The next time he came around the circle, waving his hands and bending double as he imitated one of Shad Brisbee's more intricate steps, he whispered to me, "Bunt him...."
Keeping the little spring gun out of sight in my hand, I waited until the Venusian's back was turned to me, and pressed the trigger. The spring clicked softly. I caught a glint of the needle as it went home in Shad's backside.
He went right on dancing as if nothing had happened.
The next time he came around the circle, Molock whispered, "Let him have another one...."
As I started to pull the trigger, the sky seemed to fall down on top of me. A ham-sized Venusian hand smashed me downward.
"No tricks!" a Venusian voice snarled into my ear.
The gun was jerked away from me. About twenty-four eyes in my vicinity were concentrated on me, each one glaring in its own individual way. I was given to understand that if I attempted to take any further part in the proceedings, I would be fed to the nearest alligator.
"What happened?" Molock yelled, as he danced by again.
"They caught me. You'll have to out-dance him honestly."
"But I can't go much farther—" He was covered with sweat and his chest was heaving.