r minds were of low
degree, able to figure out the simple things--'One-one-two--yes!'--but
not more difficult things--'Two-two-four--no!' But I think from what we
saw later that he meant the other.

"After a few moments, the creatures came rushing back--first one, then
another. Their pushcarts were full of stones, sand, chunks of rubbery
plants, and such rubbish as that. They droned out their friendly
greeting, which didn't really sound so friendly, and dashed on. The
third one I assumed to be my first acquaintance and I decided to have
another chat with him. I stepped into his path again and waited.

"Up he came, booming out his 'We are v-r-r-riends' and stopped. I looked
at him; four or five of his eyes looked at me. He tried his password
again and gave a shove on his cart, but I stood firm. And then the--the
dashed creature reached out one of his arms, and two finger-like nippers
tweaked my nose!"

"Haw!" roared Harrison. "Maybe the things have a sense of beauty!"

"Laugh!" grumbled Jarvis. "I'd already had a nasty bump and a mean
frostbite on that nose. Anyway, I yelled 'Ouch!' and jumped aside and
the creature dashed away; but from then on, their greeting was 'We are
v-r-r-riends! Ouch!' Queer beasts!

"Tweel and I followed the road squarely up to the nearest mound. The
creatures were coming and going, paying us not the slightest attention,
fetching their loads of rubbish. The road simply dived into an opening,
and slanted down like an old mine, and in and out darted the
barrel-people, greeting us with their eternal phrase.

"I looked in; there was a light somewhere below, and I was curious to
see it. It didn't look like a flame or torch, you understand, but more
like a civilized light, and I thought that I might get some clue as to
the creatures' development. So in I went and Tweel tagged along, not
without a few trills and twitters, however.

"The light was curious; it sputtered and flared like an old arc light,
but came from a single black rod set in the wall of the corridor. It
was electric, beyond doubt. The creatures were fairly civilized,
apparently.

"Then I saw another light shining on something that glittered and I went
on to look at that, but it was only a heap of shiny sand. I turned
toward the entrance to leave, and the Devil take me if it wasn't gone!

"I suppose the corridor had curved, or I'd stepped into a side passage.
Anyway, I walked back in that direction I thought we'd come, and all