eports had come
through to the Academy from the colony at all. Not merely from the Space
Cadets, but from the expedition itself. Only the sketchiest details had
been audioed back during the trip and absolutely nothing since their
scheduled arrival on the satellite. A sudden cold wave of fear gripped
the space officer. He wondered if they had arrived safely!

He shook off the horrible thought. There must be a simple, logical
explanation for it all. Establishing a star colony was no easy matter.
Communications could be easily disrupted for any number of reasons.

Strong forced himself to forget it. It was still a long way to the
satellite and there was no point in worrying about a fact until it was
established to be a fact. He stretched out on a bunk and moments later
was asleep, while the giant ship hurtled through the dark void toward
its destination with a thousand electronic hands and eyes to guide it
safely across the immense gulf of space.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 15

"Is he still out there?" Tom whispered.

"Yeah," growled Astro. "He hasn't moved."

"They're not taking any chances," said Roger. "When they change the
guard, they take out their ray guns, just in case."

The three cadets were crowded around the door of their quarters with
Astro down on his hands and knees, trying to see through a small crack.
The big cadet straightened up and shook his head.

"I guess it's useless," he sighed. "Vidac is making sure we stay here."

"Well," said Roger disgustedly, "if we don't get out pretty soon, we
won't--" He didn't finish the sentence. At that moment the door suddenly
opened and Bush stepped in, two paralo-ray guns in his hands, cocked and
ready to fire. Behind him was Hyram Logan and his daughter, Jane.

"You got ten minutes," said Bush, "and one funny move out of any of you
and I'll blast you silly."

He closed the door and the click of the lock could be heard ominously.

"Mr. Logan!" exclaimed Tom. "How'd you manage to get in here?"

"Sonny," replied the Venusian farmer, "when you're dealing with crooks,
you have to act like a crook!" He smiled and added, "I bought my way in
here!"

"You mean that Vidac doesn't know you're here?" asked Astro.

"No," said Jane. "But we had to come. Vidac was going to--" She stopped
and turned to her father. "Maybe you'd better tell them, Father."

"Well," said Logan slowly, "we just heard that Vidac is going to hold
trial for you three boys right here o