ick. He handled the whole thing."

"Slick!" exclaimed Connel. "I just bawled him out for wearing a dirty
uniform."

"He's responsible for our success," asserted Arnold. "And what's more,
those receivers can be taken apart and reassembled again in less than
ten minutes."

"Incredible," gasped Connel. "I've got to see those things right away.
Come along, Corbett."

Tom followed the major out of the office and back to the jet car. They
were about to drive off to the opposite end of the field when they heard
someone shout to them. Tom stopped the speedy little car and Connel
turned around to see who had called them.

Carter Devers rushed up and greeted the Solar Guard officer
enthusiastically. "Major, this is a surprise."

"Hello, Carter. What are you doing here?" Connel asked bluntly.

"Had some business here on Mars," said Devers. "I've finished and I'm
on my way back to Earth. You wouldn't, by any chance, be going back
soon, would you? I saw the Solar Guard cruiser come in and one of the
attendants told me that they were preparing it for immediate
blast-off--"

"Of course, Carter," Connel said briskly. "Get in. We're just going over
to inspect the receivers and then we'll be heading back."

Devers jumped into the jet car and Tom headed across the broad expanse
of the spaceport.

Connel turned to Devers and said enthusiastically, "Can you imagine,
Devers? Some young officer here at Marsport has worked out a way to
assemble and transport the receivers in a fantastically small amount of
time."

"That's amazing," said Devers. "I'd like very much to see them." He
looked at Tom and said, "Incidentally, who is your young friend?"

"Oh, sorry," replied Connel. "This is Cadet Corbett of the _Polaris_
unit. No doubt you've heard of them. He and his unit mates manage to get
into more trouble than all the monkeys in the Venusian jungle."

Carter laughed. "I've known Lou Connel long enough to know that when he
says something like that about you, son, he thinks very highly of you."

"Thank you, sir," replied Tom, not knowing what else to say.

While Connel and Devers talked of the problems surrounding the
projectile operation, Tom concentrated on his driving. He was following
directions given him by Jim Arnold to reach the testing grounds and this
made it necessary for Tom to drive right through the center of the
spaceport, weaving in and out of the dozens of spaceships parked on the
concrete ramps.

Tom swept pas