Instantly the human snake who was stalking him glided on ten yards and got behind one of the tussocks of the thistle-like plant, reaching it as the Elmoran turned again.

As he did so his eye fell upon this patch of thistles, and it seemed to strike him that it did not look quite right.

He advanced a pace towards it -- halted, yawned, stooped down, picked up a little pebble and threw it at it.

It hit Umslopogaas upon the head, luckily not upon the armour shirt.

Had it done so the clink would have betrayed us.
Luckily, too, the shirt was browned and not bright steel, which would certainly have been detected.