e pantomimed her meaning. "I came here
through a secret passage beyond," she indicated by a wave of her hand.
"Now that you can walk, let us hurry." Shyly she took Miles' hand. The
warm clasp of her fingers made the blood course faster in his veins.

Through a long passage they glided to another room. There were several
confusing turns and dark hallways, and twice they had to cower in
shadowy corners while Ah-eeda boldly advanced and held converse with
occasional persons encountered, though for the most part the way was
silent and deserted. At last they came to a low door opening on a
narrow street and the girl put out her torch.

"To return to our own world we must first reach the Palace of the
Heads," said Ward. The girl nodded. "I will guide you there. But we
must hurry: the workers will soon be gathered."

* * * * *

Never were Miles and Ward to forget that breathless flight. The girl
led them through narrow and devious byways over which dark buildings
leaned, evidently avoiding the more direct and open thoroughfares. It
seemed as if they were to escape without hindrance when, suddenly, out
of a dimly lighted doorway, lurched the gigantic figure of a green man
carrying a flare. This flare threw the figures of the fugitives into
relief.

"Ho!" roared the green man, and came at them like a furious bull. It
seemed characteristic of his kind to attack without parley. The torch
dropped as he came. There was no resisting that mighty bulk. Unarmed,
and with scant room to move backward, the two Americans went down; and
that would have been the end of the battle if Ah-eeda, who had shrunk
to one side out of the way of the combatants, had not snatched up the
still flaming torch and held it against the naked back of the greenish
giant. With a scream of anguish the latter ceased throttling the
Americans, clapped his hands to his scorched back and rolled clear of
them.

Instantly they staggered to their feet and fled down the roadway after
the light-footed Ah-eeda. Behind them the screams of the green man
made the night hideous. "Damn him!" panted Ward; "he'll have the whole
town on our heels!" Providentially, at that moment the road debouched
into the great square. This they crossed at a run, and so, for the
last time, entered the Palace of the Heads. Its wide halls and
chambers were practically deserted.

Past the crystal chamber where they had first materialized into this
strange world