ked abreast, waded ankle-deep in the water. From the
little city below them they could hear the hum of a myriad of tiny
voices--thin, shrill and faint. Suddenly the Big Business Man laughed.
There was no hysteria in his voice now--just amusement and relief.

"And we took that seriously," he said. "Funny, isn't it?"

CHAPTER XXIX

ON THE LAKE

"You're right--we are being followed," the Very Young Man said soberly.
He had pulled the girl over close against the wall of a house. "Did you
see that?"

"Three, they are," Aura answered. "I saw them before--in the street
below--Targo's men."

Evidently the three men had been watching the house from which they had
come and had followed them from there. If they were Targo's men, as
seemed very probable, the Very Young Man could not understand why they
had not already attacked him. Perhaps they intended to as soon as he and
Aura had reached a more secluded part of the city. They must know he had
the drugs, and to gain possession of those certainly was what they were
striving for. The Very Young Man realized he must take no chances; to
lose the drugs would be fatal to them all.

"Are we near the edge of the city?" he asked.

"Yes, very near."

"Then we shall get large here. If we make a run for it we will be in the
country before we are big enough to attract too much attention.
Understand, Aura?"

"I understand."

"We mustn't stir up the city if we can help it; with giants running
around, the people would get worked up to a frenzy. You could see that
with Lylda this afternoon. Not that you can blame them altogether, but
we want to get Loto back before we start anything here in Arite." He
took the pellets out as he spoke, and they each touched one of them to
the tip of their tongues.

"Now, then, come on--not too fast, we want to keep going," said the Very
Young Man, taking the girl by the hand again.

As they started off, running slowly down the street, the Very Young Man
looked back. The three men were running after them--not fast, seeming
content merely to keep their distance. The Very Young Man laughed. "Wait
till they see us get big. Fine chance they've got."

Aura, her lithe, young body in perfect condition, ran lightly and easily
as a fawn. She made a pretty picture as she ran, with her long, black
hair streaming out behind her, and the short silk tunic flapping about
her lean, round thighs. She still held the Very Young Man by the hand,
running just