Releasing his hold upon the tree he dropped on all
fours and at the same time swung his great, wicked tail with a
force that would have broken every bone in my body had it struck
me; but, fortunately, I had turned to flee at the very instant that
I felt my blow land upon the towering back.
As it started in pursuit of me I made the mistake of running along
the edge of the forest rather than making for the open beach. In a
moment I was knee-deep in rotting vegetation, and the awful thing
behind me was gaining rapidly as I floundered and fell in my efforts
to extricate myself.
A fallen log gave me an instant's advantage, for climbing upon it
I leaped to another a few paces farther on, and in this way was able
to keep clear of the mush that carpeted the surrounding ground. But
the zigzag course that this necessitated was placing such a heavy
handicap upon me that my pursuer was steadily gaining upon me.
Suddenly from behind I heard a tumult of howls, and sharp, piercing
barks--much the sound that a pack of wolves raises when in full
cry. Involuntarily I glanced backward to discover the origin of
this new and menacing note with the result that I missed my footing
and went sprawling once more upon my face in the deep muck.
My mammoth enemy was so close by this time that I knew I must feel
the weight of one of his terrible paws before I could rise, but to
my surprise the blow did not fall upon me. The howling and snapping
and barking of the new element which had been infused into the
melee now seemed centered quite close behind me, and as I raised
myself upon my hands and glanced around I saw what it was that had
distracted the DYRYTH, as I afterward learned the thing is called,
from my trail.
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