"A tunnel that leads to the slave pens. Sometimes slaves are forced down it from the other side to feed the beast." My new friend chuckled grimly. "It will feast no more on human flesh! Come, follow me. We have slain the N'aal Beast—that will impress them. They will be even more impressed when they see we have vanished from the pens. With luck, we shall escape in the confusion."

I followed him into the tunnel.

As we moved along it, he told me his name. Movat Jard of the Clan Movat-Tyk—one of the great Argzoon clans in the old days, before Horguhl had reorganized the Argzoon nation. He told me that though the Argzoon feared Horguhl's power, they were now muttering against her. Her ambitious schemes of large-scale conquest had come to nothing—and Argzoon was decimated.

After some time, the dark runnel became a little lighter and ahead I saw some sort of slatted grating. It was of wood. Peering through it I saw a cavern lighted by a single torch.

Lying about on the floor, in attitudes of the utmost dejection, closely packed like cattle, naked and dirty, bearded and pale, were the remains of the great army that had been ambushed here earlier. Some hundred and fifty undernourished, spiritless slaves. I felt pity for them.

Movat Jard was hacking at the wooden grille with his axe. It soon fell and some of the slaves looked up in surprise as we entered. The smell of humanity was almost too much to bear, but I knew it was not their fault.

One fellow, who held himself straighter than the rest and was as tall as I, stepped forward. He had a heavy beard which he had endeavoured to keep clean, and his body rippled with muscle as if he had been deliberately keeping himself in training.

When he spoke his voice was deep and manlyeven dignified.

"I am Carnak," he said simply. "What means this? Who are you and how came you here? How did you evade the N'aal Beast?"

I did not only address him. I addressed them all, since they were all looking at us with something akin to hope in their eyes.

"The N'aal Beast is dead!" I announced. "We slew it—this is Movat Jard, my friend."

"An Argzoon your friend? Impossible!"

"Possible—and my life is witness to that!" I smiled at Movat Jard, who made an attempt to smile back, though when he bared his teeth he still looked menacing!

"Who are you?" asked the bearded man, Carnak.

"I am a stranger here—a stranger to your planet, but I am here to help you. Would you be free?"

"Of course," he said. A murmur of excitement ran round the cavern. Men began to get up, a new liveliness in their manner.

"You must be prepared to win such freedom dearly," I told them. "From somewhere we must get weapons."