Chapter 94

We crossed the river and searched the other side then. We didn't have any better luck over there. We decided to saddle up and see what things looked like from the top.

An hour later we were looking down on our camp from above. We didn't find any obvious solutions to our problem. We did decide from this far up, even with the spearcasters, attackers would have a problem hitting anyone.

It wasn't impossible, but it would be difficult. The attackers wouldn't know it, but we would have a much easier time picking them off from below. The trajectory of an M1's bullet was much flatter than any spear, no matter how you launched it.

We finally decided we could make do by constructing four good protected firing positions, two on each side of the canyon floor.

If an attack came riflemen could take up their positions at the base of the opposite wall from the attack and would probably have little trouble convincing the attackers they weren't welcome. We went back to camp and got started - choosing places for firing positions and then went to work building them.

We stopped at sunset, but we weren't through. I was a little nervous about just letting things take care of themselves. Supper was ready though and we went inside to eat. Ameliea served me again and this time she made a point of rubbing her ass against me while she did it. Still waiting for an overt sign, I didn't touch her.

During the meal we talked more about what we should do. I felt we should schedule enough men to have two guards outside all during the night, probably for four-hour shifts.

We would be safe enough in the caves, but if a large group crept up on us during the night we might take some losses dealing with them. After discussing it we decided to make it four men, two south of the horse pens and two north of the northern most cave.

After we'd finished eating we went across to the other caves and got some volunteers to help. When we had them out by the entrance to my cave Merita and Maia got them all acquainted with Prince, King, and Rover. We picked places for guard post and I promised them coffee deliveries and set them out.

As I was returning to my cave I got a tingle which let me know Argent wanted some attention. When I entered, my mates all wanted to know what was going on. I explained about the guards, also saying we would need to take them some coffee.

"This is quicker than I expected, but now it has started you are right to take precautions. Cardiato will probably keep sending men, two or three at a time, until he has an idea of a weakness he can exploit.

"Jakado always sent more men and confronted the situation more directly and Cardiato always argued it would be better to get more information by stealth first. If he has sent men already he wants the information badly," Ameliea said.

"I think you're right. I am also planning a little surprise if he sends more men over the plateau tonight."

"What surprise?" Geera asked.

"Red and I will be up there and I will have my special glasses which let me see well in the dark. I won't be able to keep watch on the whole plateau but if they come close to me I will make sure they don't leave."

"But you can't stay up on the plateau all night alone. Other men aren't the only things that are about in the night up there," Winna said.

"Racaato has said he would go with me."

"It will still be dangerous. Maybe some of us should come too," Dieta said.

"Racaato and I will do it tonight, but I'm sure some of you will need to help if we have to keep it up. If we can catch one alive we will be depending on you to make him tell us what they intend. If it is what I suspect we will go to their camp and talk it over. I don't intend to sit here and keep watch every night because of them."

"It sounds like a much better plan to me. Why should we wait here for them to attack? In the daylight and with our weapons we can deal with them easily, especially if they are all in their camp.

"You have already caused them to change leaders once and if you keep making them change leaders, sooner or later you will find one who doesn't want to provoke you," Roweea said.

"You might not have to kill even one more after Cardiato. He and Jakado were the two who seemed intent in forcing other camps to join. The aggression might end if he died," Ameliea said.

"I hope I can capture at least one tonight then. I do not like being made to sleep outside and away from my mates."

"I don't either, especially now," said Racaato, who had come back to my cave from his.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, and after getting a mug of coffee each we left to get our horses.

It would have been better if we could take a wagon, but we knew it would be too visible in the night. I expected to be in a bad mood, but somehow wasn't.

We rode to the ramp and then up it. At the top we stopped and I used the night vision goggles to examine things. When I was done I gave them to Racaato and asked him to check my work. He didn't see anything either.

We headed for a place about five hundred yards from the edge of the plateau and due west of our camp. There was a clump of tough bushes there. We unsaddled Red and Bonehead and hobbled them.

They wouldn't look out of place grazing near us. Racaato and I sat among the bushes and considered ourselves concealed. Racaato concentrated on keeping a watch for predators while I kept scanning for humans with the goggles.

I decided I was going to ask Argent for some infrared equipment, too. This caused me to remember I had gotten a tingle from Argent and promptly forgotten to contact him.

"If you are all right, Racaato, I will try to sleep first."

"Yes, sleep if you can. I could not sleep yet so if you can get to sleep go ahead," Racaato said.

I lay down knowing I would be able to sleep at once. I was in a dream with Argent in what seemed only seconds.

"I see you are expecting company tonight, John," Argent said.

"I wouldn't say we are expecting it, but we do think there is a good chance we will get some."

"You are wise to take precautions. Would you like more information?" he asked.

"What I would really like is some FLIR goggles, but if you have information you want to share go ahead."

"Cardiato is sending another two man team to explore your area. They are traveling toward you now and should reach you within three hours.

"They are not happy about their assignment after one of the other men did not return. The one who did return did not know what happened to his partner. He heard the man scream once when the cat attacked him, but it was all the information he had," Argent said.

"How close to the edge of the plateau are they traveling?"

"If they maintain their direction they might walk right over you," he said.

"I think we will mount up and try to get behind them then. There is no point in waiting all night out here."

"It will probably work. They are not very familiar with the area. If you get behind them they won't know another way to get home. They can find one of course, but it will be difficult for them to get away from you on this plateau, especially since you have mounts," Argent said, stating the obvious.

"That's what we're going to do then."

"Very well, the FLIR goggles will be beside you when you wake," he said, and left me.

I woke and found the goggles.

"I can't sleep either Racaato. Why don't we mount up and work our way south. If we see someone we will try to get behind them."

"I would like it better than sitting here. With these glasses we should be able to see them before they can see us," he said.

I didn't mention the FLIR, not yet at least. We saddled up and rode nearly due west for half a mile and then turned south. We kept the horses to a walk and about an hour later I picked up the two spies with the FLIR goggles. When I told Racaato where to look with the night vision glasses he spotted them too.