Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-11

/ naked idea was enough to send him leap
! ing on ahead of us into the foothills.
which we now had reached.
Perry realized that he was icopardizing
| Ghaks life and mine and the old fellow
tairIy begged us to go on without him,
! though ! knew that he was suffering ter.
ror at the thought Of falling into the
hands of the Sagoths.
| Ghak finally solved the problem in part
by lifting Perry in his powerful arms and
/ carrying him While the act cut down
| Ghaks speed. he still could travel faster
thus than when half supporting the
stumbling old man
The Sagoths were gaining on us rap.
idly, for once they had sighted us they
had greatly increased their speed ON
aud on we stumbled up the narrow canyon
that Ghak had chosen to approach the
heights of Sari
on either side rose prccipitous cliffs VI
gorgeous, particoored rock. while beneath
our feet thick mountain grass formed a
sort and nOseleSS carpet. Since we ha
entered the canyon we had had no glimpse
of our pursuers. and | was commencing
TO hope that they had lost our trail and
that we would reach the now rapidly near.
ing cliffs In time to scale them before we
should be overtaken.
Ahead. we neither saw nor heard any
Hooja's mission. BY now he should have
reached the outposts oC the Sarians, and
we should at least hear the savage cries
of the tribcsmcu as they swarmcd to
arms in answer to their kings appeal for
suCcor.
In another moment the frowning cliffs
ahead should he black with primeval war
riors, But nothing Of the kind hap
pened.
aaiN ,,TF F,,.. .tt..
betrayed us. At the moment that We cx-
pected to see Sarian spearmcu charging TO
our relief at IloOjas back, the craven
traitor was sneaking round the outskirts
OF the nearest Saran village, that he
might come up from the other side when
it was too late to save us, claiming that
he had become lost among the mountains
Hooja still harbored il-will against me
because of the blow had struck in Dan's
protection, and his malcvolent spirit was
equal to sacrificing us all that he might
be rev .ngcd upon me.
AS we drew nearer the barrier cliffs
ana no sign of reSCuiEa Sarians aDpeared
Ghak became both al ry and alarmed
and presently. as the sounds of rapidlv
approaching pursuit fell upon our ears, he
called to me over his shoulder that we
were lost
backward glance gave me a glimpsc
of the first Of the Sagoths at the far end of
a considera Die stretch of canyon through
which we had just passed. and then Il
sudden turning shut the ugly creature
from my view; but the loud howl of tri.
umphant rage which rose behind us was
evidence that the gorina.rnan had sighted
us.
Again tho 'anyon veered sharply to the
lelt' but TO le right another branch ran
on at lesser deviation from tho general
direction. SO that it appeared more like
the main canyon than the left.hand
branch.
The SaEoths were now not over two
hundred and fifty yards behind us. and
| saw that it was hopeless for us to
expect to escape other than by a ruse.
There was bare chance of saving Ghak
and Perry, and as ] reached the branch
ing OF the canyon | took the chance
Pausing there l waited until the fore
most Sagoth came into sight. Ghak and
Perry had disappeared round a bend in
the left'hand canyon, and as the Sagoth's
savage yell announced that he had seen
me ] turned and fed up the right-hand
branch. My ruse was successful, and the
entire party of manhunters raced head
long after me up one canyon, while Chalk
bore Perry to safety up the other.
CONTINUED MONDAY.