guard
stopped. For a long moment there was no sound and Joe knew the man was
bending over to run his eyes down the line of toilets close to the
floor. In this manner he could see the floor of every booth. The guard
straightened, turned, walked out. The door closed. Silence. Joe's heart
swelled with gratitude. He grinned, looking forward with joy to the long
night ahead.

He found a spot over behind the barrels where the night watchman would
have to climb over a lot of equipment in order to find him. He made
himself comfortable, practically certain the guard would not do this. He
stretched out on the hard floor and recorded the passing of the hours by
the number of times the watchman went through.

And he was surprised at how fast the time passed. Finally, checking his
count carefully, he left his hiding place and tiptoed to the line of
lockers. He took the oxygen equipment from the duffel bag after which he
hid the bag and the clothing therein behind a wall flange in a far
corner. Then he climbed into the barrel at the front end of the packing
line. He checked the barrel with a small X, and jockeyed the lid into
place.

* * * * *

Time passed. Nothing happened. He wondered, if he'd missed on the time
element. The men should certainly have come to work now. More than once
he was tempted to push the barrel lid aside and check the situation.
When footsteps sounded, close by, and the lid snapped firmly into place,
he was glad he hadn't done so. Good old Nick! When he got back from the
Moon, he'd see to it that Nick got credit for his courageous act.

Soon the barrel began to move. Joe felt it rise into the air and settle
with a thump. Then the motor of a truck roared and Joe knew where he was
going. Straight toward Building A and the Moon rocket. There was more
movement until finally the barrel was set down for what appeared to be
the last time. Joe put the nose-piece of the oxygen tube into place and
visualized himself safe and snug in a storage room of the rocket.

He closed his eyes and went peacefully to sleep.

He slept a long time, to be awakened by a crushing--a wrenching--that
all but drove his head down into his spine. The pain brought him sharply
alert. He knew instantly what had happened.

_Blast-off._

He braced himself against the sides of the barrel, and gritted his
teeth.

Soon it was better. Then no pressure at all. Only the fierce happiness
on his heart. He'd set