aused, then added
significantly, "The test is to take place in deep space."

The three cadets only beamed their enthusiastic approval.

"Tara," continued Strong, "is your destination--a planet like Earth in
many respects, in orbit around the sun star Alpha Centauri. You'll take
the _Polaris_ directly to the Venus space station, where the transmitter
has been given primary tests, outfit the _Polaris_ for hyperdrive, and
blast off!"

"Excuse me, sir," interrupted Tom, "but you say 'you'?"

"I mean," replied Strong, "_you_, in the sense that I won't be going
along with you. Oh, don't worry!" said Strong, holding up his hand as a
sudden look of anticipation spread over the faces of the three boys.
"You're not going alone! You'll have a commanding officer, all right. In
fact, you'll have the nearest thing to the perfect commanding officer in
the Solar Guard!" He waited just long enough for each boy to search his
mind for a suitable candidate and then added, "Your skipper will be
Major Connel!"

"Major Connel!" the three cadets cried in unison.

"You mean Major 'Blast-off' Connel?" uttered Roger unbelievingly.

"That's who I mean," said Strong. "It's the best thing in the universe
that could happen to you!"

Roger stood up and saluted smartly. "I request permission to be
dismissed from this mission on the grounds of incompatibility, sir," he
said.

"Incompatible to what?" asked Strong, amused.

"To Major Connel, sir," replied Roger.

"Permission denied," said Strong with a smile. "Buck up! It isn't so
bad." Strong paused and stood up. "Well, that's it. It's close to eleven
A.M. and you're to report to the major at eleven on the nose. I
hope you've got the _Polaris_ in good shape."

"We were up all night, sir," said Tom. "She's ready to go."

"She's in better shape than we are," said Astro.

"Very well, then. Report to Major Connel immediately. Your papers have
been transferred, so all you have to do is report."

Strong rounded the desk and shook hands with each cadet. "This is an
important mission, boys," he said soberly. "See that you give Major
Connel all the support I know you're capable of giving. He'll need it. I
doubt if I'll see you before you blast off, so this is it. Spaceman's
luck to each of you!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 3

"Well, looks like we're big boys now," said Tom, as the three cadets
strolled down the corridor away from Captain Strong's office. "They
don't hand out secret an