Part 4 (1/2)

Ah, I see lances and pennons pouring from the farther mouth of the defile, beyond the Nemedian lines They will smite those ranks from the rear and cruered as the walls of the tent swayed drunkenly Afar over the thunder of the fight rose a deep bellowing roar, indescribably ominous

'The cliffs reel!' shrieked the squire 'Ah, Gods, what is this? The river foaround shakes and horses and riders in ar!'

With his words there caround trembled Over the roar of the battle sounded screams of mad terror

'The cliffs have crumbled!' cried the livid squire 'They have thundered down into the defile and crushed every living creature in it! I saw the lion banner wave an instant a stones, and then it vanished! Ha, the Nemedians shout with triumph! Well may they shout, for the fall of the cliffs has wiped out five thousand of our bravest knights--Hark!'

To Conan's ears ca in frenzy: 'The king is dead! _The king is dead! Flee! Flee! The king is dead!_'

'Liars!' panted Conan 'Dogs! Knaves! Cowards! Oh, Crom, if I could but stand--but crawl to the river with my sword in my teeth! How, boy, do they flee?'

'Aye!' sobbed the squire 'They spur for the river; they are broken, hurled on like spu to stem the torrent--he is down, and the horses trahts, bowled in one mad torrent of destruction The Ne them down like corn'

'But they will

With an effort that brought the sweat dripping from his temples, he heaved himself up on his elbows

'Nay!' cried the squire 'They cannot! They are broken! Routed! Oh Gods, that I should live to see this day!'

Then he remembered his duty and shouted to the ht of their co upon it We dare not bide here'

But before they could do his bidding, the first drift of the stor the tents, stuled with theht and left at all alien figures Tent-ropes were cut, fire sprang up in a hundred places, and the plundering had already begun The gri and thrusting, and over their led corpses beat the hoofs of the conquerors

But the squire had drawn the flap close, and in the confused hter none realized that the pavilion held an occupant So the flight and the pursuit swept past, and roared away up the valley, and the squire looked out presently to see a cluster ofthe royal tent with evident purpose

'Here co of Nemedia with four companions and his squire,'

quoth he 'He will accept your surrender, ritted the king

He had forced his painfully off the dais, and staggered upright, reeling drunkenly The squire ran to assist hiritted, indicating a longbow and quiver that hung froreat perturbation 'The battle is lost! It were the part ofone of royal blood!'

'I have no royal blood,' ground Conan 'I a away the bow and an arrow he staggered toward the opening of the pavilion So formidable was his appearance, naked but for short leather breeks and sleeveless shi+rt, open to reveal his great, hairy chest, with his huge liled blackthan of the whole Nes Conan drunkenly tore the door-flap open and staggered out under the canopy The king of Nemedia and his co in wonder at the apparition confronting them

'Here I a! Death to you, dog-brothers!'

He jerked the arrow to its head and loosed, and the shaft feathered itself in the breast of the knight who stood beside Tarascus Conan hurled the bow at the king of Nemedia

'Cursebackward on unsteady legs, he fell with his shoulders against a tent-pole, and propped upright, he lifted his great sith both hands