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. Finally, he settled down to wait.
Long minutes passed with no sign of movement from be-
low, but this did not surprise the dwarf. The belt of forest
below the ridge was wide and tangled, and it would take
even the fastest of pursuers the better part of an hour to
climb the slope.
Suddenly he tensed, seeing movement below, and very
close to him. He grasped his axe, then swallowed a gasp.
There was neither human nor dwarf below him, but some-
thing ten times worse, for, creeping into the ravine was a
mottled-green, wart-covered, large-as-an-ogre troll. He had
never fought one before, never even seen one, but he recog-
nized it nonetheless. And he knew their malevolent, raven-
ous reputation.
He was momentarily relieved but surprised to see that the
troll's attention was not directed up at him. Indeed, the
monster as well, seemed to be staring down the ravine, from
a position one hundred feet below Flint. The creature
moved its long limbs in a deliberately rigid gait that re-
minded Flint of a crab - a giant, vicious crab, to be sure.
The wind, soaring up the ravine, brought the pungent,
vaguely fishlike odor of the beast clearly to Flint's nose
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