essalit, in what was once known as French Sudan, and immediately to
the south of Algeria. They were deliberately avoiding what little
existed in this area in the way of trails, the Tanezrouft route which
crossed the Sahara from Colomb-Bechar to Gao, on the Niger, was some
fifty miles to the west.

Homer Crawford stared up into the sky in the direction Bey pointed and
his face went wan.

The others were piling out of the vehicles.

"What is it?" Isobel Cunningham said, squinting and trying to catch
what the others had already spotted.

"Aircraft," Bey growled. "A rocket-plane."

"Which means the military in this part of the world," Homer said.

The rest of them looked to him for instructions, but Bey suddenly took
over. He said to Homer, "You better get on over beneath that
outcropping of rock. The rest of us will handle this."

Homer looked at him.

Bey said, flatly, "If one of the rest of us gets it, or even if all of
us do, the El Hassan movement goes on. But if something happens to
you, the movement dies. We've already taken our stand and too much is
at stake to risk your life."

Homer Crawford opened his mouth to protest, then closed it. He reached
inside the solar-powered lorry and fetched forth a Tommy-Noiseless and
started for the rock outcropping at a trot. Having made his decision,
he wasn't going to cramp Bey-ag-Akhamouk's style with needless
palaver.

Isobel Cunningham, Cliff Jackson, Elmer Allen and Kenny Ballalou
gathered around the tall, American educated Tuareg.

"What's the plan?" Elmer said. Either he or Kenny Ballalou could have
taken over as competently, but they were as capable of taking orders
as giving them, a desirable trait in fighting men.

Bey was still staring at the oncoming speck. He growled, "We can't
even hope he hasn't seen the pillars of sand and dust these vehicles
throw up. He's spotted us all right. And we've got to figure he's
looking for us, even though we can hope he's not."

The side of his mouth began to tic, characteristically. "He'll make
three passes. The first one high, as an initial check. The second time
he'll come in low just to make sure. The third pass and he'll clobber
us."

The aircraft was coming on, high but nearer now.

"So," Elmer said reasonably, "we either get him the second pass he
makes, or we've had it." The young Jamaican's lips were thinned back
over his excellent teeth, as always when he went into combat.

"That's it," Bey agreed. "Kenn