Page 146 (1/1)

From her position upon the opposite side of the field Tara of Heliu-drawn battle Always it seeht upon the defensive, or when he assus that her practiced eye beheld Never did he seeer, nor never did he appear to exert himself to quite the pitch needful for victory The duel already had been long contested and the day was drawing to a close Presently the sudden transition fro to the tenuity of the air upon Barsooht of Earth, would occur Would the fight never end? Would the game be called a draw after all? What ailed the Black Chief?

Tara wished that she ht answer at least the last of these questions for she was sure that Turan the panthan, as she knew hi of hiht She could not believe that fear was restraining his hand, but that there was so beside inability to push U-Dor more fiercely she was confident What it was, however, she could not guess

Once she saw Gahan glance quickly up toward the sinking sun In thirty minutes it would be dark And then she saw and all those others saw a strange transition steal over the swordplay of the Black Chief It was as though he had been playing with the great dwar, U-Dor, all these hours, and now he still played with him but there was a difference He played with him terribly as a carnivore plays with its victie Chief was helpless now in the hands of a swordsman so superior that there could be no comparison, and the people sat in open-mouthed wonder and awe as Gahan of Gathol cut his foe to ribbons and then struck him doith a blow that cleft him to the chin

In twenty minutes the sun would set But what of that?