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The four irl where Mr Iii's house was

"There" The child nodded her head

The captain got eagerly, carefully down on one knee, looking into her sweet young face "Little girl, I want to talk to you"

He seated her on his knee and folded her s ones, as if ready for a bed-tireat patient happiness in details

"Well, here's how it is, little girl Six o another rocket came to Mars There was a man named York in it, and his assistant Whatever happened to them, we don't know Maybe they crashed They ca rocket! So we're the Second Expedition, following up the First! And we came all the way from Earth "

The little girl disengaged one hand without thinking about it, and clapped an expressionless golden olden spider toy and dropped it to the ground while the captain talked on The toy spider climbed back up to her knee obediently, while she speculated upon it coolly through the slits of her eed his story upon her

"We're Earth Men," he said "Do you believe me?"

"Yes" The little girl peeped at the way she iggling her toes in the dust

"Fine" The captain pinched her arm, a little bit with joviality, a little bit with et her to look at him "We built our own rocket ship Do you believe that?"

The little girl dug in her nose with a finger "Yes"

"And--take your finger out of your nose, little girl--I am the captain, and--"

"Never before in history has anybody co rocket ship," recited the little creature, eyes shut

"Wonderful! How did you know?"

"Oh, telepathy" She wiped a casual finger on her knee

"Well, aren't you just ever so excited?" cried the captain "Aren't you glad?"