Part 36 (1/2)

”In the reactant chamber?” asked Astro. ”Impossible!”

”Remember when we first arrived at the prison asteroid? How thoroughly we were searched?”

Astro nodded.

”Remember, they even searched the s.p.a.ce between the inner and outer hulls? There's three inches of clearance in there. If I cut into that s.p.a.ce through the reactant chamber and put the beacon inside, the noise of the jets will keep c.o.xine from hearing it, and the radioactivity in the chamber will keep them from picking it up on their detectors!”

Astro's face spread into a wide grin, and without another word, he began preparing the cutting torches. Ten minutes later Tom emerged from the chamber and nodded triumphantly. ”All set, Astro! Now all we need is the beacon.”

Suddenly the _Polaris_ was rocked by a heavy explosion.

”They're firing!” yelled Astro.

”Roger! Have you finished the beacon?” demanded Tom over the intercom.

”I need another five minutes!” answered Roger. ”I have to set the signal to send out the SOS.”

”Will it send out _anything_?” asked Tom.

The _Polaris_ rocked again from a second explosion.

”I don't know, Tom,” yelled Roger. ”I haven't even tested it!”

A third explosion jarred the rocket cruiser and the curly-haired cadet knew that the air lock must have been demolished by now.

”Bring down what you've got, Roger!” he yelled. ”We'll just have to take a chance that it'll work. And grab yourself a s.p.a.ce suit on the way down. When they blast through the inner portal of the lock, we'll need 'em!”

”Right!” replied Roger. ”Be down there in a second.”

Astro and Tom hurriedly donned s.p.a.ce suits and waited for Roger to bring the beacon. In a moment the blond-haired cadet appeared with the hurriedly contrived beacon. Tom quickly placed it between the two hulls and sealed the hole in the inner hull.

A fourth explosion rocked the s.h.i.+p and the three cadets knew that by now the air lock had been blasted away. They put on their s.p.a.ce helmets and climbed the ladder to the upper deck.

c.o.xine met them near the air lock, two paralo-ray guns clutched in his gloved hands. Behind him, his crew swarmed in and fanned out all over the s.h.i.+p.

But the s.p.a.ce pirate stood on the control deck, glaring at Tom. ”Whaddya know! The s.p.a.ce Kid himself!”

”That's right, c.o.xine,” said Tom quietly, ”only the real name is Corbett.”

Suddenly there was a triumphant shout from one of the pirates. ”Skipper!

The credits! All twenty million! We found 'em!”

Over their s.p.a.cephones the three cadets could hear the pirates yelling and cheering. c.o.xine bellowed for silence and the cheering quickly subsided.

Paying no further attention to the three cadets, the pirate captain ordered his men to repair the hole in the air lock and prepare for immediate acceleration. There was a triumphant gleam in his eyes as he announced their destination.

”With the Solar Guard on the other side of the belt, we're going to hit the richest prize in the universe! The colony on Ganymede!”