The one who had spoken peered bleakly at Kirk, and said, "Well. Like I said, we don't want strangers interfering with us. Do we, boys?"
The men nodded assent, and stalked toward their cars. Kirk turned away, defeated and furious. He'd have to try by himself—
Motors roared to life, and the cars started to go by him. A big red truck paused beside him, and Vinson reached down from it to haul him aboard.
"What are you standin' there for?" he cried to Kirk. "You said it might come any minute!"
Kirk, a little dazedly, scrambled up into the truck beside him. "You mean they're going back with me—"
"What did you think? Like Fred said, no blasted strangers from away outside are going to come sneaking in here!"
The truck roared away down the moonlit road, following the speeding cars back the way Kirk had come, waking hurrying echoes, raising a great cloud of dust to redden the moon.
Kirk thought, "I'll never understand these damned Earthmen—never!"
CHAPTER VIII