The Space Pioneers

watched Tom and Astro push the half-completed communica

ing it, we could hide it any place and he'd find it. So, as the saying

is eye on it all the time. If Vidac starts getting nosy, Jeff will b

ning up. "Come on. Let's get to the scout ship and bl

of the fleet where a rocket scout was waiting for them. The scouts were being carried by the larger space freighters to save fuel. Now one had been fueled and was blasting along

ts on the circuits. Suddenly Roger's voice crackled over the ship's inter

nto the intercom. "Wha

scout we'd be able to use this set to contact the Academy instead of having

med Astro over

s. And the radar is too complicated to change over

emy. Now there was nothing to do but hope Vidac wouldn't find the one they were building. He called into the interco

ht, but if we burn out a tube, we're blacked out until we get b

radar when we're in the cluster," called Astro

ke, Astro," said Tom. "If we com

'd call us yellow again, becaus

id Tom. "So I guess we'd better

re and aft,"

s. This is going to be a tough trip, fellows. Perhaps the toughest trip

uck!" echoed

, planetoids, and millions of lesser space bodies, whirling and churning among themselves at an incred

I got an idea! How about taking this w

ter, and oxygen-and no reserves. We couldn't get one-tenth of the way

ped Roger. "Wouldn't you go

" said Tom. "Remember, Vidac hasn't do

colonists pay for the

was a precautionar

precaution?"

ahead of the fleet toward th

upplies simply because it was free. And instead of imposing rationing,

just enough hokum in that to make

"Not only this exploration of the asteroid belt, but

s," said Roger disgusted

thickening groups of stars around them. It was Tom who finally realized that they were getting closer to the inner ring of their galaxy and

dets continued their advance toward the uncharted, unkn

lescopes, then settle himself to an hour of observation. Jeff knew that the professor would remain there for the next two hours. He felt safe in go

ked Sykes. "If I d

tepped into the quiet chamber. Pulling the cartons away from the bench, he took out the half-completed tangle of wires, and by the light of a small flashlight, he peered into the maze, trying to figure out where Roger had le

dvancing toward the enlisted spaceman

ve-I've been working on a new

thout warning, he picked up the delicate instrument, smashed it to the

ng of this, Marsh

ent action and could only stamme

ing or Astro in on

Marshall sa

ith you if I catch you shieldin

wallowing hard several time

t was the purpose of this 'exp

teur communicators back i

unk and get out of here. Any more experiments will take place in t

id Jeff. "I un

of wire and metal and muttered a low oath. Then, picking up the pieces, he turned and walked wearily back to the obs

h out

m the radar deck. "There's the biggest hunk of

ut quickly, estimated range, angle, and approach of the o

uarter blast on the starboard jets, ten degree

ning the induction valves leading to the reactors, the cadet shot full power into the radiation chambers, s

I wouldn't have had time to plot a course change. And with all that ot

It must have been good,

, Roger?" asked Tom. "Any sign

. "But I don't think we're going to find a passa

"I guess we'd better get out of here.

inutes. But let's not cut it too fine. We might h

ld lose any sleep," sneere

teen minutes," said Tom, "so

an opening through the mass of hurtling rock. Time and again in the past fifteen hours, the cadets had discovered what they thought to be a way through, only to find it t

ourse back to the Polaris, Roger. Stand by fo

ets had long since thought of the giant rocket cruiser as being their

Then, safely out of the dangerous cluster of flying meteors and asteroids, the three cadets gathered on the control deck and relaxed for the first time since

et with the tube,

e four hours after we get back," rep

said Tom. "Now that we're alone we could v

Astro. "But these scouts don't have any kind of tool

scout to the freighter and come aboard, the three cadets made quick work of transferring to the jet boat and a short while later were waiting impatiently for the hiss of oxygen

ce. "Is there a way throu

he whole thing. There are a few openings, but n

to the edge of the cluster and waited for enoug

ok a menacing step toward Vidac.

d Vidac coldly. "Did yo

rdless of what you may think, sir," he said, "we did

hen stopped and whirled around to face them again. "Incidentally, something happened while you were aw

Roger shook his head. "No-no, sir," he mu

Make out a full report on the scouting

appeared, Roger turned to face Tom a

nched teeth. "We're goin