After a while the air seemed to stop going out, but the basement became very hot. A couple of hours passed before the old man peeled the blanket away from the edge of the door. He walked back across the room and felt of the air coming in the window. He nodded his head in a brusque affirmative, returned to the door and took the blanket down.

Someone shouted, "Hey! Aren't you going to stop the air from going out?"

The old man shrugged his shoulders. He said, "No need to. The air is as hot in he...