or trail that would keep him away from heavy underbrush, " he said. 

Connel thought a moment. "There's only one trail away from here. " Heturned and pointed to the trail made by the tyrannosaurus. "That one. "

The three spacemen stared at the wide path left by the huge beast. Connel hesitated. "It's due north, " he said finally. "We've come a fullday west and should be making a turn north. We'll follow thetyrannosaurus's trail for a full day. "

Roger and Tom grinned. They knew Connel was making every effort to findAstro, while still keeping his mission in mind. 

The three spacemen moved along the trail quickly, eyes alert for anysign Astro might have left. Connel saw the great bloodstains left by thetyrannosaurus and cautioned the two cadets. "This tyranno is woundedpretty badly. It might be heading back for its lair, but it might notmake it, and stop along the way. Be careful and keep your eyes open forany sign that he might have--"

Connel was stopped by Tom's sudden cry. "Major! Look!"

Connel turned and stared. A thousand yards ahead of them on the brokentrail they saw the monstrous bulk of a tyrannosaurus emerge from thegloom. 

"By the rings of Saturn, " breathed Connel, "that's the one!"

The great beast spotted the three Earthmen at the same instant. Itraised itself on its hind legs, and shaking its massive head in anger, started to charge down its own trail toward them. 

"Disperse!" cried Connel. "Take cover!"

Tom and Roger darted to one side of the trail while Connel dived for theother. Taking cover behind a tree, the boys turned and pointed theirrifles down the trail. They saw that the tyrannosaurus had alreadycovered half the distance between them. 

"Aim for the legs!" shouted Connel, from his place of concealment. "Don't try for a head shot! He's moving too fast! Give it to him in thelegs. Try to cut him down!"

Roger and Tom lay flat on the ground and trained their rifles on theapproaching beast. 

"I'll take the right leg, " said Roger. "You take the left, Tom. "

"On target!" replied Tom, squinting through the sight. 

"Ready!" Connel's voice roared across the trail. 

Only a hundred and fifty feet away the tyrannosaurus, hearing Connel'svoice, suddenly stopped. Its head weaved back and forth as though itsuspected a trap. 

"Fire!" roared Connel. 

Tom and Roger fired together, but at the same moment the monster lungedtoward Connel's position. Both shots missed, the energy charges merelyscorching its sides. 

[Illustration]

The tyrannosaurus roared with anger and turned toward the boys, headdown and the claws of its short forelegs extended. 

At that moment Connel opened fire, aiming for the monster's vulnerableneck. But it was well protected behind its shoulders and the spacemanonly succeeded in drawing the beast's attention back to himself. 

At this instant Tom and Roger opened fire again, sending violent shockcharges into the beast's hide. Caught in the withering cross fire, itturned blindly on the boys and charged at them. The two cadets firedcoolly, rapidly, unable to miss the great bulk. The air became acridwith the sharp odor of ionized air. Maddened now beyond the limits ofits endurance, hit at least twenty times and wild with pain, the greatking of the Venusian jungle bore down on the two cadets. 

[Illustration]

Roger and Tom saw that their fire was not going to stop thetyrannosaurus's charge. They were pouring a nearly steady stream of fireinto the monster now, while on the other side of the trail Connel wasdoing the same, raking the monstrous hulk from the forelegs to thehindquarters. 

The boys jumped back, Tom still facing the beast and firing his riflefrom the waist. But Roger stumbled in the tangle of the underbrush andfell backward, dropping his rifle. The beast's head swooped low, jawsopen. 

Seeing Roger's danger, Tom jumped downward again without hesitation andfired point-blank at the beast's scaly head, only ten feet away. 

The monster roared in sudden agony and pulled back, jerking his head upagainst a thick branch of the tree overhead. The limb tore loose underthe impact and fell crashing to the ground on top of Roger. 

From behind, Connel stepped closer to the tyrannosaurus and fired from atwenty-five-foot range. It wavered and stumbled back, obviously mortallywounded. From both sides Tom and Connel poured their weapons' power intothe giant beast. Blinded, near death, the monster wavered uncertainly. Bellowing in fear and pain, it turned and lumbered back down the trail. 

Connel and Tom watched it until they were certain it could not attackthem without warning again, and then they hurried to Roger. The heavytree limb had landed across his back, pinning him to the ground. 

"Roger!" yelled Tom. "Roger, are you all right?"

The blond-haired cadet didn't answer. Grabbing a stout branch lying onthe ground near by, Connel and Tom worked it beneath the limb which layacross Roger's body and pried it up. 

"I've got it, " said Connel, holding the weight of the limb on hisshoulder. "Pull him out!"

Tom quickly pulled the unconscious cadet clear and laid him on theground. Dropping the limb, Connel bent down to examine the boy. He ranhis fingers along Roger's spine, feeling the bones one by one throughthe skin-tight jungle suit. Finally he straightened and shook his head. "I can't tell anything, " he said. "We'll have to take him back toSinclair's right away. " He stood up. "I'll make a stretcher for him. Meanwhile, you go after that tyranno and finish him off. He's prettyfar gone, but you never can tell. "

"Aye, aye, sir, " replied Tom. He picked up his rifle and reloaded it, checking it carefully. He repeated the precaution with Roger's blaster. 

"Hurry up, " urged Connel, already reaching for a suitable branch. "Timemeans everything now. "

"Be right back, sir, " replied Tom. And as he walked away, he looked backat the unconscious form of his unit mate. He could not help reflectingon the bitter fact that already two members of the expedition were indanger, and they were no closer to their goal of finding theNationalists' hidden base. 

Moving carefully, one of the two rifles slung over his shoulder, theother in his hand ready for use, Tom followed the trail of thetyrannosaurus. Two thousand yards farther along he saw a place where themonster had fallen and then struggled back to its feet to stagger on. Rounding a turn in the trail, Tom stopped abruptly. Before him, not ahundred feet away, the beast lay sprawled on the ground. The area allaround was devoid of any vegetation. It was trampled down to the blacksoil. Tom deduced that it was the beast's lair. He pressed forwardcautiously until he was a scant thirty feet away, and crouched betweenthe roots of a huge tree where he would be protected should the monsterbe able to rise and fight again. 

Sighting carefully on the base of the monster's neck, he squeezed thetrigger of the shock rifle. A full energy charge hit the tyrannosaurusin its most vulnerable spot. It jerked under the sudden blast, involuntarily tried to rise to its feet, and then fell back, the groundshaking under the impact of its thirty tons. Then, after one convulsivekick with its hind legs that uprooted a near-by tree, the beaststiffened and lay still. 

Tom waited, watching the beast for signs of life. After five minutes hestepped forward cautiously, his rifle ready. He circled thetyrannosaurus slowly. The great bulk towered above him, and the cadet'seyes widened in amazement at the size of the fallen giant. Stopping atits head, which was as wide as he was tall, Tom looked at the jaws andteeth that had torn so many foes into bloody bits, and shook his head. He had come to the jungle to kill just such a beast. But with Astromissing and Roger unconscious the thrill of victory was somehow missing. He turned and headed back down the trail. 

Connel had finished the litter by the time Tom returned, and the officerwas leaning over the blond-haired cadet, examining his back again. 

"We'd better move out right away, Tom, " said Connel. "I still can't tellwhat's wrong. It may be serious, and then it may be nothing more thanjust shock. But we can't take a chance. "

Tom nodded. "Very well, sir. " He adjusted his shoulder pack, slung bothrifles over his shoulder, and started to pick up his end of the litterwhen suddenly the jungle silence was shattered by a deafening roar. Connel jumped to his feet!

"Corbett!" he cried. "That's a rocket ship blasting off!"

"It sure sounded like it, sir, " replied Tom. 

"And I'll stake my life it's not more than a half mile away!"

The two men jumped out into the trail and scanned the sky. Theunmistakable roar of a spaceship echoed through the jungle. The ship wasaccelerating, and the reverberations of the rocket exhaust rolled overthe treetops. Suddenly a flash of gleaming metal streaked across the skyand Connel roared. 

"We've found it, Corbett!" He slapped the cadet on the back. "TheNationalists' base! We've found it!"

Tom nodded, a half-smile on his face. "We sure have, Major. " Hehesitated a moment. "You know, sir, if Roger is really badly hurt wemight not make it back to Sinclair's in time, so--" He stopped. 

"I know what you're thinking, Tom, " said the officer, "and I agree. Butone of us has to go back with the information. "

"You go, sir, " said Tom. "I'll take Roger and--"

"You can't carry him alone--"

"I can make it somehow, " protested Tom. 

Connel shook his head. "I'll help you. "

"You mean, you're going to allow yourself to be captured too?"spluttered Tom. 

"Not quite. " Connel smiled. "But a good intelligence agent gets as muchinformation as he can. And he gets correct information! I'll help youget him to the base and you can take him on in for medical attention. I'll get back to Sinclair's later. "

Tom tried to protest, but the burly spaceman had turned away. 

CHAPTER 13

"Stand where you are!"

Tom and Major Connel stiffened and looked around, the unconscious formof Roger stretched between them on the litter. From the jungle aroundthem, green-clad Nationalists suddenly emerged, brandishing their guns. 

"Put Roger down, " muttered Connel quietly. "Don't try anything. "

"Very well, sir, " replied Tom, and they lowered the litter to the groundgently. 

"Raise your hands!" came the second command from a man who appeareddirectly in front of them. 

Standing squarely in front of them, the little man said something in theVenusian dialect and waited, but Connel and Tom remained silent. 

"I guess you don't speak the Venusian tongue, " he sneered. "So I'll haveto use the disgusting language of Earth!" He looked down at theunconscious form of Roger. "What happened to him?"

"He was injured in a fight with a tyrannosaurus, " replied Connel. "May Iremind you that you and these men are holding guns on an officer of theSolar Guard. Such a crime is punishable by two years on a prisonasteroid!"

"You'll be the one to go to prison, my stout friend!" The man laughed. "A little work in the shops will take some of that waistline off you!"

"Are you taking us prisoner?"

"What do you think?"

"I see. " Connel seemed to consider for a moment. "Who are you?" heasked. 

"I am Drifi, squad officer of the jungle patrol. "

"Connel, Senior Officer, Solar Guard, " acknowledged Connel. "If we arebeing held prisoner, I wish to make a request. "

"Prisoners don't make requests, " said Drifi, and then addedsuspiciously, "What is it?"

"See that this man"--Connel indicated Roger--"is given medical attentionat once. "

Drifi eyed the major cautiously. 

"I make this request as one officer to another, " said Connel. "A pointof honor between opponents. "

Drifi's eyes gleamed visibly at the word _officer_, and Tom almostgrinned at Connel's subtle flattery. 

"You--and you, " snapped Drifi at the green-clad men around them, "seethat this man is taken to the medical center immediately!" Two menjumped to pick up the litter. 

"Thank you, " said Connel. "Now will you be so kind as to tell me whatthis is all about?"

"You'll find out soon enough. We have a special way of treating spies. "

"Spies!" roared Connel. The officer sounded so indignant that Tom wasalmost fooled by his tone. "We're hunters! One of our party is lost herein the jungle. We were searching for him when we were attacked by atyrannosaurus. During the fight, this man was injured. We're not spies!"

Drifi shrugged his shoulders, and barking a command to his men, turnedinto the jungle. Connel and Tom were forced to follow. 

They were taken to the giant teakwood that Astro had seen, and Tom andConnel watched silently as the door opened, revealing the vacuum tube. The men crowded into the car and it dropped to the lower level. 

Following the same twisting turns in the tunnels, Tom and Connel werebrought to the armory and saw the men surrender their weapons and changetheir helmets and shoes. They tried desperately to get a look at thefaces of the men around them while the headgear was being changed, but, as before, the men were careful to keep their faces averted. 

Continuing down the tunnel, Connel tried to speak to Drifi again. "Iwould appreciate it greatly, sir, " he said in his most formal militarymanner, "if you could give me any news about the other man of our party. Have you seen him?"

Drifi did not answer. He marched stiffly ahead, not even bothering tolook at Connel. 

As they neared the exit, Connel drifted imperceptibly closer to Tom andwhispered out of the side of his mouth, "Keep your eyes open for ships. Count as many as you can. How many are armed, their size, and so on. Look for ammunition dumps. Check radar and communications installations. Get as much information as you can, in case only one of us can escape. "

"Yes, sir, " whispered Tom. "Do you think they might have Astro?"

"It's a good guess. We were following the tyrannosaurus's trail whenthey caught us, and I'm pretty sure Astro had been doing the samething. "

"Stop that talking!" snapped Drifi, suddenly whirling on them. "You, " heshouted at one of the guards, "get up here and keep them apart!"

A guard stepped quickly between Tom and Connel, and the conversationended. 

At the exit Connel and Tom stopped involuntarily at the sight beforethem. Astro had entered the canyon near twilight, but the two spacemengot a view of the Nationalists' base under the full noon sun. Connelgasped and muttered a space oath. Tom turned halfway to his superior andwas starting to speak when both were shoved rudely ahead. "Keep moving, "a guard growled. 

As they walked, their eyes flicked over the canyon, alert for details. Tom counted the ships arrayed neatly on the spaceport some distanceaway, then counted others outside repair shops with men scurrying overthem like so many ants. Near the center of the canyon the bare trunk ofa giant teakwood soared skyward, a gigantic communications tower. Tomscanned the revolving antenna, and from its shape and size deduced thepower and type of radar being used at the base. He admitted to himselfthat the Nationalists had the latest and best. Connel was busy too, noting buildings of identical design scattered around the canyon floorthat were too small to be spaceship hangars or storage depots. Heguessed that they were housings for vacuum-tube elevator shafts that ledto underground caves. 

The canyon echoed with the splutter of arc welders, the slow banging ofiron workers, the cough and hissing of jet sleds, the roar of activitythat meant deadly danger to the Solar Alliance. Connel noticed as hemoved across the canyon floor that the workers were in good spirits. Themorale of the rebels, thought the space officer, was good! Too good!

At a momentary halt in their march, when Drifi stopped to speak with asentry, Tom and Connel found an opportunity to speak again. 

"I've counted a dozen big converted freighters on the blast ramps, sir, "whispered Tom hurriedly. "Three more being repaired, nearly finished, and there are about fifty smaller ships, all heavily armed. "

"That checks with my count, Tom, " replied Connel hurriedly. "What do youmake of the radar?"

"At least as good as we have!"

"I thought so, too! If a Solar Guard squadron tried to attack this basenow, they'd be spotted and blasted out of space!"

"What about stores, sir?" asked Tom. "I didn't see anything like asupply depot. "

Connel told him of the small buildings which he believed housed theelevator shafts to underground storerooms. "Only one thing is missing!"he concluded. 

"What's that, sir?"

"The nuclear chambers where they produce ammunition for their fleet. "

"It must be underground too, sir, " said Tom. "There isn't a building inthe canyon that's made of concrete and steel. "

"Right. Either that, or it's back up there in the cliffs in one of thosetunnels!" The officer snorted. "By the stars, Corbett, this place is anatom bomb ready to go off in the lap of the Solar Alliance. "

"What are we going to do, sir?" asked Tom. "So far, it looks as if it'sgoing to be tough to get out again. "

"We'll have to wait for a break, Tom, " sighed Connel. 

"I hope they've taken good care of Roger, " said the cadet in a lowvoice. "And I hope they've got Astro. "

"Watch it, " warned Connel. "Drifi's coming back. Remember, if we'reseparated and you do manage to escape, get back to Sinclair's. ContactCommander Walters and tell him everything that's happened. The codename for direct emergency contact through Solar Guard communicationscenter in Venusport is Juggernaut!"

"Juggernaut!" repeated Tom in a whisper. "Very well, sir. But I surehope we aren't separated. "

"Well have to take what comes. _Sh!_ Here he comes. "

"All right, let's go, " said the patrol leader. 

They continued across the canyon until they reached a four-story woodenstructure without windows. Drifi opened a small door and motioned theminside. 

"What is this?" Connel demanded. 

"This is where you'll stay until Lactu sends for you. Right now, he isin conference with the Division Leaders. "

"Divisions of what? Ships? Men?" asked Connel offhandedly, trying not toshow any more than idle curiosity. 

"You'll find out when the Solar Guard comes looking for a fight, " saidDrifi. "Now get in there!"

Tom and Connel were shoved inside and the door closed behind them. Itwas pitch black, and they couldn't see an inch in front of their faces. But both Tom and Connel knew instantly that they were not alone. 

 * * * * *

"Come on. Gimme that wrench!" barked Astro. The little man beside himhanded up the wrench and leaned over the side of the engine casing towatch Astro pull the nut tight. "Now get over there and throw on theswitch, " snapped the big cadet. 

The little man scurried over to one side of the vast machine shop andflipped on the wall switch. There was an audible hum of power and thenslowly the machine Astro had just worked on began to speed up, soonrevving up to ten thousand revolutions per minute. 

"Is it fixed?" demanded the shop foreman, coming up beside Astro. 

"Yeah, she's fixed. But I don't work on another job until you give meanother helper. That asteroid head you gave me doesn't know a--" Astrostopped. Something out beyond the double doors caught his eye. It wasthe sight of Tom and Connel entering the wooden building. 

"What's the matter with him?" demanded the foreman. 

"Huh? What? Oh--ah--well, he's O. K. , I guess, " Astro stammered. "It'sjust that he's a little green, that's all. "

"Well, get to work on that heater in chamber number one. It's burned abearing. Change it, and hurry up about it!"

"Sure--sure!" The big cadet grinned. 

"Say, what's the matter with you?" asked the foreman, staring at himsuspiciously. 

"I'm O. K. , " replied Astro quickly. 

The foreman continued to stare at Astro as the big cadet turned to hisassistant nonchalantly. "Come on, genius, get that box of tools over tothe heater!" he shouted. As he turned away, the foreman nodded to thegreen-clad guard, who followed closely behind Astro, his hand on thebutt of his paralo-ray gun. 

Seeing the little assistant struggling with the heavy box, Astro stoppedand picked it out of his arms with one hand. Grinning, he held itstraight out and then slowly brought it around in a complete circle overhis head, still holding it with only one hand. The guard's eyes widenedbehind his plastic helmet at this show of strength. 

"You're very strong, Astro, " he said, "but you are altogether toocontemptuous of a fellow Venusian. " He nodded to the small assistant. 

"That's right, " said Astro. His grin hardened and he leaned forwardslightly, balancing on the balls of his feet. "That goes for you andevery other green space monkey in this place. Drop that ray gun and I'lltie you up in a knot!"

Frightened, the guard pulled the paralo-ray gun out of its holster, butAstro quickly stepped in and sank his fist deep into the guard'sstomach. The man dropped like a stone. Astro grinned and turned his backto walk toward the heater. He heard the other workers begin to chatterexcitedly, but he didn't pay any attention to them. 

"Astro! Astro!" His little assistant ran up beside him. "You hit adivision guard!"

"I did, huh?" replied the big cadet in an innocent tone. "What kind of adivision?"

"Don't you know? Venus has been divided into areas called divisions. Each division has a chief, and every Venusian citizen in that divisionis under his personal jurisdiction. "

"Uh-huh, " said Astro vaguely. He climbed up on to the machine and begantaking off the outer casing. 

"The best men in the division are made the Division Chief's personalguards. "

"What happens to the second and third and fourth best men?"

"Well, they're given jobs here according to their knowledge andcapacities. "

"What was your job before you came here?"

"I was a field worker on my chief's plantation. "

"Why did you join?" asked Astro. "Did you think it better to haveVenusians ruling Venus, instead of belonging to the Solar Alliance?"

"I didn't think about it at all, " admitted the little man. "Besides, Ididn't join. I was recruited. My chief just put me on a ship and here Iam. "

"Well, what do you think of it, now that you're here?" asked Astro. Hebegan running his fingers along a few of the valves, apparently payingno attention to the guard who was just now staggering to his feet. 

The little assistant paused and considered Astro's question. Finally hereplied weakly, "I don't know. It's all right, I guess. It's better herein the shops than in the caves where the others go. "

"Others? What others?"

"Those that don't like it, " replied the man. "They're sent to thecaves. "

"What caves?"

"Up in the cliff. The tunnels--" He suddenly stopped when an angry shoutechoed in the machine shop. The guard Astro had hit rushed up. He turnedto several workmen near by. "Take this blabbering idiot to the caves!"he ordered angrily. 

Astro slowly climbed down from the machine and faced the guardmenacingly. As the guard's finger tightened on the trigger of hisparalo-ray gun, the foreman suddenly rushed up and knocked the gun outof his hand. "You fool! You stiffen this man and we'll be held up inproduction for hours!"

"So what!" sneered the guard. 

"Lactu and your Division Chief will tell you so what!" barked theforeman. He turned to Astro. "And as for you, if you try anything likethat again, I'll--"

"You won't do a thing, " said Astro casually. "I'm the best man you'vegot and you know it. Lactu knows it too. So don't threaten me and keepthese green space jerks away from me! I'll fix your machines, because Iwant to, not because you can make me!"

The foreman eyed the big cadet curiously. "Because you want to? You'vechanged your tune since you first came here. "

"Maybe, " said Astro. "Maybe I like what I see around here. It alldepends. "

"Well, make up your mind later, " barked the foreman. "Now get thatmachine fixed!"

"Sure, " said Astro simply, turning back to the machine and starting towhistle. Strangely enough, he was happy. He was a prisoner, but he feltbetter than he had in days. Just knowing that Tom and Major Connel wereright across the canyon gave him a surge of confidence. Working over themachine quickly, surely, the big cadet began to formulate a plan. Nowwas the time! They were together again. Now was the time to escape!

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 14

"Put your back against the door, Tom!" snapped Connel. "Quickly!"

Tom felt the powerful grip of the Solar Guard officer's fingers on hisarm as he was pulled backward. He closed his eyes, then opened them, hoping to pierce the darkness, but he saw nothing. Beside him, he couldsense the tenseness in Connel's body. 

There was a rustle of movement to the right of them. 

"Careful, Tom, " cautioned Connel. "To your right!"

"I hear it, sir, " said Tom, turning toward the noise and bracinghimself. 

"My name is Connel, " the burly spaceman suddenly spoke up in loud tones. "I'm an official in the Solar Guard! Whoever you are, speak up! Identifyyourself. "

There was a moment of silence and then a voice spoke harshly in thedarkness. 

"How do we know you're a Solar Guard officer? How do we know you're nota spy?"

"Do you have any kind of light?" asked Connel. 

"Yes, we have a light. But we are not going to give away our positions. We know how to move in here. You don't. "

"Then how do you expect me to prove it?"

"The burden of proof lies with you. "

"Have you ever heard of me?" asked Connel after a pause. 

"We know there is an officer in the Solar Guard named Connel. "

"I am that officer, " asserted Connel. "I was sent into the jungle tofind this base, but one of our party was injured and we were captured bya patrol. "

Tom and Connel heard voices whispering in the darkness and then a loudorder. 

"Lie down on the floor, both of you!"

The two spacemen hesitated and then got down flat on their backs. 

"Close your eyes and lie still. One of us here knows what Connel lookslike. I hope for your sake that you're telling the truth. If you'renot--" The voice stopped but the threat was plain. 

"Do as they say, Tom, " said Connel. 

The cadet closed his eyes and he heard the shuffle of feet around them. Suddenly there was a flash of light on his face but he kept his eyestightly closed. The light moved away, but he could tell that it wasstill burning. 

"It's Connel, I think, " said a high-pitched voice directly over them. 

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure. I met him once in Atom City at a scientific meeting. Hewas making a speech with a Professor Sykes. "

"That's right, " said Connel, hearing the remark. "I was there. "

"Do you remember meeting a man from Venus wearing a long red robe?"asked the high-pitched voice. 

Connel hesitated. "No, " he said. "I only remember talking to three men. Two were from Venus and one was from Mars. But neither of the two fromVenus wore a red robe. They wore purple--"

"He's right, " acknowledged the voice. "This is Connel. "

"Open your eyes, " said the first voice. 

Connel and Tom opened their eyes and in the light of a small hand torchthey saw two gaunt faces before them. The tallest of the men stuck out abony hand. "My name is Carson. " They recognized his voice as the onethat had spoken first. "And this is Bill Jensen, " he added. 

"This is Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, " said Connel. He glanced around theroom, and in the weak reflected light of the torch, saw almost fifty mencrouched against the walls, each of them holding a crude weapon. 

"You'll understand our caution, Major, " said Carson. "Once before we hada plan to escape and a spy was sent in. As you see, we didn't escape. "

"Neither did the spy, " commented Jensen grimly. 

"How long have you been here?" asked Connel. 

"The oldest prisoner has been here for three years, " replied Carson. Andas the other men began to gather around them, Connel and Tom saw thatthey were hardly more than walking skeletons. Their cheeks were hollow, eyes sunk in their sockets, and they wore little more than rags. 

"And there's no way to escape?" asked Tom. 

"Three guards with blasters are stationed on the other side of thatdoor, " said Carson. "There is no other entrance or exit. We tried atunnel, but it caved in and after that they put in a wooden floor. " Hestamped on it. "Teak. Hard as steel. We couldn't cut through. "

"But why are you being held prisoners?" asked Connel. 

"All of us joined the Nationalists believing it was just a sort ofgood-neighbor club, where we could get together and exchange ideas forour own improvement. And when we found out what Lactu and the DivisionChiefs were really up to, we tried to quit. As you see, we couldn't. Weknew too much. "

"Blasted rebels!" muttered Connel. "The Solar Guard will cool them off!"

"I'm afraid it's too late, " said Carson. "They're preparing to strikenow. I've been expecting it for some time. They have enough ships andarms to wipe out the entire Solar Guard garrison here on Venus in oneattack!" He shook his head. "After that, with Solar Guard ships andcomplete control of the planet--" He paused and sighed. "It will mean along, bloody space war. "

Tom and Connel plied the prisoners with questions and soon began to geta complete picture of the scope of the Nationalist movement. 

"Lactu and his commanders should be sent to a prison asteroid for life, "said Carson, "for what they have done to former Nationalists. "

"Hundreds of unsuspecting Venusians have been brought here under theguise of helping to free Venus. But when they come and recognize whatLactu really intends to do, they want to quit. But it's too late, andthey're sent to the caves. "

Tom looked at the gaunt man fearfully. There was something in his voicethat sent a chill down his spine. 

"They are driven like cattle into the canyon walls, " continued Carson. "There they are forced to dig the huge underground vaults for storagedumps. They are beaten and whipped and starved. "

"Why aren't you in the caves then?" asked Connel. 

"Some of us were, " replied Carson. "But each of us here owns land and itis necessary to keep us alive to send back directives to our bankers andforemen to give aid in one form or another to Sharkey and the DivisionChiefs. "

"I see, " said Connel. "If you were to die, then your property would beout of their reach. "

"Exactly, " said Carson. 

"Is Sharkey the real leader of the movement?"

"I don't believe so. But then, no one knows. That's the idea of thefrosted helmets. If you don't know who a man is, you can liquidate himwithout conscience. He may be your closest friend, but you would neverknow it. "

"The blasted space crawlers!" growled Connel. "Well, they'll pay!"

"You have a plan?" asked Carson eagerly. 

"No, " said Connel slowly, "but at least we all have more of a chancenow. "

"How?" asked Carson. 

"The Solar Guard sent us here to find this base. If we don't return, orsend some sort of message back within a reasonable time, this junglewill be swarming with guardsmen!"

Carson looked a little disappointed. "We shall see, " he said. 

 * * * * *

There were three things on Astro's mind as twilight darkened into nightover the canyon. One, he had to find out why Roger wasn't with Tom andConnel when they were taken into the building; two, he had to figure outa way to contact Tom and Connel; and finally, he had to escape himself, or help Tom and Connel escape. 

The big cadet finished the last job in the machine shop. It had takenvery little time, but the big cadet had lingered over it, trying to findanswers to his three problems. Around him, the workers were leavingtheir benches and lathes, to be replaced by still others. A twelve-hourshift was being used by the Nationalists in their frantic preparationsfor an attack on the Venusport garrison of the Solar Guard. Astrofinally dropped the last wrench into the tool kit and straightened up. He stretched leisurely and glanced over at his guard. The man was stillrubbing his stomach where Astro had hit him, and he watched the bigcadet with a murderous gleam in his eye. 

"All finished, " said Astro. "Where and when do I eat?"

"If I had my way, you wouldn't, " sneered the guard. 

"Either I knock off and eat, " said Astro confidently, "or I call theforeman and you talk to Lactu. "

"Feeling pretty big, aren't you?" growled the guard. "I haven'tforgotten that punch in the stomach. "

"Why, I hardly touched you, " said Astro in mock surprise. 

The guard glared at him, muttered an oath, and turned away. Astro couldsee that he was boiling, almost out of his mind with helpless, frustrated anger, and suddenly the young cadet realized how he would beable to move about the base freely. Grinning, he walked arrogantly infront of the guard and out of the shop into the dark Venusian night. Itwas very warm and many of the workers had stripped down to theirtrousers. He passed the open doorway of a large tool shop and glancedinside. It was empty. The men had apparently gone to eat. He suddenlystopped, turned to the guard, and growled, "If you want to settle ourdifferences now, we can step inside. "

The guard hesitated and glared at Astro. "When I settle with you, bigboy, you'll know about it. "

"What's the matter with right now?" asked Astro. "Yellow?" He turned andwalked into the tool shop without looking back. The guard rushed afterhim. But the big cadet had carefully gauged the distance between them, and when he heard the rushing steps of the guard immediately behind him, he suddenly spun around, swinging a roundhouse right, catching the guardin the pit of the stomach again. The man stopped dead in his tracks. Hiseyes bulged and glazed, and he dropped to the floor like a stone. Astropulled the man to the corner of the empty shop, removed the plastichelmet, and then tied and gagged him. He pulled the helmet over his ownhead, nearly tearing one ear off, grabbed the gun and stepped backoutside. He stood in front of the door and glanced up and down the areabetween the buildings. Fifty feet away a group of men were working overa tube casing, but they didn't even look up. 

[Illustration]

Staying in the shadows, he walked down the lane, moving carefully. Theplastic helmet would keep him from being recognized right away, but tocomplete his plan, he needed one of the green uniforms of the guards. 

Deciding it would be too risky to walk around the base, he crouchedbehind a huge crate of machinery at the head of the lane. Sentries wereconstantly patrolling the area and he was certain that one would pass bysoon. He only hoped the man would be big enough. Fifteen minutes laterthe cadet heard footsteps in a slow measured tread. He peered around theedge of the crate and silently breathed a thankful prayer. It was agreen-clad guard, and luckily, almost as big as he was. 

Crouching in the shadow of the crate, Astro tensed for the attack. Ithad to be quick and it had to be silent. He couldn't club the guardbecause of his helmet. He would have to get him around the throat tochoke off any outcry. 

The slow steps came nearer and the big cadet raised himself on the ballsof his feet, ready to spring. When the guard's shadow fell across him, Astro leaped forward like a striking tiger. 

The guard didn't have a chance. Astro's arm coiled around his throat andthe cry of alarm that welled up within him died down in a choking gasp. Within seconds he was unconscious and the big cadet had dragged himbehind the crate. He stripped him of his uniform, bound and gagged himwith his own rags, and crammed him into the crate. Then, protected bythe helmet and green uniform and carrying the blaster, the cadet steppedout confidently and strode down the lane. 

He went directly to the building he had seen Tom and Connel enter, andwalked boldly up to the guard lounging in front of the door. 

"You're relieved, " said Astro in the Venusian dialect. "They want you upin the caves. " The cadet had no idea where the caves were, but he knewthat they couldn't be near by and it would be some time before an alarmcould be sounded. 

"The caves?" asked the guard. "Who said so?"

"The chief. He wants you to identify somebody. "

"Me? Identify someone? I don't understand. " The guard was puzzled. "Whatsection of the caves?"

"The new section, " said Astro quickly, figuring there must be a new andan old section because he had heard a guard refer to the old one. 

"Up by the jungle tunnels?"

Astro nodded. 

"Must be more of those Solar Guardsmen, " said the guard, relaxing. "Wehave two of them in here, another in the hospital, and one of themworking in the machine shop. "

Hospital! Astro gulped. That would be Roger. But he dared not ask toomany questions. "What's going to happen to them?" he asked casually. 

"I don't know, " said the guard, "but I wish we'd hurry up and attackVenusport. I'm getting tired of living out here in the jungle. "

"Me too, " said Astro. "Well, you'd better get going. "

The guard nodded and started to walk away. Suddenly Astro stiffened. Twoother guards were rounding the corner of the building. He called to thedeparting guard quickly. "Who's on duty with you tonight?"

"Maron and Teril, " replied the guard, and then strode off into thedarkness. 

"So long, " said Astro, turning to face the two men walking toward him. He would have to get rid of them. 

"Hello, Maron, Teril, " he called casually. "Everything quiet?"

"Yes, " replied the shorter of the two, as they stopped in front ofAstro, "no trouble tonight. "

"Well, there's trouble now!" growled Astro. He brought up the blasterand cocked it. "Make one wrong move, and you're dead little space birds!Get over there and open that door!"

Stunned, both men turned to the door without a protest and Astro tooktheir guns. "Open up!" he growled. 

The men slid the heavy bar back and pushed the door open. 

"Get inside!" ordered Astro. The two men stumbled inside. Astro steppedto the door. "Tom! Major!"

There was a cry of joy from the blackness within and Astro recognizedTom. 

"Astro!" roared Connel, rushing up. "What in the stars--?"

"Can't talk now, " said Astro. "Here. Take these blasters and then tiethese two up. Close the door, but leave it open a crack. We can talkwhile I stay outside and keep watch. If there isn't a guard out here, itmight mean trouble. "

"Right, " said Connel. He took the blasters, tossing one over to Tom. "Blast it, I never felt anything so good in my life!" He closed thedoor, leaving it open an inch. 

"Why is Roger in the hospital?" asked Astro quickly. 

Connel told him of the fight with the tyrannosaurus and Roger's injury, ending with their capture by the patrol. 

"You know what's going on here, Major?" asked Astro. 

"I sure do, " said Connel. "And the sooner we blast them, the happierI'll be. "

"One of us will have to escape and get back to the _Polaris_ to contactCommander Walters, " said Astro. "But they've got radar here as good asours. That has to be put out of commission or they can blast anyattacking fleet. "

"You're right, " said Connel grimly, and turned back into the room. "Tom!" he called. 

"Yes, sir, " replied Tom, coming up to the door. 

"Since Astro and I speak Venusian--" said Connel, and then added whenTom gasped, "Yes, I speak it fluently, but I kept it a secret. Thatmeans you're the one to go. Astro and I will have more of a chance here. You escape and return to the _Polaris_. Contact Commander Walters. Tellhim everything that's happened. We'll give you thirty-six hours to makeit. At exactly noon, day after tomorrow, we'll knock out their radar. "

"But how, sir?" asked Tom. 

"Never mind. We'll figure out something. Just get back to the _Polaris_and tell the Solar Guard to attack at noon, day after tomorrow. If youdon't and the fleet attacks earlier, or later, they'll be wiped out. "

"What about you, sir?" asked Tom. 

"If you get back in time, we'll be all right. If not, then this isgood-by. We'll hold out as long as we can, but that can't be forever. We're fighting smart, determined men, Tom. And it's a fight to thefinish. Now hurry up and get into one of those uniforms. "

While Tom turned back inside to put on the uniform, Connel returned toAstro outside the door. "Think we can do it, Astro?"

"I don't see why not, sir, " replied the big cadet. 

A moment later Tom returned, dressed in one of the guard's green uniformand wearing a helmet. Carson was with him, similarly clad. "Astro bettershow me the way out of the base, " said Tom. "Carson will stand guarduntil he gets back. "

"Good idea, " said Connel. Tom and Carson slipped out the door. 

"All set, Astro?" asked Tom. 

"Yeah, there's only one thing wrong, " replied the big cadet. 

"What's the matter?" asked Connel. 

"I don't know the way out of the base. "

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 15

"I can tell you the way out of the base. "

Adjusting the plastic helmet over his head, Carson stepped up close toAstro and Tom and spoke confidently. "It's very simple. "

"Whew!" exclaimed Tom. "I thought we'd have to go fumbling around. "

Carson pointed through the darkness. "Follow this lane straight downuntil you come to a large repair lock. There's a space freighter on themaintenance cradle outside. You can't miss it. Turn left and follow atrail to the base of the canyon wall. There are jungle creepers andvines growing up the side and you can climb them easily. "

Tom nodded and repeated the directions, then turned to Astro. "Maybeyou'd better stay here, Astro. I can make it alone. "

"No. " Connel spoke sharply from the doorway. "Astro speaks Venusian. Ifyou're stopped, he can speak for you. You'd give yourself away. "

"Very well, sir, " said Tom. "I guess that is best. Ready to go, Astro?"

"Ready, " replied the big cadet. 

"Good-by, Major, " said Tom, reaching into the doorway to shake handswith Connel. "I'll try my best. "

"It's a matter of life and death, Tom. " Connel's voice was low andhusky. "Not our lives, or the lives of a few people, but the life anddeath of the Solar Alliance. "

"I understand, sir. " Tom turned to Astro and the two cadets marched offquickly. 

They had no difficulty finding the giant ship on the cradles outside therepair shop and quickly turned toward the base of the cliff. Twentyminutes later they had left the center of activity and were close to thecanyon wall. They were congratulating themselves on their luck in notbeing stopped or questioned when suddenly they saw a guard ahead of themon sentry duty. 

"Ill take care of him, " whispered Astro. "You hide here in the shadows, and when I whistle, you start climbing. Then I'll cover you from thereuntil you get to the top. Got it?"

"Right!" The two cadets shook hands briefly. Each knew that there was noneed to speak of their feelings. "Take care of Roger, " said Tom. "Wedon't know how badly he's been injured. "

"I'll see to him, " said Astro. "Watch me now and wait for my whistle. "He turned away and then paused to call back softly, "Spaceman's luck, Tom. "

"Same to you, Astro, " replied Tom, and then crouched tensely in theshadows. 

The big cadet walked casually toward the sentry, who spotted himimmediately and brought his gun up sharply, calling a challenge in theVenusian tongue. 

"A friend, " replied Astro in the same dialect. 

The sentry lowered the gun slightly. "What are you doing out here?" heasked suspiciously. 

"Just taking a walk, " said Astro. "Looking for something. "

"What?" asked the sentry. 

"Trying to make a connection. "

"A connection? What kind of connection?"

"This kind!" said Astro suddenly, chopping the side of his hand down onthe sentry's neck, between the helmet and his uniform collar. 

The sentry fell to the ground like a poleaxed steer and lay still. Astrogrinned, then turned and went whistling off into the darkness. Twentyfeet away Tom heard the signal and hurried to the base of the cliff. Hegrabbed a thick vine and pulled himself upward, hand over hand. Halfwayup he found a small ledge and stopped to rest. Below him, he could seeAstro hurrying back toward the center of the base. The dim lights andthe distant hum of activity assured him that so far his escape wasunnoticed. He resumed his climb, and fifteen minutes later thecurly-haired cadet stood on the canyon rim. After another short rest heturned and plunged into the jungle. 

Tom knew that as long as he kept the planet of Earth over his rightshoulder, while keeping the distant star of Regulus ahead of him, he wastraveling in the right direction to Sinclair's plantation. He stopped tocheck his bearings often, occasionally having to climb a tree to seeover the top of the jungle. He ignored the threat of an attack by ajungle beast. For some reason it did not present the danger it had whenhe had first entered the jungle, seemingly years before. Under pressure, the cadet had become skilled in jungle lore and moved with amazingspeed. He kept the blaster ready to fire at the slightest movement, butfortunately during the first night he encountered nothing more dangerousthan a few furry deerlike animals that scampered behind him off thetrail. 

Morning broke across the jungle in a sudden burst of sunlight. The airwas clear and surprisingly cool, and Tom felt that he could make theSinclair plantation by nightfall if he continued pushing full speedahead. 

He stopped once for a quick meal of the last of the synthetics that hehad stuffed in his pocket from his shoulder pack, and then continued ina steady, ground-eating pace through the jungle. Late in the afternoonhe began to recognize signs of recent trail blazing, and once he cutacross the path Astro had made. He wondered if the trail was one Astrohad cut while he was lost, or previously. He finally decided to go aheadon his own, since he had managed to come this far without the aid of anyguide markers. 

As the darkening shadows of night began to spread over the jungle theyoung cadet began to worry. He had been allowed thirty-six hours to makeit back to the _Polaris_, communicate with Commander Walters, and tellhim the position of the base, and Tom had to allow time for the SolarGuard fleet to assemble and blast off, so that it would arrive at thebase at exactly noon on the next day. He had to reach the Sinclairplantation before nightfall or the fleet would never make it. 

Suddenly to his left he heard a noisy crashing of underbrush and theroar of a large beast. Tom hesitated. He could hide; he could fight; orhe could break to his right and try to escape. The beast growledmenacingly. It had picked up his scent. Tom was sure it was a largebeast on the prowl for food, and he decided that he could not waste timehiding, or risk being injured in a battle with the jungle prowler. Hequickly broke to his right and raced through the jungle. Behind him, thebeast picked up the chase, the ground trembling with its approach. Itbegan to gain on him. Tom was suddenly conscious of having lost hisbearings. He might be running away from the clearing!

Still he ran on, legs aching and lungs burning. He charged through theunderbrush that threatened any moment to trip him. When he was almost atthe point of complete exhaustion, and ready to turn and face the beastbehind him, he saw something that renewed his spirit and sent newstrength through his body. Ahead through the vines and creepers, theslender nose of the _Polaris_ was outlined against the twilight sky. 

Disregarding the beast behind him, he plunged through the last few feetof jungle undergrowth and raced into the clearing around the Sinclairhome. Behind him, the beast suddenly stopped growling, and when Tomreached the air lock of the _Polaris_, he saw that the beast had turnedback, reluctant to come out of the protection of the jungle. 

Tom pulled the air-lock port open and was about to step inside when heheard a harsh voice coming from the shadow of the port stabilizer. 

"Just stop right where you are!"

Tom jerked around. Rex Sinclair stepped out of the shadow, a paralo-raygun in his hand. 

"Mr. Sinclair!" cried Tom, suddenly relieved. "Boy, am I glad to seeyou!" He jumped to the ground. "Don't you recognize me? Cadet Corbett!"

[Illustration: _"Mr. Sinclair!" cried Tom, suddenly relieved_]

"Yes, I recognize you, " snarled Sinclair. "Get away from that air lockor I'll blast you!"

Tom's face expressed the confusion he felt. "But, Mr. Sinclair, you'remaking a mistake. I've got to get aboard and warn--" He stopped. "What'sthe idea of holding a paralo ray on me?"

"You're not warning anybody!" Sinclair waved the gun menacingly. "Nowget over to the house and walk slowly with your hands in the air or I'llfreeze you solid!"

Stunned by this sudden turn of events, Tom turned away from the airlock. "So you're one of them, too, " said Tom. "No wonder we were caughtin the jungle. You knew we were looking for the base. "

"Never mind that, " snapped Sinclair. "Get into the house and make itquick!"

The young cadet walked slowly toward the house. He saw the charredremains of the burned outbuildings and nodded. "So it was all an act, eh? You had your buildings burned to throw us off the track. Small priceto pay to remain in the confidence of the Solar Guard. "

"Shut up!" growled Sinclair. 

"You might be able to shut me up, but it'll take a lot more than a bunchof rabble rousers to shut up the Solar Guard!"

"We'll see, " snapped Sinclair. 

They reached the house and Tom climbed the steps slowly, hoping theplanter would come close enough for a sudden attack, but he was toocareful. They moved into the living room and Tom stopped in surprise. George Hill and his wife were tied hand and foot to two straight-backedchairs. 

Tom gasped. "George! Mrs. Hill!"

George Hill strained against his bonds and mumbled something through thegag in his mouth, but Tom couldn't understand what he was trying to say. Mrs. Hill just looked at the planter with wide, frightened eyes. Thecadet whirled around angrily. "Why, you dirty little space rat!"

Sinclair didn't hesitate. He squeezed the trigger of his paralo-ray gunand Tom stiffened into rigidity. 

The planter dropped the ray gun into a chair and leisurely began to tiethe hands and feet of the immobilized cadet. 

"Since you can hear me, Corbett, " said Sinclair, "and since you arepowerless to do anything about what I'm about to tell you, I'm going togive you a full explanation. I owe it to you. You've really worked forit. "

Unable to move a muscle, Tom nevertheless could hear the planterclearly. He mentally chided himself at his stupidity in allowing himselfto be captured so easily. 

Sinclair continued, "My original invitation to you and your friends, touse my home as a base for your hunting operations was sincere. I had noidea you were in any way connected with the investigation the SolarGuard was planning to make into the Nationalist movement. "

Tom was completely bound now, and the planter stepped back, picked upthe ray gun, and flipping on the neutralizer, released the cadet fromthe effects of the ray charge. Tom shuddered involuntarily, his nervesand muscles quivering as life suddenly flowed into them again. Hetwisted at the bonds on his wrists, and to his amazement found themslightly loose. He was sure he could work his hands free, but decided towait for a better opportunity. He glanced at the clock on the wall nearby and saw that it was nine in the evening. Only fifteen hours beforethe Solar Guard must attack!

Sinclair sat down casually in a chair and faced the cadet. George andMrs. Hill had stopped struggling and were watching their employer. 

"Do you know anything about the bomb we found on the _Polaris_ on ourtrip to Venus?" asked Tom. 

"I planned that little surprise myself, Corbett, " said Sinclair. "Unfortunately our agents on Earth bungled it. "

"It seems to me that was pretty stupid. There would have been anotherman sent in Major Connel's place, and we were warned that something bigwas in the wind. "

"Ah, quite so, Corbett, " said Sinclair. "But the destruction of the_Polaris_ would have caused no end of speculation. There would have beenan investigation which would have temporarily removed the spotlight fromthe Nationalist movement. That would have given us ample time tocomplete our preparations for the attack. "

"Then you knew, " said Tom bitterly, "when Major Connel, Roger, Astro, and I left here that we were going to be captured. "

"Well, that was one of the details of the final plan. Personally, Ihoped that you and your nosy major would meet a more dramatic andpermanent end in the jungle. "

"What are you going to do with us?" asked Tom, glancing at George andhis wife. "And what do Mr. And Mrs. Hill have to do with your scheme?"

"Unfortunately they discovered who I am, and of course had to be takencare of. As to your eventual disposition, I haven't had time to thinkabout that. "

"Well, you'd better start thinking, " said Tom. "And you'd better do agood job when you attack the Solar Guard. Perhaps you don't know it, Sinclair, but the whole pattern of the Solar Guard is one of defense. Wedo not invite attack, but are prepared for it. And we have the power tocounterattack!"

"When we get through with your Solar Guard, Corbett, " sneered Sinclair, "there won't be anything left but smoldering heaps of junk and the deadbodies of stupid men!"

The buzz of a teleceiver suddenly sounded in another part of the houseand Sinclair left the room quickly. When he was sure the planter was outof earshot, Tom turned to George and whispered, "I think I can work myhands loose. Where can I find a ray gun?" George began to mumblefrantically but Tom couldn't understand him, and the sound of returningfootsteps silenced Hill. The planter strode back into the room, hurriedly putting on the green uniform of the Nationalists. "I've justreceived word of a speed-up in the preparations for our attack, " hesaid. "Soon, Corbett--soon you will see what will happen to the SolarGuard!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 16

"Bring that dirty little space crawler in here!"

Captain Strong had never seen Commander Walters so angry. The cordsstood out in his neck and his face was red with fury as he paced up anddown the Solar Guard office in Venusport. "A spy, " he roared. "A spyright in the heart of our organization!" He shook his head. 

The door opened and two burly Solar Guardsmen entered, saluted, andturned to flank the doorway, hands on their paralo-ray pistols. Theprivate secretary of E. Philips James shuffled in slowly, followed bytwo more guards. Walters stepped up to the thin, intense young man andglared at him. "If I had my way, I'd send you out to the deepest part ofspace and leave you there!"

The man bit his lip but said nothing. 

"Where is your secret base?" demanded Walters. 

"I don't know, " replied the secretary nervously. 

"Who told you to intercept this message from Mercury?" Walters tapped apaper on his desk. "Who gave you your orders?"

"I receive orders on an audioceiver in my home, " answered the man, aslight quaver in his voice. "I have never seen my superior. "

"And you followed the Nationalist movement blindly, doing whatever theytold you, without question, is that it?"

"Yes. "

"Yes, _sir_!" roared Walters. 

"Yes, sir, " corrected the secretary. 

"Who told you to forge those orders for priority seats on the _VenusLark_?"

"My superior, " said the man. 

"How did you know Major Connel was coming here to investigate theNationalists?"

"I read the decoded message sent to the Solar Delegate, Mr. James. "

"Who told you to send men to bomb the _Polaris_?"

"My superior, " said the man. 

"Your superior--your superior!" Walters' voice was edged with contempt. "What else has your superior told you to do?"

"A great many things, " said the young man simply. 

Walters studied the thin face and then turned to Captain Strong. "There's only one thing to do, Steve. There's no telling how many ofthese rats are inside our organization. Relieve every civilian in anyposition of trust and put in our own man. I'll make a public teleceiverbroadcast in half an hour. I'm declaring martial law. "

"Yes, sir, " replied Strong grimly. 

"If you hadn't been in the code room when this message from Mercury camein, we would never have known the Nationalists were trying to get theMercurians to join them in their attack on us until it was too late. It's the only break we've had, so far, learning that the Mercurians arestill decent, loyal Solar citizens. I hate to think of what would havehappened if they hadn't warned us. "

"He very nearly got away with it, sir, " said Strong. "If I hadn't heardthe signal for a top-secret message come through on the coding machine, I never would have suspected him. He tried to hide it in his tunic. Healso confessed to trying to kidnap the cadets when he heard me tell themthat a cab would be waiting for them. "

"Well, we know now, " said Walters. He turned to one of the guardsmen. "Sergeant, I'm holding you personally responsible for this man. "

"Aye, aye, sir, " said the guard, stepping toward the secretary, butWalters stopped him and addressed the man. 

"I'll give you one last chance to tell me where your base is and howmany ships you have, " he said. 

The secretary looked down at his feet and mumbled, "I don't know wherethe base is, and I don't know how many ships there are. "

"Then what does this list we found in your tunic mean?" snapped Strong. "These are the names of ships that have been lost in space. "

"I don't know. That list was sent to me over the audioceiver by mysuperior. I was to relay it to Mercury should they accept our proposalto join forces against--" He stopped. 

"Get him out of my sight!" barked Walters. 

The guards closed in around the little man and he slowly shuffled out ofthe office. 

"I wonder how many more there are like him in our organization, Steve?"The commander had turned to the window and was staring out blindly. 

"I don't know, sir, " replied Strong. "But I think we'd better beprepared for trouble. "

"Agreed, " said Walters, turning to the Solar Guard captain. "What do yousuggest?"

"Since we don't know how many ships they have, where their base is, orwhen they plan to attack, I suggest putting the Venus squadrons indefense pattern A. Meanwhile, call in three additional squadrons fromMars, Earth, and Luna. That way, we can at least be assured of an evenfight. "

"But we don't know if they'll attack here on Venus. Suppose we weakenEarth's fleet and they attack there?" Walters paused, looking troubled. Then he sighed. "I guess you're right. Put the plan into effectimmediately. It's the only thing we can do. "

At exactly midnight every teleceiver on Venus was suddenly blacked outfor a moment and then came into focus again to reveal the grim featuresof Commander Walters. 

In homes, restaurants, theaters, arriving and departing space liners, inevery public and private gathering place, the citizens of Venus heardthe announcement. 

"As commander in chief of the Solar Guard, I hereby place the entireplanet of Venus under martial law. All public laws are suspended untilfurther notice. All public officials are hereby relieved of theirauthority. A ten P. M. Until six A. M. Curfew will go into effectimmediately. Anyone caught on the streets between these hours will bearrested. An attack is expected on the city of Venusport, as well asother Venusian cities, momentarily. Follow established routine for suchan occurrence. Obey officers and enlisted men of the Solar Guard who arehere on Venus to protect you and your property. That is all!"

 * * * * *

In the living room of Sinclair's house Tom waited impatiently for thesound of Sinclair's yacht taking off before attempting to free himselffrom the rope on his wrists. But when a half-hour had passed with nosound from outside, he decided not to waste any more time. 

Relaxing completely, the curly-haired cadet began working his wristsback and forth in the loop of rope. It was slow, painful work, and in notime the skin was rubbed raw. George and Mrs. Hill watched him, wide-eyed. They saw the skin of his wrists gradually turn pink, thenred, as the cadet pulled and pushed at the rope. A half-hour had passedbefore he felt the rope slipping down over the widest part of his hand. Slowly, so as not to lose the precious advantage, he pulled with all hisstrength, unmindful of the pain. He heard a sharp gasp from Mrs. Hilland then felt the rope become damp. His wrists were bleeding. But at thesame time he felt the rope slipping over his hands. He gave a quick tugand the rope slipped off and dropped to the floor, a bloody tangle. Hespun around and untied the foreman and his wife quickly, removing thegags from their mouths gently. 

"Your wrists!" cried Mrs. Hill. 

"Don't worry about them, ma'am, " said Tom. He looked at Hill. "How longhave you been tied up?"

"Just about an hour before you came, " answered the foreman. "I foundSinclair in front of a teleceiver in his room. It's in a secret paneland I didn't know it was there. I waited and heard him talking tosomeone in Venusian. But he spotted me and pulled a ray gun. "

"Do you know where he's gone?" asked Tom. 

"No, but I sure wish I did!" said the burly foreman stoutly. "I havesomething to settle with him. "

"That'll have to wait until the Solar Guard is finished with him. Comeon!" Tom started toward the door. 

"Where are we going?" asked Hill. 

"To the _Polaris_! I've got to warn the Solar Guard of their plans. They're going to attack the Venusport garrison and take over Venus!"

"By the stars!" gasped Mrs. Hill. "Here I've been feeding that man allthese years and didn't know I was contributing to a revolution!"

Tom was out of the door and running toward the _Polaris_ before she hadfinished talking. George followed right behind him. 

As the cadet raced across the dark clearing one hope filled hismind--that the _Polaris_ would be in the same condition in which theyhad left it. 

The port was still open where Sinclair had caught him and he climbedinside the giant ship quickly. As soon as he entered, he snapped on theemergency lights and searched the ship carefully. After examining everycompartment, and satisfied that there was no one aboard, he made his wayback to the radar bridge. There, he saw immediately why Sinclair hadfelt free to leave the ship. All radar and communications equipment hadbeen completely smashed. 

The young cadet returned to the control deck and called down to GeorgeHill, waiting in the air lock. "George! Get Mrs. Hill aboard quickly. We're blasting off!"

"Blasting off?" the foreman called back. "But I thought you were goingto contact Venusport!"

"I can't, " replied Tom. "Sinclair has smashed the communications and theradar. We'll have to take our information to Venusport in person. I onlyhope he's left the rockets and atomic motors alone. "

"How about using the teleceiver in the house?" asked the foreman, climbing up to the control deck. 

"Can't take a chance, " said Tom. "This is top secret. They might havethe teleceiver tapped. "

"Do you know how to handle this ship alone?" asked George, glancingaround at the great control board. "I don't know anything about a shipthis size. "

"I can handle it, " said Tom. "Get Mrs. Hill aboard!"

"Here I am, Tommy, " said Mrs. Hill, climbing up into the control deck. "I have some bandages and salve for your wrists. "

"There's no time, Mrs. Hill, " said Tom. "We've got to--"

"Nonsense!" she interrupted firmly. "You just give me your hands. It'lltake only a minute!"

Tom reluctantly held out his wrists and Mrs. Hill expertly applied thesalve and bandaged the cadet's raw wrists. Admittedly feeling better, Tom turned to the master switch and found it missing. For a second panicseized him, until he remembered that Major Connel had hidden it. He feltunder the pilot's chair and breathed easier, pulling out the vitalinstrument. 

"Better get into acceleration chairs, " said Tom, strapping himself intohis seat. "This might be a rough take-off. "

"Watch yourself, Tom, " cautioned George. "We aren't afraid forourselves, but you've got to get to Venusport!"

"If he's left the power deck alone, everything will be O. K. "

The young cadet stretched out a trembling hand and switched on theautomatic firing control. Then, crossing his fingers, he flipped on themain generator and breathed easier as the steady hum surged through theship. He thought briefly of Astro and Roger, wishing his two unit mateswere at their stations, and then switched on the power feed to theenergizing pumps. There was a second's wait as the pressure began tobuild, and he watched the indicator over his head on the control panelcarefully. When it had reached the proper level, he switched in thereactant feed, giving it full D-12 rate. He glanced at the astralchronometer over his head automatically and noted the time. 

"Stand by!" he called. "Blast off minus five--four--three--two--one--_zero_!"

He threw the master switch and a roaring burst of power poured intothe main tubes. The ship bucked slightly, raised itself from theground slowly, and then suddenly shot upward. In less than a minutethe _Polaris_ had cleared atmosphere and Tom turned on theartificial-gravity generators. He made a quick computation on theplanetary calculator, fired the port steering rockets, and sent theship in a long arching course for Venusport. Then, unstrapping himself, he turned to see how Mr. And Mrs. Hill had taken the blast-off. 

The foreman and his wife were shaking their heads, still in accelerationshock, and Tom helped them out of their cushions. 

"Oh, my! Do you boys have to go through this all the time?" Mrs. Hillasked. "It's a wonder to me how a human body can take it. "

"I feel pretty much the same way, " muttered George. 

"A cup of hot tea will fix you up fine, " Tom reassured them, and leavingthe ship on automatic control, he went into the small galley off thecontrol deck and brewed three cups of tea. In a few moments the elderlycouple felt better, and Tom told them of the Nationalists' base andConnel's plan to wreck the radar station at noon the next day. Both Mr. And Mrs. Hill were shocked at the scope of the Nationalists' plan. 

"Well, they bit off more than they could chew when they decided to buckthe Solar Guard, " asserted Tom. "When Commander Walters gets finishedwith them, Sinclair and the rest won't have anything left but memories!"

"Tell me something, Tom, " said George, looking at the control panelthoughtfully. "Have you figured out how you're going to land this shipalone and with no radar?"

"I'll have to use the seat of my pants. " Tom smiled, and turned back tohis seat. George and his wife looked at each other and quickly strappedthemselves into their acceleration cushions. 

A few moments later Tom began braking the ship with the nose rockets. Itmade a slow-climbing arc over the spaceport and then settled slowly, tailfirst. The stern teleceiver was out of order, and the young cadethad to rely entirely on "feel, " to get the _Polaris_ in safely. He hadcalculated his rate of fall, the gravity of Venus, and the power of therockets, and was dropping at a predetermined rate. At the critical pointhe increased power on the drive rockets, continuing to fall slowly untilhe felt the jarring bump of the directional fins touching the ground. 

"Touchdown!" he roared triumphantly. 

He closed the master switch and turned to look at the smiling faces ofMr. And Mrs. Hill. 

"That was fine, Tom, " said George, "but I don't want to do it again. "

"Don't be a scaredy cat, George Hill!" taunted Mrs. Hill. "Tom handlesthis ship as if he were born on it. "

Tom grinned. "We'd better hurry up. There must be something going on. There aren't any lights on here at the spaceport and all theadministration buildings are dark. "

He hurried to the air lock and swung it open, jumping lightly to theground. 

"Halt!" growled a rough voice. "Get your hands in the air and stay rightwhere you are!"

Puzzled, Tom did as he was told, announcing, "I'm Space Cadet TomCorbett, _Polaris_ unit. I request immediate transportation to CommanderWalters. I have important information for him. "

He was momentarily blinded by the glare of a ring of lights around him, and when he finally could see, he found himself in the middle of a squadof Solar Guardsmen in battle dress. 

"What's the password?" asked a tough sergeant whose shock rifle wasaimed right at Tom's midsection. 

"Juggernaut!" replied Tom quietly. 

The word sent the sergeant into a frenzy of action. "Peters, Smith, getthe jet car around here!"

"What's up, Sergeant?" asked Tom. "Why is everything so dark?"

"Martial law!" replied the guardsman. "Curfew from ten until six. "

"Whew!" gasped Tom. "It looks as if I just made it!"

As George and Mrs. Hill climbed out of the air lock, a jet car raced upand skidded to a stop in front of them. A moment later Tom and thecouple, accompanied by two of the guardsmen, were speeding through thedark and empty streets of Venusport. The car was stopped once at amid-town check point, and Tom had to repeat the password. They picked upanother jet car, full of guardsmen as escorts, and with the echo of theexhausts roaring in the empty avenues, they sped to central Solar Guardheadquarters. 

Tom had never seen so many enlisted guardsmen in one spot before excepton a parade ground. And he noted with a tinge of excitement that eachman was in battle dress. Arriving at headquarters, they were whisked tothe top floor of the building and ushered into Commander Walters'office. The commander smiled broadly as the young cadet stepped to thefront of his desk and saluted smartly. 

"Cadet Corbett reporting, sir, " he said. 

In a moment the office was filled with men; E. Philips James, the SolarDelegate, Captain Strong, fleet commanders, and officers of the line. 

"Make your report, Cadet Corbett, " said Walters. 

Tom spoke quickly and precisely, giving full details on the location ofthe base, the approximate number of fighting ships, the armament ofeach, the location of supply dumps, and finally of Major Connel's planto sabotage the radar at noon the following day. Then, one by one, eachofficial asked him questions pertinent to their tasks. Fleet commandersasked about the ships' speed, size, armor; Strong inquired about thestores and supporting lines of supply; Walters asked for the names ofall people connected with the movement. All of these questions Tomanswered as well as he could. 

"Well, gentlemen, " said Walters, "thanks to Corbett and the others onthis mission, we have all the information we need to counter theNationalists. I propose to follow Major Connel's plan and attack thebase at noon tomorrow. Squadrons A and B will approach from the southand east at exactly noon. Squadrons C, D, and E will come in from thenorth and west as a second wave at 1202. The rest of the fleet will goin from above at 1205. Supporting squadrons are now on their way fromEarth and Mars. Blast off at six hundred hours. Spaceman's luck!"

"Good work, Tom, " said Strong, when the conference broke up. 

"Yes, sir, " said Tom. "But I can't help worrying about Roger and Astroand Major Connel. What's going to happen to them, sir?"

Strong hesitated. "I don't know, Tom. I really don't know. "

CHAPTER 17

"What time is it, Astro?"

"Exactly eleven o'clock, sir. "

"All set?"

"Yes, sir. "

"You know what to do. Move out!"

Astro and Major Connel were crouched behind a pile of fuel drums pilednear the communications and radar building in the heart of theNationalists' base. Above them, the gigantic tree used as the radartower rose straight into the Venusian morning sky. 

After helping Tom to escape, Astro had returned to the prison buildingfor Connel and was surprised to find the place surrounded by green-cladNationalist guards. Rather than attempt to release Connel then, Astrohid and waited for the time set to wreck the radar communications of theenemy. During the second day, he had successfully eluded the manypatrols looking for him. Once from a hiding place he overheard one ofthe men mention Connel. He took a daring chance and approached thepatrol openly. Speaking the Venusian dialect, he learned that Connel hadescaped. That news sent the cadet on a different game of hide-and-seekas he prowled around the base searching for the Solar Guard officer. Hehad found him hiding near the radar tower, and they spent the nightclose to the communications building waiting for the time to strike. 

Their plan was simple. Astro would enter the building from the front, while Connel would enter from the rear. Astro would draw attention tohimself, and while the guards inside the building were busy dealing withhim, Connel would come upon them from behind, knock them out of action, and then destroy the radar equipment. 

The two spacemen gave no thought to their own safety. They wereconcerned only with accomplishing their objective. Having no way ofknowing whether Tom had made it back to Venusport or whether theirdestruction of the communications center would be of any value, theynevertheless had to proceed on the assumption that Tom had gottenthrough. 

Astro crawled behind the drums and stopped twenty feet from the door towait for several Nationalist officers to leave. They finally got into ajet car and roared away. Astro nodded to the major waiting to edgearound to the rear and then headed for the main entrance. 

Connel saw Astro making his way to the front door and hurried around tocomplete his part of the mission. He waited exactly three minutes, gripped his shock rifle firmly, and then crossed over to the rear of thebuilding and stepped inside. 

Once inside, the major found it difficult to keep from bursting intolaughter. The large ground-floor room was a frenzy of brawling, yelling, shouting Nationalist guards trying to capture the giant cadet. Astro wasstanding in the middle of the floor, swinging his great hamlike fistsmethodically, mowing down the guards like tenpins. Two of them were onhis back, trying to choke him, while others crowded in from all sides. But they could not bring the cadet down. Astro saw Connel, shookhimself, and stood free. 

"Stand back!" roared Connel. "The first one of you green monkeys thatmakes a move will have his teeth knocked out! Now line up over thereagainst the wall--and I mean fast!"

The sudden attack from the rear startled the Nationalist guards, andthey milled around in confusion. There was no confusion, however, whenConnel fired a blast over their heads. Astro grabbed a paralo-ray gunand opened up on the guards. A second later the squad of Nationalistswere frozen in their tracks. 

Once the men were no further danger to them, Connel and Astro locked thefront and rear doors and then raced up the stairs that led to the mainradar and communications rooms on the second floor. 

"You start at that end of the hall, I'll start here!" shouted Connel. "Smash everything you see!"

"Aye, aye, sir. " Astro waved his hand and charged down the hall. Heexploded into a room, firing rapidly, and an electronics engineer frozein a startled pose in front of his worktable. The big cadet gleefullyswung a heavy chair across the table of delicate electronic instruments, and smashed shelves of vital parts, pausing only long enough to see ifhe had left anything unbroken. He rushed out into the hall again. At theother end he heard Connel in action in another room. Astro grinned. Itsounded as if the major was having a good time. "Well, " thought the bigcadet, "I'm not having such a bad time myself!"

The next room he invaded contained the radar-control panel, and the bigcadet howled with glee as he smashed the butt of his paralo-ray gun intothe delicate vacuum tubes, and ripped wires and circuits loose. 

Suddenly he stopped, conscious of someone behind him. He spun around, finger starting to squeeze the trigger of his gun, and then caughthimself just in time. Major Connel was leaning against the doorjamb, awide grin on his face. 

"How're you doing?" he drawled. 

"Not bad, " said Astro casually. "Be a lot of work here, fixing thesethings, eh?" He grinned. 

"What time is it?" asked Connel. 

Astro looked at his watch. "Twenty to twelve. "

"We'd better clear out of here and head for the jungle. "

Astro hesitated. "You know, sir, I've been thinking. "

"If you have an idea, spill it, " said the major. 

"How about releasing the prisoners, taking over a ship, and blastingoff?"

"And have the Solar Guard fleet blast us out of the skies? No, sir! Comeon, we've got to get moving!"

"We could still try to release Carson and the others, " said Astrostoutly. 

"We can try all right, but I don't think we'll be very successful. "

The two spacemen returned to the first floor of the building and headedfor the rear door without so much as a look at the line of frozen guardsalong the wall. Once outside, they skirted the edge of the building, staying close to the hedge, and then struck out boldly across the canyonfloor toward the prison building. They were surprised to see that theirsmashing attack had gone unnoticed, and Connel reasoned that theconstant roar of activity in the canyon had covered the sounds of theirraid. 

"We'll have to hurry, sir, " said Astro as they turned into the laneleading to the prison. "Ten minutes to twelve. "

"It's no good, Astro, " said Connel, suddenly pulling the cadet back andpointing to the building. "Look at all the guards--at least a dozen ofthem. "

Astro waited a second before saying grimly, "We could try, sir. "

"Don't be a pigheaded idiot!" roared Connel. "Nothing will happen tothose men now, and in five minutes there'll be so much confusion aroundhere that we'll be able to walk over and open the door without firing ashot!"

Suddenly there was an explosive roar behind them and they spun around. On the opposite side of the canyon three rocket ships were hurtlingspaceward. 

"They must have spotted our fleet coming in, " said Connel, a puzzledfrown on his face. 

"But how could they?" asked Astro. "We knocked out their radar!"

Connel slammed his fist into the palm of his hand. "By the stars, Astro, we forgot about their monitoring spaceship above the tower! When weknocked out the main station here in the canyon, it took over and warnedthe base of the attack!"

From all sides the canyon reverberated with the roaring blasts of theNationalist fleet blasting off. Around them, the green-clad rebels wererunning to their defense posts. Officers shouted frantic orders andworkers dropped tools to pick up guns. The building that held Carson andthe other planters was suddenly left alone as the guards hurried toships and battle stations. 

Connel counted the number of ships blasting off and smiled. "They don'tstand a chance! They're sending up only two heavy cruisers, fourdestroyers, and about twenty scouts. The Solar Guard fleet will blastthem into space dust. "

Astro jumped up and started to run. 

"Hey, Astro! Where are you going?" shouted Connel. 

"To find Roger!" Astro shouted in reply. "I'll meet you back here!"

"Right!" shouted Connel, settling back into concealment. There was noneed to release the planters in the guardhouse now. Connel was satisfiedthat in a few moments the rebellion against the Solar Alliance would bedefeated. He smiled in prospect of seeing a good fight. 

 * * * * *

"Bandit at three o'clock--range twenty miles!" Aboard the command shipof the first group of attacking Solar Guard squadrons, Captain Strongstood in the middle of the control deck and watched the outline of anapproaching Nationalist cruiser on the radar scanner. The voice of therange finder droned over the ship's intercom. 

"Change course three degrees starboard, one degree down on eclipticplane, " ordered Strong calmly. 

"Aye, aye, sir, " replied Tom at the controls. 

"Main battery, stand by to fire. " Strong watched the enemy ship closely. 

"Aye, aye!" came the answer over the intercom. 

"Approaching target!" called the range finder. "Closing to fiftythousand yards--forty thousand--"

"_Pleiades_ and _Regulus_, " Strong called the other two ships of hissquadron. "Cut in on port and starboard flanks. Squadron B, stand by!"

Abrupt acknowledgment came over the audioceiver as the cruisers deployedfor the attack. 

"Twenty-three thousand yards, holding course. " The range-finder's voicewas a steady monotone. 

"Stand by to fire!" snapped Strong. 

"Two bandits at nine o'clock on level plane of ecliptic!" came thewarning from the radar bridge. 

Before Strong could issue an order countering the enemy move, the voiceof the commander of the _Pleiades_ came in over the audioceiver, "Ourmeat, Strong, you take care of the big baby!"

On the scanner screen Strong saw the trails of two space torpedoes eruptfrom the side of the _Pleiades_, followed immediately by two more fromits flanking ship, the _Regulus_. The four missiles hurtled toward thetwo enemy destroyers, and a second later two brilliant flashes of lightappeared on the scanner. Direct hits on the two destroyers!

"Range--ten thousand feet, " came the calm voice over the intercom, reminding Strong of the enemy cruiser. 

"Arm war heads!" snapped Strong over the intercom, and, on the gun deck, men twirled the delicate fuses on the noses of the space torpedoes andstepped back. 

"On target!" called the range finder. 

"Full salvo--fire!" called Strong, and turned to Tom quickly. "Ninety-degree turn--five degrees up!"

The Solar Guard cruiser quivered under the recoil of the salvo and thenbucked under the sudden change of course to elude the torpedoes fired bythe enemy a split second later. 

As the Solar Guard cruiser roared up in a long arc, eluding the enemytorpedoes, the Nationalist ship maneuvered frantically to evade thesalvo of war heads, but Strong had fired a deadly pattern. In a fewseconds the enemy ship was reduced to space junk. 

Concentrating on the control panel, Tom had been too busy maneuveringthe giant ship to see the entire engagement, but he heard the loudexulting cries of the gun crew over the intercom. He looked up atStrong, and the Solar Guard captain winked. "One down!"

"Here come squadrons C, D, and E, sir, " said Tom, indicating the radar. "Right on time. " He glanced at the astral chronometer over his head. "Two minutes after twelve. "

"It doesn't look as if we'll need them, Tom, " said Strong. "TheNationalists got only two cruisers and four destroyers off the ground. We've already knocked out one of their cruisers and two destroyers, andSquadron B is taking on the second cruiser and its destroyer escortsnow!" He turned to the radar scanner and saw the white evenly spacedblips that represented Squadron B enveloping the three enemy ships. Thebulky converted cruiser was maneuvering frantically to get away. Butthere was no escape. In a perfectly co-ordinated action the Solar Guardships fired their space torpedoes simultaneously. The three Nationalistships exploded in a deadly flash of fire. 

[Illustration]

"Don't tell me that's all they've got!" exclaimed Strong. "Why, westill have the rest of the fleet coming in at 1205!"

Suddenly Tom froze in his seat. Before him on the radar scanner he saw anew cluster of white blips, seemingly coming from nowhere. They wereenemy ships, hurtling spaceward to meet the Solar Guard fleet. "CaptainStrong! Look! More of them. From secret ramps in the jungle!"

"By the craters of Luna!" roared the Solar Guard captain. "Attention!Attention! All ships--all ships!" he called into the fleet intercom. "This is Strong aboard command ship. Bandit formation closing fast. Regroup! Take tight defensive pattern!"

As the Solar Guard squadrons deployed to meet this new attack, Tom felta chill run down his spine. The mass of ships blasting to meet themoutnumbered them by almost three to one. And there were more shipsblasting off from the secret ramps in the jungle! He had led the SolarGuard into a trap!

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 18

"Fire at will! Fire at will!"

Aboard the command ship, Captain Strong roared the order to the rest ofthe fleet, and the individual ship commanders of the Solar Guard vesselsbroke formation and rocketed into the mass of Nationalist ships, firingsalvo after salvo of space torpedoes. But it was a losing battle. Timeand again, Strong and Tom saw Solar Guard ships hemmed in by three andfour Nationalists' vessels, then blasted into oblivion. 

Strong had ordered Tom to maneuver the command ship at will, seekingtargets, yet still keeping from being a target, and the young cadet hadguided the powerful ship through a series of maneuvers that had evensurprised the experienced Solar Guard officer. 

"Where's the rest of the fleet?" roared Strong. "Why aren't they hereyet?"

"I don't know, sir, " replied Tom, "but if they don't show up soon, therewon't be much left to save!"

"Bandits dead ahead, " droned the voice from the radar bridge calmly, "trying to envelop us. "

Tom's hand shot out for the intercom to relay orders to the power deckand glanced quickly at the scanner. He almost cheered. "Steve--I mean, Captain Strong. The rest of the fleet! It's coming in! Attacking fromtop-side!"

"By the craters of Luna, you're right!" yelled the young Solar Guardcaptain, as he saw the white blips on the scanner screen. "O. K. , it'stime to stop running and fight!"

The Solar Guard reinforcements swooped down on the fighting ships withdazzling speed, and the sky over the jungle belt of Venus base was sothick with zooming, firing, maneuvering ships that observers on theground couldn't tell one ship from another. For an hour the battleraged. During the seesawing back and forth it seemed as if all shipsmust be blasted into space junk. Finally the superior maneuvering andover-all spacemanship of the Solar Guard vessels began to count heavily, and the Nationalist ships began to plunge into the jungle or drifthelplessly out into space. Reforming, the Solar Guard ships encircledthe enemy in a deadly englobement pattern, and wheeling in greatco-ordinated arcs through space, sent combined volleys of torpedoescrashing into the enemy ships. The space battle was over, a completeSolar Guard victory. 

Strong called to the remaining ships of his fleet, "Take formation K. Land and attack the enemy base according to prearranged order. The enemyfleet is destroyed, but we still have a big job to do. "

"What happens now, sir?" asked Tom, relaxing for the first time sincethe space battle had begun. 

"We try to destroy their base and put an end to this rebellion asquickly as possible, " replied Strong coldly. 

One by one, the ships of the Solar Guard fleet landed around the rim ofthe canyon base. Troop carriers, that had stood off while the spacebattle raged, disgorged hundreds of tough Solar Guard Marines, eachcarrying shock rifles, paralo-ray pistols, and small narco grenadesthat would put an enemy to sleep in five seconds. A half-hour later, after the last Nationalist ship had been blasted out of the skies, therim of the canyon was alive with Solar Guardsmen waiting to go intoaction. Many had comrades in the Solar Guard ships lost in the spacefight and they were eager to avenge their friends. 

"How many ships did we lose, sir?" asked Tom, after the squadroncommanders had made their reports to Captain Strong. 

"Forty, " said Strong grimly. "But the entire Nationalist fleet was wipedout. Thank the universe that their radar was knocked out, or we wouldhave been completely wiped out. "

"Thank Astro and Major Connel for that, sir, " said Tom with the firstsmile on his face in days. "I knew none of those green jokers could stopthose two!"

"I've got to report to Commander Walters and the Solar Alliance, Tom. You take a squad of men and move out. Your job is to find Astro, Roger, and Major Connel. "

"Thank you, sir!" said Tom happily. 

 * * * * *

Down in the canyon, Major Connel had waited as long as he dared forAstro to return with news of Roger. From his position, the toughspaceman could not tell how the gigantic space battle had ended until hesaw the Solar Guard troop carriers land on the rim of the canyon above. Satisfied, he decided that it was time to move. 

[Illustration: _The Solar Guard troops landed on the rim of the canyon_]

He stood up, careful not to expose himself, since fighting had brokenout among the workers. Every street, shop, and corner would bringdangers, and having stayed alive this far, Connel wanted to reach theSolar Guard forces and continue the fight alongside his friends. Astrowas nowhere in sight when the major moved cautiously down a sidealley, and he was beginning to think that Astro had not escaped from thebase with Roger, when he saw the big cadet suddenly appear around acorner running as hard as he could. A few seconds later three green-cladNationalist guards rounded the corner and pounded after him. 

Astro saw Connel and ducked behind an overturned jet car, yelling, "I'munarmed! Nail them, Major!"

In a flash Connel dropped to the pavement, and firing from a kneelingposition, cut the Nationalists down expertly. When the last of the enemywas frozen, Connel rushed to Astro's side. 

"What about Roger?" he asked. 

"I couldn't reach him, " replied Astro. "The sick bay's in the mainadministration building and that's so well guarded it would take a fullcompany to break in. "

Connel nodded grimly. "Well, the best thing for us to do is get more menand then tackle it. "

"Yes, sir, " said Astro. "I think we'd better head for the canyon wallson the west. The Marines are pouring down that side. "

"Let's go, " grunted the major, and led the way down the narrow lane. Butwhen they reached the open area beyond the repair shops they saw thatthe Nationalist guards had thrown up barriers in the streets and werepreparing defenses against frontal assault. 

"Maybe we'd better stay where we are, sir, " the big cadet said, afterscanning the Nationalist defenses. "We'd never be able to get throughnow. "

"Ummmh, " mused Connel. "You're right. Maybe we can be of more usestriking behind the lines. "

Astro grinned. "That's just what I was thinking, sir. " He pointed to anear-by barrier set up in the middle of the street. "We could pick offthe men behind that--"

"Look out!" roared Connel. Behind them, five Nationalist guards hadsuddenly appeared. But they were more surprised than Astro and Connel, and the big cadet took advantage of it by charging right into them. 

It was a short but vicious fight. There was no time to aim or fire aparalo-ray gun. It was a matter of bare knuckles and feet and knees andshoulders. One by one, the green-clad men were laid low, and finally, Connel, out of breath, turned to grin at Astro. 

"Feel better, " he gasped, "than I've felt in weeks!"

Astro grinned. One of Connel's front teeth was missing. Astro leanedagainst the wall and pointed to the canyon wall where the columns ofSolar Guard Marines were making their way down into the base under heavycovering fire from above. "Won't be long now!"

"Come on, " said Connel. "They'll probably send scouts out ahead of thosecolumns and we can make contact with them over there. " He pointed towarda high tangle of barbed wire set up in the middle of the near-by street. Astro nodded, and exchanging his broken ray gun for one belonging to afallen Nationalist, raced to the edge of the barrier with the major. They crouched and waited for the first contact by the Marines. 

"They shouldn't be too long now, " said Connel. 

"No more than a minute, sir, " said Astro, pointing to a running figuredarting from one protective position to another. 

"You, there!" shouted a familiar voice. "Behind that barrier!"

Astro glanced at Connel. "Major, that sounds like--!"

"Come out with your hands in the air and nothing will happen to you!"the voice called again. 

"By the stars, you're right!" yelled Connel. "It's Corbett!"

Astro jumped up and yelled, "Tom! Tom! You big space-brained jerk! It'sme, Astro!"

Behind the corner of a house, Tom peered cautiously around the edge andsaw the big cadet scramble over the tangle of barbed wire with Connelright behind him. Tom held up his hand for the squad in back of him tohold their fire and stepped out to meet his friends. "Major! Astro!"

The three spacemen pounded each other on the back while the patrol ofMarines watched, grinning. "Where's Roger?" asked Tom finally. 

Astro quickly told him of the heavily guarded administration building. 

"Is he all right?" asked Tom. 

"No one knows, " replied Connel. "We haven't been able to get any news ofhim at all. "

"I'm going after him, " said Tom, his jaw set. "No telling what they'lltry to do with him when they see their goose is cooked. "

"I'll go with you, " said Astro. 

"No, you stay here with Major Connel, " said Tom. "I think it would bebetter if just one tried it, with the rest creating a diversion on theother side. "

"Good idea, " said Connel. He turned to the rest of the patrol. "Men, there's an injured Space Cadet in the sick bay of the main building. He's the third member of the _Polaris_ unit and has contributed as muchto victory in this battle as any of us. We've got to get him out of thehands of the Nationalists before something happens to him. Are youwilling to try?"

The Marines agreed without hesitation. 

"All right, " said Connel, "here's what we'll do. " Quickly the majoroutlined a plan whereby Tom would sneak through the lines of theNationalists around the administration building, while the rest of themcreated a diversionary move. It was a daring plan that would requiresplit-second timing. When they were all agreed as to what they would doand the time of the operation was set, they moved off toward theadministration building. The rebellion was over, defeated. Yet theNationalist leaders were still alive. They were desperate men and Rogerwas in their hands. His life meant more to Tom Corbett and Astro thanthe smashing victory of the Solar Guard, and they were prepared to givetheir own lives to save his. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 19

"Ready?" asked Connel. 

"All set, sir, " replied Tom. 

"Remember, we'll open up in exactly five minutes and we'll continue toattack for another seven minutes. That's all the time you have to getinside, find Roger, and get out again. "

"I understand, sir, " replied Tom. 

"Move out, " said Connel, "and spaceman's luck!"

With a last quick glance at Astro who gave him a reassuring nod, Tomdropped to his knees and crawled out from behind their hidden position. Dropping flat on his stomach, he inched forward toward theadministration building. All around him ray guns and blasters werefiring with regularity as the columns of Marines advanced from all sidesof the canyon toward the center, mopping up everything in front of them. The roof of the administration building seemed a solid sheet of fire asthe Nationalist leaders fought back desperately. 

He reached the side of the building that was windowless, and scrambledtoward the back door without interference. There he saw five green-cladmen, crouched behind sandbags, protecting the rear entrance. Glancing athis watch he saw the sweeping hand tick off the last few seconds of hisallotted time. At the exact instant it hit the five-minute mark, therewas a sudden burst of activity at the front of the building. Connel andthe Marine patrol had opened fire in a mock attack. The men guarding therear left their barricade and raced into the building to meet the newassault. 

Without a second's hesitation, Tom jumped toward the door. He reachedup, found it unlocked, and then with his ray gun ready, kicked the dooropen. He rushed in and dived to the floor, ray gun in his hand, ready tofreeze anything or anyone in sight. 

The hall was empty. In the front, the firing continued and the halls ofthe building echoed loudly with the frantic commands of the defenders. Gliding along the near wall, Tom moved slowly forward. Before him, adoor was ajar and he eased toward it. On tiptoe the curly-haired cadetinched around the edge of the door and glanced inside. He saw aNationalist guard on his hands and knees loading empty shock rifles. Tomquickly stepped inside and jammed his gun in the man's back. "Freeze!"he said between his teeth. 

The trooper tensed, then relaxed, and slowly raised his hands. 

"Where's the sick bay?" demanded Tom. 

"On the second floor, at the end of the hall. "

"Is that where you're keeping Cadet Manning?" demanded Tom. 

"Yes, " replied the man. "He's--"

Tom fired before the trooper could finish. It was rough, but he knew hehad to act swiftly if he was to help Roger. The trooper was frozen inhis kneeling position, and Tom scooped up a loaded shock rifle beforeslipping back into the hall. It was still empty. The firing outsideseemed to be increasing. 

He located the stairs, and after a quick but careful check, started up, heart pounding, guns ready. On the second floor he glanced up and downthe hall, and jumped back into the stair well quickly. Firing from anopen window, three troopers were between him and the only door at theend of the hall. Not sure if Roger was in that room or not, Tom had tomake sure by looking. And the only way he could do that was to eliminatethe men in his way. He dropped to one knee and took careful aim with theray pistol. It would be tricky at such long range, but should theparalo-ray fail, the cadet was prepared to use the shock rifle. Hefired, and for a breathless second waited for the effects of the ray onthe troopers. Then he saw the men go rigid and he smiled. Three hundredfeet with a ray pistol was very fancy shooting!

He raced for the door. As he entered the room, he saw a figure stretchedout on the floor. He stopped still, cold fear clutching at his heart. 

"Roger!" he called. The blond-haired cadet didn't move. Tom jumped tohis unit mate's side and dropped to one knee beside him. It was dark inthe room and he couldn't see very well, but there was no need for lightwhen he felt Roger's pulse. 

"Frozen, by the stars!" he exclaimed. He stepped back, flipped theneutralizer switch on his ray gun, and fired a short burst. Almostimmediately Roger groaned, blinked his eyes, and sat up. 

"Roger! Are you all right?" asked Tom. 

"Yeah--sure. I'm O. K. , " mumbled his unit mate. "Those dirty space rats. They didn't know what to do with me when the Marines landed, so theyfroze me. They were scared to kill me. Afraid of reprisals. "

"They sure used their heads that time, " said Tom with a grin. "How'syour back?"

"Fine. I just wrenched it a little. It's better now. But never mind me. What's going on? Where's Astro and Major Connel? And how did you gethere?"

Tom gave him a quick run-down on everything that had happened, concluding with, "Major Connel and Astro, with a patrol of Solar GuardMarines, are outside now drawing the Nationalist fire. Time's runningout on us fast. Think you can walk?"

"Spaceboy, " replied Roger, "to get out of this place I'd crawl on myhands and knees!"

"Then come on!" Tom gave the shock rifle to his unit mate and steppedback into the hall. It was quiet. Tom waved at Roger to follow andslipped down the hall toward the stairs. Outside, the Marine patrolcontinued firing, never letting up for a second. The two boys reachedthe stairs and had started down when Tom grabbed Roger by the arm. "There's someone moving around down there!"

They hugged the wall and held their breath. Tom glanced at his watch. Only forty-five seconds to go before the Marines would stop firing andretire. They had to get out of the building!

"We'll have to take a chance, Roger, " murmured Tom. "We'll try to rushthem and fight our way out. "

"Don't bother!" said a harsh voice behind them. The two cadets spunaround and looked back toward the second floor. Standing at the top ofthe stairs, Rex Sinclair scowled down at them, ray guns in each hand, leveled at the two cadets. 

"By the craters of Luna!" cried Roger. "You!"

"That's one of the things I forgot to tell you, Roger, " said Tom wryly. "Sinclair belongs to this outfit too!"

"Belongs!" roared Roger. "Look at that white uniform he's wearing! Thisyellow rat is Lactu, the head of the whole Nationalist movement!"

Tom gaped at the white-clad figure at the head of the stairs. "Theleader!" he gasped. 

"Quite right, Corbett, " replied Sinclair quietly. "And if it hadn't beenfor three nosy cadets, I would have been the leader of the whole planet. But it's finished now. All that is left for me is escape. And you twoare going to help me do just that!"

Roger suddenly dropped to one knee and leveled the blaster. But theNationalist leader was too quick. His paralo-ray crackled and Roger wasfrozen solid. 

"Why, you--!" roared Tom. 

"Drop your gun, Corbett, " warned Sinclair, "and take that blaster awayfrom him. "

"I'll get you, Sinclair, " said Tom through clenched teeth, "and when Ido--"

"Stop the talk and get busy!" snapped Sinclair. 

Tom took the blaster out of Roger's paralyzed hands and dropped it onthe floor. Still holding one ray gun on Tom, Sinclair flipped on theneutralizer of the other gun and released Roger again. 

"Now get moving down those stairs!" ordered Sinclair. "One more funnymove out of either of you and I'll do more than just freeze you. "

"What are you going to do with us?" asked Roger. 

"As I said, you are going to help me escape. This time the Solar Guardhas won. But there are other planets, other people who need strongleadership and who like to put on uniforms and play soldier. People willalways find reason to rebel against authority, and I will be there tochannel their frustrations into my own plans. Perhaps it will be Mars. Or Ganymede. Or even Titan. Another name, another plan, and once againthe Solar Guard will have to fight me. Only next time, I assure you, itis I who will win!"

"There won't be any next time, " growled Roger. "You're washed up now. This base is swarming with Marines. How do you think you're going to getout of here?"

"You shall see, my friend. You shall see!"

Sinclair motioned them toward a door on the ground floor. "Open it!"demanded Sinclair. Tom opened it and stepped inside. It was a cleaner'scloset, crammed with old-fashioned mops and pails and dirty rags. Sinclair pushed Roger inside and was about to follow when severalgreen-clad guards came running down the hall toward them. 

"Lactu! Lactu!" they shouted frantically. "They're pouring into thebase! The Solar Guard--they've got us surrounded!"

"Keep fighting!" snapped Sinclair. "Don't surrender! Inflict as muchdamage as possible!"

"Where--where are you going?" asked one of the men, looking at thecloset speculatively. 

"Never mind me!" barked Sinclair. "Do as I tell you. Fight back!"

"It looks like we're losing a leader, " observed another of the menslowly. "You wouldn't be running out on us, would you, Lactu?"

Sinclair fired three quick blasts from the ray guns, freezing the mensolid, and then turned back to Tom and Roger. "Stay in that closet anddo as I tell you. "

Inside the closet, Sinclair kicked a pail out of the way and barked, "Remove the loose plank in the floor and drop it on the floor. "

Tom felt around until he found the loose board and lifted it up. 

"What's down there?" asked Roger. 

"You'll see, " said Sinclair. "Now step back, both of you!"

Tom and Roger backed up and watched while Sinclair bent over the holein the floor. He felt around inside with one hand and appeared to turnsomething. Suddenly the wall opposite the two cadets slid back to reveala narrow flight of stairs leading down. Sinclair motioned with his gunagain. "Get going, both of you. "

Tom stepped forward, followed by Roger, and they started down thestairs. At the bottom they found themselves in a narrow tunnel aboutfour hundred feet underground. The floor of the tunnel slanted downwardsharply. 

[Illustration]

"At the end of this tunnel, " announced Sinclair, "is a clearing and inthat clearing is a spaceship. It is nearly three miles from the canyon. By the time the Solar Guard learns of my absence, we shall be lost inspace. "

"We?" asked Tom. "You're taking us with you?"

"But of course, " said Sinclair. "How else would I assure myself thatthe Solar Guard will not harm me unless I take two of their most honoredSpace Cadets with me?"

 * * * * *

"It's been fifteen minutes, " announced Connel, "and they haven't comeout yet. There's only one thing to do. Take that building and find outwhat's happened. "

The major was crouched behind a wrecked jet car, staring at theadministration building. 

"I can get that Marine captain over to our left to co-ordinate an attackwith us, sir, " suggested Astro. 

"It's risky, " said Connel. "They still have a lot of men in there. Butif we wait for another column to reach us, it might be too late. Allright, Astro, tell him we're attacking in ten minutes and ask him togive us all the help he can. "

"Yes, sir, " replied Astro, and flopped to the ground to worm his waytoward the head of the Marine column on the left. 

It took the cadet nearly five minutes to cover the hundred yards betweenthe two Solar Guard positions. Several times the firing became so heavythat the cadet was forced to remain still on the ground while rifle andray-gun fire crackled over his head. He made it finally, several Marinescoming out to help him over the top of the barrier. Gasping for breath, the big cadet asked to see the commanding officer. 

A grimy, tired-looking officer turned and walked over to the cadet. 

"Astro!"

"Captain Strong!"

"Where's Tom and Roger and Major Connel?" demanded Strong. 

Astro told the captain of Tom's attempt to save Roger and that nothinghad been heard from him since. "Major Connel wants us to attacktogether, " Astro continued. "He's jumping off in four minutes!"

"Right!" snapped Strong. He turned to a young Solar Guard officerwaiting respectfully near by. "You take them in, Ferris. Full frontalattack. Don't use blasters unless you have to. Take as many prisoners aspossible. "

"Very well, sir, " replied the lieutenant. 

"I'll go back to the other position with Cadet Astro. Start your attackas soon as you see Major Connel and his men go in. "

"Got it, sir, " said the lieutenant. 

Strong and Astro made their way back to Connel's position quickly, andafter a brief but hearty handclasp, the two officers began plotting thelast assault against the Nationalists' stronghold. While other Marinecolumns were wiping up small groups of rebels fighting from disabledspaceships, repair shops, and other buildings, Strong's column had beendriving straight for the heart of the base. The administration buildingwas the last barrier between them and complete victory over the rebels. 

Strong and Connel spoke briefly of Tom and Roger, neither wanting tovoice his inner fears in front of Astro. The Nationalists previously hadshown little regard for human life. Now, with their backs to the wall, Connel and Strong knew that if Tom and Roger were captured, they mightbe used as hostages to ensure safe passage for some of the rebels. 

"Let's go, " said Connel finally. "Tom and Roger will be expecting us. "He forced himself to grin at Astro, but the giant cadet turned and facedthe building grimly. Connel lifted his hand, took a last look up anddown the line of waiting Marines, then brought his hand down quickly. "Over the top. Spaceman's luck!" he shouted. 

The Marines vaulted over the top of their defense position and chargedmadly toward the building, all guns blazing. The Nationalists returnedthe fire, and for the first few seconds it seemed that the world hadsuddenly gone mad. Strong found himself shouting, running, and firing ina red haze. Astro was roaring at the top of his lungs, and Connel justcharged ahead blindly. Marines began to drop on all sides, cut down bythe withering fire. Then, when it appeared that they would have to fallback, the main column, led by the Solar Guard lieutenant, broke throughthe last barricade and swarmed into the building. 

Five minutes later the battle was over. The last remnants of theNationalists had been defeated and the green-clad troopers were herdedinto the streets like cattle. Strong and Connel, followed by Astro, charged through the building like wild bulls searching for Tom andRoger. 

"No sign of them, " said Strong finally. "They must have slipped outsomehow. "

"No!" roared Connel. "They've been taken out of here as hostages. I'llbet my life on that. There must be a secret way out of here!"

"Come on, " said Strong. "Let's find it. " Suddenly he stopped. "Look!Those three troopers outside that door! They're frozen! Let's have alook there first!"

They rushed over to the closet where the three Nationalists had beenfrozen by Sinclair. 

Strong stopped and gasped. "By the craters of Luna, it's Sharkey!"

"Sharkey? Who's that?" asked Astro. 

"Supposed to be the leader of the Nationalists, " said Connel. 

Strong quickly released Sharkey from the paralo-ray effects and the manshuddered so violently from the reaction that Astro had to grab him tokeep him from falling down. 

"Where are Corbett and Manning?" demanded Connel. 

"Lactu . .. He took them both in there . .. Through a secret passageway. "Sharkey pointed to the closet with a trembling finger. 

Strong jumped for the closet door and jerked it open. He saw the openwall and the stairs leading down. "Come on! This way!"

Connel ran wildly into the closet, followed by Astro. Suddenly the bigcadet stopped, turned, and fired point-blank at the figurehead of theNationalist rebellion. Sharkey once again grew rigid. 

The two Solar Guard officers raced down the stairs into the tunnel andran headlong through the darkness. Time was precious now. The lives ofTom and Roger might be lost by a wasted second. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 20

"What's that noise, Tom?"

The two cadets were walking through the tunnel when they heard thestrange booming roar. Behind them, Sinclair overheard Roger's whisperedquestion and laughed. "That is the sound of the slaves being fed theirlunch. They do not know yet that there has been a battle and soonthey'll be free!"

"Slaves!" gasped Roger. "What kind of slaves?"

"You shall see. Keep going!" Sinclair prodded the cadets with his raygun. The tunnel had grown larger and the downward slant of the floorlessened as they pressed forward. The noise ahead of them grew louderand stronger and now they could distinguish occasional words above thedin. 

"We must pass through the big vault where the slaves are working, " saidSinclair. "I would advise you to keep your mouths shut and do as I say!"

Neither Tom nor Roger answered, keeping their eyes straight ahead. 

The tunnel suddenly cut sharply to the right and they could see a blazeof light in front of them. The two boys stopped involuntarily, and thenwere nudged forward by Sinclair's guns. Before them was a huge cavernnearly a thousand yards high and three thousand yards across, illuminated by hundreds of torches. Along one side of the cave a line ofmen were waiting to have battered tin plates filled from a huge pot atthe head of the line. The men were in rags, and every one of them washardly more than skin and bones. At strategic places around the cavern, Nationalist guards kept their guns trained and ready to fire. Theybrought up their guns quickly as Tom and Roger entered, and then loweredthem again as Sinclair appeared. Every eye turned to the Nationalistleader as he marched across the floor of the cave, Tom and Roger walkingbefore him. 

"You see, " said Sinclair, "these wretched fools thought my organizationwas a utopia until they learned that I was no better for them than theSolar Guard. Unfortunately they learned too late and were sent here todig underground pits for my spaceships and storage dumps. "

The small column of three marched across the floor of the cave towardanother small tunnel on the opposite side. The slaves were absolutelystill, and the guards smiled a greeting at their leader when he passedthem. 

Sinclair ignored them all. "Beyond that tunnel, " he continued, pointingto the small opening ahead of them, "there is a spaceship. We will boardthat ship and blast off. The three of us. Where we will go, I haven'tdecided yet. Perhaps a long trip into deep space until the Solar Guardhas forgotten about you and me and the Nationalists. Then we willreturn, as I said before, to Mars, or perhaps Ganymede, and I will startall over again. "

"You're mad!" said Tom through clenched teeth. "Crazy as a space bug!"

"We shall see, Corbett. We shall see!"

Suddenly Roger broke away and raced toward the mass of slaves. Heshouted wildly, "Get the guards! The Nationalists are beaten! The basein the canyon has been destroyed! Hurry! Rebel!"

The emaciated men milled around the cadet, all asking questions at once. 

Sinclair signaled to the guards. "Shoot him down!" Four guards tookcareful aim. 

"Roger! Look out!" warned Tom. 

Roger whirled around in time to see the guards about to fire. He divedfor a mound of dirt and hid behind it. The energy shock waves licked atthe sand where he had stood a second before. Roger got up and ran forbetter cover, the guards continuing to fire at him. Then, around thecadet, the slave workers began to come alive. Some hurled stones at theguards, others began climbing up the sides to the ledges where theguards stood. Taking in the situation at a glance, Sinclair shoved theray gun in Tom's back and snarled, "Get going!"

The young cadet had no alternative. He turned and marched hurriedlyacross the floor toward the small tunnel ahead of him. Several slaveworkers tried to attack Sinclair, but in their weakened condition, theywere no match for the alert Nationalist leader who froze them instantlywith his paralo-ray gun. 

Roger saw Tom heading for the tunnel and made a sudden dash forSinclair. But the rebel leader heard the pounding of footsteps andturned to fire at Roger as the cadet sailed through the air in a flyingtackle. The jolting ray hit him squarely and he landed on the groundwith a thud a few feet from Sinclair, completely immobilized again. 

Tom tried to seize the momentary advantage, but once again Sinclair wasquicker and forced Tom back into the small opening of the tunnel. 

Around them, the slave workers were being whipped into a frenzy aftermonths of stored-up hatred for their guards. Hundreds of them wereclimbing up toward the guards' posts, unmindful of the deadly firepouring down on them. 

"Get in there quick!" demanded Sinclair. He shoved Tom through the smallopening, and after a quick glance over his shoulder at the surgingslaves, followed the cadet. 

Sinclair flashed a light ahead of them and Tom saw the reflection of abright surface. In the distance he recognized the outlines of aspaceship. 

"Keep moving!" ordered Sinclair. "You're my protection in getting out ofhere, and if I have to freeze you and carry you aboard, that's just whatI'll do! Now get moving!"

Tom walked to the air lock of the ship, Sinclair right in back of him. The rebel leader pressed an outside button in the ship's stabilizer finand the port swung open slowly. "Get in!" growled Sinclair. 

Tom stepped into the ship and waited. Sinclair climbed in in back of himand closed the air lock. 

"Through that hatch, " said Sinclair, motioning toward the iron ladder, "and keep your hands in the air. "

"How do you think you're going to get through the Solar Guard fleetthat's standing off above the canyon?" asked Tom casually. "As soon asthey see this ship blast off, you'll have a hundred atomic war headsblasting after you!"

"Not as long as I have you!" sneered Sinclair. "You're my protection!"

"You're wrong, " said Tom. "They'll open fire, anyway. "

"That's the chance I've got to take, " said Sinclair. "Now climb up tothe control deck and get on the audioceiver. You're going to tell themyou're aboard!"

Tom walked ahead of the rebel leader toward the control deck, his mindracing. He knew that Sinclair was going through with his plan and healso knew that the Solar Guard would not pay any attention to anythinghe had to say. If, after three warnings, Sinclair didn't brake jets andbring his ship to a stop, he would be blasted out of space. He had to dosomething. 

"Where's the communicator?" asked Tom. 

"Over by the radar scanner. " Sinclair eyed him suspiciously. "Remember, Corbett, your life depends on this as much as mine. If you don'tconvince them you're worth saving by letting me get away, you're a deadpigeon!"

"You don't have to tell me, " said Tom. "I know when I'm licked. "

Sinclair took his position in the pilot's chair, facing the controlpanel. For a brief moment his back was to Tom as he bent over to turn onthe generators. Tom took a deep breath and lurched across the deck. ButSinclair turned and saw him coming, and jerked up the ray gun. He wasn'table to get clear in time. Tom's fingers circled the barrel of the gunas Sinclair fired. The barrel grew hot as Sinclair fired repeatedly. Tom's fingers were beginning to blister under the intense heat, but heheld on. With his other hand he reached up for the rebel's throat. Sinclair grabbed his wrist and, locked together, they rolled around onthe deck. 

[Illustration: _Sinclair wasn't able to get clear in time_]

Sinclair continued to fire the ray gun and Tom's fingers were burningwith pain from the heat. Suddenly the cadet let go the gun, spun around, and jerked Sinclair off balance. He swung his free hand as hard as hecould into the rebel's stomach. Sinclair doubled over and staggeredback, dropping the gun. Tom was on top of him like a shot, poundingstraight, jolting rights and lefts to the man's head and stomach. ButSinclair was tough. He twisted around, and quick as a cat, jumped to hisfeet. Then, stepping in, he rapped a solid right to Tom's jaw. The cadetreeled back, nearly falling to the deck. Sinclair was in on top of himin a flash, pounding his head and body with vicious smashing blows. 

Tom fell to the floor under the savagery of the rebel leader's attack. Sinclair lifted his foot to kick the cadet as Tom's fingers tightenedaround the barrel of the discarded ray gun. He brought it up sharplyagainst the planter's shin and he staggered back in pain. Tom tookcareful aim. He fired the gun. Nothing happened. The gun was empty. 

Sinclair rushed the cadet again, but Tom stepped aside and swung theheavy gun with all his might. The metal smashed against Sinclair's headand he sank to the deck, out cold. 

The last rebel of Venus had been defeated. 

 * * * * *

"We found Roger trying to keep the slaves away from the guards, " saidStrong. "They were ready to tear them apart!"

"Can't say that I blame them, " snorted Connel. "Some of those poordevils had been working in the caves for three years!"

Tom, Roger, and Astro sat sprawled in chairs in one of the offices ofthe Nationalist headquarters listening to Strong and Major Connel sum upthe day's battle. The entire army of Nationalist guards, DivisionChiefs, and workers had been rounded up and put aboard the troopcarriers to be taken to a prison asteroid. Each individual rebel wouldbe dealt with under special court proceedings to be established by SolarAlliance decree later. 

"There are still some things I don't understand, " said Astro. "How didthey know you were going to investigate them in the first place?"

"After our meeting with Commander Walters, " said Connel, "we sent aspecial coded message to the Solar Alliance Delegate here on Venus. Hissecretary intercepted the message, used stolen priorities for himselfand two assistants to get to Earth and back on an express space linerwithout being missed. "

"The secretary!" shouted Tom. "That's the same fellow I saw in Atom Citywhen we were bumped out of our seats on the _Venus Lark_!"

Roger looked up at Tom with a scowl. "A fine time to remember!"

Strong grinned. "We discovered him, Tom, when that attempt was made tokidnap you by the cab driver. We also picked up the owner of thepawnshop. "

"The most amazing thing about this space joker, Sinclair, " commentedConnel, "was the way he had everyone fooled. I couldn't figure out howhe was able to get around so quickly until I learned about thosebuildings. "

"What buildings?" asked Tom, suddenly remembering how the rebel leaderhad disappeared so quickly and quietly when he was being held captivewith Mr. And Mrs. Hill in the Sinclair home. 

"Every one of the important members of the organization, the DivisionChiefs, they called themselves, had a small shack on his property nearthe edge of the jungle. It was nothing more than a covering for a shaftthat led to a tunnel, which, in turn, led to other tunnels under thejungle and eventually connected with one leading right into the base. "

"You mean, " said Astro, "they have underground tunnels all through thejungle?"

"That's right, " asserted Connel. "If they had been prepared for ourattack, they could have beaten the pants off us. Not only in space, buton the ground. They could have run circles around us in those tunnels. Igot suspicious when I found a hut at the Sharkey place with no windowsin it. "

"Say, remember the time Sinclair barked at me for going near that shackon his place when we first arrived?" said Roger. 

Connel grinned. "I'll bet you a plugged credit that if you had openedthat door you'd have been frozen stiffer than a snowman on Pluto. "

"Well, anyhow, " said Tom happily, "we got what we came after. "

"What was that?" asked Strong. 

"A tyrannosaurus!" replied the curly-haired cadet. 

"And that's another thing, " said Connel. "That tyrannosaurus we killedwas a pet of the Nationalists. I don't mean a household pet, but itfitted into their plans nicely. The tyranno's lair was near the top ofthat canyon. Any time a stray hunter came along, the tyrannosaurus wouldscare him away. So when you three came along and said you weredeliberately hunting for a tyrannosaurus, they got worried. "

"Worried?" asked Roger. "Why?"

"They thought you were actually hunting or investigating them, and whenI started nosing around, they were sure. That's why Sinclair ordered hisboys to burn down his plantation--to try to throw us off the track. Soyou see, " Connel concluded, "your summer leave really started the ballrolling against them. "

"Summer leave!" shouted Roger. "What day is it?"

"The twenty-ninth of August, " replied Strong. 

"Oh, no!" moaned the blond-haired cadet. "We start back to class inthree days!"

"Three days!" roared Astro. "But--but it'll take three days to write upour reports of everything that's happened! We won't have any time forfun!"

"Fun!" snorted Connel. "Fun is for little boys. You three space-brained, rocket-headed idiots are spacemen!"

[Illustration]

 +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Transcriber's Note | | | | One instance of "nearby" was changed to "near-by" to conform | | with the hyphenation in the rest of the text. | | | | The following typos were corrected: | | | | Get "Get | | it It | | get's gets | | surpressed suppressed | | order ordered | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+