till we get back."

In a few hours Roger picked up the welcome outline of the _Polaris_ on
his scanner and, shortly after, the rest of the fleet. After receiving
instructions from Vidac to return the scout to the freighter and come
aboard, the three cadets made quick work of transferring to the jet boat
and a short while later were waiting impatiently for the hiss of oxygen
to fill the air lock of the _Polaris_. No sooner had the dial indicated
the equal pressure with the rest of the ship than the inner portal
opened to reveal Vidac waiting for them.

"Well?" he demanded at once. "Is there a way through the asteroid
cluster?"

"No, sir," said Tom. "We searched practically the whole thing. There are
a few openings, but none large enough to let the whole fleet through."

"I thought so," sneered Vidac. "You just blasted to the edge of the
cluster and waited for enough time to pass and then came running back
here!"

"Why, you--" growled Astro. He took a menacing step toward Vidac. The
older spaceman didn't move.

"Yes, Cadet Astro?" said Vidac coldly. "Did you want to say something?"

Before Astro could speak, Tom stepped forward. "Regardless of what you
may think, sir," he said, "we did search the belt and there wasn't any
way through it."