lights around the storage shed were still on. He wondered what was
keeping Baba. He made himself comfortable again and listened to the
night sounds. He listened hard for any sound of rhinosaurs outside.
There was only the sigh of wind through the trampled marshberries.
As he listened, his head nodded down on his breast, and his eyes
closed. He wished Baba would come. Maybe he couldn't make it. Maybe
he.... But his thought trailed off into a dream. He was up in the meat
tree being attacked by a rhinosaur standing twice as high as the tree.
Far away someone began shooting at the rhinosaur. Then the tree was
being shaken back and forth. Baba was clicking something in the dream
Johnny couldn't understand.
"Wake up, Johnny! Wake up!"
Johnny's head jerked up. The shaking was real. It was Baba pushing
his shoulder. The shooting was real too. Men were running about the
settlement with flashlights. It was hard to see for any distance
through the green twilight which would last for many hours longer.
"Hurry, Johnny!" Baba clicked.
"O.K." Johnny said. He was still dazed with sleep as he helped Baba
struggle into his harness. As soon as the harness was on, they began
to run deeper among the boulders. Hundreds of small stones under their
feet made a sound like a landslide. They stopped still, listening.
The men had not heard.
"Maybe we'd better go straight up the main rock," Johnny said.
Baba nodded. Both knew it would be harder work, but safer. Johnny
tested the straps on Baba's harness. There was no time to tie himself
on. This time it was going to be harder for both of them.
Baba didn't dare bounce, so they started right from the foot of the
rock. In the half light it was not likely that the men would see them.
Even if they did, there was a good chance they would hold their fire
when they saw Johnny. If so, the two of them could still get away.
Oddly, Johnny's fear was gone.
From below them came the sound of a man moving among the rocks.
"Quiet, Baba," Johnny whispered.
Baba stopped.
Jeb flashed his light among the rocks and up along the main rock. For
a fraction of a second the light was full on them. But it passed by
without pausing.
"Nothing over here!" Jeb called out in a loud voice. "Dang critter must
have got clear away."
There was the sound of footsteps hurrying toward them. Johnny and Baba
froze to the rock.
"Hey, you two," Jeb's voice came softly, "I don't know what you're
aimin' to do, but you'd better hurry up about it. They're fixin' to
mount searchlights on the wall."
Johnny was flabbergasted. The old hunter was helping them!
There was a chuckle from below.
"Hurry up, now. I don't want no more baby marva a-haunting me like the
one I told you about."
"Thanks," Johnny whispered. "Golly, thanks! Come on, Baba," he clicked,
turning his head back to the little bear.
Baba began to scurry along up the rocks once more.
"Just one thing more," the whisper followed them. "Ain't that clickin'
the way those critters got of talking?"
"Yes," Johnny answered.
"I figgered it, by gosh!" Jeb chuckled deep in his throat. "I just knew
you was fixin' up a getaway. Good luck, you two!"
"Goodbye," Johnny said.
"You are a good man," Baba clicked. "A true friend!"
"Baba said you are a good man and a true friend," Johnny whispered.
"Thank you, Baba," the old man said. Then he was gone.
Baba and Johnny began climbing in earnest now. Johnny couldn't let
himself get tired. As silently as they could, they went on and on.
They climbed for what seemed an hour. Actually it was fifteen minutes
later when they reached the ledge leading to the cave in the rock. They
were barely inside when search lights cut through the twilight and
began to play on the rock.
The two sat down to rest, but not for long. Soon they were tearing down
the pile of rocks at the back of the cave so they could get into the
main caverns. They had talked about staying the night within the inner
rooms, but decided it was too dangerous. Sooner or later the colonists
were bound to drop someone from a helicopter to search for Baba on top
of the rock; and there was too great a chance the entrance would be
discovered.
Once inside the main caverns, the first job was to make their way
through the long passageways to the top of the rock to block the
entrance they had made earlier in the day. It took precious time, but
they had to do it. They almost didn't make it, for as they were filling
in the last stone at the cave mouth they heard the sound of 'copter
motors. Johnny grabbed Baba's harness, and down the long winding
passageways they went, full tilt.
Soon they were picking their way about the brush near the exit of
the long, damp tunnel. Through the green twilight they could see the
searchlights brightening New Plymouth Rock. Baba was sniffing the air.
Johnny listened carefully for the sound of rhinosaurs or of tanks.
There was no evidence of either man or animal.
"We made it, Grandfather Bear!" Johnny said aloud to Baba. "You're
safe!"
Baba grinned. "No rhinosaurs around either," he clicked. "We'd better
hurry."
"Let's stick close to trees for a while--just in case," Johnny
suggested. Only heavy brush surrounded them.
"We'd better get to a tank path," Baba clicked, "or we won't get very
far very fast."
Johnny nodded. He settled his pack on his shoulder and the two moved
forward. Using Johnny's compass they cut through the brush and soon
came to a tank path. It was very still. There was no sound but the wind
rustling the trees. All around them were trees and brush and pools of
deep green shadow.
The first two miles were the easiest. In the absence of rhinosaurs,
there was nothing much to fear here but arrow-birds, and they would
soon be heading for their nests. Most of the Venus animals kept well
away from the settlement. Twice a flight of arrow-birds came shrieking
down at them, and twice Baba's clicks sent them whirring on their way.
Otherwise the jungle was empty of life. It was a relatively safe zone.
But in order to make sure of Baba's safety, they would have to go on
into an area of teeming life.
Johnny thought of the comfort and safety of the settlement, of the love
and protection his parents had given him. He had left a note for his
parents. "I am sorry to take Baba away since he is worth so much to the
colony," he had written. "But he is just like a brother to me. Don't
worry. I will be safe with Baba." He hoped they would understand.
Though he had bravely told his parents not to worry, here in the
jungle, Johnny, himself, was already frightened and very homesick.
"Baba," he said suddenly, "it's going to be hard being away from Mom
and Pop." They were walking now through the thick grove of meat trees
that edged a forest of diamond-woods that loomed up in the distance.
"Yes," Baba clicked, "I know."
"Well, I was thinking," Johnny continued, "that after we find your
people, maybe after a month or so, I could go back home. Later I could
come for visits and things." Johnny watched Baba from the corners of
his eyes to see how the little bear would take to the idea. For a
while, Baba bounded along beside Johnny, his eyes straight ahead.
"I know what it's like being without a mother and father," the little
bear clicked so softly Johnny could hardly hear him. "It happened long
ago, but I remember how it was at first. I can't bear to think of your
going away. But we will see what happens." Baba turned toward Johnny.
"I think you shouldn't have come."
Johnny was sorry for having brought up the subject.
"Let's skip it," he said. "Don't be an unhappy old grandfather bear,"
he joked. "Think about the nuts you'll find right ahead."
The nuts were not really very close. It took a good deal of hiking
before the tank trail began to wind among gigantic trees. Bigger than
Earth redwoods, they rose almost like mountains around them. Here even
the wind did not enter, and beneath their feet was a cushion of fine
leaves. All was silence. Johnny was glad to rest his feet while Baba
gathered a few nuts. Then they trudged on.
Hours later they emerged from the darkness of the diamond-wood forest
into the green twilight of the surrounding meat trees. Johnny was
exhausted.
A sudden coughing roar in the distance sent a shiver up Johnny's back
and brought them to an abrupt halt. It was a saber-tooth leopard!
Johnny heard a slight stir of movement in the underbrush. About them,
birds of all kinds twittered and chirped, readying themselves for the
long darkness of Venus night. They were out of the safety zone.
Though many hours had gone by, it was still Venus evening. He and Baba
had to push on into the deadly part of the jungle before they could
rest.
The leopard's roar had come from far away and there was no immediate
danger, but from that time on the two watched every step they took. A
faint breeze blew in their faces. That was good. Johnny's scent would
not be blown to any of the animals. Johnny set his voice to click,
not to speak. He had to try to forget human speech, and talk always
like Baba. He spoke to Baba constantly in the marva language, and Baba
corrected him when he let his clicks become high pitched as Baba's once
had been.
The meat tree grove was thinning out. The tank tracks were getting
fainter and fainter. Vines wound around the trees and bushes. On the
vines great orange flowers seemed to burn with color in the green
light. Johnny watched the flowers carefully because one might really
be a scarlet ape. Men called these flowers monkey flowers since they
were so near the color of those small apes that lived on the edge of
meat tree groves. As the two adventurers walked, the noises of animals
became louder and more numerous. A large bird fluttered across their
path and went shrieking ahead of them.
Then there was sudden silence. They stopped.
Baba hurriedly clicked loudly into the silence, "Friend-pets,
friend-pets, bother--"
He did not have time to finish the sentence. Johnny was struck suddenly
on the back and sent sprawling on his face. A hundred tiny hands
seemed to be pulling at his hair. He felt a rip of cloth and then a
sharp pain as a small claw cut into his back. Baba was clicking loudly.
As suddenly as he was struck down, the attack on him stopped. Dazed, he
painfully got to his hands and knees.
"Friend-pets, bother us not. Bother us not!" Baba was repeating over
and over again as loudly as he could. Johnny's eyes widened.
Surrounding them were hundreds of tiny monkeys no more than eight
inches high. Scarlet red in color, they sat perfectly still, their eyes
fixed on Johnny and Baba. Sitting high on a nearby bush one of the
little apes held a packet of Johnny's food in its tiny hands. Johnny
stood up to his full height and a low growl went up from the animals.
The monkey with Johnny's packet hurled it at Johnny with surprising
strength. Johnny made a quick catch.
"Thank you," Johnny clicked in the marva tongue. The monkeys chattered
excitedly. "Thank you, friend-pet."
"Give it something," Baba clicked. "Oh, I'm afraid, Johnny. They hate
you so much--I can feel it." Johnny knew why. The skins of these
animals were much in fashion for coats back on Earth.
Johnny reached down for his knife to cut the strings of the packet.
As the knife came in sight a menacing growl went up. As Johnny and
Baba stood there, more and more of the monkeys leaped from the bushes
to join the crowd. The whole path was covered; the trees seemed to
be filled with red flowers. Some of the new-comers were intent upon
rushing Johnny when the knife glittered in the half light. But Baba
stopped them with his sharp, repeated commands.
Johnny cut the packet open. Among other things, a large bag of candy
was inside. He had raided the cupboard well.
"Come here," Johnny clicked, as firmly as he could manage. "Friend-pet,
come here." He pointed at the little creature who had thrown the
package at him. Showing its teeth and growling faintly, the monkey
bounded forward. Johnny held out a piece of candy to it. It sidled
up, snatched the candy, and ran back to the others. It sniffed at the
sweet, chattering wildly. Then its long black tongue went out and
licked it. The monkey's eyes widened and it popped the candy into its
mouth, smacking its lips.
Again Johnny was almost knocked down. He was surrounded, climbed over,
patted, peered at, and deafened by chatter. In a few seconds not a
piece was left.
But the monkeys no longer growled.
"Go away! Go away!" Baba clicked. Reluctantly the animals parted from
Johnny and took to the trees along the path. The branches swayed under
them as they chattered among themselves.
Suddenly, as quickly and mysteriously as they had appeared, the monkeys
were gone. Something was wrong! Johnny's fear returned with the sense
that something was watching him.
Hardly daring to, he looked behind him. There in the half-darkness,
glowed three pairs of green eyes. Crouched ready to spring, a
leopardess was watching them, her two cubs beside her. How long they
had been watching, Johnny never knew. He froze in his tracks. Baba had
not looked around.
"Friend-pets, bother us not, bother us not!" Baba was clicking loudly
in preparation for going forward. As Johnny watched, the leopard,
followed by her cubs, slipped into the jungle.
"You didn't see her," Johnny clicked. "There was a leopardess and two
cubs."
Baba turned in the direction toward which Johnny was pointing. "We'd
better go back," he clicked.
"No," Johnny insisted bravely. "She and her cubs went away when you
began to talk."
"Not _far_ away." Baba sniffed the air. "I can smell them. I smell rain
too."
"Then we'd better find shelter. C'mon. Maybe we better take a path
over to the right, away from the tank trail," Johnny suggested. "The
leopardess went the other way."
Baba nodded.
They trudged on and took the first animal trail to the right. Baba went
slightly ahead, crying "Friend-pets, bother us not!" over and over
again. It was almost a chorus now. Most of the time Baba clicked it,
but when he got tired Johnny took over for a while. They never ceased
repeating the magical words.
Once an antelope walked by their sides a few yards off, but he soon
bounded away. Shortly afterward Johnny thought he saw a large black
shadow moving in the deep brush.
They walked steadily and found nothing but brush land. Then, not a
hundred yards from them, a river shone through the deepening twilight.
The shine of the water stopped them. They had proved they could control
some of the animals, possibly even the leopards and rhinosaurs. But, if
a river snake struck without warning as the monkeys had done, it would
be the end of Johnny.
While Johnny stood where he was, Baba went forward, chanting the cry of
"Bother us not" as he went. When he returned he looked worried.
"It is too dangerous to try to swim," he clicked. "In some places the
branches of the trees on this side almost touch branches of the trees
on the other side. If we keep on the path, maybe we can find a place
where it would be safe to climb over." The path they were on turned and
followed the river.
They walked on for a few minutes. Baba stopped again, sniffing the air.
"I don't like it," he clicked. "The leopards are close again."
They moved forward cautiously, but when minutes passed and no attack
came they walked with more confidence. The magic formula of clicks
seemed to be working. Though nothing bothered them, they knew from
rustling noises and from cries that animals were all about them.
Nowhere could they find a place where the tree branches made a bridge
across the river. Nowhere could they find a place of refuge.
The trail began to lead away from the river toward a little hill that
stood in black outline against the almost darkened sky. Big Venus
fireflies had begun to come out, sparkling like so many blue stars. The
two weary travelers followed the path, hoping it would lead back to the
river. It ended completely at the base of the small rocky hill.
So tired he almost wanted to cry, Johnny sat down in the middle of the
path. Then he noticed a spot of deeper darkness among the rocks. He
jumped to his feet.
"Hey, Baba," he said, "it looks like a cave! Come on!"
The two of them hurried forward. A nice comfortable cave was just what
they were looking for! They were within a few yards of the cave, when
they heard a crashing noise from the underbrush and the pad of soft
footsteps.
A leopardess leaped in front of them, cutting them off from the cave.
The big cat growled low, and two cubs scuttled through the entrance.
The leopardess sat back on her haunches in the mouth of the cave,
her eyes two gold-green lights burning in the dark green of the late
twilight. Slightly larger than an Earth lion, the Venus sabre-tooth
leopard is coal black, marked with golden spots. Her two tusk-like
fangs show why leopards are among the most deadly fighters of all the
Venus animals.
Baba began clicking again.
Johnny stood stock still. The leopardess watched them. She looked as
if she might spring at any moment. Then, with a ripple of her powerful
shoulder muscles, she lay down in the mouth of the cave.
"Let's go before she changes her mind and attacks," Johnny said.
"No, wait!" Baba said. "You stay here."
Slowly Baba walked up to the spot where the big cat was lying, clicking
as he went. She appeared to pay no attention to him, but when he was
right beside her, she stood up. She made a low rumbling in her throat
that sounded strangely like a purr.
When Baba paused, the leopardess made a little coughing sound. The two
cubs, who were as large as collie dogs, came tumbling out of the cave,
their tongues hanging out. They came up to Baba, cocking their heads.
They rubbed themselves in a friendly way against the little bear.
"Come on, Johnny," Baba clicked. "I think we have a home."
His heart in his mouth, Johnny walked forward.
"Friend-pet," he clicked firmly, "I am your friend." Repeating this, he
walked straight up to the deadly beast. He reached out a trembling hand
and patted the ugly fanged head. The creature stood rigid. But as he
petted her, she relaxed and the purring noise began in the back of her
throat. The big head moved around. Her mouth opened slightly and she
licked his hand. She made a little coughing noise and the cubs came up
to him. He petted them, too, and looked at Baba.
"Come on," said the little bear, "let's see what the leopard's house is
like."
Together the two explored the inside of the cave with the help of
Johnny's flashlight. It was surprisingly clean. The big cat had dragged
in straw, which was arranged thickly over part of the floor.
"It sure looks like it would make a good bed," Johnny said. He was so
tired; so much had happened. Trader Harkness and the meat fruit, the
climbing of New Plymouth Rock, the rhinosaur raid and Rick's betrayal,
and the escape into the jungle. Johnny ate a few antelope berries to
quench his thirst, but nothing more. He arranged a place for himself on
the dried grass and curled up. He was almost asleep, when he heard the
big cat come into that part of the cave.
He opened his eyes to see the sabre-tooth leopard looming over him. For
a second he was afraid. Then, just as a house cat will do, she pushed
her paws back and forth into the straw, circled a few times, and lay
down right by his head, pushing him aside. He rearranged his bed and
lay his head against her soft flank.
With his head pillowed against a sabre-tooth leopard, Johnny Watson
slipped off to sleep.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
_The Friends are Separated_
Johnny was hot and sweaty. He was glad to see the cool dark cave ahead.
It was like home to him by now. The mother leopard was lying in front
of the cave, and the two cubs came running to greet them.
"Hi, Pat. Hi, Mike," he called. They came up to be petted.
"They seem happy to see us," Baba clicked as he bounced along.
"And I'm glad to see them," Johnny said. "Golly, I'm hot."
Baba and he had just been down the river trying to find a place where
they might cross. Immediately after the long Venus night was over, they
had gone exploring in hopes of finding a colony of wild marva nearby.
But the only diamond-wood groves close to the cave were still too close
to the settlement. The marva must have left them because of the danger.
The two had gathered a good supply of nuts for Baba, but otherwise the
trip had been useless. Though they were still afraid of the horned
river snakes, there was no way of avoiding crossing the river. If they
went downstream they would soon be in the rhinosaur marshes. Upstream
the river curved back toward the colony.
Johnny and Baba had spent the whole long night in the cave and Johnny
had got to know the leopard family quite well. He had discovered
they, too, had something like a language. It was made up of different
kinds of growls. Each growl meant something, but there weren't many
of them. The mother leopard could say things like "Come," or "Go" to
her kittens. She had a different growl for each of them, though Johnny
named them Pat and Mike. Throughout the time Baba was asleep Johnny had
practiced these growls, until he could talk a little in the leopard
language. He had also taught the little ones to like meat fruit roasted
over the open fire he had had to light to keep warm. All three cats had
been afraid of the fire when he had first lit it. They had soon learned
it was harmless if they didn't step into it. They were very smart
animals, but by no means as smart as Baba. Baba was just as clever as a
person.
All the rest of the animals now seemed friendly, too. Johnny thought he
knew why. Not only the leopards, but all the animals could talk! They
couldn't say much, but just enough to tell one another Johnny wouldn't
hurt them. And all of them could understand the marva language. He and
Baba talked about this, but they weren't yet ready to take a chance on
river snakes. The snakes stayed deep in the water and struck before
they could be seen. It didn't seem likely that they would have learned
Johnny was a friend.
Baba was going to go down to the river by himself. Perhaps he could
find one of the horned snakes and bring it back with him. Then Johnny
could make friends with it. If what Johnny thought was true, then the
snake would tell the others and he and Baba could float safely across
the river on a log they had found.
After patting the mother leopard on the head, Johnny took off his pack
and laid it in the mouth of the cave.
"I think I'll go over to the waterfall and have a shower," he said.
"That's not such a good idea," Baba said. "Stay here. I won't be gone
long."
"Oh, stop worrying, Grandfather!" Johnny laughed. He was stripping
himself down to his shorts. The three leopards sat on their haunches
watching him. They were fascinated by his clothes. The first time he
had taken them off they had been almost afraid of him.
"I'll take Mama Leopard along with me for a guard," Johnny said. "You
tell her, Baba. Maybe I can growl better than you, but she still seems
to do everything you say."
Baba clicked directions to the leopard. She was to go along with Johnny
and protect him. When Baba was through clicking, the mother leopard
came over and licked Johnny, making a growling sound that meant she
understood.
Then with a wave of his paw, Baba bounced away toward the river. Johnny
was happy to see him go. Baba, himself, had suggested that the trip be
taken. It was the first time he had ever offered to leave Johnny for
such a long time. Johnny loved the little bear, and it was fun in the
jungle, but he couldn't help wishing he were home.
The waterfall was not much of a waterfall. A little way from the
leopard's cave was a small spring high up in the rocks. A tiny stream
of water fell about ten feet making a great spray and quite a little
noise. It made a wonderful shower.
The mother leopard lay on the rocks below while Johnny climbed up to
the waterfall. Johnny danced about as the cool water hit his hot dusty
skin. It felt wonderful running all over him. Then he walked into a
pool and splashed happily.
Then Johnny began to sing. With him the little waterfall sang a
tinkling, merry tune that blotted out even the chatter of the birds in
the surrounding trees.
It did not blot out a coughing roar that came from the mother leopard.
Johnny knew that sound. It meant _come_!
Johnny stopped singing and looked down. The leopardess was on her feet
now, looking into the sky. Johnny looked too. A helicopter floated
soundlessly overhead, its jets off.
Johnny looked around for some place to hide. There was none.