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9a Facing deadly tree, time to keep secure (2,7)

The solution appears to be 'UP AGAINST' (i.e. 'facing') but I'm struggling to parse it. I assume the 'time to keep secure' gives us U...ST but I've no idea about the deadly tree.

Can anyone help with this please?

The deadly tree is "upas".
The sap from the trees is used in poison arrows.

Thanks Rusty. So much for my 'UST' theory! I can see how it works now.

Glad to help, zinc!

UPAS = deadly tree
T = time
GAIN = secure

Sorry to repeat. Hadn't 'refreshed'.

Thanks anyway Paul.

Please could someone explain 10A for me?

10A US agent gives name, with a bow. (5)

N _ R _ O

I'm pretty sure the answer must be NARCO, which fits with name (N) and bow (ARC)...
...but then there's an extra O...
...plus NARCO doesn't really mean agent (as far as I know!)

Any suggestions?

Bilbow, Chambers has bothe 'narc' and 'narco' for the agent, also
"arco /är'kō/ (music)
adverb
(also coll'ar'co) with the bow (a direction marking the end of a pizzicato passage"

Well that teaches me never to rely on on-line dictionaries! Thank you so much Mattrom.