"Come with me, Raal!" commanded Dick. "Show me this strange creature! How big is it? As big as a leopard?"
"No master it is very small, but terrible, and its skin is black and shiny. In truth it is a wicked demon."
"Fear not, Raal, for I, Tahara have chased away all evil spirits."
"But the strange creature, O Master, is not good to look at. It watches you with great shining eyes that stare and never blink."
Dick looked amused and puzzled. As the pair walked together over the sandy waste, Dick's tall, slender body stood out in striking contrast to that of his thick-set companion. Raal was heavily muscled and his blond hair hung about his shoulders while his face was covered with a light beard. Though he was an African, Raal was a white savage of the Stone-Age, for the Taharans were a survival of ancient times.
Dick's blue eyes were glowing with interest as he neared the spot where the strange creature was said to be hiding. What could it be? What new menace was he about to face?
Suddenly Raal slowed his steps, gripping his stone hatchet in readiness to strike. "Not so fast, O Master. The demon may be asleep and we can slip up on him unawares," cautioned the warrior.
But Dick had caught sight of the object half hidden in the sand, and with an exclamation of joy he sprang forward and picked it up.
"Ah-woe, Tahara!" moaned Raal. "Have a care, Master."
But Dick did not hear him. "Good!" he exclaimed. "Just what I need. Binoculars! I bet Rex Carter will be mad when he finds that he left his field glasses behind. It's my lucky day!"
Raal looked on in fear as Dick put the glasses to his eyes and gazed out over the desert.
"Good!" said Dick smiling at Raal. "These are binoculars."
"Binoculars!" muttered Raal. "What a terrible word. It must be a fierce creature to have such a name." He watched Dick holding the glasses to his eyes and added with admiration, "How brave is Tahara! My Master has great courage to handle such a terrifying demon without fear!"
Dick offered the glasses to his warrior but Raal backed away hastily.
Dick laughed. "Take a look, Raal. They are, in truth, magic glasses. But you can see that they do not harm me."
Raal shook his head vigorously. Tahara was all-powerful, that he knew. Tahara could cast out evil. But he, Raal, was not a god and could not afford to take chances.