the
second; but in this thing I do make only a guessing.

And in all that dreadful time, since that she had come to be quite
alone, she had heard a score drear things; for there had been once the
slaying of a young maid nigh unto her, by some Brute out in the darkness
of the Land; and thrice and more had she heard the feet of people
running this way and that, and the tread of giants pursuing. And by this
telling I did understand those things which mine ears had told to me as
I did go across that Land, and surely a new pity and sorrow and horror
did come upward within me. And the Maid told me how that she came once
upon certain of the Peoples of the Lesser Redoubt, as they did hide
among the bushes; but they ran, with no heed to her callings that she
did be human, even as they; and by this is it plain the sore and
dreadful panic that was upon the hearts of such.

And the bitter chill of the Land had made her to strive alway to be nigh
unto the fire-holes that were very plentiful; but even as this did be
needful unto her, so was it a thing that drew the Monstrous Brutes of
that Land, even as I had found in the Night Land, and in the Upward
Gorge. And because of this, she was oft made to stay afar off in the
utter cold of the night.

Yet, in truth, odd whiles she did be so desperate, that she would make
the venture, and so mayhaps have a time of warmth; and because of this,
she had been nigh slain in her sleep, twice and thrice. Moreover, there
were snakes about the fires, though not over-plentiful in all parts, and
there did be spider-crabs and monstrous scorpions.

And, indeed, even as she had lain by the fire-hole, very weak and
seeming near unto her death, even this time when my call had come unto
her to stir her unto life and bitter knowledge of despair, even then was
she all surround by creatures that were like to crabs, that did squat
all about her, and did but wait for her to die; so that she had been
feared to sleep, lest they destroy her in her slumber.

And by this thing, she had known that her death was surely nigh; and lo!
out of all the night of the world had come the beat of the Master-Word,
strong and powerful, beating as a low and spiritual thunder out of all
the dark of the night. Yet had she thought of me, only as speaking from
the far-off Mighty Pyramid; so that the cry had brought naught of hope
unto her, but only a newer and more known despair. And, behold, in a
little minute, there had come her