Part 8 (2/2)

”Only one, who is both good and evil If they fall in battle, He has caused it; if they conon girl could not grasp this strange contradiction, for she knew certain Gods sought to destroy man, while other Gods tried to protect him

”Then I must spend the rest of my life as a slave?” she asked

”Yes--unless some free man asks for you as a mate And that irl shook her head ”I do not want that,” she declared ”I want only to return to my father and people”

”It will be best,” Nada said, ”to give up that foolish dream Sometimes cave-men escape fro: ”Iwhat has kept ain”

The two eirl ”I shall try to sleep again Being here does not seeained his feet quickly after the drop fro to detect any cause for i the buildings and keeping ithin the shadows Thethe deserted streets and bringing every object into bold relief

The htest idea as to how he irl he loved; he proposed, however, to pit his wit and cunning, together with the stone knife and grass rope against the entire city, if necessary, until he stuether How he expected to snatch Dylara froh to the forest and plains he did not stop to consider--tih for that when she was found

Abruptly the street along which he wasended, crossed here by another roadway Down this side street a few yards, and on the opposite side, a huge stone building loomed, its s barred by slender columns of stone To Tharn's inexperienced eyes this appeared to be a prison of some sort; and as it was the first of its kind he had noticed, he decided to investigate--that is, if a ht be held behind one of those protected s spurred hiure stepped fro shadows and leisurely crossed the street He did not wish to excite suspicion, should any chance onlooker see hilanced sharply about; froht have been in a city of the dead

Delicate fingers, backed by a shrewd, iinative mind, found the rude wooden latch, and solved its ainst the door and, not without surprise, felt it yield Slowly the heavy planks swung inward until a space sufficient to admit his massive frame appeared, then he slid in and closed the door with his back

The darkness was that of Acheron's pit; his eyes, keen as those of any jungle cat, were helpless to penetrate the blackness through which he moved with infinite stealth, arms outthrust before him, the cool hilt of his flint knife clutched in one muscular hand

His nose warned hieness of his surroundings confused him as to their actual position

One step forward he took--another, and yet another; then he trod full on the fingers of an outstretched hand!

CHAPTER V

Pursuit

The instant Tharn felt his foot press the unseen hand he wheeled soundlessly and sprang to the door Closing his fingers about the latch, he stood there, waiting To rush out noould be certain to awaken the disturbed sleeper; otherwise the o back to sleep without investigating further

He heard a stirring in the darkness

”Jotan”

In the utter darkness of the roole word sounded loud as a thunder-clap

”Jotan,” said the voice again