the fugitives.

"Right," Falkenberg replied. "I'll get on it at once, general."

"And start moving that mine-equipment up into the Company area. Some
of it we can put into the air; the rest we can use to build
barricades. None of it do we want the geeks getting hold of, and the
equipment-park's outside our practical perimeter. I'll send people to
help you move it."

"No need to do that, sir; I have about a hundred and fifty loyal North
Ullrans--foremen, technicians, overseers--who can handle it."

"All right. Use your own judgment. Put the stuff back of the
native-troops barracks, and between the power-plant and the Company
office-buildings, and anywhere else you can." The lieutenant nudged
him and pushed a couple of buttons on the dashboard. "Here go the
flares, now."

* * * * *

Immediately, a couple of airjeeps pounced in, to strafe the fleeing
enemy. Somebody must have already been issuing orders on another
wavelength; a number of Kragans, riding hipposaurs, were galloping
into the light of the flares.

"Now, let's have a look at the native barracks and the
maintenance-yards," he said. "And then, we'll make a circuit around
the Reservation, about two-three miles out. I'm not happy about where
Firkked's army is."

The driver looked at him. "I've been worrying about that, too, sir,"
he said. "I can't understand why he hasn't jumped us, already. I know
it takes time to get one of these geek armies on the road, but...."

"He's hoping our native-troops and the mine laborers will be able to
wipe us out, themselves," von Schlichten said.

There was nothing going on in the area between the native barracks
and the mountains except some sporadic firing as small patrols of
Kragans clashed with clumps of fleeing mutineers. All the barracks,
even those of the Rifles, were burning; the red-and-yellow
danger-lights around the power-plant and the water-works and the
explosives magazines were still on. Most of the floodlights were still
on, and there was still some fighting around the maintenance-yard. It
looked as though the survivors of the Tenth N.U.N.I. were in a few
small pockets which were being squeezed out.

There was nothing at all going on north of the Reservation; the
countryside, by day a checkerboard of walled fields and small
villages, was dark, except for a dim light, here and there, where the
occupants of some farmhouse had been awakened by the noise of battle.

Then, t