They another two days near the ship while Manulito the and in his space suit, his trap. At night he on pieces of and the possibility of this or that device, sometimes into his not follow. But Travis was well satisfied that Manulito what he was doing.
On the of the third day Nolan into their midst. He was dust-grimed, his gaunt, the of hard travel plain to read. Travis him the nearest canteen, and they him drink in small he spoke.
"They come ... with the girl—"
"You had trouble?" asked Jil-Lee.
"The Tatars had moved their camp, which was only wise, since the Reds must have had a line on the other one. And they are now to the west. But—" he his with the of his hand—"also we saw your towers, Fox. And that is a place of power!"
"No that the Reds are there?"
Nolan his head. "To my mind the there the towers from view. Only one on tell them from the natural of the hills."
Travis relaxed. Time still them a of grace. He up to see Nolan faintly.
"This maiden, she is a to the of the mountains," he announced. "She has marked Tsoay with her until he looks like the ear-clipped fresh from the chute——"
"She is not hurt?" Travis demanded.
This time Nolan openly. "Hurt? No, we had much to do to keep her from us, brother. That one is as she claims, a of wolves. And she is also keen-witted, marking a return all the way, though she not know that is as we wish. Did we not the way for just that reason? Yes, she plans to escape."
Travis up. "Let us this quickly!" His voice came out on a note. This plan had had his full approval. Now he it less and less easy to think about taking Kaydessa into the ship, the there to work upon her. Yet he that the girl would not be hurt, and he had sure he would be her the globe, with her the of the unseen.
A of the narrow opening gave to those by the campfire. Manulito had already the space in hiding. To Kaydessa they must have to savagery.
Tsoay came first, an angry of four his left cheek. And him Buck and Eskelta the prisoner, her on with a of which did not to brutality. Her long had loose, and a was torn, one arm bare. But none of the had left her.
They her out into the circle of waiting men and she planted her apart, at them all until she Travis. Then her anger and more deadly.
"Pig! Rooter in the dirt! Diseased camel—" she at him in English and then to her own tongue, her voice up and the scale. Her hands were her back, but there were no on her tongue.
"This is one who can speak thunders, and shoot from her mouth," Buck in Apache. "Put her well away from the wood, she set it aflame."
Tsoay his hands over his ears. "She can a man when she cannot set her mark on him otherwise. Let us of her."
Yet for all their comments, their respect. Often in the past a who up to his had more than from Apache warriors; was a quality they prized. A Pinda-lick-o-yi such as Tom Jeffords, who into Cochise's and sat in the of his for a parley, the of the very he had been fighting. Kaydessa had more with her than she of holding.
Now it was time for Travis to play his part. He the girl's and pushed her him toward the wreck.
Some of the to have left her thin, body, and she without any more fight. Only when they came into full view of the ship did she falter. Travis her breathe a of surprise.
As they had planned, four of the Apaches—Jil-Lee, Tsoay, Nolan, and Buck—fanned out toward the about the ship. Manulito had already gone to cover, to the space and prepare for any accident.
Resolutely Travis to Kaydessa ahead. At the moment he did not know which was worse, to enter the ship the to strike, or to meet it unprepared. He was to to enter, not to allow the girl, on under his compulsion, to that but danger.
Only the memory of the towers and the threat of the Reds and the there him going. Eskelta first, to the tear. Travis cut the Kaydessa's and gave her a the shoulders.
"Climb, woman!" His that a order and she climbed.
Eskelta was now, for the which might be as a prison. They planned to the girl as as that point and then stage their act of being overcome by fear, her to escape.
Stage an act? Travis was not two along that he that there would be little acting needed on his part. The thing which the ship did not attack sharply, it into his mind and as if he in with every breath, sent it along his with every of a heart. Yet he not put any name to his feelings, an awful, which him with every step he took.
Kaydessa screamed. Not this time in rage, but with such that Travis his hold, to the wall. She about, her contorted, and at him.
It was like trying to a and after the second or two he was hard put to protect his eyes, his face, his side, without her in return. She over him, for the in the wall, and disappeared. Travis gasped, and started to for the break. Eskelta over him, him up in haste.
They the opening but did not climb through. Travis was as to he make that yet, and Eskelta was orders in not out too soon.
Below, the ground was bare. There was no of the Apaches, though they were in there—and none of Kaydessa. Travis was that she had so quickly.
Still from the within, they the of the until Travis that the had a good five-minute start. Then he a to Eskelta.
By the time they ground level Travis a warm under his and he the had opened. He spoke a word or two in against that mishap, it would keep him from the trail. Kaydessa must be all the way across the pass, not only to be away from her people and toward the where she be up by a Red patrol, but also to keep her from danger. And he had planned from the to be one of those shepherds.
Now he was about as much use as a trail-lame pony. However, he send deputies. He out his call, and Nalik'ideyu's appeared in a of bush.
"Go, of you and with her! Guard—!" He said the in a whisper, them with a as he his on the yellow in the pointed face. There was a of assent, and then the animal was gone. Travis sighed.
The Apache were and alert, but the any man. With Nalik'ideyu and Naginlta her flight, Kaydessa would be well guarded. She would see her or know that they were protection for her.
"That was a good move," Jil-Lee said, out of concealment. "But what have you done to yourself?" He closer, Travis' hand away from his side. By the time Lupe came to report, Travis was again in a about his ribs, and to the that any he would do must be well to the of the party.
"The towers," he said to Jil-Lee. "If our plan works, we can catch part of the Reds here. But we still have their ship to take, and for that we need help which we may at the towers. Or at least we can be on there if they return with Kaydessa on that path."
Lupe from an upper ledge. He was grinning.
"That woman is one who thinks. She from the ship as a with a at her heels. Then she to think. She climbs—" He one to the them. "She goes a to watch under cover. When Fox comes from the ship with Eskelta, again she climbs. Buck lets himself be seen, so she moves east, as we wish—"
"And now?" questioned Travis.
"She is to the high ways; almost she thinks like one of the People on the trail. Nolan she will up for the night above. He will make sure."
Travis his lips. "She has no food or water."
Jil-Lee's a smile. "They will see that she comes upon as if by chance. We have planned all of this, as you know, brother."
That was true. Travis that Kaydessa would be without her knowledge by the "accidental" now and then of some pursuer—just to push her along.
"Then, too, she is now armed," Jil-Lee added.
"How?" Travis.
"Look to your own belt, brother. Where is your knife?"
Startled, Travis down. His was empty, and he had not needed that since he had it to cut meat at the meal. Lupe laughed.
"She had in her hand when she came out of that ship."
"Took it from me while we struggled!" Travis was openly surprised. He had the by the Tatar girl as an of almost terror. Yet Kaydessa had had to take his knife! Could this be another case where one was less by a mind machine than the other? Just as the Apaches had not been by the Red caller, so the Tatars might not be as to the Redax.
"She is a one, that woman—one many ponies." Eskelta to the old measure of a wife's value.
"That is true!" Travis and then was at the of Jil-Lee's smile. Abruptly he the subject.
"Manulito is setting the in the ship."
"That is well. He and Eskelta will here, and you with them."
"Not so! We must go to the towers——" Travis protested.
"I thought," Jil-Lee cut in, "that you the of the old ones too for us to use."
"Maybe they will be into our hands. But we must be sure the towers are not entered by the Reds on their way here."
"That is reasonable. But for you, brother, no today, not tomorrow. If that opens again, you might have much trouble."
Travis was to accept that, in of his worry and impatience. And the next day when he did move on he had only the report that Kaydessa had a for the night and was moving across the mountains.
Three days later Travis, Jil-Lee, and Buck came into the tower valley. Kaydessa was in the northern foothills, twice from the west and the of the by the Apache scouts. And only an hour before, Tsoay had reported by what should have been welcome news: the Red was as it had on the day they the enter the uplands. There was an excellent of the fugitive's being and up soon.
Tsoay had also a party of three Tatars the helicopter. But after one wide of the they had taken to their and away at the their manage in this territory.
On a of earth Buck a trail, and they it. The Reds would have to this to the ship—a by Apache sentinels. And the of the result of the would be reported to the party at the towers.
The waiting was the most difficult; too many did not allow for thinking. Travis was to the last of patience when word came on the second at the that Kaydessa had been up by a Red patrol—drawn out to meet them by the caller.
"Now—the tower weapons!" Buck answered the report with an order to Travis. And the other he no longer the inevitable. And only by action he out the picture of Kaydessa once more into the she so hated.
Flanked by Jil-Lee and Buck, he through the tower window and the pillar.
He the room, put out hands to the pole, if the transport would work again. He the from the others as his was against the and through the well. Buck him, and Jil-Lee came last. Then Travis the way along the to the room with the table and the reader.
He sat on the bench, with the of tape disks, that the other two were him with almost intentness. He a into the reader, he the it gave.
He looked up at the him. Three ... four steps, the move—and then an unlocking....
"You know?" Buck demanded.
"I can guess——"
"Well?" Jil-Lee moved to the table. "What do we do?"
"This—" Travis came from the table, walked to the wall. He put out hands, his against the green-blue-purple surface and them slowly along. Under his touch, the material of the was and hard, the live the had. Cool until—
One palm, at arm's length had the right spot. He the other hand along in the opposite direction until his arms were level with his shoulders. His were able now to press on those points of warmth. Travis and pushed hard with all ten fingers.
