herd. Unless the wind shifts
on us, we ought to get within spear-cast. You and I will use the spears;
Varnis can come along and cover for us with a carbine. Glav, you and
Olva and Dorita stay here with the children and the packs. Keep a sharp
lookout; Hairy People around, somewhere." He unslung his rifle and
exchanged it for Olva's spears. "We can only eat about two of them
before the meat begins to spoil, but kill all you can," he told Analea;
"we need the skins."

Then he and the two girls began their slow, cautious, stalk. As long as
the grassland was dotted with young trees, they walked upright, making
good time, but the last five hundred yards they had to crawl, stopping
often to check the wind, while the horse-herd drifted slowly by. Then
they were directly behind the herd, with the wind in their faces, and
they advanced more rapidly.

"Close enough?" Dard whispered to Analea.

"Yes; I'm taking the one that's lagging a little behind."

"I'm taking the one on the left of it." Kalvar Dard fitted a javelin to
the hook of his throwing-stick. "Ready? Now!"

He leaped to his feet, drawing back his right arm and hurling, the
throwing-stick giving added velocity to the spear. Beside him, he was
conscious of Analea rising and propelling her spear. His missile caught
the little bearded pony in the chest; it stumbled and fell forward to
its front knees. He snatched another light spear, set it on the hook of
the stick and darted it at another horse, which reared, biting at the
spear with its teeth. Grabbing the heavy stabbing-spear, he ran forward,
finishing it off with a heart-thrust. As he did, Varnis slung her
carbine, snatched a stone-headed throwing axe from her belt, and knocked
down another horse, then ran forward with her dagger to finish it.

By this time, the herd, alarmed, had stampeded and was galloping away,
leaving the dead and dying behind. He and Analea had each killed two;
with the one Varnis had knocked down, that made five. Using his dagger,
he finished off one that was still kicking on the ground, and then began
pulling out the throwing-spears. The girls, shouting in unison, were
announcing the successful completion of the hunt; Glav, Olva, and Dorita
were coming forward with the children.

* * * * *

It was sunset by the time they had finished the work of skinning and
cutting up the horses and had carried the hide-wrapped bundles of meat
to the little brook where th