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〃Did you ever see the big brown ones with humps on their shoulders？〃 asked Ish。
〃Yes； once we saw a few of them；〃 said Dick。
〃How about the grass？ Does any of it grow straight and stiff looking； with a head on the end； and little grains forming。 When you went through they should have been still soft and milky； perhaps。 When you came back； you might have seen it somewhere standing all golden。 with the grain hard。 We called it'wheat。'〃
〃No。 We saw nothing like that。〃
〃And how about ？ You know what that is。 They were growing it there by the Rio Grande。〃
〃No； there is no corn growing wild anywhere。〃
Onward still they had gone； finding the roads now blocked more often； since they had e to the wetter country with ranker and faster growth and heavier rains； bined with hard frosts in winter。 The highways were splitting up into great chunks and blocks as the frost worked under them； wherever the surface was cracked； grass and weeds； and even bushes and young trees were springing up to block the way。 Yet they had crossed what was once Iowa。
〃We came to the big river；〃 said Bob。 〃it is the biggest of all； but the bridge was good。〃
They had e to Chicago； but it was a mere desert of empty streets。 It would be an inhospitable place； thought Ish； when the winter winds swept in from Lake Michigan。 He was not surprised that people； with the whole continent to choose from； had drifted away from the once great city by the lake； leaving it ghost…like behind。
Leaving Chicago； the boys had lost themselves in the maze of roads in the outskirts； and had ended up （the day was cloudy； and they lost direction） by going south instead of east。
〃After that；〃 said Bob； 〃we got one of these things out of a store。 It points direction…〃 And he looked at Ish for the word。
〃Yes； a pass；〃 said Ish。
〃We hadn't needed one before； but now we used it and got going east again； until we came to the river we couldn't cross。〃
Ish figured out quickly that it might have been the Wabash。 Floods of twenty…two years； or…more likely…just one great flood； had swept away the bridges。 After exploring southward and finding no passage； the boys had had to go northward to Highway 6 again； which more or less followed a height of land。
The progress eastward had bee more and more laborious。 Floods； windstorms； and frost had transformed the once open and smooth highways into rough lines of concrete chunks strewn with gravel from washouts； overgrown with vegetation； and crisscrossed with fallen tree…trunks。 Sometimes the jeep could push through the bushes or detour the tree…trunks。 But often the boys had had to make a passageway with ax or shovel； and the constant work wore them down。 Also the loneliness began to oppress them。
〃There was a cold day with a north wind；〃 Dick confessed； 〃and we were afraid。 We remembered what you used to tell us about snow； and we thought we might never get home。〃
Somewhere； probably near Toledo； they had turned back。 At turning back； a kind of panic came upon them。 At the same time heavy rains began to fall； and the roads were often flooded。 They had the fear that some of the bridges over the larger rivers might be carried away； leaving them cut off from their own people。 They had not tried to go south； as Ish had wished； but had back…tracked along their own trail； gradually being reassured by their ability to get back to places that they had seen already。 On their return home； therefore； they had learned little that they had not learned on the way east。
Ish did not blame them at all。 In fact； he thought that they had acted with great determination and intelligence。 He blamed himself； if anyone…for sending the boys toward Chicago and New York； the great cities of the Old Times。 He might have done better to have chosen some southern route toward Houston and New Orleans； instead of a route into the inhospitable country of northern winters。 And yet； east of Houston at least； floods would have been more severe and growth of vegetation much more rapid than farther north。 Because of the climate； Arkansas and Louisiana would have reverted to impassable wilderness much sooner than Iowa and Illinois。
The children were dancing and shouting around the bonfire。 Was there a kind of wild primitiveness in the scene； or was that merely his imagining？ Perhaps any children would have done the same。 Evie； who of course was mentally a child； was dancing with them。 Her blond hair streamed spectacularly behind her。
Ish sat； looking on； and thinking。 Well； the chief result of the expedition was not the discovery that the country was returning to the wilderness。 Anybody would have known that！ The important thing was the making of contact with two other munities。 That is； if you could call it contact； when the other munities were fighting off all advances from strangers。 Was that from mere blind prejudice； or was it from some deep instinct of self…preservation？
Yet； at least； to know that there were people in Los Angeles and near Albuquerque…growing munities…took away a little of that basic feeling of loneliness。
Two little groups of people； discovered on a single trip； going and ing by the same road！ At that rate； there should be several dozen in the area of the whole United States。 He remembered the Negroes whom he had seen in Arkansas； long ago。 In that rich country of easy winters； there was no reason in the world why those three should not have survived and bee a nucleus to which others； either black or white； could attach themselves。 Yet that munity in its ways of life and thought would be vastly different from the one in New Mexico and from either of the two in California。 This divergence opened vast questions for the distant future。
But this was no time to be carrying philosophical speculation far into the future。 The dancing and shouting of the children around the fire had bee even more bacchanalian。 In the excitement the older boys； even some of the married ones； were joining the revel。 They were playing crack…the…whip； an the more exciting because the one who was thrown off the end of the whip had to dodge the fire。 Suddenly Ish felt himself stiffen。 Charlie was playing！ In the line； linked between Dick and Evie； he was swinging the whip。 The children were obviously delighted to have a grown…up； especially this stranger； playing with them。
Ish tried to argue down his resentment。 Why not？ Why shouldn't one of the older ones play that way？ Me…I'm just as bad as those people in Los Angeles and Albuquerque； not wanting to accept the stranger！ Yet I don't think I'd have minded； if Charlie had been a different kind of person。
But； try as he could； Ish felt himself unable to stifle some deep…seated sense of dislike。 He began to revise his estimate of the importance of the boys' trip。 However important the discovery of the other munities could be for the distant future； the immediate problem was Charlie。
By now it was getting late。 and mothers were gathering their children。 But after the celebration was over； most of the older ones went home with Ish and Em； to hear still more from the two boys and from Charlie。
〃Sit here；〃