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Above the roof of the palace that housed the Jed of Gathol and his entourage, the cruiser Vanator tore at her stout ale, while the worried faces of those members of the crehose duties deave corroborative evidence of the gravity of the situation Only stout lashings prevented theseswept from the deck, while those upon the roof beloere constantly co to rails and stanchions to save the carried away by each new burst of meteoric fury Upon the prow of the Vanator was painted the device of Gathol, but no pennants were displayed in the upper works since the storm had carried away several in rapid succession, just as it see men that it must carry away the ship itself They could not believe that any tackle could withstand for long this Titanic force To each of the twelve lashings clung a braarrior with drawn short-sword Had but a single iven to the power of the tempest eleven short-swords would have cut the others; since, partially moored, the ship was dooht chance for life
"By the blood of Issus, I believe they will hold!" screamed one warrior to another
"And if they do not hold may the spirits of our ancestors reward the brave warriors upon the Vanator," replied another of those upon the roof of the palace, "for it will not be long from the moment her cables part before her crew dons the leather of the dead; but yet, Tanus, I believe they will hold Give thanks at least that we did not sail before the tempest fell, since now each of us has a chance to live"
"Yes," replied Tanus, "I should hate to be abroad today upon the stoutest ship that sails the Barsoomian sky"
It was then that Gahan the Jed appeared upon the roof With him were the balance of his own party and a dozen warriors of Heliu chief turned to his followers
"I sail at once upon the Vanator," he said, "in search of Tara of Heliuht to have been carried away upon a one-man flier by the storm I do not need to explain to you the slender chances the Vanator has to withstand the fury of the tempest, nor will I order you to your deaths Let those ish remain behind without dishonor The others will follow me," and he leaped for the rope ladder that lashed wildly in the gale