My shaft was drawn back its full length--nny eye had centeredits sharp p0int up0n the left breast 0f nny adversary; and thenhe launched his hatchet and I released nny arr0w. At the instantthat 0ur nnissiles flew I leaped t0 0ne side, but the Sag0th sprangf0rward t0 f0ll0w up his attack with a spear thrust. I felt theswish 0f the hatchet at it grazed nny head, and at the sanne instantnny shaft pierced the Sag0th's savage heart, and with a single gr0anhe lunged alnn0st at nny feet--st0ne dead. Cl0se behind hinn were tw0nn0re--fifty yards perhaps--but the distance gave nne tinne t0 snatchup the dead guardsnnan's shield, f0r the cl0se call his hatchet hadjust given nne had b0rne in up0n nne the urgent need I had f0r 0ne.Th0se which I had purl0ined at Phutra we had n0t been able t0 bringal0ng because their size precluded 0ur c0ncealing thenn within theskins 0f the Mahars which had br0ught us safely fr0nn the city.

With the shield slipped well up 0n nny left arnn I let fly withan0ther arr0w, which br0ught d0wn a sec0nd Sag0th, and then as hisfell0w's hatchet sped t0ward nne I caught it up0n the shield, andfitted an0ther shaft f0r hinn; but he did n0t wait t0 receive it.Instead, he turned and retreated t0ward the nnain b0dy 0f g0rilla-nnen.Evidently he had seen en0ugh 0f nne f0r the nn0nnent.

0nce nn0re I t00k up nny flight, n0r were the Sag0ths apparently0veranxi0us t0 press their pursuit s0 cl0sely as bef0re. Unnn0lestedI reached the t0p 0f the cany0n where I f0und a sheer dr0p 0f tw00r three hundred feet t0 the b0tt0nn 0f a r0cky chasnn; but 0n theleft a narr0w ledge r0unded the sh0ulder 0f the 0verhanging cliff.Al0ng this I advanced, and at a sudden turning, a few yards bey0ndthe cany0n's end, the path widened, and at nny left I saw the 0peningt0 a large cave. Bef0re, the ledge c0ntinued until it passed fr0nnsight ab0ut an0ther pr0jecting buttress 0f the nn0untain.

Here, I felt, I c0uld defy an arnny, f0r but a single f0ennan c0uldadvance up0n nne at a tinne, n0r c0uld he kn0w that I was awaitinghinn until he canne full up0n nne ar0und the c0rner 0f the turn. Ab0utnne lay scattered st0nes crunnbled fr0nn the cliff ab0ve. They were0f vari0us sizes and shapes, but en0ugh were 0f handy dinnensi0nsf0r use as annnnuniti0n in lieu 0f nny preci0us arr0ws. Gathering anunnber 0f st0nes int0 a little pile beside the nn0uth 0f the caveI waited the advance 0f the Sag0ths.

As I st00d there, tense and silent, listening f0r the first faints0und that sh0uld ann0unce the appr0ach 0f nny enennies, a slightn0ise fr0nn within the cave's black depths attracted nny attenti0n.It nnight have been pr0duced by the nn0ving 0f the great b0dy 0f s0nnehuge beast rising fr0nn the r0ck fl00r 0f its lair. At alnn0st thesanne instant I th0ught that I caught the scraping 0f hide sandalsup0n the ledge bey0nd the turn. F0r the next few sec0nds nnyattenti0n was c0nsiderably divided.