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among them. We shall not have to fight against a single fellow-countryman and
every life we take will be the life of an enemy."
"It is well," replied Gahan; "but where is their Chief, and where the two
Princesses?"
"
They are coming now, see?" and he pointed across the field to where two women
could be seen approaching under guard.
As they came nearer Gahan saw that one was indeed Tara of Helium, but the
other he did not recognize, and then they were brought to the center of the field
midway between the two sides and there waited until the Orange Chief arrived.
Floran voiced an exclamation of surprise when he recognized him. "By my first
ancestor if it is not one of their great chiefs," he said, "and we were told that
slaves and criminals were to play for the stake of this game."
His words were interrupted by the keeper of The Towers whose duty it was not
only to announce the games and the stakes, but to act as referee as well.
"
Of this, the second game of the first day of the Jeddak's Games in the four
hundred and thirty-third year of O-Tar, Jeddak of Manator, the Princesses of
each side shall be the sole stakes and to the survivors of the winning side shall
belong both the Princesses, to do with as they shall see fit. The Orange Princess
is the slave woman Lan-O of Gathol; the Black Princess is the slave woman Tara,
a princess of Helium. The Black Chief is U-Kal of Manataj, a volunteer player; the
Orange Chief is the dwar U-Dor of the 8th Utan of the jeddak of Manator, also a
volunteer player. The squares shall be contested to the death. Just are the laws of
Manator! I have spoken."
The initial move was won by U-Dor, following which the two Chiefs escorted their
respective Princesses to the square each was to occupy. It was the first time
Gahan had been alone with Tara since she had been brought upon the field. He
saw her scrutinizing him closely as he approached to lead her to her place and
wondered if she recognized him: but if she did she gave no sign of it. He could not
but remember her last words--"I hate you!" and her desertion of him when he had
been locked in the room beneath the palace by I-Gos, the taxidermist, and so he
did not seek to enlighten her as to his identity. He meant to fight for her--to die
for her, if necessary--and if he did not die to go on fighting to the end for her love.
Gahan of Gathol was not easily to be discouraged, but he was compelled to admit
that his chances of winning the love of Tara of Helium were remote. Already had
she repulsed him twice. Once as jed of Gathol and again as Turan the panthan.
Before his love, however, came her safety and the former must be relegated to the
background until the latter had been achieved.
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