a force that held him helpless.
Muscles stood out on his neck like tree roots but he could not move.

Inside his head Karn heard the woman arguing again with her two
companions.

"A fine way to treat someone who's just saved our lives!"

"But he might be dangerous. You saw what he did to that beast. Look at
the size of him. One twist of those hands and he'd tear our heads off
our shoulders."

"He _is_ a powerful brute, isn't he?" But there was no fear in her
voice. Only admiration.

"Worse than a Green One," agreed the second of the hairless ones. "We'd
better get back into the ship."

They were a little slow about that, Karn thought. In the underbrush
close by he had heard the movements of a heavy body. A saber-tooth had
no need for stealth. And it was coming their way.

"He's trying to tell us something," the woman was saying. "He may be
trying to warn us. Turn off those rays."

The men hesitated. Then their fingers moved slightly and Karn was free
to move.

* * * * *

But now there was no time for warnings. Karn gestured over his shoulder
and started for the opening in the huge ball. He sensed that safety lay
inside. Behind him a huge cat snarled.

The hairless ones hesitated no longer. Leaving the woman to her own
devices they dashed for the ship. She turned to run, tripped and fell.
Karn scooped her up as he ran.

Almost together, the four reached the ship. The smell of the saber-tooth
was strong in Karn's nostrils; he could almost feel its breath on his
neck as he dashed up a ramp.

One of the men was fumbling with a lever. The ramp swung up; the opening
in the ship's side vanished. Against the gray-green wall the tiger's
body thudded.

That danger now behind them, the two men were pointing their sticks at
Karn again. But this time the woman halted them before they could
paralyze him.

"That's twice he's saved our lives. How much more proof do we need that
he's friendly?" She smiled at Karn. "Who are you?"

"Karn, of the tribe of Tur."

"I am Andra, and these men are Harus and Ven. We are of Mahlo. We thank
you for saving our lives."

Harus was the smaller of the two men. His face was thin, pinched with
perpetual fear. Ven too seemed always frightened. They stared at Karn
doubtfully.

"What are we going to do with him?" Harus asked.

"Maybe we could take him back to his tribe," Andra suggested. "If it's
very far we could save him a long trip."

Her eyes