he said.

"There is no way," replied the girl.

Bradley made no response, and in silence they continued until the

outer edge of roofs was visible before them. "We are almost

there," he whispered.

The girl felt for his fingers and pressed them. He could feel

hers trembling as he returned the pressure, nor did he relinquish

her hand; and thus they came to the edge of the last roof.

Here they halted and looked about them. To be seen attempting to

descend to the ground below would be to betray the fact that they

were not Wieroos. Bradley wished that their wings were attached

to their bodies by sinew and muscle rather than by ropes of fiber.

A Wieroo was flapping far overhead. Two more stood near a door a

few yards distant. Standing between these and one of the outer

pedestals that supported one of the numerous skulls Bradley made

one end of a piece of rope fast about the pedestal and dropped

the other end to the ground outside the city. Then they waited.

It was an hour before the coast was entirely clear and then a

moment came when no Wieroo was in sight. "Now!" whispered

Bradley; and the girl grasped the rope and slid over the edge of

the roof into the darkness below. A moment later Bradley felt

two quick pulls upon the rope and immediately followed to the

girl's side.

Across a narrow clearing they made their way and into a wood beyond.

All night they walked, following the river upward toward its source,

and at dawn they took shelter in a thicket beside the stream. At no

time did they hear the cry of a carnivore, and though many startled

<<BackPagesTo menuNext>>