ge, and drew slowly down the cave. Again he ran and leaped,
again the great jaws closed, again he fell down howling. Then the
she-wolf rose, and they sprang together, striving to pull down him who
sat above. But it was all in vain; they could never come nearer than
within a spear's breadth of the dead man's foot. And now, Umslopogaas,
you know why the rock is smooth and shines. From month to month and year
to year the wolves had ravened there, seeking to devour the bones of him
who sat above. Night upon night they had leaped thus against the wall of
the cave, but never might their clashing jaws close upon his foot. One
foot they had, indeed, but the other they could not come by.

"Now as I watched, filled with fear and wonder, the she-wolf, her tongue
lolling from her jaws, made so mighty a bound that she almost reached
the hanging foot, and yet not quite. She fell back, and then I saw that
the leap was her last for that time, for she had oversprung herself, and
lay there howling, the black blood flowing from her mouth. The wolf saw
also: he drew near, sniffed at her, then, knowing that she was hurt,
seized her by the throat and worried her. Now all the place was filled
with groans and choking howls, as the wolves rolled over and over
beneath him who sat above, and in the blood-red light of the dying sun
the sight and sounds were so horrid that I trembled like a child.
The she-wolf grew faint, for the fangs of her mate were buried in her
throat. Then I saw that now was the time to smite him, lest when he had
killed her he should kill me also. So I lifted the Watcher and sprang
into the cave, having it in my mind to slay the wolf before he lifted up
his head. But he heard my footsteps, or perhaps my shadow fell upon him.
Loosing his grip, he looked up, this father of wolves; then, making no
sound, he sprang straight at my throat.

"I saw him, and whirling the Watcher aloft, I smote with all my
strength. The blow met him in mid-air; it fell full on his chest and
struck him backwards to the earth. But there he would not say, for,
rising before I could smite again, once more he sprang at me. This time
I leaped aside and struck downwards, and the blow fell upon his right
leg and broke it, so that he could spring no more. Yet he ran at me on
three feet, and, though the club fell on his side, he seized me with his
teeth, biting through that leather bag, which was wound about my middle,
into the flesh behind. Then I yelled with