For the Hoobat continued its siren concert. The
lured became more reckless, mounting the logs to Queex's post in sudden
darts. Dane wondered how the Hoobat proposed handling four of the
creatures at once. For, although the other two which had been in the path
of the ray had not moved, he now counted four climbing.
"Stand by to ray--" that was Rip.
But it would have been interesting to see how Queex was prepared to
handle the four. And, though Rip had given the order to stand by, he had
not ordered the ray to be used. Was he, too, interested in that?
The first red projection was within a foot of the Hoobat now and its
fellows had frozen as if to allow it the honor of battle with the
feathered enemy. To all appearances Queex did not see it, but when it
sprang with a whir of speed which would baffle a human, the Hoobat was
ready and its claws, halting their rasp, met around the wasp-thin waist
of the pest, speedily cutting it in two. Only this time the Hoobat made
no move to unjoint and consume the victim. Instead it squatted in utter
silence, as motionless as a tri-dee print.
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