206.Chapter Eighteen（7）

「ford！」whisperedthedriver。andhistwinswereofthesameopinion。

「fordey！」theysaid。

threedayslater，liketurkeybuzzardssetthugonacorpse，thereporterscame。

driedandhardenedoveraslowfireofgreenwood，thebowwasready。thesavagewasbusyonhisarrows。thirtyhazelstickshadbeenwhittledanddried，tippedwithsharpnails，carefullynocked。hehadmadearaidonenightontheputtenhampoultryfarm，andnowhadfeathersenoughtoequipawholearmoury。itwasatworkuponthefeatheringofhisshaftsthatthefirstofthereportersfoundhim。noiselessonhispneumaticshoes，themancameupbehindhim。

「good-morning，mr。savage，」hesaid。「iamtherepresentativeofthehourlyradio。」

startledasthoughbythebiteofasnake，thesavagesprangtohisfeet，scatteringarrows，feathers，glue-potandbrushinalldirections。

「ibegyourpardon，」saidthereporter，withgenuinecompunction。「ihadnointention…」hetouchedhishat–thealuminumstove-pipehatinwhichhecarriedhiswirelessreceiverandtransmitter。「excusemynottakingitoff，」hesaid。「it』sabitheavy。well，asiwassaying，iamtherepresentativeofthehourly…」

「whatdoyouwant？」askedthesavage，scowling。thereporterreturnedhismostingratiatingsmile。

「well，ofcourse，ourreaderswouldbeprofoundlyinterested…」heputhisheadononeside，hissmilebecamealmostcoquettish。「justafewwordsfromyou，mr。savage。」andrapidly，withaseriesofritualgestures，heuncoiledtwowiresconnectedtotheportablebatterybuckledroundhiswaist；pluggedthemsimultaneouslyintothesidesofhisaluminumhat；touchedaspringonthecrown–andantennaeshotupintotheair；touchedanotherspringonthepeakofthebrim–and，likeajack-in-the-box，outjumpedamicrophoneandhungthere，quivering，sixinchesinfrontofhisnose；pulleddownapairofreceiversoverhisears；pressedaswitchontheleftsideofthehat-andfromwithincameafaintwaspybuzzing；turnedaknobontheright–andthebuzzingwasinterruptedbyastethoscopicwheezeandcackle，byhiccoughsandsuddensqueaks。「hullo，」hesaidtothemicrophone，「hullo，hullo…」abellsuddenlyranginsidehishat。「isthatyou，edzel？primomellonspeaking。yes，i』vegotholdofhim。mr。savagewillnowtakethemicrophoneandsayafewwords。won』tyou，mr。savage？」helookedupatthesavagewithanotherofthosewinningsmilesofhis。「justtellourreaderswhyyoucamehere。whatmadeyouleavelondon（holdon，edzel！）soverysuddenly。and，ofcourse，thatwhip。」（thesavagestarted。howdidtheyknowaboutthewhip？）「we』reallcrazytoknowaboutthewhip。andthensomethingaboutcivilization。youknowthesortofstuff。『whatithinkofthecivilizedgirl。』justafewwords，averyfew…」