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"General Sheaffe," he continued, turning to that officer, "I am much concerned as to the fate of this town, Niagara, if its namesake fort on the other side of the river should be tempted to forget the rules of war and bombard the private buildings here with hot-shot. However, we will do our best to give the invaders, when they do come, a warm reception.
"I've a hunch he ain't half as strong as he bluffs." "Me, too. I got thet idee yesterday. He was scared of the kid when she fired up an' sent thet hot-shot about her cowboy sweetheart killin' him. He'll do it, Jim. I seen that Carmichael at Magdalena some years ago. Then he was only a youngster. But, whew! Mebbe he wasn't bad after toyin' with a little red liquor." "Shore.
"A shell for number six." "A wet wad for the hot-shot gun." "Put out that pipe and don't light it again on peril of your life." Such were the directions and commands, issued like clockwork amid the confusion of battle. Our executive officer seemed to be in a dozen places at once.
"Go on," yelled Roger, "let's see you drown yourself!" "Not me, hot-shot," yelled Astro. "After that walk, all I'd have to do is open my mouth and start drinking." Finally tiring of his sport, the big Venusian pulled himself up onto the bank of the canal and quickly dressed. Pulling on his space boots, he turned to Tom and Roger, who were breaking out the last two containers of food.
"Roger," said Tom gently, "Roger, are you all right?" "Uh huh? Ohhhh! My head!" "Take it easy, hot-shot," said Astro, "that head of yours is O.K. Nothing but nothing could hurt it!" "Ooohhhh!" groaned Roger, sitting up. "I don't know which is worse, feeling the way I do, or waking up and listening to you again!" Tom sat back with a smile. Roger's remark clinched it. No one was hurt.
"The Solar Guard spends a fortune to develop a foolproof space torpedo and two hot-shot cadets come along and get away from the blasted thing! Why haven't you told this to anyone before?" "Why er " stammered Tom, "we've never had the chance to prove it, sir." Behind them, the power-deck hatch suddenly opened and Astro stepped in. "Nice work, Tom!" he called.
"It won't work," grumbled Roger. "You saw the way he chewed us up, and for what? I ask you for what?" "He was just trying to live up to his reputation, Roger," replied Tom. "But common sense will tell you that if you're on the ball you won't get demerits." "What's the matter, hot-shot?" growled Astro. "Afraid of a little work?"
"Listen, hot-shot!" growled Astro. "I want to know where you got these spools and how." "Well, if that isn't gratitude for you!" muttered Roger. "I go out and risk my neck for my dear beloved unit mates and they stand around arguing instead of buckling down to study." "This is no joke, Roger," said Tom seriously. "Now for the last time, will you tell us how you got them?"
Astro continued softly, "You can't answer Mr. Hot-shot Manning, but I can!" "What do you mean?" asked Tom. "I mean that Manning doesn't know what it is to really have it tough!" "You got a real hard luck story, eh, big boy?" snarled Roger. "Yeah, I have!" growled Astro. "I got one that'll make your life look like a spaceman's dream. At least you know about your father.
While luck seemed to bide with the rovers, it was not always smooth sailing on the Spanish seas. Now and then the buccaneers attacked an innocent looking ship that waited until they had come within musket-reach, when it ran up the Spanish standard, opened a dozen ports, and let fly at them with hot-shot and a hail of bullets.
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