"No, he didn't. He simply asked what animals ate. That's all. Now if he promised he wouldn't tell on you, he didn't. It's your own foolishness in trying to take something without permission that gave you away. That happened to be stealing. Now have you an animal? I ask you a direct question." "Yes, sir." It was a whisper so low as hardly to be heard. "All right, you'll have to get rid of it. Do you understand?" Red's mother intervened. "Do you mean to say you're keeping a meat-eating animal, Red? It might bite you and give you blood-poison." "They're only small ones," quavered Red. "They hardly budge if you touch them." "They? How many do you have?" "Two." "Where are they?" The Industrialist touched her arm. "Don't chivvy the child any further," he said, in a low voice. "If he says he'll get rid of them, he will, and that's punishment enough." He dismissed the matter from his mind. VIII Lunch was half over when Slim dashed into the dining room. For a moment, he stood abashed, and then he said in what was almost hysteria, "I've got to speak to Red. I've got to say something." Red looked up in fright, but the Astronomer said, "I don't think, son, you're being very polite. You've kept lunch waiting." "I'm sorry, Father." "Oh, don't rate the lad," said the Industrialist's wife. "He can speak to Red if he wants to, and there was no damage done to the lunch." "I've got to speak to Red alone," Slim insisted. "Now that's enough," said the Astronomer with a kind of gentleness that was obviously manufactured for the benefit of strangers and which had beneath it an easily-recognized edge. "Take your seat." Slim did so, but he ate only when someone looked directly upon him. Even then he was not very successful. Red caught his eyes. He made soundless words, "Did the animals get loose?" Slim shook his head slightly. He whispered, "No, it's--" The Astronomer looked at him hard and Slim faltered to a stop. With lunch over, Red slipped out of the room, with a microscopic motion at Slim to follow. They walked in silence to the creek. Then Red turned fiercely upon his companion. "Look here, what's the idea of telling my Dad we were feeding animals?" Slim said, "I didn't. I asked what you feed animals. That's not the same as saying we were doing it. Besides, it's something else, Red." But Red had not used up his grievances. "And where did you go anyway? I thought you were coming to the house. They acted like it was my fault you weren't there." "But I'm trying to tell you about that, if you'd only shut _up_ a second and let me talk. You don't give a fellow a chance." "Well, go on and tell me if you've got so much to say." "I'm _trying_ to. I went back to the space-ship. The folks weren't there anymore and I wanted to see what it was like." "It isn't a space-ship," said Red, sullenly. He had nothing to lose.