The curiosity of the band satisfied, the leader, who had evidently
chosen Sana for his own, picked her up and carried her into the cave.
This was quite large, one side of the floor being strewn with the skins
of wild animals. On these Sana was thrown. The savage walked away, but
returned and sat down at her side.
With leering eyes he contemplated her figure, growling in a fearful
manner. Sana could not understand his words, but shivered as she
realized the meaning of his gestures. He reached over to untie her
feet, but the touch of his rough hands on her limbs made her desperate.
Summoning her strength, she kicked him in the side.
With what might have been a chuckle, he rose to his feet and walked to
the other end of the cave. Returning with a club he shook it at the
girl and threw it down at her side. Fearing an attack, Sana, covering
her face with her hands, shrieked pitifully.
The caveman, however, made no attempt to touch her, but after looking
at her for a time, turned and left the cave.
Greatly relieved, Sana drew herself up to a sitting position and looked
around the cave. In the gloom she could see little, but she noticed
that on the walls behind her were drawings of animals, while here and
there were bows and arrows lying among the skins on the floor.
A sound came to her ears, and looking in the direction from which it
came, she could distinguish in the gloom of the cavern, a young woman
tending a new-born babe.
The mother paid no attention to Sana, nor was she disturbed the rest of
the day.
With nightfall, however, the whole band entered the cave, bringing
Cintani with them. Cintani was thrown to the floor at Sana’s side,
while the others, men, women and children, lay down in huddled heaps to
sleep.
Sana’s first words to Cintani were, “Where did those brutes come from?”
“About a week ago Amshied and his gang, who luckily were away, when you
were there, returned with them. What he wanted to do with them, I do
not know, but he kept them locked up in a room. I believe he was afraid
of them himself. They must have escaped in the fire.”
“But what will become of us?”
“I believe I have a way. I had no love for Amshied. I was sold to him
as a slave. One day I stole a vial of poison, intending to kill myself.
My courage failed me, but ever since that day I have carried it with
me. I have it now. If I ever get the chance I shall poison them.”
“If you only could. But how could we get away from here? We would never
find our way.”
“But our horses are here. I saw them. They brought them along too.”
Overjoyed with these words, Sana started to say something, but was
interrupted by the arrival of one of the men, who taking Cintani in his
arms, carried her to the darkness of the other side of the cave.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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