Chapter I: Front Matter

Venus Boy

BY LEE SUTTON

Illustrated by Richard Floethe

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., INC.
NEW YORK

Copyright, 1955, by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., Inc.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 54-7882

Printed in the U.S.A.

All rights reserved

[Transcriber's Note: Extensive research did not uncover any
evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]

To Mildred and Blake

"Everything that lives is Holy."
--OLD MARVA SAYING.

_A Hero of Venus_

If you ever make a trip to the green planet of Venus, the first thing you'll see will be the fifty-foot high statue of Venus' greatest hero. It stands on the very top of towering New Plymouth Rock at the edge of the old colony of New Plymouth. Even from the rocket cradle, anyone can tell that the statue is of a twelve-year-old boy smiling up at the Venusian jewel bear perched on his shoulder. Cut into the huge rock below the statue are the words,

"Virgil Dare (Johnny) Watson
And the Marva, Baba.
May their Friendship Endure!"

Virgil Dare Watson, called Johnny by his friends, was the first human being born on Venus. He was named after Virginia Dare, the first pioneer child born in North America, and for a long time he was the only child on all Venus. And that would have been a lonely thing to be if it had not been for Baba. Baba, the bear, was not only Johnny's pet, but his best friend, too, and the only one who knew about his three secrets.

Because of these secrets, Johnny got himself, his jewel bear, Baba, and the whole colony of New Plymouth into desperate trouble. And because of these secrets, he also became a hero worthy of a statue--Venus' greatest hero.

Contents

I THE FIRST TWO SECRETS 1

II THE TREASURE OF VENUS 9

III A DANGEROUS TARGET 18

IV THE THIRD SECRET 25

V A MYSTERY INDEED! 34

VI INSIDE NEW PLYMOUTH 45

VII THE RHINOSAUR STAMPEDE 54

VIII ONE SECRET IS REVEALED! 66

IX THE PRICE OF A BROTHER 71

X ALONE IN THE JUNGLE 81

XI THE FRIENDS ARE SEPARATED 97

XII THE PRICE OF A BOY 107

XIII OUTWITTING THE OUTLAWS 116

XIV CAPTURED! 129

XV A CITY IN THE TREES 140

XVI THE THUNDER OF RHINOSAUR HOOVES 155

XVII TEACHERS CAN'T PLAY HOOKEY 172

FACTS ABOUT VENUS 178