(as many women have shown themselves); but, at any rate, it was
clear that she was going to make a struggle for her life, and to do
vicious damage, it might be, before she yielded it up. The
watchers behind the arrow-slits recognized this. Their wagers, and
the hum of their appreciation, swept loudly round the ring of the
circus.

They stripped their prisoners, before they thrust them out to
this death, of all the clothes they might carry, for clothes have
a value; and so the woman stood there bare-limbed in the moonlight.

She clapped her back to the great stone door by which she had
entered, and faced fate with glowing eye. Gods! there have been
times in early years when I could have plucked out sword and jumped
down, and fought for her there for the sheer delight of such a
battle. But now policy restrained me. The individual might want
a helping hand, but it was becoming more and more clear that
Atlantis wanted a minister also; and before these great needs, the
lesser ones perforce must perish. Still, be it noted that, if I
did not jump down, no other man there that night had sufficient
manhood remaining to venture the opportunity.

My heart glowed as I watched her. She picked a bone from the
litter on the pavement and beat off its head by blows against the
wall. Then with her teeth she fashioned the point to still further
sharpness. I could see her teeth glisten white in the moonrays as
she bit with them.

The huge cave-tigers, which stood as high as her head as they
walked, came nearer to her in their prowlings, yet obviously