ut some misgiving, therefore, that he found himself in
their presence, thus unarmed and alone.

When his armful of stones was exhausted, some of the dogs still remained
within sight, looking in the grey twilight much larger than they
actually were.

Ossaroo reflected for a moment whether he would gather some more rocks,
and give them a fresh pelting. On second thoughts, he concluded it
would be more prudent to let them alone. They were already almost at
bay, and any farther demonstration on his part might provoke them to
turn upon him in earnest. He determined, therefore, to leave them as
they stood, and hurry off with his load.

Without more ado, he took down the quarter of yak-beef, and, placing it
upon his shoulders, turned homeward toward the hut.

He had not gone very far when he began to suspect that the dogs were
after him. In fact, he more than suspected it, for the pattering of
feet upon the dead leaves, and an occasional low growl that reached his
ears, convinced him they _were_ after him. The heavy burden upon his
shoulders, pressing his head forward and downward, prevented him from
seeing either to one side or the other, and to look behind, it would be
necessary for him to turn quite round.

But the pattering of the feet sounded nearer, and the short half-bark,
half-growl, became more frequent, until Ossaroo found himself at length
constrained to turn, from sheer apprehension of being attacked in the
rear.

The sight that met his eyes was enough to have terrified the stoutest
heart. Instead of half a dozen of the wild dogs which he expected to
see following him, there were far above a score of them, and they
appealed to be of every age, sex, and size. In fact, all the dogs of
the valley were trooping at his heels, as if they had been all summoned
to join in the attack.

But the stout shikarree was not yet dismayed. He had been accustomed to
hold the wild dogs in too great contempt to be so easily frightened,
even by such numbers of them, and he resolved to make another attempt to
drive them off.

Leaning the beef, therefore, against a tree, he stooped down and groped
the ground, until he had again armed himself with pebbles as big as
paving-stones; and rushing some paces backward, he flung them with all
his might in the teeth of his tormentors. Several of the pebbles
happened to hit in the right place, and more than one of the dogs ran
howling away; but the fiercer and older ones scarce yi