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On the scanner was a jet boat in flight. "Hey, Loring! Shinny! Mason! Get up here on the double!" he yelled into the intercom. "What's up?" demanded Loring. "Get up here!" shouted Roger. "We're in for trouble plenty of trouble!" Presently the three spacemen were grouped around the scanner, staring at the unmistakable outline of a jet boat.
Watson was the ticket man and he let me and Beany and Shinny Thing in free. they had a lot of seats in the center of the hall, and the rest round the edges, and a open track around the hall. On the platform set Bill Morrill and Dave Quimby and John Getchell and Eben Folsom.
This was similar to the boys' game of "shinny," or, as it is now more elegantly known, "polo," and the bat used was bent at the end, just as now. The first straight bats were used in the old English game called club ball.
They collected about the gate on the third floor, and many from the street, hearing that there had been an accident, crowded around the shaft on the second floor. They were advised that no one was hurt and what was needed was a way of escape from the brass cage. "Knock a hole in the roof," some one advised cheerfully. "You can crawl out on the top of the car and then shinny your way up to us.
"Pretty fair sort of a stick," he observed, swinging it clumsily and viciously, "but I'd rather have one of those hickory roots we used to cut for shinny when I was a boy. Go ahead and soak it, Carter, so that I may know what I've got to beat." I mentally resolved to press even at the chance of flubbing.
One of us handing two of these whips to a companion to take his choice, we stood up close together and thrashed each other on the legs until one succumbed to the intolerable pain and thus lost the game. Nearly all of our playground games were strenuous, shin-battering shinny, wrestling, prisoners' base, and dogs and hares, all augmenting in no slight degree our lessons in fortitude.
"I've just finished talking to Space Academy and they've given me permission to do anything I think necessary to accomplish just that. Now pay close attention to me, all of you. We haven't much time." Tom, Roger, Astro, Alfie, and Mr. Shinny gathered in a close circle around the major on the control deck of the Polaris and watched him as he drew several rough diagrams on a piece of paper.
"Well, never mind," said Connel. "I suppose you two can handle that ship all right between you. Land on Tara as soon as you can. I'll get the details then!" "Aye, aye, sir," replied Roger. Then, just before breaking contact, he yelled into the mike, "Hey, Astro Tom! See ya in a few minutes!" As the teleceiver screen darkened, Shinny reappeared.
"Remember, this unit has but one job. To start the reaction. When the reaction fuel gets hot enough, it'll start a reaction of the copper on Junior and sustain itself. Try a smaller amount of the reactant. But whatever you do, keep working. Only a day and a few hours left." Connel looked at Shinny. "Keep him working, Mr. Shinny," he ordered. "I know he can do it. Just keep him going."
Loring motioned to them to sit down at a table. He ordered a bottle of rocket juice and filled three glasses. "This ain't uranium, Mr. Shinny!" he said. Shinny's eyes opened wider still. "What then?" "What's the most precious metal in the system today?" Loring asked. "Why gold, I guess." "Next to gold?" Shinny thought for a moment.