Part 35 (1/2)

As the full horror of her situation swept over her, she fell forward in a swoon

The sun was hanging lohen Olivia regained her senses A faint afted to her ears distant shouts and snatches of ribald song Rising cautiously, she looked out across the plateau

She saw the pirates clustered about a great fire outside the ruins, and her heart leaped as a group e soainst the wall, still evidently bound fast, and there ensued a long discussion, with ed hiuzzling Olivia sighed; at least she knew that the Cimmerian still lived Fresh deterht fell she would steal to those grim ruins and free him or be taken herself in the attempt And she kneas not selfish interest alone which prompted her decision

With this in e to pluck and eat nuts which grew sparsely near at hand She had not eaten since the day before It hile so occupied that she was troubled by a sensation of being watched She scanned the rocks nervously, then, with a shuddering suspicion, crept to the north edge of the cliff and gazed down into the waving green ; it was ie, by anything lurking in those woods Yet she distinctly felt the glare of hidden eyes, and felt that so ani-place

Stealing back to her rocky eyrie, she lay watching the distant ruins until the dusk of nightflaily

Then she rose It was time to e of the cliffs, and looked down into the woods that bordered the beach And as she strained her

199eyes in the diht, she stiffened, and an icy hand touched her heart

Far below her so ulf of shadows below her It ue bulk, shapeless in the seled with the screa, she fled down the southern slope

That flight down the shadowed cliffs was a nighted rocks with cold fingers As she tore her tender skin and bruised her soft lihtly lifted her, she realized again her dependence on the iron-thewed barbarian But this thought was but one in a fluttering ht

The descent seerassy levels, and in a very frenzy of eagerness she sped away toward the fire that burned like the red heart of night Behind her, as she fled, she heard a shower of stones rattle down the steep slope, and the sound lent wings to her heels What grisly clied those stones she dared not try to think

Strenuous physical action dissipated her blind terror somewhat and before she had reached the ruins, her h her limbs trembled froled along on her belly until, from behind a small tree that had escaped the axes of the pirates, she watched her ene, dipping pewter oblets into the broken heads of the wine-casks Sorass, while others had staggered into the ruins Of Conan she saw nothing She lay there, while the dew forrass about her and the leaves overhead, and the ued There were only a few about the fire; one into the ruins to sleep

She lay watching the, the flesh crawling between her shoulders at the thought of whatup behind her Tied on leaden feet One by one the revellers sank down in drunken slu fire

Olivia hesitated then was galvanized by a distant glow rising through the trees The asp she rose and hurried toward the ruins Her flesh crawled as she tiptoed a portal Inside were many more; they shi+fted and lided a them A sob of

200joy rose to her lips as she saw Conan The Cilea fire outside

Picking her way ahtly as she had come, he had heard her; had seen her when first frarin touched his hard lips

She reached hi of her heart against his breast Through a broad crevice in the wall stole a beaed with subtle tension Conan felt it and stiffened Olivia felt it and gasped The sleepers snored on Bending quickly, she drew a dagger from its senseless owner's belt, and set to work on Conan's bonds They were sail cords, thick and heavy, and tied with the craft of a sailor She toiled desperately, while the tide of ht crept slowly across the floor toward the feet of the crouching black figures between the pillars

Her breath cas were still bound fast She glanced fleetingly at the figures along the walls-waiting, waiting They seemed to watch her with the awful patience of the undead The drunkards beneath her feet began to stir and groan in their sleep Thethe black feet The cords fell froer frole quick slash He stepped out froony of returning circulation Olivia crouched against hiht that touched the eyes of the black figures with fire, so that they glimmered redly in the shadows?

Conanup his sword from where it lay in a stack of weapons near by, he lifted Olivia lightly froaped in the ivy-groall

No word passed between the her in his arms he set off swiftly across the moon- bathed sward Her ar her dark curly head against his massive shoulder A delicious sense of security stole over her

In spite of his burden, the Ci her eyes, saw that they were passing under the shadow of the cliffs

”So cli behind runted

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