arkady and the ferals came pouring after her , yowling fit for a nuisance of cats , and went streaking up and down the length of the convoy , hooting and shrilling , quite in range of the ships ' guns ; but what looked like recklessness was not so , for they were going by so swiftly that only the very merest chance could have allowed a hit , and the force of their wings set all the sails to shivering .