ly slashing blade.

"Loketh! Vistur!" Ross shouted as he struggled.

More of the Rovers appeared from between the buildings, bearing down on
the limp aliens and the two fighting men. Ross recognized the limping
gait of Loketh using a branch to aid him into a running scuttle across
the open.

"Loketh--here!"

The Hawaikan covered the last few feet in a dive which carried him into
Ross and the Rover. "Hold him," the Terran ordered and had just time
enough to throw himself between the Baldies and the rest of the crew.
There was a snarling from the Rovers; and Ross, knowing their temper,
was afraid he could not save the captives which they considered, fairly,
their legitimate prey. He must depend upon the hope that there were one
or two cooler heads among them with enough authority to restrain the
would-be avengers. Otherwise he would have to beam them into
helplessness.

"Torgul!" he shouted.

There was a break in the line of runners speeding for him. The big man
lunging straight across could only be Vistur; the other, yelling orders,
was Torgul. It would depend upon how much control the Captain had over
his men. Ross scrambled to his feet. He had clicked on the beamer to its
lowest frequency. It would not kill, but would render its victim
temporarily paralyzed; and how long that state would continue Ross had
no way of knowing. Tried on Terran laboratory animals, the time had
varied from days to weeks.

Vistur used the flat side of his war ax, clapping it against the
foremost runners, setting his own bulk to impose a barrier. And now
Torgul's orders appeared to be getting through, more and more of the men
slacked, leaving a trio of hotheads, two of whom Vistur sent reeling
with his fists.

The Captain came up to Ross. "They are alive then?" He leaned over to
inspect the Baldy the Terran had rolled on his back, assessing the
alien's frozen stare with thoughtful measurement.

"Yes, but they can not move."

"Well enough." Torgul nodded. "They shall meet the Justice of Phutka
after the Law. I think they will wish that they had been left to the
boarding axes of angry men."

"They are worth more alive than dead, Captain. Do you not wish to know
why they have carried war to your people, how many of them there may yet
be to attack--and other things? Also--" Ross nodded at the fire now
catching the second building, "why have they built up that blaze? Is it
a signal to others of their kind?"

"Very well said. Yes, i