And setting sail the ships hove back across the Central Sea and came
again to the Islands Three, where rest the feet of Chance, and said to
the people:

"We have seen the gods."

But to the rulers of the Islands they told how the gods drove men in
herds; and went back and tended their flocks again all in the
Prosperous Isles, and were kinder to their cattle after they had seen
how that the gods used men.

But the gods walking large about Their valley, and peering over the
great mountain's rim, saw one morning the tracks of the three men. Then
the gods bent their faces low over the tracks and leaning forward ran,
and came before the evening of the day to the shore where the men had
set sail in ships, and saw the tracks of ships upon the sand, and waded
far out into the sea, and yet saw nought. Still it had been well for
the Islands Three had not certain men that had heard the travellers'
tale sought also to see the gods themselves. These in the night-time
slipped away from the Isles in ships, and ere the gods had retreated to
the hills, They saw where ocean meets with sky the full white sails of
those that sought the gods upon an evil day. Then for a while the
people of those gods had rest while the gods lurked behind the
mountain, waiting for the travellers from the Prosperous Isles. But the
travellers came to shore and beached their ships, and sent six of their
number to the mountain whereof they had been told. But they after many
days returned, having not seen the gods but only the smoke that went
upward from burned cities, and vultures that stood in the sky instead
of answered prayer. And they all ran down their ships again into the
sea, and set sail again and came to the Prosperous Isles. But in the