"... that's my of it. The of it you know." Ross his hands close to the small fire in the he had helped and his cold-numbed in the warmth.
From across the of Ashe's eyes, too in a fever-flushed face, him demandingly. The had taken in an where the of an old provided a cave-pocket. McNeil was off in the of the day, and their from the village was now some forty-eight hours them.
"So the were right, after all. They only had their times mixed." Ashe on the of and they had together for his comfort.
"I don't understand——"
"Flying saucers," Ashe returned with an odd little laugh. "It was a wild possibility, but it was on the books from the start. This will make Kelgarries turn red——"
"Flying saucers?"
Ashe must be out of his from the fever, Ross supposed. He what he should do if Ashe to up and walk away. He not a man with a in his shoulder, was he he Ashe in a fight.
"That globe-ship was on this world. Use your head, Murdock. Think about your furry-faced friend and the with him. Did either look like normal Terrans to you?"
"But—a spaceship!" It was something that had so long been laughed to scorn. When men had failed to into space after the of the launchings, space had a for jeers. On the other hand, there was the by his own and ears, his own experience. The services of the had been of his experience.
"This was once"—Ashe was now, up at the of and earth which them a roof—"along with a of other ideas, by a named Charles Fort, who took a of in what he to be over-inflated scientific pomposity. He together four book of reported of which he the scientists of his day to explain. And one of his was that such as the in Ohio and Indiana were originally up by space to as S O S signals. An idea, and now we may prove it true."
"But if such were on this world, I still don't see why we didn't of them in our own time."
"Because that you was in a era. Do you have any idea how long ago that was, from our own time? There were at least three periods—and we don't know in which one the Reds visiting. That age about a years we were born, and the last of the ice out of New York State some thirty-eight thousand years ago, boy. That was the early Stone Age, it by the of development, with an thin population of the of man to a of wilderness.
"Climatic changes, changes, all the of our continents. There was a sea in Kansas; England was part of Europe. So, though as many as fifty such ships were here, they all have been ground to by the ice flow, miles in quakes, or away the man to wonder at them. Certainly there couldn't be too many such to be found. What do you think this was, a to them?"
"But if ships here once, why didn't they later when men were able to them?" Ross countered.
"For reasons—all of them possible and able to be into the of history as we know it on this world. Civilizations rise, exist, and fall, each taking with it into the of some of the which it great. How did the Indian of the New World learn to gold into a point for a weapon? What was the of by the Egyptians? Today you will of men to argue these problems and a hundred others.
"The Egyptians once had a well-traveled to India. Bronze Age opened up into Africa. The Romans China. Then came an end to each of these empires, and those were forgotten. To our European of the Middle Ages, China was almost a legend, and the that the Egyptians had around the Cape of Good Hope was unknown. Suppose our space some star-born or which lived, rose to its point, and again into planet-bound all the of our painted pictures on a wall?
"Or take it that this world was an unlucky on which too many ships and were lost, so that our whole was posted, and of star ships it? Or they might have had some that when a a of its own, it was to be left alone until it space for itself."
"Yes." Every one of Ashe's good sense, and Ross was able to them. It was to think that Furry-face and Baldy were of another world than to think their on this his own was born. "But how did the Reds that ship?"
"Unless that is on the we were able to along, we shall know," Ashe said drowsily. "I might make one guess—the Reds have been making an all-out for the past hundred years to open up Siberia. In some of that country there have been great almost in the past. Mammoths have been in the ice with half-digested plants in their stomach. It's as if the were some deep-freeze instantaneously. If in their the Reds came across the of a spaceship, well for them to what they had discovered, they might start in time to a one at an date. That we know now."
"But why would the attack the Reds now?"
"No ship's officers of pirates." Ashe's closed.
There were questions, a of them, that Ross wanted to ask. He the on his arm, that which so to his skin yet him warm without any need for more covering. If Ashe were right, on what world, what of world, had that material been woven, and how had it been that he wear it now?
Suddenly McNeil into their and two at the of the fire.
"How goes it?" he said, as Ross to clean them.
"Reasonably well," Ashe, his still closed, to that Ross could. "How are we from the river? And do we have company?"
"About five miles—if we had wings." McNeil answered in a tone. "And we have company all right, of it!"
That Ashe up, on his good elbow. "What kind?"
"Not from the village." McNeil at the fire which he with economic of sticks. "Something's on this of the mountains. It looks as if there's a in progress. I five family on their way west—all in just this one morning."
"The village refugees' about might send them packing," Ashe mused.
"Maybe." But McNeil did not convinced. "The sooner we downstream, the better. And I the boys will have that waiting where they promised. We do one thing in our favor—the are subsiding."
"And the high water should have of material." Ashe again. "We'll make those five miles tomorrow."
McNeil and Ross, having and the hares, them over the to broil. "Five miles in this country," the man observed, "is a good day's march"—he did not add as he wanted to—"for a well man."
"I will make it," Ashe promised, and that as long as his would him he meant to keep that promise. They also the of argument.
Ashe proved to be a to be on two counts. They did make the to the river the next day, and there was a of material marking the high-water level of the flood. The McNeil had reported were still in progress, and the three men twice to watch the of small family clans. Once a sized tribe, men, across their route, a at the river.
"They've been mauled," McNeil as they the people along the water's while and down, for a ford. When they returned with the news that there was no to be found, the then to work with and to make rafts.
"Pressure—they are on the run." Ashe rested his on his good and the scene. "These are not from the village. Notice the dress and the red paint on their faces. They're not like Ulffa's either. I wouldn't say they were local at all."
"Reminds me of something I saw once—animals a fire. They can't all be looking for new territory," McNeil returned.
"Reds them out," Ross suggested. "Or the ship people—?"
Ashe started to shake his and then winced. "I wonder...." The his level deepened. "The ax people!" His voice was still a whisper, but it a note of as if he had some piece into its proper place.
"Ax people?"
"Invasion of another people from the east. They up in about this period. Remember, Webb spoke of them. They used for and horses."
"Tartars"—McNeil was puzzled—"This west?"
"Not Tartars, no. You needn't those to come out of middle Asia for some thousands of years yet. We don't know too much about the ax people, save that they moved west from the plains. Eventually they to Britain; they were the of the Celts who loved too. But in their time they were a wave."
"The sooner we downstream, the better." McNeil restlessly, but they that they must keep to until the were gone. So they in another night, on the next the of a smaller party of the red-painted men, again with among them. At the of this the activity on the river bank rose close to frenzy.
The three men out of time were uneasy. It was not for them to the river. They had to a which would be water-worthy to take them downstream—to the sea if they were lucky. And to such a would take time, time they did not have now.
In fact, McNeil waited only until the last was out of he to the shore, Ross at his heels. Since they the of the tribesmen, they were at a disadvantage, and Ross he was hands and for Ashe, under the other's close direction. Before night closed in they had a good and two sets of hands, as well as backs.
When it was too dark to work any longer, Ashe pointed over the they had followed. Marking the pass was a light. It looked like fire, and if it was, it must be a big one for them to be able to it across this distance.
"Camp?" McNeil wondered.
"Must be," Ashe agreed. "Those who that are in such numbers that they don't have to take precautions."
"Will they be here by tomorrow?"
"Their might, but this is early spring, and can't have been too good on the march. If I were the of that tribe, I'd turn into the land we yesterday and let the for a day, maybe more. On the other hand, if they need water——"
"They will come ahead!" McNeil grimly. "And we can't be here when they arrive."
Ross stretched, at the of pain in his shoulders. His hands and throbbed, and this was just the of their task. If Ashe had been fit, they might have to for support and to a place for their project. But he that Ashe not such an effort.
Ross slept that night mainly his was too to let him and worry. Roused in the by McNeil, they to the water's and to together with from bark. They them at points with some from their kilts, and of saved from their kills of the past days. They with at them, having no time now to hunt. When the sun was well they had a which sluggishly. Whether it would answer to either or paddle, they not know until they it.
Ashe, his and his skin to the touch, on and in the middle, on the thin of they had put there for him. He the water they to him in hands and gave a little of as Ross his with wet grass, something about Kelgarries which neither of his understood.
McNeil off and the around as the it free from the shore. They a start, but luck them they had out of of the spot where they embarked.
Striving to keep them in mid-current, McNeil furiously, but there were too many and trees from the banks. Sharing that of water with them, and up fast, was a full-sized tree. Twice its of on some snag, it back, and Ross a little more freely, but it soon free again and rolled on, as as a ram.
"Get closer to shore!" Ross the warning. Those great, at the raft, and he was sure if that them fairly, they would not have a chance. He in with his own pole, but his push did not meet bottom; the in his hands into some in the river bed. He McNeil out as he into the water, as the liquid his mouth, him.
Half by the shock, Ross out instinctively. The at the had swimming, but to water in a under was different from death in a river of water when one had already a quantity of that flood.
Ross had a of a dark shadow. Was it the of the raft? He at it desperately, his hands on bark, on by it. The tree! He his to clear them of water, to try to see. But he not his high out of the water to see past the screen of roots; he only to the small safety he had and that he the downstream.
After what like a very long time he one arm two water-washed roots, sure that the support would his above the surface. The of the at his hands and head, but the protection of the was still effective, and the of his was not cold. He was too to himself free and trust again to the of making through the dusk.
Suddenly a his and the arm he had among the roots, a out of him. He around and under the water; the tree had on a snag. Pulling from the roots, he on his hands and knees, of a of were with stale-smelling mud. Like a animal he himself through the to higher land, out upon an open with moonlight.
For a while he there, his cold, hands under him, with and too to move. The of a barking him—an imperative, bark, neither to a a fox. He to it and then, through the ground upon which he lay, Ross as well as the of hoofs.
Hoofs—horses! Horses from over the mountains—horses which might danger. His mind as and as his hands, and it took a long time for him to the might bring.
Getting up, Ross noticed a shape across the of the moon like a dart. There was a single out of the about a hundred away, and the shape again with its prey. Then the barking once more—eager, barking.
Ross on his and saw a of light moving along the of the where the of trees began. Could it be a guard? Ross he had to toward the river, but he had to himself on the path, for he did not know he enter the again. But what would if they him with the dog? Confused memories of how water him on.
Having the bank he had so before, Ross and back, into the of the bed. Mechanically he the from his face. The tree was still there; by some the had its end up on a spit.
Above in the the barking very close, and now it was answered by a second belling. Ross his way through the to the of water the tree and the bank. His at were almost half-consciously taken; he was too to now.
Soon he saw a four-footed shape along the top of the bank, tongue. It was then joined by a larger and more companion. The dogs with Ross, who if the animals him in the below, or they only his presence. Had he been able, he would have over the and taken his in the open water, but now he only where he was—the of him and the bank as a screen, which would be little protection when men came with torches.
Ross was mistaken, however, for his worm's progress across the had his dark and the skin of his and hands, him than any he have devised. Though he and defenseless, the men who the to the river bank, out the over the to light the spit, saw nothing but the of the tree against a of mud.
Ross a of voices by the of the dogs. Then the was out of line of his eyes. He saw one of the above away a dog and move off, calling the after it. Reluctantly, still barking, the animals went. Ross, with a little sob, in the of roots, still undiscovered.
