Corbett nudged Roger and Astro. "You hear that?" he said grimly.

"Yeah!" replied Roger.

"Let's go!" growled Astro.

Without another word, they opened the hatch and made their way quickly
through the rocketing ship, each going to their separate stations,
according to the prearranged plan. Roger climbed up to the radar bridge,
Tom entered the control deck, and Astro burst into the power deck.

"You!" Barret cried out, his eyes wide with sudden fear as the huge
Venusian advanced on him menacingly.

"Get away from those controls," growled the big cadet. "If you don't, so
help me, I'll break you in two!"

Barret backed away, his face white, hands pawing the air frantically as
if he were trying to push the big cadet back.

"Get over there," said Astro. "Sit down and keep your mouth shut!"

On the control deck, Tom was strapping himself into the pilot's chair
and calling frantically into the intercom, "Give me a course, Roger!"

"One-seventy-degree turn to starboard," replied Roger, "and full ahead!
I've got the major on my scanner."

"Pour on the power, Astro!" shouted Tom, gripping the controls firmly.

As the mighty ship blasted in a long, sweeping arc, Professor
Hemmingwell sat numbly in his chair, aware only that the three cadets
were taking the vessel back into the area where the remaining
projectiles, completely out of control, were buzzing around in space
like maddened hornets.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 18

"There he is!"

Roger's voice rose to a triumphant shout on the intercom. "Put the
brakes on this wagon!"

"Check!" retorted Astro from the power deck, his fingers flying over the
switches of the control panel and bringing the ship to a sudden blasting
stop.

On the control deck, Tom turned to Professor Hemmingwell. "I'm going
outside to get Major Connel, sir," he said. "Do you think you'll be all
right?"

The old man nodded absently, still dazed by the sudden turn of events.
Tom hurried past him and met Roger coming down from the radar bridge.
"I'm going too!" the blond-haired cadet announced.

"You tell Astro?"

"Yeah. He's got Barret locked in the power-deck storeroom and he'll take
over the control deck. Wonder if they have a jet boat aboard?"

"I doubt it. Not on a test flight."

"We'll have to hurry," said Roger as they reached the air lock and began
to scramble into space suits.

"Yes," replied Tom. "He probably doesn't have much oxygen."

"There's another reason," gr