We're getting company!"

"Company?" exclaimed Tom. "What're you talking about?"

"A Solar Guard cruiser," replied Roger. "Coming up to port. About five
hundred miles away. Hey! It's the _Polaris_!"

"It must be Captain Strong!" shouted Tom.

"He won't do us much good now," muttered Connel. "How much time do we
have, Roger?"

"Get set down there. Only another ten seconds and Devers will be right
on our bow."

"On the ball, Tom!" ordered Connel.

"Ready, sir."

The seconds ticked by slowly. One--two--three--four--Beads of sweat
appeared on Connel's brow. Astro clenched and unclenched his fists.
Hemmingwell closed his eyes calmly and waited. Barret slumped back in
his couch, almost paralyzed with fear.

"Coming up, Tom!" cried Roger.

Tom didn't reply. He kept his fingers poised on the firing button. And
the seconds ticked off slowly, maddeningly. Seven--eight--nine--!

"They've fired," Roger shouted. "Point-blank! We're going to get it!"

"Fire, Tom!" shouted Connel.

Even as Connel spoke, Tom's finger pressed down hard on the firing
button. The ship quivered as five projectiles blasted from the firing
chambers and winged their deadly way through space. The control room of
the ship was silent, everyone waiting for the impact of the torpedo and
praying that somehow, someway, they could know whether their own attack
had succeeded even if they lost their own lives in the attempt to
destroy Devers' ship.

There was a sudden, blasting roar and a brilliant white flash of light
filled the cabin. The deck heaved violently, then dropped sickeningly.
Under the force of the explosion, everyone was thrown to the deck and
lay deathly still.

* * * * *

In the wardroom of the rocket cruiser _Polaris_, Captain Strong, Major
Connel, Professor Hemmingwell, and Roger and Astro were sipping tea and
calmly discussing the events of the past hour.

"Your ship wasn't too badly damaged, Professor," said Strong. "We'll
take her in tow and bring her back to Space Academy. She'll be good as
new."

"I'm afraid you'll have to do without the services of Dave Barret
though, sir," commented Connel dryly. "He's got a previous engagement on
a prison asteroid and it's going to take him a long time."

"I can do very well without him," said Hemmingwell. "As a matter of
fact, I would have done extremely well without him before." He paused
and shook his head. "I feel so ashamed of myself when I think of t