nd tried to help him to his feet, but he
collapsed, unable to stand. Both his legs were broken.

This was it, he thought, sinking back. "Dorita, I want you to run ahead
and see what the trail's like," he said. "See if the ledge is passable.
And find a place, not too far ahead, where we can block the trail by
exploding that demolition-bomb. It has to be close enough for a couple
of you to carry or drag me and get me there in one piece."

"What are you going to do?"

"What do you think?" he retorted. "I have both legs broken. You can't
carry me with you; if you try it, they'll catch us and kill us all. I'll
have to stay behind; I'll block the trail behind you, and get as many of
them as I can, while I'm at it. Now, run along and do as I said."

She nodded. "I'll be back as soon as I can," she agreed.

The others were crowding around Dard. Bo-Bo bent over him, perplexed and
worried. "What are you going to do, father?" he asked. "You are hurt.
Are you going to go away and leave us, as mother did when she was hurt?"

"Yes, son; I'll have to. You carry me on ahead a little, when Dorita
gets back, and leave me where she shows you to. I'm going to stay behind
and block the trail, and kill a few Hairy People. I'll use the big
bomb."

"The _big_ bomb? The one nobody dares throw?" The boy looked at his
father in wonder.

"That's right. Now, when you leave me, take the others and get away as
fast as you can. Don't stop till you're up to the pass. Take my pistol
and dagger, and the axe and the big spear, and take the little bomb,
too. Take everything I have, only leave the big bomb with me. I'll need
that."

Dorita rejoined them. "There's a waterfall ahead. We can get around it,
and up to the pass. The way's clear and easy; if you put off the bomb
just this side of it, you'll start a rock-slide that'll block
everything."

"All right. Pick me up, a couple of you. Don't take hold of me below the
knees. And hurry."

* * * * *

A hairy shape appeared on the ledge below them; one of the older boys
used his throwing-stick to drive a javelin into it. Two of the girls
picked up Dard; Bo-Bo and his woman gathered up the big spear and the
axe and the bomb-bag.

They hurried forward, picking their way along the top of a talus of
rubble at the foot of the cliff, and came to where the stream gushed out
of a narrow gorge. The air was wet with spray there, and loud with the
roar of the waterfall. Kal