g out
before the Sheriff's approach.

"Okay, that's all," he said. "You folks leave your groceries right where
they are. Tell the others they had better bring theirs back and get
their money while Meggs still has it. Not that anybody is going to have
much use for money, anyway."

"You've no right to do this!" Meggs cried. "This is my private property
and I'm entitled to do with it as I choose!"

"Not any longer it isn't," said Sheriff Johnson. "There isn't such a
thing as private property in Mayfield, any more. Except maybe the shirt
on your back, and I'm not sure of that. At any rate, you're not selling
these groceries. Accounts will be kept, and when and if we get back to
normal you'll be reimbursed, but for now we're all one, big, happy
family!"

Most of the crowd had dispersed. The armloads and pushcarts full of
groceries had been abandoned. Ken and the Sheriff moved toward the door.

"Another trick like that and you'll spend the time of the emergency as a
guest of the city. Incidentally, we don't intend to heat the jail this
winter!"

Meggs turned the blaze of his anger upon Ken. "This is your fault!" he
snarled. "You and that bunch of politicians know there's not going to be
any shortage this winter just as well as I do. In a week this whole
thing will be straightened out. I had a chance to make a good thing of
it. I'm going to get even with you if it's the last thing I ever do!"

"That's enough of that!" said Sheriff Johnson sharply. "Come along,
Ken."

Ken was not disturbed by Meggs' threat of personal retaliation, but he
was frightened by the realization that Meggs wasn't the only one of his
kind in Mayfield. His patrons were only a shade less unstable. What
would such people do when things really got tough? How much could they
be depended on to pull their own weight?

After he had seen Art Matthews about collecting and storing the
batteries, Ken went up to Science Hall where the rest of the club
members were already at work. Under the direction of Al Miner, who was
the best qualified to plan the alterations of the ventilation ducts,
they made the necessary changes and installed one of the motorcycle
engines to drive the blower. At the same time, three of them built up a
high-voltage, battery-operated power supply to charge the filter
elements.

By evening the assembly was operating. The motorcycle engine chugged
pleasantly. "I wonder how long before that one freezes up," Al said
pessimistically.