The boy climbed onto the bench. Tell me about the war,' he begged.
'You go on and play,' Gramp told him.
'Aw, grandpa, tell me about that big battle you was in!'
'The battle of Ganymede?' asked Gramp.
Harry nodded. 'Uh-huh, that's the one.'
'Well,' said Gramp, 'I can remember it just as if it was yesterday. And it was forty years ago, forty years ago the middle of next month. The Marshies were gettin' their big fleet together out there on Ganymede, figurin' to sneak up on us when we wasn't expectin' 'em around-'
'Who was the Marshies?' asked the boy.
'The Marshies?' said Gramp. 'Why that's what we called the Martians. Kind of a nickname for 'em.'
'You was fighting them?'
Gramp chuckled. 'You're dog-gone right we fit 'em. We fit 'em to a stand-still and then we licked 'em, right there at Ganymede. After that the peace was signed and there hasn't been any war since then.'