The Right to Arm Bears by Gordon R. Dickson

the legs of prisoners to keep them from getting away."
    "We aren't barbarians, after all though, little lady," protested Tark- ay mildly.
    "Oh, you're all so stubborn!" said Boy Is She Built, huffily. "It isn't good enough just to hit him over the head. Oh, no! We have to carry him here, and carry him there. My Terror's not like that."
    "That," pointed out Tark- ay , "is exactly why we don't want your Terror to know this little fellow is after him. If I might remind you—"
    "Well, I'm getting tired of waiting, that's all!" said Boy Is She Built. "If the Beer-Guts Bouncer isn't here by an hour after sunrise, I'm going to hit him on the head, and that's that."
    "I would have to stop you from doing anything like that, little lady."
    "You wouldn't dare!" She glared at him. "I'd tell the Terror!"
    "That would be too bad, little lady. But," said Tark- ay almost apologetically, "you ought to understand that I would still have to stop you. It would be my duty. And you should also understand that in the regrettable instance of the Terror and I coming to blows, I would have no doubt of emerging the winner."
    "You! I can just see you beating up the Terror!" said Boy Is She Built and laughed nastily. "He's twice as big as you are."
    "Not twice. Somewhat taller, it's true. But our weights aren't so far apart as most of your people might think. And besides, it would make no real difference—even if Streamside was, in truth, twice my size."
    "Why not, smarty?" said Boy Is She Built.
    "Because of the high skills and arts of unarmed combat, developed on my world, in which I am an expert. Now, suppose Streamside should rush at me with intent to do me harm."
    "He'd swarm all over you."
    "Not at all." Tark- ay got to his feet in one quick motion. "He comes rushing at me. I meet him, so—!" Suddenly the short Hemnoid twisted, half bent over, and lashed out with a foot. "Then, before he can recover, I am all over him !" Tark- ay straightened up and bounded forward. His open hands made slashing cutting motions in the air.
    "You aren't going to stop the Terror by slapping him," said Boy Is She Built. "Oh yes, I can just see you slapping my Terror!"
    "Slapping?" said Tark- ay . There was a fair-sized length of log near the fire. Tark- ay picked it up and leaned it against a close tree. His open hand cut at it, and the log broke loudly into two sections. "You will be happier, little lady," said Tark- ay sitting down once more by the fire, "if your Terror never has anything to do with me in an unfriendly way."
    He bent to put one of the broken log-pieces on the fire. And John, watching, saw a peculiar glitter in the eyes of Boy Is She Built, as she gazed at the Hemnoid. One furry hand of the young Dilbian female reached for a large rock nearby, hesitated, and then returned to her lap. It occurred to John that Tark- ay might be an expert in the high skills and arts of unarmed combat developed on his world; but he was pretty much of a numbskull when it came to female psychology. Boy Is She Built had been going to a good deal of trouble to dispose of John because she thought of him as a threat to Streamside. And now Tark- ay had just incautiously revealed that he was also a threat, not only to the Terror's honor, but to his very life and limb.
    Of course, a loyal female should perhaps have laughed the matter off, scorning to doubt her husband-to-be. But Boy Is She Built, while loyal enough to suit almost anybody, appeared to have a strong practical streak in her nature as well.
    John licked his lips, which were very dry.
    "I could use a drink of water," he said out loud.
    Boy Is She Built looked up the slope at him.
    "Hmph!" said Boy Is She Built. She did not stir.
    "Are we barbarians?" cried Tark- ay , bouncing to his feet. He went to a canteen hanging from a nearby tree, brought it to John, unscrewed the top, peeled off a sterile cup, filled it and held it to John's lips while he drank.
    "How about loosening these ropes?" asked John, after he had