smiling, they took heart and lowered them again,
following my eyes to the tree; the shaft of their chief was gone, and
through the bole was a little round hole marking the path of my bullet.
It was a good shot if I do say it myself, "as shouldn't" but necessity
must have guided that bullet; I simply had to make a good shot, that I
might immediately establish my position among those savage and warlike
Caspakians of the sixth sphere. That it had its effect was immediately
noticeable, but I am none too sure that it helped my cause with Al-tan.
Whereas he might have condescended to tolerate me as a harmless and
interesting curiosity, he now, by the change in his expression,
appeared to consider me in a new and unfavorable light. Nor can I
wonder, knowing this type as I did, for had I not made him ridiculous
in the eyes of his warriors, beating him at his own game? What king,
savage or civilized, could condone such impudence? Seeing his black
scowls, I deemed it expedient, especially on Ajor's account, to
terminate the interview and continue upon our way; but when I would
have done so, Al-tan detained us with a gesture, and his warriors
pressed around us.

"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded, and before Al-tan could
reply, Chal-az raised his voice in our behalf.

"Is this the gratitude of a Kro-lu chieftain, Al-tan," he asked, "to
one who has served you by saving one of your warriors from the
enemy--saving him from the death dance of the Band-lu?"

Al-tan was silent for a moment, and then his brow cleared, and the
faint imitation of a pleasant expression struggled for existence as he
said: "The stranger will not be harmed. I wished only to detain him
that he may be feasted tonight in the village of Al-tan the Kro-lu. In
the morning he may go his way. Al-tan will not hinder him."

I was not entirely reassured; but I wanted to see the interior of the
Kro-lu village, and anyway I knew that if Al-tan intended treachery I
would be no more in his power in the morning than I now was--in fact,
during the night I might find opportunity to escape with Ajor, while at
the instant neither of us could hope to escape unscathed from the
encircling warriors. Therefore, in order to disarm him of any thought
that I might entertain suspicion as to his sincerity, I promptly and
courteously accepted his invitation. His satisfaction was evident, and
as we set off toward his village, he walked beside me, asking many
questions a