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comprehension was almost staggered by what my eyes revealed to me, for there before me, was as
perfectly formed a human female as I had ever seen. By earthly standards, she appeared a girl of about
eighteen, with hair of glossy blackness, that suggested more the raven's wing than aught else and a skin of
almost marble whiteness, slightly tinged with a creamy shade. Only in the color of her skin, did she differ
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from earthly women in appearance, except that she seemed far more beautiful than they. Such perfection
of features seemed almost unbelievable. Had I seen her first posed motionless, I could have sworn that
she was chiseled from marble, yet there was nothing cold about her appearance. She fairly radiated life
and feeling. If my first impression had been startling, it was nothing to the effect that was produced when
she turned her eyes full upon me. Her black brows were two thin, penciled arches, beneath which were
dark wells of light, vying in blackness with her raven hair. On either cheek was just the faintest suggestion
of a deeper cream, and to think that these hideous creatures saw in that form divine only flesh to eat! I
shuddered at the thought and then my eyes met hers and I saw an expression of incredulity and surprise
registered in those liquid orbs. She half-turned her head as she was dragged past, that she might have a
further look at me, for doubtless she was as surprised to see a creature like me as I was to see her.
Involuntarily I started forward. Whether there was an appeal for succor in those eyes I do not know, but
at least they aroused within me instantly, that natural instinct of a human male to protect the weak. And so
it was that I was a little behind her and to her right, when she was halted before Ga-va-go.
The savage Va-gas' chieftain eyed her coldly, while from all sides there arose cries of "Give us flesh!
Give us flesh! We are hungry!" to which Ga-va-go paid not the slightest attention.
"From whence come you, U-ga?" he demanded.
Her head was high, and she eyed him with cold dignity as she replied, "From Laythe."
The No-van raised his brows. "Ah," he breathed, "from Laythe. The flesh of the women from Laythe is
good," and he licked his thin lips.
The girl narrowed her eyes, and tilted her chin a bit higher. "Rympth!" she ejaculated, disgustedly.
As rympth is the name of the four-legged snake of Va-nah, the inner lunar world, and considered the
lowest and most disgusting of created things, she could not well have applied a more opprobrious epithet
to the No-van chieftain, but if it had been her intent to affront him, his expression gave no indication that
she had succeeded.
"Your name?" he asked.
"Nah-ee-lah," she replied.
"Nah-ee-lah," he repeated, "Ah, you are the daughter of Sagroth, Jemadar of Laythe."
She nodded in indifferent affirmation, as though aught he might say was a matter of perfect indifference
to her.
"What do you expect us to do with you?" asked Ga-va-go, a question which suggested a cat playing
with a mouse before destroying it.
"What can I expect of the Va-gas, other than that they will kill me and eat me?" she replied.
A roar of savage assent arose from the creatures surrounding her. Ga-va-go flashed a quick look of
anger and displeasure at his people.
"Do not be too sure of that," he snapped. "This be little more than a meal for Ga-va-go alone. It would
but whet the appetite of the tribe."
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"There are two more," suggested a bold warrior, close beside me, pointing at me and at Orthis.
"Silence!" roared Ga-va-go. "Since when did you become chief of the No-vans?"
"We can starve without a chief," muttered the warrior who had spoken, and from two or three about him
arose grumblings of assent.
Swift, at that, Ga-va-go reared upon his hind feet, and in the same motion, drew and buried his spear,
the sharp point penetrating the breast of the malcontent, piercing his heart. As the creature fell, the
warrior closest to him slit his throat, while another withdrew Ga-va-go's spear from the corpse, and
returned it to the chief.
"Divide the carcass among you," commanded the chief, "and whosoever thinks that there is not enough,
let him speak as that one spoke, and there shall be more flesh to eat."
Thus did Ga-va-go, chief of the No-vans, hold the obedience of his savage tribesmen. There was no
more muttering then, but I saw several cast hungry eyes at me -- hungry, angry eyes that boded me no
good.
In what seemed an incredibly short space of time, the carcass of the slain warrior had been divided and
devoured, and once again we set out upon the march, in search of new fields to conquer, and fresh flesh
to eat.
Now Ga-va-go sent scouts far in advance of the point, for we were entering territory which he had not
invaded for a long time, a truth which was evidenced by the fact that there were only about twenty
warriors in the tribe, besides Ga-va-go, who were at all familiar with the territory. Naturally quarrelsome
and disagreeable, the No-vans were far from pleasant companions upon that memorable march, since
they had not recovered from the fright and discomforts of the storm and, in addition, were ravenously
hungry. I imagine that none, other than Ga-va-go, could have held them. What his purpose was in
preserving the three prisoners, that would have made such excellent food for the tribe, I did not know.
However, we were not slain, though I judged the fellow who carried me, would much sooner have eaten
me, and to vent his spite upon me he trotted as much as he could, and I can assure you that he had the
most devilishly execrable trot I ever sat. I felt that he was rather running the thing into the ground, for he
had an easy rack, which would have made it much more comfortable for both of us, and inasmuch as I
knew that I was safe as long as I was under Ga-va-go's protection, I made up my mind to teach the
fellow a lesson, which I finally did, although almost as much to my discomfort as his, by making no effort
to ease myself upon his back so that at every step I rose high and came down hard upon him, sitting as
far back as possible so as to pound his kidneys painfully. It made him very angry and be threatened me
with all kinds of things if I didn't desist, but I only answered by suggesting that he take an easier gait,
which at last he was forced to do.
Orthis was riding ahead with Ga-va-go, who as usual led the point, while the new prisoner astride a
No-van warrior was with the main body, as was I.
Once the warriors that we bestrode paced side by side, and I saw the girl eyeing me questioningly. She
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