and as it did, he gradually put his helmet back on full transparent.

A mighty column of fire now reached out from the asteroid into space. Rip
held his breath until he saw that the little planet was sheering off its
course under the great blast. Then he sighed with relief. All was well so
far.

Someone muttered, "By Gemini! I'm glad we're out here instead of down
there!"

The column of fire lengthened, thinned out, grew fainter, until there was
only a glow behind the asteroid. Rip took his astrogation instruments and
made a number of sights. They looked good. The first blast had worked
about as predicted, although he wouldn't be able to tell how much
correction was needed until he had taken star sights over a period of
five or six days.

"Let's go home," he ordered.

Back on the asteroid, a pit that glowed with radioactivity marked the
site of the first blast. Rip ordered the men to stay as far from it as
possible, to avoid increasing their radiation doses. He plotted the lines
for the second blast, found the spot, and put Kemp back to work on a new
hole.

Two hours later the second blast threw fire into space. In another three
hours, with the asteroid now speeding on its new course, Rip set off the
explosion that blasted straight back and gave extra speed.

Three radioactive craters marked the asteroid. Rip checked the radiation
level and didn't like it a bit. He decided to set up the landing boat and
their supplies as far away from the craters as possible, which was on the
sun side. They could move to the dark side as they approached the orbit
of Earth. By then the radioactivity from the blasts would have died down
considerably.

He was selecting the location for a base when Dowst suddenly called,
"Lieutenant Foster!"

There was urgency in the Planeteer's voice. "What is it, Dowst?"

"Sir, take a look, about two degrees south of Rigel!"

Rip found the constellation Orion and looked at bright Rigel. For a
moment he saw nothing; then, south of the star, he saw a thin, orange
line.

Nuclear drive cruisers didn't have exhausts of that color, and there was
only one rocket-drive ship around, so far as they knew.

Rip said softly, "Let's get our house in order, gang. Looks as if we're
going to get a visit from the Connies!"

CHAPTER EIGHT

Duck--or Die!

Sergeant Major Koa's great frame loomed in front of Rip. "Think they've
spotted us, sir?"

Rip hated to say it. "Probably. Koa, can you est