ticular Martian was tightly restrained by a
strong nylon net, and was obviously the captive of the two explorers.

"Why, it looks like a giant insect!" exclaimed Burl.

"More like a kind of lobster," was Ferrati's answer. "But this is it.
This is one of the city dwellers."

Lockhart shook his head. "I don't like this. We shouldn't do anything to
antagonize the Martians. Taking one prisoner like this may be a bad
first move."

Boulton stepped out of the jeep. "There wasn't anything else we could
do. Besides, who said that Martians were ever our friends?"

"We got into the city," he went on, "and drove around the streets. There
were plenty of these fellows around, going about their business.
Hundreds of 'em. Do you think they stopped to look at us? Do you think
they were curious? Do you think they talked to us? Called the police?
Did anything at all?

"No," he answered himself. "They just walked around us as if we were a
stick of something in the way. They don't say anything to each other.
They just go on about their affairs, dragging things, carrying food,
herding young ones, and not a darn word.

"They looked at us, and didn't even act as if they saw us. When we
stopped one, it squirmed out of our grasp and walked away. Finally we
took this fellow, simply grabbed him off the street, tied him up,
stuffed him in the jeep and kidnaped him. And do you think anybody cared
or turned in an alarm or tried to help him? No!"

Lockhart looked at the prisoner a moment. The Martian stared at him out
of his unwinking multiple eyes. "Are you sure these are the engineers of
the canals, the builders?"

Boulton nodded. "Definitely. We saw some of them at work. They were
repairing a house and they used tools and fire. They have machines, and
they use them. They've got their city working and well laid out, but I
don't know how they do it. They must communicate in some way, but they
act as if they had been drilled in their jobs and were going through an
elaborate and complicated pantomime. Even the young don't utter a peep."

Lockhart stepped back a bit. "Untie this fellow. Let's see what he
does."

When the Martian had been released from the enveloping net, it made no
effort to communicate. It turned slowly around, a little wobbly at
first, and wandered off, paying no attention to the men, the ship, or
the jeep. Then it started walking at a rapid pace. The men watched as it
trotted into the desert--away from the city!

It se