FOR AN INSTANT I STOOD THERE THINKING OF HER, and then,with a sigh, I tucked the book in the thong that supportedmy loin cloth, and turned to leave the apartment.At the bottom of the corridor which leads aloft fromthe lower chambers I whistled in accordance with theprearranged signal which was to announce to Perry and Ghakthat I had been successful. A moment later they stoodbeside me, and to my surprise I saw that Hooja the SlyOne accompanied them.

"He joined us," explained Perry, "and would not be denied.The fellow is a fox. He scents escape, and rather thanbe thwarted of our chance now I told him that I wouldbring him to you, and let you decide whether he mightaccompany us."

I had no love for Hooja, and no confidence in him.I was sure that if he thought it would profit him he wouldbetray us; but I saw no way out of it now, and the factthat I had killed four Mahars instead of only the three Ihad expected to, made it possible to include the fellowin our scheme of escape.

"Very well," I said, "you may come with us, Hooja; but atthe first intimation of treachery I shall run my swordthrough you. Do you understand?"

He said that he did.

Some time later we had removed the skins from the four Mahars,and so succeeded in crawling inside of them ourselvesthat there seemed an excellent chance for us to passunnoticed from Phutra. It was not an easy thing to fastenthe hides together where we had split them along the bellyto remove them from their carcasses, but by remainingout until the others had all been sewed in with my help,and then leaving an aperture in the breast of Perry'sskin through which he could pass his hands to sew me up,we were enabled to accomplish our design to really muchbetter purpose than I had hoped. We managed to keep theheads erect by passing our swords up through the necks,and by the same means were enabled to move them about ina life-like manner. We had our greatest difficulty withthe webbed feet, but even that problem was finally solved,so that when we moved about we did so quite naturally.Tiny holes punctured in the baggy throats into which ourheads were thrust permitted us to see well enough to guideour progress.

Thus we started up toward the main floor of the building.Ghak headed the strange procession, then came Perry,followed by Hooja, while I brought up the rear,after admonishing Hooja that I had so arranged my swordthat I could thrust it through the head of my disguise intohis vitals were he to show any indication of faltering.

As the noise of hurrying feet warned me that we wereentering the busy corridors of the main level, my heartcame up into my mouth. It is with no sense of shame that Iadmit that I was frightened--never before in my life,nor since, did I experience any such agony of soulsearingfear and suspense as enveloped me. If it be possibleto sweat blood, I sweat it then.

Slowly, after the manner of locomotion habitual tothe Mahars, when they are not using their wings, we creptthrough throngs of busy slaves, Sagoths, and Mahars.After what seemed an eternity we reached the outer doorwhich leads into the main avenue of Phutra. Many Sagothsloitered near the opening. They glanced at Ghak as hepadded between them. Then Perry passed, and then Hooja.Now it was my turn, and then in a sudden fit of freezingterror I realized that the warm blood from my wounded armwas trickling down through the dead foot of the Mahar skinI wore and leaving its tell-tale mark upon the pavement,for I saw a Sagoth call a companion's attention to it.

The guard stepped before me and pointing to my bleedingfoot spoke to me in the sign language which these tworaces employ as a means of communication. Even had Iknown what he was saying I could not have repliedwith the dead thing that covered me. I once had seena great Mahar freeze a presumptuous Sagoth with a look.It seemed my only hope, and so I tried it. Stopping inmy tracks I moved my sword so that it made the dead headappear to turn inquiring eyes upon the gorilla-man. Fora long moment I stood perfectly still, eyeing the fellowwith those dead eyes. Then I lowered the head and startedslowly on. For a moment all hung in the balance,but before I touched him the guard stepped to one side,and I passed on out into the avenue.

On we went up the broad street, but now we were safefor the very numbers of our enemies that surrounded uson all sides. Fortunately, there was a great concourseof Mahars repairing to the shallow lake which lies a mileor more from the city. They go there to indulge theiramphibian proclivities in diving for small fish, and enjoyingthe cool depths of the water. It is a fresh-water lake,shallow, and free from the larger reptiles which make the useof the great seas of Pellucidar impossible for any but theirown kind.

In the thick of the crowd we passed up the steps and outonto the plain. For some distance Ghak remained with thestream that was traveling toward the lake, but finally,at the bottom of a little gully he halted, and there weremained until all had passed and we were alone. Then,still in our disguises, we set off directly away from Phutra.

The heat of the vertical rays of the sun was fastmaking our horrible prisons unbearable, so that afterpassing a low divide, and entering a sheltering forest,we finally discarded the Mahar skins that had broughtus thus far in safety.

I shall not weary you with the details of that bitterand galling flight. How we traveled at a dogged run untilwe dropped in our tracks. How we were beset by strangeand terrible beasts. How we barely escaped the cruel fangsof lions and tigers the size of which would dwarf intopitiful insignificance the greatest felines of the outer world.

On and on we raced, our one thought to put as muchdistance between ourselves and Phutra as possible.Ghak was leading us to his own land--the land of Sari.No sign of pursuit had developed, and yet we were surethat somewhere behind us relentless Sagoths were doggingour tracks. Ghak said they never failed to hunt downtheir quarry until they had captured it or themselves beenturned back by a superior force.

Our only hope, he said, lay in reaching his tribewhich was quite strong enough in their mountain fastnessto beat off any number of Sagoths.

At last, after what seemed months, and may, I now realize,have been years, we came in sight of the dun escarpmentwhich buttressed the foothills of Sari. At almostthe same instant, Hooja, who looked ever quite as muchbehind as before, announced that he could see a bodyof men far behind us topping a low ridge in our wake.It was the long-expected pursuit.

I asked Ghak if we could make Sari in time to escape them.

"We may," he replied; "but you will find that theSagoths can move with incredible swiftness, and as theyare almost tireless they are doubtless much fresherthan we. Then--" he paused, glancing at Perry.

I knew what he meant. The old man was exhausted.For much of the period of our flight either Ghak or I hadhalf supported him on the march. With such a handicap,less fleet pursuers than the Sagoths might easilyovertake us before we could scale the rugged heightswhich confronted us.

"You and Hooja go on ahead," I said. "Perry and I will makeit if we are able. We cannot travel as rapidly as you two,and there is no reason why all should be lost becauseof that. It can't be helped--we have simply to face it."

"I will not desert a companion," was Ghak's simple reply.I hadn't known that this great, hairy, primeval man hadany such nobility of character stowed away inside him.I had always liked him, but now to my liking was added honorand respect. Yes, and love.

But still I urged him to go on ahead, insisting that if hecould reach his people he might be able to bring outa sufficient force to drive off the Sagoths and rescuePerry and myself.

No, he wouldn't leave us, and that was all there was to it,but he suggested that Hooja might hurry on and warnthe Sarians of the king's danger. It didn't require muchurging to start Hooja--the naked idea was enough to sendhim leaping on ahead of us into the foothills which wenow had reached.

Perry realized that he was jeopardizing Ghak's life and mineand the old fellow fairly begged us to go on without him,although I knew that he was suffering a perfect anguishof terror at the thought of falling into the hands ofthe Sagoths. Ghak finally solved the problem, in part,by lifting Perry in his powerful arms and carrying him.While the act cut down Ghak's speed he still could travelfaster thus than when half supporting the stumblingold man.