Part 36 (2/2)

Suddenly the sound of many footsteps cae was too dark I could see nothing The sound came closer and closer; there seehtened and raised rasped my arm

”Not yet!” he cried ”One more try; we can make it”

He thrust his spear into my hand, and in another instant had thrown Desiree's unconscious body over his shoulder and was staggering forward toward the cavern I follohile the sound of the footsteps behind grew louder and louder

We neared the end of the passage; we reached it; ere on the ledge

Even with Desiree for a burden, Harry moved so swiftly that I found it difficult to keep up with hith of a God was in him, which was but just, since he had his Goddess in his are of the water, stood two Incas They turned at our approach and rushed at us Unlucky for theth of a giant in me

To this day I don't knohat follohether I used my spear or my fists or my head I know only that I leaped at theround before they had reached Harry or halted hie and made for the boulders to the left The crevice which led to our hiding-place was too narrow for Harry and his burden I sprang forward and grasped Desiree's shoulders; he held her ankles, and we got her through to the ledge beyond

Then I leaped back through the crevice, and barely in tied froe toward us I stood at the entrance to the narrow crevice, spear in hand

They appeared to have no sense of the fact that nable, but dashed blindly at me The crevice in which I stood and which was the only way through to the ledge where Harry had taken Desiree, was not es for foes, one ainst a million

But they came and I met them I stood within the crevice, some three or four feet fro I let him have the spear Another rushed in and fell on top of the first

As I say, they appeared to be deprived of the power to reason In five minutes the mouth of the crevice was completely choked with bodies, so to extricate thele

I heard Harry's voice at my back:

”How about it? Want sounpowder,” I answered ”The idiots eat death as though it were candy We're safe; they can never break through here”

”Are they still co?”

”They can't; they've blocked the ith their smelly black carcasses

How is Desiree?”

”Better; she's awake I've been bathing her ankle with cold water

She has a bad sprain; how the deuce she ever ed to hobble on it even two steps is beyond me”

”A sprain? Are you sure?”

”I think so; it's badly swollen Maybe only a twist; a few hours will tell”

I heard hie back ofI heard a sound above, I looked up; but there was nothing to fear in that direction The boulders which forht up to the roof of the cavern We appeared, in fact, to be fortified against any attack