A hiss from the bushes halted him in his tracks, until Vaneen whispered his name. "Good!" Yorgh whispered back, reaching out to touch her arm. "Are you cold? Then, let's move. Be very quiet till we get out of the village!" He led the way through some of the narrower alleyways and they sneaked out of the sleeping village by way of someone's garden. When they had a little distance, Yorgh returned to the trail. "Where are we going?" asked Vaneen. "I saw the trail this morning, a little beyond the pond. It must lead to the shrine they talk of, up the mountain. I could see marks on the cliff like steps, when I looked through the trees." "Oh! They talked about that shrine in the kitchen when they thought I wasn't listening," volunteered the girl. "They said Ueln was wrong to mention it before you." "Did they say what it is?" "No, except that no one ever goes there, and the old stories say the Raydowers were set here to guard it." "So no one goes there! Good! That's what I hoped for." Yorgh set off briskly along the path, intent upon not missing the junction with the trail he wanted. Even so, in the dark, he would have gone past, had not a voice spoken out sharply. "Who's there?" Yorgh froze, so promptly that Vaneen bumped into him. "Ueln," he answered with the first name that came to him. Then he saw a darker patch move among the bushes. Who'd have thought they'd be strict enough to keep a sentry on the trail? he thought. "You lie!" charged the sentry, overcoming his hesitation. "You are twice Ueln's size--ah, I know you now, Hunter! Ho--Kansi!" Yorgh drew his club and hurled it at where he thought the man's head would be. There was a smack of wood as the other instinctively raised the shaft of his spear before his face. * * * * * Then Yorgh was upon him, bearing him savagely to the ground. One big hand seized the mountain man's throat. When he grabbed at it with both of his own, Yorgh's other fist rose and fell like a hammer. The hunter stood up, listening. Then, stooping swiftly, he groped at the sentry's belt and handed the man's knife to Vaneen. "We must move fast now," he warned her in an undertone. "I do not like the idea of this 'Kansi' he called to knowing where we are." "I think someone shouted from the village also," whispered the girl. "Come, then!" said Yorgh, and plunged into the entrance of the trail to the cliff. Within a short distance, it became a steep grade. Yorgh prudently slowed to save their legs for the real climb ahead. A moment later, he congratulated himself for doing this, for they came upon the other sentry leaning on his spear where the bushes opened to form a clearing at the foot of a stone stairway. "Stay here!" Yorgh breathed with his lips touching Vaneen's ear. "I'll try to creep around behind him." "I can do better than that," whispered the girl, pushing against his arm to force him behind a shrub.