Battlefield Earth by Hubbard, L. Ron Page A

moved.
        
    There was an earsplitting roar!
        
    Jonnie glanced back in terror. The thing rose up three feet above the ground. Dust flew from below it. It began to inch forward. It was alive!
        
    He put Windsplitter into a gallop straight down the street. He passed one corner path, two. The thing was falling behind. It was now two corners back.
        
    He swerved Windsplitter up a side path, yanking the lead horse with him. They reached another corner and again he turned. Up ahead were two tall buildings. He’d keep going and reach the open country. He’d make it.
        
    And then suddenly there was a sheet of flame. Ahead of him the right-hand building exploded apart. It’s top slid slowly down and into the street ahead, blocking it.
        
    Spattered with dust, Jonnie hauled up short.
        
    He could hear the roaring of the thing somewhere beyond the rubble. He listened, holding his breath. The position of the roar was changing. It was shifting to the right.
        
    He traced it with his ears. It was going on down the other street. Now it was level with him. Now it was getting behind him.
        
    The thing had somehow blocked the street ahead of him and then gone on, planning to come up behind him.
        
    He was trapped.
        
    Jonnie looked at the smoking mound of fresh rubble ahead of him. It rose twenty feet above the pavement, a steep barricade.
        
    There was no panic in him now. He slowed the hard pounding of his heart. The thing to do was wait until the monster was right in the street behind him- then go over that barricade.
        
    He sidled Windsplitter back to get a good run.
        
    The thing was roaring down the side path behind him. Now it was turning.
        
    He glanced back. There it was, wisps of smoke coming out of its nostrils.
        
    Jonnie put the heel to Windsplitter. He yanked on the lead rope.
        
    “EEYAH!” shouted Jonnie.
        
    The horses sprinted at the barricade. Rough and full of loose stones. Dangerous.
        
    Up they scrambled. Rubble slid. Pray
    the gods no broken legs. Up they went.
        
    They hit the top. One glance back showed the thing rolling up to the very bottom of the barricade.
        
    Jonnie sent the horses down in a turmoil of tumbling debris.
        
    They hit the street before them at a run and kept running.
        
    The walls racketed with the thunder of their run. Jonnie swerved through a checkerboard of paths, edging to the open country.
        
    He could not hear the roaring thing now over the powerful thud of the running hoofs.
        
    Further and further. The buildings were thinning. He saw open country between two structures to his right and skidded down off the embankment and raced for freedom.
        
    As soon as he had free running space everywhere but toward the town, he slowed.
        
    Windsplitter and the lead horse were blowing and puffing. He walked them until they caught their breath, casting his eyes restlessly up and down the edges of the town behind them.
        
    Then he caught the roaring again. He strained his eyes, watching. There it was!
        
    It slid out from among the buildings and started straight toward him.
        
    He put the horses up to a trot. The thing was closing the distance. He put the horses up to a run.
        
    The thing not only closed the distance but started to pass him.
        
    Jonnie swerved at right angles.
        
    The thing banked into a turn and flashed by him, went well ahead, turned and blocked his way.
        
    Jonnie pulled up. There it was, ugly, roaring, gleaming.
        
    He turned around and began to run away from it.
        
    It let out a blasting roar, scorched by him and again stopped, blocking his way.
        
    Jonnie’s face tightened into determination.
        
    He took his biggest kill-club from his belt. He put the thong solidly on his wrist. He cast off the lead