It took stout hearts and loyal ones to ignore the implied
threats of divine vengeance that these tales suggested. Already
there had been desertions and the cause of Ja-don seemed tottering
to destruction.
Such was the state of affairs when a sentry posted on the knoll
in the mouth of the gorge sent word that he had observed in the
valley below what appeared at a distance to be nothing less than
two people mounted upon the back of a gryf. He said that he had
caught glimpses of them, as they passed open spaces, and they seemed
to be traveling up the river in the direction of the Kor-ul-ja.
At first Ja-don was inclined to doubt the veracity of his informant;
but, like all good generals, he could not permit even palpably false
information to go uninvestigated and so he determined to visit the
knoll himself and learn precisely what it was that the sentry had
observed through the distorting spectacles of fear. He had scarce
taken his place beside the man ere the fellow touched his arm and
pointed. "They are closer now," he whispered, "you can see them
plainly." And sure enough, not a quarter of a mile away Ja-don saw
that which in his long experience in Pal-ul-don he had never before
seen--two humans riding upon the broad back of a gryf.
At first he could scarce credit even this testimony of his own eyes,
but soon he realized that the creatures below could be naught else
than they appeared, and then he recognized the man and rose to his
feet with a loud cry.
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