CHAPTER 18
"There he is!"
Roger's voice rose to a triumphant shout on the intercom. "Put thebrakes on this wagon!"
"Check!" retorted Astro from the power deck, his fingers flying over theswitches of the control panel and bringing the ship to a sudden blastingstop.
On the control deck, Tom turned to Professor Hemmingwell. "I'm goingoutside to get Major Connel, sir," he said. "Do you think you'll be allright?"
The old man nodded absently, still dazed by the sudden turn of events.Tom hurried past him and met Roger coming down from the radar bridge."I'm going too!" the blond-haired cadet announced.
"You tell Astro?"
"Yeah. He's got Barret locked in the power-deck storeroom and he'll takeover the control deck. Wonder if they have a jet boat aboard?"
"I doubt it. Not on a test flight."
"We'll have to hurry," said Roger as they reached the air lock and beganto scramble into space suits.
"Yes," replied Tom. "He probably doesn't have much oxygen."
"There's another reason," grunted Roger.
"What?"
"Those projectiles. We're right back in the middle of them. Any one ofthem could wreck the ship."
"I see what you mean," said Tom. "Guess it's up to Astro to keep dodgingthem."
"Never thought I'd be out in space ducking hot projectiles to save oldBlast-off Connel's hide."
"Neither did I," said Tom. "But here we are."
Stepping into the air lock, they quickly equalized the pressure and amoment later climbed out on the hull.
"See him, Roger?" asked Tom over the helmet intercom.
"Not yet," replied Roger.
"I see him," called Astro from the control deck. "I got him spotted onthe teleceiver. Go aft, about a thousand, maybe fifteen hundred yards.I'll direct you from there."
"Right!" snapped Roger. "And listen, you Venusian bonehead! Make itgood. I don't like being a clay pigeon for this crazy shooting galleryout here!"
"Aw, damp your tubes and get to work," drawled Astro. "Honestly, Tom,did you ever hear him _not_ complain?"
Tom did not answer. He was busy fastening two oxygen tanks to the frontof his space suit and Roger's. When he had finished, he checked thepressure and, satisfied, nodded to his unit mate.
Opening the nozzles of the bottles, they shot away from the ship intothe nothingness of space.
"You have to go about fifteen degrees to your starboard and five degreesup on the ecliptic," called Astro from the control deck. "You'll hitConnel right on the nose!"
"Right!" replied Tom, turning the nozzle of the oxygen bottle to theleft and immediately shooting off in the indicated direction. Rogerfollowed quickly and expertly.
"See him?" called Tom.
"No," replied Roger. "Are you sure, you big clunk?"
"He's right above you!" snorted Astro over the intercom. Then his voicerose in alarm. "No! That isn't--"
"Duck, Tom!" cried Roger.
Tom opened the nozzle of his oxygen bottle wide and turned it. As heshot away, a projectile roared through the area he had just left.
Roger had done the same thing, flipping over and shooting up and awayfrom the moving object.
"Whew!" exclaimed Tom. "That was close!"
"You blockhead!" roared Roger. "What are you trying to do to us? Set usup for coffins?"
"For you, that's not a bad idea, Manning!" snorted Astro. "Just dampyour tubes. I made a mistake."
"Some mistake!" growled Roger.
Tom and Roger maneuvered back together, and locking arms so they wouldnot drift apart, scanned the void around them for Connel. Suddenly Tomjerked free. "Roger!" he cried.
"What is it?" replied the cadet. "Do you see him?"
"There!" Tom pointed back to the ship. "On the stern! He's hanging on tothe cleat over the main tubes!"
"_He's hanging on to the cleat over the main tube!_"]
"Astro," Roger called, "we're coming back in. We've spotted him."
"I heard you!" said Astro. "Must've come back on his own steam. Go gethim, quick!"
Turning the nozzles of their oxygen tanks, the two cadets shot towardthe ship. They quickly clambered onto the stern where Connel laystretched out on the side of the hull, arms extended, his gloved handsgripping the small cleat on the side of the hull.
In a matter of minutes, the two boys had the Solar Guard officer safelyinside the air-lock chamber and had removed his space helmet and suit.His eyes were closed, and his face was deathly white. Tom immediatelyclapped an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, while Roger appliedheating units to the wrists and neck.
Astro burst into the chamber, followed by the professor. "Will he be allright?" Hemmingwell asked anxiously.
"Think nothing of it, Professor Hummingbird," said Roger. "The old majorwill come around any second, and when he does, stand back. The firstthing he'll do is yell."
"Roger, the name is Hemmingwell," hissed Tom.
"Oh, yeah, sure," nodded Roger, and then turned to Astro. "Is Barretstill locked up?"
"Yeah," replied the Venusian. "And I hid the key, so Connel can't get tohim until he cools off."
"The major is coming around," said Tom.
As they watched, Connel stirred, coughed several times, and then openedhis eyes. He stared in amazement at Tom, then turned to blinkunbelievingly at Roger and Astro. "What in the star-blazing--?"
"It's us all right, sir!" Tom assured him.
"Yeah," chimed in Roger. "And you're not in heaven or--er--any placeelse either."
As Connel suddenly flushed with anger and sat up, Hemmingwell spokequickly. "They saved your life, Major," he said.
"They did?" Connel's face clouded in confusion. "I don't understand. Howdid you three get aboard, anyway?"
"It's a long story, sir," said Tom. "Right now, maybe we'd better--"
Before the cadet could finish, there was a loud crashing and a series ofjolting bumps as the ship lurched.
"What the blue blazes!" roared Connel, jumping to his feet in alarm.
"The projectiles!" exclaimed Roger. "We've got to get out of here!"
"By the craters of Luna!" cried Astro. "I forgot all about them!"
Tom, Roger, Astro, Hemmingwell, and Connel raced out of the air lock totheir stations. Astro poured on the power without waiting for an orderfrom the control deck and soon they were rocketing into the safety ofspace.
Watching the wildly flying missiles on the teleceiver screen, Connelbreathed a sigh of relief.
"Wow!" he snorted. "Glad we're out of that mess."
"But what are we going to do about them, sir," asked Tom, a worriedfrown wrinkling his forehead as he watched the screen. "We can't justleave those things there. Some other ship may--"
"Don't worry about it," Connel broke in brusquely. "The projectiles willrun out of fuel in a few minutes and they'll just drift. They can befished out any time."
"We can go back and get them ourselves," said the young cadet eagerly."Roger and I can--"
"We've got more important things to do now!" thundered Connel. Switchingon the intercom, he ordered Roger and Astro to report to the controldeck. They appeared within seconds of his order and he faced the threecadets grimly.
"Well, boys," he asked, "what's the story?"
"I guess we'd better explain, sir," said Tom.
"I guess you'd better," nodded Connel.
Tom quickly ran over the chain of events, beginning with his abductionon Mars to their appearance on the ship, including the part Barret hadplayed in tricking Roger and Astro into taking the scout. As he spoke,Connel looked more and more amazed, and when Tom finally uttered thename of the man he thought was responsible for all the sabotage, Conneljumped out of his chair.
"I can't believe it!" he exclaimed.
"You were nearly killed a few minutes ago, sir," said Tom. "And whosabotaged the rings? Barret! Who was around every time somethinghappened? Who incited the crew to keep from taking this ship into space?Who spread the rumor
that it was jinxed? The answer to every one ofthose questions, sir, is Barret. And Dave Barret is working for--"
"Let me at that sniveling space pup!" interrupted Connel, snarling hisrage. "I'll tear him apart and throw him to the buzzards!"
The enraged major jumped to the hatch but Astro and Tom barred his way,with Roger stepping quickly in back of him, a heavy wrench in his hand,ready to assist in any manner necessary to subdue the howling officer.
"Try to kill me!" Connel howled. "Why, I'll--I'll--"
"No, Major!" shouted Tom. "He's the only one that can help us convictCarter Devers!"
Connel stopped. He stared at Astro's bulk and then turned to see Rogertrying to hide the wrench. "Were you going to hit me with that thing,Manning?" he growled.
Roger gulped. "Yes, sir," he said. "If it was necessary to keep you awayfrom Barret, sir. I'm sorry, sir."
Connel spun back to face Tom. "Corbett, you must have a plan," he said."Let's have it quick."
Tom grinned. "All right, sir," he began. Suddenly, out of the corner ofhis eyes, he saw Professor Hemmingwell slump to the deck.
Hurriedly they picked up the old man and eased him gently to the nearbyacceleration couch. After gulping some water that Roger poured for him,the old man smiled weakly. "I'm afraid I don't have the strength towithstand all this excitement," he said. "But now I understand whythings were never easy for me. Carter Devers--he did this to me. Heblocked the proposals every time that they were submitted to the Solardelegations. He--" Hemmingwell's head fell back. Roger had put asedative into the water and the old man was now unconscious.
"It's just fatigue," said Connel. "He'll be all right in a littlewhile." He turned to Tom. "All right, Corbett, carry on!"
Tom hurriedly concluded his story of the events leading up to theirstartling appearance on the ship, and as he spoke, he saw the major'sfrown change to a glowing grin. When Tom finished, Connel suddenlyextended his hand in a gesture of friendship.
"I have to admit it, Corbett," he said. "You've done a good job. And,"he added with a twinkle in his eye, "by going along with you, I am anaccomplice with Captain Strong in the aiding of three fugitives from theSolar Guard."
Tom, Astro, and Roger grinned. "Now, let's get Barret up here and askhim a few questions," continued Connel. "And, Manning, if I can'trestrain myself, you have my permission to hit me with that wrench! Butso help me, if you belt me before the time comes, I'll bend that wrenchover your skull!"
While Astro and Roger went below to get Barret, Connel and Tom reviewedtheir plan.
"Better keep the news quiet for a while," said Connel. "If we telecastit back to the Academy, Devers might get wise."
"Good idea, sir," acknowledged Tom.
"But I can't understand Devers' motive," said Connel. "What does hestand to gain if this project is a failure?"
"He'll lose plenty if it's a success," Tom asserted.
"Devers owns Jilolo Spaceways, the parent company of Universal JetTrucking and Surface Transportation! If the projectiles worked, surfacecargo delivery would be wiped out."
Before Connel could comment on Tom's startling revelation, they heardthe sound of angry voices just outside the control-deck hatch.
"That must be Astro and Roger bringing in Barret," said Tom with a grin.
The hatch clanked open and Astro appeared, carrying Roger under one armand Barret under the other. He dropped them both unceremoniously on thedeck, but when they jumped to their feet, Roger charged forward quicklyand landed a stinging right to Barret's jaw. The man dropped to the deckagain like a stone.
"Manning!" roared Connel. "What was the idea?"
"I wanted to make sure I got in my licks before the Solar Guard got holdof him," replied Roger, rubbing his knuckles and looking down atBarret's inert form.
Astro grinned sheepishly. "I tried to stop him, sir!" he said.
"I'll just bet you tried to stop him!" bellowed Connel. "Cadet Manning,you put that man to sleep, now you wake him up!"
"Yes, sir!" said Roger, and while Connel, Astro, and Tom roared withlaughter, he poured an entire bottle of water on Barret's face.