Part 27 (2/2)
He halted suddenly, stooped lower, eyes intent on so there Then he beckoned to the others
”Look!” he exclaimed ”There, in theher feet And here!--here are the prints of bare feet”
Jotan, following the pointing finger, nodded, his handso
”They must be hers Are they recent, Modilk?”
”So recent,” said the long-faced Modilk soleirl must be within a few minutes of us”
Javan spoke now, his voice worried ”Where are we to spend the night, Jotan? The big cats will be hunting soon; we must find a safe place”
Jotan slapped his friend's shoulder coly ”We'll find Dylara first,” he said, ”then ht A circle of brush fires will keep the lions and leopards away”
The eightto remove their sandals, and pressed on into the north
While a stone's throw behind theirl they were seeking
CHAPTER XIV
Forest Trails
”It was here we found the dead guards Where, or in what direction, the Hairy Men took Alurna is not known Vulcar and his uard detailed to show Tharn the scene of Alurna's capture had told all he knew To the cavea trail left less than a sun before would not tax his prowess
”You have told h,” Tharn assured him ”Hasten back to your chief and tell hinard, a slight sure until it disappeared around a bend of the trail Even then he did notchest, drawing great draughts of hus
Free! Gone were stone walls, cold floors and barred doors No longer rasses and growing things about him Overhead was the li golden spears to prick, elcome heat, the s in little eddies and gusts, brought to his nostrils a heavy pungent cloying odor belonging only to the jungle; the coether with the cole a tee city in itself Overhead, little nobar, thebranch and scolded roundly the two-legged creature in the trail below
Yes, it was good to be free again Good to know the pure pleasure of unlimited vistas of trees and plains A vision of his father's caves and the s of homesickness But superimposed on the familiar scene caure of Dylara
Siha veered sharply and cales across the path
Tharn stiffened for strong in his nostrils was the scent of Tarlok, the leopard He was instantly alert--a wary jungle denizen heeled and faced upwind, eyes narrowed, the sharp blade of flint ready in his right hand