ight I'm coming," said Tom. "This is one time the Solar
Guard is taking it on the chin. And, crawler, am I happy to see it!"

He grabbed Bull's hand and was lifted as easily as if he had been a
feather. Coxine dropped him on the deck and turned away without a word
to disappear inside the ship.

As he looked around, Tom suddenly felt a cold shiver run through his
body. He felt as if he had signed his own death warrant. There was no
mistake about it. The ship was the same one he had watched night after
night at the exposition on Venus. And the names of the two owners
exploded in his brain. "Wallace and Simms!"

He turned to jump out of the air lock, but it slid closed in front of
him. He was trapped.

* * * * *

Sprawled on the ground in front of one of the white houses near the
tower perimeter, Captain Strong stirred, shook his head, and painfully
rose to a half-crouch. With eyes still dulled by shock, he looked around
to see Astro lying unconscious a few feet away. His brain still reeling
from the effects of Coxine's sneak attack, he staggered over to his
knees beside him.

"Astro, Astro--" Strong called. "Astro, snap out of it!"

The big Venusian moaned and opened his eyes. He sat bolt upright.
"Captain Strong! What happened?"

"I'm not too sure, Astro," said Strong. "All I remember is Coxine
slugging me."

As they struggled to their feet, they suddenly noticed the towering
columns of smoke rising into the air.

"By the rings of Saturn!" gasped Strong. "Look, Astro!"

"Blast my jets!" cried the big cadet. "What--what could have happened?"

The two spacemen stood gaping at the shattered remains of the tower and
the smoldering area around it. In the distance, scarlet-clad guardsmen
moved dazedly around the wreckage and above them a rocket destroyer was
blasting on one jet, coming in for a touchdown.

"Astro," said Strong grimly, "I don't know how it could have happened,
but the prison asteroid has been attacked. A rocket-blasting good job of
it! Come on! We've got to get over there!"

"Yes, sir," said Astro. As they started running toward the field, he
searched the figures moving about in the distance for two familiar blue
uniforms. "I don't see Roger or Tom, sir," he said hesitantly. "Do you
think--?"

"We'll just have to wait and see," interrupted Strong grimly. "Come on,
step it up!"

As the two spacemen approached the smoking ruins of the underground
cradles, ammuni