tigated the whole affair. Roger was
particularly silent, since his actions in obtaining the study spools
had started the whole chain of disastrous events.

The boys did not know which cadet would be appointed to defend them
until late the following afternoon when there was a knock on the door,
and a small, thin cadet, wearing a thick pair of eyeglasses that gave
him a decided owllike look, entered the room.

"Alfie Higgins!" cried Tom.

"The Brain!" yelled Astro.

"Glad to see you, pal!" shouted Roger.

The three cadets surrounded little Alfie and pommeled him playfully in
their joy at seeing another cadet. Alfie merely looked at them gravely.

"Hello, Tom, Roger, Astro," he said somberly.

"What are you doing here?" asked Tom. "We're not allowed visitors."

"I'm not a visitor, Tom," replied the little cadet. "I'm your defense
lawyer." He glanced at Roger and Astro. "I hope that will be
satisfactory to you."

"Satisfactory!" exclaimed Tom. "Alfie, we couldn't ask for anyone
better."

"That's right, Brain," said Roger. "You're the boy for us."

Astro grunted his approval. "Yeah."

"Well, in that case," said Alfie, opening his brief case, "I would
suggest that we get right down to the facts. The trial is tomorrow."

"All right, Alfie, we're ready," said Tom. "I suppose you want to hear
the whole thing."

"If you don't mind," said Alfie, adjusting his eyeglasses. "You start,
Roger."

Sitting around the room, relaxed, yet concerned, the four cadets
discussed the details of the case. Alfie took copious notes,
occasionally interrupting Tom or Roger or Astro to ask a pointed
question.

[Illustration]

They talked for nearly four hours before Alfie was finally satisfied
that he knew all the facts. He left them with the same somber attitude
he had when he first arrived, and when the boys were alone, they each
felt a chill of fear. The full meaning of a defense lawyer hit them.
They were in serious trouble. After a few moments of silence, Tom rose
and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Astro flopped on his back
in his bunk and went to sleep. Roger began throwing darts idly at his
"solar system" over his bunk. It was a map of his own design depicting
the planets revolving around the sun, only each planet was represented
by a picture of a girl, and his own grinning countenance was the sun. He
was known to have made dates by throwing a dart at the map blindly and
taking out the girl whose picture he had