's go, fellas." He turned toward the
door, anxious to get out into the open air.

"Just a minute! Just a minute, Cadet," said the proprietor eagerly.
"I've got some fine hunting gear here! A little used, but you won't mind
that! Save you at least half on anything you'd buy up in the city." He
started toward the back of the store and then paused. "Where you going
hunting?"

"Why?" asked Tom.

"So I'll know what kind of gear you need. Light--heavy--kind of guns--"

"Jungle belt in the Eastern Hemisphere," supplied Astro.

"Big game?" asked the man.

"Yeah. Tyrannosaurus."

"Tyranno, eh?" nodded the little man. "Well, now, you'll need heavy
stuff for that. I'd say at least three heavy-duty paralo-ray pistols for
side arms, and three shock rifles. Then you'll need camping equipment,
synthetics, and all the rest." He counted the items off on grubby little
fingers.

"Let's take a look at the blasters," said Tom.

[Illustration]

"Right this way," said the man. He turned and limped to the rear of the
shop, followed by the three cadets. Opening a large cabinet, he pulled
out a heavy rifle, a shock gun that could knock out any living thing at
a range of a thousand yards, and stun the largest animal at twice the
distance.

"This blaster will knock the scales off any tyranno that you hit," he
said, handing the weapon over to Tom who expertly broke it down and
examined it.

As Tom checked the gun, the proprietor turned to the other cadets
casually.

"Why would three cadets want to go into that section of the jungle
belt?"

"We just told you," said Roger. "We're hunting tyranno."

"Uh, yes, of course." He turned away and pulled three heavy-duty
paralo-ray pistols out of the cabinet. "Now these ray guns are the
finest money can buy. Standard Solar Guard equipment...."

"Where did you get them?" demanded Roger sharply.

"Well, you know how it is, Cadet." The man laughed. "One way or another,
we get a lot of gear. A man is discharged from the Solar Guard and he
can keep his equipment, then he gets hard up for a few credits and so he
comes to me."

Tom closed the shock rifle and turned to Astro. "This gun is clean
enough. Think it can stop a tyranno, Astro?"

"Sure," said the big cadet confidently. "Easy."

"O.K.," announced Tom, turning back to the proprietor. "Give us the rest
of the stuff."

"And watch your addition when you make out the bill," said Roger
blandly. "We can add, too."

A half-hour later