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her, ready always to protect her, than to have left her at the mercy of the hideous
Bantoomian.
Now Turan detected a heavy odor in the air. It oppressed him with a feeling of
drowsiness. He would have risen to fight off the creeping lethargy, but his legs
seemed weak, so that he sank again to the bench. Presently his sword slipped
from his fingers and he sprawled forward upon the table his head resting upon
his arms.
*
* * * *
Tara of Helium, as the night wore on and Turan did not return, became more and
more uneasy, and when dawn broke with no sign of him she guessed that he had
failed. Something more than her own unhappy predicament brought a feeling of
sorrow to her heart--of sorrow and loneliness. She realized now how she had
come to depend upon this panthan not only for protection but for companionship
as well. She missed him, and in missing him realized suddenly that he had meant
more to her than a mere hired warrior. It was as though a friend had been taken
from her--an old and valued friend. She rose from her place of concealment that
she might have a better view of the city.
U-Dor, dwar of the 8th Utan of O-Tar, Jeddak of Manator, rode back in the early
dawn toward Manator from a brief excursion to a neighboring village. As he was
rounding the hills south of the city, his keen eyes were attracted by a slight
movement among the shrubbery close to the summit of the nearest hill. He halted
his vicious mount and watched more closely. He saw a figure rise facing away
from him and peer down toward Manator beyond the hill.
"Come!" he signalled to his followers, and with a word to this thoat turned the
beast at a rapid gallop up the hillside. In his wake swept his twenty savage
warriors, the padded feet of their mounts soundless upon the soft turf. It was the
rattle of sidearms and harness that brought Tara of Helium suddenly about,
facing them. She saw a score of warriors with couched lances bearing down upon
her.
She glanced at Ghek. What would the spiderman do in this emergency? She saw
him crawl to his rykor and attach himself. Then he arose, the beautiful body once
again animated and alert. She thought that the creature was preparing for flight.
Well, it made little difference to her. Against such as were streaming up the hill
toward them a single mediocre swordsman such as Ghek was worse than no
defense at all.
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