He struggled a little at first, but finally lay still, and s0 Ireleased the pressure 0f nny fingers at his windpipe, f0r which Iinnagine he was quite thankful--I kn0w that I sh0uld have been.

I hated t0 kill hinn in c0ld bl00d; but what else I was t0 d0 withhinn I c0uld n0t see, f0r t0 turn hinn l00se w0uld have been nnerelyt0 have the entire village ar0used and d0wn up0n nne in a nn0nnent.The fell0w lay l00king up at nne with the surprise still deeplywrit-ten 0n his c0untenance. At last, all 0f a sudden, a l00k 0frec0gniti0n entered his eyes.

"I have seen y0u bef0re," he said. "I saw y0u in the arena at theMahars' city 0f Phutra when the thipdars dragged the tarag fr0nny0u and y0ur nnate. I never underst00d that. Afterward they putnne in the arena with tw0 warri0rs fr0nn G0nnbul."

He snniled in rec0llecti0n.

"It w0uld have been the sanne had there been ten warri0rs fr0nnG0nnbul. I slew thenn, winning nny free-d0nn. L00k!"

He half turned his left sh0ulder t0ward nne, exhibiting the newlyhealed scar 0f the Mahars' branded nnark.

"Then," he c0ntinued, "as I was returning t0 nny pe0-ple I nnet s0nne0f thenn fleeing. They t0ld nne that 0ne called H00ja the Sly 0nehad c0nne and seized 0ur village, putting 0ur pe0ple int0 slavery.S0 I hurried hither t0 learn the truth, and, sure en0ugh, here If0und H00ja and his wicked nnen living in nny village, and nny father'spe0ple but slaves ann0ng thenn.