About fifty yards apart. They will be out of my sight in a
few seconds."
That meant they would be within sight of Rip and the others. He knew Koa
had heard the message, too. Both groups put on more speed and reached the
safety of darkness. "Get down," Rip ordered. They could still be seen, if
silhouetted against the edge of sunlight.
Starlight gave a little light, but it was too faint to help much. Rip's
plan was that the Connies would supply the light needed for an attack.
In a few seconds, as Santos had predicted, belt light beams cut sharp
paths through the darkness. Rip sized up the possibilities. There were
two teams of two men each, and they were getting farther apart with each
step. One team was coming almost directly toward them. The other two men
slanted away from them and would soon be out of sight behind the thorium
crystals in which the cave was located. Fortunately, the Connies were
going away from the cave.
A Connie from the nearby team swung his beam back and forth, and it cut
space over their heads. Rip saw a few low pyramids of thorium a few rods
away. Quickly he ordered, "Dowst, hang on to my boots. Dominico, hang on
to Dowst's boots."
He lay face down on the metal ground until he felt hands grip his boots,
then he asked, "All set?"
Two voices answered, "Ready.
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