Mark longingly.

"Not that one. Maybe I should have got you a dog long ago. It might have
been just the kind of companionship you needed. But you can't make a pet
of this animal. He's been away from people too long, and he's developed
some mean habits." And he added mentally, "_Like me._"

"I could train him," said Mark. "He wouldn't be any trouble at all, Pop.
I'd train him and feed him, and he'd be just like one of us. And--and
like you say, Pop, it wouldn't be so lonely for me."

Kids don't give up easily, thought Sam. All the same, he had an idea
that with this dog all the persistence in the world would be useless. He
shrugged, and said simply, "We'll see." And then they went into the ship
to eat.

* * * * *

All through the meal he could tell that Mark was thinking about the dog.
The boy's thoughts seemed to affect his appetite. For the first time,
he left some of his proteinex on the plate.

"I'm not very hungry today," he said apologetically. "Maybe--" He looked
inquiringly at his father.

"Go ahead and finish it," said Sam. "We've got plenty of food. I'll fix
up something else for the dog."

"But I want to feed him myself, Pop. I want him to get used to me
feeding him."

"I'll give you your chance later."

Afterwards, Sam thriftily opened an old can of a less expensive variety
of proteinex and put half of it on a platter, which Mark carried outside
the ship. He moved off about a hundred yards in the direction the dog
had taken, and set the platter down on a rock.

"The wind is blowing the wrong way," said Sam. "Let's wait a while."

* * * * *

In ten minutes the wind shifted, and if the dog was near, Sam felt
certain that he had picked up both their scent and that of the food.
That his feeling was correct was shown by the sudden appearance of the
animal, who barked again, but this time not so fiercely. And he stopped
barking to sniff hungrily, at the same time keeping his distance.

"Here, mutt," called Mark.

"I'm afraid he won't come any closer while we're around," said Sam. "If
you want him to have that food, you'd better go away from it."

Mark reluctantly backed away with his father. The dog approached the
food, finally rushing down upon it as if he feared it would escape, and
gobbled it.

In the days that followed, they continued to feed him, and the animal
became relatively tame. He stopped barking at them, and at times le