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Title: On the Trail of the Space Pirates
Author: Carey Rockwell
Contributor: Willy Ley
Illustrator: Louis Glanzman
Release date: April 15, 2007 [eBook #21092]
Most recently updated: January 11, 2025
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/21092
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON THE TRAIL OF THE SPACE PIRATES ***
ON THE TRAIL OF THE SPACE PIRATES
A TOM CORBETT Space Cadet Adventure
By CAREY ROCKWELL
WILLY LEY _Technical Adviser_
ILLUSTRATIONS BY LOUIS GLANZMAN
GROSSET & DUNLAP _Publishers_ New York
COPYRIGHT, 1953, BY
ROCKHILL RADIO
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
[Transcriber's note: This is a rule 6 clearance. PG has not been able
to find a copyright renewal for this book.]
ILLUSTRATIONS
Hawks stood up and eyed the two men coldly
Tom saw three pretty girls board the ship
The hatch opened again and the two spacemen entered the air lock
The scar-faced man obviously wanted something from Tom
The young cadet timed his move perfectly
All Solar Guard defense measures seemed to be futile
Astro and Coxine were locked in mortal combat
ON THE TRAIL OF THE SPACE PIRATES
CHAPTER 1
"ALL ABOARD!"
A metallic voice rasped over the loud-speakers and echoed through the
lofty marble and aluminum concourse of the New Chicago Monorail
Terminal. "Atom City express on Track Seven! Space Academy first stop!
Passengers for Space Academy will please take seats in the first six
cars!"
As the crowd of people waiting in the concourse surged through the gate
leading to Track Seven, three boys in the royal-blue uniforms of the
Space Cadet Corps slowly picked up their plastic space bags and joined
the mass of travelers.
Wearily, they drifted with the crowd and stepped on the slidestairs
leading down to the monorail platform. In the lead, Tom Corbett, the
command cadet of the unit, a tall, curly-haired boy of eighteen,
slouched against the handrail and looked back at his two unit-mates,
Roger Manning and Astro. Manning, a slender cadet, with close-cropped
blond hair, was yawning and blinking his eyes sleepily, while Astro, the
third member of the unit, a head taller than either of his unit-mates
and fifty pounds heavier, stood flat-footed on the step, eyes closed,
his giant bulk swaying slightly with the motion of the slidestairs.
"Huh! A real snappy unit!" Tom muttered to himself.
"Hmmm? What?" Roger blinked and stared bleary-eyed at Tom.
"Nothing, Roger," Tom replied. "I only hope you guys can stay awake long
enough to get on the monorail."
"It's your own fault, Tom," rumbled Astro in his bull-like voice. "If
your family hadn't thrown so many parties for us while we were on leave,
we'd have had more sleep."
"I didn't hear any complaints then," snorted Tom. "Just get into the car
before you cork off, will you? I'm in no shape to carry you."
Seconds later, the slidestairs deposited the three boys on the platform
and they slowly made their way through the crowd toward the forward cars
of the monorail. Entering the third car, they found three seats together
and collapsed into their luxurious softness.
"Oh, brother!" Tom groaned as he curled himself into the cushions, "I'm
going to sleep all the way to the Academy."
"I'm asleep already," mumbled Roger, his voice muffled by his cap pulled
low over his face.
Suddenly Astro sat bolt upright. "I'm hungry!" he announced.
"Oh, no!" moaned Tom.
"Why, you overgrown Venusian ape, Mrs. Corbett gave you dinner less than
an hour ago!" Roger complained. "Steak, French fries, beans, corn, pie,
ice cream...."
"Two helpings," chimed in Tom.
"And now you're hungry!" Roger was incredulous.
"Can't help it," calmly answered Astro. "I'm a big guy, that's all." He
began digging through his space bag for an apple Mrs. Corbett had
thoughtfully provided.
Tom finally stirred and sat up. He had learned a long time ago the
futility of trying to deny Astro's Gargantuan appetite. "There's a
dining car on this section of the monorail, Astro," he said, slapping a
crumpled mass of credits into the Venusian's hamlike hand. "Here. Have
yourself a good time." He slumped back in his seat and closed his eyes.
"Yeah," growled Roger, "and when you come back, don't make any noise!"
Astro smiled. He got up carefully and climbed over his two sleeping
mates. Standing in the aisle, he counted the credits Tom had given him
and turned to the front of the car. Suddenly a heavy voice growled
behind him.
"One side, spaceboy!"
A hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him to one side. Caught
off balance, Astro fell back on his sleeping unit-mates.
"Hey! What th--" stuttered Astro as he sprawled on top of his friends.
The two sleepy cadets came up howling.
"Astro! What in blazes do you think you're doing?" roared Tom.
"Why, you space-brained idiot," yelled Roger, "I ought to lay one on
your chin!"
There was a tangle of arms and legs and finally the three cadets
struggled to their feet. Astro turned to see who had pushed him.
Two men standing at the end of the car grinned back at him.
"It was those two guys at the end of the car," explained Astro. "They
pushed me!" He lumbered toward them, followed by Tom and Roger.
Stopping squarely in front of them, he demanded, "What's the big idea?"
"Go back to your beauty rest, spaceboy!" jeered the heavier of the two
men and turned to his companion, adding with a snarl, "How do you like
his nerve? We not only have to pay taxes to support these lazy kids and
teach them how to be spacemen, but they're loud-mouthed and sassy on top
of it!"
The other man, smaller and rat-faced, laughed. "Yeah, we oughta report
them to their little soldier bosses at Space Academy."
Astro suddenly balled his fists and stepped forward, but Tom grabbed his
arm and pulled him back while Roger eased himself between his mates and
the two grinning men.
"You know, Tom," he drawled, looking the heavier of the two right in the
eye, "the only thing I don't like about being a Space Cadet is having to
be polite to _all_ the people, including the space crawlers!"
"Why, you little punk," sneered the bigger man, "I oughta wipe up the
deck with you!"
Roger smiled thinly. "Don't try it, mister. You wouldn't know what hit
you!"
"Come on, Wallace," said the smaller man. "Leave 'em alone and let's
go."
Astro took another step forward and roared, "B Next |