Nitha laughed. "He desires me," she said. "I am the only woman on Earth. My mother died soon after I was born and since then all of the six members of our crew, save Jokar Ged, have cared for me. Last year Jokar Ged tried to take me away with him but I escaped and reported his treachery to Father. There has been war between them since that hour." "I do not wonder that Jokar Ged was in love with you," Rurak Dun said boldly. "You are lovelier than all the beautiful women of Mars." Nitha's clear blue eyes looked coldly into Rurak's admiring gray eyes and he knew that he had offended her. So in silence they hurried along the forest ways with Tis and the friendly insect men of the hilltop trailing along behind them, and the crimson birds circling above. * * * * * It happened so suddenly they had no chance to seek cover. One moment they were crossing a round hilltop, surrounded by the strange, jagged blue peaks of this unbelievable world. The next, with a sound of rushing wind, one of the hideous green thuftars was in their midst. Before Rurak could draw his ray-gun and fire, he felt the creature's scaly, lizard fingers wrapped about the protective collar of his throat. The world spun crazily, then began slowly to go black before his eyes. He was dimly aware of Nitha's voice. "Trak! Odap! Down, quickly," and the beating of pinions as the mighty birds settled to earth. Then miraculously the pressure about his throat was gone, and he shook his head to clear his sight. Blurred at first, then stronger he saw a startling scene. Nitha had mounted her chariot, and now, sharp spear poised stiffly before her, had sent her weird team into a headlong charge at the thuftar. The enraged beast tried to launch itself into the air to parry the attack, but he had waited too long. There was the sound of metal against a scaly breast, then Nitha and her bird-chariot had passed by, and the thuftar was clawing futilely at the shaft of the long spear that was buried deep within its body. With a last convulsive effort, he tore it loose, and foul green blood gushed from the jagged hole. He staggered a few steps, then fell gasping to the rocky ground. He twitched convulsively once, then lay still. Nitha again descended, and ran swiftly to Rurak. He raised himself on one knee and elbow, still breathing gaspingly. The insect men crowded about him with queer clacking noises. He staggered weakly to his feet. "I'm--I'm all right," he gasped. "Let's get on before more of them come." He smiled twistedly. "And thanks for the favor. I guess I wasn't much help." Nitha waved aside his thanks perfunctorily, and once again the little party moved forward. They came abruptly to the brink of a sheer cliff that dropped away perhaps thirty feet to a rock-strewn brushy slope. Down there a burly golden man, his massive chest and arms shaggy with a tangled mat of reddish hair, led a hideous horde of Yzaps from the distant Mossy Plains on to the attack.