The headline on the newspapers stacked in front of the drugstore read"RUSS DOG REACHES MOON ALIVE." A man in a leather jacket stopped toscan it.

Across the street, frost lay crisp on the courthouse lawn, and thewhite and tan spotted hound put up his forepaws on the kitchen stool asif to warm them. The four women were too busy hauling down the flag tonotice.

Martha Stonery in the persian lamb coat paid out the halyard. MonicaFlint in the reddish muskrat and Paula Hart in the brown fox caughtthe flag and folded it, careful not to let it touch the wet cement. Apostman and the man in the leather jacket stopped on the sidewalk towatch.

Martha, plump face grim under pinchnose spectacles, fastened onehalyard snap to a metal ring taped and wired to the dog's right hindleg.

"Hoist away, girls."

Monica, Paula and Abigail Silax in nutria hauled in unison whileMartha held the flag. The hound scrabbled with his forepaws and barkedfrantically. As he went struggle-twisting upward he began to howl ina bell-like voice. The women grunted with effort. People were comingacross the lawn and pale faces moved behind the courthouse windows.

"Two block," Martha said. "Vast hauling and belay."

She pulled the kitchen stool nearer the flagpole and climbed on it toface the small crowd across the shelf of her bosom. Cars were stopping,people streaming in from all sides. Martha patted her piled gray hairand made her thin lips into a parrot beak.

"Fellow Americans!" she cried above the howling. "Our leaders arecowards and it is time for the people to act before the Russians comeand murder us all in our beds! We, the United Dames of the Dog, herebyprotest the Russian crime of putting a trusting, loving dog on themoon to starve and freeze and smother and die of loneliness! This dogabove our heads cries out to the world against the Russian breach offaith between dog and man. He will stay there until the Russians bringtheir dog home safely or make amends for their crime!"

"Like hell!" said the man in the leather jacket, moving in.

"Martha!" Abigail shrieked. "He's taking it down!"

Monica pulled at his wrists. Paula slapped and scratched at his face."You brute! You coward!" they shrilled.

Martha jumped off the stool and kicked him. He backed away, bent andholding himself.

"Look, ladies," he gasped, "for God's sake—"

"Here now, here now, this is county property," said a fat man inshirtsleeves with pink sleeve garters, pushing through the crowd."What's all this? Take that dog down, somebody!"

"Never!" Martha snapped. She put her back against the halyard cleat,unfolded the flag and draped it around herself. A loose strand of grayhair fell across her face.

"If you're so big and brave, go bring down the Russian dog," she toldthe fat man coldly.

"Now listen, lady," the fat man said. The Clarion pressphotographer was sprinting across the lawn....