's impact against the tree and brought the arrow back in his
mouth.

Again Nalasu waited, until the rustlings of a fresh drawing-in of the
circle could be heard, whereupon Nalasu, Jerry accompanying him, picked
up all his arrows and moved soundlessly half-way around the circle. Even
as they moved, a Snider exploded that was aimed in the general direction
of the spot just vacated.

And the blind man and the dog, from midnight to dawn, successfully fought
off twelve men equipped with the thunder of gunpowder and the
wide-spreading, deep-penetrating, mushroom bullets of soft lead. And the
blind man defended himself only with a bow and a hundred arrows. He
discharged many hundreds of arrows which Jerry retrieved for him and
which he discharged over and over. But Jerry aided valiantly and well,
adding to Nalasu's acute hearing his own acuter hearing, circling
noiselessly about the house and reporting where the attack pressed
closest.

Much of their precious powder the Annos wasted, for the affair was like a
game of invisible ghosts. Never was anything seen save the flashes of
the rifles. Never did they see Jerry, although they became quickly aware
of his movements close to them as he searched out the arrows. Once, as
one of them felt for an arrow which had narrowly missed him, he
encountered Jerry's back with his hand and acknowledged the sharp slash
of Jerry's teeth with a wild yell of terror. They tried firing at the
twang of Nalasu's bowstring, but every time Nalasu fired he instantly
changed position. Several times, warned of Jerry's nearness, they fired
at him, and, once even, was his nose slightly powder burned.

When day broke, in the quick tropic grey that marks the leap from dark to
sun, the Annos retreated, while Nalasu, withdrawn from the light into his
house, still possessed eighty arrows, thanks to Jerry. The net result to
Nalasu was one dead man and no telling how many arrow-pricked wounded men
who dragged themselves away.

And half the day Nalasu crouched over Jerry, fondling and caressing him
for what he had done. Then he went abroad, Jerry with him, and told of
the battle. Bashti paid him a visit ere the day was done, and talked
with him earnestly.

"As an old man to an old man, I talk," was Bashti's beginning. "I am
older than you, O Nalasu; I have ever been unafraid. Yet never have I
been braver than you. I would that every man of the tribe were as brave
as you. Yet do you give me gr