ht-conditioned, weather-conditioned city. It is only
when I rough it on field trips like this to trackless parts of
the--globe that I am forced to experience weather. Even then, I have
never before been caught in a situation like this."

_In fact, I was never before caught or I wouldn't be in this situation
at all._

"Oh, Jrann-Pttt," sighed Miss Anspacher, "I knew you couldn't be just an
ordinary native!"

"How did you get into this situation then?" Professor Bernardi asked. He
had an unfortunate talent for going directly to the point.

"The third member of our expedition died," Jrann-Pttt explained. "He was
our dirigational expert. Our guide."

"How did he happen to--"

"Are we just going to stand here chatting," Miss Anspacher demanded, "or
are we going to do something about this?"

"What can we do?" Mrs. Bernardi asked weakly. "We might just as well lie
down and--"

"Never say die, Louisa," Miss Anspacher admonished.

"I suggest we go to my camp to see what shape it's in," Jrann-Pttt said,
furiously putting together Plan C. "Some of the supplies there might
prove useful."

Captain Greenfield looked questioningly at Bernardi. The professor
shrugged. "Might as well."

"All right," the captain growled. "Let's pick up whatever we can save."

* * * * *

Since there wasn't much that could be rescued, the little safari was
soon on its way. Jrann-Pttt led, carrying Algol in his arms. Behind came
Mortland, bearing a camp stool and the kettle into which he had tucked a
tin of biscuits and into which the mosquito-bat had tucked itself, its
orange eyes glaring out angrily from beneath the lid. Next came Mrs.
Bernardi with her knitting, her camp stool and her sorrow.

Dfar-Lll followed with two stools and the plastic tea set. Close behind
was Miss Anspacher, with the sugar bowl, the earthenware teapot and an
immense bound volume of the _Proceedings of the Physical Society of
Ameranglis_ for 1993. Professor Bernardi bore a briefcase full of notes
and the table. The rain had damaged the latter's mechanism, so that its
legs kept unfolding from time to time, to the great inconvenience of
Captain Greenfield, who brought up the rear with the blasting equipment.
Behind them and sometimes alongside them came something--or
someone--else.

[Illustration]

"Surely your camp must have been closer to ours than this," Miss
Anspacher finally remarked after they had been slogging through mud a