emy, U.S.A. I'm here in the jungle with the
rest of my unit hunting tyrannosaurus."

"Tyranno, eh?" queried the man. "How long have you been trailing this
one?"

"Just today. I saw him fight a big snake and lost my jungle gear in a
thicket where I was hiding. I was separated from my space buddies two
days ago."

"Say, Helia," suddenly called one of the other men, "he sounds like a
Venusian."

"Is that true?" asked the leader. "Are you from Venus?"

Astro nodded. "Venusport."

"Then why are you in Space Academy?"

"I want to be a spaceman."

"Why didn't you go to school on Venus, instead of Earth. We have good
space schools here."

"I want a commission in the Solar Guard. You can only get that through
the Academy," replied Astro stoutly.

"Solar Guard!" snorted the leader, and then turned to the nearest man,
speaking rapidly in a strange tongue.

For a moment the language confused Astro, then he recognized it as the
ancient Venusian dialect. He understood it and started to answer, but
then, on second thought, he decided not to reveal his knowledge of the
language.

The leader turned back to Astro and asked a question.

Astro shook his head and said, "If you're talking to me, you have to
speak English. I know that's the Venusian dialect you're speaking, but I
never learned it."

The leader's fist shot out and crashed against Astro's jaw. The big
cadet rocked back with the punch and then he lunged forward, straining
against his bonds.

"Why, you--!" he exploded angrily.

"That was for not being a true Venusian!" snapped the leader. "Every son
of Venus should understand his mother tongue!"

Astro bit his lip and fell silent.

The leader turned away, and shouting a command, started off through the
jungle. Astro knew that the patrol had been ordered to move out, but he
stood still, waiting for them to push him. They did. A hard jab in his
naked side with the butt of a gun sent him stumbling forward in the
center of the patrol.

Well, there was one consolation, he thought grimly. At least he wouldn't
have to spend the night out in the jungle alone again!

Astro had expected a long march, but to his surprise, he was pushed
along a well-worn jungle trail for only three hundred yards in from the
tyrannosaurus's track. Finally they stopped before a huge teakwood tree.
The leader pounded his rifle butt on the trunk three times.

Mystified, Astro watched a small section of the trunk open to reveal a
mod