overhaul the Himean before he reached his village.
As Tanar and Gura had capped the summit of the cliff and disappeared from view, eighteen hairy men came into view from the forest and followed their trail toward the foot of the cliff.
They were bushy-whiskered fellows with gay sashes around their waists and equally brilliant cloths about their heads. Huge pistols and knives bristled from their waist cloths, and cutlasses dangled from their hips—fate had brought these survivors of The Cid's ship to the foot of the cliffs below the village of Carn at almost the same moment that Tanar had arrived. With sensations of surprise, not unmingled with awe, they had recognized the Sarian who had been a prisoner upon the ship and whom they thought they had seen killed by their musket fire at the edge of the natural well upon the island of Amiocap .
The Korsars, prompted by the pernicious stubbornness of ignorance, were moved by a common impulse to recapture Tanar. And with this end in view they waited until Gura and the Sarian had disappeared beyond the summit of the cliff, when they started in pursuit.
The walls of Carn lie no great distance from the edge of the table-land upon which it stands. In timeless Pellucidar events, which are in reality far separated, seem to follow closely, one upon the heels of another, and for this reason one may not say how long Jude was in the village of Carn, or whether he had had time to carry out the horrid purpose which had taken him thither, but the fact remained that as Tanar and Gura reached the edge of the bushes and looked across the clearing toward the walls of Carn they saw Jude sneaking from the city. Could they have seen his face they might have noticed a malicious leer of triumph and could they have known the purpose that had taken him thus stealthily to his native village they might have reconstructed the scenes of the bloody episode which had just been enacted within the house of the Himean. But Tanar only saw that Jude, whom he sought, was coming toward him, and that Stellara was not with him.
The Sarian drew Gura back into the concealment of the bushes that lined the trail which Jude was approaching.
On came the Himean and while Tanar awaited his coming, the Korsars were making their clumsy ascent of the cliff, while Stellara, sick from jealousy and unhappiness, leaned disconsolately against the cold stone of her prison cave.
Jude, unconscious of danger, hastened back toward the spot where he had left Stellara and as he came opposite Tanar, the Sarian leaped upon him.
The Himean reached for his knife, but he was helpless in the grasp of Tanar, whose steel fingers closed about his wrists with such strength that Jude dropped his weapon with a cry of pain as he felt both of his arms crushed beneath the pressure of the Sarian's grip.
'What do you want?' he cried. 'Why do you attack me?'
'Where is Stellara?' demanded Tanar.
'I do not know,' replied Jude. 'I have not seen her.'
'You lie,' said Tanar. 'I have followed her tracks and yours to the summit of the cliff. Where is she?' He drew his knife. 'Tell me, or die.'
'I left her at the edge of the cliff while I went to Carn to arrange to have her received in a friendly manner. I did it all for her protection, Tanar. She wanted to go back to Korsar and I was but helping her.'
'Again you lie,' said the Sarian; 'but lead me to her and we shall hear her version of the story.'
The Himean held back until the point of Tanar's knife pressed against his ribs; then he gave in. 'If I lead you to her will you promise not to kill me?' asked Jude. 'Will you let me return in peace to my village?'
'I shall make no promises until I learn from her own lips how you have treated her,' replied the Sarian.
'She has not been harmed,' said Jude. 'I swear it.'
'Then lead me to her,' insisted Tanar.
Sullenly the Himean guided them back along the path toward the cave where he had left Stellara, while at the other edge of the bushes eighteen Korsars, warned by the noise of their approach, halted, listening, and presently melted silently from view in the surrounding shrubbery.
They saw Jude and Gura and Tanar emerge from the bushes, but they did not attack them; they waited to see for what purpose they had returned. Thy saw them disappear over the edge of the cliff at a short distance from the summit of the trail that led down into the valley. And then they emerged from their hiding places and followed cautiously after them.
Jude led Tanar and Gura to the cave where Stellara lay and when Tanar saw her, her dear wrists and ankles bound with thongs and her cheeks still wet with tears, he sprang forward and gathered her into his arms.
'Stellara!' he cried. 'My darling!' But the girl turned her face away from him.
'Do not touch me,' she cried. 'I hate you.'
'Stellara!' he exclaimed in amazement. 'What has happened?' But before she could reply they were startled by a hoarse command from behind them, and, turning, found themselves looking into the muzzles of the pistols of eighteen Korsars.
'Surrender, Sarian!' cried the leader of the Korsars.
Gazing into the muzzles of about thirty-six huge pistols, which equally menaced the lives of Stellara and Gura, Tanar saw no immediate alternative but to surrender.
'What do you intend to do with us if we do surrender?' he demanded.
'That we shall decide later,' growled the spokesman for the Korsars.
'Do you expect ever to return to Korsar?' asked Tanar.
'What is that to you, Sarian?' demanded the Korsar.
'It has a considerable bearing upon whether or not we surrender,' replied Tanar. 'You have tried to kill me before and you have found that I am hard to kill. I know something about your weapons and your powder and I know that even at such close quarters I may be able to kill some of you before you can kill me. But if you answer my question fairly and honestly and if your answer is satisfactory I shall surrender.'
At Tanar's mention of his knowledge of their powder the Korsars immediately assumed that he knew that it was wet, whereas he was only alluding to its uniformly poor quality and so the spokesman decided that it would be better to temporize for the time being at least. 'As soon as we can build a boat we shall return to Korsar,' he said, 'unless in the meantime a Korsar ship anchors in the bay of Carn .'
'Good,' commented the Sarian. 'If you will promise to return the daughter of The Cid safe and unharmed to her people in Korsar I will surrender. And you must also promise that no harm shall befall this other girl and that she shall be permitted to go with you in safety to Korsar or to remain here among her own people as she desires.'
'How about the other man?' demanded the Korsar.
'You may kill him when you kill me,' replied Tanar.
Stellara's eyes widened in fearful apprehension as she heard the words of the Sarian and she found that jealousy was no match for true love.
'Very well,' said the Korsar. 'We accept the condition. The women shall return to Korsar with us, and you two men shall die.'
'Oh, no,' begged Jude. 'I do not wish to die. I am a Himean. Carn is my home. You Korsars come there often to trade. Spare me and I shall see that you are furnished with more hides than you can pack in your boat, after you have built it.'
The leader of the band laughed in his face. 'Eighteen of us can take what we choose from the village of Carn ,' he said. 'We are not such fools as to spare you that you may go and warn your people.'
'Then take me along as a prisoner,' wailed Jude.
'And have to feed you and watch you all the time? No, you are worth more to us dead than alive.'
As Jude spoke he had edged over into the mouth of the cave, where he stood half behind Stellara as though taking shelter at the expense of the girl.
With a gesture of disgust, Tanar turned toward the Korsars. 'Come,' he said, impatiently. 'If the bargain is satisfactory there is no use in discussing it further. Kill us, and take the women in safety to Korsar. You have given your word.'
At the instant that Tanar concluded his appeal to the Korsars, Jude turned before any one could prevent him and disappeared into the cave behind him. Instantly Korsars leaped in pursuit, while the others awaited impatiently their return with Jude. But when they emerged they were empty handed.
'He escaped us,' said one of those who had gone after the Himean. 'This cave is the mouth of a dark, long
