ok! Vidac's stopping the car! Astro's trying to get away!"

"Astro's fighting with Bush!" shouted Roger. "Come on! Can't you get any
more push out of this wagon?"

Tom jammed the accelerator down to the floorboard and the jet car fairly
leaped ahead. Fifty yards from Vidac's stalled car, Tom slammed on the
brake, bringing the little car to a screaming halt only two feet away.
Roger was halfway out before the car had stopped moving. Beside Vidac's
car, Bush was wrestling with Astro.

[Illustration]

"Tom! Roger! Get back! It's a trap!" yelled Astro.

Astro's warning came too late. While Tom and Roger sprang to help their
unit mate, Vidac slipped up on the other side and fired quickly and
accurately with a paralo-ray gun. Tom and Roger were frozen just as they
were about to pull Bush from Astro's back.

Vidac swung the ray gun around toward Astro. "See that, big boy?" He
laughed. "Well, you're going to get the same thing if you make one funny
move. Now pile those two stiffs into the back of my car! Get moving!"

Seething with frustration and rage, Astro turned to Roger and Tom,
standing like solid slabs of stone. He picked up Roger and carried him
gently to the car, placing him in the back. Then he turned and walked
toward Tom. He made a slight movement toward Vidac and Bush, but they
leveled their guns quickly.

"None of that," warned Vidac. Astro's shoulders drooped. He was almost
in tears as he walked toward Tom. The curly-haired cadet stood
immovable, staring at his friend. The Venusian leaned over and picked up
Tom gently.

"Take it easy, Astro," whispered Tom, not moving his lips. "I'm not
frozen. He missed me!"

Astro nearly jumped at the sound of Tom's voice. He recovered quickly,
fighting back a grin of triumph. He threw a quick glance at Vidac and
Bush, then carefully picked Tom up and carried him to the car. As he was
about to turn around again, he felt the sudden jolt of the paralo ray,
and in the split-second before the ray took effect, Astro nearly
laughed.

* * * * *

Under the effects of a paralo-ray charge the body is paralyzed and there
is no feeling. Tom, however, lying beside Roger but beneath Astro in
the back seat of the car, began to suffer painful muscular cramps. He
gritted his teeth, trying to lie rigidly still, but his arms and legs
began to jerk spasmodically and he had to move.

Slowly he eased one arm from beneath Astro's heavy body and shifted h