dred people watching us as I stood there facing him.

"You threw a stone at your king," I said to him sternly, although I knew
perfectly well he could not understand my words. "You shall be punished."

I reached out suddenly and struck him in the face as smartly as I could
with the flat of my hand. He gave a roar of surprise and pain, and as soon
as he could recover from my blow lunged at me with a snarl of rage.

As he came I turned and darted swiftly away. I heard a shout of surprise
from Mercer. "It's all right," he called. "Wait."

I ran about twenty feet, then turned and waited. The man came on, head
down, charging like a mad bull. When he was close upon me I gathered my
muscles and sprang clear over his head, landing well behind him.

He stopped and looked around confusedly, evidently not quite sure at first
what had become of me.

Mercer gave a shout of glee, and, to my great satisfaction, I heard it
taken up by the crowd, mingled with murmurs of surprise and awe.

I stood quiet, and again my opponent charged me. I eluded him easily, and
then for fully ten minutes I taunted and baited him this way, as a
skillful toreador taunts his bull. The crowd now seemed to enjoy the
affair hugely.

Finally I darted behind my adversary and, catching him by the shoulders,
tripped him and laid him on his back on the ground A great roar of
laughter went up from the onlookers.

The man was on his feet again in an instant, breathing heavily, for indeed
he had nearly winded himself by his exertions. I ran over to Mercer.

"Go on," I said; "show them what you can do."

The commotion of this contest had drawn many other spectators about us
now, but they kept a space clear, pushing back hurriedly before our sudden
rushes. At my words Mercer darted forward eagerly. His first move was to
leap some twenty feet across the open space. This smaller opponent seemed
to give the Mercutian new courage.

He shouted exultantly and dashed at Mercer, who stood quietly waiting for
him at the edge of the crowd.

Mercer's ideas evidently were different from mine, for as his adversary
came within reach he stepped nimbly aside and hit him a vicious blow in
the face. The man toppled over backward and lay still.

I ran over to where Mercer was bending over his fallen foe. As I came up
he straightened and grinned at me. "Oh, shucks," he said disgustedly. "You
can't fight up here--it's too easy."

CHAPTER XV.

THE MOUNTAIN CONCLAVE.