ances. Near
the escarpment base a dozen cooking fires blossomed against the
darkness, and the shadowy forms of members of Gerdak's tribe moved
about them.

For a moment Tharn and his companion remained standing at the forest
edge watching the activity. The cave lord's acute sense of caution,
without which few dwellers of this savage world lived long, kept him
motionless while his sharp eyes took in every detail of the surrounding
terrain. This business of approaching a village of strangers--and
therefore enemies!--was a move not lightly to be taken, even when
accompanied by one of its inhabitants.

Trakor tugged at his arm. "Come, Tharn! Come and receive the gratitude
of my father and my people for saving me from Sadu. When they hear how
you slew him with nothing more than a knife they will worship you as a
god!"

His vague reluctance still with him, Tharn permitted the youth to urge
him into the open. They were well into the clearing before one of the
men about the fires caught sight of them and gave a warning shout.

Instantly a score of warriors caught up their spears and formed a
bristling line facing the newcomers, while others piled dry branches on
the fires sending flames shooting high to illuminate the scene with
almost midday brightness.

"Put down your spears!" cried Tharn's companion, laughing. "It is
I--Trakor, son of Kygor. Where are your hunters' eyes that you do not
know me?"

But the line of spear heads did not waver. Now, moving from behind the
formation of fighting men came Gerdak, chief of the tribe. Short, squat
and very ugly was Gerdak. Set nearly flush on his broad sloping
shoulders was a bullet-like head, almost hairless as the result of an
old scalp infection. Firelight reflected in his pig-like eyes made them
glow like burning sparks as he glowered from beneath shaggy brows at the
tall stranger at Trakor's side.

"Who is he?" growled the chief, jerking a grimy thumb at the cave lord.

"He is my friend," Trakor said, and there was the beginning of anger in
his tone. "His name is Tharn. In all the world there is no greater
fighter."

Nothing changed in Gerdak's expression. "He is not one of us. Tell him
to go at once or I will kill him!"

Trakor stiffened. Suddenly his anger flamed into the open--flamed with
such intensity that he completely forgot the object of his wrath was his
own chief.

"_YOU_ will kill him! Ha! There are not fifty among you who could kill
him! With only a kni