lizing
the hold that Ajor had upon my heart and wondered how I should get
along without her. As I held her in my arms that last night, I tried
to imagine what life would be like without her, for at last there had
come to me the realization that I loved her--loved my little barbarian;
and as I finally tore myself away and went to my own hut to snatch a
few hours' sleep before we set off upon our long journey on the morrow,
I consoled myself with the thought that time would heal the wound and
that back in my native land I should find a mate who would be all and
more to me than little Ajor could ever be--a woman of my own race and
my own culture.

Morning came more quickly than I could have wished. I rose and
breakfasted, but saw nothing of Ajor. It was best, I thought, that I
go thus without the harrowing pangs of a last farewell. The party
formed for the march, an escort of Galu warriors ready to accompany us.
I could not even bear to go to Ace's corral and bid him farewell. The
night before, I had given him to Ajor, and now in my mind the two
seemed inseparable.

And so we marched away, down the street flanked with its stone houses
and out through the wide gateway in the stone wall which surrounds the
city and on across the clearing toward the forest through which we must
pass to reach the northern boundary of Galu, beyond which we would turn
south. At the edge of the forest I cast a backward glance at the city
which held my heart, and beside the massive gateway I saw that which
brought me to a sudden halt. It was a little figure leaning against
one of the great upright posts upon which the gates swing--a crumpled
little figure; and even at this distance I could see its shoulders
heave to the sobs that racked it. It was the last straw.

Bowen was near me. "Good-bye old man," I said. "I'm going back."

He looked at me in surprise. "Good-bye, old man," he said, and grasped
my hand. "I thought you'd do it in the end."

And then I went back and took Ajor in my arms and kissed the tears from
her eyes and a smile to her lips while together we watched the last of
the Americans disappear into the forest.

[Transcriber's note: I have made the following changes to the text:

PAGE LINE ORIGINAL CHANGED TO

75 15 later latter
108 14 in is
123 24 the he
131 13 plans planes
131 28