young Basom, when Anketam
came up.

The old man grinned. "Hello, Ank. You figure on getting a few more fish
today?"

"Why not? The river's full of 'em. Come along."

"Don't see why not," said Blejjo. "What do you think, Basom?"

The younger man smiled and shook his head. "I'll stay around home, I
think. I'm too lazy today to go to all that effort."

[Illustration]

"Too lazy to loaf," said Blejjo, laughing. "That's as lazy as I ever
heard."

Anketam smiled, but he didn't say anything. Basom _was_ lazy, but
Anketam never mentioned it unless the boy didn't get his work done.
Leave that sort of kidding up to the others; it wasn't good for a
supervisor to ride his men unless it was necessary for discipline.

Basom was a powerful young man, tall and well-proportioned. If the truth
were known, he probably had the ability to get a good job from The
Chief--become a secretary or something, like Russat. But he was sloppy
in his work, and, as Blejjo had said, lazy. His saving grace was the
fact that he took things as they came; he never showed any resentment
towards Anketam if he was rebuked for not doing his work well, and he
honestly tried to do better--for a while, at least.

"Not too lazy to loaf," Basom said in self-defense. "Just too lazy to
walk four miles to loaf when I can do it here."

Old Blejjo was taking his fishing gear down from the rack on the porch.
Without looking around, he said: "Cooler down by the river."

"By the time I walked there," said Basom philosophically, "walking
through all that sun, I'd be so hot it would take me two hours to cool
down to where I am now, and another two hours to cool down any more.
That's four hours wasted. Now--" He looked at Anketam with a sly grin.
"Now, if you two wanted to carry me, I'd be much obliged. Anketam, you
could carry me piggyback, while Blejjo goes over to fetch my pole. If
you'd do that, I believe I could see my way clear to going fishing with
you."

Anketam shook his head positively. "I'm afraid the sun would do you in,
anyway."

"Maybe you'd like The Chief to carry you," said Blejjo. There was a bite
in his voice.

"Now, wait," Basom said apprehensively, "I didn't say anything like
that. I didn't mean it that way."

Blejjo pointed his fishing pole at the youth. "You ought to be thankful
you've got Anketam for a supervisor. There's some supers who'd boot you
good for a crack like that."

Basom cast appealing eyes at Anketam. "I _am_ thankful!