den beneath the surface to devour him. The huge, snakelike body
coiled and uncoiled about its prey. The hideous, gaping jaws
snapped in the victim's face. The forked tongue, lightning-like,
ran in and out upon the copper skin.

Nobly the giant battled for his life, beating with his stone hatchet
against the bony armor that covered that frightful carcass; but
for all the damage he inflicted he might as well have struck with
his open palm.

At last I could endure no longer to sit supinely by while a fellowman
was dragged down to a horrible death by that repulsive reptile.
Embedded in the prow of the skiff lay the spear that had been cast
after me by him whom I suddenly desired to save. With a wrench I
tore it loose, and standing upright in the wobbly log drove it with
all the strength of my two arms straight into the gaping jaws of
the hydrophidian.

With a loud hiss the creature abandoned its prey to turn upon me,
but the spear, imbedded in its throat, prevented it from seizing
me though it came near to overturning the skiff in its mad efforts
to reach me.



VIII

THE MAHAR TEMPLE