ided trunks into the refrigerator were
installed in the refrigerator room itself to avoid burning the divided
trunks with hot cables from other parts of the ship.

In addition, Probos Five had cunningly devised a refrigerated trap. This
too was designed to simulate the caves of the divided trunk creatures
but was smaller. It was constructed with entrances readily seen and
exits well hidden. Probos Five had expected great things of his trap. He
had conceived the idea after reading the report of a Mercurian
expedition that explored the dens of the divided trunks at some place
marked "Coney Island." According to the reports the divided trunks
showed no hesitancy in entering these types of dens. In fact, the writer
of the report gave it as his opinion that the divided ones perhaps
played games in these types of caves. It also mentioned that some of the
dens were equipped with flat shiny surfaces that cast reflections or
images. Probos Five had incorporated the image-making surfaces into his
trap design. A pity that all this effort must be wasted, thought Probos
as he once more turned to the observation ports to check his remaining
distance from the planet's surface. Seeing that his time was short,
Probos Five turned all five faces forward in the Mercurian gesture of
disdain for death. A moment later came the shock.

* * * * *

A week later the proprietor of a novelty shop in Fairbanks watched two
natives with their dog team pulling something loglike through the snow
toward the trading post. Turning to a customer he remarked,

"Here comes Ketch and Ah Koo dragging in another Totem Pole. Guess that
Ketch must be the biggest liar ever produced by the Eskimos. He tried to
tell me that Totem Poles fall from the sky. Says he can always find one
if he sees it fall because it's so hot it melts the snow around it.
Personally I think he should be elected president of the Liars' Club,
but I'll buy the Totem Pole anyway. Those pesky tourists always whittle
a chunk out of my Totem Pole for a souvenir.

"I'm glad he's bringing me another one," the storekeeper concluded, "the
one he sold me last year is about whittled away."

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from _Planet Stories_ January 1954.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and
typographical errors have been corrected without note