clean out the rest of Pryak's men. That
done, the city is ours!"

Katon bent and took up a stray spear. "Come, then," he remarked; "if we
wait, they will have gotten over their panic and will be that much
harder to rout a second time."

Tharn nodded agreement. "First, the palace; then we can invade the
temple and take Pryak and his men."

* * * * *

A warrior spoke from the ranks. "Dare we enter the temple?" he asked
doubtfully. "If we offend the God, He may destroy us."

"He is right!" declared another. "Why should we chance angering our God.
Once the city is ours, Pryak will have to do as we say. Let us not
attack the House of the God."

"Pryak dies!" Vulcar roared, grinding the butt of his spear savagely
against the stone flooring. "Let the God be offended--Pryak must die! If
the rest of you brave warriors are afraid, I will go alone into the
temple and drag out Urim's murderer by the few hairs left on his ugly
head!

"Did Pryak's God save these priests who lie about us, here, their bodies
cut by our spears and knives? Did He, seeing Pryak in danger, hide him
with His sky-fire? No; they were men like us; and since they deserved to
die, they _did_ die! Pryak is next!"

Tharn, listening with silent admiration and approval, thought of
something that snatched the half-smile from his lips.

"Where _is_ Pryak?" he asked. "He was here when the fighting started.
How did he and those with him get away?"

The others could furnish nothing toward clearing up this minor mystery.
Nor was there a single body of the missing group in the vicinity.

"Let us go on," suggested Tharn finally. "After the palace is taken, we
can set about finding Vulcar's good friend Pryak!"

Still chuckling at the cave-man's sally, the insurgents formed into a
column, three abreast, and marched toward a nearby exit that led from
the shambles they had created.

CHAPTER XXI

Conclusion

Upon reaching the street, they started for the palace, its white walls
gleaming under the mid-morning sun. No citizen of Sephar was abroad; but
the marching men were conscious of watching eyes at windows of the
buildings on either side.

The palace grounds, too, were deserted as they swept across the palace
grounds and dashed against the great double doors. They might as well
have sought to force the palace walls so strongly barred were the heavy
planks.

As they stood debating their next step, a shower of spears,