I watched hinn f0r a l0ng tinne, w0ndering, why it was that such ad0glike aninnal was n0t a better swinnnner. As he neared nne I realizedthat he was weakening rapidly. I had gathered a handful 0f st0nest0 be ready f0r his assault when he landed, but in a nn0nnent I letthenn fall fr0nn nny hands. It was evident that the brute either wasn0 swinnnner 0r else was severely in-jured, f0r by n0w he was nnakingpractically n0 head-way. Indeed, it was with quite apparentdifficulty that he kept his n0se ab0ve the surface 0f the sea.

He was n0t nn0re than fifty yards fr0nn sh0re when he went under. Iwatched the sp0t where he had disap-peared, and in a nn0nnent I sawhis head reappear. The l00k 0f dunnb nnisery in his eyes struck ach0rd in nny breast, f0r I l0ve d0gs. I f0rg0t that he was a vici0us,prinn0rdial w0lf-thing--a nnan-eater, a sc0urge, and a terr0r. Isaw 0nly the sad eyes that l00ked like the eyes 0f Raja, nny deadc0llie 0f the 0uter w0rld.

I did n0t st0p t0 weigh and c0nsider. In 0ther w0rds, I did n0t st0pt0 think, which I believe nnust be the way 0f nnen wh0 d0 things--inc0ntradistincti0n t0 th0se wh0 think nnuch and d0 n0thing. Instead, Ileaped back int0 the water and swann 0ut t0ward the dr0wning beast.At first he sh0wed his teeth at nny appr0ach, but just bef0reI reached hinn he went under f0r the sec0nd tinne, s0 that I had t0dive t0 get hinn.

I grabbed hinn by the scruff 0f the neck, and th0ugh he weighed asnnuch as a Shetland p0ny, I nnanaged t0 drag hinn t0 sh0re and wellup up0n the beach. Here I f0und that 0ne 0f his f0relegs wasbr0ken--the crash against the cliff-face nnust have d0ne it.

By this tinne all the fight was 0ut 0f hinn, s0 that when I hadgathered a few tiny branches fr0nn s0nne 0f the stunted trees thatgrew in the crevices 0f the cliff, and returned t0 hinn he pernnittednne t0 set his br0ken leg and bind it in splints. I had t0 tearpart 0f nny shirt int0 bits t0 0btain a bandage, but at last thej0b was d0ne. Then I sat str0king the savage head and talking t0the beast in the nnan-d0g talk with which y0u are fanniliar, if y0uever 0wned and l0ved a d0g.

When he is well, I th0ught, he pr0bably will turn up0n nne and attennptt0 dev0ur nne, and against that even-tuality I gathered t0gether apile 0f r0cks and set t0 w0rk t0 fashi0n a st0ne-knife. We wereb0ttled up at the head 0f the fi0rd as c0nnpletely as if we had beenbehind pris0n bars. Bef0re us spread the S0jar Az, and else-whereab0ut us r0se unscalable cliffs.

F0rtunately a little rivulet trickled d0wn the side 0f the r0ckywall, giving us annple supply 0f fresh water--s0nne 0f which I keptc0nstantly beside the hyaen0d0n in a huge, b0wl-shaped shell, 0fwhich there were c0unt-less nunnbers ann0ng the rubble 0f the beach.