_Polaris_ unit versus _Arcturus_ unit."
As two thousand space cadets, crowded in the grandstands watching the
annual academy tournament, rose to their feet and cheered lustily, Tom
Corbett turned to his unit-mates Astro and Roger and called
enthusiastically, "O.K., fellas. Let's go out there and show them how to
play this game!"
During the two days of the tournament, Tom, Roger and Astro, competing
as a unit against all the other academy units, had piled up a tremendous
amount of points in all the events. But so had Unit 77-K, now known as
the _Capella_ unit. Now with the _Capella_ unit already in the finals,
the _Polaris_ crew had to win their semifinal round against the
_Arcturus_, in order to meet the _Capella_ in the final round for
Academy honors.
"This is going to be a cinch," boasted Astro. "I'm going to burn 'em
up!"
"Save it for the field," said Tom with a smile.
"Yeah, you big Venusian ape," added Roger. "Make points instead of space
gas."
Stripped to the waist, wearing shorts and soft, three-quarter-length
space boots, the three boys walked onto the sun-baked field amid the
rousing cheers from the stands. Across the field, the cadets of the
_Arcturus_ unit walked out to meet them, stopping beside McKenny at the
mid-field line. Mike waited for the six boys to form a circle around
him, while he held the mercuryball, a twelve-inch plastic sphere, filled
with air and the tricky tube of mercury.
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