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There was no sign of any crashed spacecraft。 I worked it all out。 If the crew had arrived at Spiteos forty…eight hours late； then it was a forty…eight hour circle by lorry that we were looking at。 You can't run at random in the Great Desert even in sand lorries； if it wasn't between Government City and Camp Endurance； then it was on a seldom followed track forty…eight hours beyond Camp Endurance。 Simple logic。 But if it wasn't there； either； then they had sold the patrol craft to smugglers and returned to Camp Endurance by airbus and Gods only knew where the patrol craft would be： while that was a sort of nervous idea； I would do my duty so far as looking for the crash was concerned。 If I found it； I might leak it to the newssheets。
The driver was helpful once he got out of me what we were doing。 He spotted something and we landed。 But it was a crash so old it was almost gone into the ground。 While examining this； I spotted a songbird； a type they call a 〃thriller〃…found in the desert…and brought him down。 He was only a few feet away and sitting but it was a good shot。 I put him in the game bag。
Further toward the Blike Mountains； I pretended to find another crash which turned out to be a rock； but I got two more thrillers。
The Blike Mountains were beginning to rise higher and higher。 They are icy peaks and while not the tallest on Voltar； their thirty…eight thousand feet will do。 You can't walk over them。 The air at their summits is too thin。 Even in their passes it is too thin。
After two more false sightings； during which we got six more thrillers； my driver said； 〃Officer Gris； are we looking for wrecks or are we going hunting？〃 For the first time I realized I really was going hunting。 The more distance and the more time I could put between me and Heller and Tug One； the better it would be！
Of course I didn't answer the driver。 He would have interpreted it that I was running away！
We got very cold crossing the first ridge of the Blike Mountains but we came down very fast into the valleys beyond it。 This country is all hunting preserve areas； under the domination of the Lords； patrolled and guarded。 But it is so vast； there are so many plateaus and gorges； that you can get lost in it utterly and no one would ever find you if you didn't want it to happen。 It is full of all manner of game； some of it even brought in from other planets。
〃Somebody followed us over that first range；〃 said my driver。
I looked。 I saw nothing behind us in the sky。 An airbus has no detectors。 I was nervous。
〃I don't see him now；〃 said the driver。
I told myself sternly that it was just my nerves： after all； I had had a trying time lately。 It was proof I needed a hunting trip！
Amazingly； dusk was falling。 Perhaps it was just dropping lower behind the first range of the Blikes； but it seemed awfully dark。 It's not a country to land in； in the dark！
I quickly chose a landing spot。 It was a little plateau。 Grassy； a few scrub trees。 It was right on the edge of a three…thousand…foot drop down to a white running river。 But there was a line of rock at the edge that jutted up。
〃Land！〃 I ordered。
He did。 He shut off the drives。 What beautiful quiet！ Just the hiss of wind through the scrub trees and the mutter of water far below in that gorge。 I relaxed。 Delightful。 After a bit I got out and walked over to the piles of rocks that rose at the edge of the cliff。 I climbed up。 There was an animal path on the other side； a couple of caves and way； way below； the water。 My； it was black down there： already you could see no more than some white foam。
The driver had gotten some sticks together。 I put a little firepowder on them and when the air soaked into it； the blaze crackled happily。 It was cool and it was getting very dark。
The driver ripped the feathers off the thrillers and we put them on sticks and began to roast them。 After half an hour of fond attention； they were done。
I was sitting on a boulder； eating a thriller。 The fire was bright。 Beyond it sat the driver eating another bird。 I had just reached back for another stick。
WHAP！
The blastshot was right where my head had been！
The heavy concussion blew the fire out totally！
Believe me； I scrambled！
The driver heard me going and he followed。 I got over the mound of rocks at the cliff edge and got to the other side。 If my driver hadn't plowed into me； almost knocking me loose； he would have gone three thousand feet down！
I crouched down on the animal trail on the cliff。 I was not going to peer over the top of those rocks。 Not yet！
〃I was right；〃 said the driver。 〃Somebody followed us！〃
〃Get up there and peek over；〃 I said。
He scrambled a bit。 A rock came loose and started a small avalanche。 That sound was what did it！
A spray of blastfire roared over the top of the rocks。 The concussion was awful！ Whoever it was was using a fangun！ It is a weapon that puts out electric fire in a forty…degree front arc！ No hunting weapon that！ No gamekeeper weapon！ That was military！ My Gods； who was after us？ The Army？
〃Maybe they made a mistake；〃 said the driver。 And before I could stop him； he yelled； 〃Hey！ This is just us！〃 Another fangun blast！ This time it actually took some of the tops off the protective wall rocks。 Splinters； melted rock； spattered us。
But the enemy； whoever it was； had made a mistake。 He or they had given me light to see by。 We were crouched on an animal path。 About ten feet to our left was a cave。 Three thousand feet down was the river； unseen now。 It was black night！
〃It's robbers；〃 said the driver。 It is true that people were often robbed in these mountains。 But it wasn't true that he had ever learned much working with the contrabandists。
ROOOOOOOOAR！
They or whoever it was were shooting at his voice！
But I am up to such things。 I whispered to the driver； 〃Can you do a dwindling scream？〃
〃No；〃 he said。
〃Well； you just better imitate what I do。 As soon as I do it； I will dive for that cave and as soon as I do it； you do it and dive for that cave。 Understand？〃
〃I don't know how！〃 he whispered。 The idiot。 It is right in the training manuals。
I shouted； 〃Go away！〃 ROOOOOAR！
I shouted a dwindling scream。 When you do it right it sounds like it is declining in the distance。 Whoever it was would think they'd made a hit and knocked me off the edge。
I was diving for the cave。
My driver； prompted by necessity and probably on the verge of screaming anyway； imitated it for all he was worth。 He spoiled it a little bit because when he hit his knee landing in the cave beside me he said； 〃（Bleep）！〃 We crouched there。 After a few minutes a light played down over the path where we had been。 We hugged back out of sight in the cave。
The light went off。
Then； mysteriously； a couple of minor shots sounded。 Then a crackle of flames。
Finally； in the distance； there was a screech of a vehicle's drives starting up and then a roar as it went away。 The sound racketed around the mountains and died out。
I became brave。 I sent the driver up to look。
〃My Gods！〃 he said at the top。
He was still standing there and hadn't been shot so I went up。
〃We're stranded in the Blike Mountains！〃 said the dri