t?" pursued Bradley.

"I may only guess from what I have heard since I was brought here,"
she answered; "but by reports and chance remarks I take it to be a
beautiful land in which there are but few wild beasts and no men, for
only the Wieroos live upon this island and they dwell always in cities
of which there are three, this being the largest. The others are at
the far end of the island, which is about three marches from end to end
and at its widest point about one march."

From his own experience and from what the natives on the mainland had
told him, Bradley knew that ten miles was a good day's march in Caspak,
owing to the fact that at most points it was a trackless wilderness and
at all times travelers were beset by hideous beasts and reptiles that
greatly impeded rapid progress.

The two had spoken rapidly but were now interrupted by the advent
through the opening in the roof of several Wieroos who had come in
answer to the alarm it of the yellow slashing had uttered.

"This jaal-lu," cried the offended one, "has threatened me. Take its
hatchet from it and make it fast where it can do no harm until He Who
Speaks for Luata has said what shall be done with it. It is one of
those strange creatures that Fosh-bal-soj discovered first above the
Band-lu country and followed back toward the beginning. He Who Speaks
for Luata sent Fosh-bal-soj to fetch him one of the creatures, and here
it is. It is hoped that it may be from another world and hold the
secret of the cos-ata-lus."

The Wieroos approached boldly to take Bradley's "hatchet" from him,
their leader having indicated the pistol hanging in its holster at the
Englishman's hip, but the first one went reeling backward against his
fellows from the blow to the chin which Bradley followed up with a rush
and the intention to clean up the room in record time; but he had
reckoned without the opening in the roof. Two were down and a great
wailing and moaning was arising when reinforcements appeared from
above. Bradley did not see them; but the girl did, and though she
cried out a warning, it came too late for him to avoid a large Wieroo
who dived headforemost for him, striking him between the shoulders and
bearing him to the floor. Instantly a dozen more were piling on top of
him. His pistol was wrenched from its holster and he was securely
pinioned down by the weight of numbers.

At a word from the Wieroo of the yellow slashing who evidently was a
person