enough force to knock him over. There was an abrasion on the other side of his head, where he had probably hit the ground. It was very likely the fall which had knocked him unconscious.

John said: 'He'll live.' Jane looked up; she was crying.

'Pass the word along to Olivia that we want the bandage,'

John added. 'And a wad of lint.'

Arm stared from Pirrie to the fence barring the road.

'But why should they fire at us? What's happened?'

'A mistake.' John stared at the fence. 'A mistake we'll sort it out easily enough.'