“Girl!” I cried, “what are you doing here?  I thought that you had gone to the cave, as I told you to do.”

Up went her head, and the look that she gave me took all the majesty out of me, and left me feeling more like the palace janitor—­if palaces have janitors.

“As you told me to do!” she cried, stamping her little foot.  “I do as I please.  I am the daughter of a king, and furthermore, I hate you.”

I was dumbfounded—­this was my thanks for saving her from Jubal!  I turned and looked at the corpse.  “May be that I saved you from a worse fate, old man,” I said, but I guess it was lost on Dian, for she never seemed to notice it at all.

“Let us go to my cave,” I said, “I am tired and hungry.”

She followed along a pace behind me, neither of us speaking.  I was too angry, and she evidently didn’t care to converse with the lower orders.  I was mad all the way through, as I had certainly felt that at least a word of thanks should have rewarded me, for I knew that even by her own standards, I must have done a very wonderful thing to have killed the redoubtable Jubal in a hand-to-hand encounter.

We had no difficulty in finding my lair, and then I went down into the valley and bowled over a small antelope, which I dragged up the steep ascent to the ledge before the door.  Here we ate in silence.  Occasionally I glanced at her, thinking that the sight of her tearing at raw flesh with her hands and teeth like some wild animal would cause a revulsion of my sentiments toward her; but to my surprise I found that she ate quite as daintily as the most civilized woman of my acquaintance, and finally I found myself gazing in foolish rapture at the beauties of her strong, white teeth.  Such is love.

After our repast we went down to the river together and bathed our hands and faces, and then after drinking our fill went back to the cave.  Without a word I crawled into the farthest corner and, curling up, was soon asleep.

When I awoke I found Dian sitting in the doorway looking out across the valley.  As I came out she moved to one side to let me pass, but she had no word for me.  I wanted to hate her, but I couldn’t.  Every time I looked at her something came up in my throat, so that I nearly choked.  I had never been in love before, but I did not need any aid in diagnosing my case—­I certainly had it and had it bad.  God, how I loved that beautiful, disdainful, tantalizing, prehistoric girl!

After we had eaten again I asked Dian if she intended returning to her tribe now that Jubal was dead, but she shook her head sadly, and said that she did not dare, for there was still Jubal’s brother to be considered—­his oldest brother.

“What has he to do with it?” I asked.  “Does he too want you, or has the option on you become a family heirloom, to be passed on down from generation to generation?”

She was not quite sure as to what I meant.