t garments
stained with black mud.

All about rose a thick jungle, dark and gloomy--and very wet. Palm-like,
the gigantic trees were, or fern-like, flinging clouds of feathery green
foliage high against a somber sky of unbroken gloom.

They stood up, triumphant.

"At last!" Nada cried. "We're free! Free of that hateful old
civilization! We're back to Nature!"

"Yes, we're on our feet now, not parasites on the machines."

"It's wonderful to have a fine, strong man like you to trust in, Eric.
You're just like one of the heroes in your books!"

"You're the perfect companion, Nada.... But now we must be practical. We
must build a fire, find weapons, set up a shelter of some kind. I guess
it will be night, pretty soon. And Charley said something about savage
animals he had seen in the television.

"We'll find a nice dry cave, and have a fire in front of the door. And
skins of animals to sleep on. And pottery vessels to cook in. And you
will find seeds and grown grain."

"But first we must find a flint-bed. We need flint for tools, and to
strike sparks to make a fire with. We will probably come across a chunk
of virgin copper, too--it's found native."

Presently they set off through the jungle. The mud seemed to be very
abundant, and of a most sticky consistence. They sank into it ankle deep
at every step, and vast masses of it clung to their feet. A mile they
struggled on, without finding where a provident nature had left them
even a single fragment of quartz, to say nothing of a mass of pure
copper.

"A darned shame," Eric grumbled, "to come forty million miles, and meet
such a reception as this!"

Nada stopped. "Eric," she said, "I'm tired. And I don't believe there's
any rock here, anyway. You'll have to use wooden tools, sharpened in the
fire."

"Probably you're right. This soil seemed to be of alluvial origin.
Shouldn't be surprised if the native rock is some hundreds of feet
underground. Your idea is better."

"You can make a fire by rubbing sticks together, can't you?"

"It can be done, I'm sure. I've never tried it, myself. We need some dry
sticks, first."

They resumed the weary march, with a good fraction of the new planet
adhering to their feet. Rain was still falling from the dark heavens in
a steady, warm downpour. Dry wood seemed scarce as the proverbial hen's
teeth.

"You didn't bring any matches, dear?"

"Matches! Of course not! We're going back to Nature."

"I hope we get a fire pret