isguise was effective, but he was
caught in the middle of it by a hail from the warrior who had stopped
and turned toward him. The panthan was glad that a sword hung at his
side, and glad too that they were buried in the dim recesses of the
pits and that there would be but a single antagonist, for time was
precious.

"Heard you any word of the other?" called the warrior to him.

"No," replied Turan, who had not the faintest idea to whom or what the
fellow referred.

"He cannot escape," continued the warrior. "The woman ran directly into
our arms, but she swore that she knew not where her companion might be
found."

"They took her back to O-Tar?" asked Turan, for now he knew whom the
other meant, and he would know more.

"They took her back to The Towers of Jetan," replied the warrior.
"Tomorrow the games commence and doubtless she will be played for,
though I doubt if any wants her, beautiful as she is. She fears not
even O-Tar. By Cluros! but she would make a hard slave to subdue--a
regular she-banth she is. Not for me," and he continued on his way
shaking his head.

Turan hurried on searching for an avenue that led to the level of the
streets above when suddenly he came to the open doorway of a small
chamber in which sat a man who was chained to the wall. Turan voiced a
low exclamation of surprise and pleasure as he recognized that the man
was A-Kor, and that he had stumbled by accident upon the very cell in
which he had been imprisoned. A-Kor looked at him questioningly. It was
evident that he did not recognize his fellow prisoner. Turan crossed to
the table and leaning close to the other whispered to him.

"I am Turan the panthan," he said, "who was chained beside you."

A-Kor looked at him closely. "Your own mother would never know you!" he
said; "but tell me, what has transpired since they took you away?"

Turan recounted his experiences in the throne room of O-Tar and in the
pits beneath, "and now," he continued, "I must find these Towers of
Jetan and see what may be done toward liberating the Princess of
Helium."

A-Kor shook his head. "Long was I dwar of the Towers," he said, "and I
can say to you, stranger, that you might as well attempt to reduce
Manator, single handed, as to rescue a prisoner from The Towers of
Jetan."

"But I must," replied Turan.

"Are you better than a good swordsman?" asked A-Kor presently.

"I am accounted so," replied Turan.

"Then there is a way--sst!" he was sudden