ke the enormous increase in speed. Kit grinned up at Tom. "Here we
go, Tom," he said. "This is going to be the fastest ride you've ever had
next to hyperdrive."

"Then it really works?" yelled the cadet.

"It not only works, but from the looks of that thing, we'll use very
little more fuel. So now it's our turn to by-pass a fuel stop! We're
going right on through to Titan!"

* * * * *

"You're whistling into the wind, Barnard!" Quent Miles' voice was harsh
and derisive as it crackled over the audioceiver. "You could never catch
up with me in a hundred light years! This race is in the bag for yours
truly!"

Across the vast distance of space that separated the two speeding ships,
Tom, Astro, and Kit Barnard listened to Miles' bragging voice and smiled
at each other. All Kit ever wanted was a fair chance, and now, thanks to
Astro and Sid, he had better than a fair chance. With their added speed,
Tom calculated that the two ships would arrive at the Titan spaceport at
about the same time. Only scant minutes separated their estimated times
of arrival.

"How much farther do you think that wagon of yours will hold out,
Barnard?" continued Miles over the audioceiver. "You'll burn it up or
shake it apart. This race is in the bag!"

"All right, Miles," interrupted Tom. "We'll do our talking at the Titan
spaceport. Now let me talk to Roger."

"You mean, Manning?" asked Miles, after an almost imperceptible pause.

"Yes, I mean Manning!" snapped Tom.

"Can't oblige, Corbett," said Quent Miles. "Your pal took it on the lam
back at Ganymede. He ran out on me. As far as I know, he's still there.
Didn't you see him when you stopped for refueling?"

"We didn't stop," said Tom. "What do you mean, he got off at Ganymede?
He's supposed to stay with you throughout the race."

"I gotta go now, Corbett," came Miles' abrupt reply. "I'm hittin' rough
stuff here, a swarm of meteors. See you on Titan. Be down there to
welcome you in."

"Wait! What about Roger?" Tom called frantically into the audioceiver,
but Quent Miles did not answer. The young cadet slammed the microphone
down on the table. "That blasted Roger!" he cried hotly. "When I get my
hands on him, I'm going to--"

"Take it easy, Tom," said Astro, putting a hand on the cadet's shoulder.
"You know how Roger is. Wait until he has a chance to explain before you
blast him."

"I suppose you're right, Astro," replied Tom. "But why in the stars