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of the bleak northland。
Once more I stepped beyond the tunnel's mouth to find the
fresh tracks of Thurid and Dejah Thoris in the new…fallen snow。
Now； at last； was my task an easy one； for though the going was
rough in the extreme； I was no longer vexed by doubts as to the
direction I should follow； or harassed by darkness or hidden dangers。
Through a snow…covered canyon the way led up toward the summit
of low hills。 Beyond these it dipped again into another canon；
only to rise a quarter…mile farther on toward a pass which skirted
the flank of a rocky hill。
I could see by the signs of those who had gone before that when
Dejah Thoris had walked she had been continually holding back；
and that the black man had been compelled to drag her。 For other
stretches only his foot…prints were visible； deep and close
together in the heavy snow； and I knew from these signs that then
he had been forced to carry her； and I could well imagine that she
had fought him fiercely every step of the way。
As I came round the jutting promontory of the hill's shoulder I
saw that which quickened my pulses and set my heart to beating high；
for within a tiny basin between the crest of this hill and the next
stood four people before the mouth of a great cave； and beside them
upon the gleaming snow rested a flier which had evidently but just
been dragged from its hiding place。
The four were Dejah Thoris； Phaidor； Thurid； and Matai Shang。
The two men were engaged in a heated argumentthe Father of Therns
threatening； while the black scoffed at him as he went about the
work at which he was engaged。
As I crept toward them cautiously that I might come as near as
possible before being discovered； I saw that finally the men
appeared to have reached some sort of a compromise； for with
Phaidor's assistance they both set about dragging the resisting
Dejah Thoris to the flier's deck。
Here they made her fast； and then both again descended to the ground
to complete the preparations for departure。 Phaidor entered the
small cabin upon the vessel's deck。
I had come to within a quarter of a mile of them when Matai Shang
espied me。 I saw him seize Thurid by the shoulder； wheeling him
around in my direction as he pointed to where I was now plainly
visible； for the moment that I knew I had been perceived I cast aside
every attempt at stealth and broke into a mad race for the flier。
The two redoubled their efforts at the propeller at which
they were working； and which very evidently was being replaced
after having been removed for some purpose of repair。
They had the thing completed before I had covered half the
distance that lay between me and them； and then both made a rush
for the boarding…ladder。
Thurid was the first to reach it； and with the agility of a
monkey clambered swiftly to the boat's deck； where a touch of the
button controlling the buoyancy tanks sent the craft slowly upward；
though not with the speed that marks the well…conditioned flier。
I was still some hundred yards away as I saw them rising from my grasp。
Back by the city of Kadabra lay a great fleet of mighty fliers
the ships of Helium and Ptarth that I had saved from destruction
earlier in the day； but before ever I could reach them Thurid
could easily make good his escape。
As I ran I saw Matai Shang clambering up the swaying； swinging
ladder toward the deck； while above him leaned the evil face of the
First Born。 A trailing rope from the vessel's stern put new hope
in me； for if I could but reach it before it whipped too high above
my head there was yet a chance to gain the deck by its slender aid。
That there was something radically wrong with the flier was evident
from its lack of buoyancy； and the further fact that though Thurid
had turned twice to the starting lever the boat still hung motionless
in the air； except for a slight drifting with a low breeze from the north。
Now Matai Shang was close to the gunwale。 A long； claw…like
hand was reaching up to grasp the metal rail。
Thurid leaned farther down toward his co…conspirator。
Suddenly a raised dagger gleamed in the upflung hand of the black。
Down it drove toward the white face of the Father of Therns。
With a loud shriek of fear the Holy Hekkador grasped frantically
at that menacing arm。
I was almost to the trailing rope by now。 The craft was still
rising slowly； the while it drifted from me。 Then I stumbled on
the icy way； striking my head upon a rock as I fell sprawling but
an arm's length from the rope； the end of which was now just
leaving the ground。
With the blow upon my head came unconsciousness。
It could not have been more than a few seconds that I lay
senseless there upon the northern ice； while all that was
dearest to me drifted farther from my reach in the clutches of
that black fiend； for when I opened my eyes Thurid and Matai Shang
yet battled at the ladder's top； and the flier drifted but a
hundred yards farther to the southbut the end of the trailing
rope was now a good thirty feet above the ground。
Goaded to madness by the cruel misfortune that had tripped me
when success was almost within my grasp； I tore frantically across
the intervening space； and just beneath the rope's dangling end I
put my earthly muscles to the supreme test。
With a mighty； catlike bound I sprang upward toward that slender
strandthe only avenue which yet remained that could carry
me to my vanishing love。
A foot above its lowest end my fingers closed。 Tightly as I
clung I felt the rope slipping； slipping through my grasp。
I tried to raise my free hand to take a second hold above my first；
but the change of position that resulted caused me to slip more
rapidly toward the end of the rope。
Slowly I felt the tantalizing thing escaping me。 In a moment all
that I had gained would be lostthen my fingers reached a knot
at the very end of the rope and slipped no more。
With a prayer of gratitude upon my lips I scrambled upward toward
the boat's deck。 I could not see Thurid and Matai Shang now；
but I heard the sounds of conflict and thus knew that they
still foughtthe thern for his life and the black for the
increased buoyancy that relief from the weight of even a single
body would give the craft。
Should Matai Shang die before I reached the deck my chances of
ever reaching it would be slender indeed； for the black dator need
but cut the rope above me to be freed from me forever； for the
vessel had drifted across the brink of a chasm into whose yawning
depths my body would drop to be crushed to a shapeless pulp should
Thurid reach the rope now。
At last my hand closed upon the ship's rail and that very
instant a horrid shriek rang out below me that sent my blood cold
and turned my horrified eyes downward to a shrieking； hurtling；
twisting thing that shot downward into the awful chasm beneath me。