understanding that it would be difficult. We did not expect an easy
life. We knew it would be tough, but not quite as tough as it's going to
be now. But we will win! And remember, we are no longer people of Venus,
Earth, Mars, or Titan, we are citizens of Roald!"

There was a roar of approval from the colonists. A band began to play
and the assembly was adjourned.

"He talks sense," Hyram Logan commented. "Real fighting sense!"

"I'd like it a lot better, though," replied Astro, "if he didn't make it
sound like a rally."

"Yeah," agreed Roger. "He sounded as though he was pepping up his team
to do or die in a mercuryball game."

"This is no game," said Tom. "We're fighting starvation, perhaps death!
And, believe me, if this colony goes the way of all space dust, it will
be a long time before there'll be another fleet of a thousand ships
gambled on a star colony!"

Logan nodded his head. "That's the way I look at it, Tom," he said.
"Regardless of what kind of beef we might have with Hardy or Vidac and
his crew, we all have to work together to make Roald a colony. A
successful colony!"

Returning to Fleet Ship Number Twelve, which was to be used for quarters
by the colonists until their homes could be erected, the three cadets
and Jeff Marshall said good-by to the Venusian farmer and continued on
toward the _Polaris_.

"Did Professor Sykes find any indication of what might have caused the
instruments to act up during the landing, Jeff?" asked Tom. The
curly-haired cadet referred to the professor's investigation started as
soon as the _Polaris_ had landed.

"Nothing so far, Tom," replied Jeff. "But it must be something big. He
packed a lot of gear into a jet boat and blasted out of here this
morning."

"What do you suppose it is?" asked Astro.

"I don't know," replied Jeff. "I can't even guess."

"I can," said Roger, "and if it's what I think it is--well, I just hope
it isn't, that's all." The blond-haired cadet stopped talking abruptly.

Tom, Astro, and Jeff looked at each other. Finally Tom asked, "Well,
what do you think it is?"

"There's only one thing I know really well, Tom," replied Roger. "Just
one thing, and that's electronics. I may be a jerk about a lot of
things, but I know electronics."

"O.K.," said Astro. "You know electronics. But what has that got to do
with the instruments going out of whack?"

"The only natural element that would cause such disturbance is uranium."

"Uranium!" breat