"Sally!" he called out, and then, doubtfully: "Len McGruder?" Eyes riveted on Marlin's face, the girl approached, slowly, almost like one groping in the dark. She touched his cheeks diffidently with both hands. "You're Dave! Dave Marlin!" she gasped. McGruder eyed them with fierce resentment, then lunged forward and thrust Sally away. "Damned slut!" he growled. "Get back to your brats." She swung on him furiously. "Shut Up! I'll stay where I please." Marlin noticed with sickened comprehension that there was an ugly welt on her temple and many bruises showed on the exposed parts of her body. But then, there were scratches and welts on McGruder that might not have been due altogether to entanglement with brush. "You'll stay with us tonight," Sally informed Marlin. "You'll be surprised at what a good housekeeper I am." There was no second to the invitation from McGruder, but Marlin cheerfully accompanied them home. Their refuge, like that of Maw and Link, was a cave. In an improvised enclosure, two naked children rolled contentedly in the dirt--one about two, the other a babe in the crawling stage. Cute little brats, Marlin thought, and Sally appeared to be casually proud of them. There was no evidence that they had attempted to cultivate growing things, but they had a fire, and Marlin was interested in the forge McGruder grudgingly showed him. He had fashioned other things besides spearheads--crude knives and an attempt at an axe--but he jealously refused to divulge the location of his metal deposits. As a special treat, Sally cooked a delectable stew of meat and edible roots. During the evening, the pair staged a bitter quarrel over some trifle, in the course of which McGruder sent Sally reeling with a cuff on the side of the head and she came back tooth and nail to retaliate. Marlin refrained from taking a hand. The girl seemed able to take care of herself. * * * * * When the embers of the fire burned low, Sally carried her offspring into the cave. McGruder, with a snarling remark that might have been taken for a goodnight followed her. Marlin made himself as comfortable as possible under a ledge some distance away. He wakened at the sound of crunching sand. In an instant, Sally was beside him, her arms circling his neck. She was sobbing. "Take me away, Dave!" she moaned. "I can't stand it. He beats me--he's a beast! It's been a living hell." He stroked her hair gently, reveling in the soft tangle. He did not blame her for wanting to leave a brute like McGruder. In point of fact, she was voicing a thought which he had been pondering as he fell asleep. Her lips sought his and clung, deliciously. "Your kids," he suggested presently. "You wouldn't want to leave them. How'll we manage--?"