Roger laughed. "He's joking, sir. I was about to clean him out in a game
of checkers."

Logan sat wearily on the side of the nearest bunk. "I wish all I had to
lose was a game of checkers."

He quickly filled in the details of the meeting between Vidac and the
farmers. Tom had awakened by this time and heard the last of the older
man's story. He turned to his unit mates.

"Well, it looks as though we're right back where we started," he said.
"And here I thought Vidac was O.K. after the way he worked during the
past ten days setting up Roald City."

"I've been talking to some of the other men," said Logan bitterly. "They
feel the same way I do. Something's got to be done about this!"

"But what?" asked Roger.

"And how?" chimed in Astro.

"Force, by the stars!" yelled Logan. "And when I say force, I mean
throwing Vidac and Hardy and his crew out!"

"You can't do a thing like that, sir," said Tom. "It would be playing
right into their hands. Remember, Vidac and Hardy represent the Solar
Alliance here on Roald. If you tried force, you would be charged with
rebellion against the Solar Alliance!"

"Well," snorted Logan, "what have _you_ got in mind?"