ey were striding
across the rocky small peninsula.

Haney called sharply: "Everything okay?"

"Sure!" said Joe. "Everything's fine! What's the matter?"

"Mike had a hunch," said the Chief. "And--uh--I remembered I worked on
the job when this dam was built twelve-fifteen years ago." He looked
about him. "It looked different then."

Then he caught Joe's eye and jerked his head almost imperceptibly to one
side. Joe caught the signal.

"I'll see about some more soft drinks," he said. "Come help me fish up
the bottles."

Sally smiled at the other two. She was already inspecting the lunch
basket.

"We still have some sandwiches," she said hospitably, "and some cake."

Haney came forward awkwardly. Mike advanced toward her with something of
truculence. Joe knew what was in his mind. If Sally treated him like a
freak.... But Joe knew with deep satisfaction that she wouldn't. He went
down to the water's edge.

"What's up, Chief?" he asked in a low tone.

"Mike hadda hunch," rumbled the Chief. "Somebody tried to smash the
stuff you brought. They did. But we started gettin' set to mend it. So
what would they do? Polish us off. If they were set to atom-dust the
whole Shed an' everybody in it, they wouldn't stop at four more
murders."

Joe fished for a pop bottle.

"Mike said something like that back at the Shed," he observed.

"Yeah. But you were the one who figured things out. You'd be first
target. Haney and Mike and me--we'd be hard to knock off in a crowd in
Bootstrap. But you and her headed off by y'selves. Mike figured you
mightn't be safe. So we checked."

Joe brought up one bottle and then another.

"We're all right. Haven't seen a soul."

"Don't mean a soul hasn't seen you," growled the Chief. "A car left
Bootstrap less than twenty minutes behind you. There were three guys in
it. It's parked down below the dam, outa sight. We saw it. And when we
came up, careful, we spotted three guys hidin' out behind the rocks
yonder. They look to me like they're waiting for somebody to go
strolling back from the shoreline, so's--uh--maybe folks out at the
powerhouse can't see 'em. That'd be you and her, huh?"

Joe went cold. Not for himself. For Sally.

"There's nobody else around," said the Chief. "Who'd they be waiting for
but you two? Suppose they got a chance to kill you. They'd take the car
keys. They'd drop your two bodies somewheres Gawdknowswhere. There'd be
considerable of a hunt for you two. Major Holt