o. "I think we'd better head for the canyon walls
on the west. The Marines are pouring down that side."

"Let's go," grunted the major, and led the way down the narrow lane. But
when they reached the open area beyond the repair shops they saw that
the Nationalist guards had thrown up barriers in the streets and were
preparing defenses against frontal assault.

"Maybe we'd better stay where we are, sir," the big cadet said, after
scanning the Nationalist defenses. "We'd never be able to get through
now."

"Ummmh," mused Connel. "You're right. Maybe we can be of more use
striking behind the lines."

Astro grinned. "That's just what I was thinking, sir." He pointed to a
near-by barrier set up in the middle of the street. "We could pick off
the men behind that--"

"Look out!" roared Connel. Behind them, five Nationalist guards had
suddenly appeared. But they were more surprised than Astro and Connel,
and the big cadet took advantage of it by charging right into them.

It was a short but vicious fight. There was no time to aim or fire a
paralo-ray gun. It was a matter of bare knuckles and feet and knees and
shoulders. One by one, the green-clad men were laid low, and finally,
Connel, out of breath, turned to grin at Astro.

"Feel better," he gasped, "than I've felt in weeks!"

Astro grinned. One of Connel's front teeth was missing. Astro leaned
against the wall and pointed to the canyon wall where the columns of
Solar Guard Marines were making their way down into the base under heavy
covering fire from above. "Won't be long now!"

"Come on," said Connel. "They'll probably send scouts out ahead of those
columns and we can make contact with them over there." He pointed toward
a high tangle of barbed wire set up in the middle of the near-by street.
Astro nodded, and exchanging his broken ray gun for one belonging to a
fallen Nationalist, raced to the edge of the barrier with the major.
They crouched and waited for the first contact by the Marines.

"They shouldn't be too long now," said Connel.

"No more than a minute, sir," said Astro, pointing to a running figure
darting from one protective position to another.

"You, there!" shouted a familiar voice. "Behind that barrier!"

Astro glanced at Connel. "Major, that sounds like--!"

"Come out with your hands in the air and nothing will happen to you!"
the voice called again.

"By the stars, you're right!" yelled Connel. "It's Corbett!"

Astro jumped up and yell