He picked up his gear and walked back to the jet cab-stand. Astro and
Tom followed the blond-haired cadet glumly.

The stand was empty, but a jet cab was just pulling up to the platform
with a passenger. As the boys walked over to wait at the door, it opened
and a familiar figure in a black-and-gold uniform stepped out.

"Captain Strong!"

[Illustration]

"Corbett!" exclaimed Strong. "What are you doing here? I thought you
were aboard the _Venus Lark_."

"We were bumped out of our reservation by an S.D. priority," said Astro.

"And we can't get out of here for another four days," added Roger
glumly.

Strong sympathized. "That's rough, Astro." He looked at the three dour
faces and then said, "Would you consider getting a free ride to Venus?"

The three cadets looked up hopefully.

"Major Connel's taking the _Polaris_ to Venus to complete some work with
Professor Higgleston in the Venus lab," explained Strong. "If you can
get back to the Academy before he blasts off, he might give you a ride."

"No, thanks!" said Roger. "I'd rather sit here."

"Wait a minute, Roger," said Tom. "We're on leave, remember? And it's
only a short hop to Venus."

"Yeah, hotshot," added Astro. "We'll get to Venus faster than the _Venus
Lark_, and save money besides."

"O.K.," said Roger. "I guess I can take him for a little while."

Strong suppressed a smile. Roger's reluctance to go with Connel was well
founded. Any cadet within hailing distance of the hard-bitten spaceman
was likely to wind up with a bookful of demerits.

"Are you on an assignment, sir?" asked Tom.

"Vacation," said Strong. "Four weeks of fishing at Commander Walters'
cabin at Sweet Water Lakes."

"If you pass through New Chicago," said Tom, "you would be welcome to
stop in at my house. Mom and Dad would be mighty happy to meet you. And
I think Billy, my kid brother, would flip a rocket."

"Thank you, Tom. I might do that if I have time." He looked at his
watch. "You three had better hurry. I'd advise taking a jetcopter back
to the Academy. You might not make it if you wait for a monorail."

"We'll do that, sir," said Tom.

The three boys threw their gear into the waiting cab and piled in.
Strong watched them roar away, frowning in thought. An S.D. priority,
the highest priority in space, was used only by special couriers on
important missions for one of the delegates. He shrugged it off.
"Getting to be as suspicious as an old space hen," he said to hi