and I think there is small chance of Schwartzmann's party or the
savages finding us in this spot."

Beyond the fire, Harkness raised himself now to sit erect and glance
about the circle of fire-lit faces. "There's plenty of planning to be
done," he said. "There is the matter of defense; we must build a
barricade of some sort. As for shelter, we must remember that we will be
here a long time and that we might as well face it. We will need to
build some serviceable shelters. Then, what about clothes? These we are
wearing are none the better for the trip through the jungle: they won't
last forever. We've got to learn--Lord! we've got to learn so many
things!"

And the first of many councils was begun.

CHAPTER XIV

_A Bag of Green Gas_

Under a tree on the edge of the open ground a notched stick hung. Six
sharply cut V's showed red through the white bark, then one that was
deeper; another six and another deeper cut; more of them until the stick
was full: so passed the little days.

"Some time," Herr Kreiss had promised, "I shall determine with accuracy
the length of our Dark Moon days; then we will convert these crude
records into Earth time. It is good that we should not lose our
knowledge of the days on Earth." He made a ceremony each morning of the
cutting of another notch.

Chet, too, had a bit of daily routine that was never neglected. Each
sunrise found him on the high divide; each morning he watched for the
glint and sparkle of sunlight as it flashed from a metal ship; and each
morning the reflected light came to him tinged with green, until he knew
at last that it might never be different. The poisonous fumes filled the
pocket at the end of the valley where the great ship rested. She was
indeed at the bottom of a sea.

Back at camp were other signs of the passing days. Around the top of the
knoll a palisade had sprung up. Stakes buried in the ground, with
sharpened ends pointing up and outward, were interwoven with tough vines
to make a barricade that would check any direct assault. And, within the
enclosure, near the little hut that had been built for Diane, were other
shelters. One black night of tropic rainstorm had taught the necessity
for roofs that would protect them from torrential downpours.

These did well enough for the present, these temporary shelters and
defenses, and they had kept Diane and the two men working like mad when
it was essential that they have something to do, something