“Do you really think you can get it repaired in time, Ben?” Captain Eaton asked gravely. “How much time do you think you can give me?” Ben asked. “I’ll have to do some more calculating before I can estimate exactly how long it will be before we go into final fall,” was the reply, “but, offhand, I would say you’ve got no longer than six hours.” Ben looked at the damaged control panel of the flier and shook his head. “Impossible,” he said, “but I’ll do it. I’ve _got_ to do it.” “Everyone on the ship will be at your disposal, Ben,” Captain Eaton said. “Call for anyone and anything at all that you need in order to hurry those repairs. Ben, there’s no one else I’d rather trust with the lives of us all than you. You can’t let us down.” “That confidence means a lot, Captain,” Ben replied, his expression showing the appreciation he felt. “Mac gave his life for the ship. I’d do no less if it meant saving the _Carefree_ and all you guys.” “I know you mean what you say, Ben,” Captain Eaton said, “but we won’t call on you to go that far. Just get the flier in shape so that we can escape in it and not share the _Carefree_’s fate in crashing on the moon.” Ben shook his head sadly. “I hadn’t thought of the _Carefree_ plunging to her destruction. But we _know_ that’s got to happen, don’t we, because there’s no way of saving her. Captain, this ship has become such a part of my life that I’d almost want to go down with her.” “I feel the same way, Ben,” Captain Eaton replied. “Life will never be the same again without the _Carefree_. I don’t know how I’ll get along without her deck beneath my feet.” “If we get out of this alive,” Mr. Klecker said, “we’ll just have to return to earth and spend the rest of our days there.” “That’s true,” the captain agreed sadly. “Even a millionaire is allowed a space ship as grand as this only once in a lifetime. I couldn’t afford another.” Ben seemed to realize that precious time was going to waste as they talked, and he began getting his tools together. “I know everyone wants to help,” he said, “but I think that Kleck and I can work better together by ourselves just now. There’ll be less confusion. I’ll be sure to call on anyone else if he’s needed.” Mr. Klecker had donned some old clothes, but he did not look comfortable in them. Ben listed more tools and equipment he would need, and Captain Eaton gave the list to Garry. “Take this to Isaac, will you, Garry, and ask him to round these up as quickly as possible. I’ve got to get back to the observatory and see how much time there is to zero hour.” “Isaac has taken Mac’s loss pretty badly, Captain,” Ben said. “Do you think he’ll be working at top efficiency?” “I think it will do him good to have something to do,” the captain replied. “He’ll be of no use to himself, or us either, if he just keeps on brooding.”