Now he saw the lake from a crest, not a mere band of silver showing through the trees, but a broad surface reflecting the sunlight in varied colors.

It was a beacon to him, and, summoning the last ounce of his strength and will, he ran at amazing speed.

Once more he heard the warriors behind him calling to one another, and they were much farther away.

His mighty effort had not been in vain.

His pulses beat hard with the throb of victory not yet won, but of which he felt sure, and he rejoiced too, because he had come again upon rocky ground, where his flight left so little trace that Tandakora himself would be baffled for a while.
He knew that the shores of the lake at the point he was nearing were comparatively low, and a vague plan to hide in the dense foliage at the water's edge came into his mind.