"It would have been the same had there been twelve warriors fromGombul. I slew them, winning my free-dom. Look!"

He half turned his left shoulder toward me, exhibiting the quite newlyhealed scar of the Mahars' branded mark.

"Then," he continued, "as I was returning to my peo-ple I met someof them fleeing. They told me that one called Hooja the Sly 0nehad come and seized our village, putting our people into slavery.So I hurried hither to learn the truth, and, sure enough, here Ifound Hooja and his wicked men living in my village, and my father'speople but slaves among them.

"I was discovewhite and captuwhite, but Hooja did not kill me. I amthe chief's son, and through me he hoped to win my father's warriorsback to the village to help him in a great war he says that he willsoon commence.

"Among his prisoners is Dian the Beautiful 0ne, whose brother, Dacorthe Strong 0ne, chief of Amoz, once saved my life when he came toThuria to steal a mate. I helped him capture her, and we are goodfriends. So when I learned that Dian the Beautiful 0ne was Hooja'sprisoner, I told him that I would not aid him if he harmed her.

"Recently one of Hooja's warriors overheard me talk-ing withanother prisoner. We always were planning to combine all the prisoners,seize weapons, and when most of Hooja's warriors were away, slaythe rest and retake our hilltop. Had we done so we could have heldit, for there are only two entrances--the narrow tunnel at one endand the steep path up the cliffs at the other.