over.

He loosed his arrows as rapidly as he could draw the bow; he knew that
others were shooting too. Where naked feet were stumbling over prostrate
bodies the black wave broke in confusion and came on unsteadily into the
hail of winged barbs.

But the wave rushed on and up to the barricade in a scattering of
shrieking, leaping ape-man, and Chet spared a second for unspoken thanks
for the height of the barrier. A full six feet it stood from the ground,
and the ends that had been burned, then pointed with a crude ax, were
aimed outward. Inside the enclosure Chet had wanted to throw up a bench
or mound of earth on which they could stand to fire above the high
barrier, but lack of tools had prevented them. Instead they had laid
cribbing of short poles at intervals and on each of these had built a
platform of branches.

* * * * *

Close to the barricade of poles and vines, these platforms enabled the
defenders to shield themselves from thrown spears and rise as they
wished to fire out and down into the mob. But with the rush of a score
or more of the man-beasts to the barricade itself, Chet suddenly knew
that they were vulnerable to an attack with long lances.

A leaping body was hanging on the barrier; huge hands tore and clawed at
the inner side for a grip. From the platform where Diane stood came an
arrow at the same instant Chet shot. One matched the other for accuracy,
and the clawing figure fell limply from sight. But there were
others--and a lance tipped with the jagged fin, needle-sharp, of a
poison fish was thrusting wickedly toward Diane.

This time Harkness' arrow did the work, but Chet ordered a retreat.
Above the pandemonium of snarling growls, he shouted.

"Back to the rocks, Walt," he ordered; "you and Diane! Quick! The rest
of us will hold 'em till you are ready. Then you keep 'em off until we
come!" And the two obeyed the cool, crisp voice that was interrupted
only when its owner, with the others, had to duck quickly to avoid a
barrage of spears.

* * * * *

Kreiss was wounded. Chet found him dropped beside his firing platform
working methodically to extract the broad blade of a spear from his
shoulder where it was embedded.

Chet's first thought was of poison, and he shouted for Towahg. But the
savage only looked once at the spear, seized it and with one quick jerk
drew the weapon from the wound; then, when the blood flowed freely,