s own name
and free Roger and Astro.

CHAPTER 15

"Scott!"

"Here!" bellowed a grizzled spaceman in reply to Major Connel's call.

"Augutino!"

"Here!"

"Jones!

"Present!"

"Smith!"

"Here!"

"Albert!"

"Here!"

Connel checked the last name on the clipboard and turned to Professor
Hemmingwell standing beside him at the base of the ship. "All present
and ready, sir."

"Fine!" said the professor. He turned and looked around. "Where is
Dave?"

"Here he comes now," said Connel.

They both watched Barret stride toward them, his arms loaded with gear.

"This is the stuff I told you about, Professor," he said as Hemmingwell
looked at it curiously.

"What stuff?" asked Connel.

"Portable heaters for the crew's space suits, just in case--" Barret
paused meaningfully.

"In case of what?" growled Connel.

"Why, ask them!" replied Barret, gesturing toward the group of civilian
crewmen who had been selected for the test flight of the spaceship.

Connel turned to look at them, then back at Barret. "Ask them what?" he
barked.

"How they feel about making this flight," said Barret.

Connel scowled and turned to the men. "Is there anything to what he
says?" he demanded.

The men shuffled their feet nervously but did not reply.

"Well?" exploded Connel.

"See, they're afraid of you, Connel," said Barret, deliberately omitting
the courtesy of using the major's title.

Ignoring Barret's thrust, Connel continued to face the men. "Is that
right, men?" he shouted. "Are you afraid of me?"

There was a mumble from the group and then the man named Scott, a
thick-set individual with black flashing eyes, stepped forward.

"Speaking for myself," he said, looking straight at the major, "I'm not
afraid of anything that walks. And that includes you, Major Connel. No
offense meant, it's just a statement of fact." He paused and drew a deep
breath. Then he added, "But I am afraid of this ship."

"Why?" demanded Connel, who could not help admiring the man for his
straightforward approach.

"She's junk-jinxed," said the man, using the expression of spacemen who
believed a ship with a suspicious accident record should be junked
because it was jinxed.

"Junk-jinxed!" cried Connel, amazed.

"Preposterous," snorted Professor Hemmingwell. "Why, you helped build
this ship, Scotty! Do you doubt the work you've put into her? Or the
work of your friends?"

"That has nothing to do with it," replied Scott st