"Sure, I knew them," replied Jeff calmly. "But if they've done anything
to the professor, I want them caught as badly as you do. I've been the
professor's assistant for years. He's--he's like a father to me."

Several of the other men had gathered around the car and were listening.
"That's right, Joe," said a man on the outside of the group. "This
feller's okay. And that's Logan's daughter, all right. They ain't done
nothing."

"When was the last time you saw the cadets?" demanded the man called
Joe.

"Why, a couple of days ago," Jeff replied.

There was a long pause while the man continued to look at Jeff
ominously. Finally he stepped back and lowered the paralo-ray gun. "All
right, go on. But if you see those murdering cadets, let us know. We're
out to get them, and when we do, we're going to--"

"But what right have you to do this on your own?" cried Jane.

"We ain't," said Joe. "Governor Vidac made us all special deputies this
morning."

"But we'd do it, anyway," cried someone from the rear of the crowd.
"Those Space Cadets are guilty and we're going to see that they get
what's coming to them!" There was a roar of agreement.

Jeff nodded, stepped on the accelerator, and eased the car slowly