ety. Ready in the tooth-studded jaws of
each podoko was fitted a bronze bit together with a bridle and reins;
and cinched up on each creature's back was one of those curious
Atlantean saddles, which was built up at the cantle to overcome the
downward slope of the podokos' spines.

Need for vital haste was but too obvious and, as he drew near, Hero
Giles gasped the command to be off.

"Quick," he shouted, his scarred visage flushed and sweat-bathed.
"Saddles! Speed! Speed! Cling fast as your beasts arise!"

* * * * *

All five literally hurled themselves into gorgeously caparisoned
saddles. Instantly, the urging squatting podokos leaped to their feet.

It was the work of a moment for Nelson to wrench his reptile around,
for already Alden and the Atlantean cavalrymen were speeding across
the wide paved court, their lance pennons fluttering bravely in the
orange-hued glare.

At top speed the rescuers dashed for a great, oval gateway while the
podokos increased their gait; like aero-planes gathering speed, the
faster the weird creatures traveled, the higher arose their tails.

Then, following the frightened, backward glances of the hard-riding,
red-haired lancers, Nelson suddenly discovered a new and terrible
cause for this headlong flight, for, issuing from an unbarred gateway,
came perhaps a dozen of _the terrible and enormous allosauri_, which,
spying the fleeing cavalry, instantly gave chase.

With a sense of despair, the aviators heard the ferocious bellows
booming from behind and watched the appallingly swift progress of
those uncouth monsters as, leaping high into the air, the allosauri
covered between fifty and sixty feet at a single bound.

"They'll get you," cried an inner voice in Nelson's being. "They'll
catch you sure." But the small and lithe podokos, sensing death
leaping up from the rear, stretched out their slender, snake-like
heads, stood on tiptoe, and, pressing their small forelegs tight
against their chests, commenced to run far faster than any horse could
gallop. Nevertheless, the allosauri came bounding up like colossal
kangaroos, uttering weird, screaming roars that brought a chill of
imminent death to the fugitives.

Casting a quick glance over his shoulder, Nelson's blood froze to find
an allosaurus not more than seventy yards behind, and making terrible
exertions to close that slender gap! Nearer and nearer coursed the
incredible monster, body rocking in