e uninitiated native might have been one for the warding
off of evil, but which to Ross was the "thumbs up" of his own age.

"Sanford?"

At that name the man shook his head. "McNeil," he named himself. "Where
is Ashe?"

He might really be what he seemed, but on the other hand, he could be a
Red spy. Ross had not forgotten Kurt. "What happened?" he parried one
question with another.

"Bomb. The Reds must have spotted us, and we didn't have a chance. We
weren't expecting any trouble. I'd been down to see about a missing
burden donkey and was about halfway back up the hill when she hit. When
I came to I was all the way down the hill with part of the fort on top
of me. The rest.... Well, you saw the place, didn't you?"

Ross nodded. "What are you doing here?"

McNeil spread his hands in a tired little gesture. "I tried to talk to
Nodren, but they stoned me away. I knew that Ashe was coming through and
hoped to reach him when he hit the beach, but I was too late. Then I
figured he would pass here to make contact with the sub, so I was
waiting it out until I saw you. Where is Ashe?"

It all sounded logical enough. Still, with Ashe injured, Ross was taking
no chances. He pushed his dagger back into its sheath and picked up the
hare. "Stay here," he told McNeil, "I'll be back----"

"But--wait! Where's Ashe, you young fool? We have to get together."

Ross went on. He was sure that the stranger was in no shape to race
after him, and he would lay a muddled trail before he returned to the
cave valley. If this man was a Red plant, he would have to reckon with
one who had already met Kurt Vogel.

The laying of that muddled trail took time. It was past midday when Ross
came back to Ashe, who was sitting up by the mouth of the cave at the
fire, using his dagger to fashion a crutch out of a length of sapling.
He surveyed Ross's burden with approval, but lost interest in the
promise of food as soon as the other reported his meeting in the marsh.

"McNeil--chap with brown hair, brown eyes, a right eyebrow which quirks
up toward his hairline when he smiles?"

"Brown hair and eyes, okay--and he didn't smile any."

"Chip broken off a front tooth--upper right?"

Ross shut his eyes to visualize the stranger. Yes, there had been a
small break on a front tooth. He nodded.

"That's McNeil. Not that you didn't do right not to bring him here
without being sure. What made you so watchful? Kurt?"

Again Ross nodded. "And what you s