dropped the needler, took
up stones and set about the business of finishing off as many of the
lights as he could.

Hume fired into the crawling mass, pausing only once to send another
of those flame bombs crashing to illuminate the scene. The water
creatures bewildered, clumsy out of their element, were so far at his
mercy. But their numbers, in spite of the piling dead, were still a
dangerous threat.

Rynch tore gapping holes in that line of lights. But he could see,
through the mist, more floating sparks, gathering to take their
places, perhaps herding before them more water things to attack.
Except for those few gaps he had wrought, the islet was now completely
enveloped.

"Ahhhh--" Hume's voice arose in a roar of anger and defiance. He
stabbed his ray down at a spot just below their ledge. A huge
segmented, taloned leg kicked, caught on the edge of the stone at the
level of their feet, twisted aloft again and was gone.

"Up!" Hume ordered. "To the top!"

Rynch caught up two handsful of stones, holding them to his chest with
his left arm as he made a last cast to see one light puff out in
answer. Then they both scrambled on to that small platform at the top
of the islet. By the aid of the burning flame-torches the Hunter had
set, they could see that most of the rocky slopes below them now
squirmed with a horrible mass of water life.

Where Hume had fired his ray there was fierce activity, as the living
feasted on the slain and quarreled over the bounty. But from other
quarters the crawling advance pressed on.

"I have only one more flame flare," Hume stated.

One more flare--then they would be in the dark with the mist hiding
the forward-moving enemy.

"I wonder if they are watching out there?" Rynch scowled into the
dark.

"They--or what sent them. They know what they are doing."

"You mean they must have done this before?"

"I think so. That L-B back there--it made a good landing, and there
are supplies missing from its lockers."

"Which you removed--" Rynch countered.

"No. There might have been real castaways landed here. Not that we
found any trace of them. Now I can guess why--"

"But you Guild men were here, and you didn't run into this!"

"I know." Hume sounded baffled. "Not a sign then."

Rynch threw the last of his stones, heard it clink harmlessly against
a rock. Hume balanced an object on the palm of his hand.

"Last flare!"

"What's that? Over there?"

Rynch had sighted the f