idened, and he
gulped. Then, carefully setting the safety of his burp gun and
slinging it, he went over and leaned against the wall, and was sick.

Prestonby, with Claire Pelton beside him, started toward the
white-faced, retching boy. Yetsko put out a hamlike hand to stop them.

"If the kid wants to be sick, let him be sick," he said. "He's got a
right to. I was sicker'n that, after my first fight. But he won't do
that the next time."

"There isn't going to be any next time!" Claire declared, with
maternal protectiveness.

"That's what you think, Miss Claire," Yetsko told her. "That boy's
gonna make a great storm trooper," he declared. "Every bit as great as
Captain Prestonby, here."

Claire looked up at Prestonby almost worshipfully. "And I never knew
anything about your being a fighting-man, till today," she said.
"Ralph, there's so much about you that I don't know."

"There'll be plenty of time to find out, now, honey," he told her.

Cardon stepped over the body of Joe West and went up to them.

"Sorry to intrude on you two," he said, "but we've got to figure on
how to get out of here. Could we get out the same way you got in?" he
asked Yetsko. "And take Mr. Pelton with us?"

Yetsko frowned. "Part of the way, we gotta crawl through this conduit;
it's only about a yard square. And we'd have to go up a ladder, and
out a manhole, to get out of the conveyor tunnel. What sorta shape's
Mr. Pelton in?"

"He's under hypnotaine, completely unconscious," Prestonby said.

"Then we'd have to drag him," Yetsko said. "Strap him up in a tarp, or
load him into a sleeping bag, if we can get hold of one."

"There are plenty, down in the warehouse," Latterman interrupted,
joining them. "And the warehouse is in our hands."

"All right," Cardon decided. "We'll take him out, now, and take him
home. I have some men there who'll take care of him. We'll have to get
you and Ray out, too," he told Claire. "I think we'll take both of you
to Literates' Hall; you'll be absolutely safe there."

"But the store," Claire started to object. "And all these people who
came here to help us--"

"As soon as I have your father home, I'm going to start rounding up a
gang to raise the siege," Cardon said. "Radical-Socialist storm
troops, and--" He grinned suddenly. "The insurance company; the one
that has the store insured against riot! Why didn't I think of them
before? They're losing money every second this thing goes on. It'll be
worth