t rein on his impatience and strove to
communicate in the only method possible.

No, what the coyote had come to report was not trouble but the fact that
the one he had been set to guard was headed back into the mountains,
though others came with her--four others. Nalik'ideyu still watched
their camp. Her mate had come for further orders.

Travis squatted before the animal, cupped the coyote's jowls between his
palms. Naginlta suffered his touch with only a small whine of
uneasiness. With all his power of mental suggestion, Travis strove to
reach the keen brain he knew was served by the yellow eyes looking into
his.

The others with Kaydessa were to be led on, taken to the ship. But
Kaydessa must not suffer harm. When they reached a spot near-by--Travis
thought of a certain rock beyond the pass--then one of the coyotes was
to go ahead to the ship. Let the Apaches there know....

Manulito and Eskelta should also be warned by the sentry along the
peaks, but additional alerting would not go amiss. Those four with
Kaydessa--they must reach the trap!

"What was that?" Buck rolled out of his blanket.

"Naginlta--" The coyote sped back into the dark again. "The Reds have
taken the bait, a party of at least four with Kaydessa are moving into
the foothills, heading south."

But the enemy party was not the only one on the move. In the light of
day a sentry's mirror from a point in the peaks sent another warning
down to their camp.

Out in their mountain meadows the Tatar outlaws were on horseback,
moving toward the entrance of the tower valley. Buck knelt by the
blanket covering the alien weapons.

"Now what?"

"We'll have to stop them," Travis replied, but he had no idea of just
how they would halt those determined Mongol horsemen.

17

There were ten of them riding on small, wiry steppe ponies--men and
women both, and well armed. Travis recalled it was the custom of the
Horde that the women fought as warriors when necessary. Menlik--there
was no mistaking the flapping robe of their leader. And they were
singing! The rider behind the shaman thumped with violent energy a drum
fastened beside his saddle horn, its heavy boom, boom the same call the
Apache had heard before. The Mongols were working themselves into the
mood for some desperate effort, Travis deduced. And if they were too
deeply under the Red spell, there would be no arguing with them. He
could wait no longer.

The Apache swung down from a led