l on either side.

Tharn pressed an ear to a crack of the wood. He could hear nothing from
beyond. Bending slightly forward, he dug his bare feet into the ground,
placed one broad shoulder against the rough surface, and pushed. At
first the pressure was gentle; but when the gate did not give, he
gradually increased the force until all his superhuman strength strove
to loosen the barrier.

But the stubborn wood refused to give way, and Tharn realized he must
find another means of entry.

A single glance was enough to convince him that the rim of the wall was
beyond leaping distance. It was beginning to dawn on the cave-man that
getting into this strange lair was not to be so easy as he had at first
expected.

He concluded finally that there was nothing left to do but circle the
entire wall in hopes that some way to enter would show itself. Perhaps
one of the several gates would have been left carelessly ajar, although
he was not trusting enough to have much faith in that possibility.

After covering possibly half a mile, and testing two other gateways
without success, his sharp gray eyes spied a broken timber near the top
of the wall directly above one of the gates. An end of the plank
protruded a foot beyond the sheer surface of rock.

Tharn grinned. Those within might as well have left the gate itself
open. Drawing the grass rope from his shoulders, he formed a slip knot
at one end, and with his first effort managed to cast the loop about the
jagged bit of wood. This done, it was a simple matter to draw himself up
to the timber. There he paused to restore the rope about his shoulders,
then he cautiously poked his head over the wall and peered into the
strange world below.

There was no one in sight. Still smiling confidently, keenly aware that
he might never leave this place alive, he lowered himself over the edge,
swung momentarily by his hands, then dropped soundlessly to the street
below. The first obstacle in the search for Dylara had been overcome.

* * * * *

Slowly and without sound the massive door to Dylara's room swung open,
permitting a heavily-laden figure to enter. Placing its burden on the
table, the figure closed the door, crossed to the side of the sleeping
girl and bent above her, listening to the slow even breathing.
Satisfied, the visitor stepped back to the table and, with a coal from
an earthen container, ignited the wicks of dishes of animal fat. The
soft