There he began a slow circling of the clearing, masked from
the sentries by heavy foliage. When he reached a spot on a direct line
from where Dylara lay, he gently lowered himself bellyflat in the ribbon
of grasses between the forest and the protecting wall of fire and began
to inch himself forward like a giant snake.

Luckily the grass was high enough to hide him. His greatest danger was
that one of those experienced warriors might glimpse the manner in which
the grass tops were swaying.

He was near enough now to feel the heat of flames. His heart was
pounding mightily and his fingers seemed to be trembling as he dragged
himself still closer. Did they tremble with fear, he asked himself? No;
it was only excitement that caused him to react so--of this he was
certain.

According to his calculations those four guards should be close to
another of those brief meetings on the opposite side of the camp. Slowly
he lifted his head until he could make out their, and his own, position.

He was a few seconds behind schedule: the four of them were already
together and not quite as far away as he would have liked. But in his
favor was the fact that he was much closer to where Dylara lay sleeping
than he had expected to be.

There was no time for hesitation, no time to bolster his courage. Rising
to his feet, his body bent into a deep crouch, Trakor sped with swift
silence through a break in the fire wall. Beyond this, five hurried
strides brought him beside the sleeping cave princess. He wasted no time
in glancing around to learn if his daring move had been witnessed. He
could feel the skin crawl at his back as he bent, shoved a fold of the
girl's sleeping furs across her face to drown out any involuntary cry,
and swung her up into his arms.

He wheeled to flee ... then froze in his tracks at sight of three spears
leveled at his naked chest.

CHAPTER X

BEYOND AMMAD'S WALLS

The stifling folds of fur suddenly thrust forcibly against her face
awakened Dylara from a sound sleep. So dazed was she by the sudden
attack that her paralyzed muscles were unable to resist as she felt
herself swung up into a crushing embrace.

Then her momentary inertia snapped and she was on the point of
struggling to free herself when the strong arms about her abruptly
relaxed their hold and she staggered free.

With her eyes uncovered once more she saw a young warrior of the
caves--a youth no older than she--beside her. Straight and