he shrugged into the pack , drawing the straps down to their smallest size , so that it would fit closely to his back . 'er ... yes , madame , ' he said awkwardly . no pet owner was ordering his dog to attack . behind him came a native , waving a spear and giving chase . the dog-horses barked and took off in a trot for the city . one of the other guards , a short young woman , tried to defend them . `` stormy 's not here yet , '' alexander said . 