its, and a lot of them are unwilling ones, I can tell you. But
they are under lock and key. They can't escape. All the air they get
even is from that crack in the door. A fly couldn't get out there."
He was a fat sentry, and he laughed. Zaidos joined his mirth.

"Perhaps a thin fly might," he said.

The man shrugged. "Perhaps!" he said. "Those recruits are raw, I can
tell you. You can be glad you are a trained soldier. I could tell it
by your walk, even in this dim light. The walk always tells."

Zaidos nodded and squatted down near the open door. Moment by moment
his danger was growing. The sentry turned and sauntered to the end of
the block. Zaidos counted slowly. Once the man turned and nodded in a
friendly fashion, then resumed his slow pace. Sixty steps. He stood
for a moment on the corner, then came back. "Not long now," he said,
and smiled. Then he passed in the other direction. Eighty steps that
way. Zaidos counted. Again the man returned. Zaidos could feel his
muscles stiffening, as if about to spring. He cautiously shifted to a
position still nearer the partly open door and measured the opening.
He felt heavy and awkward. He studied the dark opening. It did indeed
look very narrow. He had squirmed through it without much trouble, but
that was in the densest darkness, and he had taken all the time he
needed. Now if the sentry should turn * * * Well, it would be the end
of Zaidos, and a most ignominious end at that. He was not a coward,
but he had no fancy to find himself against a wall with a firing squad
before him.

Sixty steps and back walked the sentry, and Zaidos, head against the
wall, body reclining close to the open door, seemed to be dozing. One,
two, three steps past him, went the sentry again--

With the quickness of a cat Zaidos ripped off his uniform blouse,
thrust it through the door, stretched his arms over his head, and with
a mighty shove of his strong young legs thrust himself into the opening.

There was a terrific struggle for a moment, a series of agile twists,
and Zaidos fell forward on the stone floor. Quickly he kicked away his
shoes and tumbled down on his pallet. After the gray dawn outside the
room was very dark. He heard the sentry outside come running to the
door, push it against its stout chain and stand thinking. Zaidos
laughed to himself. The opening, "too small for a fly," had swallowed
him; and the unsuspicious fellow outside was filled wi