stood watching them, and presently I grasped my two hands
together and shook hands with myself, to try to convey to them the idea
that we were friendly; but it must have carried no meaning to them. By
this time the slingers had come up, and I retired behind my shield to
await their action. The archers seemed very glad of their arrival, and
yielded the foremost place to them. I noted their operations carefully,
and saw them place something, which did not look like a round stone, in
the pocket of their slings, and then they whirled it long and
cautiously. Suddenly they discharged it with a swift movement of their
bodies backward, which landed them on one knee.

"Wide of the mark!" I cried, as the missiles sailed off far to the right
of us. But just before landing they bent a sharp, surprising curve, and
lacked but little of hitting us behind the shields! The things they had
thrown were the thin, concave shells of a large nut, and the trick of
discharging them gave them their peculiar flight.

"I don't like this throwing around the corner!" exclaimed the doctor.
"With a little truer aim they will be able to hit us behind anything."

"Hurry, bring your shield over behind mine, and face it the other way,"
said I; "then we will crouch between the two in safety."

He did this just in time, for some of the next volley actually curved
around and hit his shield, but none struck mine in front. However, the
shells which fell near us were of light weight, and would not have
bruised us much with heavy clothing on. Presently their pelting ceased,
and we concluded that they were planning something new. We decided to
let them know that we were not hurt, so we emerged; and I tried throwing
the shells back with my hand, but I could not control their erratic
course. When they saw this they jeered at me, and I itched to treat them
to just one pistol shot, only to show them what child's play their
fighting was! Presently we saw what they were waiting for. Far down the
road the two great birds were returning harnessed together, and dragging
behind them an enormous catapult. Tied across their backs were two stout
darts, seemingly twelve feet long and three inches square. Each of them
had a wicked-looking barbed tip.

There was a pleased and confident jabber among the slingers and archers
below as the birds arrived. The catapult was turned about toward us, and
lashed tightly to stakes driven in front and behind. Then the birds were
hitched