"The beast
is mine," he reiterated. "Would you steal him?"
"He is not yours nor mine," I replied, "and I am not stealing him.
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.
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