On the Trail of the Space Pirates_ A Tom Corbett Space Cadet Adventure - Carey Rockwell [436]
Tony Richards and Tom had squared off and were boxing with lightninglike thrusts of their fists, each waiting for an opening. In back of them, Roger and Davison were simply hammering away at each other's mid-sections, and Astro and McAvoy were rolling around on the ground like bears, growling and tugging. It was brute strength against brute strength.
Tom danced away from Richards' rapierlike left, weaved low, and shot a hard right to his opponent's stomach that left him gasping. Richards doubled over and stepped in to bring up a solid right, then hesitated. Richards was through. The blow to the mid-section had taken all the fight out of him. Tom refused to pursue his advantage while the other could not fight back. His anger cooling rapidly, Tom realized that the whole fight was nothing more than a misunderstanding. As Richards sank to the grass helpless and gasping for breath, Tom turned to break up the other two fights. But Roger was just finishing his battle with Davison. Feinting to the mid-section and pulling Davison's guard down, Roger hooked his left cleanly to the jaw, following immediately with a haymaker right. Davison dropped to the turf, out cold.
Meanwhile, Astro had rolled on top of the last cadet of the Capella unit, and with his great strength, clamped McAvoy's arms to his side. Face to face, the two cadets glared at each other. The muscles tightened in Astro's arms, and beads of sweat popped out on his face.
"Give up!" demanded the Venusian, tightening his grip.
Tom shot a hard right to his opponent's stomach
Slowly McAvoy sagged under the pressure Astro was applying and his face began to redden.
"He'll break his back," whispered Roger to Tom.
Tom nodded and stepped forward. "Let him go, Astro. He's finished."
Astro did not let go. His face was white with anger. McAvoy bent further back. "Give up," demanded Astro.
"Grab him," said Tom to Roger. "Get him off Mac before he breaks his back."
Tom and Roger jumped to Astro's side and each grabbed one of the powerful arms encircling McAvoy. It took all their strength to break the viselike hold the giant Venusian had on the other cadet, but slowly they pulled the muscular arms back and McAvoy slumped to the grass.
The three victorious cadets paused and looked down at the beaten Capella crew, then looked at each other.
"Well," sighed Roger, "I suppose that the least we can do now is get them back to their dorm."
Tom and Astro nodded. As the three boys started forward they were stopped by a voice behind them—a voice that roared like an atomic blast.
"Stand to!"
Whirling around in surprise for the second time within a space of ten minutes, Tom, Astro, and Roger saw a menacing sight standing behind them, his balled fists jammed on his hips, his booted legs widespread, and his massive head thrust forward. It was Major Lou Connel, more familiarly known as "Blast-off" Connel, a Senior Line Officer of the Solar Guard and the sternest disciplinarian in the whole Academy. Behind him stood a short, thin man, whom none of the boys recognized.
Connel stepped forward slowly and menacingly, glaring at the three boys.
"Out a little late, aren't you, boys?" he asked with a mildness that sent a chill down their spines.
"Y-yes sir," replied Tom, a slight tremor in his voice.
"On official business, I presume?" The major's voice was still as smooth as silk.
Tom gulped and then shook his head. "N-no, sir," he quavered.
Connel's eyes widened in mock horror. "Why, Corbett," he exclaimed, "didn't anyone ever tell you the rules of Space Academy? Or perhaps you didn't know what time it was?"
Tom bit his lip. He knew that he and his unit mates were caught in a hopeless trap and that Connel was simply baiting them. "I knew what time it was, sir," he said. "We're out after hours."
Suddenly there was a movement in the brush behind Tom as McAvoy stumbled to his feet. Richards also sat up groggily.
"Major!"