If we could reach the thicket, its close embrace
would hide us, - then the darkness and the stream. A third shot,
and Diccon staggered slightly.
"For God's sake, not struck, man?" I cried.
"It grazed my arm," he panted. "No harm done. Here's the thicket!"
Into the dense growth we broke, reckless of the blood which the
sharp twigs drew from face and hands. The twigs met in a thick
roof over our heads; that was all we cared for, and through the
network we saw one of the larger stars brighten into being. The
thicket was many yards across. When we had gone thirty feet down
we crouched and waited for the dark. If our enemy followed us, he
must do so at his peril, with only his knife for dependence.
One by one the stars swam into sight, until the square of sky above
us was thickly studded. There was no sound, and no living thing
could have entered that thicket without noise. For what seemed an
eternity, we waited; then we rose and broke our way through the
bushes to the sycamores, to find that they indeed shadowed a little
sluggish stream.
Down this we waded for some distance before taking to dry earth
again. Since entering the thicket we had seen and heard nothing
suspicious, and were now fain to conclude that the dark warrior
had wearied of the chase, and was gone on his way toward his
mates and that larger and surer quarry which two suns would
bring.
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