The Time Traders Andre Norton (electric book reader .TXT) đ
- Author: Andre Norton
Book online «The Time Traders Andre Norton (electric book reader .TXT) đ». Author Andre Norton
A sharp stone half buried in the ground changed the pattern of the day. Rossâs heel scraped against it, and the resulting pain triggered his rebellion into explosion. He threw himself backward, his bruised heel sliding between the feet of his captor, bringing them both to the ground with himself on top. The other expelled air from his lungs in a grunt of surprise, and Ross whipped over, one hand grasping the hilt of the tribesmanâs dagger while the other, free of that prisoning wrist-lock, chopped at the fellowâs throat.
Dagger out and ready, Ross faced the men in a half crouch as he had been drilled. They stared at him in open-mouthed amazement, then too late the spears went up. Ross placed the point of his looted weapon at the throat of the now quiet man by whom he knelt, and he spoke the language he had learned from Ulffaâs people.
âYou strikeâ âthis one dies.â
They must have read the determined purpose in his eyes, for slowly, reluctantly, the spears went down. Having gained so much of a victory, Ross dared more. âTakeâ ââ he motioned to the waiting horsesâ ââtake and go!â
For a moment he thought that this time they would meet his challenge, but he continued to hold the dagger above the brown throat of the man who was now moaning faintly. His threat continued to register, for the other man shrugged the suit from his arm, left it lying on the ground, and retreated. Holding the nose rope of his horse, he mounted, waved the herder up also, and both of them rode slowly away.
The prisoner was slowly coming around, so Ross only had time to pull on the suit; he had not even fastened the breast studs before those blue eyes opened. A sunburned hand flashed to a belt, but the dagger and ax which had once hung there were now in Rossâs possession. He watched the tribesman carefully as he finished dressing.
âWhat you do?â The words were in the speech of the forest people, distorted by a new accent.
âYou goâ ââ Ross pointed to the third horse the others had left behindâ ââI goâ ââ he indicated the riverâ ââI take theseââ âhe patted the dagger and the ax. The other scowled.
âNot goodâ ââ âŠâ
Ross laughed, a little hysterically. âNot good you,â he agreed, âgoodâ âme!â
To his surprise the tribesmanâs stiff face relaxed, and the fellow gave a bark of laughter. He sat up, rubbing at his throat, a big grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.
âYouâ âhunter?â The man pointed northeast to the woodlands fringing the mountains.
Ross shook his head. âTrader, me.â
âTrader,â the other repeated. Then he tapped one of the wide metal cuffs at his wrist. âTradeâ âthis?â
âThat. More things.â
âWhere?â
Ross pointed downstream. âBy bitter waterâ âtrade there.â
The man appeared puzzled. âWhy you here?â
âRide river water, like you ride,â he said, pointing to the horse. âRide on treesâ âmany trees tied together. Trees break apartâ âI come here.â
The conception of a raft voyage apparently got across, for the tribesman was nodding. Getting to his feet, he walked across to take up the nose rope of the waiting horse. âYou come campâ âFoscar. Foscar chief. He like you show trick how you take Tulka, make him sleepâ âhold his ax, knife.â
Ross hesitated. This Tulka seemed friendly now, but would that friendliness last? He shook his head. âI go to bitter water. My chief there.â
Tulka was scowling again. âYou speak crooked wordsâ âyour chief there!â He pointed eastward with a dramatic stretch of the arm. âYour chief speak Foscar. Say he give much theseâ ââ he touched his copper cuffsâ ââgood knives, axesâ âget you back.â
Ross stared at him without understanding. Ashe? Ashe in this Foscarâs camp offering a reward for him? But how could that be?
âHow you know my chief?â
Tulka laughed, this time derisively. âYou wear shining skinâ âyour chief wear shiny skin. He say find other shiny skinâ âgive many good things to man who bring you back.â
Shiny skin! The suit from the alien ship! Was it the ship people? Ross remembered the light on him as he climbed out of the Red village. He must have been sighted by one of the spacemen. But why were they searching for him, alerting the natives in an effort to scoop him up? What made Ross Murdock so important that they must have him? He only knew that he was not going to be taken if he could help it, that he had no desire to meet this âchiefâ who had offered treasure for his capture.
âYou will come!â Tulka went into action, his mount flashing forward almost in a running leap at Ross, who stumbled back when horse and rider loomed over him. He swung up the ax, but it was a weapon with which he had had no training, too heavy for him.
As his blow met only thin air the shoulder of the mount hit him, and Ross went down, avoiding by less than a fingerâs breadth the thud of an unshod hoof against his skull. Then the rider landed on him, crushing him flat. A fist connected with his jaw, and for Ross the sun went out.
He found himself hanging across a support which moved with a rocking gait, whose pounding hurt his head, keeping him half dazed. Ross tried to move, but he realized that his arms were behind his back, fastened wrist to wrist, and a warm weight centered in the small of his spine to hold him face down on a horse. He could do nothing except endure the discomfort as best he could and hope for a speedy end to the gallop.
Over his head passed the cackle of speech. He caught short glimpses of another horse matching pace to the one that carried him. Then they swept into a noisy place where the shouting of many men made a din. The horse stopped and Ross was pulled from its back
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