Cochrane looked at Johnny Simms with hot eyes.  It was absurd to be so chivalrous, perhaps, but he was enraged.  After an instant he turned away and went to the port.  The burned-over area was now only ashes.  At its edge, charcoal showed.  And now he could see trees and brushwood on beyond.  The trees did not seem strange, because no trees would have seemed familiar.  The brush did not impress him as exotic, because his experience with actual plants was restricted to the artificial plants on television sets and the artificially arranged plants on rooftops.  He hardly let his eyes dwell on the vegetation at all.  He searched for movement.  He saw the moving furry rumps of half a dozen unknown creatures as they dived into concealment as if they had been frightened.  He looked down and could see the hull of the ship and two of the three take-off fins on which it rested.

The airlock door was opening out.  It swung wide.  It swung back against the hull.

“Holden’s making some sort of test of the air,” Cochrane said shortly.  “The animals were scared when the outside door swung open.  I’ll see what he finds out.”

He hurried down.  He found Babs standing beside the inner door of the airlock.  She looked somehow pale.  There were two saucers of greenish soup-like stuff on the floor at her feet.  That would be, of course, the algae from the air-purifying-system tanks.

“The algae were alive,” said Babs.  “Dr. Holden went in the lock to try the air himself.  He said he’d be very careful.”

For some obscure reason Cochrane felt ashamed.  There was a long, a desperately long wait.  Then sounds of machinery.  The outer door closing.  Small whistlings—­compressed air.

The inner door opened.  Bill Holden came out of the lock, his expression zestfully surprised.

“Hello, Jed!  I tried the air.  It’s all right!  At a guess, maybe a little high in oxygen.  But it feels wonderfully good to breathe!  And I can report that the trees are wood and the green is chlorophyll, and this is an Earth-type planet.  That little smoky smell about is completely familiar—­and I’m taking that as an analysis.  I’m going to take a walk.”

Cochrane found himself watching Babs’ face.  She looked enormously relieved, but even Cochrane—­who was looking for something of the sort without realizing it—­could not read anything but relief in her expression.  She did not, for example, look admiring.

“I’ll borrow one of Johnny Simms’ guns,” said Holden, “and take a look around.  It’s either perfectly safe or we’re all dead anyhow.  Frankly, I think it’s safe.  It feels right outside, Jed!  It honestly feels right!”

“I’ll come with you,” said Cochrane, “Jones and the pilot are necessary if the ship’s to get back to Earth.  But we’re expendable.”