"Scientific, those chaps. I'll see if that metal's cool." Something whined overhead, rising swiftly to a shriek as it descended. Sergeant Walpole cowered, with his hands to his ears. But it was not an earth-shaking concussion. It was an explosion, yes, but subtly different from the rending snap of hexynitrate. "Gas," said the Sergeant dully, and fumbled for his mask. "No good," said the 'copter man briefly. "Vesicatory. Smell it? I guess they've got us. No sag-suits. Not even sag-paste." The Sergeant lit a match. The flame bent a little from the vertical. "There's a wind. We got a chance." "Get going, then," said the 'copter man. "Run upwind." Sergeant Walpole slid over the side and ran. A hundred yards. Two hundred. Pine-woods have little undergrowth. He heard the helicopter's engines start. The ship tried to lift. He redoubled his speed. Presently he broke out into open ploughed land. In the starlight he saw a barn, and he raced toward that. Someone else plunged out of the woods toward him. The helicopter-engine was still roaring faintly in the distance. Then a thin whine came down from aloft.... When the echoes of the explosion died away the pilot was grinning queerly. The helicopter's engine was still. "I said it could be done! Pack of fat-heads at Headquarters!" "Huh?" "Picking up a ship by its spark-plugs, with a loop. They're doing that up aloft. There's a ship up there, forty thousand feet or so. Maybe half a dozen ships. Refueling in air, I guess, and working with the thing you call a Wabbly. When I started the 'copter's engine they got the spark-impulses and sighted on them. We'd better get away from here." "Horses in here," said Sergeant Walpole. "The Wabbly came by. No people left." They brought the animals out. The horses reared and plunged as there were other infinitely sharp, deadly explosions of the eggs coming down eight miles through darkness. "Let's go. After the Wabbly?" said the 'copter man. "O' course," said Sergeant Walpole. "Somebody's got to find out how to lick it."
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