The Project Gutenberg EBook of Uniform of a Man, by Dave Dryfoos

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Title: Uniform of a Man

Author: Dave Dryfoos

Illustrator: Rudolph Palais

Release Date: June 7, 2010 [EBook #32737]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Uniform of a Man

By Dave Dryfoos

Illustrated by Rudolph Palais

[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from IF Worlds of Science
Fiction March 1954. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]

[Sidenote: _After rescue, revenge was uppermost in Chet Barfield's mind;
the hideous, bestial Agvars had to be taught a lesson they'd never
forget. His rescuers seemed to disagree, however--until Chet learned his
lesson too!_]

In the village clearing, under the diffuse red sun of Hedlot, Chet
Barfield listened intently. Mostly he heard the villagers, the Agvars,
noisy with the disregard for sound that comes of defective hearing.

But above their clamor was another note. No ... Yes! There it was
again--the swish-roar-scream of a spaceship!

Chet's heart lifted to the altitude of that ship. Rescue! Rescue was at
hand for him, after three years as a prisoner.

Thought of it momentarily overcame the passivity that years of
starvation had made his habit. He even forgot himself enough to walk
erect a few steps, staring skyward--heavenward!--within cupped hands.

But the dense hardwood chain on his ankle brought him up short. When it
tightened, he remembered, and slouched to all fours again, moving with
the gorilla-like gait of the Agvars toward the unshaded post he was
chained to.

He'd been observed. Pawfulls of dirt stung his bent and whip-scarred
back, and a treble chorus stung his ears and nerves. The village boys
were chanting derisively. Chet had never been able to learn the
language, but the tone of voice was unmistakable.

He huddled against the post, knees to chin, hands clasped around h