hands for molding and he looked
upon his work and found it good.

With this realization came a decision. "Tomorrow," he said, "I must take
up the trail of those who hold Dylara. Already she may be within the
city of Ammad and I dare not wait longer."

Trakor flushed. "It is my fault. Had you not met me she might be with
you at this moment."

"And had I not met you," Tharn said lightly, "I might still be looking
for the trail I lost a moon earlier. Or Sadu might have caught and eaten
me had I gone on instead of lingering here."

"A score of Sadus could not catch you!"

Tharn did not reply and his smile was hidden by the handful of leaves
with which he wiped the blood of his meal from his lips. "Let us sleep
now," he said quietly. "We have many suns of traveling ahead of us."

* * * * *

Otar was utterly miserable. Fresh blisters had broken on his feet for
the fourth day in a row and each step was agony. Life as a guard in
Vokal's palace had not been strenuous enough to prepare him for a long
journey into the jungle, and as he limped along in the company of his
fifty companions he heaped silent curses upon the head of Ekbar, captain
of Vokal's guards, who had selected him to take part in this mysterious
excursion into the jungles surrounding Ammad.

Otar knew full well why he had been one of those so selected. The lovely
Marua had chosen him as her mate instead of Ekbar, and the captain was
allowing to pass no opportunity to keep them apart. True, Ekbar was
leading the expedition and therefore was unable to take advantage of
Otar's absence from the side of his lovely mate. But in view of his
aching feet and terror of the grim jungle hemming him in night and day,
this was small consolation.

This was the eighth day since Ammad's walls had faded into the south and
still no word from Ekbar as to how much farther they must go. Night was
not far distant; at any moment now the several advance scouts Ekbar sent
on ahead each day would be straggling back to make their reports to the
captain. That would be the signal to make camp for the night--something
others of the party besides Otar were looking forward to.

In a column two abreast the fifty shuffled along, war spears ready in
their hands, bows and arrow-filled quivers at their backs, a stone knife
in the belt of each tunic. Over them hung the brooding humid jungle on
either side of the elephant path, while in their ears rose and fell