bout; from all appearances
he might have been in a city of the dead.

Delicate fingers, backed by a shrewd, imaginative mind, found the rude
wooden latch, and solved its method of operation. Gently he pushed
against the door and, not without surprise, felt it yield. Slowly the
heavy planks swung inward until a space sufficient to admit his massive
frame appeared, then he slid in and closed the door with his back.

The darkness was that of Acheron's pit; his eyes, keen as those of any
jungle cat, were helpless to penetrate the blackness through which he
moved with infinite stealth, arms outthrust before him, the cool hilt of
his flint knife clutched in one muscular hand.

His nose warned him that there were men nearby; but the strangeness of
his surroundings confused him as to their actual position.

One step forward he took--another, and yet another; then he trod full on
the fingers of an outstretched hand!

CHAPTER V

Pursuit

The instant Tharn felt his foot press the unseen hand he wheeled
soundlessly and sprang to the door. Closing his fingers about the latch,
he stood there, waiting. To rush out now would be certain to awaken the
disturbed sleeper; otherwise the man might blame the mishap on one of
his companions and go back to sleep without investigating further.

He heard a stirring in the darkness.

"Jotan."

In the utter darkness of the room the single word sounded loud as a
thunder-clap.

"Jotan," said the voice again.

"Uh?" came an answering grunt.

"Are you awake?"

"I wasn't--until you woke me," said Jotan testily.

"I think somebody stepped on my fingers," the first voice said. "They
feel like it, anyway."

"You must have rolled over on them, Javan. Go back to sleep."

Tharn followed the conversation with interest, surprised that he could
understand the words. He waited patiently and without panic for the
speakers to act or to return to sleep.

"I tell you, my hand was stepped on," Javan insisted.

"What are you two talking about?" broke in a third voice.

"Javan claims someone has been walking on him," explained Jotan. "Make a
light; he'll not sleep until we search the place."

Tharn heard one of the men rise and fumble about in a corner of the
room. Suddenly a flame sputtered and took hold, lighting the room's
interior with a feeble glow.

Waiting no longer, Tharn twisted the latch and tried to draw open the
door. But something had gone wrong; he could not stir the he