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The third man simply failed to show up for roll call one morning. He was never seen again.

But the rest of the column, with dauntless courage, followed the lead of their commander.

* * * * *

It was hard to read their expressions, those reddened eyes that peered at him from swollen, bearded faces. But he knew his own face looked no different.

“We all knew this wasn’t going to be a fancy-dress ball when we came,” he said. “Nobody said this was going to be the easiest way in the world to get rich.”

The commander was sitting on one of the carriers, his eyes watching the men, who were lined up in front of him. His voice was purposely held low, but it carried well.

“The marching has been difficult, but now we’re really going to see what we’re made of.

“We all need a rest, and we all deserve one. But when I lie down to rest, I’m going to do it in a halfway decent bed, with some good, solid food in my belly.

“Here’s the way the picture looks: An hour’s march from here, there’s a good-sized village.” He swung partially away from them and pointed south. “I think we have earned that town and everything in it.”

He swung back, facing them. There was a wolfish grin on his face. “There’s gold there, too. Not much, really, compared with what we’ll get later on, but enough to whet our appetites.”

The men’s faces were beginning to change now, in spite of the swelling.

“I don’t think we need worry too much about the savages that are living there now. With God on our side, I hardly see how we can fail.”

He went on, telling them how they would attack the town, the disposition of men, the use of the carriers, and so forth. By the time he was through, every man there was as eager as he to move in. When he finished speaking, they set up a cheer:

“For the Emperor and the Universal Assembly!”

* * * * *

The natives of the small village had heard that some sort of terrible beings were approaching through the jungle. Word had come from the people of the forest that the strange monsters were impervious to darts, and that they had huge dragons with them which were terrifying even to look at. They were clad in metal and made queer noises as they moved.

The village chieftain called his advisers together to ponder the situation. What should they do with these strange things? What were the invaders’ intentions?

Obviously, the things must be hostile. Therefore, there were only two courses open–fight or flee. The chieftain and his men decided to fight. It would have been a good thing if there had only been some Imperial troops in the vicinity, but all the troops were farther south, where a civil war was raging over the right of succession of the Greatest Noble.

Nevertheless, there were two thousand fighting men in the village–well, two thousand men at any rate, and they would certainly all fight, although some were rather young and a few were too old for any really hard fighting. On the other hand, it would probably not come to that, since the strangers were outnumbered by at least three to one.

The chieftain gave his orders for the defense of the village.

* * * * *

The invading Earthmen approached the small town cautiously from the west. The commander had his men spread out a little, but not so much that they could be separated. He saw the aliens grouped around the square, boxlike buildings, watching and waiting for trouble.