stro.

The blond-haired cadet sat up in bed, dangled his feet over the side,
and rubbed his neck. He groaned as he moved. "I don't think I'm going to
dance much this month, if that answers your question. I feel like every
bone in my body was broken!"

"They very nearly were, Cadet Manning," said the medical officer,
standing near by.

"What happened, Manning?" asked Commissioner Hawks.

"I really don't know, sir," replied Roger. "I was moving the junk out of
the corner of the shack so I could examine it. I was piling it up in the
middle of the floor when--wham--something gave way and I took a header
into nowhere!" He looked at Astro. "Now suppose _you_ tell me what
happened!"

Astro told Roger about finding him dangling at the end of the tangled
feed lines. Then he said, "Tom and Captain Strong are out there now,
waiting for one of the Solar Guard emergency crews."

"Well, what are we hanging around here for?" asked Roger, and hopped off
the bed. He groaned, staggered, and then straightened up. "Nothing to
worry about," he said, as Astro rushed to his side. "I'm as good as
new!"

"What do you say, Doctor?" asked Hawks.

The doctor hesitated a moment and then smiled. "Well, Commissioner,
Cadet Manning has several strained muscles in his back, but the best
treatment for that is exercise."

Hawks nodded and signed a release slip which the doctor gave him. Astro
helped Roger put on his space boots, and five minutes later they were
speeding back to the exposition grounds in the commissioner's jet car.
As they sped through the streets, the two cadets speculated on what they
would find at the bottom of the shaft. Arriving at the shack, they were
immediately challenged by an enlisted Solar Guardsman.

"Halt!" said the guard gruffly. "Advance slowly for recognition!"

With Commissioner Hawks leading the way, Roger and Astro walked up to
the guard.

"Say," said Roger, nudging Astro, "look at what's going on around here!"

"Yeah," agreed Astro, wide-eyed. "Something must be plenty hot to have
guards posted!"

Hawks was immediately recognized by the guard, but he still stubbornly
demanded proof of their identity. Hawks, Roger, and Astro hauled out
their Solar Guard identification disks, small metal plates with their
images engraved in the shiny metal. On the other side was a detailed
description of the bearer.

"Very well, sir," said the guard and let them pass.

In the pale light of dawn, feverish activity cou