tty cousin bothering you? She only wanted
to say hello."

"All right," Mike barked. "You've had your little joke. Let's find out
where we are."

"In a jungle I guess--from the nature of the welcoming committee."

Mike helped Doree from her couch. She had sustained no injuries other
than a slightly sprained wrist. Mike got a rifle from the gun cabinet,
gave another to Nicko and armed Doree with a small pistol which she
tried to refuse.

Investigation showed the hull to be intact but two of the hatches had
been torn off their hinges and were nowhere in sight.

"A beautiful glide," Nicko commented, looking back at the broad furrow
that gave evidence of how the _Space Queen_ had come in. It was a good
thing for them.

* * * * *

"A lucky one," Mike replied. He scanned the thick tropical vegetation
on every side.

"We could be down in the green jungles of Terra," Nicko said.

"We could at that. There is a river around here somewhere."

"How do you know?"

"I got a flash of a river as we glided in. Thought we were going to
hit it. Then we went over. It ought to be in that direction. Let's
go."

Doree, still stunned by the episode of the snake, was mute and pale as
she followed close behind Mike. Nicko brought up the rear. The going
was hard until Mike broke through into a comparatively open area. He
pointed. "There it is."

A silent, ominous river, dark under the hot rays of a high sun. Around
them, nothing moved; only the black waters of the river rushing onward
toward some distant rendezvous with the sea. Doree shuddered.

* * * * *

Mike drew her into the circle of his arm. "Don't be afraid. This is a
break--just what we wanted. All rivers go somewhere and this one saves
us from fighting our way through the jungle an inch at a time."

"But we have no boat."

"We can make a boat." Nicko said. "The rubber mattresses and cushions
from the ship. I'll bet no one on this planet has ever seen such a
boat as we'll have."

Mike and Nicko struggled back and forth from the river bank to the
ship, bringing what was needed. Doree, fearing to remain alone,
trailed with them until she was exhausted, whereupon Mike began
building the raft, leaving the rest of the trips to the indestructible
Nicko. Mike bound the mattresses and cushions to a base of woven
reeds. The reeds grew in abundance in a nearby swamp. Doree helped
with the braiding and the work we