He's a
spoiled little boy. We weren't nice to him. And--he was afraid of us
too! So he ran away to make us sorry!"
Cochrane went to look out of the lock and to call Johnny Simms back. He
gazed into absolute blackness on the ground. He felt a queasy giddiness
because there was no hand-railing at the outer lock door and he knew the
depth of the fall outside. He raged, within himself. Johnny Simms would
feel triumphant when he was called. He would require to be pleaded with
to return. He would pompously set terms for returning before he was
killed....
Cochrane saw a flash of fire and the short streak of a tracer-bullet's
patch before it hit something. He heard the report of the gun. He heard
a bellow of agony and then a scream of purest terror from Johnny Simms.
Then, from the ground, arose a truly monstrous tumult. Every one of the
creatures below raised its voice in a horrible, bleating cry. The volume
of sound was numbing--was agonizing in sheer impact. There were
stirrings and clickings as of horns clashing against each other.
Another scream from Johnny Simms. He had moved. It appeared that he was
running.
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