he crevice through which
they had originally found their way into this country. Hume brought
the flyer along that. But if the men they sought were pushing their
way through below they could not be sighted from the air. At last,
with evening drawing in, Hume was forced to admit failure.

"Wait by the gap?" Vye asked.

"Have to now." Hume glanced about. "I'd say maybe
tomorrow--mid-morning before they make it that far--_if_ they are
here. We'll have plenty of time."

Time for what? To make ready for a pitched battle with Wass--or with
the beasts herding him? To try in the space of hours to solve the
mystery of the lake?

"Do you think we could blast that thing in the lake?" Vye asked.

"We might be able to, just might. But that must be the last resort. We
want that in working order for the X-Tee men to study. No, we'd better
plan to hold Wass at the gate, wait for the Patrol to come in."

Less than an hour later after a soaring approach, Hume brought the
flitter down with neat skill on the top of one of the cliffs which
helped to form the portal of the gap. There was no difference in the
scene below, save that where the two bodies of the blue beasts had
lain there were now only clean and shining bones.

Darkness spread out from the lake woods like a growing stain of evil
promise as the sun fell behind the peaks. Night came earlier here than
in the plains.

"Watch!" Vye had been gazing down the gap; he was the first to note
that movement in the cloaking bush.

Out of the cover trotted a four-footed, antlered animal he had not
seen before.

"Syken deer," Hume identified. "But why in the mountains? It's a long
way from its home range."

The deer did not pause, but headed directly for the gap and, as it
neared, Vye saw that its brown coat was roughed with patches of white
froth, while more dripped from the pale pink tongue protruding from
its open jaws, and its shrunken sides heaved.

"Driven!" Hume picked up a stone, hurled it to strike the ground ahead
of the deer.

The creature did not start, nor show any sign of seeing the rock fall.
It trotted on at the same wearied pace, passed the portal rocks into
the valley. Then it stood still, wedge-shaped head up, black horns
displayed, while the nose flaps expanded, testing the air, until it
bounded toward the lake, disappearing in the woods.

Though they shared watches during the night there were no other signs
of life, nor did the deer reappear from the woods