d I crept to the edge, and lookt downward, and lo! I did see that
there came up the rock two Humped Men; and they did climb very swift and
silent; and I perceived that they smelled me, and came to destroy me.
And I made ready the Diskos to do battle, and ceased not to look
downward. And I saw how that the Humped Men did seem to be humpt by
reason of their being so monstrous thick and mighty of the neck and the
shoulder, as that they had been human bulls. And I saw that they were
very strong, and by the speed of their climbing, I knew they were swift;
and so did I make steady my attention and my heart to the saving of my
life; for truly I did know that I should be dead in a little, or they.

Now I stept back a space from the edge of the rock, and had the Diskos
very ready; for it was needful that I should kill one of those brute men
speedy, that I have no danger that one take me in the back, whilst that
I fight with the other.

Then, in a moment it did seem, there came upward of the rock edge, the
great and brutish face of the man. And in that moment that I slew him, I
did note curiously how that he had large teeth upon each side of the
mouth; and was aware that he had come so quiet as a great cat. And in
the backward parts of my brain, I bethought that even thus, maybe, was
primal man, so that a strange and secondary questioning and wondering
did live in that part of me; and I did learn from these scarce conscious
reasonings that I was of belief the thing was truly a man; but very
crude and dangerous. And surely it is strange that I had all this
thought in that little moment; but in verity so it was; though I doubt
not but I bettered it with after thoughts, when a while had gone.

Now the first man died ere his great haired breast was come upward over
the rock; and he sank back, and sagged and fell dully, and I heard him
bodge downward from rock to rock, very lumbersome; and so in a moment
was silence.

Then did I look this way and that way of the ledge; for the second Humpt
Man was not yet upon me; and I feared that the pause did mean a cunning
mischief and strategy. And when a little time had past, and all the
while I was ready with the Diskos, and naught did come upward to harm
me, I stept very soft to the edge of the rock-ledge, and lookt downward;
but there was nowhere any thing to see.

Now, for a little moment, I did think that the brutish man had run off,
being feared by the death that I did deal unto the fi