ed it. Larkin's
breath exploded in savage voice--triumphant voice. The Martians were
his.

"Come on, some of you! Dig a hole and bury that carrion! And if anybody
still wonders who's boss around here--let him step forward!"

"They took it!" Cleve whispered. "Glory be--they took it!"

Four Martians climbed grinning from the trench. They faced Larkin and
stood as though awaiting instructions.

"Dig there," Larkin said.

They went stolidly to work and Larkin pocketed his gun, making the
pocketing a gesture of contempt.

"You see," Cleve said, with the tone of one explaining an abstract
problem, "we were at somewhat of a disadvantage because they are
incapable of indicating emotion by facial expression. Thus the last test
was necessary. If we could have judged the degree of fear previously
instilled, that last might not have been necessary."

"Just as well to have a double check nonetheless," Dane said. "Look at
them! You'd think nothing out of the ordinary had happened."

Larkin strode back to the table. "Glad we got it over with," he said.
"Now we _know_. Cleve can head back for Earth tomorrow. Initial supplies
will come to about twenty million, I estimate. The rest of us can stay
here and really drive these beggars. Get the foundations dug; get the
rock down from the hills."

"A planet in glorious resurrection," said Dane, the poet of the group.

"They've got the grave dug," Cleve observed. "They're waiting for
orders."

"Such cattle," Evans muttered.

Larkin strode back to the grave. He pointed. "Him--body into the grave.
Snap into it. We've got work to do."

The Martians put the body into the grave.

Then a tall, green man appeared behind Larkin. He put his arms around
Larkin's body. Another Martian took the gun from Larkin's pocket.

And they pushed the screaming Earthman down into the grave.

Smith sprang to his feet. "For God's sake!"

"Sit down, you fool!" Cleve hissed. "Do you want to die? We've
miscalculated. Something's wrong."

The big Martian was standing on Larkin. The others threw in the soil.
Larkin, now beyond sanity, was gibbering like an animal.

Smith sat down. The Earthman presented a frozen tableau. Soon the
gibbering could no longer be heard and the big Martian stepped out of
the grave.

"Leave everything," Cleve whispered. "Get up very casually and walk back
to the ship. Get inside it."

"May God help us," Dane quavered.

"Shut up! Act natural."

They went back and got