lerdyce's awakening this time was not as pleasant as before. Someone
was kicking him in the face. He opened his eyes, one of them anyway.
The other was closed shut. He was in a cave. It was a smelly cave, the
walls blackened from the smoke of many fires. Nor was he alone. He
tried to move his arms and discovered he had been securely bound.
Suddenly from behind, a foot came swinging out and pain shot up the
side of his jaw as the bare toes connected with it.

"Enough," a voice called.

"Aah! I've been wanting to do this for a long time," Ed Finster said.

There was disgust in Gomar's voice as he replied:

"The Great Spirit has small men for messengers.... Remove the other's
bonds."

"Hey!" Finster yelped in protest.

But no one paid attention. Hands tore the fibre ropes loose from about
Allerdyce's figure and helped him to his feet where he stood swaying
like a tree in a high wind.

"The Great Spirit sent two messengers," Gomar said. "But He had a
reason. One was sent to conquer Sobar so that I could become chief.
The other was to conquer you. The light is clear.... Take him to the
women...."

Only Finster laughed at the edict. He had reason for the laughter. In
all the years of their association Allerdyce had never been known to
go for the fillies. And now he was to be thrown to a pack of them.
With that puss, Finster thought, they'd throw him right back.

Spear points pressed against his back, a rope around his wrists, and
while the rest walked behind, one man led Allerdyce from the cave into
the open, across a level stretch of ground and into a very large cave.
Here his wrists were unbound and to the jibes and laughter of the
warriors who had accompanied him, Allerdyce was shoved into the cave
proper itself.

The cave was immense, and seemed to be filled entirely with women and
children. For a second there was silence. Then as their eyes saw this
almost naked stranger, a wild shriek of laughter went up. Hands went
out, pointing to his shorts which seemed to be all the clothing he
had, to his face, puffed into a gargoylish mask, and to his hairy
chest, which looked like the stuffing of a mattress.

Allerdyce stared in horror at the women, turned and started for the
cave entrance. But the cavemen had anticipated his move. They stood
guard, spears thrust point forward, and after a few hesitant seconds,
Allerdyce turned back.

But now they were no longer scattered about the cave. They came over
in a rush,