e bed.

"Hiya, Astro!" called Tom with a weak grin. "The sawbones tells me I owe
you a brand-new shiny credit piece for saving my life."

His enthusiasm at high pitch, Astro was nevertheless unable to do more
than smile broadly at his unit mate. "Only reason I did it," he said.

"All right, here you are." Tom handed over a coin. "That's all I thought
my chances were worth."

At that moment the Solar Guard major in command of the Deimos spaceport
entered, followed by Kit Barnard and Sid. After greeting Tom with
enthusiasm that matched Astro's, Kit and Sid stood to one side quietly
and listened while Tom gave his preliminary report to the major who
held a recorder microphone in front of him.

[Illustration: _"Yeow!" bawled Astro. "Thanks, sir. Thanks a
million!"_]

"I heard a terrific noise on the power deck as soon as we blasted off,"
Tom began. "And Captain Sticoon ordered me to go below and check on it.
I saw the trouble right away. The lead baffles around the reactant
chambers had become loose and the reactant was spilling out, starting to
wildcat. I called Bill over the intercom right away and he ordered me to
get into a space suit and wait for him in the air lock. I heard him shut
off the generators--but that's all. The reactant blew and I must've been
knocked cold, because the next thing I remember was this big ugly face
bending over me ordering me to wake up." Tom grinned at Astro.

"I see," mused the major aloud. "Now about the baffles. How could they
have worked loose? Do you think the lock bolts gave way in the excessive
heat due to the intense blast-off speed?"

"No, sir," said Tom firmly. "Those bolts were loosened. I distinctly
remember seeing one of them fall to the deck as I walked in."

"Then you suspect that the ship was sabotaged?"

"That's not for me to say, sir," said Tom after a moment's hesitation.
"In all my experience, I have never seen one of those bolts work loose
of its own accord or because of heat or vibration on the power deck." He
glanced at Astro, who was hunched forward, listening intently. "Have
you, Astro?"

The big Venusian shook his head slowly. "Never," he said.

"Well, thank you, Corbett, that will be all for now," said the major and
then turned to Kit. "I want to congratulate you, sir, on your sacrifice
in going to the aid of the _Space Lance_."

"Wild Bill would have done the same thing for me," said Kit without
emotion. "Do I have permission to continue the race no