Project Gutenberg 2019-05-15 Public domain in the USA. 113 Stearns, Charles A. Stearns, Chas. A. Orban, Paul 1896 1974 The Scamperers Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, June 1956 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "The Scamperers" by Charles A. Stearns is a science fiction novella published during the mid-20th century. Set on the alien planet Ophir, the story revolves around Lieutenant Wellesley, a member of the Rift constabulary tasked with investigating potential genetic deviations within a small, isolated colony. The primary topic delves into themes of genetic inheritance, the implications of inbreeding, and the existence of mutants as Wellesley uncovers the unsettling truths of the community he is sent to examine. The narrative follows Wellesley's arrival at Aidennsport, where he confronts the hostile environment and the peculiar inhabitants. As he conducts his census, he encounters a mysterious girl who warns him of the dangers lurking in the village. After battling poison from hist stingbats and becoming blind, Wellesley is aided by this girl, ultimately discovering that she is a mutant. Tension escalates as Wellesley learns about the complexities of the Ophirian society, which includes a boy named Joseph and his peculiar family connections. The climax unfolds with Wellesley's forced decision to take the girl away for her protection, leading to an impactful resolution that exposes the darker undercurrents of Aidennsport while raising questions about identity and belonging. The story ultimately examines the balance between law and justice in a world where survival and ethics become inextricably linked. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 85.2 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Police -- Fiction Space colonies -- Fiction Extrasolar planets -- Fiction Mutation (Biology) -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels 61574 2025-07-23T13:35:17.773527 text/html 58109 2019-05-15T10:22:58 text/html 263337 2025-07-23T13:35:19.563542 application/epub+zip 262200 2025-07-23T13:35:18.153524 application/epub+zip 82220 2025-07-23T13:35:17.940504 application/epub+zip 301131 2025-07-23T13:35:20.791502 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 293232 2025-07-23T13:35:19.369543 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 113564 2022-09-27T00:19:52.197441 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 54464 2025-07-23T13:35:17.643530 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 54704 2019-05-15T10:22:58 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19776 2025-07-23T13:35:20.917517 application/rdf+xml 20434 2025-07-23T13:35:18.021501 image/jpeg 3725 2025-07-23T13:35:17.979527 image/jpeg 426211 2019-05-15T10:22:58 application/octet-stream application/zip 21816 2019-05-15T10:22:58 application/octet-stream application/zip 428871 2025-07-23T13:35:17.787573 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog