.

* * * * *

Nanette stirred and opened her eyes. The sight of the anthropoids
caused her to recoil.

"Steady, Nan," spoke Carruthers softly.

Other apes and gorillas gathered around the giant red animal. They
displayed no hostility, only an intense interest. One by one they
squatted before the earth people until they formed a half circle,
reaching from the one wall of the rocky plateau to the other.

While they sat there it began to grow dark. Carruthers removed his
watch and ventured a glance at it. Daylight had lasted less then three
hours. An hour for twilight, then it would be dark. Evidently the
cycle around the nucleus of the atom took approximately ten hours.

Nanette sat up. "Aaron!"

He answered without removing his eyes from the red ape less then four
feet away. "Don't look at me, Nan. Concentrate on the big, red fellow.
He's evidently in control. If we act the least bit frightened they
might decide to destroy us."

"What are they waiting for? Why don't they go away?"

"We'll know before long. I imagine they're trying to figure out who we
are and what we are doing on their tiny planet."

Darkness descended rapidly. Overhead, a small moon rose majestically
in the heavens and started its journey through the night. Its faint
light revealed the fact that the apes showed no intentions of leaving.
They still squatted before the earth people, in a half circle of
staring brown eyes.

Whatever fear Carruthers had felt towards the animals died away.
"They're harmless," he told Nanette. "Get some sleep if you can."

* * * * *

Long after the tired girl had drifted into slumber Carruthers sat with
his back against the wall, mentally trying to figure the whole thing
out. The dinosaur was real enough. Yet the apemen had frightened it
away, in fact had compelled it to go without actually engaging in
combat. No question about it. The anthropoids were in control. But who
controlled them?

Quite suddenly his eyes snapped open. Daylight had come again. He must
have fallen asleep. The shrill chatter of the apeman came to his ears.
The red ape leader shuffled to his feet and looked from the earth
people to the spot in the jungle whence came the chatter. Abruptly he
opened his mouth and emitted a flood of gibberish sounds.

The gorillas and apes at his side flattened their bodies against the
rocky walls in attitudes of expectant waiting.

"What's h