Стража! Стража!

           "Youknow,"hesaidquietly,"Iwasdamngoodwiththis,whenIwerealad.Thecaptainshouldofletmehaveagotheothernight."

           "Youkeepontellingus,"saidNobbyunsympathetically.

           "Well,Iusedtowinprizes."Thesergeantunwoundanewbowstring,loopeditaroundoneendofthebow,stoodup,presseddown,gruntedabit...

           "Er.Carrot?"hesaid,slightlyoutofbreath.

           "Yes,Sarge?"

           "Youanygoodatstringingbows?"

           Carrotgraspedthebow,compressediteasily,andslippedtheotherendofthestringintoplace.

           "That’sagoodstart,Sarge,"saidNobby.

           "Don’tyoubesarcasticwithme,Nobby!Itain’tstrength,it’skeennessofeyeandsteadinessofhandwhatcounts.Nowyoupassmeanarrow.Notthatone!"

           Nobby’sfingersfrozeintheactofgraspingashaft.

           "That’smyluckyarrow!"splutteredColon."Noneofyouistotouchmyluckyarrow!"

           "Looksjustlikeanyotherbloodyarrowtome,Sarge,"saidNobbymildly.

           "That’stheoneIshallusefortheactualwossname,thecoupdegrass,"saidColon."Neverletmedown,myluckyarrowdidn’t.HitwhateverIshotat.Hardlyevenhadtoaim.Ifthatdragon’sgotanyvoonerables,thatarrow’llfind’em."

           Heselectedanidentical-lookingbutpresumablylessluckyarrowandnockedit.Thenhelookedaroundtherooftopswithaspeculativeeye.

           "Bettergetmyhandin,"hemuttered."Ofcourse,onceyoulearnyouneverforget,it’slikeridinga-ridinga-ridingsomethingyouneverforgetbeingabletoride."