Spat! Her open hand had snapped out and landed on his cheek.
"Swat 'er, Boss!" pleaded Baron Munchy delightedly. "Whee! Does that dame have a punch!"
"Maybe I exaggerated, a trifle," stammered Lonny, taken aback by the startling reaction.
"That's better," returned Lana Hilton, beginning to pace the control room worriedly. Lonny Higgens wiped a gob of mud thoughtfully from his chin and grinned when he saw that her hand was grimy.
"Oh, hell!" he said grudgingly. "I'll have to get back before this mud cakes up on me."
"So long," said Link Raeburn, without looking around.
"C'mon, Munchy," called Lonny. "No fireworks."
"No fireworks?" repeated Baron Munchy dolefully.
"None at all. Lana, I'm still a white man, though it's much against my will. If worse comes to the worst you can have an extra room in my mud-swimming hovel. And you can keep your handful of marbles."
The girl whirled around, wide-eyed with surprise. A sunburst of hope and relief spread slowly over her features.