e. "Notify all the other ships they are to stand off until we have
made a secure touchdown!"

"Yes, sir!" replied Roger.

"Professor," whispered Tom, "do something!"

Sykes looked at Tom a moment and then turned to leave the control deck.
He paused in the hatch to call back in a low voice, "What can you do
with a madman?"

Helplessly, Tom turned to appeal to Governor Hardy but changed his mind
and stood beside Hardy, crossing his fingers.

At the controls Vidac gripped the acceleration lever and called into the
intercom, "Stand by for touchdown. Power deck, cut all thrust!"

"Power deck, aye, sir," reported Astro.

As the main rockets were cut out again and the _Polaris_ slipped back
through space toward the surface of Roald once more, Tom stood behind
Vidac with Hardy and watched the instruments begin their strange
gyrations again. The cadet glanced at Hardy, whose face was impassive.

"Sir," asked Tom quietly, "isn't there something we can do?"

"Keep quiet, Corbett," snapped Hardy. "That's what you can do!"

"Yes, sir," replied Tom. He turned away to climb into the nearest
acceleration chair and strap himself in. He knew it was possible for the
_Polaris_ to land successfully. He felt sure he could have made a
touchdown on the satellite without trouble, but his first thought had
been for the safety of the others aboard the ship. Now it was out of his
hands and he grudgingly admired the way Vidac was handling the giant
rocket cruiser.

"Twenty-five thousand feet to touchdown," reported Roger.

So far, Vidac had kept the ship dropping at a steadily decreasing rate.
But the tension on the control deck mounted as the surface of Roald
loomed closer and closer.

"Fifteen thousand feet," reported Roger.

Governor Hardy walked to a near-by acceleration chair and strapped
himself in.

"Ten thousand feet!" yelled Roger.

"Power deck, give me three-quarters thrust!" ordered Vidac. Tom heard
the whine of the rockets on the power deck increase with a sharp surge.

"Seven thousand feet," reported Roger.

Vidac remained cool, staring at the control board. Tom wondered what it
was he was watching, since there wasn't one instrument that registered
properly.

"Five thousand feet!" screamed Roger. "Spaceman's luck!"

[Illustration: _The_ Polaris _landed safely on the surface of the
satellite_]

Immediately Vidac ordered Astro to apply full thrust to the main
rockets. The great ship bucked under the sudden acce