the cave floor behind him told Tharn
others were slinking toward him from the rear.

With a muffled snarl Tharn wheeled and began to climb. His groping
fingers and toes found outcroppings of rock to serve as almost invisible
rungs of a perilous ladder. A lifetime of climbing, plus utter
self-confidence, sent him up that sheer surface with incredible speed.

So completely unexpected was their quarry's route that Gerdak's men were
thrown into momentary confusion. By the time the first shower of spears
rose toward the climbing cave man he was three-quarters of the way to
freedom. As a result most of the weapons fell short of their mark, while
the others, because of the uncertain light and the swiftness of their
target's progress, missed completely. Immediately a second flight of
spears were launched--but time had run out. Tharn was already over the
lip of the precipice as they were rising in his direction.

He found himself on rolling, grass-covered ground. A hundred yards ahead
was a jungle-cloaked forest, its towering trees close-knit to the point
of impenetrability.

With long, loping strides Tharn crossed the ribbon of grassland, melting
into the shadows of the overhanging branches as the first of Gerdak's
warriors appeared at the cliff's top.

The ground was too choked with verdure for more than snail-like
progress, and Tharn, his unconscious burden still draped across one
broad shoulder, took to the trees. With a celerity that long ago had
become second nature to him he raced through the branches, moving
parallel to the strip of grassland he had crossed a few moments earlier.
The shouts of his bewildered pursuers faded, swallowed up finally by the
noises peculiar to a nocturnal jungle.

Half an hour later altered his course and returned to the ribbon of open
ground. By this time his captive was showing signs of returning
consciousness and Tharn tightened his grip on the youth's arm to prevent
him from attempting to get away. He could feel tremors of fear course
through the flesh pressing against his shoulder and he smiled grimly. A
terrified prisoner was usually a tractable one.

At this point the cliffside was neither as steep nor as high as that
housing Gerdak's tribe. Tharn went over its edge without hesitation,
slipping groundward with the reckless abandon of a falling stone, yet
landing there without an appreciable jar.

The forest at this point came almost to the base of the cliff. Tharn
entered, swung