
    ,,*APT] ,,XII

    ,A ,,P[];L ,,BLA/
  8,LOOK \ ) T BOX1 ,KOKU6 ,H&LE X Z ?\<
X 3TA9$ A DOZ5 E7S (! EXT9CT GRT AUK1
WOR? AB A ?\S& DOLL>S APIECE4
  8,ERADICATE6 ,DON'T Y D>E /UM# :ILE
Y'RE C>RY+ T TUBE4 ,IF Y D1 Y'LL N"E D X
AG60
  8,0GOLLY1 ,MASSA ,TOM6 ,I--,I'S GW9E
T' WALK ON MAH TIPTOES ALL DE WAY60
  ,?US ,ERADICATE ANSW]$ ! "Y 9V5TOR1
:ILE ! GIANT1 ,KOKU1 :O 0 C>RY+ A H1VY
CASE1 NO4$ 8 H1D 6%[ T HE "U/OOD ! DANG]
( 8 TASK4
  8,S Y ?9K Y'VE GOT ! "R /UFF ? "T1
,TOM80 ASK$ ,N$ ,NEWTON4
  8,I'M ALL[+ MYF 6HOPE S1 ,N$40
  8,B.S MY WOODPILE60 CRI$ ,MR4 ,DAMON4
8,I--,I RE,Y ?9K ,I'M GETT+ N]V\S40
  ,X 0 "O AFN1 AB TWO WEEKS AF ,TOM _H
MADE 8 F/ TE/ (! NEW P[D]4 ,N[1 AF M*
H>D "W1 & FOLL[+ _M O!R TE/S1 "S ( : 7 M
OR LESS SU3ESS;L1 HE _H R1*$ ! PO9T ":
HE 2LIEV$ HE 0 ON ! ?RE%OLD ( SU3ESS4
,HE _H SU3E$$ 9 MAK+ A NEW EXPLOSIVE T1
9 ! PRELIM9>Y TE/S1 9 : ONLY A SMALL
QUANT;Y 0 US$1 GAVE PROMISE ( 2+ M P[];L
?AN ANY ,TOM _H "E EXP]I;T$ )--HIS [N OR
! PRODUCT ( "S O!R 9V5TOR4
  ,& 8 EXP]I;TS _H N ALW BE5 H>M.S4
,ONCE HE CAME )9 A N>R[ M>G9 ( BL[+ UP !
%OP & HMF ) X1 & ON ANO!R O3A.N "S (!
SL[-BURN+ P[D]1 FAIL+ 6EXPLODE1 _H SET
ABLAZE A %ACK 9 : HE 0 "W+4
  ,ONLY =! PROMPT AC;N ( ,KOKU1 ,TOM
MI<T H BE5 S]I\SLY 9JUR$4 ,Z X 0 HE LO/
"S VALUA# PATT]NS & PAP]S4
  ,B HE _H G"O ON 8 WAY1 SURM.T+ FAILURE
AF FAILURE1 UNTIL N[ HE 0 R1DY =!
SUPREME TE/4 ,? 0 6BE ! EXPLO.N (A L>GE
QUANT;Y (! P[D] 9 A SPECI,Y PREP>$ /EEL
TUBE ( GRT ?ICK;S4 ,X 0 L A M9IATURE
CANNON1 B1 UNLIKE ! F/ SMALL "O1 ": !
TE/ _H FAIL$1 ? "O WD C>RY A SPECIAL
PROJECTILE1 T WD 2 AIM$ AT AN >MOR PLATE
SET UP ON A BIG HILL4
  ,TOM'S HOPE 0 T ? BIG BLA/ WD %[ S*
PRESSURE 9 FOOT-TONS1 & GIVE S* MUZZLE
VELOC;Y 6! PROJECTILE1 & AT ! SAME "T S*
P5ETRAT+ P[]1 T HE WD 2 JU/IFI$ 9 TAK+ X
Z ! BASIS ( 8 EXPLOSIVE1 & US+ X 9 ! BIG
GUN HE 9T5D$ 6MAKE4
  ,! PRELIM9>IES _H BE5 -PLET$4 ,!
SPECIAL /EEL TUBE _H BE5 3/RUCT$1 & M.T$
ON A H1VY C>RIAGE 9 A 4TANT "P (! ,SWIFT
GR.DS4 ,A SEC;N ( >MOR PLATE1 A FOOT &A
HALF 9 ?ICK;S1 _H BE5 SET UP AT ! PROP]
4T.E4 ,A NEW PROJECTILE1 )A H>D1
P5ETRAT+ PO9T1 _H BE5 MADE--A SORT (
M9IATURE (! "O ,TOM HOP$ 6USE 9 8 GIANT
CANNON4
  ,N[ ! "Y 9V5TOR & 8 FRS 7 ON _! WAY 6!
SC5E (! TE/1 TAK+ ! P[D] & O!R
NECESS>IES1 9CLUD+ ! PRIM]S1 ) !M4 ,TOM1
,N$ & ,MR4 ,DAMON _H "S (! GAUGES
6REGI/] ! 5]GY EXP5D$ 0! IMPROVIS$
CANNON4 ,"! 7 *>TS 6BE FILL$ IN1 & O!R
DETAILS 6BE LOOK$ AF4
  8,S ,G5]AL ,WALL] WON'T 2 "H80 REM>K$
,N$1 Z !Y WALK$ AL;G1 ,TOM KEEP+ A
WAT*;L EYE ON ,KOKU4
  8,NO10 0 ! REPLY4 8,HE HAS G"O BACK
6,S&Y ,HOOK4 ,HE WROTE T 8 H1L? 0 BETT]1
& T HE WANT$ 6RESUME "W ON A NEW TYPE (
GUN40
  8,I GUESS HE'S AFRAID Y'LL B1T HM \1
,TOM10 LAU<$ ,N$4 8,Y TAKE MY ADVICE1 &
LOOK \ = ,G5]AL ,WALL]40
  8,NONS5SE6 ,I SAY1 ,RAD6 ,LOOK \ ) ^?
PRIM]S60
  8,I'SE LOOK9' \1 ,MASSA ,TOM4 ,GOLLY1
,I DON'T LAIK DIS Y1H JOB AT ALL6 ,I--,I
GUESS ,I'D BETT] 2 GITT9' AT DAT
:ITEWA%9'1 ,MASSA ,TOM4 ,DAT BACK F;E
SUAH NE$S A COAT MI<TY BAD40
  8,N"E Y M9D AB ! :ITEWA%+1 ,RAD4 ,Y J
/ICK >.D "H =A :ILE4 ,I MAY NE$ Y 6SIT
ON ! CANNON 6HOLD X D[N40
  8,SIT ON A CANNON1 ,MASSA ,TOM6 ,SAY1
LOOKY H1H N[6 ,Y JE/ TAKE DESE PRIM>Y
?+S F DI% Y1H COON4 ,I--,I'SE GOT T' G60
  8,:Y1 :AT'S ! MATT]1 ,RAD8 ,SURELY
Y'RE N AFRAID2 >E
Y80 & ,TOM W9K$ AT ,N$4
  8,NO1 ,MASSA ,TOM1 ,I'SE N PREZACTLY
'SKE]$1 B ,I D"O JE/ ,8MEMB]$ DAT ,I
DIDN'T GIB MAH MULE ,BOOM]ANG ANY OATS
T'"D1 AN0' HE'S SUAHLY GW9E T' 2 DESPRIT
MAD AT ME FO' =GETT9' DAT4 ,I--,I'D
BETT] G60
  8,NONS5SE1 ,RAD6 ,I 0 ONLY FOOL+4 ,Y C
G Z SOON Z WE GET 6MY PRIVATE PROV+
GR.DS1 IF Y L4 ,B Y'LL H 6C>RY ^?
PRIM]S1 = ALL ! RE/ ( U H \R H&S FULL4
,ONLY 2 C>E;L ( 'EM60
  8,I--,I W1 ,MASSA ,TOM40
  ,!Y KEPT ON1 & X 0 NOTIC$ T ,MR4
,DAMON GAVE N]V\S GL.ES F "T 6"T 9 !
DIREC;N ( ,KOKU1 :O 0 C>RY+ ! BOX (
P[D]4 ,! GIANT HMF1 H["E1 DID N SEEM 6"K
! M1N+ ( FE>4 ,HE C>RI$ ! BOX1 : 3TA9$ 5
EXPLOSIVE 6BL[ !M ALL 96FRAG;TS1 ) Z M*
-POSURE Z ?\< X 3TA9$ LOAVES ( BR1D4
  8,N[ Y C G1 ,RAD10 ANN\NC$ ,TOM1 :5 !Y
R1*$ ! L"OLY FIELD ":1 PO9T+ T[>D A BIG
HILL1 0 ! LL CANNON4
  8,GD1 ,MASSA ,TOM60 CRI$ ! COLOR$ MAN1
& F ! WAY 9 : HE HURRI$ (F NO "O WD "E
SUSPECT HM ( HAV+ RHEUMATIC JO9TS4
  8,SAY1 T /UFF LOOKS J L ,SWISS *EESE10
REM>K$ ,N$1 Z ,TOM OP5$ ! BOX (
EXPLOSIVE4 ,X WD 2 9CORRECT 6CALL X
P[D]1 = X _H NO M ! APPE>.E ( GUNP[D]1
OR ANY O!R 8P[D]10 ?AN1 Z ,N$ SD1 SWISS
*EESE4
  ,&1 9DE$1 ! P[];L /UFF BORE A DECID$
RESEMBL.E 6T PECULI> PRODUCT (! DAIRY4
,X 0 9 ?9 %EETS1 ) HOLES PI]C$ "? X "H &
"!1 IRREGUL>LY4
  8,! IDEA IS10 ,TOM EXPLA9$1 86MAKE A
QK-BURN+ EXPLOSIVE4 ,I WANT ! 3CUS.N 6BE
SCATT]$ "? X ALL AT ONCE4 ,X IS SET (F
03CUS.N1 Y SEE10 HE W5T ON4 8,A SORT (
C>TRIDGE IS BURI$ 9 ! MI4LE ( X1 AF X
HAS BE5 9S]T$ 9 ! CANNON BREE*4 ,!
C>TRIDGE IS EXPLOD$ 0A PRIM]1 : RESPONDS
6AN ELECTRIC CURR5T4 ,! ?9 PLATES1 )
HOLES CORRESPOND+ 6! C5TRE HOLE 9 A BIG
GRA9 (! HEXAGONAL P[D]1 W1 ,I HOPE1
CAUSE ! /UFF 6BURN QKLY1 & GIVE A
TREM5D\S PRESSURE4 ,N[ WE'LL PUT "S 9 !
/EEL TUBE1 & SEE :AT HAPP5S40
  ,EV5 ,TOM 0 A LL N]V\S Z HE PREP>$ = ?
LATE/ TE/4 ,B HE 0 N N]V\S 5 6DROP ANY (
^? QUE]1 *EESE-L SLABS4 ,=1 ?\< HE KNEW
T A 3SID]A# P]CUS.N 0 NE$$ 6SET !M (F1 X
WD N D 6TAKE *.ES4 ,HI< EXPLOSIVES D N
ALW ACT ALIKE1 EV5 "U ! SAME GIV5
3DI;NS4 ,:AT MI<T ) P]FECT SAFETY 2 D"O
AT "O "T1 CD N 2 REP1T$ AT ANO!R4 ,TOM
KNEW ?1 & 0 V C>E;L4
  ,! P[D]1 Z ,I % O3A.N,Y CALL X =! SAKE
( 3V5I;E1 ?\< X 0 N S* 9 ! /RICT S5SE (!
^W--! P[D] 0 PUT 9 ! SMALL CANNON1 TGR
)! PRIM]4 ,!N ! WIRES 7 ATTA*$ 6X1 &
EXT5D$ (F = "S 4T.E4
  8,B WE WON'T ATTA* ! BATT]Y UNTIL !
LA/ MO;T10 ,TOM SD4 8,I DON'T WANT A
PREMATURE EXPLO.N40
  ,! PROJECTILE 0 AL PUT IN1 & ,TOM ONCE
M LOOK$ 6SEE T ! >MOR PLATE 0 9 PLACE4
,!N HE ADJU/$ ! V>I\S GAUGES 6GET R1D+S
(! P[] & 5]GY CR1T$ 0HIS NEW EXPLOSIVE4
  8,WELL1 ,I GUESS WE'RE ALL R1DY10 HE
ANN\NC$ 6HIS FRS4 8,I'LL HOOK ON !
BATT]Y N[1 & WE'LL GET (F 2H T O!R HILL4
,I _H ,KOKU MAKE A SORT ( CAVE "!--A
M9IATURE BOMB-PRO(1 T W %ELT] U40
  8,D Y ?9K ! BLA/ W 2 P[];L 5 6MAKE X
NEC80 ASK$ ,MR4 ,DAMON4
  8,X W1 IF ? L>G] QUANT;Y ( EXPLOSIVE
ACTS ANY?+ L ! SMALL SAMPLES ,I SET (F10
REPLI$ ! "Y 9V5TOR4
  ,! ELECTRIC WIRES 7 C>RI$ 2H !
PROTECT+ HILL1 :I!R !Y ALL RETIR$4
  8,"H %E GOES60 EXCLAIM$ ,TOM1 AF A
PAUSE4
  ,8 ?UMB PRESS$ ! ELECTRIC BUTTON1 &
9/ANTLY ! GR.D %OOK )! TREMOR (A MI<TY
BLA/1 :ILE A D1F5+ S.D RE>$ AB !M4 ,!
E>? TREM#D1 & "! 0 A BIG %EET ( FLAME1
SE5 EV5 9 ! P[];L SUNLI<T4

8,"S?+ HAPP5$1 ANYH[60 YELL$ ,TOM ABV !
REV]B]AT+ E*OES4













