They threw themselves on their knees, one on either side of her, their arms about her. "Oh, Mother, we didn't mean it like that!" "We never felt you had us tied to your apron strings, Mom," Jon added. "We still want to be your boys, even though we do have to act like men--at least until Pop takes charge again." Her smile now was warm and tender, all hesitancy and most of the fears gone. "Mr. C. and I have tried to make you self-reliant and resourceful, and he'll be as proud of you as I am. You're right--you are the men of the party and must do whatever you decide should be done. But be careful," she could not help adding. "We will, Mother." "We think just as much of us as you do," Jon quipped. They left her sitting there, then, and went back to the control room. As they came close to the window-ports they peered through eagerly, and were surprised to see the huge carcass of the triped literally covered with strange looking winged, featherless but fur-covered, bird-things. The latter had large, sharp beaks, with which they were tearing great gobs of flesh from the hulk, gulping them down with ravenous relish. "Scavengers!" Jon exclaimed, his eyes glued to the scene. "Yes, there go our steaks." Jak's tone was so lugubrious that Jon looked up and laughed. "I had hoped for some fresh meat." "There'll be plenty later on," Jon consoled his brother. "Probably this one would've been too tough, anyway." Jak suddenly chuckled. "Yes, like the fox said, the grapes were probably sour." They grinned companionably at each other, then turned back to watch through the port again. So numerous and so voracious were the scavenger birds that within a few minutes they had even that mammoth carcass stripped of flesh, leaving only the huge bones. One by one, the birds then flew into the forest, the last ones fighting among themselves for the few remaining scraps of stringy flesh or entrails before they, too, took wing. "Shall we try it now?" Jak asked after the last of the bird-things had gone. "Might as well. We sure don't want to be cooped up here forever." They went back to the airlock again, making sure their guns were reloaded and their ammo belts filled. When both boys were in the lock, Jon punched the button that closed the inner door, then opened the outer one. "Safer for Mom to have one of them shut," he exclaimed. The two stood there a moment, looking all about them. Except for that strange pile of huge bones, now covered thickly with some sort of reddish, chitinous-covered, ant-like insects, the clearing seemed empty of all life except the peculiar, flower-like grasses. Jon climbed down to the ground and Jak followed closely. They walked a short distance away, then turned and looked back, scanning carefully in all directions to make sure no enemy was at their backs. "Let's go over and study that jungle a bit," Jak suggested when they were sure their rear was not, apparently, menaced.