aardoo said and reaching into the folds of his dark robe as if to present a present , he produced a spear , and all of a sudden he hurled it at horton , but the grey horse neighed and leapt into the air intercepting the spear that would have impaled its rider , it tumbled to the ground , and before the fysians could check themselves the ibis ranks had pounced viciously upon them with ferocious stabs .