torpedo. But this time the distance
separating them was not as great and the torpedo closed in quickly.

"Can't you raise that ship yet, Manning?" Connel roared into the
intercom.

"I just have, sir," replied Roger in a strained voice. "But it's--"

"Let me talk to that lame brain of a skipper," interrupted Connel. "By
the stars, I'll teach him to--"

"It's no use, Connel," said a gruff voice over the control-deck
loud-speaker. "Even if you duck this torpedo, I've got ten more!"

"Who is this?" roared Connel.

"Don't you know, Connel? Why, I'm surprised!"

The teleceiver screen glowed into life and Tom and Connel stared in
horror as they recognized the images of three men. The one in the
foreground smiled mockingly and said, "Remember me, Connel?"

"Devers!" Connel roared.

"And the other two behind him--" stuttered Tom. "Cag and Monty!"

"Why, you dirty space crawler," cried Connel, "I'll get you if it's the
last thing I do!"

[Illustration]

"No, you won't, Major." Devers laughed. "The last thing you'll do is
kiss a space torpedo. Then no more Major Blast-off Connel, no more
whimpering Professor Hemmingwell, and most important, no more projectile
ship!"

And as Devers laughed loudly, Tom threw the ship into another violent
turn and cried, "It's no use, Major. I can't duck this one!"

"All hands brace for torpedo!" warned Connel.

Suddenly there was an explosion aft. The ship lurched and shuddered
violently, spinning through space, and as Tom fought the controls,
everything went black. The ship drifted helplessly, out of control.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 20

"Turn on the lights! Cut in the emergency batteries!"

Connel's bull-throated roar carried through the ship as he stood on the
power deck with Astro and shouted to Tom on the control deck. The space
torpedo had destroyed the stern of the vessel, and if it hadn't been for
Astro's quick action in sealing off the aftersection of the ship, all
the air might have been lost and the crew dead of suffocation.

A moment later the emergency lights glowed weakly and Connel and the big
Venusian cadet began a quick inspection of the ship. The power deck was
a total loss. The ship would never get under way again.

Up on the radar bridge, Roger was about to turn on the radar scanner
when Tom appeared and stopped him.

"Wait a while, Roger," he said. "We may need the power for something
else."

"What, for instance?" snorted Roger.

"That shi