undefined had brought him halfway toward awakening, but the
influence was not powerful enough to bring his senses alert.

And then, suddenly, he was wide awake, ears straining to listen. He
sensed a presence in the room, and even as he tried to recognize it, a
form landed on his chest and steel spikes drove into his ribs. He
leaped up with a yell as another form landed on the bed. Both forms
were making fantastic noises.

His eyes opened wide as he suddenly realized that a rousing cat-dog
fight was taking place on his stomach!

Scotty ran in and leaped for the battlers. He grabbed the spitting,
snarling cat and held it high. Dismal let out a wail of anguish as he
realized his hated enemy was out of reach.

Rick shouted, "Down, boy!"

Dismal leaped high and landed again with four feet bunched on Rick's
stomach.

Rick's shout died into a gurgle. Not that the pup was heavy, but he
had landed while his master was in the midst of a breath, with muscles
relaxed.

Scotty put the cat into the hall and closed the door, trapping Dismal
in the room. Then he turned and laughed at Rick's discomfort.

"Next time you arrange a fight for your personal entertainment, you'd
better have a referee on hand."

"It was a draw," Rick said ruefully, "except that the innocent
bystander lost. Whatever got into Dismal?"

Scotty was dressed. Apparently he had already been downstairs. "The
cat went too far. Dismal found him drinking from his water dish."

Rick grinned. That was adding insult to injury, all right. He stripped
off the blankets and examined his stomach. Shah's claws had dug right
through blanket, sheet, and pajamas, but had not drawn blood.

"It was time to get up, anyway," he said philosophically. "Gangway,
Scotty. I'm going to shower and dress. We've got work to do."

"Uhuh. The passengers are waiting downstairs," Scotty said.

Rick blinked. "What passengers?"

"Jan and Barby. They want to go."

The boys had decided the evening before that they would start the
search with a flight in the Sky Wagon. After a quick inspection of the
area, which probably wouldn't disclose much, they planned to go into
Whiteside for a talk with Jerry and Duke at the newspaper office, and
with Captain Douglas of the State Police.

Rick considered. He didn't mind taking the girls around on pleasure
junkets, but this was business. "Why do they have to go?" he demanded.

Scotty shrugged. "They don't. But Jan is plenty upset over Dr. Mar