Astounding British Edition, Vol. 9, No. 10 — page 29: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

cities. It involved a lot of “if-ing” on Lackland’s part even to think of such an idea in the first place, and he did not mention it to Barlennan. | For one thing, it left unexplained the fact that they had come this far un- molested—if the idea were sound, they should by this time have used up a great deal more of the quick-firer’s ammuni- tion. He said nothing, therefore, and merely kept his own eyes open; but he was not too surprised, one sunrise, when they had come perhaps two hundred miles from the city where Hars received his injuries, to see a small hillock ahead of the cavalcade suddenly rear up on a score of stubby, elephantine legs, lift as far as possible a head mounted on a twenty- foot neck, stare for a long moment out of a battery of eyes, and then come lumbering to meet the oncoming tank. Barlennan for once was not riding in his usual station on the roof, but he responded at once to Lackland’s call. The Barthman had stopped the tank, and there were several minutes to decide on a course of action before the beast would reach them at its present rate of speed. “Barl, I’m willing to bet you’ve never seen anything like that. Even with tissue as tough as your planet produces, it could never carry its own weight very far from the equator.” “You ate quite right; I haven’t. I have never heard of it, either, and don’t know whether or not it’s likely to be dangerous. I’m not sure I want to find out, either. Still, it’s meat; maybe—” “If you mean you don’t know whether it eats meat or vegetables, I'll bet on the former,” replied Lackland. “It would be a very unusual plant-eater that would come toward something even larger than itself immediately upon sighting it— unless it’s stupid enough to think the tank is a female of its own species, which I very much doubt. Also, I was thinking that a large flesh-eater was the easiest way to explain why the giants never seem to come out of their cities, and have them built into such efficient traps. They pro- bably lure any of these things that come to their hilltops by showing themselves at the bottom, as they did with us, and then kill them with rocks as they tried MISSION OF GRAVITY 27 on the tank. It’s one way of havitig meat delivered to your front door.” “All that may be true, but is not of present concern,” Barlennan replied with some impatience. “Just what should we do with this one? That weapon of yours that broke up the rock would probably kill it, but might not leave enough meat worth collecting; while if we go out with the nets we'll be too close for you to use it safely should we get in trouble.” “You mean you’d consider using your nets on a thing that size?” “Certainly. They would hold it, I’m sure, if only we could get it into them. The trouble is that its feet are too big to go through the meshes, and our usual method of maneuvering them into its path wouldn’t do much good. We’d have to get the nets around its body and limbs somehow, and then pull them tight.” “Have you a method in mind?” “No-—-and we wouldn’t have time to do much of the sort anyway; he'll be here in a moment.” “Jump down and unhitch the sled. I'll take the tank forward and keep him occupied for a while, if you want. If you decided to take him on, and get in trouble later, you and your crew should be able to jump clear before I use the gun.” Barlennan followed the first part of the suggestion without hesitation or argument, slipping off the rear of the deck and un- doing with a single deft motion the hitch which held the tow cable to the tank. Giving a hoot to let Lackland know the job was done, he sprang aboard the Bree and quickly gave his crew the details of the new situation. They would see for themselves by the time he had finished, for the Flyet had moved the tank for- ward and to one side, clearing their line — of sight to the great animal. For a short time they watched with much interest, some astonishment, but no fear as the tank maneuvered with its living counterpart. The creature stopped as the machine resumed its forward motion. It’s head dropped down to a yard or so from the ground, and the long neck swung as far as possible first to one side and then the other, while the multiple eyes took in the situation from all possible angles. It paid no attention to the Bree; either it GOmichbooks.co