telescope-sighted hunting rifle. The young man who had been north
of the Cathedral of Learning had one of the auto-carbines; Altamont
had providently set the fire-control for semi-auto before giving it
to him. He dropped to one knee and began to empty the clip, shooting
slowly and deliberately, picking off the runners who were in the lead.
The boy who had started to climb down off the library halted, fired
his flintlock, and began reloading it. And Altamont, sitting down and
propping his elbows on his knees, took both hands to the automatic
which was his only weapon, emptying the magazine and replacing it. The
last three of the savages he shot in the back; they had had enough and
were running for their lives.

So far, everybody was safe. The boy in the library came down through a
place where the wall had fallen. Murray Hughes stopped running and
came slowly toward the bunker, putting a fresh clip into his rifle.
The others came drifting in.

* * * * *

"Altamont, calling Loudons," the scientist from Fort Ridgeway was
saying into the radio. "Monty to Jim; can you hear me, Jim?"

Silence.

"We'd better get ready for another attack," Birdy Edwards said.
"There's another gang coming from down that way. I never saw so many
Scowrers!"

"Maybe there's a reason, Birdy," Tenant Jones said. "The Enemy is
after big game, this time."

"Jim! Where the devil are you?" Altamont fairly yelled into the radio,
and as he did, he knew the answer. Loudons was in the village, away
from the helicopter, gathering tools and workers. Nothing to do but
keep on trying.

"Here they come!" Reader Rawson warned.

"How far can these rifles be depended on?" Birdy Edwards wanted to
know.

Altamont straightened, saw the second band of savages approaching,
about four hundred yards away.

"Start shooting now," he said. "Aim for the upper part of their
bodies."

The two auto-loading rifles began to crack. After a few shots, the
savages took cover. Evidently they understood the capabilities and
limitations of the villagers' flintlocks; this was a terrifying
surprise to them.

"Jim!" Altamont was almost praying into the radio. "Come in, Jim!"

"What is it, Monty? I was outside."

Altamont told him.

"Those fellows you had up with you yesterday; think they could be
trusted to handle the guns? A couple of them are here with me,"
Loudons inquired.

"Take a chance on it; it won't cost you anything but my li