The thousands of marva claws that had been given to the colony had made the claws quite cheap, so that Trader Harkness had become a poor man; he had been rich in hunting equipment and hunting lodges—now all these things were valueless. Surprisingly, he had refused to return to Earth.
"Venus is my home," he had said flatly. "I'll get by."
Johnny had to admire his courage, just as he had to admire some of the hunters who would not stay on Venus. These lean hard-bitten men were going further on into space.
To Johnny's surprise Keetack admired the hunters, too. "They are fighters, like the rhinosaurs. Here there is nothing left to fight. They are people of much courage."
Looking down on the trader, Johnny found he couldn't help feeling sorry for him.
"Goodbye," he yelled, his voice echoing among the rocks. "Goodbye, Trader."
The fat man looked up and waved back. Johnny thought he smiled.
"He was a real pioneer," Johnny said.
"Yes," Baba answered, "he'll be all right."
Johnny jumped back suddenly from the edge of the rock and hid behind some bushes. "Here comes Mom, looking for us!"