“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.  Kalvar Dard looked around; Dorita had chosen the spot well.  Not even a sure-footed mountain-goat could make the ascent, once that gorge was blocked.

“All right; put me down here,” he directed.  “Bo-Bo, take my belt, and give me the big bomb.  You have one light grenade; know how to use it?”

“Of course, you have often showed me.  I turn the top, and then press in the little thing on the side, and hold it in till I throw.  I throw it at least a spear-cast, and drop to the ground or behind something.”

“That’s right.  And use it only in greatest danger, to save everybody.  Spare your cartridges; use them only to save life.  And save everything of metal, no matter how small.”

“Yes.  Those are the rules.  I will follow them, and so will the others.  And we will always take care of Varnis.”