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strange mixture of gallop and smooth, almost snakelike motion. Except for the
fact that they all seemed to be rushing straight for the Piebald
Hippogryph, however, no two were moving exactly alike or in a predictable
manner, and all were making low-
pitched, grunting sounds that filled the air.
Ely had been taken as much by surprise as had the hippocampuses by the
explosion, but he acted almost instantaneously, bringing the ship around hard
and point-
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file:///F|/rah/Jack%20L.%20Chalker/Chalker,%20Jack%20L%20-%20The%20Dancing%20G
ods%203%20-%20Vengeance%20of%20the%20Danc.txt ing it, it seemed for a moment,
directly at the oncoming stampede. Then the bow came around some more, and not
only Ely's hands and feet but even his long tail seemed to be working one
control or another. There was no time to unfurl sail and try and get past
them; instead, what he appeared to do was somehow put on the brakes and stop
dead in the water.
It was a long swim to shore, and Joe braced himself for the crash.
Ely had done all he could with the ship; holding the wheel and rudder fast,
his tail snaked into a small locker and picked up some small objects with the
skill of a ten-
tacle. The huge creatures were now almost upon them, and it seemed inevitable
that they would strike the Hip-
pogryph and overwhelm it, crushing at least the bow.
Ely had been smoking a long, thin cigar, and now coolly touched it to the
objects he'd snaked from the locker. The tail then hurled whatever it was
forward with great strength, then immediately returned to the locker for more.
A series of small, staccato explosions went off between the ship and the
hippocampuses. They weren't in the same league as the great noise that had
stampeded the herd, but from the viewpoint of the animals they went off right
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in front of them. The tail tossed another smoking bundle, and again the
rat-a-tat-tat of the explosions came. Joe had hit the deck and was clinging to
a rail for dear life;
he felt the ship suddenly shudder and heave and knew it was all over.
There was great splashing about, water washing over the side and onto the
decks, and more violent thumps. It seemed as if the Hippogryph was being flung
in all direc-
tions at the same time, but suddenly things calmed down, and the noises and
splashes receded.
It was about half a minute before Joe realized that he was still on deck and
that the ship was still afloat.
"Ely's the best captain on the river, that's for sure,"
Tura said calmly.
Slowly, the big man picked himself up off the deck and looked around. There
seemed no sign of the terrible horde.
All was calm and bright once more. "Wha where'd they go?"
"Into deep water, but they won't stay there long," Ely's strange, rasping
voice responded from the rear. "That's why, as soon as I get us straightened
out and back where
I'm sure of my markings, we're gonna drop sail and run like mad. Having
survived 'em on the way out, I sure don't want to be sunk by them on the way
back in!"
Joe was confused, and looked to the mermaid for help.
"He brought us about and dropped the centerboard, among other things, bringing
us to a temporary halt and
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ods%203%20-%20Vengeance%20of%20the%20Danc.txt aiming us in at the stampede.
That made us a smaller
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target," Tura explained. "It wouldn't stop us for long, but it was enough to
allow him to break out and toss some fireworks we keep on board right in front
of them, and that turned them just enough. A couple of them grazed us, but I
won't know the real damage until I get a chance to go down and take a look."
Joe looked around. All was peaceful once more, although he could see some
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