
    ,,*APT] ,,IX

    ,,! ,,NEW ,,P[D]
  8,B.S MY C>TRIDGE BELT1 ,TOM1 Y DON'T
RE,Y M1N 6SAY T /UFF IS P[D]60 EXCLAIM$
,MR4 ,DAMON4
  8,T'S :AT ,I HOPE X W PROVE 6BE--&
P[];L P[D] AT T40
  8,:Y1 X LOOKS M L EXCELSIOR ?AN ANY?+
ELSE10 W5T ON ! ODD MAN1 G+]LY TAK+ UP
"S YELL[I% %R$S 9 8 F+]S4
  8,& X W BURN Z H>M.SLY Z EXCELSIOR 9 !
OP5 AIR10 W5T ON ,TOM4 8,B ,I HOPE
6PROVE1 :5 X IS 3F9$ 9 A *AMB]1 T X W 2
HI<LY EXPLOSIVE4 ,I'M GO+ 6MAKE A TE/ (
X SOON40
  8,GIVE ME GD NOTICE1 S ,I C GET OV] 9
! NEXT ,/ATE60 EXCLAIM$ ,N$ ,NEWTON1 )A
LAU<4
  ,? 0 S"EAL "DS AF \R FRS _H RETURN$ F
! 4A/R\S GUN TE/ AT ,S&Y ,HOOK4 ,TOM _H
AT ONCE GOTT5 6"W ON ! PRO#M T 3FRONT$
HM--A PRO#M ( 8 [N MAK+--6BUILD A GIANT
CANNON T WD MAKE ! L;GE/ %OTS ON RECORD4
,& HE _H F/ TURN$ 8 ATT5;N 6! P[D]1 OR
EXPLOSIVE1 6BE US$4
  8,=10 HE SD1 8"! IS NO USE HAV+ A BIG
GUN UN.S Y C FIRE X4 ,&! GUN ,I AM
PLANN+ W NE$ "S?+ M P[];L 9 ! P[D] L9E
?AN ANY ,I'VE "E HE>D (40
  8,/R;G] ?AN ! K9D ,G5]AL ,WAIL] US$80
9QUIR$ ,N$4
  8,YES1 B ,I'LL MAKE MY CANNON
CORRESPOND+LY /R;G]1 TOO1 S "! W 2 NO
DANG]40
  8,B.S MY %OE BUTTONS60 EXCLAIM$ ,MR4
,DAMON4 8,Y BOYS M/ H _H YR N]VE ) Y
6/AY >.D ,S&Y ,HOOK AF T GUN W5T UP 9 !
AIR40
  8,OH1 ! DANG] 0 ALL OV] SOON AF X
2GAN10 SPOKE ,TOM1 )A SMILE4 8,B N[ ,I'M
GO+ 6TE/ "S ( ? P[D]4 ,IF Y WANT 6RUN
AWAY1 ,MR4 ,DAMON1 ,I'LL H ,KOKU TAKE Y
UP 9 "O (! AIR%IPS1 & Y'LL C]TA9LY 2
SAFE A MILE OR S 9 ! AIR10 = ,TOM _H
9/RUCT$ 8 GIANT S]VANT H[ 6RUN "O (!
SIMPL] BIPLANES4
  8,NO--NO1 ,TOM1 ,I'LL /ICK60 EXCLAIM$
! E35TRIC MAN4 8,I'LL N PROMISE N 6HIDE
2H ! F;E1 OR "S?+ L T1 ?\<1 ,TOM2 B
,I'LL /ICK40
  8,S W ,I10 A4$ ,N$4 8,H[ >E Y GO+
6MAKE ! TE/1 ,TOM80
  8,I'LL TELL Y 9 A M9UTE4 ,I WANT 6D A
LL FIGUR+ F/40
  ,TOM _H1 2F GO+ 6,S&Y ,HOOK1 MADE "S
EXP]I;TS 9 P[D] MANUFACTUR+1 B !Y _H N
BE5 V SATISFACTORY4 ,HE _H N BE5 A# 6GET
P[] 5\<4 ,ON 8 RETURN HE _H "UTAK5 R A
D>+ 9NOV,N4 ,HE _H M+L$ TWO V>IETIES (
P[D]1 &! RESULT+ -B9,N WD1 HE HOP$1
PROVE J :AT HE WANT$4
  ,! P[D] 0 9 GELAT9 =M1 2+ MADE )
NITRO-GLYC]9E Z A BASE4 ,X LOOK$1 Z ,MR4
,DAMON _H SD1 L A BUN* ( EXCELSIOR1 ONLY
X 0 YELL[ 9/1D ( :ITE1 & X FELT N UNLIKE
PIECES ( DRY MAC>ONI4
  8,I H %R$D$ ! P[D] 9 ? MANN]10 ,TOM
EXPLA9$1 8S T X W EXPLODE M EV5LY &
QKLY4 ,I WANT X 6BURN Z NE>LY
9/ANTANE\SLY Z POSSI#1 & ,I ?9K X W 9 ?
=M40
  8,B H[ >E Y GO+ 6TELL H[ P[];L X IS
UN.S Y FIRE X 9 A CANNON80 ASK$ ,N$4 8,&
Y HAV5'T EV5 />T$ YR BIG GUN YET40
  8,OH1 ,I'LL %[ Y10 DCLD ,TOM4 8,"! >E
S"EAL WAYS ( MAK+ A TE/1 B ,I H "O ( MY
[N4 ,I AM GO+ 6TAKE A SOLID BLOCK (
/EEL1 ( "KN WEI<T--SAY AB A HUNDR$ P.DS4
,? ,I W PUT 96A SORT ( SQU>E CYL9D]1 OR
WELL1 CLOS$ AT ! BOTTOM "S:AT L ! BREE*
(A GUN4 ,! BLOCK ( /EEL FITS S CLOSELY 9
! SQU>E WELL T NO AIR OR P[D] GAS C PASS
X4
  8,IN ! BOTTOM ( ? WELL1 : MAY 2 A FOOT
SQU>E1 ,I W PUT A SMALL *>GE ( ? NEW
P[D]4 ,ON TOP ( T W -E ! /EEL BLOCK4 ,!N
0M1NS ( ELECTRIC WIRES ,I C FIRE ! *>GE4
  8,ATTA*$ 6! /EEL WELL1 OR *AMB]1 W 2 A
GAUGE1 A PRESSURE RECORD] & O!R
APP>ATUS4 ,:5 ! P[D]1 ( : ,I W USE ONLY
A P9*1 C>E;LLY WEI<+ X1 GOES (F1 X W
RAISE ! HUNDR$-P.D WEI<T A C]TA9 4T.E4
,? W 2 NOT$ ON ! SCALE4 ,"! W AL 2 %[N !
AM.T ( PRESSURE REL1S$ 9 ! GAS GIV5 (F
0! P[D]4 ,9 T WAY
,I C MAKE "S CALCUL,NS40
  8,H[80 ASK$ ,N$1 :O 0 M* 9T]E/$4
  8,WELL1 = 9/.E1 IF "O \NCE ( P[D]
RAISES ! WEI<T ?REE FEET1 & GIVES A
MUZZLE PRESSURE (1 SAY1 FIVE HUNDR$
P.DS1 ,I C EASILY -PUTE :AT A ?\S& P.DS
( P[D]1 ACT+ ON A PROJECTILE WEI<+ TWO
TONS &A HALF1 WD D1 & H[ F> X WD %OOT
X40
  8,B.S MY DI6]5TIAL GE>60 CRI$ ,MR4
,DAMON4 8,A PROJECTILE WEI<+ TWO &A
HALF1 TONS6 ,TOM1 X'S IMPOSSI#60
  8,T'S :AT ,G5]AL ,WALL] SD AB 8 GUN2 B
X BUR/1 J ! SAME10 DCLD ,N$4 8,POOR MAN1
,I FELT SORRY = HM4 ,HE SEEM$ R PUT \ AT
Y1 ,TOM40
  8,I GUESS HE WAS--A BIT--?\< ,I DIDN'T
M1N ANY?+ 4RESPECT;L 9 :AT ,I SD4 ,B N[
WE'LL H ? TE/4 ,KOKU1 TAKE ! RE/ ( ?
P[D] BACK4 ,I'LL ONLY KEEP A SMALL
QUANT;Y40
  ,! GIANT1 :O1 2+ M ACTIVE ?AN
,ERADICATE1 _H R SUPPLANT$ ! AG$ COLOR$
MAN1 DID Z HE 0 BID1 & SOON ,TOM1 ) ,N$
& ,MR4 ,DAMON 6HELP HM1 0 PREP>+ =! TE/4
  ,!Y W5T "S 4T.E AWAY F ANY (! BUILD+S1
=1 ?\< ,TOM 0 ONLY GO+ 6USE A SMALL
QUANT;Y (! EXPLOSIVE1 HE DID N J "K :AT
! RESULT WD BE1 & HE WANT$ 6TAKE NO
*.ES4
  8,I "K F P]SONAL EXP]I;E :AT ! TWO
K9DS ( P[D] F : ,I MADE ? SAMPLE W D10
HE SD2 8B X IS L TAK+ TWO "KN QUANTITIES
& GETT+ A ?IRD UN"KN "O F !M4 ,"! IS AN
UNEQUAL =CE 2T ! TWO SAMPLES T MAY MAKE
AN 5TIRELY NEW -P.D40
  ,! /EEL *AMB] T 0 6RCV ! HUNDR$-P.D
/EEL BLOCK _H BE5 PREP>$ 9 ADV.E1 Z _H !
V>I\S GAUGES & REGI/]+ APP>ATUS4
  8,WELL1 ,I GUESS WE'LL />T ?+S MOV+
N[10 W5T ON ,TOM1 Z HE LOOK$ OV] ! ?+S
HE _H BR"\ F 8 %OPS 6! DES]T$ M1D[4 ,!
FACT (! TE/ _H BE5 KEPT A SECRET1 S "! 7
NO SPECTATORS4 8,N$1 GIVE ME A H& ) ?
BLOCK0 ,TOM W5T ON4 8,X'S A LL TOO H1VY
6LIFT AL"O40 ,HE 0 /RA9+ & TU7+ AT !
H1VY PIECE ( /EEL4
  8,ME D60 EXCLAIM$ ,KOKU ! GIANT1 G5TLY
PU%+ ,TOM 6"O SIDE4 ,!N ! BIG MAN1 ) "O
H&1 RAIS$ ! HUNDR$-P.D WEI<T Z EASILY Z
IF X 7 A LOAF ( BR1D1 & DEPOSIT$ X ":
,TOM WANT$ X4
  8,?ANKS60 EXCLAIM$ \R H]O1 )A LAU<4
8,I DIDN'T MAKE ANY MISTAKE :5 ,I BR"\ Y
HOME ) ME1 ,KOKU40
  8,HUH6 ,I CD HAB LIFT$ DAT WEI<T :5 ,I
0 A "Y FELL]60 EXCLAIM$ ,ERADICATE1 :O
WAS1 X IS NE$.S 6SAY1 J1L\S (! GIANT4
  ,! P[D] _H BE5 PUT 9 ! FIR+ *AMB]4 ,!
/EEL SOCKET _H BE5 FIRMLY FIX$ 9 ! E>?1
S T IF ! =CE (! EXPLO.N 0 9 A LAT]AL
DIREC;N1 9/1D ( /RAI<T UP1 NO DAMAGE WD
RESULT4 ,! WEI<T1 EV5 IF X %OT F !
MUZZLE (! IMPROVIS$ 8CANNON10 WD ONLY G
H>M.SLY UP 9 ! AIR1 & !N DROP BACK4 ,!
FIR+ WIRES 7 S L;G T ,TOM & 8 FRS CD /&
"S 4T.E AWAY4
  8,>E Y ALL R1DY80 CRI$ ,TOM1 Z HE
LOOK$ 6SEE T ! WIR+ 0 CLE>4
  8,Z R1DY Z WE "E % BE10 REPLI$ ,MR4
,DAMON1 :O1 ) ,N$ &! O!RS1 _H TAK5
REFUGE 2H A L[ HILL4
  8,OH1 ? ISN'T GO+ 6BE M* ( AN
EXPLO.N10 LAU<$ ,TOM4 8,X WON'T 2 ANY
WORSE ?AN A ,F\R? ( ,JULY CANNON4 ,"H %E
GOES60
  ,HE PRESS$ ! ELECTRIC BUTTON1 "! 0 A
FLA%1 A DULL1 MU6L$ REPORT &1 =A MO;T1
"S?+ BLACK %[$ AT ! TOP (! /EEL *AMB]4
,!N X DROPP$ BACK 9SIDE AG4
  8,P%AW60 CRI$ ,TOM1 9 4APPO9T$ T"OS4
8,X DIDN'T EV5 BL[ ! WEI<T \ (! TUBE4 ,T
P[D]'S NO GD6 ,X'S A FAILURE60
  ,FOLL[$ 0! O!RS1 ! "Y 9V5TOR />T$ T[>D
! SMALL SQU>E 8CANNON40 ,TOM WANT$ 6R1D
! RECORDS MADE 0! GASES4
  ,SU45LY ,KOKU CRI$3
  8,"! HM BE1 MA/]6 ,"! HM BE60 & HE
PO9T$ T[>D A 4TANT PA? T TRAV]S$ ! M1D[4
  8,HE8 ,:OM D Y M1N80 ASK$ ,TOM1 />TL$
! GIANT'S EXCIT$ MANN]4
  8,T MAN :AT -E & LOOK AT ,MA/]'S NEW
P[D]10 0 ! UNEXPECT$ ANSW]4 8,HM SAY HE
WANT 6SURPRISE Y1 & HE -E
TD1 B NO SP1K4 ,HE RUN AWAY4 ,LOOK--HM
G60 & HE PO9T$ T[>D A FIGURE ( 4T9CTLY
MILIT>Y BE>+ HURRY+ AL;G ! ROAD T L$
6,%OPTON4





