* * * * *

As he approached the farm where he had spent the past few days, he saw
two passenger-vehicles standing by the road. One was a black one,
similar to the one in which the physician had come to the farm, and the
other was white with black trimmings and bore the same device he had
seen on the cap of the policeman. A policeman was sitting in the
driver's seat of this vehicle, and another policeman was standing beside
it, breathing smoke with one of the white paper cylinders these people
used. In the farm-yard, two men were going about with a square black
box; to this box, a tube was connected by a wire, and they were passing
the tube about over the ground.

The policeman who was standing beside the vehicle saw him approach, and
blew his whistle, then drew the weapon from his belt. Hradzka, who had
been expecting some attempt to halt him, had let go the right-hand
steering handle and drawn his own weapon; as the policeman drew, he
fired at him. Without observing the effect of the shot, he sped on;
before he had rounded the bend above the farm, several shots were fired
after him.

A mile beyond, he came to the place where he had hidden the blaster. He
stopped the vehicle and jumped off, plunging into the brush and racing
toward the hollow tree. Just as he reached it, he heard a vehicle
approach and stop, and the door of the police vehicle slam. Hradzka's
fingers found the belt of his blaster; he dragged it out and buckled it
on, tossing away the missile weapon he had been carrying.

Then, crouching behind the tree, he waited. A few moments later, he
caught a movement in the brush toward the road. He brought up the