Part 39 (1/2)

The nard's splendid body

”Give hi else,” he said finally ”So far this man has had an easy tihter he really is!”

Silently the guard presented a long-bladed knife of flint

Once more the arena door opened; and Tharn, blade in hand, strode into the areeted hi Tharn For the first ti onder the mammoth sea of faces turned in his direction Near the arena wall on his right, and half way to the far end of the arena itself, was that section occupied by Pryak and his nuh priest's uni wall

The cave-ate at the enclosure's far end began to swing open For aappeared; then slowly and ed from the darkened interior Tharn's arch enemy--Sadu, the lion!

CHAPTER XX

Revolt!

As Sadu, the lion, caroan rose on the afternoon air Then came scattered boos and cries of disapproval from various points in the stands

”Give him arrows and a bow!”

”No man can kill a lion with a knife!”

”Death to Pryak!” shouted soather volu the entire arena with oe of the retaining wall, began tothe seats to restore order

Suddenly thecrescendo stilled, as action on the arena sands seee oval, bathed in golden glory the cal With striking clarity it picked out the cordedmuscles of this cave-God His handsoht black hair; his shoulders, wide and erect; hiships--all made up a picture of physical perfection that no observer was likely to forget

And yet, invincible though this Cro-Magnard appeared, he seee beast that Wotar had sent against hinificent a lion appeared in Sephar's Gale traveler for ly when Sadu ently forward, the lithe sinews of his giant body rolling s hide He seery lash of his sinuous tail told of a seething ferocity within that lordly head

Armed only with his painfully inadequate knife, Tharn advanced slowly to meet certain destruction He knew his chances for victory were so slim as to be almost non-existent; yet the self-confidence and resourcefulness born of a hundred battles against overwhel odds eapons more dependable than the flint blade he carried

Sadu stopped his own advance when the hatedstarted toward hioaded about with sharp sticks and shouting voices, harassed and annoyed until he was angry enough to have charged a regi a part of every wild creature, held hied enemy

Tharn halted Only a few paces separated the two as they stood un

The man's eyes were riveted on the lion's restless tail; by itsplace in Sadu's brain

Slowly Sadu settled into a crouching position, head flattened, hindquarters drawn beneath his taut frarant breeze ruffled the thick mane at his neck