Part 17 (1/2)
The Cimmerian's tousled black head appeared over the crest of the crag
”Now listen closely: that's only a sh the brush when I laughed, awhile ago Anyway, if there had beenwould be dead already I think that's a band of fleet-footed young men sent ahead of thewar-band is heading in our direction from somewhere
”They've thrown a cordon around the west side of the crag, but I don't think there are any on the east side I'et in the forest and work around behind them
Meanwhile, you cran the path and join yourtheir bows and draw their swords When you hear ”
”What of the treasure?”
”To hell with the treasure! We'll be lucky if we get out of here with our heads on our shoulders”
The black-maned head vanished They listened for sounds to indicate that Conan had crawled to the al his way down, but they heard nothing Nor was there any sound in the forest No ainst the rocks where the sailors were hidden But all knew that fierce black eyes atching with erly Stro path They were half way dohen the black shafts began to whisper around theroaned and toppled lih the heart Arrows shi+vered on the helmets and breastplates of the chiefs as they tumbled in frantic haste down the steep trail They reached the foot in a scra breathlessly
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”Is this more of Conan's trickery?” wondered Zarono profanely
”We can trust him in this matter,” asserted Strom ”These barbarians live by their own particular code of honor, and Conan would never desert htered by people of another race He'll help us against the Picts, even though he plans toyell knifed the silence It came from the woods to the west, and siround and rolled bouncingly toward the rocks a severed human head, the hideously painted face frozen in a snarl of death
”Conan's signal!” roared Strom, and the desperate freebooters rose like a wave fro toward the woods
Arrohirred out of the bushes, but their flight was hurried and erratic; only three h the fringe of foliage and fell on the naked painted figures that rose out of the gloo, ferocious effort, hand-to-hand, cutlasses beating doar-axes, booted feet trah the bushes in headlong flight as the survivors of that brief carnage quit the fray, leaving seven still, painted figures stretched on the bloodstained leaves that littered the earth Further back in the thickets sounded a thrashi+ng and heaving, and then it ceased and Conan strode into view, his lacquered hat gone, his coat torn, his cutlass dripping in his hand
”What now?” panted Zarono He knew the charge had succeeded only because Conan's unexpected attack on the rear of the Picts had de back before the rush But he exploded into curses as Conan passed his cutlass through a buccaneer rithed on the ground with a shattered hip
”We can't carry hirunted Conan ”It wouldn't be any kindness to leave him to be taken alive by the Picts Come on!”
They crowded close at his heels as he trotted through the trees Alone they would have sweated and blundered a the thickets for hours before they found the beach-trail if they had ever found it The Ci a blazed path, and the rovers shouted with hysterical relief as they burst suddenly upon the trail that ran ard
”Fool!” Conan clapped a hand on the shoulder of a pirate who started to break into a run, and hurled hi his companions ”You'll burst your heart and fall within a thousand yards We're ait We may have to sprint the last mile
Save some of your wind for it Come on, now”
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He set off down the trail at a steady jog-trot; the sea their pace to his
THE sun was touching the waves of the western ocean Tina stood at thefro sun turns the ocean to blood,” she said ”The carack's sail is a white fleck on the cri shadows”
”What of the seauidly She reclined on a couch, her eyes closed, her hands clasped behind her head
”Both caather driftwood and build fires I can hear the to one another what is that?”
The sudden tenseness in the girl's tone brought Belesa upright on the couch Tina grasped the -sill, her face white
”Listen! A howling, far off, likeher heart ”Wolves do not hunt in packs at this ti ”Men are running out of the forest!”
In an instant Belesa was beside her, staring wide-eyed at the figures, s out of the woods
”The sailors!” she gasped ”Empty-handed! I see Zarono Stroirl
Belesa shook her head
”Listen! Oh, listen!” whi to her ”The Picts!”
All in the fort could hear it now a vast ululation of mad exultation and blood-lust, from the depths of the dark forest
That sound spurred on the panting asped Strom, his face a drawn mask of exhausted effort ”They are almost at our heels My shi+p ”
”She is too far out for us to reach,” panted Zarono ”Make for the stockade See, the men camped on the beach have seen us!” He waved his arms in breathless pantonized the significance of that wild howling, rising to a triumphant crescendo The sailors abandoned their fires and cooking pots and fled for the stockade gate They were pouring through it as the fugitives froate, a heaving, frantic ate was slaan to clie, to join the men-at- arms already there
Belesa confronted Zarono
”Where is Conan?”
The buccaneer jerked a thu woods; his chest heaved; sweat poured down his face ”Their scouts were at our heels before we gained the beach He paused to slay a few and give us tiered away to take his place on the firing-ledge, whither Strom had already mounted
Valenso stood there, a soely silent and aloof He was like a man bewitched
”Look!” yelped a pirate, above the deafening howling of the yet unseen horde
A ed from the forest and raced fleetly across the open belt
”Conan!”
Zarono grinned wolfishly
”We're safe in the stockade; we knohere the treasure is No reason e shouldn't feather hiht his arm ”We'll need his sword! Look!”