shoulder packs of
synthetic food and camping equipment. Each boy also carried a two-foot
jungle knife with a compass inlaid in the handle. A helmet of clear
plastic with a small mesh-covered opening in the face covered each boy's
head. Dressed as they were, they could walk through the worst part of
the jungles and not get so much as a scratch.

"Well," commented Sinclair, looking them over, "I guess you boys have
everything. I'd hate to be the tyranno that crosses your path!"

The boys grinned. "Thanks for everything, sir," said Tom. "You've been a
lot of help."

"Think nothing of it, Tom. Just bring back a pair of tyranno scalps!"

"Where are Mr. and Mrs. Hill?" asked Astro. "We'd like to say good-by to
them."

"They left before you got up," replied Sinclair. "They're taking a few
days off for a visit to Venusport."

The boys pulled on their jungle boots. Knee-length and paper-thin, they
were nonetheless unpenetrable even if the boys should step on one of the
needle-sharp ground thorns.

They waved a last good-by to their host, standing on the steps of the
big house, and moved across the clearing to the edge of the jungle wall.

As the cadets approached the thick tangle of vines, the calls and
rustling noises from the many crawling things hidden in the forbidding
thicket slowly died down. They walked along the edge of the tangle of
jungle creepers until they found an opening and stepped through.

[Illustration: _They were completely surrounded by the jungle_]

After walking only ten feet they were completely surrounded by the
jungle and could not even see the clearing they had just left. It was
dark, the network of vines, the thick tree trunks and rank growing
vegetation shutting out the sun, leaving the interior of the jungle
strangely plunged in gloom. Astro moved ahead, followed by Roger, with
Tom bringing up the rear. They followed the path they had entered, as
far as it went, and then began cutting their way through the underbrush,
stopping only to cut notches in the trees to mark their passage.

Their long-bladed knives slicing through vines and brush easily, Tom,
Roger, and Astro hacked their way deeper and deeper into the mysterious
and suffocating green world.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 6

"I guess that's the Sharkey place over there," mumbled Major Connel to
himself, banking his jet launch over the green jungles and pointing the
speedy little craft's nose toward the clearing in the dist