and studied these footprints, pondering them with knit
brows. What manner of giant it might be which moved on such colossal
and misshapen members it was beyond his wits to guess. But of a surety
it was a fine roadmaker!

With a confident arrogance born of the knowledge that he was the lord
of Fire, he deliberately chose to pursue this dreadful trail. And the
girl, hiding her terror lest it should diminish her credit in his
sight, followed close at his elbow, her bright eyes tirelessly
searching the jungle on either side.

Suddenly behind them came a confused, terrifying noise of panting
breaths and trampling feet. It came sweeping down the broad trail.
There were grunting cries, also; and Grom understood at once that a
herd of pig-tapirs--heavy-footed, timorous beasts, as tall as
heifers--were sweeping down upon them in mad flight before some
unknown pursuer.

Against that blind panic, that headlong frantic rush, he knew that
blazing brands would avail nothing. He clutched the girl by the hand.
"Come!" he ordered. And they fled side by side down the trail.

It was in their minds to climb the first suitable tree they should
come to, and let the rout go by. In half a minute or so, over the tops
of the giant grasses, they sighted such a tree, only a few hundred
yards ahead. The trail, swerving opportunely, appeared to lead
directly towards its foot, and they raced on, the girl now laughing
softly with excitement, and forgetting her fear of the unknown because
of the known peril behind her. It pleased her curiously to find that
her man had not grown too divine to be ready to run away on fitting
occasion; and she kept glancing at him from under her dark tangle of
hair with eyes of passionate possession.

The wild uproar behind was drawing nearer swiftly, but the refuge was
now not more than fifty paces ahead. All at once the way to it was
barred. Out from a little side-track on the right came lumbering a
gigantic rhinoceros, his creased and folded hide clothed in matted
brown wool and caked with clay. He swung round into the trail, almost
blocking it with his bulk, stared for a couple of seconds with evil
little eyes at the two slim beings before him, then lowered the huge
double horn that armed his snout, and charged at them with a grunt of
fury.

Caught thus fairly between the devil before, and the deep sea of
trampling hoofs behind, Grom had no choice. A second's waving of the
lighted brands convinced him that the