Receiving no response, Jeffers tried again. “Spaceship to Tom! Spaceship to Tom! … Can you read me, skipper?”
Again no response. The two boys were apparently unable to pick up the ship’s distress signal!
CHAPTER VI
A HAZARDOUS ROCKET TRIP
NEITHER Tom nor Bud was aware of what had happened to the cargo rocket, which lay marooned far behind them. The two boys pushed steadily forward in their space suits.
“Sure we’re headed on the right course?” Bud radioed after a while.
Tom glanced at a small dial on his sleeve. “As nearly as I can figure,” he replied. “Our present velocity should carry us up to the space station’s orbit. The trick will be to intersect the orbit at the right position. I’ll check again, after a time, by shooting another fix.”
Ten or fifteen minutes later Tom took the stellar sextant out of its case, swinging from his suit. As he tuned in once more for a set of star bearings, Bud happened to glance behind them. The blood drained from his face.
“Skipper!” Bud exclaimed. “The ship’s gonel”
54
A HAZARDOUS ROCKET TRIP 55
Tom whirled to look himself. The cargo rocket was nowhere in sight!
“Good night!” the young inventor murmured. “I don’t see how it could have lost us, Bud. We should have been in direct view from the flight compartment at all times.”
“Yes, but remember, the ship’s steering mechanism was fouled up!” Bud shot back over his suit radio.
“You’re so right, pal,” Tom acknowledged ruefully. “We should have checked before to make sure they were able to follow our course. What a couple of goofs we arel”
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