ell
you something, Shinny. I was the one that got that kid to break outta
that space station!"

"You what?" asked Shinny. The little spaceman had come to like the
straightforwardness of Roger.

"That's right," said Loring. "When Mason and me loused up taking over
the _Annie Jones_, that kid, Manning, was on the radar watch at the
station. At the same time we were gonna crash into the station he
crossed a coupla wires and was talking to his girl back on Earth! They
think _he_ fouled up the radar and caused the crash!"

"Then he's your fall guy," commented Shinny thoughtfully.

"Right," said Loring. "And now you come along and tell us that we can
get him to astrogate us out to Tara! I tell ya, Mason, this is the
greatest gag I've heard in years!"

"Yeah," agreed Mason, his weak mouth still stretched in a stupid grin,
"but you have to be careful he never finds out it was us that got him
into all his trouble!"

"Leave that to me," said Loring. "He'll never know a thing. In fact,
he'll thank us for getting him off the station and then giving him a
chance to get back in space." He turned to Shinny. "You got the ship?"

"I told you before," said Shinny, "there ain't anything to be had."

"Well, we gotta have a ship," said Loring. "A fortune waiting for us in
the deep and no space wagon to go get it!"

"There _is_ a ship," said Shinny. "Not too good, but a spaceship."

"Where?" asked Loring.

"Near Venusport. Out in the jungles, to be exact. Needs a little fixing,
but it'll make a deep space hop well enough."

"Who does it belong to?" demanded Loring.

"Me," said Shinny, a strange twinkle in his eyes.

"_You?_" gasped Loring. "By the craters of Luna, where did you get a
spaceship?"

"Fifteen years ago a freighter was forced down in the jungles right near
Venusport," said Shinny. "I was prospecting near by for pitchblende,
back when everybody thought Venus was loaded with it. I saw the crew
leave in jet boats. Soon as they was out of sight I went over to take a
look. I wanted to see if there was any grub I could swipe and save
myself a trip back to Venusport for more supplies. Anyway, I went aboard
and found the grub all right, but I got nosy about why they had made an
emergency touchdown. I looked around the power deck and found they had
busted their reaction timer. I got the idea then of fixing it up and
bringing it back to Venusport to give them young jerks a surprise. I
lifted her off the ground and then f