e search-party that so depended upon me, and
I wondered what progress, if any, they had made. Were they still
beyond the barrier cliffs, awaiting my return? Or had they found a way
into Caspak? I felt that the latter would be the truth, for the party
was not made up of men easily turned from a purpose. Quite probable it
was that they were already searching for me; but that they would ever
find a trace of me I doubted. Long since, had I come to the conclusion
that it was beyond human prowess to circle the shores of the inland sea
of Caspak in the face of the myriad menaces which lurked in every
shadow by day and by night. Long since, had I given up any hope of
reaching the point where I had made my entry into the country, and so I
was now equally convinced that our entire expedition had been worse
than futile before ever it was conceived, since Bowen J. Tyler and his
wife could not by any possibility have survived during all these long
months; no more could Bradley and his party of seamen be yet in
existence. If the superior force and equipment of my party enabled
them to circle the north end of the sea, they might some day come upon
the broken wreck of my plane hanging in the great tree to the south;
but long before that, my bones would be added to the litter upon the
floor of this mighty cavern.

And through all my thoughts, real and fanciful, moved the image of a
perfect girl, clear-eyed and strong and straight and beautiful, with
the carriage of a queen and the supple, undulating grace of a leopard.
Though I loved my friends, their fate seemed of less importance to me
than the fate of this little barbarian stranger for whom, I had
convinced myself many a time, I felt no greater sentiment than passing
friendship for a fellow-wayfarer in this land of horrors. Yet I so
worried and fretted about her and her future that at last I quite
forgot my own predicament, though I still struggled intermittently with
bonds in vain endeavor to free myself; as much, however, that I might
hasten to her protection as that I might escape the fate which had been
planned for me. And while I was thus engaged and had for the moment
forgotten my apprehensions concerning prowling beasts, I was startled
into tense silence by a distinct and unmistakable sound coming from the
dark corridor farther toward the heart of the cliff--the sound of
padded feet moving stealthily in my direction.

I believe that never before in all my life, even