"Why, a couple of days ago," Jeff replied.
There was a long pause while the man continued to look at Jeff ominously. Finally he stepped back and lowered the paralo-ray gun. "All right, go on. But if you see those murdering cadets, let us know. We're out to get them, and when we do, we're going to—"
"But what right have you to do this on your own?" cried Jane.
"We ain't," said Joe. "Governor Vidac made us all special deputies this morning."
"But we'd do it, anyway," cried someone from the rear of the crowd. "Those Space Cadets are guilty and we're going to see that they get what's coming to them!" There was a roar of agreement.
Jeff nodded, stepped on the accelerator, and eased the car slowly through the group of men. As soon as he was free, he stepped down hard and sent the jet car racing along the highway back toward Roald City.
"Jeff—Jeff," asked Jane despairingly, "do you think they'll catch the boys?"
"I don't know," replied Jeff grimly. "But if they are caught, the only way we can save them is to find the professor's journal and pray that the uranium report is in it."
"But you said the information would be there," said Jane.
"When you need something as badly as we need that report," replied Jeff, "you never find it."