would seem logical that he would continue to do so. He
hesitated to call out, for to do so, he thought, would be to confess his
lesser ability; besides a cry might serve to warn whatever had excited
Tharn's interest.

While far ahead of him now, Tharn raced onward, his face an
expressionless mask, his heart thudding with desperate hope.

* * * * *

Five dust-covered, disheveled men moved steadily along a winding game
trail, the rays of a noon-day sun pouring down on their tunic-clad backs
through rifts in the arching branches overhead. They moved in single
file without speaking, almost without thinking, their every energy
intent only on cutting down the distance between them and the major
portion of their party.

Jotan was at the rear of the column, Tamar and he alternating at holding
down this exposed position. The back of the warrior ahead of him was ten
or twelve feet distant--a space Jotan almost automatically maintained.

The trail underfoot swerved abruptly to by-pass an especially heavy
growth of trees and momentarily Jotan was out of sight of his
companions. A dozen more strides and he too would make the turn and
rejoin them.

A sudden rustling among the branches directly overhead caused him to
look up in alarm, just as a crushing weight struck full upon his
shoulders and drove him to his knees. Steel fingers sought and instantly
found a hold on his neck, choking back an instinctive cry for help.

Jotan was a powerful, fully trained warrior, with muscles superior to
most of his kind. Yet in the first few seconds of struggle he realized
with sinking heart that his strength was as a child's when compared to
that of the unseen and silent creature on his back.

A film began to form before his protruding eyes, his senses reeled, his
laboring lungs fought for air--then blackness poured into his brain.

... Slowly the fog of unconsciousness left Jotan of Ammad and at last he
opened his eyes. At sight of the half-naked man crouched over him
instant recognition dawned in his expression. "You!" he gasped.

"I," said Tharn impassively, "Where is she?"

"I do not know."

"You lie!" The cave lord's hand shot out and sank incredibly powerful
fingers into the Ammadian's bare arm. "Tell me where she is or I will
kill you!"

Jotan raised a shaking hand and massaged the aching muscles of his
throat where those mighty fingers had left their mark. He saw now that
he was high in the bra