ion at least. We'll
have to find out; you can't understand a people till you understand
their background and their social organization."

"Humph. Let me have a look at their artifacts; that'll tell what kind
of people they are," Altamont said, swinging his glasses back and
forth over the enclosure. "Water-power mill, water-power
sawmill--building on the left side of the water wheel; see the pile of
fresh lumber beside it. Blacksmith shop, and from that chimney I'd say
a small foundry, too. Wonder what that little building out on the tip
of the island is; it has a water wheel. Undershot wheel, and it looks
as though it could be raised or lowered. But the building's too small
for a grist mill. Now, I wonder--"

[Illustration: ]

"Monty, I think we ought to land right in the middle of the enclosure,
on that open plaza thing, in front of that building that looks like a
reconditioned church. That's probably the Royal Palace, or the
Pentagon, or the Kremlin, or whatever."

Altamont started to object, paused, and then nodded. "I think you're
right, Jim. From the way they scattered, and got their livestock into
the woods, they probably expect us to bomb them. We have to get
inside; that's the quickest way to do it." He thought for a moment.
"We'd better be armed, when we go out. Pistols, auto-carbines, and a
few of those concussion-grenades in case we have to break up a
concerted attack. I'll get them."

The plaza and the houses and cabins around it, and the
two-hundred-year-old church, were silent and, apparently, lifeless as
they set the helicopter down. Once Loudons caught a movement inside
the door of a house, and saw a metallic glint. Altamont pointed up at
the belfry.

"There's a gun up there," he said. "Looks like about a four-pounder.
Brass. I knew that smith-shop was also a foundry. See that little curl
of smoke? That's the gunner's slow-match. I'd thought maybe that thing
on the island was a powder mill. That would be where they'd put it.
Probably extract their niter from the dung of their horses and cows.
Sulfur probably from coal-mine drainage. Jim, this is really
something!"

"I hope they don't cut loose on us with that thing," Loudons said,
looking apprehensively at the brass-rimmed black muzzle that was
covering them from the belfry. "I wonder if we ought to--Oh-oh, here
they come!"

* * * * *

Three or four young men stepped out of the wide door of the old
church. The