Down went the Galu
and Kro-lu warriors like tenpins before that deadly fusillade.
What could it mean? To me it meant but one thing, and that was
that Hollis and Short and the others had scaled the cliffs and made
their way north to the Galu country upon the opposite side of the
island in time to save Ajor and me from almost certain death. I
didn't have to have an introduction to them to know that the men
who held those rifles were the men of my own party; and when, a
few minutes later, they came forth from their concealment, my eyes
verified my hopes. There they were, every man-jack of them; and
with them were a thousand straight, sleek warriors of the Galu
race; and ahead of the others came two men in the garb of Galus.
Each was tall and straight and wonderfully muscled; yet they differed
as Ace might differ from a perfect specimen of another species.
As they approached the mire, Ajor held forth her arms and cried,
"Jor, my chief! My father!" and the elder of the two rushed in
knee-deep to rescue her, and then the other came close and looked
into my face, and his eyes went wide, and mine too, and I cried:
"Bowen! For heaven's sake, Bowen Tyler!"
It was he. My search was ended. Around me were all my company
and the man we had searched a new world to find. They cut saplings
from the forest and laid a road into the swamp before they could
get us all out, and then we marched back to the city of Jor the
Galu chief, and there was great rejoicing when Ajor came home again
mounted upon the glossy back of the stallion Ace.
Pages:
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155