Part 22 (2/2)

Gradually the straining rope began to part. Once it gave, the entire structure, weighted by its five occupants, would plummet toward the ground nearly a hundred feet below. There were enough intervening branches to break the fall sufficiently to keep them from being dashed to instant death; but for those three sleeping spider-men it would be a mad, whirling journey that, once it ended, would daze them long enough for Tharn and Trakor to break for freedom.

Three strands remained, then two. The entire hut lurched sickeningly, the final strand parted with an audible snap as Tharn caught frantically at the cross piece, and down went the hut!

It was a mad mixture of cras.h.i.+ng sounds, of breaking branches, of shrill screams, of falling and bouncing bodies, of clawing hands and feet.

Slithering, scrambling shapes sought to stabilize themselves by attaching themselves to walls, ceiling or roof, but to no avail. Only Trakor, digging his fingers and bare toes desperately into the yielding flooring, and Tharn, wrapped tightly about that crosspiece, were able to hold their positions; while back and forth between them shuffled the three spider-men.

Halfway down, one entire wall broke loose, spilling the guards into the void. As the mazes of foliage grew denser nearer the ground, the remains of the hut began to slow its fall, grinding to a complete stop some twenty feet above ground.

Instantly Tharn and Trakor were out of the ruins and racing away through the branches. Behind them they could hear a wild chorus of angry screams, but apparently the spider-men were still too dazed and bewildered to set up a planned pursuit.

An hour later Tharn called a halt. They stood silently on a high branch for a little while, listening for some sign that their late captors had taken up the chase.

”We have thrown them off,” Tharn said finally. ”I'll give them a few hours to get over their shock and return to sleep--then I'm going back.”

”Going back!” echoed Trakor, aghast, ”Why?”

”I must learn what they have done with Dylara. Too, my knife, rope and bow and arrows are somewhere within the wreckage of that hut.”

”But even you, Tharn, would be helpless against so many,” protested Trakor.

Tharn shrugged. ”It is the only way,” he said, and there was that in his tone which ended further discussion.

They stretched their bodies out on adjoining branches and after a while Trakor fell into a troubled sleep. He awakened with a start, to find the first flush of dawn across the eastern sky and an empty branch where Tharn had been during the night.

He had little time to worry about his companion's absence; for barely had he opened his eyes than a rustling among the foliage of a neighboring tree brought him hastily to his feet in time to see Tharn emerge into view.

Across the caveman's back was his quiver of arrows, his bow and his rope; thrust within the folds of his loin cloth was his flint knife, and across one shoulder was the meaty foreleg of Neela, the zebra. This last he thrust into Trakor's dazed hands.

”Fill your belly,” he said, grinning at the youth's slack-jawed expression. ”We have work to do.”

”But--But----”

”It was easy,” Tharn said, ”but only because I was very fortunate. When I got there they were not sleeping; for the commotion I doubt that they will sleep for a long time. While waiting for an opportunity to climb among their huts to hunt for Dylara, I set out to get back my weapons.

The knife and rope were still in the broken hut and I found them at once. But I was forced to hunt about under the trees for my arrows and bow--and a good thing it was!”

”Why do you say that?”

”I came across Dylara's trail. It seem----”

”In the _dark_? How could you _see_?”

Tharn tapped his nose and smiled as understanding dawned in his young friend's eyes. ”It seems,” he continued, ”that she managed to get away from them just a little while ago, for her scent spoor was still fresh.

I followed it far enough to learn that she found a game trail leading into the east which she followed. It is not far from here; feed, and we will set out to overtake her.”

Early that afternoon Tharn and Trakor were swinging lightly through the trees above a winding elephant path cutting almost due south through the jungle. Even from his elevated position Tharn was able to make out an occasional print of a sandal in the powdery dust below. Dylara had left those marks--left them so recently that the pa.s.sing feet of animals had not yet obliterated them.

<script>