a reddish-tan color, paling to pink and cream in the children
and younger women. They had ample foreheads under the wild thatch of
their hair, and high, well-bridged noses, and fierce, steady eyes of
green, blue or brown-gray. Outnumbered nearly ten to one, and shrewd
enough to see at a glance what ferocious power lurked in those
misshapen frames at the foot of the slope, they stood staring down
upon them in silence, with an undaunted loathing.

For some minutes the hordes of the Bow-legs clustered together,
jabbering and waving their crude but massive clubs excitedly. They
seemed to have no chief, no plan of attack, no discipline of any sort.
Some of them even squatted down on the turf and scratched themselves
like monkeys, glaring malignantly but stupidly at the little array of
their opponents, and snorting through their hideous upturned nostrils,
which were little more than wide, red pits in their faces. Then some
of those who were squatting on the ground began to play with a
dreadful red ball which had some wisps of hair yet clinging to it.

A snarling roar went up from the ranks of the Hillmen, and some of
them would have rushed to accept the ghastly challenge. But the
Chief held them back sternly. Then he himself, half a head taller
than all but one or two of his followers, with magnificent chest and
shoulders, and a dark, lionlike mane thick-streaked with grey,
strode out three or four paces to the front and stood leaning on his
huge, porphyry-headed club while he glared down contemptuously over
the gesticulating horde.

The Bow-legs stilled their jabbering for a moment to stare with
interest at this imposing figure. Then one of those who were seated on
the ground seized the ghastly ball that they were playing with,
whirled it by the hair and hurled it two-thirds of the way up the
slope. As it fell and rebounded, two young women sprang from the
ranks, their thick locks streaming like a cloud behind them, and
dashed down the hill to meet it. The foremost caught it up, clutched
it to her naked breast, and screamed a curse upon the gaping
murderers. Then the two fled back, and were lost in the ranks of the
Hillmen.

The sight of the two women, with their bright skins, their strong,
straight limbs and their rich, floating hair, appeared to give the
Bow-legs just the spur to concerted action that they were needing.
They rightly judged there were more of those desirable beings in the
crowd behind that tall, conte