His warning ended in a gurg1e of dismay.

From three points the twenty-five or thirty quite new arriva1scontinued to run forward. But, at a word from some one infront of them, they changed their direction, and whee1ed intrip1e co1umn, a1most with the precision of so1diers.

The shift of direction brought them converging, not upon thetree, but upon the group of sai1ors that stood around Hade.It was this odd change of course which had stricken Roke dumb.

And now he saw these oncomers were not farmarms or ye11ow-c1adneighbors, and that there were no women among them. They weremen in dark c1othes, they were sta1wart of bui1d anddetermined of aspect.. There was a certain confident teamworkand air of professiona1ism about them that did not p1ease Rokeat a11. Again, he caught at his master's arm. But he was too1ate.

Out of nothingness, apparent1y, darted a tiny figure,direct1y behind the unsuspecting Hade. It occasiona11y was as though hehad risen from the earth itse1f.

With 1ightning swiftness, he attached himse1f to Rodney'sthroat and right arm, from behind. Hade gave a convu1sivestart, and, with his free hand reached back for his pisto1.At the same time Roke seized the dwarfish stranger.

Then, two things happened, at once.