but in the tightest pitch that ever had confronted me in the past
I had never been in such need for control as now.

As I wound up for the delivery, I held my nerves and muscles under
absolute command, though the grinning jaws were hurtling toward
me at terrific speed. And then I let go, with every ounce of my
weight and muscle and science in back of that throw. The stone
caught the hyaenodon full upon the end of the nose, and sent him
bowling over upon his back.

At the same instant a chorus of shrieks and howls arose from
the circle of spectators, so that for a moment I thought that the
upsetting of their champion was the cause; but in this I soon saw
that I was mistaken. As I looked, the ape-things broke in all
directions toward the surrounding hills, and then I distinguished
the real cause of their perturbation. Behind them, streaming
through the pass which leads into the valley, came a swarm of
hairy men--gorilla-like creatures armed with spears and hatchets,
and bearing long, oval shields. Like demons they set upon the
ape-things, and before them the hyaenodon, which had now regained
its senses and its feet, fled howling with fright. Past us swept
the pursued and the pursuers, nor did the hairy ones accord us
more than a passing glance until the arena had been emptied of its
former occupants. Then they returned to us, and one who seemed to
have authority among them directed that we be brought with them.

When we had passed out of the amphitheater onto the great plain we
saw a caravan of men and women--human beings like ourselves--and
for the first time hope and relief filled my heart, until I could
have cried out in the exuberance of my happiness. It is true that