small gnat-sized
space craft to the proper position.

"That's good!" shouted Stefens. "Now hold that. Let me see. I think
we've hit pay dirt."

From the right, Tom could see the red flash of the rockets of Terry
Scott's jet boat, which Astro had volunteered to pilot, coming into
view. As soon as order had been restored aboard the station, search
parties had been sent out to look for survivors.

Carefully Tom slowed the space craft in response to Stefens' brief
commands and soon came to a dead halt in space. There, hovering right
above them, visible through the crystal dome of the jet boat, Tom could
see two space-suited figures floating effortlessly. A moment later
Scott's craft came alongside, and the two small ships were lashed
together with magnetic lines. Tom and Stefens hurriedly pulled on their
space helmets. They adjusted the valves regulating the oxygen supply in
their suits, and Stefens slipped back the sliding top of the jet boat.
Out on the hull he secured a line to a projecting ring, and ordering Tom
to stand by, he pushed himself off the ship into the bottomless void of
space.

The line trailing behind him, Stefens drifted toward the two helpless
figures. He reached them in less than a minute, secured the line to
their belts, and signaled Tom to haul in.

Near by, Terry Scott and Astro watched as the three figures were pulled
to safety.

Quickly the top of the jet boat was closed, oxygen pressure in the craft
was restored, and the four men took off their helmets.

"Whew!" said Loring. "I sure want to thank you for pulling us out of the
deep!"

"We sure do, sir!" added Mason. Then, with a quick look at Loring, he
asked softly, "Were there any other survivors?"

Stefens' face was grim. "Not one. After we untangled the mess, we found
bodies of two men. It was pretty bad. A little later something was
spotted on the radar, and we hoped there might be survivors. Luckily for
you, we came to look!"

[Illustration: _Tom could see two space-suited figures floating
effortlessly_]

"By the rings of Saturn," swore Loring softly, "Jardine and Bangs were
brave men. They practically forced us to pile out when they saw they
were going to crack up." He turned to Mason. "Didn't they, Al?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure brave men," Al Mason agreed.

"Nothing to be done for them now, of course," said Stefens. "What
happened?" He paused, and then added, "You don't have to tell me if you
don't want to before you make out y