eptions.

"We can go north together," continued the warrior. "I will fight for
you, and you can fight for me. Until death will I serve you, for you
have saved So-al, whom I had given up as dead." He threw down his
spear and covered both his eyes with the palms of his two hands. I
looked inquiringly toward Ajor, who explained as best she could that
this was the form of the Caspakian oath of allegiance. "You need never
fear him after this," she concluded.

"What should I do?" I asked.

"Take his hands down from before his eyes and return his spear to him,"
she explained.

I did as she bade, and the man seemed very pleased. I then asked what
I should have done had I not wished to accept his friendship. They
told me that had I walked away, the moment that I was out of sight of
the warrior we would have become deadly enemies again. "But I could so
easily have killed him as he stood there defenseless!" I exclaimed.

"Yes," replied the warrior, "but no man with good sense blinds his eyes
before one whom he does not trust."

It was rather a decent compliment, and it taught me just how much I
might rely on the loyalty of my new friend. I was glad to have him
with us, for he knew the country and was evidently a fearless warrior.
I wished that I might have recruited a battalion like him.

As the women were now approaching the cliffs, Tomar the warrior
suggested that we make our way to the valley before they could
intercept us, as they might attempt to detain us and were almost
certain to set upon Ajor. So we hastened down the narrow path,
reaching the foot of the cliffs but a short distance ahead of the
women. They called after us to stop; but we kept on at a rapid walk,
not wishing to have any trouble with them, which could only result in
the death of some of them.

We had proceeded about a mile when we heard some one behind us calling
To-mar by name, and when we stopped and looked around, we saw a woman
running rapidly toward us. As she approached nearer I could see that
she was a very comely creature, and like all her sex that I had seen in
Caspak, apparently young.

"It is So-al!" exclaimed To-mar. "Is she mad that she follows me thus?"

In another moment the young woman stopped, panting, before us. She
paid not the slightest attention to Ajor or me; but devouring To-mar
with her sparkling eyes, she cried: "I have risen! I have risen!"

"So-al!" was all that the man could say.

"Yes," she went on