back here ready for the hardest work you'll ever do in your lives."

"Yes, sir," said Tom.

"Where is Manning? Didn't he think it necessary to report to me?"
Walters looked at Strong. "Well, Steve? It's your unit?"

"It seems he got off the _Space Knight_ at Ganymede, sir," replied
Strong reluctantly. "Captain Miles said the last he saw of Manning he
was walking toward the deep-space section of the spaceport."

Walters' eyes suddenly became very bright and hard. "He got off, did he?
Well," he snapped, "this is just about the end of the line for Cadet
Roger Manning!"

"I'm sure Roger has a good explanation, sir--" began Tom.

Walters glared at the cadet. "None of that, Corbett. Manning is a bad
rocket and the sooner I get rid of him the better off the Academy and
the _Polaris_ unit will be. Now take your twenty-four-hours' leave and
report back here ready to work."

"Yes, sir," replied Tom. He and Astro saluted and turned to leave the
office but were stopped by the sudden appearance of Sid and Kit. Sid's
face was aglow. Kit was scowling.

"You know what we found on the _Space Knight_?" exclaimed Sid, unable to
hold back.

"What?" asked Tom.