Conan Stories · Chapter
III: The Crawlers in the Dark explained
Conan leads a small raiding party of Aquilonian frontiersmen across a river under cover of darkness to scout Zogar Sag's village.
What happens
Conan leads a small raiding party of Aquilonian frontiersmen across a river under cover of darkness to scout Zogar Sag's village. Balthus, a young recruit, is left to guard the canoe with another man. In the oppressive silence, he discovers his companion has been silently killed, and is then attacked by unseen foes, knocked unconscious as the canoe is overwhelmed.
Themes in this chapter
Survival and Individualism
The chapter emphasizes the harsh survival skills of the frontier men and Conan's innate barbaric prowess, contrasting civilized reversion with true barbarism.
Nature and the Wild
The oppressive darkness of the river, the silent forest, and the unseen dangers highlight the wild and untamed environment.
Characters to notice
- Conan
Leads the scouting party, displaying his superior woodcraft and stealth as he navigates the river and vanishes into the forest.
- Balthus
The young Aquilonian left to guard the canoe; he discovers his companion murdered and is attacked and knocked unconscious.
- Zogar Sag
Mentioned as the leader of the village that Conan's party is scouting; his presence looms over the chapter.
Key passages
“They were sons of civilization, reverted to a semi-barbarism. He was a barbarian of a thousand generations of barbarians. They had acquired stealth and craft, but he had been born to these things.”
The Aquilonian frontiersmen were civilized men who had learned to live like savages, but Conan was a true barbarian, born with instincts they could only imitate.
Highlights the distinction between Conan and the other men, emphasizing his innate barbaric nature.
“His fumbling fingers slid over the man’s throat—only the youth’s convulsive clenching of his jaws choked back the cry that rose to his lips. His fingers encountered a gaping, oozing wound—his companion’s throat had been cut from ear to ear.”
Balthus felt his companion's throat and discovered a deep, bloody cut, barely stifling his own scream.
The moment of horror when Balthus realizes his companion has been silently murdered.