ld be similar. But Ross was assuredly not
facing a seal at this moment.

Slight movement of the flippers kept it as stabilized as if it sprawled
on a supporting surface. With the neck flattened against the body, the
head curved downward until the horn on its snout pointed the tip
straight at Ross's middle. The Terran steadied his spear-gun. The
dragon's eyes were its most vulnerable targets; if the creature launched
the attack, Ross would aim for them.

Both man and dragon were so intent upon their duel that neither was
conscious of the sudden swirl overhead. A sleek dark shape struck down,
skimming across the humped-back ridge of the dragon. Some of the
settlers had empathy with the dolphins to a high degree, but Ross's own
powers of contact were relatively feeble.

Only now he was given an assurance of aid, and a suggestion to attack.
The dragon head writhed, twisted as the reptile attempted to see above
and behind its own length. But the dolphin was only a streak fast
disappearing. And that writhing changed the balance the monster had
maintained, pushing it toward Ross.

The Terran fired too soon and without proper aim, so the dart snaked
past the head. But the harpoon line half hooked about the neck and
seemed to confuse the creature. Ross squirmed as far back as he could
into his refuge and drew his knife. Against those fangs the weapon was
an almost useless toy, but it was all he had.

Again the dolphin dived in attack on the reptile, this time seizing in
its mouth the floating cord of the harpoon and giving it a jerk which
jolted the dragon even more off balance, pulling it away from Ross's
niche and out into the center of the saucer.

There were two dolphins in action now, Ross saw, playing the dragon as
matadors might play a bull, keeping the creature disturbed by their
agile maneuvers. Whatever prey came naturally to the Hawaikan monster
was not of this type, and the creature was not prepared to deal
effectively with their teasing, dodging tactics. Neither had touched the
beast, but they kept it constantly striving to get at them.

Though it swam in circles attempting to face its teasers, the dragon did
not abandon the level before Ross's refuge, and now and then it darted
its head at him, unwilling to give up its prey. Only one of the dolphins
frisked and dodged above now as the sonic on Ross's belt vibrated
against his lower ribs with its message warning to be prepared for
further action. Somewhere a