"He joined us," explained Perry, "and would not be denied. The fellow is a fox. He scents3 escape, and rather than be thwarted4 of our chance now I told him that I would bring him to you, and let you decide whether he might accompany us."
I had no love for Hooja, and no confidence in him. I was sure that if he thought it would profit him he would betray us; but I saw no way out of it now, and the fact that I had killed four Mahars instead of only the three I had expected to, made it possible to include the fellow in our scheme of escape.
"Very well," I said, "you may come with us, Hooja; but at the first intimation of treachery I shall run my sword through you. Do you understand?"
He said that he did.
Some time later we had removed the skins from the four Mahars, and so succeeded in crawling inside of them ourselves that there seemed an excellent chance for us to pass unnoticed from Phutra. It was not an easy thing to fasten the hides together where we had split them along the belly5 to remove them from their carcasses, but by remaining out until the others had all been sewed in with my help, and then leaving an aperture6 in the breast of Perry's skin through which he could pass his hands to sew me up, we were enabled to accomplish our design to really much better purpose than I had hoped. We managed to keep the heads erect7 by passing our swords up through the necks, and by the same means were enabled to move them about in a life-like manner. We had our greatest difficulty with the webbed feet, but even that problem was finally solved, so that when we moved about we did so quite naturally. Tiny holes punctured8 in the baggy9 throats into which our heads were thrust permitted us to see well enough to guide our progress.
Thus we started up toward the main floor of the building. Ghak headed the strange procession, then came Perry, followed by Hooja, while I brought up the rear, after admonishing10 Hooja that I had so arranged my sword that I could thrust it through the head of my disguise into his vitals were he to show any indication of faltering11.
As the noise of hurrying feet warned me that we were entering the busy corridors of the main level, my heart came up into my mouth. It is with no sense of shame that I admit that I was frightened—never before in my life, nor since, did I experience any such agony of soulsearing fear and suspense12 as enveloped13 me. If it be possible to sweat blood, I sweat it then.
Slowly, after the manner of locomotion14 habitual15 to the Mahars, when they are not using their wings, we crept through throngs16 of busy slaves, Sagoths, and Mahars. After what seemed an eternity17 we reached the outer door which leads into the main avenue of Phutra. Many Sagoths loitered near the opening. They glanced at Ghak as he padded between them. Then Perry passed, and then Hooja. Now it was my turn, and then in a sudden fit of freezing terror I realized that the warm blood from my wounded arm was trickling18 down through the dead foot of the Mahar skin I wore and leaving its tell-tale mark upon the pavement, for I saw a Sagoth call a companion's attention to it.
The guard stepped before me and pointing to my bleeding foot spoke19 to me in the sign language which these two races employ as a means of communication. Even had I known what he was saying I could not have replied with the dead thing that covered me. I once had seen a great Mahar freeze a presumptuous20 Sagoth with a look. It seemed my only hope, and so I tried it. Stopping in my tracks I moved my sword so that it made the dead head appear to turn inquiring eyes upon the gorilla-man. For a long moment I stood perfectly21 still, eyeing the fellow with those dead eyes. Then I lowered the head and started slowly on. For a moment all hung in the balance, but before I touched him the guard stepped to one side, and I passed on out into the avenue.
On we went up the broad street, but now we were safe for the very numbers of our enemies that surrounded us on all sides. Fortunately, there was a great concourse of Mahars repairing to the shallow lake which lies a mile or more from the city. They go there to indulge their amphibian22 proclivities23 in diving for small fish, and enjoying the cool depths of the water. It is a fresh-water lake, shallow, and free from the larger reptiles24 which make the use of the great seas of Pellucidar impossible for any but their own kind.
In the thick of the crowd we passed up the steps and out onto the plain. For some distance Ghak remained with the stream that was traveling toward the lake, but finally, at the bottom of a little gully he halted, and there we remained until all had passed and we were alone. Then, still in our disguises, we set off directly away from Phutra.
The heat of the vertical25 rays of the sun was fast making our horrible prisons unbearable26, so that after passing a low divide, and entering a sheltering forest, we finally discarded the Mahar skins that had brought us thus far in safety.
I shall not weary you with the details of that bitter and galling27 flight. How we traveled at a dogged run until we dropped in our tracks. How we were beset28 by strange and terrible beasts. How we barely escaped the cruel fangs29 of lions and tigers the size of which would dwarf30 into pitiful insignificance31 the greatest felines32 of the outer world.
On and on we raced, our one thought to put as much distance between ourselves and Phutra as possible. Ghak was leading us to his own land—the land of Sari. No sign of pursuit had developed, and yet we were sure that somewhere behind us relentless33 Sagoths were dogging our tracks. Ghak said they never failed to hunt down their quarry34 until they had captured it or themselves been turned back by a superior force.
Our only hope, he said, lay in reaching his tribe which was quite strong enough in their mountain fastness to beat off any number of Sagoths.
At last, after what seemed months, and may, I now realize, have been years, we came in sight of the dun escarpment which buttressed35 the foothills of Sari. At almost the same instant, Hooja, who looked ever quite as much behind as before, announced that he could see a body of men far behind us topping a low ridge36 in our wake. It was the long-expected pursuit.
I asked Ghak if we could make Sari in time to escape them.
"We may," he replied; "but you will find that the Sagoths can move with incredible swiftness, and as they are almost tireless they are doubtless much fresher than we. Then—" he paused, glancing at Perry.
I knew what he meant. The old man was exhausted37. For much of the period of our flight either Ghak or I had half supported him on the march. With such a handicap, less fleet pursuers than the Sagoths might easily overtake us before we could scale the rugged38 heights which confronted us.
"You and Hooja go on ahead," I said. "Perry and I will make it if we are able. We cannot travel as rapidly as you two, and there is no reason why all should be lost because of that. It can't be helped—we have simply to face it."
"I will not desert a companion," was Ghak's simple reply. I hadn't known that this great, hairy, primeval man had any such nobility of character stowed away inside him. I had always liked him, but now to my liking39 was added honor and respect. Yes, and love.
But still I urged him to go on ahead, insisting that if he could reach his people he might be able to bring out a sufficient force to drive off the Sagoths and rescue Perry and myself.
No, he wouldn't leave us, and that was all there was to it, but he suggested that Hooja might hurry on and warn the Sarians of the king's danger. It didn't require much urging to start Hooja—the naked idea was enough to send him leaping on ahead of us into the foothills which we now had reached.
Perry realized that he was jeopardizing40 Ghak's life and mine and the old fellow fairly begged us to go on without him, although I knew that he was suffering a perfect anguish41 of terror 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 Ghak's speed he still could travel faster thus than when half supporting the stumbling old man.
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1
thong
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| n.皮带；皮鞭；v.装皮带 | |
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2
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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3
scents
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| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
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4
thwarted
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| 阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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5
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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6
aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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7
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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8
punctured
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| v.在（某物）上穿孔( puncture的过去式和过去分词 )；刺穿（某物）；削弱（某人的傲气、信心等）；泄某人的气 | |
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9
baggy
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| adj.膨胀如袋的，宽松下垂的 | |
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10
admonishing
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| v.劝告( admonish的现在分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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11
faltering
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| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
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12
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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13
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
locomotion
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| n.运动，移动 | |
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habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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16
throngs
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| n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群，挤满( throng的第三人称单数 ) | |
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17
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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18
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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19
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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20
presumptuous
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| adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的 | |
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21
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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22
amphibian
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| n.两栖动物；水陆两用飞机和车辆 | |
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23
proclivities
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| n.倾向，癖性( proclivity的名词复数 ) | |
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24
reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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25
vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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26
unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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galling
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| adj.难堪的,使烦恼的,使焦躁的 | |
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beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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29
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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30
dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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31
insignificance
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| n.不重要；无价值；无意义 | |
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32
felines
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| n.猫科动物( feline的名词复数 ) | |
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33
relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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34
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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35
buttressed
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| v.用扶壁支撑，加固( buttress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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37
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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38
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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39
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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40
jeopardizing
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| 危及，损害( jeopardize的现在分词 ) | |
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41
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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