Tom on the altitude as the ship drew closer and closer to the
ground.

"One thousand feet!" yelled Roger over the intercom. "Nine
hundred--eight--seven--six--"

"Open main rockets one half!" called Tom. "Reduce rate of fall!"

The thunder of the rockets increased and the mighty ship quivered as its
plummeting descent was checked slightly. Tom quickly adjusted the
stabilizer trim tabs to keep the ship perpendicular to the ground, then
watched the stern scanner carefully as the huge blast-pitted concrete
ramp loomed larger and larger.

"Five hundred feet to touchdown," tolled Roger in more slow and measured
tones. "Four hundred--three--two--"

On the scanner screen Tom could see the exhaust flare begin to lick at
the concrete ramp, then splash its surface until it was completely
hidden. He grasped the main control switch tightly and waited.

"One hundred feet," Roger's voice was tense now. "Seventy-five, fifty--"

Tom barked out a quick order. "Blast all rockets!"

In immediate response, the main tubes roared into thunderous life and
the _Polaris_ shook as the sudden acceleration battled the force of
gravity. The ship's descent slowed perceptibly until she hovered
motionless in the air, her stabilizer fins only two feet from the
concrete ramp.

"Cut all power!" Tom's voice blasted through the intercom. A split
second later there was a deafening silence, followed by a heavy muffled
thud and the creak of straining metal as the _Polaris_ came to rest on
the ramp.

"_Touchdown!_" yelled Tom. He quickly cut all power to the control board
and watched as one by one the gauges and dials registered zero or empty.
The cadet stood up, noticed the time on the astral chronometer, and
turned to face Captain Strong, rising from the chair beside him.

"_Polaris_ made touchdown, planet Venus, at exactly 1543, sir," he said
and saluted crisply.

Strong returned the salute. "Good work, Corbett," he said. "You handled
her as though she was nothing more than a baby carriage!"

Roger came bouncing down the ladder, grinning. "Well," he said, "we're
back on the planet where the monkeys walk around and call themselves
men!"

"I heard that, Manning!" roared Astro, struggling through the hatch from
the power deck. "One more crack like that and I'll stand you on your
head and blast you off with your own space gas!"

"Listen, you overgrown Venusian ape," replied Roger, "I'll--"

"Yeah--" growled Astro, advancing on the smaller ca