hat rope spears might fell either or both of them.

No, for all his giant strength and agility he was as helpless to aid the
girl of his choice as though miles lay between them.

Finally the time came when Tharn realized Ammad was only a short
distance ahead. He must resign himself to the unescapable fact that
Dylara and Trakor were going to be taken beyond those walls whether he
liked the idea or not. This meant his energies and cunning must be
diverted to a different channel; and with this in mind the cave lord
halted on a broad leafy branch above the column, waiting while the twin
lines moved ahead at a snail's pace.

A pair of tall husky Ammadian warriors were last in line. One of them
carried a blazing torch, the other had a heavy pack about his shoulders.
They plodded along, weariness evident in the lines of bent shoulders and
dragging feet. The one with the pack seemed especially tired and every
fifty or sixty feet he would pause momentarily to shift his burden to a
new position. Each time this happened the distance between him and his
companion became a matter of ten or fifteen feet until, pack adjusted,
the man hurried forward to join his unheeding partner.

A wry smile touched Tharn's firm lips. With uncanny ease he slipped to
the ground and moved silently along behind the wall of undergrowth
flanking the trail, his course parallel with the column's rear guard.

* * * * *

A bend in the path was coming up. Already most of the column had made
the turn and was out of sight. Quickly Tharn raced ahead until he was at
a point no more than ten feet from the turn. Crouching here, concealed
by a maze of creepers and brush, he picked up a short length of dead
branch and waited.

As the last two Ammadians reached a position directly opposite to the
crouching cave lord, Tharn thrust out the branch two or three inches
above the path's surface and squarely between the legs of the pack
bearer.

The man's swinging foot struck against the unyielding wood and, weighted
by the heavy pack and weary from the long hours without rest, he
stumbled and fell headlong.

His companion, aroused by the thump of a falling body and a string of
curses rising on the night air, turned back and bent to help him up.

"What happened, Posak?"

"What does it look like? Do you think I decided to lie down and rest
awhile?"

Still muttering under his breath Posak got shakily to his feet and
turned his back