[Illustration]




CHAPTER 5


"We passed!"

Tom turned away from the lists posted on the dormitory bulletin board
and with his arms around Astro and Roger pushed through the knot of
cadets.

"Yeow!" bellowed Astro.

"We made it," murmured Roger with a note of disbelief in his voice. "We
made it!" And then, with the realization that he was still a Space Cadet
for at least another term, he turned and began pounding Astro on the
back. "You big Venusian ape, we made it."

Arm in arm, the three cadets strolled across the quadrangle and shouted
to friends they passed. Occasionally they fell silent when they saw a
boy carrying his gear to the supply building. These had failed to pass
the rigid examinations.

Near the Tower of Galileo, the cadets came face to face with Tony
Richards, McAvoy, and Davison. The two units looked at each other
silently, remembering what had happened only four short weeks before.
Then they all smiled and pounded each other on the back, congratulating