"Think we ought to camp here?"

Kalvar Dard shook his head. "No wood here for fuel, and the blast will
have scared away all the game. We'd better go upstream; if we go down,
we'll find the water roiled with mud and unfit to drink. And if the game
on this planet behave like the game-herds on the wastelands of Doorsha,
they'll run for high ground when frightened."

Varnis rose from where she had been sitting. Having mastered her
emotions, she was making a deliberate effort to show it.

"Let's make up packs out of this stuff," she suggested. "We can use the
bedding and spare clothing to bundle up the food and ammunition."

They made up packs and slung them, then climbed out of the gully. Off to
the left, the grass was burning in a wide circle around the crater left
by the explosion of the rocket-boat. Kalvar Dard, carrying one of the
heavy rifles, took the lead. Beside and a little behind him, Analea
walked, her carbine ready. Glav, with the other heavy rifle, brought up
in the rear, with Olva covering for him, and between, the other girls
walked, two and two.

Ahead, on the far horizon, was a distance-blue line of mountains. The
little company turned their faces toward them and moved slowly away,
across the empty sea of grass.