such things."

The giant Cro-Magnard shrugged, smiling, and sought to change the
subject. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I am Trakor, of the tribe of Gerdak."

"The caves of your people are nearby?"

"An hour's march in that direction," Trakor said, pointing.

Tharn's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "So far? Do you often go alone this
deep into the jungle?"

Whereupon Trakor found himself telling the forest god the whole story:
how the raven-haired Lanoa had shown, by her admiration for the young
hunters of the tribe, that she would never become the mate of a man who
did not excel in the hunt; how he was determined to prove to her and to
the others of Gerdak's tribe that he too was a great hunter.

Tharn listened with grave attention, and while there were times when he
was tempted to smile at some unconscious revelation of the boy's
character, he resisted the impulse. It required courage to venture alone
into the forest armed only with a spear. The soul of an artist, as
revealed by Trakor's love of painting, had clashed with the hot blood of
youth and a desire to appear to advantage in the eyes of a lovely woman.
Older and more conservative men than Tharn would have named Trakor's act
sheer lunacy; but Tharn was neither old nor conservative. Under the
circumstances he would have done exactly the same thing.

* * * * *

When Trakor was finished, Tharn said, "There will be other days for
hunting. Unless you are willing to travel the jungle at night, you had
best start for the caves of Gerdak."

Trakor sought to hide his apprehension as he looked about the
dusk-filled glade and back to the dark hole which marked the game trail
entrance.

"You are right," he said, turning to the cave lord. "I am grateful to
you for saving me from Sadu, mighty Tharn. Who knows but that someday I
may be of help to you."

"Who knows?" Tharn repeated gravely.

He remained standing there as Trakor turned and walked briskly toward
the wall of foliage to the south. The boy's shoulders were squared and
his brown-thatched head erect as he moved away, and Tharn felt a warm
glow of admiration at the fierce pride that would not let its owner ask
for further protection. For he knew that secretly Trakor dreaded the
thought of traversing the final stretch of night-shrouded jungle.

Purposely he waited until the youth was nearly out of sight, to learn
if, at the last moment, Trakor's step might falter or his head tu