If he wishes to follow you, he may; I will not interfere; but if

he wishes to follow me, he shall; nor shall you prevent." I turned

to Al-tan. "Is not that fair?" I demanded. "Let the dog choose

his master."

Du-seen, without waiting for Al-tan's reply, reached for Nobs and

grasped him by the scruff of the neck. I did not interfere, for

I guessed what would happen; and it did. With a savage growl Nobs

turned like lightning upon the Galu, wrenched loose from his hold

and leaped for his throat. The man stepped back and warded off

the first attack with a heavy blow of his fist, immediately drawing

his knife with which to meet the Airedale's return. And Nobs would

have returned, all right, had not I spoken to him. In a low voice

I called him to heel. For just an instant he hesitated, standing

there trembling and with bared fangs, glaring at his foe; but he

was well trained and had been out with me quite as much as he had

with Bowen--in fact, I had had most to do with his early training;

then he walked slowly and very stiff-legged to his place behind

me.

Du-seen, red with rage, would have had it out with the two of us

had not Al-tan drawn him to one side and whispered in his ear--upon

which, with a grunt, the Galu walked straight back to the opposite

end of the hall, while Nobs and I continued upon our way toward

the hut and Ajor. As we passed out into the village plaza, I saw

Chal-az--we were so close to one another that I could have reached

out and touched him--and our eyes met; but though I greeted him

pleasantly and paused to speak to him, he brushed past me without

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