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He had descended for what he judged , as he occasionally did, to listen, when he distinctly heard a peculiar shuffling, scraping sound approaching hi the runway at a steady pace and would soon be near him Gahan laid his hand upon the hilt of his sword and drew it slowly froht make no noise that would apprise the creature of his presence He wished that thereof the darkness If he could see but the outline of the thing that approached hi; but he could see nothing, and then because he could see nothing the end of his scabbard struck the stone side of the runway, giving off a sound that the stillness and the narrow confines of the passage and the darkness seenify to a terrific clatter

Instantly the shuffling sound of approach ceased For aaside discretion he ht be, gave forth no sound nohich Gahan ht be upon him and so he kept his sword in readiness Down, ever doard the steep spiral led The darkness and the silence of the to He was not alone in that horrid place-another presence that he could not hear or see hovered before hi that had stolen Tara Perhaps Tara herself, still in the clutches of some nameless horror, was just ahead of hiht of the danger that threatened the woman he loved, and then he collided with a wooden door that swung open to the ihted corridor On either side were chambers He had advanced but a short distance fronized that he was in the pits below the palace Asound that had attracted his attention in the spiral runway Wheeling about he saw the author of the sound e from a doorway he had just passed It was Ghek the kaldane

"Ghek!" exclaimed Gahan "It was you in the runway? Have you seen Tara of Helium?"

"It was I in the spiral," replied the kaldane; "but I have not seen Tara of Heliu for her Where is she?"