Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1924 — page 148: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Ld at eed TARZAN AND THE ANT-MEN. _ V7? found the saddle well designed and the diadet easily controlled. “They will be following me from the King’s Corridor,” explained -Oratharc, the warrior who had fetched the diadets. « It would be best, then, to leave Le one of the others.” ‘“ Trohanadalmakus is east of Veltoptis- makus,” said Zoanthrohago, “and if we leave by the Women’s Corridor with two slaves from Trohanadalmakus they will as- sume that we are going there; but if we leave by another. corridor they will not be sure, and if they. lose even a little. time in starting the pursuit it will give us just that much of an advantage. If we go straight toward Trohanadalmakus we shall almost certainly be overtaken, as the swiftest of diadets will be used in our pursuit. ‘“Qur only hope lies in deceiving them as to our route or destination, and to ac- complish this I believe. that we should leave either by the Warriors’ Corridor or the Slaves’: Corridor, cross the hills north of the city, circle far out to the north and east, not turning south until we aré well past Trohanadalmakus. In this way we can approach that city: from the east while our pursuers are patrolling the country west | of Trohanadalmakus to Veltoptismakus.”’ ‘‘ Let us leave by the Warriors’ Corridor, then,” suggested Janzara. ‘é The trees and shrubbery will. conceal us while we pass around to the north of the city,” said Komodoflorensal. “ We should leave at once,” urged Ora- tharc. “Go first, then, with the princess,” said Zoanthrohago, for there is a possibility ‘that the guard at the entrance will Jet her pass with her party. We will muffle our- selves well with our warriors’ cloaks. Come, lead the way!” - With Janzara and Oratharc ahead and the others following closely, they moved at a steady trot along the circular corridor toward the Warriors’ Corridor, and it was not until they had turned into ‘the latter that any sign of pursuit developed. Even then, although they heard the voices of men behind them, they hesitated to break into a faster gait lest they arouse the suspicions of the warriors in the guard room which they must pass near the mouth of the cor- ridor. Never had the Warriors’ Corridor seemed so long to any of the Veltoptismakusians in the party as it did this night; never had they so wished to race their diadets as now;. but they held their mounts to an even pace that would.never have suggested to the most suspicious that here were six persons seeking escape, most of them from death. . They had come almost to the exit when they were aware that the pursuit had turned into the Warriors’ Corridor behind them, and that their pursuers were advancing at a rapid gait. Janzara and Oratharc drew up beside the sentry at the mouth of the corridor as he stepped out to bar their progress. “The Princess Janzara!’’ announced Oratharc. ‘‘ Aside for the Princess Jan- zara!”’ : : . The princess thre” hack the hood of the watrior’s cloak she wore, .. ealing her fea- ‘tures, well known to every warrior’in the Royal Dome—and well feared. The fellow hesitated. “ Aside, man,” cried the princess, “ or I ride you down!” A great shout arose behind them. War- tiors on swiftly galloping diadets leaped along the corridor toward them. The war- riors. were shouting something, the sense of which was hidden by the distance and the noise, but the ‘sentry was suspicious. “Wait until I call the Novand of the Guard, princess,” he cried. ‘ Something ‘is amiss, and I dare let no one pass with- out authority; but wait! here he is.” And the party turned.in their saddles to see a Novand emerging from the door of the guard room, followed by a number of war- riors. “ Ride!” cried Janzara, and spurred her diadet straight for the single sentry in their path. The others lifted their mounts quickly in pursuit. The-sentry went down, striking valiantly with his rapier at the legs and bel- lies of flying diadets.. The Novand and his men rushed from the guard room just in time to collide with the pursuers, whom they immediately assumed were belated members of the fleeing party. The brief comiclooolks