United States or Saint Kitts and Nevis ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Neither of the other's upper limbs stirred, their claws still gripping the small rocks in readiness for throwing. All Shann's knowledge of the alien's history argued against an unarmed advance. The Throg's marksmanship, as borne out by the circle of small bodies, was excellent. And one of those rocks might well thud against his own head, with fatal results.
After a delay of six days, he again embarked his army, landed a few miles above Throg's Neck in the hope of cutting off Washington from retreat northward, only to find Washington still north of him at White Plains. A sharp skirmish followed in which Howe lost over two hundred men and Washington only one hundred and forty.
"How soon?" "Don't know. They have the guide beam set. I'm to say there's illness here; they know I can't code." All he could see now was Thorvald's face, intent, the officer's eyes cold sparks of steel, bearing the impress of a will as implacable as a Throg's. Shann added his own decision. "I'll warn the ship off; they'll send in the patrol." There was no change in Thorvald's expression.
Now was the moment to bluff. Shann shook his head, hoping that the gesture of negation was common to both their species. "I don't know the code," he said aloud. The Throg's bulbous eyes gazed, at his moving lips. Then the translator was held before the Terran's mouth. Shann repeated his words, heard them reissue as a series of clicks, and waited.
As Howe deemed it prudent not to attack Washington in front, he tried to get around into his rear, and began on October 12 by landing a large force at Throg's Neck, in the Sound. But Washington baffled him by changing front, swinging his left wing northward as far as White Plains.
And when he had taken his departure, which he did without further ceremony, the major approached me, and opening the letter, asked me to read it, as he was none of the quickest at reading writing, which, indeed, was a failing with all great men. I took the letter from his hands, and read as follows: "On board Yacht , June 14th, Throg's Point bearing W.N.W. 12 miles distance.
"Well, they've definitely picked you to smoke out the Throg, and they can't be talked into changing their minds about that." "I'll be the smoked one if he has a blaster." "They say he's unarmed " "What do they know about our weapons or a Throg's?" "The other one has no arms." Wyvern words in his mind again. "This fact gives him great fear. That which he has depended upon is broken.
Or they can attempt to shake us out with a dumdum should they have one here, which I doubt." Shann tensed. The stories of the effects of the Throg's dumdum weapon were anything but pretty. "And to get a dumdum," Thorvald continued as if he were discussing a purely theoretical matter and not a threat of something worse than death, "They'll have to bring in one of their major ships.
Meanwhile Howe, in his ships, passed the forts on the Hudson and landed at Throg's Neck, on the Sound, with a view of attacking the American intrenchments in the rear and cutting them off from New England.
He had the rod out and was spraying on tight beam straight at the Throg's head before the first stone struck his shoulder and his weapon fell from a numbed hand. But a second stone tumbled out of the Throg's claw. The alien tried to reach for it, his movements slow, uncertain. Shann, his arm dangling, went in fast, bracing his good shoulder against the boulder which pinned the Throg.