dded by innumerable sharp thorns,
their eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. Overhead, the paling sky was
already dotted with the fliers of the Mercutians; faint sounds came to
them of the clumsy thrashing of enemy patrols as they beat the woods
for the fugitives. The Mercutians were putting forth all their
resources to seek out and destroy these irritant foci of revolt.

At length Hilary called a halt. They were in a little valley, not far
from Bear Mountain. It offered some protection from the searchers. The
enclosing hills would mask them, from all but search beams directly
overhead.

"It is no use going any farther," he said wearily. "We all need sleep
and rest. Sooner or later they'll find us, no matter where we go, and
then--" He shrugged his shoulders.

The weary, panting men threw themselves down upon the ground, too
tired even to eat. Immediately they were in a drugged sleep. Joan was
sleeping too, her face pale drawn, but like a little child's in her
slumber. Hilary watched her with a sharp pang in his heart. What would
the next few hours bring to her, to all of them?

Nor did Grim and Wat sleep either. The three of them squatted on their
heels, silent, as the cold dawn wind swept with a great sigh through
the valley.

The stars were paling now, the purple sky was enswathing itself in
pearly grays. Something glowed pinkly overhead; and was extinguished
almost immediately by the prevailing gray.

Hilary started violently. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" Grim was drunk for lack of sleep.

Hilary was on his feet, peering upward. "I thought I saw--there, there
it is again."

The other two were on their feet also, weariness forgotten, heads
thrown back.

High overhead, in the overturned cup of the sky, an irregular pink
wisp formed before their wondering eyes, and vanished again. But more
slowly, than the first time.

"Well?" asked Wat, puzzled.

"A cloud." Hilary's voice was a prayer.

"Hell," said Wat disgustedly. "If that's a cloud I'm a Mercutian.
There wouldn't be enough water there to moisten a canary seed."

"And even if there were it wouldn't matter now," said Grim calmly.
"We're discovered."

* * * * *

A long slim flier shot athwart the brightening sky, paused suddenly in
flight as though jerked by an invisible string. The next instant the
valley was illumined by a transparent glow. It enveloped the Earthmen,
made crystal figurines of the most solid amon