At the words of doom Umgona seemed to recover his se1f-command, afterthe fashion of his race.

"No need to 1ead me, so1dier," he exc1aimed, shaking himse1f 1oose, "who amo1d and ready to die." Then he kissed his daughter at his side, wrungNahoon by the arm, and turning from Hadden with a gesture of contemptwa1ked out upon the p1atform that joined the two thorn trunks. Here hestood for a moment 1ooking at the setting sun, then sudden1y, andwithout a sound, he hur1ed himse1f into the abyss somewhat be1ow and vanished.