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walked away.
    Craig watched him go. “He’s upset. He’s really upset. I can always tell. He’s gonna practice!”
    “Well, I’m not discouraged yet,” said Steve. “He did say he’d call us soon. And that means ‘go’ to me.”
    Craig looked at him sharply and saw that he was not as confident as his words sounded. Craig sighed and turned away. “So long,” he said to Steve. “See ya.” He walked up the steps and paused at the door. Steve’s voice followed him.
    “You and your animal inventions!” Steve said. “Our famous panel flubbed the whole thing.”
    Craig shrugged his shoulders and went through the door.

6 THE LARGE MEN
    P HIL CAME TO SCHOOL on Monday with a heavy heart. He decided to avoid his friends. He had no desire to talk about the awful week end and the consequences of his telling his father they were about to launch a rocket. As he came around the corner of the building, however, he ran into Craig, whose mother was letting him off at the front door. Craig ducked him, ran up the steps, and pushed through the swinging door.
    Phil watched him go, and although it hurt, he guessed he deserved it. Phil was a year older than Craig and Johnny, and he had grown rapidly the past winter. He was a head taller than Johnny and he had discovered that this added height was excellent for expressing his state of mind. He could roll his shoulders over to make himself smaller when he felt hurt or angry, or he could lift them and swing them wide when he felt good. At this moment his shoulders curled forward.
    At three o’clock as he was leaving his locker he heard his name called. He turned and saw Craig. Phil wondered what he should say, but he didn’t have a chance to think it out.
    “Listen, Phil,” Craig said, “you better beat it straight home today. Officer Ricardo’s coming to see your father. He inspected the rocket, you know.”
    “Whatdidhesay?” Phil was hungry for his friends and for news of their project.
    “Well, sort of ‘yes’ and sort of ‘no.’ Anyway, he called Mom this morning to ask her how she felt about it all. Said he was gonna see your dad this afternoon.” Craig paused. “Sorry I ducked you this morning. But it’s just so durn embarrassing to be brought to school by Mom. I was trying to make it to the bushes so no one could see me when you came along.” He grinned sheepishly.
    “I understand,” Phil mumbled. “We all got our problems.” He straightened up and slapped Craig’s shoulder. “Thanks for the headlines about Dad. See ya.” And he ran to catch the bus.
    As Phil hurried toward his house from the bus stop he saw Officer Ricardo’s car parked outside. The officer was standing on the lawn under the gold hickory tree. Stippled light fell on his shoulders. He was staring at the big brick and clapboard house set against the far side of the northern ridge that cradled the marsh.
    “You know,” Officer Ricardo said as Phil approached him, “coming to your house about a rocket seems a little silly at this point.” He looked up at the wide lawn and the trimmed bushes. “When I was a kid I grew up on the streets of the Bronx. We exploded firecrackers, ran between cars for balls, played jokes on the local merchants, and outran the cops whose duty it was to catch us and bring us to justice—by the ears.”
    Phil didn’t quite understand. “You mean you’re here to arrest us?”
    “No, not at all, I don’t mean that,” the officer said. “I mean, so far nobody has done anything, so I don’t know why I’m here. I’m acting like a mother, not a cop.” He turned as if he thought he would go back to his car.
    “Please, sir,” Phil begged when he saw him start away, “talk to Dad. Tell him that the rocket is safe. I sure want the fellows to put it off after the mess I’ve gotten them into.”
    Officer Ricardo took off his cap and ran his fingers through his hair. He scratched the side of his round nose and rubbed his jaw. “All right. I’m this far. I