"Where's Astro?" asked Strong, as he reappeared in the lounge.

"He's down on the jet-boat deck, sir, trying to fix another one,"
replied Tom. "I think he's out testing one now."

"Good," said Strong. "How're they taking it?" He indicated the
passengers.

"Roger's been keeping them amused with games and songs, sir," said Tom
proudly.

"They'll need it. I don't mind telling you, Corbett," said Strong, "it's
a wonder to me this tub hasn't blown up already."

In less than a half hour, the forty passengers and crewmen of the _Lady
Venus_ were transferred in alphabetical order to the waiting _Polaris_.
Roger kept up a continual line of patter and jokes and stories, making a
fool of himself, but keeping the remaining passengers amused and their
minds off the dangers of the rapidly building reaction mass.

"Just one passenger left," said Strong, "with myself and you three. I
think we can squeeze five in that jet boat and get off here."

"That's for me," said Roger. "I'm the only man in the whole universe
that's ever played to a packed house sitting on top of an atomic bomb!"

"All right, Barrymore," said Strong, "get aboard!"

"Say," asked Tom, "where's Astro?"

"I don't know," replied Roger. "I thought you went to find him half an
hour ago!"

"I did," said Tom, "but when I went to the jet-boat deck, one was
missing. So I figured he had fixed one and taken it out for a test."

"Then he's probably outside in space now!" said Strong. Suddenly the
Solar Guard captain caught himself. "Wait a minute! How many jet boats
were on the deck, Corbett?"

"Three, sir."

"Then Astro is still aboard the ship," said Strong. "He couldn't have
taken a boat. James told me he couldn't repeat the message he sent out
because he only had the power of _three_ jet boats. One was damaged and
left behind at Atom City!"

"By the rings of Saturn," said Roger, "a coupla million miles from home,
sitting on an atomic bomb and that big Venusian hick decides to play
hide-and-seek!"

"Never mind the cracks," said Strong. "We've got to find him!"

"Captain," said the little man with the round face and glasses who had
first spoken to Strong when he came aboard, "just because my name
happens to be Zewbriski, and I have to be the very last to get on a jet
boat, I don't see why I have to wait any longer. I demand to be taken
off this ship immediately! I refuse to risk my life waiting around for
some foolish cadet!"

"That foolish cadet, Mr.