diff --git a/trunk/ripnews/encode/yenc.rb b/trunk/ripnews/encode/yenc.rb
index aba693c..e7c9091 100644
--- a/trunk/ripnews/encode/yenc.rb
+++ b/trunk/ripnews/encode/yenc.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# $Dwarf: yenc.rb,v 1.11 2004/10/18 08:13:47 ward Exp $
+# $Dwarf: yenc.rb,v 1.12 2004/10/18 18:35:39 ward Exp $
 # $Source$
 
 #
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ class << self
 Debuglevel = 0
 
 def ydecode(data, outfile=nil)
-	@ymap = {}
-	(-106..255).each do |b|
-		@ymap[b]=((b-42)%256)
+	unless @ymap
+		@ymap = {}
+		(-106..255).each do |b|
+			@ymap[b]=((b-42)%256)
+		end
 	end
 
 	case data.class.to_s
@@ -62,7 +64,12 @@ def _ydecode_line(line)
 				line[i] -= 64
 			end
 		end
-		ostr << @ymap[line[i]]
+		begin
+			ostr << @ymap[line[i].to_i]
+		rescue TypeError
+			puts "this should not happen!!!"
+			puts "line[i] contents: '#{line[i]}'\n"
+		end
 		i += 1
 	end
 	return ostr