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 estimate from the exhaust how far away they are?" "Not very well, Lieutenant. From the position of the streak, I'd say they're decelerating." The Planeteers looked at Rip. He was in command, and they expected him to do something about the situation. Rip didn't know what to do. The rocket launcher, their only weapon, wasn't designed for fighting spaceships. It was useful against snapper-boats and people, but firing at a cruiser would be like sending mosquitoes to fight elephants. He sized up their position. For one thing, they were right out in the open, exposed to anything the Connie cruiser might throw at them. If they could get under cover, there might be a chance. At least it would take the Connies a while to find them.