instant fire, when Tom threw the last log on the campfire
and crawled into his sleeping bag.

"Think it'll be all right, Astro?" asked Tom. "I'm not anxious to wake
up inside one of these critter's stomachs."

"Most of them have never seen fire, Tom," Astro said reassuringly. "It
scares them. Besides, we're getting close to the big stuff now. You
might see a tyranno or a big bronto any time. And if they come along,
you'll hear 'em, believe me. They're about as quiet as a squadron of
cruisers on battle emergency blasting off from the Academy in the middle
of the night!"

"O.K.," replied Tom. "You're the hunter in this crew." Suddenly he
laughed. "You know I really got a bang out of the way Roger jumped back
from that waddling ground bird yesterday."

Astro grinned. "Yeah, the one thing in this place that's as ferocious as
a kitten and he pulls his ray gun like an ancient cowboy!"

A very tired voice spoke up from the other sleeping bag. "Is that so!
Well, when you two brave men came face to face with that baby lizard on
a tree root, you were ready to finish your leave in Atom City!" Roger
unzipped the end of the bag, stuck his blond head out, and gave his unit
mates a sour look. "Sack in, will you? Your rocket wash is keeping me
awake!"

Laughing, Astro and Tom nodded good night to each other and closed their
sleeping bags. The jungle was still, the only movement being the leaping
tongues of flame from the campfire.

An hour later it began to rain, a light drizzle at first that increased
until it reached the steady pounding of a tropical downpour. Tom awoke
first, opening the flap of his sleeping bag only to get his face full of
slimy water that spilled in. Spluttering and coughing he sat up and saw
that the campfire was out and the campsite was already six inches deep
in water.

"Roger, Astro!" he called and slapped the nearest sleeping bag. Astro
opened the flap a little and peered out sleepily. Instantly he rolled
out of the bag and jumped to his feet.

"Wake Roger up!" he snapped. "We've got to get out of here!"

"What's the matter?" Roger mumbled through the bag, not opening it. "Why
the excitement over a little rain?"

"The fire's out, hotshot," said Astro. "It's as dark as the inside of a
cow's number-four belly. We've got to move!"

"Why?" asked Tom, not understanding the big cadet's sudden nervous
excitement. "What's the matter with staying right where we are? Why go
trooping around in the dark?"