t on you?"

"What happened to them then?" asked Astro innocently.

"We'll see," said Vidac softly, looking up into the hills.

Holding a paralo-ray gun on the giant cadet, Vidac forced him into his
jet car. Bush slid under the wheel and started the jets.

"You think the cadets are still up there in the hills?" asked Bush.

"Never mind what I think," snapped Vidac. "Head for the spaceport."

Vidac spun around in his seat and looked back along the highway. He
punched Astro in the shoulder and motioned for him to look. Astro turned
to see the jet car left by Vidac pulling away from the hills.

"They must have heard every word I said," mused Vidac. He turned to
Bush. "When they reach the spaceport, don't bother waiting for them to
get out of the car. Blast them on sight!"

"What are you going to do?" asked Astro tightly.

"Don't you remember your Space Code laws, Astro?" asked Vidac. "Article
Sixteen? It specifically states that in cases of emergency, the
commanding officer of a Solar Guard community can be the judge and jury,
and can pass sentence for felonies or worse. In two hours you and your
buddies will be aboard the _Polaris_, under guard, and headed for a life
sentence on a prison rock!" He laughed. "And I'll make it stick!"

CHAPTER 20

Jeff Marshall was just turning the jet car into the Plaza in front of
the Administration Building when Jane suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Jeff, look!" she cried. "Isn't that Captain Strong?"

The enlisted spaceman slowed the car and followed the direction of
Jane's pointing finger. He saw Strong step around the corner of the
Administration Building, stop, then scurry back around to the side. The
streets of the city were deserted. "He's running away from us," said
Jeff. "Probably thinks we're part of that searching party coming back."

He brought the car to a screaming halt in front of the building and
jumped out, calling, "Captain Strong!" His voice echoed through the
deserted streets. "This is Jeff Marshall!"

Peering around the corner of the Administration Building, Strong saw
Marshall clearly and then recognized the daughter of Hyram Logan. He
dashed out of his hiding place and greeted them with a yell.

"Jeff! Jeff! Over here!"

The three friends of the Space Cadets were soon telling each other the
latest developments. Strong listened to Jeff's story of the professor's
work journal and shook his head disgustedly. "I was in that lab for
nearly four hours