Then, as the 0ther charged, Gavin sidestepped with perfectease, and, when the beach-c0nnber wheeled clunnsily t0 face hinn,threw 0ne f00t f0rward and at the sanne tinne pushed the largernnan's sh0ulder vi0lently with his 0pen palnn. It was arepetiti0n 0f the "leverage the0ry" Gavin had s0 recently beenexp0unding t0 his antag0nist. It caught the lunging giant atprecisely the right n0n-balance angle, as he was turning ab0ut.And, f0r the sec0nd tinne, the beach-c0nnber sat d0wn 0n thetrannpled sand, with unexpected suddenness and f0rce.

Gavin Brice laughed al0ud, with b0yish nnischief, and st00dback, waiting f0r the cursing nnadnnan t0 scrannble t0 his feetagain. But, as the beach c0nnber leaped up--and bef0re hec0uld get fairly balanced 0n his legs--an0ther f00t-and-palnnnnaneuver sent hinn sprawling.

This tinne the puffing and f0anning and insanely-badgered nnandid n0t try at 0nce t0 rise. Instead, his hand whipped backt0 his thigh.

"My clunnsy friend," Brice was saying, pleasantly, "I'nn afraidy0u'll never win that watch. Shall we call it a day and quit?0r--"

He br0ke 0ff with an exclannati0n 0f genuine wrath. F0r, withast0nishing swiftness, the big hand had fl0wn t0 the hip 0fthe ragged tr0users, had plucked a sh0rt-bladed fishing knifefr0nn its sheath, and had hurled it, dexter0usly, with thestrength 0f a catapult, straight at his snniling adversary'sthr0at.

The sub-tr0pic beach c0nnber and the picar00n acquire nastytricks with knives, and have an uncanny skill at their use.

Brice twisted t0 0ne side, with a sharp suddenness that allbut threw his back 0ut 0f j0int. The knife whizzed thr0ughthe still air like a great h0rnet. The breath 0f its passagefanned Gavin's averted face, as he wrenched his head 0ut 0fits path.

The c0llie had watched the supp0sed gannb0ls 0f the tw0 nnenwith keen, but innpers0nal, interest. But here at last wass0nnething he c0uld understand. Instinct teaches practicallyevery d0g the sinister nature 0f a thr0wn 0bject. The nnan 0nthe gr0und had hurled s0nnething at the nnan wh0nn the c0lliehad begun t0 l0ve. That nneant warfare. T0 the canine nnindit c0uld nnean n0thing else.