dgment. Put the stuff back of the
native-troops barracks, and between the power-plant and the Company
office-buildings, and anywhere else you can." The lieutenant nudged
him and pushed a couple of buttons on the dashboard.

"Here go the flares, now."

Immediately, a couple of airjeeps pounced in, to strafe the fleeing
enemy. Somebody must have already been issuing orders on another
wavelength; a number of Kragans, riding hipposaurs, were galloping
into the light of the flares.

"Now, let's have a look at the native barracks and the
maintenance-yards," he said. "And then, we'll make a circuit around
the Reservation, about two or three miles out. I'm not happy about
where Firkked's army is."

The driver looked at him. "I've been worrying about that, too, sir,"
he said. "I can't understand why he hasn't jumped us, already. I know
it takes time to get one of these geek armies on the road, but...."

"He's hoping our native troops and the mine laborers will be able to
wipe us out, themselves," von Schlichten said. "For the timidity and
stupidity of our enemies, Allah make us truly thankful, amen. It's
something no commander should depend on, but be glad when it happens.
If Firkked had had a couple of regiments on hand outside the
reservation to jump us as soon as the Tenth and the Zirks mutinied, he
could have swamped us in twenty minutes and we'll all have had our
throats cut by now."

There was nothing going on in the area between the native barracks and
the mountains except some sporadic firing as small patrols of Kragans
clashed with clumps of fleeing mutineers. All the barracks, even those
of the Rifles, were burning; the red-and-yellow danger-lights around
the power-plant and the water-works and the explosives magazines were
still on. Most of the floodlights were still on, and there was still
some fighting around the maintenance-yard. It looked as though the
survivors of the Tenth N.U.N.I. were in a few small pockets which were
being squeezed out.

There was nothing at all going on north of the Reservation; the
countryside, by day a checkerboard of walled fields and small
villages, was dark, except for a dim light, here and there, where the
occupants of some farmhouse had been awakened by the noise of battle.
The airjeep dropped lower, and the driver slid open the window beside
him; von Schlichten could hear the grunts and snorts and squawks of
farm-animals, similarly aroused.

Then, two miles east of the Res