On the Trail of the Space Pirates_ A Tom Corbett Space Cadet Adventure - Carey Rockwell [282]
Roger quickly added, "And he wouldn't try to buck Captain Strong unless he was playing for high stakes!"
"Right," said Tom. "The only thing that could have caused our watches to go haywire, like the ships instruments, would be uranium. Lots of uranium. And uranium is the only thing valuable enough to make Vidac take such long chances."
"But how can you tell it's uranium?" asked Logan.
"Our watches are not ordinary timepieces, sir," explained Tom. "They are specially constructed for use in space travel. Each watch is electrically controlled and highly sensitive."
"Electric?" repeated Logan in amazement. "Electric wrist watches? That small thing?"
Tom smiled. "Each is charged by a miniature power pack, sir."
"The uranium deposits out in the hills affected these watches," continued Astro, "the same way they affected the electronic instruments on the spaceships coming in to Roald."
"I'll tell you what," said Jeff. "I'll make a check."
"Wait a minute," said Logan. "I just remembered something—"
"What, sir?" asked Tom.
"Professor Sykes! He was out here poking around in my fields and up in the hills from dawn till dark. Said he was making some soil tests. I yelled at him for stepping all over some baby fruit trees."
"That's it, then," said Roger grimly. "This area is jumping with uranium and Vidac now has title to the land!"
"Don't be so sure," said Tom. "We still need proof."
"Isn't using force to take the land away proof enough?" snapped Logan.
"Wait a minute!" said Jeff. "If you want proof, I know where to get it."
"Where?" asked Tom.
"The professor's work journal!"
"Think he'd record it in there?" asked Tom. "It's pretty valuable information."
"Yes," said Jeff. "He even logs the amount of coffee he drinks in the morning! He puts down everything!"
"You think the journal is still in the lab?" asked Tom.
"Sure it is. I saw it before I left."
"Then we've got Vidac right where we want him!" exclaimed Roger.
"No, we haven't," said Tom. "We haven't got the professor to prove it! Vidac's still the boss on this hunk of space rock, and we're still wanted for murder!"
The door burst open and Billy raced into the room. "A jet car just turned off the highway! It's coming here!"
"We've got to get out of here!" said Tom. He turned to Jeff. "If it's Vidac, tell him you've come to take Jane out on a date. That should explain your presence. Then get the professor's journal and give it to Captain Strong. He'll know what to do!"
Roger and Astro were cramming food in their pockets. "Come on, Tom," said Roger. "I can hear the jets."
"What are you boys going to do?" asked Jane.
"Try to get to the Polaris," replied Tom. "Then we'll hunt for the professor. If we don't find him, we're sunk. He's the key to the whole thing."
Astro and Roger had tumbled out the window and were racing toward the safety of the near-by hills. Tom gave Jeff a final handshake and dived out the window after them. Running toward the clump of bushes where Astro and Roger had just disappeared, he dived for cover, just as Vidac's car roared into the clearing. The boys saw Vidac and Bush get out of the car, and after inspecting Jeff's, turn and stride into the house.
"Come on," said Tom. "We've got to get to the Polaris!"
The three boys turned away and hurried from the farm. In a few minutes, after scrambling to the top of the nearest hill, they turned back to look down on the farmhouse and saw Jeff escorting Jane to his car.
"So far so good," said Tom. "Let's go."
They walked off and were soon lost in the tangle of scrub grass and dry gullies, their destination the Polaris and the solution to the mystery of Professor Sykes's disappearance.
CHAPTER 19
Strong's plan to follow Vidac in order to locate Hardy had paid off. While Vidac and