jet cars. Colonists with paralo-ray guns and anything that could be used
as a weapon were scrambling around in the hills.

"What does it mean?" asked Jane.

"I don't know," replied Jeff. "But I think it's a search for the
cadets!"

"Oh, no!" cried Jane.

"I hope they'll let us through," said Jeff. He pressed down on the
accelerator and started moving along the line of cars. On either side of
the highway, he saw colonists beating the bushes, looking behind rocks
and boulders, shouting at each other as they pressed their hunt for
Astro, Tom, and Roger. Jeff managed to get halfway past the line of cars
when ahead of him another jet car pulled out across the highway,
blocking it. He was forced to stop.

"Hold on there!" roared a man suddenly appearing at the side of the car,
holding a paralo-ray gun pointed directly at Jeff.

Jeff looked at him in mock surprise. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"Who are you?" demanded the man roughly.

"Jeff Marshall. And this is Jane Logan. What's all the fuss about?"

"We're looking for the Space Cadets. They murdered old Professor Sykes!"
snapped the man. His eyes narrowed and he looked at Jeff closely. "You
were pretty chummy with them, weren't you?" he asked.