ait them just inside the gateway of the palace. Rapidly
the two approached the quarters of the princess. Within the
entrance-way only a handful of warriors were on guard. The eunuchs had
retired.

"There is fighting in the pal-e-don-so," Mo-sar announced in feigned
excitement as they entered the presence of the guards. "The king
desires you to come at once and has sent us to guard the apartments of
the princess. Make haste!" he commanded as the men hesitated.

The warriors knew him and that on the morrow the princess was to be
betrothed to Bu-lot, his son. If there was trouble what more natural
than that Mo-sar and Bu-lot should be intrusted with the safety of the
princess. And then, too, was not Mo-sar a powerful chief to whose
orders disobedience might prove a dangerous thing? They were but common
fighting men disciplined in the rough school of tribal warfare, but
they had learned to obey a superior and so they departed for the
banquet hall--the place-where-men-eat.

Barely waiting until they had disappeared Mo-sar crossed to the
hangings at the opposite end of the entrance-hall and followed by
Bu-lot made his way toward the sleeping apartment of O-lo-a and a
moment later, without warning, the two men burst in upon the three
occupants of the room. At sight of them O-lo-a sprang to her feet.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded angrily.

Mo-sar advanced and halted before her. Into his cunning mind had
entered a plan to trick her. If it succeeded it would prove easier than
taking her by force, and then his eyes fell upon Jane Clayton and he
almost gasped in astonishment and admiration, but he caught himself and
returned to the business of the moment.

"O-lo-a," he cried, "when you know the urgency of our mission you will
forgive us. We have sad news for you. There has been an uprising in the
palace and Ko-tan, the king, has been slain. The rebels are drunk with
liquor and now on their way here. We must get you out of A-lur at
once--there is not a moment to lose. Come, and quickly!"

"My father dead?" cried O-lo-a, and suddenly her eyes went wide. "Then
my place is here with my people," she cried. "If Ko-tan is dead I am
queen until the warriors choose a new ruler--that is the law of
Pal-ul-don. And if I am queen none can make me wed whom I do not wish
to wed--and Jad-ben-Otho knows I never wished to wed thy cowardly son.
Go!" She pointed a slim forefinger imperiously toward the doorway.

Mo-sar saw th