should find more food, and filled two satchels such
as these people sling about their shoulders, with the remains of the
meat and liquor and a few necessaries. Also we strapped our big hunting
knives about our middles and armed ourselves with short spears that were
made for the stabbing of game.

"Perhaps he has laid a plot to murder us, and we may as well defend
ourselves while we can," suggested Leo.

I nodded, for the echoes of the Khan's last laugh still rang in my ears.
It was a very evil laugh.

"Likely enough," I said. "I do not trust that insane brute. Still, he
wishes to be rid of us."

"Yes, but as he said, live men may return, whereas the dead do not."

"Atene thinks otherwise," I commented.

"And yet she threatened us with death," answered Leo.

"Because her shame and passion make her mad," I replied, after which we
were silent.

Presently the door opened, and through it came the Khan, muffled in a
great cloak as though to disguise himself.

"Come," he said, "if you are ready." Then, catching sight of the spears
we held, he added: "You will not need those things. You do not go
a-hunting."

"No," I answered, "but who can say--we might be hunted."

"If you believe that perhaps you had best stay where you are till the
Khania wearies of Yellow-beard and opens the gates for you," he replied,
eyeing me with his cunning glance.

"I think not," I said, and we started, the Khan leading the way and
motioning us to be silent.

We passed through the empty rooms on to the verandah, and from the
verandah down into the courtyard, where he whispered to us to keep in
the shadow. For the moon shone very clearly that night, so clearly, I
remember, that I could see the grass which grew between the joints of
the pavement, and the little shadows thrown by each separate blade upon
the worn surface of its stones. Now I wondered how we should pass the
gate, for there a guard was stationed, which had of late been doubled by
order of the Khania. But this gate we left upon our right, taking a path
that led into the great walled garden, where Rassen brought us to a
door hidden behind a clump of shrubs, which he unlocked with a key he
carried.

Now we were outside the palace wall, and our road ran past the kennels.
As we went by these, the great, sleepless death-hounds, that wandered
to and fro like prowling lions, caught our wind and burst into a sudden
chorus of terrific bays. I shivered at the sound, for it was fear