of them to take back with him.
It was out there, far from the ship, that he saw the first animate life.

When he returned, it was growing toward evening. He found that the
others had brought tables from the ship, and sleeping equipment, and set
it up outside. Their own quarters would have been more comfortable, but
the ship was always there for their protection, if they needed it, and
they were tired of its confinement. It was a luxury to sleep outdoors,
even under alien stars.

Someone had brought food from the synthetizer, and arranged it on a
table. They were eating when he arrived.

He handed the specimens of moss and lichen to Captain Renner, who looked
at them with interest, and then passed them on to Beeson for his study.

"Sir?" David said.

"What is it, David?" Captain Renner asked.

"I think there are natives here," David said. "I believe that I saw
one."

Renner's eyes lit up with interest. He laid down his knife and fork.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"It was just a glimpse," David said, "of a hairy face peering around a
rock. It looked like one of those pictures of a cave man one used to see
in the old texts."

Renner stood up. He moved a little way away, and stood staring out into
the growing dark, across the boulder-studded plain.

"On a barren planet like this," he said, "they must lack so many
things!"

"I'd swear he almost looks happy," Dr. Thorne whispered to the man next
to him. It happened to be Farrow.

"Why shouldn't he be?" Farrow growled, his mouth full of food. "He's got
him a planet to play with! That's what he's been aiming for--wait and
see!"

* * * * *

The next few days passed swiftly. Dr. Thorne found the water from the
little stream not only to be potable, but extremely pure.

Farrow got his machinery unloaded and ready to run. Among other things,
there was a land vehicle on light caterpillar treads capable of running
where there were no roads and carrying a load of several tons. And there
was an out-and-out tractor with multiple attachments.

Beeson was busy in his laboratory working on samples from the soil.

David brought in the one new point that was of interest. He had been out
hunting among the boulders again, and it was almost dark when he
returned. He told Renner about it at the supper table, with the others
listening in.

"I think the natives eat the lichen," he said.

"I haven't seen much else they could eat," Beeson mutter