ong hours of weary practice came almost
automatically to the pilot. The stun gun faced the alien rifle sight
to sight. And it seemed that the warrior had developed a hearty
respect for the Terran arm during the past few minutes, for he slipped
his weapon back to the crook of his arm, as if he did not wish Raf to
guess he had used it to threaten.

The pilot had no idea what to do now. He did not wish to return to the
storehouse. And he believed that the alien was not going to let him go
off alone. The ferocity of the creatures now heaped about them had
been sobering, an effective warning against venturing alone in these
underground ways.

His dilemma was solved by the entrance of a party of aliens from
another doorway. They stopped short at the sight of the battlefield,
and their leader descended upon the surviving scout for an
explanation, which was made with gestures Raf was able to translate in
part.

The alien had been far down one of the neighboring corridors with his
dead companion when they had been tracked by the pack and had managed
to reach this point before they were attacked. For some reason Raf
could not understand, the aliens had preferred to flee rather than to
face the menace of the hunters. But they had not been fast enough and
had been trapped here. The gesturing hands then indicated Raf, acted
out the battle which had ensued.

Crossing to the Terran pilot, the alien officer held out his hand and
motioned for Raf to surrender his weapon. The pilot shook his head.
Did they think him so simple that he would disarm himself at the mere
asking? Especially since the warrior had rounded on him like that only
a few moments before? Nor did he holster his gun. If they wanted to
take it by force just let them try such a move!

His determination to resist must have gotten across to the leader, for
he did not urge obedience to his orders. Instead he waved the Terran
to join his own party. And since Raf had no reason not to, he did.
Leaving the dead, both alien and enemy, where they had fallen, the
warriors took another way out of the underground maze, a way which
brought them out into a street running to the river.

Here the party spread out, paying close attention to the pavement, as
if they were engaged in tracking something. Raf saw impressed in one
patch of earth a print dried by the sun, left by one of the reptiles.
And there were smaller tracks he could not identify. All were
inspected carefully, but n