a Sagoth of the detachment that had pursued and overtaken them.

At the intelligence my heart sprang to my throat, for I was sure
that the two were of those who escaped in the dark grotto with
Hooja the Sly One, and that Dian must be the woman. Ghak thought
so too, as did Perry.

"Is there naught that we may do to save her?" I asked Ghak.

"Naught," he replied.

Along the crowded avenue we marched, the guards showing unusual
cruelty toward us, as though we, too, had been implicated in the
murder of their fellow. The occasion was to serve as an object-lesson
to all other slaves of the danger and futility of attempted escape,
and the fatal consequences of taking the life of a superior being,
and so I imagine that Sagoths felt amply justified in making the
entire proceeding as uncomfortable and painful to us as possible.

They jabbed us with their spears and struck at us with the hatchets
at the least provocation, and at no provocation at all. It was a
most uncomfortable half-hour that we spent before we were finally
herded through a low entrance into a huge building the center of
which was given up to a good-sized arena. Benches surrounded this
open space upon three sides, and along the fourth were heaped huge
bowlders which rose in receding tiers toward the roof.

At first I couldn't make out the purpose of this mighty pile of
rock, unless it were intended as a rough and picturesque background
for the scenes which were enacted in the arena before it, but