A distant voice startled us.  We looked out the window.  Fifty yards away, walking in a line between the trees were humanlike beings!  Two short ones who were leading them were about five-foot tall, had gray skins and large droopy ears, like Basset hound dogs.  “They must be aborigines!”  I said.

When they got farther, we left the cabin and followed them, keeping safe a distance.  Ten minutes later, they stopped at a clearing.  Hiding in the tall grass, we watched some form a line.  A short one with the droopy ears began to throw dark bags over their heads.  Then he started shooting them with a rifle!  The dead ones fell into a pit behind them.  We sucked in our breaths, shocked.

The two short ones turned to go back in the way they came.  We remained in the tall grass until it was safe to pursue them.

–From Chapter One of THE SPACE HERMITS