THE ABORIGINE, APPARENTLY UNINJURED, CLIMBED quickly into the skiff,
and seizing the spear with me helped to hold off the infuriated
creature. Blood from the wounded reptile was now crimsoning the
waters about us and soon from the weakening struggles it became
evident that I had inflicted a death wound upon it. Presently
its efforts to reach us ceased entirely, and with a few convulsive
movements it turned upon its back quite dead.

And then there came to me a sudden realization of the predicament
in which I had placed myself. I was entirely within the power of
the savage man whose skiff I had stolen. Still clinging to the
spear I looked into his face to find him scrutinizing me intently,
and there we stood for some several minutes, each clinging tenaciously
to the weapon the while we gazed in stupid wonderment at each other.

What was in his mind I do not know, but in my own was merely the
question as to how soon the fellow would recommence hostilities.

Presently he spoke to me, but in a tongue which I was unable to
translate. I shook my head in an effort to indicate my ignorance
of his language, at the same time addressing him in the bastard
tongue that the Sagoths use to converse with the human slaves of
the Mahars.

To my delight he understood and answered me in the same jargon.

"What do you want of my spear?" he asked.

"Only to keep you from running it through me," I replied.