course not. I was caught and abused, tied even upon a table and forced to give pleasure as a slave. Other things, too, were done to me. I was forced, even, to yield to my captor, as though I might have been a slave and he my master."
"Splendid," laughed one of the men.
She glared angrily at the fellow.
"I bet I, too, can make her yield," said one of the men.
"Later, at the camp," said the leader. Then he again turned his attention to the Lady Tendite. He bowed low before her, in mock courtesy. "I invite you, if you wish, Lady Tendite, to accompany us," he said. "We shall be returning to our loot camp shortly, which is east of Vonda. There you will discover that the women of Vonda are not entirely unknown to us. Many of them have already kindly consented to give us their thighs for branding, their throats for collaring. We trust you will be no less generous."
"She will look well on the slave block," said one of the men.
"True," said another.
"And, Lady Tendite," said the leader, "until you are properly and legally enslaved you will be known by the capture name of 'Darlene'. Say It!" he snapped.
"Darlene!" she cried. "My capture name is Darlene."
"And," said the leader, "in virtue of your collar, and in anticipation of your impending enslavement, you will address us and behave towards us as a slave towards free men."
"Yes," she said.
Then she was struck across the back with the haft of a spear, cruelly.
"Yes, Master!" she cried.
The patrol then continued on its way. I watched the Lady Tendite, her hands braceleted behind her, on her leash, dragged behind the men. She turned once, after about twenty yards, to look back. She saw me. Then she was turned about by the leash and was again dragged, stumbling, down the street.
5
I CONTINUE MY SEARCH FOR MISS BEVERLY HENDERSON
The proprietor of the tavern took the red-haired dancing girl by the arm, she crying out, and thrust her in her costume, ten slender silver chains, five before and five behind, depending from her collar, from the sand. She fell at the side of the sand and, crouching, turned about, looking back.
"This is Jason!" called the proprietor, indicating me. "He wagers ten copper tarsks he can best any man in the house!"
"It is true," I called, stepping to the sand, pulling off the tunic.
"I wager he cannot!" called a large fellow, a peasant, from north of the river.
The proprietor's man, an attendant in the tavern, held the coins.
Bets were taken by the fellows in the tavern.
Men crowded about. Among them, naked, in collars, were paga slaves, with their bronze vessels on leather straps.
The big fellow lunged toward me. I let him strike me. Yet I drew back with his punch in such a way that its impact was largely dissipated. I reacted, however, as though I might have been sorely struck. The men cried out with pleasure. Jabbing, moving, I kept him away from me.
"He fights well," said one of the men.
I then, recovering myself, seized the fellow, that he might not have the free use of his hands. It was not appropriate that I appear too accustomed to this form of sport. I had made that mistake once before, in Tancred's Landing, and there had then been no more eager respondents to my raucous challenge. Rather guardsmen had encouraged me to leave the town with alacrity. I had, as a consequence, picked up only ten copper tanks at Tancred's Landing.
"Fight!" cried more than one man.
"Clumsy" cried another.
"Coward!" cried another.
"Coward!" said the peasant.
This irritated me. I relinquished my previous determinations with respect to the manner of handling him. Caught in a swift combination he buckled to the sand. I pretended that I was exhausted, dazed, scarcely able to stand.
"What lucky blows!" cried more than one man.
I looked down at the big fellow who, groggy, was sitting in the sand. I tried to appear as though incredulous that he was down, as though I could not believe that I had somehow struck him from his feet.
"Get up!"
"Splendid," laughed one of the men.
She glared angrily at the fellow.
"I bet I, too, can make her yield," said one of the men.
"Later, at the camp," said the leader. Then he again turned his attention to the Lady Tendite. He bowed low before her, in mock courtesy. "I invite you, if you wish, Lady Tendite, to accompany us," he said. "We shall be returning to our loot camp shortly, which is east of Vonda. There you will discover that the women of Vonda are not entirely unknown to us. Many of them have already kindly consented to give us their thighs for branding, their throats for collaring. We trust you will be no less generous."
"She will look well on the slave block," said one of the men.
"True," said another.
"And, Lady Tendite," said the leader, "until you are properly and legally enslaved you will be known by the capture name of 'Darlene'. Say It!" he snapped.
"Darlene!" she cried. "My capture name is Darlene."
"And," said the leader, "in virtue of your collar, and in anticipation of your impending enslavement, you will address us and behave towards us as a slave towards free men."
"Yes," she said.
Then she was struck across the back with the haft of a spear, cruelly.
"Yes, Master!" she cried.
The patrol then continued on its way. I watched the Lady Tendite, her hands braceleted behind her, on her leash, dragged behind the men. She turned once, after about twenty yards, to look back. She saw me. Then she was turned about by the leash and was again dragged, stumbling, down the street.
5
I CONTINUE MY SEARCH FOR MISS BEVERLY HENDERSON
The proprietor of the tavern took the red-haired dancing girl by the arm, she crying out, and thrust her in her costume, ten slender silver chains, five before and five behind, depending from her collar, from the sand. She fell at the side of the sand and, crouching, turned about, looking back.
"This is Jason!" called the proprietor, indicating me. "He wagers ten copper tarsks he can best any man in the house!"
"It is true," I called, stepping to the sand, pulling off the tunic.
"I wager he cannot!" called a large fellow, a peasant, from north of the river.
The proprietor's man, an attendant in the tavern, held the coins.
Bets were taken by the fellows in the tavern.
Men crowded about. Among them, naked, in collars, were paga slaves, with their bronze vessels on leather straps.
The big fellow lunged toward me. I let him strike me. Yet I drew back with his punch in such a way that its impact was largely dissipated. I reacted, however, as though I might have been sorely struck. The men cried out with pleasure. Jabbing, moving, I kept him away from me.
"He fights well," said one of the men.
I then, recovering myself, seized the fellow, that he might not have the free use of his hands. It was not appropriate that I appear too accustomed to this form of sport. I had made that mistake once before, in Tancred's Landing, and there had then been no more eager respondents to my raucous challenge. Rather guardsmen had encouraged me to leave the town with alacrity. I had, as a consequence, picked up only ten copper tanks at Tancred's Landing.
"Fight!" cried more than one man.
"Clumsy" cried another.
"Coward!" cried another.
"Coward!" said the peasant.
This irritated me. I relinquished my previous determinations with respect to the manner of handling him. Caught in a swift combination he buckled to the sand. I pretended that I was exhausted, dazed, scarcely able to stand.
"What lucky blows!" cried more than one man.
I looked down at the big fellow who, groggy, was sitting in the sand. I tried to appear as though incredulous that he was down, as though I could not believe that I had somehow struck him from his feet.
"Get up!"
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