ngry," said Ken.

"To think a man like Mr. Tucker would do something like that!" She went
out, clucking her tongue in exaggerated dismay.

Ken leaned back with satisfaction. He quite agreed with Miss Haskins. It
was a pretty awful thing for a man like Mr. Tucker to have done.

How many others would do far worse before the winter was over?

* * * * *

The sun came out bright and clear after the series of heavy snowstorms.
The comet added its overwhelming, golden light and tinted the world of
snow. Some of the snow was melted by the tantalizing warmth, but water
that had melted in the daytime froze immediately at night, and the
unequal contest between the elements could have only one outcome in a
prematurely cold and miserable winter.

As the pain in his head dwindled, and he was able to get about in the
hospital, Ken grew more and more impatient to be released. He wondered
about the heating and other facilities in the hospital and learned the
Mayor's committee had ordered one wing kept open at all times, with heat
and food available to care for any emergency cases.

Three days after he was allowed on his feet, Ken was told by Dr. Adams
that he could be released for the hearing of the Tuckers and Mr. Allen.

Ken stared at him. "I don't want to go to any hearing! I'm going back to
the laboratory!"

"You can go home," said Dr. Adams. "I want you to rest a few more days,
and then I would prefer seeing you get out in the open, working with
the wood crew, instead of going right back to the lab.

"As for the trial and hearing, I'm afraid you have no choice. Judge
Rankin has postponed the hearing so that you could appear, and he'll
issue a subpoena if necessary to insure your presence."

"They caught Tucker redhanded with his bank vault stuffed to the ceiling
with stolen goods. They don't need me!"

"They tried to kill you," Dr. Adams reminded him. "That's quite
different from robbing a warehouse."

"I'm not interested in their punishment. It's more important to work on
the analysis of the comet dust."

But there was no way out of it. Judge Rankin ordered Ken to appear. In
spite of the fact that the building was unheated, and mushy snow was
falling from a heavy sky once more, the courtroom was jammed on the day
of the hearing.

Ken raged inwardly at the enormous waste of human resources. Men who
should have been in the hills gathering wood, women who should have been
at work on cl