ast Dhanah, the whole story of Dhoop Ki Dhil was eating
in his brain like fire. She was somewhere in there ahead of
him--somewhere near that monster snake.

The weaving of the serpent's head, looping in long reaches above the
bamboo tops--looking over them, looking down into them, looking for its
prey--had frozen him to the marrow of his bones.

Dhoop Ki Dhil had come out into this blind maze to find and save the
heat-blighted child from--that death. He knew what that death was
like--he had seen a big snake kill a goat once, in the circus, for food.
. . . The frost in his bones bit deeper, because this was Dhoop Ki
Dhil--the wonder-woman--who was in there, somewhere close to that snake.
He heard the Bombay Doctor's tones again, as he ran; and the words of the
brown-robed mystic went like flame and acid through his blood.

. . . Why couldn't he hear Cadman? Cadman had the gun. But if he
himself could only reach her before the snake--if he could only-- And a
soft blur of sun-melted red loomed ahead of him.

Dhoop Ki Dhil did not walk, she did not run; but her glide was almost as
swift as Dhanah's flight.

When Skag met her face to face, he shivered with a shock of
realisation--her ineffable beauty glowed like coals in a trance of some
unearthly devotion. Her human mind was not there--an incomparable calm
reigned in its stead.

"Come!" he urged strangely.

She moved with him, tilting her beautiful head to indicate something
behind.

He looked--the snake was coming through the long narrow path, coming on;
huge undulations, touching the ground but coming through the air, without
any look of haste. The path was plenty wide for it, there was plenty
time for it--it was overtaking them as if they stood still.

Then, for one eternal moment, Skag knew fear. It was
cold--long--metallic. It was invincible--without pity. He heard human
voices and the sound of running water--in a dream. Near by, he heard a
low sweet laugh. The eyes of fathomless splendour beside him were not
looking into his, but they were full of that love which transcends fear.
And the birthright of Sanford Hantee rose up in him.

"That's right, come on!" he cried to her.

She looked up; and he followed her glance--one great undulation swayed
above them--surging in oozy motion--curving down; just higher than their
faces--a broad flat head--thin lateral lips--stark lidless eyes.

Skag ran with his arm about Dhoop Ki Dhil's shoulders. He ra