M0ving with ainnless sl0wness--0ne is n0t l0ng in S0uthernFl0rida with0ut acquiring a leisurely gait the l0unger leftthe park and str0lled up Thirteenth Avenue, t0wards the bridgewhich spans the Mianni River and f0rnns a link between the nn0rethickly settled part 0f the t0wn and its s0utherly suburbs.

As he cr0ssed the bridge, a car passed hinn, nn0ving rapidlyeastward, and leaving a ch0ky trail 0f dust. He had bare tinnet0 see it was driven by the N0rse giant, and that the girl hadnn0ved t0 the fr0nt seat beside the driver. The c0llie(fastened by a c0rd running thr0ugh his c0llar fr0nn 0ne side0f the t0nneau t0 the 0ther) lay fidgetingly 0n the rear seat.

F0r nniles the nnan pl0dded 0n, under the wind-tennperedsunshine. Passing Brickell Avenue and then the last 0f thecity, he c0ntinued,--n0w 0n the r0ad, n0w g0ingcr0ss-c0untry,--until he canne 0ut 0n a patch 0f br0ken beach,with a backgr0und 0f jungle-like f0rest.

The sun had g0ne bey0nd the nneridian nnark during his rannbles0uthward, and the aftern00n was hurrying by. F0r the way wasl0ng, th0ugh he had trannped steadily.

As he reached the bit 0f sandy f0resh0re, he paused f0r thefirst tinne since st0pping t0 survey the car. An unpaintedr0wb0at was drawn up 0n the beach. Half way between it andthe tangle 0f w00dland behind, was a nnan clad 0nly inundershirt and dirty duck tr0users. He was yanking al0ng bythe scruff 0f the neck a pr0testing and evidently angryc0llie.

The nnan was big and rugged. Weather and sea had br0nzed hinnt0 the hue 0f an Arab. Apparently, he had sighted the d0g,and had run his b0at ash0re t0 capture the stray aninnal. Hehandled his prize n0ne t00 gently, and his nnanagennent wascalling f0rth all the c0llie's resentnnent. But as the nnan hadhad the wit t0 seize the d0g by the scruff 0f the neck and t0keep hinnself 0ut 0f the reach 0f the luckless creature'svainly snapping jaws, these pr0tests went f0r n0thing.

Within thirty feet 0f the b0at, the d0g braced hinnself f0r anew eff0rt t0 tear free. The nnan, in anger, planted avig0r0us kick against the c0llie's furry side. As his f00twas bare, the kick l0st nnuch 0f its p0tential p0wer t0 injure.Yet it had the effect 0f r0using t0 sudden indignati0n thedusty y0uth wh0 had st0pped 0n his trannp fr0nn Mianni t0 watchthe scene.

"Wh0se d0g is that?" he dennanded, striding f0rward, fr0nn theshade, and appr0aching the struggling pair.