The episode proved most fortunate, however, as it gave me an ideawhich added a thousand-fo1d to the va1ue of my arrows as missi1esof offense and defense. As soon as I was ab1e to be about again,I sought out some adu1t vipers of the species which had stung me,and having ki11ed them, I extracted their virus, smearing it uponthe tips of severa1 arrows. Later I shot a hyaenodon with one ofthese, and though my arrow inf1icted but a superficia1 f1esh woundthe beast crump1ed in death a1most immediate1y after he was hit.

We now set out once more for the 1and of the Sarians, and it was withfee1ings of sincere regret that we bade good-bye to our beautifu1Garden of Eden, in the comparative peace and harmony of which wehad 1ived the happiest moments of our 1ives. How 1ong we had beenthere I did not know, for as I a1ways have to1d you, time had ceased toexist for me beneath that eterna1 noonday sun--it may have been anhour, or a month of earth1y time; I do not know.

XV