gh his
better judgment warned him that the safer course lay in retreat. For a
moment he stood thus, running his fingers through his hair; then he
cast discretion to the winds and began the ascent.

In conformity with such Wieroo architecture as he had already observed,
the well through which the ladder rose continually canted at an angle
from the perpendicular. At more or less regular stages it was pierced
by apertures closed by doors, none of which he could open until he had
climbed fully fifty feet from the river level. Here he discovered a
door already ajar opening into a large, circular chamber, the walls and
floors of which were covered with the skins of wild beasts and with
rugs of many colors; but what interested him most was the occupants of
the room--a Wieroo, and a girl of human proportions. She was standing
with her back against a column which rose from the center of the
apartment from floor to ceiling--a hollow column about forty inches in
diameter in which he could see an opening some thirty inches across.
The girl's side was toward Bradley, and her face averted, for she was
watching the Wieroo, who was now advancing slowly toward her, talking
as he came.

Bradley could distinctly hear the words of the creature, who was urging
the girl to accompany him to another Wieroo city. "Come with me," he
said, "and you shall have your life; remain here and He Who Speaks for
Luata will claim you for his own; and when he is done with you, your
skull will bleach at the top of a tall staff while your body feeds the
reptiles at the mouth of the River of Death. Even though you bring
into the world a female Wieroo, your fate will be the same if you do
not escape him, while with me you shall have life and food and none
shall harm you."

He was quite close to the girl when she replied by striking him in the
face with all her strength. "Until I am slain," she cried, "I shall
fight against you all." From the throat of the Wieroo issued that
dismal wail that Bradley had heard so often in the past--it was like a
scream of pain smothered to a groan--and then the thing leaped upon the
girl, its face working in hideous grimaces as it clawed and beat at her
to force her to the floor.

The Englishman was upon the point of entering to defend her when a door
at the opposite side of the chamber opened to admit a huge Wieroo
clothed entirely in red. At sight of the two struggling upon the floor
the newcomer raised his voice