Without noise he removed the ladder and the sapling that he had used in his ascent, laying them upon the ground at the foot of the cliff. This would halt, temporarily, any pursuit until the cave men could bring other ladders from the higher levels, where they doubtless had them hidden. But no pursuit developed, and Thurg disappeared into the dark forest with his prize. For a long distance he carried her, his little pig eyes searching and straining to right and left into the black night for the first sign of savage beast. The half atrophied muscles of his little ears, still responding to an almost dead instinct, strove to prick those misshapen members forward that they might catch the first crackling of dead leaves beneath the padded paw of the fanged night prowlers. But the wood seemed dead. No living creature appeared to thwart the beast-man's evil intent. Far behind him Thandar slept. Thurg grinned. The moon broke through the clouds, splotching the ground all silver green beneath the forest trees. Nadara awoke from her swoon. They were in a little open glade. Instantly she recalled the happenings that had immediately preceded her unconsciousness. In the moonlight she recognized Thurg. He was smirking horribly down into her upturned face. Thandar had often talked with her of religion. He had taught her of his God, and now the girl thanked Him that Thurg was still too low in the scale of evolution to have learned to kiss. To have had that matted beard, those flabby, pendulous lips pressed to hers! It was too horrible--she closed her eyes in disgust. Thurg lowered her to her feet. With one hand he still clutched her shoulder. She saw him standing there before her--his greedy, blood-shot eyes devouring her. His awful lips shook and trembled as his hot breath sucked quickly in and out in excited gasps. She knew that the end was coming. Frantically she cast about her for some means of defense or escape. Thurg was drawing her toward him. Suddenly she drew back her clenched fist and struck him full in the mouth, then, tearing herself from his grasp, she turned and fled. But in a moment he was upon her. Seizing her roughly by the shoulders he shook her viciously, hurling her to the ground. The blood from his wounded lips dropped upon her face and throat. From the distance came a deep toned, thunderous rumbling. Thurg raised his head and listened. Again and again came that awesome sound. "The Great Nagoola is coming to punish you," whispered Nadara. Thurg still remained squatting beside her. She had ceased to fight, for now she felt that a greater power than hers was intervening to save her. The ground beneath them trembled, shook and then tossed frightfully. The rumbling and the roaring became deafening. Thurg, his passion frozen in the face of this new terror, rose to his feet. For a moment there was a lull, then came another and more terrific shock.