the doctor ordered. Okay, the top's loose. Stand by
the door and don't let him get by you. Wait. Got your flash? Good! In
the dark. That's real good. Which switch is it?"

"Throw them both."

"Okay. Flash it over here. Look out, here I come!"

"Hurry up! Look at that hungry, black-eyed little devil. That ought to
fix up the son-of-a--" ..._Thunk!_ The compression rammed heavily into
Neff's ears. The bolts shot solidly into place from the outside, and
the combination knob rang faintly as it was spun. Silence.

They'd go out the same way they came in and tack the board back in
place. How long before anybody would miss him? Twenty-four hours?
Hell, no. Nobody would bust a gut worrying that soon. Two days? Some
weeks he was gone several days making the rounds of his loan offices.

A week? Maybe. Girls at the Palace would get suspicious. Tell Collin
Burns.

But a week! They'd cut off the blower when they threw both switches.
No ventilation. No air.

Neff strained at the ropes. His legs were pulled under the seat so
tightly that his feet were turning numb. Hands were tingling, too.
Dirty little sadists. Turning John loose thinking--

He _had_ to get loose. Less than one day's air, then--

"John!" Thank God John wasn't an ordinary rat.

"John, come over to me. These ropes. Chew them, John. Come on, John.
Come on, boy."

No sound at first, then a faint motion in the old newspapers.

"John, say the alphabet!"

"Eh--bih----"

"That's right. Go on!"

"Fih----jih----" The squeaking stopped.

"Come over to me, John. Come to me, boy."

He held his breath. The beating of his heart was so loud he couldn't
be sure that John was moving. The silence was long. Even the rat was
blind in this blackness. He must be patient.

Sweat began oozing and trickling down his face, his armpits, his
back--even his left leg. No, wait! That wasn't sweat!

* * * * *

The throbbing in his legs was greatest at his left knee. The trickle
was blood from the gash. It ran freely, now, the ropes backing up
arterial pressure. Never mind that!

"John!"

The coffee can tipped over, and the racket made Neff start against his
bonds. The rope sawed his Adam's apple.

_Crunch!_

"Leave that damned wheat alone, John. Come over to me, boy. I'll give
you a whole bag full when you chew off these ropes. Hear that, John?
And a chicken foot. I'll bring you a whole chicken. A live one. I'll
tie her down so she won'