st went
on a wingding. Imagine the colossal nerve of those two wanting to corner
the market with the largest deposit of copper ever found."

"How do you plan to get it back, Major?" asked Shinny.

"I don't know, Shinny--"

"_Mr._ Shinny!" snapped the wizened spaceman. "_I'm_ not one of your
cadets!"

"Still the hotheaded rocket buster, eh?" asked Connel, eying the
toothless spaceman. "It was the same thing that got you kicked out of
the Solar Guard twenty years ago!"

"Wasn't either! And you know it!" snapped Shinny. "You retired me
because I busted my leg!"

"That helped," said Connel, "but the main reason was because you were
too hotheaded. Couldn't take orders!"

"Well," said Shinny doggedly, "I ain't in no Solar Guard now, and when
you talk to me, it's _Mr._ Shinny!"

"Why, you old goat!" exploded Connel. "I ought to arrest you for aiding
criminals!"

"You can't do a thing to me," barked Shinny. "Prospecting is
prospecting, whether it's in the asteroid belt or out here on Tara!"

Unable to hold back any longer, the four space cadets suddenly roared
with laughter at the sight of the two old space foes jawing at each
other. Actually, Connel and Shinny were glad to see each other. And when
they saw the boys doubled up with laughter, they couldn't help laughing
also. Finally Connel turned to Roger.

"Can you find that satellite again?" he asked.

"Yes, sir!" Roger grinned.

"All right, then," said Connel finally, "let's go take a look at it. I
still won't believe it until I see it!"

"Who's hardheaded now?" snorted Shinny, climbing into the _Polaris_.

Later, as the rocket cruiser blasted smoothly through space, Connel
joined Roger and Alfie on the radar deck. The two cadets were bent over
the radar scanner.

"Pick her up yet?" asked Connel.

"There she is, right there, sir," said Roger, placing a finger on a
circular white blip on the scanner. "But the magnascope shows pretty
rugged country. I think we'd better take a look on the opposite side.
Maybe we can find a better place to touch down."

"Very well, Manning," replied Connel. "Do what you think best. Tell Tom
to land as soon as possible."

"Aye, aye, sir," replied Roger.

Leaving Alfie on watch at the scanner, Roger hurried down the ladder to
the control deck where Tom was seated in front of the great board.

"Tom," called Roger, walking up behind his unit-mate, "we're going to
take a look at this baby on the other side. See if we can't