and carried him out of the
galley. The other two followed."

"Didn't the professor put up a fight?" asked Vidac.

"Oh, yes, sir," said Winters. "But he didn't have a chance against the
three cadets."

"Why didn't you do something about it?" Governor Hardy suddenly broke
in.

"I tried, sir," replied Winters calmly. "I ran after them, but they all
piled into a converted jet boat and blasted out of there."

"Then what did you do?" asked Vidac.

"That's when I came to get you, sir," said Winters. "And we started
looking for them." Winters paused. "Ah--pardon me, sir, but can I go
now? I've been up all night and I'm pretty tired."

Vidac nodded and Winters left the room.

"You mean you've been up all night looking for the cadets?" asked Hardy.
"Weren't they in their quarters?"

"No, sir," replied Vidac and turned to the cadets. "Well," he demanded,
"what have you got to say for yourselves?"

The three cadets were silent.

"I must warn you," continued Vidac, "this is a serious matter and
anything you say may be used against you. But on the other hand, if you
speak freely and are willing to co-operate, I will do what I can to
lessen your punishment."

Hardy suddenly stepped forward and slammed his fist on Vidac's desk.
"None of that! There'll be no favors to criminals!" He turned to the
cadets angrily.

"What did you do with the professor?" he demanded.

The cadets kept silent.

"Where did you take him?" he shouted.

Neither Tom, Roger, or Astro batted an eyelash. They kept their eyes
front and their lips tight.

"I warn you, you'll spend the rest of your lives on a prison rock if you
don't answer!"

Tom finally turned and looked straight at the governor. "May I speak,
sir?"

"Only if you tell me what you did with Professor Sykes," replied Hardy
angrily.

"You have not asked us, sir," said Tom coolly, "to tell our side of
the story. You are accusing us of a crime and have already assumed that
we are guilty. We are not."

[Illustration: _Bush pulled a paralo-ray gun from his belt and said,
"All right, march!"_]

"Do you deny it?" asked Hardy.

"We deny everything," said Tom flatly.

Hardy whirled around to face the colonists, Vidac, and Bush. "I want it
clearly understood by everyone here that Space Cadets Tom Corbett, Roger
Manning, and Astro, in the face of testimony given by eyewitnesses as to
their argument with Professor Sykes, and their later abduction of the
professor, do now conspire t