It was a rich brown in colour and in the sunlight its metallic armour shone in a dazzling splendour.

Neewa, squatted flat on his belly, eyed it with a swiftly beating heart.

The beetle was not more than a foot away, and ADVANCING! That was the curious and rather shocking part of it.

It was the first living thing he had met with that day that had not run away.
As it advanced slowly on its two rows of legs the beetle made a clicking sound that Neewa heard quite distinctly.

With the fighting blood of his father, Soominitik, nerving him on to the adventure he thrust out a hesitating paw, and instantly Chegawasse, the beetle, took upon himself a most ferocious aspect.