e nest;
Miki followed. When they were within three feet of it Miki began to
take notice of a very distinct and peculiarly disquieting buzzing
sound. Neewa was not at all alarmed; judging the distance of the nest
from the ground, he rose on his hind feet, raised his arms, and gave it
a fatal tug.

Instantly the drone which Miki had heard changed into the angry buzzing
of a saw. Quick as a flash Neewa's mother would have had the nest under
her paws and the life crushed out of it, while Neewa's tug had only
served partly to dislodge the home of Ahmoo and his dangerous tribe.
And it happened that Ahmoo was at home with three quarters of his
warriors. Before Neewa could give the nest a second tug they were
piling out of it in a cloud and suddenly a wild yell of agony rose out
of Miki. Ahmoo himself had landed on the end of the dog's nose. Neewa
made no sound, but stood for a moment swiping at his face with both
paws, while Miki, still yelling, ran the end of his crucified nose into
the ground. In another moment every fighter in Ahmoo's army was busy.
Suddenly setting up a bawling on his own account Neewa turned tail to
the nest and ran. Miki was not a hair behind him. In every square inch
of his tender hide he felt the red-hot thrust of a needle. It was Neewa
that made the most noise. His voice was one continuous bawl, and to
this bass Miki's soprano wailing added the touch which would have
convinced any passing Indian that the loup-garou devils were having a
dance.

Now that their foes were in disorderly flight the wasps, who are rather
a chivalrous enemy, would have returned to their upset fortress had not
Miki, in his mad flight, chosen one side of a small sapling and Neewa
the other--a misadventure that stopped them with a force almost
sufficient to break their necks. Thereupon a few dozen of Ahmoo's rear
guard started in afresh. With his fighting blood at last aroused, Neewa
swung out and caught Miki where there was almost no hair on his rump.
Already half blinded, and so wrought up with pain and terror that he
had lost all sense of judgment or understanding, Miki believed that the
sharp dig of Neewa's razor-like claws was a deeper thrust than usual of
the buzzing horrors that overwhelmed him, and with a final shriek he
proceeded to throw a fit.

It was the fit that saved them. In his maniacal contortions he swung
around to Neewa's side of the sapling, when, with their halter once
more free from impediment, Neewa bo