"All clear fore and aft," reported Roger.

"Full thrust, Astro," ordered Tom, "but stand by for emergency
maneuvers. This is going to be a tough trip, fellows. Perhaps the
toughest trip we've ever made. So keep your eyes and ears open and
spaceman's luck!"

"Spaceman's luck!" echoed his unit mates.

Under full thrust the speedy little ship shot ahead of the fleet toward
the gigantic mass of asteroids, planetoids, and millions of lesser space
bodies, whirling and churning among themselves at an incredible rate of
speed. Hardly had they left the fleet when Roger's voice crackled over
the intercom again.

"Say, you space monkeys!" he yelled. "I got an idea! How about taking
this wagon and heading back for the Academy?"

"Can't," replied Astro, "we've only got forty-eight hours of fuel,
water, and oxygen--and no reserves. We couldn't get one-tenth of the way
back before we ran out of everything, even if we wanted to go back."

"What do you mean--_if_?" snapped Roger. "Wouldn't you go back? How
about you, Tom?"

"I'd think a long time before I would," said Tom. "Remember, Vidac
hasn't done anything we can actually pin on him."

"What about making the colonists pay for their food," sneered Roger.