The Counterattack

The news which caused me to change my plans was grave enough. As I have explained, the American lines lay roughly to the east and the south of the city in the mountains. My own Gang held the northern flank of the east line. To the south of us was the Colorado Union, a force of 5,000 men and about 2,000 girls recruited from about fifteen Gangs. They were a splendid organization, well disciplined and equipped. Their posts, rather widely distributed, occupied the mountain tops and other points of advantage to a distance of about a hundred and fifty miles to the south. There the line turned east, and was held by the Gangs which had come up from the south. Now, simultaneously with the reports from my scouts that a large Han land force was working its way down on us from the north, and threatening to outflank us, came word from Jim Hallwell, Big Boss of the Colorado Union and the commander in chief of our army, that another large Han force was to the southwest of our western flank. And in addition, it seemed, most of the Han military forces at Lo-Tan had been moved out of the city and advanced toward our lines before our air-ball attack.

The news that made me change my plans was serious enough. As I have explained, the American lines lay in the mountains, roughly east and south of the city. My own Gang held the northern flank of the eastern line. South of us was the Colorado Union, a force of 5,000 men and about 2,000 girls recruited from some fifteen Gangs. It was a splendid organization, well disciplined and equipped. Its widely spaced posts occupied mountaintops and other strategic positions for about 150 miles to the south. There the line turned east and was held by the Gangs that had come up from the south. My scouts reported that a large Han land force was moving down on us from the north, threatening to outflank us. At the same time, word came from Jim Hallwell, Big Boss of the Colorado Union and commander in chief of our army. Another large Han force was southwest of our western flank. In addition, it seemed that most of the Han military forces at Lo-Tan had left the city and advanced toward our lines before our air-ball attack.

The situation would not have been in the least alarming if the Hans had had no better arms to fight with than their disintegrator rays, which naturally revealed the locations of their generators the second the visible beams went into play, and their airships, which we had learned how to bring down, first from the air, and now from the ground, through ultrono-controlled projectiles.

The situation would not have been alarming at all if the Hans had possessed no better weapons than their disintegrator rays and airships. The visible rays naturally revealed the locations of their generators as soon as they were fired. And we had learned how to bring down their airships, first from the air and now from the ground, using ultrono-controlled projectiles.

But the Hans had learned their lesson from us by this time. Their electrono-chemists had devised atomic projectiles, rocket-propelled, very much like our own, which could be launched in a terrific barrage without revealing the locations of their batteries, and they had equipped their infantry with rocket guns not dissimilar to ours. This division of their army had been expanded by general conscription. So far as ordnance was concerned, we had little advantage over them; although tactically we were still far superior, for our jumping belts enabled our men and girls to scale otherwise inaccessible heights, conceal themselves readily in the upper branches of the giant trees, and gave them a general all around mobility, the enemy could not hope to equal.

But by this time, the Hans had learned their lesson from us. Their electrono-chemists had developed rocket-propelled atomic projectiles much like ours. They could launch them in a tremendous barrage without revealing the locations of their batteries. They had also equipped their infantry with rocket guns much like ours. General conscription had expanded their infantry. In weapons, we had little advantage over them. But we were still far superior in tactics. Our jumping belts let our men and girls reach otherwise inaccessible heights and hide easily in the giant trees’ upper branches. The belts also gave them a freedom of movement the enemy could not hope to match.

We had the advantage too, in our ultronophones and scopes, in a field of energy which the Hans could not penetrate, while we could cut in on their electrono or (as I would have called it in the Twentieth Century) radio broadcasts.

We also had an advantage with our ultronophones and scopes. They used an energy field the Hans could not penetrate. But we could tap into their electrono broadcasts. In the Twentieth Century, I would have called them radio broadcasts.

Later reports showed that there were no less than 10,000 Hans in the force to our north, which evidently was equipped with a portable power broadcast, sufficient for communication purposes and the local operation of small scoutships, painted a green which made them difficult to distinguish against the mountain and forest backgrounds. These ships just skimmed the surface of the terrain, hardly ever outlining themselves against the sky. Moreover, the Han commanders wisely had refrained from massing their forces. They had developed over a very wide and deep front, in small units, well scattered, which were driving down the parallel valleys and canyons like spearheads. Their communications were working well too, for our scouts reported their advance as well restrained, and maintaining a perfect front as between valley and valley, with a secondary line of heavy batteries, moved by small airships from peak to peak, following along the ridges somewhat behind the valley forces.

Later reports showed that the force north of us had at least 10,000 Hans. It evidently had a portable power broadcaster, sufficient for communication and for operating small scoutships nearby. The scoutships were painted green, making them hard to distinguish against the mountains and forests. They skimmed just above the terrain, hardly ever showing their outlines against the sky. The Han commanders had also wisely avoided massing their forces. Instead, their small, widely scattered units had spread across a very wide, deep front. They drove down the parallel valleys and canyons like spearheads. Their communications were working well, too. Our scouts reported that their advance was well controlled, with the forces in each valley keeping a perfect line. Behind the valley forces, a second line of heavy batteries followed the ridges. Small airships moved these batteries from peak to peak.

Hallwell had determined to withdraw our southern wing, pivoting it back to face the outflanking Han force on that side, which had already worked its way well down in back of our line.

Hallwell had decided to pull back our southern wing and turn it to face the Han force outflanking us there. That force had already moved well behind our line.

In the ultronophone council which we held at once, each Boss tuning in on Hallwell's band, though remaining with his unit, Wilma and I pleaded for a vigorous attack rather than a defensive maneuver. Our suggestion was to divide the American forces into three divisions, with all the swoopers forming a special reserve, and to advance with a rush on the three Han forces behind a rolling barrage.

We immediately held a council by ultronophone. Each Boss tuned in to Hallwell's band while remaining with his unit. Wilma and I argued for a strong attack rather than a defensive maneuver. We suggested dividing the American forces into three divisions, with all the swoopers forming a special reserve. The three divisions would then rush the three Han forces behind a rolling barrage.

But the best we could do was to secure permission to make such an attack with our Wyomings, if we wished, to serve as a diversion while the lines were reforming. And two of the southern Gangs on the west flank, which were eager to get at the enemy, received the same permission.

But the best we could do was get permission to make such an attack with our Wyomings, if we wished. The attack would serve as a diversion while the lines reformed. Two of the southern Gangs on the west flank also received permission to attack. They were eager to get at the enemy.

The rest of the army fumed at the caution of the council, but it spoke well for their discipline that they did not take things in their own hands, for in the eyes of those forest men who had been hounded for centuries, the chance to spring at the throats of the Hans outweighed all other considerations.

The rest of the army was furious at the council's caution. But it showed their discipline that they did not take matters into their own hands. These forest men had been hunted for centuries. To them, the chance to leap at the throats of the Hans outweighed everything else.

So, as the council signed off, Wilma and I turned to the eager faces that surrounded us, and issued our orders.

So, as the council signed off, Wilma and I turned to the eager faces around us and gave our orders.

In a moment the air was filled with leaping figures as the men and girls shot away over the tree tops and up the mountain sides in the deployment movement.

In a moment, the air filled with leaping figures. The men and girls shot over the treetops and up the mountainsides as they spread out.

A group of our engineers threw themselves headlong toward a cave across the valley, where they had rigged out a powerful electrono plant operating from atomic energy. And a few moments later the little portable receiver, the Intelligence Boss used to pick up the enemy messages, began to emit such ear-splitting squeals and howls that he shut it off. Our heterodyne or "radio-scrambling" broadcast had gone into operation, emitting impulses of constantly varying wave-length over the full broadcast range and heterodyning the Han communications into futility.

A group of our engineers raced toward a cave across the valley. They had set up a powerful electrono plant there, powered by atomic energy. A few moments later, the little portable receiver began to emit ear-splitting squeals and howls. The Intelligence Boss used it to pick up enemy messages, but now he shut it off. Our heterodyne or "radio-scrambling" broadcast had begun operating. It sent out impulses at constantly changing wavelengths across the full broadcast range. These scrambled the Han communications, rendering them useless.

In a little while our scouts came leaping down the valley from the north, and our air balls now were hovering above the Han lines, operators at the control boards near-by painstakingly picking up the pictures of the Han squads struggling down the valleys with their comparatively clumsy weapons.

Soon, our scouts came leaping down the valley from the north. Our air balls were now hovering above the Han lines. Nearby, operators at control boards carefully picked up images of Han squads struggling down the valleys with their comparatively clumsy weapons.

As fast as the air-ball scopes picked out these squads, their operators, each of whom was in ultronophone communication with a girl long-gunner at some spot in our line, would inform her of the location of the enemy unit, and the latter, after a bit of mathematical calculation, would send a rocket into the air which would come roaring down on, or very near that unit, and wipe it out.

As soon as the air-ball scopes spotted a squad, their operators reported its location. Each operator was in ultronophone contact with a girl long-gunner somewhere along our line. After a few calculations, she would launch a rocket. It would roar down on or very near the enemy unit and wipe it out.

But for all of that, the number of the Han squads were too much for us. And for every squad we destroyed, fifty advanced.

But despite all that, there were too many Han squads for us. For every squad we destroyed, fifty more advanced.

And though the lines were still several miles apart, in most places, and in some cases with mountain ridges intervening, the Han fire control began to sense the general location of our posts, and things became more serious as their rockets too began to hiss down and explode here and there in our lines, not infrequently killing or maiming one or more of our girls.

Though the lines were still several miles apart in most places, Han fire control began to detect the general location of our posts. In some places, mountain ridges even lay between the lines. Things became more serious as their rockets began to hiss down and explode here and there along our lines. They often killed or maimed one or more of our girls.

The men, our bayonet-gunners, had not as yet suffered, for they were well in advance of the girls, under strict orders to shoot no rockets nor in any way reveal their positions; so the Han rockets were going over their heads.

Our bayonet-gunners had not yet suffered any harm because they were well ahead of the girls. They had strict orders not to fire rockets or reveal their positions in any way. So the Han rockets were passing over their heads.

The Hans in the valleys now were shooting diagonal barrages up the slopes toward the ridges, where they suspected we would be most strongly posted, thus making a cross-fire up the two sides of a ridge, while their heavy batteries, somewhat in the rear, shot straight along the tops of the ridges. But their valley forces were getting out of alignment a bit by now, owing to our heterodyne operations.

The Hans in the valleys were now firing diagonal barrages up the slopes toward the ridges. They suspected we had stationed most of our forces there. This created crossfire up both sides of a ridge. Meanwhile, their heavy batteries, positioned farther back, fired straight along the ridge tops. But by now, their forces in the valleys were getting a little out of alignment because of our heterodyne operations.

I ordered our swoopers, of which we had five, to sweep along above these ridges and destroy the Han batteries.

I ordered our five swoopers to fly along above the ridges and destroy the Han batteries.

Up in the higher levels where they were located, the Hans had little cover. A few of their small rep-ray ships rose to meet our swoopers, but were battered down. One swooper they brought to earth with a disintegrator ray beam, by creating a vacuum beneath it, but they did it no serious damage, for its fall was a light one. Subsequently it did tremendous damage, cleaning off an entire ridge.

The Hans had little cover in the higher levels where they were stationed. A few of their small rep-ray ships rose to meet our swoopers, but our swoopers battered them down. The Hans brought one swooper to the ground with a disintegrator ray beam, creating a vacuum beneath it. But the fall was gentle and did no serious damage. Later, the swooper did tremendous damage, clearing an entire ridge.

Another swooper ran into a catastrophe that had one chance in a million of occurring. It hit a heavy Han rocket nose to nose. Inertron sheathing and all, it was blown into powder.

Another swooper met with a disaster that had only one chance in a million of happening. It hit a heavy Han rocket head-on. The swooper was blown to powder, Inertron sheathing and all.

But the others accomplished their jobs excellently. Small, two-man ships, streaking straight at the Hans at between 600 and 700 miles an hour, they could not be hit except by sheer amazing luck, and they showered their tiny but powerful bombs everywhere as they went.

But the others did their jobs excellently. Their small, two-man ships streaked straight at the Hans at 600 to 700 miles an hour. Only amazingly good luck could score a hit on them. As they flew, they showered tiny but powerful bombs everywhere.

At the same instant I ordered the girls to cease sharp-shooting, and lay their barrages down in the valleys, with their long-guns set for maximum automatic advance, and to feed the reservoirs as fast as possible, while the bayonet-gunners leaped along close behind this barrage.

At the same moment, I ordered the girls to stop picking off targets and lay down barrages in the valleys. They were to set their long-guns for maximum automatic advance and feed the reservoirs as fast as possible. Meanwhile, the bayonet-gunners leaped forward close behind the barrage.

Then, with a Twentieth Century urge to see with my own eyes rather than through a viewplate, and to take part in the action, I turned command over to Wilma and leaped away, fifty feet a jump, up the valley, toward the distant flashes and rolling thunder.

Then I felt a Twentieth Century urge to see the action with my own eyes, not through a viewplate, and to take part. So I handed command over to Wilma and leaped up the valley, covering fifty feet with each jump. I headed toward the distant flashes and rolling thunder.