"And whatever trouble she brings," added Roger softly.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER 11
"Cadet _Higgins_!" Major Connel's voice roared over the ship's intercom
as the giant rocket cruiser _Polaris_ blasted smoothly through space.
"Yes, sir," squeaked Alfie in reply.
"Cadet Higgins," said Connel, "I thought I had requested a sight on the
sun star Regulus at fifteen hundred hours!"
"You did, sir," replied Alfie.
"_Then why, by the craters of Luna, don't I have that position?_"
"I was--busy, sir," came the meek reply.
"Cadet Higgins," sighed Connel patiently, "would you be so kind as to
come down to the control deck?"
In the short space of time since their departure from the space station
Major Connel had learned that to scold Cadet Higgins was not the way to
gain his attention. In fact, Major Connel had not been able to find a
way of getting the little cadet's attention in any manner, at any time,
on anything.
"I can't right now, sir," replied Alfie.
"What do you _mean_, you can't?" exploded Connel.
"I mean, sir," explained Alfie, "that I've just sighted Tara and I have
to get a position check on her before we go any farther, to ensure that
we traverse the same trajectory on our return trip and thus avoid the
problem of finding a new and safe route back.
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