. "Congratulations, Morgan."

They shook hands. "Well, I've got to get rolling," said Morgan. "I sure
hope you fellows find out what's cooking here. I've got a lot of friends
here and they stand to lose everything they own if Titan is abandoned."

"With Captain Strong on the job, you can bet we'll find out the
trouble," declared Astro.

Morgan smiled. "See you around," he said, and jumped back into the jet
car. A second later it was roaring down the street to the western part
of the city.

"Boy, sure makes you feel good to know that a guy loves space so much
that he would fight his way to the top of the enlisted guard as Morgan
did!" said Tom.

Suddenly Astro jerked Tom by the sleeve and pulled him back into the
restaurant to crouch behind the door.

"Hey, what's the matter with you?" growled Tom.

"Sh-h-h!" hissed Astro and pointed across the street. "Look!"

Tom poked his head around the corner of the doorway and quickly jerked
it back again. Quent Miles was hurrying down the street.

"Wonder what he's doing around here?" whispered Astro, watching the
black-clad spaceman pass directly opposite them and continue down the
street, seemingly unaware that he was being watched.

"He must be heading for the evacuated section," said Tom.

"How do you figure that?" asked Astro, as they peered cautiously around
the edge of the doorway.

"He's wearing his oxygen mask."

"Come on!" said Astro. "Let's find out what that heel is up to."

Hugging the buildings, the two cadets walked down the street, following
Miles. There was a puzzled frown on Astro's face as he stared at the
spaceman, a hundred feet away. "I swear, Tom," he complained, "I'm about
to bust a rocket. Every time I see that guy, I think I know him, but
when I try to pin it down, it slips away from me."

"Watch it!" cried Tom. "He's stopping."

The boys ducked behind a deserted jet car as Quent Miles suddenly spun
around to stare suspiciously back down the street.

"I don't know if he saw us or not," whispered Tom.

"With that oxygen mask," replied the big cadet, "maybe he can't see very
well."

"He's going on," replied Tom. "Come on. We've got to find out what he's
up to. He wouldn't be concerned about someone following him if he
weren't trying to hide something."

They slipped around the jet car and stepped back on the sidewalk. Ahead
of them, Quent Miles was walking quickly, reading all the street signs.
Suddenly he turned down a side street,