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diff --git a/old/atcor10h.htm b/old/atcor10h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8db4092 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/atcor10h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5779 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<title>New File</title> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> +<style type="text/css"> +<!-- +body {margin:10%; text-align:justify} +blockquote {font-size:14pt} +P {font-size:14pt} +--> +</style> +</head> +<body> + + + +<p>The Project Gutenberg Etext of At the Earth's Core, by Burroughs +#11 in our series by Edgar Rice Burroughs <br> +<p>Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to +check the copyright laws for your country before posting these +files!!<br> +</p> + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. 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If you don't derive profits, no +royalty is due. Royalties are payable to "Project Gutenberg +Association / Illinois Benedictine College" within the 60 days +following each date you prepare (or were legally required to +prepare) your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return. <br> +<p>WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, +scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty +free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution you +can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg +Association / Illinois Benedictine College".<br> +</p> + +*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* +<br> +<p><br> +</p> + +<br> +<br><br> +<h1>At the Earth's Core</h1> +<br><br> +<h2>by Edgar Rice Burroughs</h2> +<br><br><br> + +<br> +<h1 id="ref_1">PROLOGUE</h1> + +<br> +In the first place please bear in mind that I do not expect you +to believe this story. Nor could you wonder had you witnessed a +recent experience of mine when, in the armor of blissful and +stupendous ignorance, I gaily narrated the gist of it to a Fellow +of the Royal Geological Society on the occasion of my last trip +to London. <br> +<p>You would surely have thought that I had been detected in no +less a heinous crime than the purloining of the Crown Jewels from +the Tower, or putting poison in the coffee of His Majesty the +King.<br> +</p> + +The erudite gentleman in whom I confided congealed before I was +half through!--it is all that saved him from exploding--and my +dreams of an Honorary Fellowship, gold medals, and a niche in the +Hall of Fame faded into the thin, cold air of his arctic +atmosphere. <br> +<p>But I believe the story, and so would you, and so would the +learned Fellow of the Royal Geological Society, had you and he +heard it from the lips of the man who told it to me. Had you +seen, as I did, the fire of truth in those gray eyes; had you +felt the ring of sincerity in that quiet voice; had you realized +the pathos of it all--you, too, would believe. You would not have +needed the final ocular proof that I had--the weird +rhamphorhynchus-like creature which he had brought back with him +from the inner world.<br> +</p> + +I came upon him quite suddenly, and no less unexpectedly, upon +the rim of the great Sahara Desert. He was standing before a +goat-skin tent amidst a clump of date palms within a tiny oasis. +Close by was an Arab douar of some eight or ten tents. <br> +<p>I had come down from the north to hunt lion. My party +consisted of a dozen children of the desert--I was the only +"white" man. As we approached the little clump of verdure I saw +the man come from his tent and with hand-shaded eyes peer +intently at us. At sight of me he advanced rapidly to meet +us.<br> +</p> + +"A white man!" he cried. "May the good Lord be praised! I have +been watching you for hours, hoping against hope that THIS time +there would be a white man. Tell me the date. What year is it?" +<br> +<p>And when I had told him he staggered as though he had been +struck full in the face, so that he was compelled to grasp my +stirrup leather for support.<br> +</p> + +"It cannot be!" he cried after a moment. "It cannot be! Tell me +that you are mistaken, or that you are but joking." <br> +<p>"I am telling you the truth, my friend," I replied. "Why +should I deceive a stranger, or attempt to, in so simple a matter +as the date?"<br> +</p> + +For some time he stood in silence, with bowed head. <br> +<p>"Ten years!" he murmured, at last. "Ten years, and I thought +that at the most it could be scarce more than one!" That night he +told me his story--the story that I give you here as nearly in +his own words as I can recall them.<br> +</p> + +<br> +<h1 id="ref_2">CHAPTER I</h1> + +<br> +TOWARD THE ETERNAL FIRES <br> +<p>I was born in Connecticut about thirty years ago. My name is +David Innes. My father was a wealthy mine owner. When I was +nineteen he died. All his property was to be mine when I had +attained my majority--provided that I had devoted the two years +intervening in close application to the great business I was to +inherit.<br> +</p> + +I did my best to fulfil the last wishes of my parent-not because +of the inheritance, but because I loved and honored my father. +For six months I toiled in the mines and in the counting-rooms, +for I wished to know every minute detail of the business. <br> +<p>Then Perry interested me in his invention. He was an old +fellow who had devoted the better part of a long life to the +perfection of a mechanical subterranean prospector. As relaxation +he studied paleontology. I looked over his plans, listened to his +arguments, inspected his working model--and then, convinced, I +advanced the funds necessary to construct a full-sized, practical +prospector.<br> +</p> + +I shall not go into the details of its construction--it lies out +there in the desert now--about two miles from here. Tomorrow you +may care to ride out and see it. Roughly, it is a steel cylinder +a hundred feet long, and jointed so that it may turn and twist +through solid rock if need be. At one end is a mighty revolving +drill operated by an engine which Perry said generated more power +to the cubic inch than any other engine did to the cubic foot. I +remember that he used to claim that that invention alone would +make us fabulously wealthy--we were going to make the whole thing +public after the successful issue of our first secret trial--but +Perry never returned from that trial trip, and I only after ten +years. <br> +<p>I recall as it were but yesterday the night of that momentous +occasion upon which we were to test the practicality of that +wondrous invention. It was near midnight when we repaired to the +lofty tower in which Perry had constructed his "iron mole" as he +was wont to call the thing. The great nose rested upon the bare +earth of the floor. We passed through the doors into the outer +jacket, secured them, and then passing on into the cabin, which +contained the controlling mechanism within the inner tube, +switched on the electric lights.<br> +</p> + +Perry looked to his generator; to the great tanks that held the +life-giving chemicals with which he was to manufacture fresh air +to replace that which we consumed in breathing; to his +instruments for recording temperatures, speed, distance, and for +examining the materials through which we were to pass. <br> +<p>He tested the steering device, and overlooked the mighty cogs +which transmitted its marvelous velocity to the giant drill at +the nose of his strange craft.<br> +</p> + +Our seats, into which we strapped ourselves, were so arranged +upon transverse bars that we would be upright whether the craft +were ploughing her way downward into the bowels of the earth, or +running horizontally along some great seam of coal, or rising +vertically toward the surface again. <br> +<p>At length all was ready. Perry bowed his head in prayer. For a +moment we were silent, and then the old man's hand grasped the +starting lever. There was a frightful roaring beneath us--the +giant frame trembled and vibrated--there was a rush of sound as +the loose earth passed up through the hollow space between the +inner and outer jackets to be deposited in our wake. We were +off!<br> +</p> + +The noise was deafening. The sensation was frightful. For a full +minute neither of us could do aught but cling with the proverbial +desperation of the drowning man to the handrails of our swinging +seats. Then Perry glanced at the thermometer. <br> +<p>"Gad!" he cried, "it cannot be possible--quick! What does the +distance meter read?"<br> +</p> + +That and the speedometer were both on my side of the cabin, and +as I turned to take a reading from the former I could see Perry +muttering. <br> +<p>"Ten degrees rise--it cannot be possible!" and then I saw him +tug frantically upon the steering wheel.<br> +</p> + +As I finally found the tiny needle in the dim light I translated +Perry's evident excitement, and my heart sank within me. But when +I spoke I hid the fear which haunted me. "It will be seven +hundred feet, Perry," I said, "by the time you can turn her into +the horizontal." <br> +<p>"You'd better lend me a hand then, my boy," he replied, "for I +cannot budge her out of the vertical alone. God give that our +combined strength may be equal to the task, for else we are +lost."<br> +</p> + +I wormed my way to the old man's side with never a doubt but that +the great wheel would yield on the instant to the power of my +young and vigorous muscles. Nor was my belief mere vanity, for +always had my physique been the envy and despair of my fellows. +And for that very reason it had waxed even greater than nature +had intended, since my natural pride in my great strength had led +me to care for and develop my body and my muscles by every means +within my power. What with boxing, football, and baseball, I had +been in training since childhood. <br> +<p>And so it was with the utmost confidence that I laid hold of +the huge iron rim; but though I threw every ounce of my strength +into it, my best effort was as unavailing as Perry's had +been--the thing would not budge--the grim, insensate, horrible +thing that was holding us upon the straight road to death!<br> +</p> + +At length I gave up the useless struggle, and without a word +returned to my seat. There was no need for words--at least none +that I could imagine, unless Perry desired to pray. And I was +quite sure that he would, for he never left an opportunity +neglected where he might sandwich in a prayer. He prayed when he +arose in the morning, he prayed before he ate, he prayed when he +had finished eating, and before he went to bed at night he prayed +again. In between he often found excuses to pray even when the +provocation seemed far-fetched to my worldly eyes--now that he +was about to die I felt positive that I should witness a perfect +orgy of prayer--if one may allude with such a simile to so solemn +an act. <br> +<p>But to my astonishment I discovered that with death staring +him in the face Abner Perry was transformed into a new being. +From his lips there flowed--not prayer--but a clear and limpid +stream of undiluted profanity, and it was all directed at that +quietly stubborn piece of unyielding mechanism.<br> +</p> + +"I should think, Perry," I chided, "that a man of your professed +religiousness would rather be at his prayers than cursing in the +presence of imminent death." <br> +<p>"Death!" he cried. "Death is it that appalls you? That is +nothing by comparison with the loss the world must suffer. Why, +David within this iron cylinder we have demonstrated +possibilities that science has scarce dreamed. We have harnessed +a new principle, and with it animated a piece of steel with the +power of ten thousand men. That two lives will be snuffed out is +nothing to the world calamity that entombs in the bowels of the +earth the discoveries that I have made and proved in the +successful construction of the thing that is now carrying us +farther and farther toward the eternal central fires."<br> +</p> + +I am frank to admit that for myself I was much more concerned +with our own immediate future than with any problematic loss +which the world might be about to suffer. The world was at least +ignorant of its bereavement, while to me it was a real and +terrible actuality. <br> +<p>"What can we do?" I asked, hiding my perturbation beneath the +mask of a low and level voice.<br> +</p> + +"We may stop here, and die of asphyxiation when our atmosphere +tanks are empty," replied Perry, "or we may continue on with the +slight hope that we may later sufficiently deflect the prospector +from the vertical to carry us along the arc of a great circle +which must eventually return us to the surface. If we succeed in +so doing before we reach the higher internal temperature we may +even yet survive. There would seem to me to be about one chance +in several million that we shall succeed--otherwise we shall die +more quickly but no more surely than as though we sat supinely +waiting for the torture of a slow and horrible death." <br> +<p>I glanced at the thermometer. It registered 110 degrees. While +we were talking the mighty iron mole had bored its way over a +mile into the rock of the earth's crust.<br> +</p> + +"Let us continue on, then," I replied. "It should soon be over at +this rate. You never intimated that the speed of this thing would +be so high, Perry. Didn't you know it?" <br> +<p>"No," he answered. "I could not figure the speed exactly, for +I had no instrument for measuring the mighty power of my +generator. I reasoned, however, that we should make about five +hundred yards an hour."<br> +</p> + +"And we are making seven miles an hour," I concluded for him, as +I sat with my eyes upon the distance meter. "How thick is the +Earth's crust, Perry?" I asked. <br> +<p>"There are almost as many conjectures as to that as there are +geologists," was his answer. "One estimates it thirty miles, +because the internal heat, increasing at the rate of about one +degree to each sixty to seventy feet depth, would be sufficient +to fuse the most refractory substances at that distance beneath +the surface. Another finds that the phenomena of precession and +nutation require that the earth, if not entirely solid, must at +least have a shell not less than eight hundred to a thousand +miles in thickness. So there you are. You may take your +choice."<br> +</p> + +"And if it should prove solid?" I asked. <br> +<p>"It will be all the same to us in the end, David," replied +Perry. "At the best our fuel will suffice to carry us but three +or four days, while our atmosphere cannot last to exceed three. +Neither, then, is sufficient to bear us in the safety through +eight thousand miles of rock to the antipodes."<br> +</p> + +"If the crust is of sufficient thickness we shall come to a final +stop between six and seven hundred miles beneath the earth's +surface; but during the last hundred and fifty miles of our +journey we shall be corpses. Am I correct?" I asked. <br> +<p>"Quite correct, David. Are you frightened?"<br> +</p> + +"I do not know. It all has come so suddenly that I scarce believe +that either of us realizes the real terrors of our position. I +feel that I should be reduced to panic; but yet I am not. I +imagine that the shock has been so great as to partially stun our +sensibilities." <br> +<p>Again I turned to the thermometer. The mercury was rising with +less rapidity. It was now but 140 degrees, although we had +penetrated to a depth of nearly four miles. I told Perry, and he +smiled.<br> +</p> + +"We have shattered one theory at least," was his only comment, +and then he returned to his self-assumed occupation of fluently +cursing the steering wheel. I once heard a pirate swear, but his +best efforts would have seemed like those of a tyro alongside of +Perry's masterful and scientific imprecations. <br> +<p>Once more I tried my hand at the wheel, but I might as well +have essayed to swing the earth itself. At my suggestion Perry +stopped the generator, and as we came to rest I again threw all +my strength into a supreme effort to move the thing even a hair's +breadth--but the results were as barren as when we had been +traveling at top speed.<br> +</p> + +I shook my head sadly, and motioned to the starting lever. Perry +pulled it toward him, and once again we were plunging downward +toward eternity at the rate of seven miles an hour. I sat with my +eyes glued to the thermometer and the distance meter. The mercury +was rising very slowly now, though even at 145 degrees it was +almost unbearable within the narrow confines of our metal prison. +<br> +<p>About noon, or twelve hours after our start upon this +unfortunate journey, we had bored to a depth of eighty-four +miles, at which point the mercury registered 153 degrees F.<br> +</p> + +Perry was becoming more hopeful, although upon what meager food +he sustained his optimism I could not conjecture. From cursing he +had turned to singing--I felt that the strain had at last +affected his mind. For several hours we had not spoken except as +he asked me for the readings of the instruments from time to +time, and I announced them. My thoughts were filled with vain +regrets. I recalled numerous acts of my past life which I should +have been glad to have had a few more years to live down. There +was the affair in the Latin Commons at Andover when Calhoun and I +had put gunpowder in the stove--and nearly killed one of the +masters. And then--but what was the use, I was about to die and +atone for all these things and several more. Already the heat was +sufficient to give me a foretaste of the hereafter. A few more +degrees and I felt that I should lose consciousness. <br> +<p>"What are the readings now, David?" Perry's voice broke in +upon my somber reflections.<br> +</p> + +"Ninety miles and 153 degrees," I replied. <br> +<p>"Gad, but we've knocked that thirty-mile-crust theory into a +cocked hat!" he cried gleefully.<br> +</p> + +"Precious lot of good it will do us," I growled back. <br> +<p>"But my boy," he continued, "doesn't that temperature reading +mean anything to you? Why it hasn't gone up in six miles. Think +of it, son!"<br> +</p> + +"Yes, I'm thinking of it," I answered; "but what difference will +it make when our air supply is exhausted whether the temperature +is 153 degrees or 153,000? We'll be just as dead, and no one will +know the difference, anyhow." But I must admit that for some +unaccountable reason the stationary temperature did renew my +waning hope. What I hoped for I could not have explained, nor did +I try. The very fact, as Perry took pains to explain, of the +blasting of several very exact and learned scientific hypotheses +made it apparent that we could not know what lay before us within +the bowels of the earth, and so we might continue to hope for the +best, at least until we were dead--when hope would no longer be +essential to our happiness. It was very good, and logical +reasoning, and so I embraced it. <br> +<p>At one hundred miles the temperature had DROPPED TO 152 1/2 +DEGREES! When I announced it Perry reached over and hugged +me.<br> +</p> + +From then on until noon of the second day, it continued to drop +until it became as uncomfortably cold as it had been unbearably +hot before. At the depth of two hundred and forty miles our +nostrils were assailed by almost overpowering ammonia fumes, and +the temperature had dropped to TEN BELOW ZERO! We suffered nearly +two hours of this intense and bitter cold, until at about two +hundred and forty-five miles from the surface of the earth we +entered a stratum of solid ice, when the mercury quickly rose to +32 degrees. During the next three hours we passed through ten +miles of ice, eventually emerging into another series of +ammonia-impregnated strata, where the mercury again fell to ten +degrees below zero. <br> +<p>Slowly it rose once more until we were convinced that at last +we were nearing the molten interior of the earth. At four hundred +miles the temperature had reached 153 degrees. Feverishly I +watched the thermometer. Slowly it rose. Perry had ceased singing +and was at last praying.<br> +</p> + +Our hopes had received such a deathblow that the gradually +increasing heat seemed to our distorted imaginations much greater +than it really was. For another hour I saw that pitiless column +of mercury rise and rise until at four hundred and ten miles it +stood at 153 degrees. Now it was that we began to hang upon those +readings in almost breathless anxiety. <br> +<p>One hundred and fifty-three degrees had been the maximum +temperature above the ice stratum. Would it stop at this point +again, or would it continue its merciless climb? We knew that +there was no hope, and yet with the persistence of life itself we +continued to hope against practical certainty.<br> +</p> + +Already the air tanks were at low ebb--there was barely enough of +the precious gases to sustain us for another twelve hours. But +would we be alive to know or care? It seemed incredible. <br> +<p>At four hundred and twenty miles I took another reading.<br> +</p> + +"Perry!" I shouted. "Perry, man! She's going down! She's going +down! She's 152 degrees again." <br> +<p>"Gad!" he cried. "What can it mean? Can the earth be cold at +the center?"<br> +</p> + +"I do not know, Perry," I answered; "but thank God, if I am to +die it shall not be by fire--that is all that I have feared. I +can face the thought of any death but that." <br> +<p>Down, down went the mercury until it stood as low as it had +seven miles from the surface of the earth, and then of a sudden +the realization broke upon us that death was very near. Perry was +the first to discover it. I saw him fussing with the valves that +regulate the air supply. And at the same time I experienced +difficulty in breathing. My head felt dizzy--my limbs heavy.<br> +</p> + +I saw Perry crumple in his seat. He gave himself a shake and sat +erect again. Then he turned toward me. <br> +<p>"Good-bye, David," he said. "I guess this is the end," and +then he smiled and closed his eyes.<br> +</p> + +"Good-bye, Perry, and good luck to you," I answered, smiling back +at him. But I fought off that awful lethargy. I was very young--I +did not want to die. <br> +<p>For an hour I battled against the cruelly enveloping death +that surrounded me upon all sides. At first I found that by +climbing high into the framework above me I could find more of +the precious life-giving elements, and for a while these +sustained me. It must have been an hour after Perry had succumbed +that I at last came to the realization that I could no longer +carry on this unequal struggle against the inevitable.<br> +</p> + +With my last flickering ray of consciousness I turned +mechanically toward the distance meter. It stood at exactly five +hundred miles from the earth's surface--and then of a sudden the +huge thing that bore us came to a stop. The rattle of hurtling +rock through the hollow jacket ceased. The wild racing of the +giant drill betokened that it was running loose in AIR--and then +another truth flashed upon me. The point of the prospector was +ABOVE us. Slowly it dawned on me that since passing through the +ice strata it had been above. We had turned in the ice and sped +upward toward the earth's crust. Thank God! We were safe! <br> +<p>I put my nose to the intake pipe through which samples were to +have been taken during the passage of the prospector through the +earth, and my fondest hopes were realized--a flood of fresh air +was pouring into the iron cabin. The reaction left me in a state +of collapse, and I lost consciousness.<br> +</p> + +<br> +<h1 id="ref_3">CHAPTER II</h1> + +A STRANGE WORLD <br> +I was unconscious little more than an instant, for as I lunged +forward from the crossbeam to which I had been clinging, and fell +with a crash to the floor of the cabin, the shock brought me to +myself. <br> +<p>My first concern was with Perry. I was horrified at the +thought that upon the very threshold of salvation he might be +dead. Tearing open his shirt I placed my ear to his breast. I +could have cried with relief--his heart was beating quite +regularly.<br> +</p> + +At the water tank I wetted my handkerchief, slapping it smartly +across his forehead and face several times. In a moment I was +rewarded by the raising of his lids. For a time he lay wide-eyed +and quite uncomprehending. Then his scattered wits slowly +foregathered, and he sat up sniffing the air with an expression +of wonderment upon his face. <br> +<p>"Why, David," he cried at last, "it's air, as sure as I live. +Why--why what does it mean? Where in the world are we? What has +happened?"<br> +</p> + +"It means that we're back at the surface all right, Perry," I +cried; "but where, I don't know. I haven't opened her up yet. +Been too busy reviving you. Lord, man, but you had a close +squeak!" <br> +<p>"You say we're back at the surface, David? How can that be? +How long have I been unconscious?"<br> +</p> + +"Not long. We turned in the ice stratum. Don't you recall the +sudden whirling of our seats? After that the drill was above you +instead of below. We didn't notice it at the time; but I recall +it now." <br> +<p>"You mean to say that we turned back in the ice stratum, +David? That is not possible. The prospector cannot turn unless +its nose is deflected from the outside--by some external force or +resistance--the steering wheel within would have moved in +response. The steering wheel has not budged, David, since we +started. You know that."<br> +</p> + +I did know it; but here we were with our drill racing in pure +air, and copious volumes of it pouring into the cabin. <br> +<p>"We couldn't have turned in the ice stratum, Perry, I know as +well as you," I replied; "but the fact remains that we did, for +here we are this minute at the surface of the earth again, and I +am going out to see just where."<br> +</p> + +"Better wait till morning, David--it must be midnight now." <br> +<p>I glanced at the chronometer.<br> +</p> + +"Half after twelve. We have been out seventy-two hours, so it +must be midnight. Nevertheless I am going to have a look at the +blessed sky that I had given up all hope of ever seeing again," +and so saying I lifted the bars from the inner door, and swung it +open. There was quite a quantity of loose material in the jacket, +and this I had to remove with a shovel to get at the opposite +door in the outer shell. <br> +<p>In a short time I had removed enough of the earth and rock to +the floor of the cabin to expose the door beyond. Perry was +directly behind me as I threw it open. The upper half was above +the surface of the ground. With an expression of surprise I +turned and looked at Perry--it was broad daylight without!<br> +</p> + +"Something seems to have gone wrong either with our calculations +or the chronometer," I said. Perry shook his head--there was a +strange expression in his eyes. <br> +<p>"Let's have a look beyond that door, David," he cried.<br> +</p> + +Together we stepped out to stand in silent contemplation of a +landscape at once weird and beautiful. Before us a low and level +shore stretched down to a silent sea. As far as the eye could +reach the surface of the water was dotted with countless tiny +isles--some of towering, barren, granitic rock--others +resplendent in gorgeous trappings of tropical vegetation, myriad +starred with the magnificent splendor of vivid blooms. <br> +<p>Behind us rose a dark and forbidding wood of giant arborescent +ferns intermingled with the commoner types of a primeval tropical +forest. Huge creepers depended in great loops from tree to tree, +dense under-brush overgrew a tangled mass of fallen trunks and +branches. Upon the outer verge we could see the same splendid +coloring of countless blossoms that glorified the islands, but +within the dense shadows all seemed dark and gloomy as the +grave.<br> +</p> + +And upon all the noonday sun poured its torrid rays out of a +cloudless sky. <br> +<p>"Where on earth can we be?" I asked, turning to Perry.<br> +</p> + +For some moments the old man did not reply. He stood with bowed +head, buried in deep thought. But at last he spoke. <br> +<p>"David," he said, "I am not so sure that we are ON earth."<br> +</p> + +"What do you mean Perry?" I cried. "Do you think that we are +dead, and this is heaven?" He smiled, and turning, pointing to +the nose of the prospector protruding from the ground at our +backs. <br> +<p>"But for that, David, I might believe that we were indeed come +to the country beyond the Styx. The prospector renders that +theory untenable--it, certainly, could never have gone to heaven. +However I am willing to concede that we actually may be in +another world from that which we have always known. If we are not +ON earth, there is every reason to believe that we may be IN +it."<br> +</p> + +"We may have quartered through the earth's crust and come out +upon some tropical island of the West Indies," I suggested. Again +Perry shook his head. <br> +<p>"Let us wait and see, David," he replied, "and in the meantime +suppose we do a bit of exploring up and down the coast--we may +find a native who can enlighten us."<br> +</p> + +As we walked along the beach Perry gazed long and earnestly +across the water. Evidently he was wrestling with a mighty +problem. <br> +<p>"David," he said abruptly, "do you perceive anything unusual +about the horizon?"<br> +</p> + +As I looked I began to appreciate the reason for the strangeness +of the landscape that had haunted me from the first with an +illusive suggestion of the bizarre and unnatural--THERE WAS NO +HORIZON! As far as the eye could reach out the sea continued and +upon its bosom floated tiny islands, those in the distance +reduced to mere specks; but ever beyond them was the sea, until +the impression became quite real that one was LOOKING UP at the +most distant point that the eyes could fathom--the distance was +lost in the distance. That was all--there was no clear-cut +horizontal line marking the dip of the globe below the line of +vision. <br> +<p>"A great light is commencing to break on me," continued Perry, +taking out his watch. "I believe that I have partially solved the +riddle. It is now two o'clock. When we emerged from the +prospector the sun was directly above us. Where is it now?"<br> +</p> + +I glanced up to find the great orb still motionless in the center +of the heaven. And such a sun! I had scarcely noticed it before. +Fully thrice the size of the sun I had known throughout my life, +and apparently so near that the sight of it carried the +conviction that one might almost reach up and touch it. <br> +<p>"My God, Perry, where are we?" I exclaimed. "This thing is +beginning to get on my nerves."<br> +</p> + +"I think that I may state quite positively, David," he commenced, +"that we are--" but he got no further. From behind us in the +vicinity of the prospector there came the most thunderous, +awe-inspiring roar that ever had fallen upon my ears. With one +accord we turned to discover the author of that fearsome noise. +<br> +<p>Had I still retained the suspicion that we were on earth the +sight that met my eyes would quite entirely have banished it. +Emerging from the forest was a colossal beast which closely +resembled a bear. It was fully as large as the largest elephant +and with great forepaws armed with huge claws. Its nose, or +snout, depended nearly a foot below its lower jaw, much after the +manner of a rudimentary trunk. The giant body was covered by a +coat of thick, shaggy hair.<br> +</p> + +Roaring horribly it came toward us at a ponderous, shuffling +trot. I turned to Perry to suggest that it might be wise to seek +other surroundings--the idea had evidently occurred to Perry +previously, for he was already a hundred paces away, and with +each second his prodigious bounds increased the distance. I had +never guessed what latent speed possibilities the old gentleman +possessed. <br> +<p>I saw that he was headed toward a little point of the forest +which ran out toward the sea not far from where we had been +standing, and as the mighty creature, the sight of which had +galvanized him into such remarkable action, was forging steadily +toward me. I set off after Perry, though at a somewhat more +decorous pace. It was evident that the massive beast pursuing us +was not built for speed, so all that I considered necessary was +to gain the trees sufficiently ahead of it to enable me to climb +to the safety of some great branch before it came up.<br> +</p> + +Notwithstanding our danger I could not help but laugh at Perry's +frantic capers as he essayed to gain the safety of the lower +branches of the trees he now had reached. The stems were bare for +a distance of some fifteen feet--at least on those trees which +Perry attempted to ascend, for the suggestion of safety carried +by the larger of the forest giants had evidently attracted him to +them. A dozen times he scrambled up the trunks like a huge cat +only to fall back to the ground once more, and with each failure +he cast a horrified glance over his shoulder at the oncoming +brute, simultaneously emitting terror-stricken shrieks that awoke +the echoes of the grim forest. <br> +<p>At length he spied a dangling creeper about the bigness of +one's wrist, and when I reached the trees he was racing madly up +it, hand over hand. He had almost reached the lowest branch of +the tree from which the creeper depended when the thing parted +beneath his weight and he fell sprawling at my feet.<br> +</p> + +The misfortune now was no longer amusing, for the beast was +already too close to us for comfort. Seizing Perry by the +shoulder I dragged him to his feet, and rushing to a smaller +tree--one that he could easily encircle with his arms and legs--I +boosted him as far up as I could, and then left him to his fate, +for a glance over my shoulder revealed the awful beast almost +upon me. <br> +<p>It was the great size of the thing alone that saved me. Its +enormous bulk rendered it too slow upon its feet to cope with the +agility of my young muscles, and so I was enabled to dodge out of +its way and run completely behind it before its slow wits could +direct it in pursuit.<br> +</p> + +The few seconds of grace that this gave me found me safely lodged +in the branches of a tree a few paces from that in which Perry +had at last found a haven. <br> +<p>Did I say safely lodged? At the time I thought we were quite +safe, and so did Perry. He was praying--raising his voice in +thanksgiving at our deliverance--and had just completed a sort of +paeon of gratitude that the thing couldn't climb a tree when +without warning it reared up beneath him on its enormous tail and +hind feet, and reached those fearfully armed paws quite to the +branch upon which he crouched.<br> +</p> + +The accompanying roar was all but drowned in Perry's scream of +fright, and he came near tumbling headlong into the gaping jaws +beneath him, so precipitate was his impetuous haste to vacate the +dangerous limb. It was with a deep sigh of relief that I saw him +gain a higher branch in safety. <br> +<p>And then the brute did that which froze us both anew with +horror. Grasping the tree's stem with his powerful paws he +dragged down with all the great weight of his huge bulk and all +the irresistible force of those mighty muscles. Slowly, but +surely, the stem began to bend toward him. Inch by inch he worked +his paws upward as the tree leaned more and more from the +perpendicular. Perry clung chattering in a panic of terror. +Higher and higher into the bending and swaying tree he clambered. +More and more rapidly was the tree top inclining toward the +ground.<br> +</p> + +I saw now why the great brute was armed with such enormous paws. +The use that he was putting them to was precisely that for which +nature had intended them. The sloth-like creature was +herbivorous, and to feed that mighty carcass entire trees must be +stripped of their foliage. The reason for its attacking us might +easily be accounted for on the supposition of an ugly disposition +such as that which the fierce and stupid rhinoceros of Africa +possesses. But these were later reflections. At the moment I was +too frantic with apprehension on Perry's behalf to consider aught +other than a means to save him from the death that loomed so +close. <br> +<p>Realizing that I could outdistance the clumsy brute in the +open, I dropped from my leafy sanctuary intent only on +distracting the thing's attention from Perry long enough to +enable the old man to gain the safety of a larger tree. There +were many close by which not even the terrific strength of that +titanic monster could bend.<br> +</p> + +As I touched the ground I snatched a broken limb from the tangled +mass that matted the jungle-like floor of the forest and, leaping +unnoticed behind the shaggy back, dealt the brute a terrific +blow. My plan worked like magic. From the previous slowness of +the beast I had been led to look for no such marvelous agility as +he now displayed. Releasing his hold upon the tree he dropped on +all fours and at the same time swung his great, wicked tail with +a force that would have broken every bone in my body had it +struck me; but, fortunately, I had turned to flee at the very +instant that I felt my blow land upon the towering back. <br> +<p>As it started in pursuit of me I made the mistake of running +along the edge of the forest rather than making for the open +beach. In a moment I was knee-deep in rotting vegetation, and the +awful thing behind me was gaining rapidly as I floundered and +fell in my efforts to extricate myself.<br> +</p> + +A fallen log gave me an instant's advantage, for climbing upon it +I leaped to another a few paces farther on, and in this way was +able to keep clear of the mush that carpeted the surrounding +ground. But the zigzag course that this necessitated was placing +such a heavy handicap upon me that my pursuer was steadily +gaining upon me. <br> +<p>Suddenly from behind I heard a tumult of howls, and sharp, +piercing barks--much the sound that a pack of wolves raises when +in full cry. Involuntarily I glanced backward to discover the +origin of this new and menacing note with the result that I +missed my footing and went sprawling once more upon my face in +the deep muck.<br> +</p> + +My mammoth enemy was so close by this time that I knew I must +feel the weight of one of his terrible paws before I could rise, +but to my surprise the blow did not fall upon me. The howling and +snapping and barking of the new element which had been infused +into the melee now seemed centered quite close behind me, and as +I raised myself upon my hands and glanced around I saw what it +was that had distracted the DYRYTH, as I afterward learned the +thing is called, from my trail. <br> +<p>It was surrounded by a pack of some hundred wolf-like +creatures--wild dogs they seemed--that rushed growling and +snapping in upon it from all sides, so that they sank their white +fangs into the slow brute and were away again before it could +reach them with its huge paws or sweeping tail.<br> +</p> + +But these were not all that my startled eyes perceived. +Chattering and gibbering through the lower branches of the trees +came a company of manlike creatures evidently urging on the dog +pack. They were to all appearances strikingly similar in aspect +to the Negro of Africa. Their skins were very black, and their +features much like those of the more pronounced Negroid type +except that the head receded more rapidly above the eyes, leaving +little or no forehead. Their arms were rather longer and their +legs shorter in proportion to the torso than in man, and later I +noticed that their great toes protruded at right angles from +their feet--because of their arboreal habits, I presume. Behind +them trailed long, slender tails which they used in climbing +quite as much as they did either their hands or feet. <br> +<p>I had stumbled to my feet the moment that I discovered that +the wolf-dogs were holding the dyryth at bay. At sight of me +several of the savage creatures left off worrying the great brute +to come slinking with bared fangs toward me, and as I turned to +run toward the trees again to seek safety among the lower +branches, I saw a number of the man-apes leaping and chattering +in the foliage of the nearest tree.<br> +</p> + +Between them and the beasts behind me there was little choice, +but at least there was a doubt as to the reception these +grotesque parodies on humanity would accord me, while there was +none as to the fate which awaited me beneath the grinning fangs +of my fierce pursuers. <br> +<p>And so I raced on toward the trees intending to pass beneath +that which held the man-things and take refuge in another farther +on; but the wolf-dogs were very close behind me--so close that I +had despaired of escaping them, when one of the creatures in the +tree above swung down headforemost, his tail looped about a great +limb, and grasping me beneath my armpits swung me in safety up +among his fellows.<br> +</p> + +There they fell to examining me with the utmost excitement and +curiosity. They picked at my clothing, my hair, and my flesh. +They turned me about to see if I had a tail, and when they +discovered that I was not so equipped they fell into roars of +laughter. Their teeth were very large and white and even, except +for the upper canines which were a trifle longer than the +others--protruding just a bit when the mouth was closed. <br> +<p>When they had examined me for a few moments one of them +discovered that my clothing was not a part of me, with the result +that garment by garment they tore it from me amidst peals of the +wildest laughter. Apelike, they essayed to don the apparel +themselves, but their ingenuity was not sufficient to the task +and so they gave it up.<br> +</p> + +In the meantime I had been straining my eyes to catch a glimpse +of Perry, but nowhere about could I see him, although the clump +of trees in which he had first taken refuge was in full view. I +was much exercised by fear that something had befallen him, and +though I called his name aloud several times there was no +response. <br> +<p>Tired at last of playing with my clothing the creatures threw +it to the ground, and catching me, one on either side, by an arm, +started off at a most terrifying pace through the tree tops. +Never have I experienced such a journey before or since--even now +I oftentimes awake from a deep sleep haunted by the horrid +remembrance of that awful experience.<br> +</p> + +From tree to tree the agile creatures sprang like flying +squirrels, while the cold sweat stood upon my brow as I glimpsed +the depths beneath, into which a single misstep on the part of +either of my bearers would hurl me. As they bore me along, my +mind was occupied with a thousand bewildering thoughts. What had +become of Perry? Would I ever see him again? What were the +intentions of these half-human things into whose hands I had +fallen? Were they inhabitants of the same world into which I had +been born? No! It could not be. But yet where else? I had not +left that earth--of that I was sure. Still neither could I +reconcile the things which I had seen to a belief that I was +still in the world of my birth. With a sigh I gave it up. <br> +<p><br> +</p> + +<h1 id="ref_4">CHAPTER III</h1> + +A CHANGE OF MASTERS <br> +<p>We must have traveled several miles through the dark and +dismal wood when we came suddenly upon a dense village built high +among the branches of the trees. As we approached it my escort +broke into wild shouting which was immediately answered from +within, and a moment later a swarm of creatures of the same +strange race as those who had captured me poured out to meet us. +Again I was the center of a wildly chattering horde. I was pulled +this way and that. Pinched, pounded, and thumped until I was +black and blue, yet I do not think that their treatment was +dictated by either cruelty or malice--I was a curiosity, a freak, +a new plaything, and their childish minds required the added +evidence of all their senses to back up the testimony of their +eyes.<br> +</p> + +Presently they dragged me within the village, which consisted of +several hundred rude shelters of boughs and leaves supported upon +the branches of the trees. <br> +<p>Between the huts, which sometimes formed crooked streets, were +dead branches and the trunks of small trees which connected the +huts upon one tree to those within adjoining trees; the whole +network of huts and pathways forming an almost solid flooring a +good fifty feet above the ground.<br> +</p> + +I wondered why these agile creatures required connecting bridges +between the trees, but later when I saw the motley aggregation of +half-savage beasts which they kept within their village I +realized the necessity for the pathways. There were a number of +the same vicious wolf-dogs which we had left worrying the dyryth, +and many goatlike animals whose distended udders explained the +reasons for their presence. <br> +<p>My guard halted before one of the huts into which I was +pushed; then two of the creatures squatted down before the +entrance--to prevent my escape, doubtless. Though where I should +have escaped to I certainly had not the remotest conception. I +had no more than entered the dark shadows of the interior than +there fell upon my ears the tones of a familiar voice, in +prayer.<br> +</p> + +"Perry!" I cried. "Dear old Perry! Thank the Lord you are safe." +<br> +<p>"David! Can it be possible that you escaped?" And the old man +stumbled toward me and threw his arms about me.<br> +</p> + +He had seen me fall before the dyryth, and then he had been +seized by a number of the ape-creatures and borne through the +tree tops to their village. His captors had been as inquisitive +as to his strange clothing as had mine, with the same result. As +we looked at each other we could not help but laugh. <br> +<p>"With a tail, David," remarked Perry, "you would make a very +handsome ape."<br> +</p> + +"Maybe we can borrow a couple," I rejoined. "They seem to be +quite the thing this season. I wonder what the creatures intend +doing with us, Perry. They don't seem really savage. What do you +suppose they can be? You were about to tell me where we are when +that great hairy frigate bore down upon us--have you really any +idea at all?" <br> +<p>"Yes, David," he replied, "I know precisely where we are. We +have made a magnificent discovery, my boy! We have proved that +the earth is hollow. We have passed entirely through its crust to +the inner world."<br> +</p> + +"Perry, you are mad!" <br> +<p>"Not at all, David. For two hundred and fifty miles our +prospector bore us through the crust beneath our outer world. At +that point it reached the center of gravity of the +five-hundred-mile-thick crust. Up to that point we had been +descending--direction is, of course, merely relative. Then at the +moment that our seats revolved--the thing that made you believe +that we had turned about and were speeding upward--we passed the +center of gravity and, though we did not alter the direction of +our progress, yet we were in reality moving upward--toward the +surface of the inner world. Does not the strange fauna and flora +which we have seen convince you that you are not in the world of +your birth? And the horizon--could it present the strange aspects +which we both noted unless we were indeed standing upon the +inside surface of a sphere?"<br> +</p> + +"But the sun, Perry!" I urged. "How in the world can the sun +shine through five hundred miles of solid crust?" <br> +<p>"It is not the sun of the outer world that we see here. It is +another sun--an entirely different sun--that casts its eternal +noonday effulgence upon the face of the inner world. Look at it +now, David--if you can see it from the doorway of this hut--and +you will see that it is still in the exact center of the heavens. +We have been here for many hours--yet it is still noon.<br> +</p> + +"And withal it is very simple, David. The earth was once a +nebulous mass. It cooled, and as it cooled it shrank. At length a +thin crust of solid matter formed upon its outer surface--a sort +of shell; but within it was partially molten matter and highly +expanded gases. As it continued to cool, what happened? +Centrifugal force burled the particles of the nebulous center +toward the crust as rapidly as they approached a solid state. You +have seen the same principle practically applied in the modern +cream separator. Presently there was only a small super-heated +core of gaseous matter remaining within a huge vacant interior +left by the contraction of the cooling gases. The equal +attraction of the solid crust from all directions maintained this +luminous core in the exact center of the hollow globe. What +remains of it is the sun you saw today--a relatively tiny thing +at the exact center of the earth. Equally to every part of this +inner world it diffuses its perpetual noonday light and torrid +heat. <br> +<p>"This inner world must have cooled sufficiently to support +animal life long ages after life appeared upon the outer crust, +but that the same agencies were at work here is evident from the +similar forms of both animal and vegetable creation which we have +already seen. Take the great beast which attacked us, for +example. Unquestionably a counterpart of the Megatherium of the +post-Pliocene period of the outer crust, whose fossilized +skeleton has been found in South America."<br> +</p> + +"But the grotesque inhabitants of this forest?" I urged. "Surely +they have no counterpart in the earth's history." <br> +<p>"Who can tell?" he rejoined. "They may constitute the link +between ape and man, all traces of which have been swallowed by +the countless convulsions which have racked the outer crust, or +they may be merely the result of evolution along slightly +different lines--either is quite possible."<br> +</p> + +Further speculation was interrupted by the appearance of several +of our captors before the entrance of the hut. Two of them +entered and dragged us forth. The perilous pathways and the +surrounding trees were filled with the black ape-men, their +females, and their young. There was not an ornament, a weapon, or +a garment among the lot. <br> +<p>"Quite low in the scale of creation," commented Perry.<br> +</p> + +"Quite high enough to play the deuce with us, though," I replied. +"Now what do you suppose they intend doing with us?" <br> +<p>We were not long in learning. As on the occasion of our trip +to the village we were seized by a couple of the powerful +creatures and whirled away through the tree tops, while about us +and in our wake raced a chattering, jabbering, grinning horde of +sleek, black ape-things.<br> +</p> + +Twice my bearers missed their footing, and my heart ceased +beating as we plunged toward instant death among the tangled +deadwood beneath. But on both occasions those lithe, powerful +tails reached out and found sustaining branches, nor did either +of the creatures loosen their grasp upon me. In fact, it seemed +that the incidents were of no greater moment to them than would +be the stubbing of one's toe at a street crossing in the outer +world--they but laughed uproariously and sped on with me. <br> +<p>For some time they continued through the forest--how long I +could not guess for I was learning, what was later borne very +forcefully to my mind, that time ceases to be a factor the moment +means for measuring it cease to exist. Our watches were gone, and +we were living beneath a stationary sun. Already I was puzzled to +compute the period of time which had elapsed since we broke +through the crust of the inner world. It might be hours, or it +might be days--who in the world could tell where it was always +noon! By the sun, no time had elapsed--but my judgment told me +that we must have been several hours in this strange world.<br> +</p> + +Presently the forest terminated, and we came out upon a level +plain. A short distance before us rose a few low, rocky hills. +Toward these our captors urged us, and after a short time led us +through a narrow pass into a tiny, circular valley. Here they got +down to work, and we were soon convinced that if we were not to +die to make a Roman holiday, we were to die for some other +purpose. The attitude of our captors altered immediately as they +entered the natural arena within the rocky hills. Their laughter +ceased. Grim ferocity marked their bestial faces--bared fangs +menaced us. <br> +<p>We were placed in the center of the amphitheater--the thousand +creatures forming a great ring about us. Then a wolf-dog was +brought--hyaenadon Perry called it--and turned loose with us +inside the circle. The thing's body was as large as that of a +full-grown mastiff, its legs were short and powerful, and its +jaws broad and strong. Dark, shaggy hair covered its back and +sides, while its breast and belly were quite white. As it slunk +toward us it presented a most formidable aspect with its upcurled +lips baring its mighty fangs.<br> +</p> + +Perry was on his knees, praying. I stooped and picked up a small +stone. At my movement the beast veered off a bit and commenced +circling us. Evidently it had been a target for stones before. +The ape-things were dancing up and down urging the brute on with +savage cries, until at last, seeing that I did not throw, he +charged us. <br> +<p>At Andover, and later at Yale, I had pitched on winning ball +teams. My speed and control must both have been above the +ordinary, for I made such a record during my senior year at +college that overtures were made to me in behalf of one of the +great major-league teams; but in the tightest pitch that ever had +confronted me in the past I had never been in such need for +control as now.<br> +</p> + +As I wound up for the delivery, I held my nerves and muscles +under absolute command, though the grinning jaws were hurtling +toward me at terrific speed. And then I let go, with every ounce +of my weight and muscle and science in back of that throw. The +stone caught the hyaenodon full upon the end of the nose, and +sent him bowling over upon his back. <br> +<p>At the same instant a chorus of shrieks and howls arose from +the circle of spectators, so that for a moment I thought that the +upsetting of their champion was the cause; but in this I soon saw +that I was mistaken. As I looked, the ape-things broke in all +directions toward the surrounding hills, and then I distinguished +the real cause of their perturbation. Behind them, streaming +through the pass which leads into the valley, came a swarm of +hairy men--gorilla-like creatures armed with spears and hatchets, +and bearing long, oval shields. Like demons they set upon the +ape-things, and before them the hyaenodon, which had now regained +its senses and its feet, fled howling with fright. Past us swept +the pursued and the pursuers, nor did the hairy ones accord us +more than a passing glance until the arena had been emptied of +its former occupants. Then they returned to us, and one who +seemed to have authority among them directed that we be brought +with them.<br> +</p> + +When we had passed out of the amphitheater onto the great plain +we saw a caravan of men and women--human beings like +ourselves--and for the first time hope and relief filled my +heart, until I could have cried out in the exuberance of my +happiness. It is true that they were a half-naked, wild-appearing +aggregation; but they at least were fashioned along the same +lines as ourselves--there was nothing grotesque or horrible about +them as about the other creatures in this strange, weird world. +<br> +<p>But as we came closer, our hearts sank once more, for we +discovered that the poor wretches were chained neck to neck in a +long line, and that the gorilla-men were their guards. With +little ceremony Perry and I were chained at the end of the line, +and without further ado the interrupted march was resumed.<br> +</p> + +Up to this time the excitement had kept us both up; but now the +tiresome monotony of the long march across the sun-baked plain +brought on all the agonies consequent to a long-denied sleep. On +and on we stumbled beneath that hateful noonday sun. If we fell +we were prodded with a sharp point. Our companions in chains did +not stumble. They strode along proudly erect. Occasionally they +would exchange words with one another in a monosyllabic language. +They were a noble-appearing race with well-formed heads and +perfect physiques. The men were heavily bearded, tall and +muscular; the women, smaller and more gracefully molded, with +great masses of raven hair caught into loose knots upon their +heads. The features of both sexes were well proportioned--there +was not a face among them that would have been called even plain +if judged by earthly standards. They wore no ornaments; but this +I later learned was due to the fact that their captors had +stripped them of everything of value. As garmenture the women +possessed a single robe of some light-colored, spotted hide, +rather similar in appearance to a leopard's skin. This they wore +either supported entirely about the waist by a leathern thong, so +that it hung partially below the knee on one side, or possibly +looped gracefully across one shoulder. Their feet were shod with +skin sandals. The men wore loin cloths of the hide of some shaggy +beast, long ends of which depended before and behind nearly to +the ground. In some instances these ends were finished with the +strong talons of the beast from which the hides had been taken. +<br> +<p>Our guards, whom I already have described as gorilla-like men, +were rather lighter in build than a gorilla, but even so they +were indeed mighty creatures. Their arms and legs were +proportioned more in conformity with human standards, but their +entire bodies were covered with shaggy, brown hair, and their +faces were quite as brutal as those of the few stuffed specimens +of the gorilla which I had seen in the museums at home.<br> +</p> + +Their only redeeming feature lay in the development of the head +above and back of the ears. In this respect they were not one +whit less human than we. They were clothed in a sort of tunic of +light cloth which reached to the knees. Beneath this they wore +only a loin cloth of the same material, while their feet were +shod with thick hide of some mammoth creature of this inner +world. <br> +<p>Their arms and necks were encircled by many ornaments of +metal--silver predominating--and on their tunics were sewn the +heads of tiny reptiles in odd and rather artistic designs. They +talked among themselves as they marched along on either side of +us, but in a language which I perceived differed from that +employed by our fellow prisoners. When they addressed the latter +they used what appeared to be a third language, and which I later +learned is a mongrel tongue rather analogous to the +Pidgin-English of the Chinese coolie.<br> +</p> + +How far we marched I have no conception, nor has Perry. Both of +us were asleep much of the time for hours before a halt was +called--then we dropped in our tracks. I say "for hours," but how +may one measure time where time does not exist! When our march +commenced the sun stood at zenith. When we halted our shadows +still pointed toward nadir. Whether an instant or an eternity of +earthly time elapsed who may say. That march may have occupied +nine years and eleven months of the ten years that I spent in the +inner world, or it may have been accomplished in the fraction of +a second--I cannot tell. But this I do know that since you have +told me that ten years have elapsed since I departed from this +earth I have lost all respect for time--I am commencing to doubt +that such a thing exists other than in the weak, finite mind of +man. <br> +<p><br> +</p> + +<h1 id="ref_5">CHAPTER IV</h1> + +DIAN THE BEAUTIFUL <br> +<p>When our guards aroused us from sleep we were much refreshed. +They gave us food. Strips of dried meat it was, but it put new +life and strength into us, so that now we too marched with +high-held heads, and took noble strides. At least I did, for I +was young and proud; but poor Perry hated walking. On earth I had +often seen him call a cab to travel a square--he was paying for +it now, and his old legs wobbled so that I put my arm about him +and half carried him through the balance of those frightful +marches.<br> +</p> + +The country began to change at last, and we wound up out of the +level plain through mighty mountains of virgin granite. The +tropical verdure of the lowlands was replaced by hardier +vegetation, but even here the effects of constant heat and light +were apparent in the immensity of the trees and the profusion of +foliage and blooms. Crystal streams roared through their rocky +channels, fed by the perpetual snows which we could see far above +us. Above the snowcapped heights hung masses of heavy clouds. It +was these, Perry explained, which evidently served the double +purpose of replenishing the melting snows and protecting them +from the direct rays of the sun. <br> +<p>By this time we had picked up a smattering of the bastard +language in which our guards addressed us, as well as making good +headway in the rather charming tongue of our co-captives. +Directly ahead of me in the chain gang was a young woman. Three +feet of chain linked us together in a forced companionship which +I, at least, soon rejoiced in. For I found her a willing teacher, +and from her I learned the language of her tribe, and much of the +life and customs of the inner world--at least that part of it +with which she was familiar.<br> +</p> + +She told me that she was called Dian the Beautiful, and that she +belonged to the tribe of Amoz, which dwells in the cliffs above +the Darel Az, or shallow sea. <br> +<p>"How came you here?" I asked her.<br> +</p> + +"I was running away from Jubal the Ugly One," she answered, as +though that was explanation quite sufficient. <br> +<p>"Who is Jubal the Ugly One?" I asked. "And why did you run +away from him?"<br> +</p> + +She looked at me in surprise. <br> +<p>"Why DOES a woman run away from a man?" she answered my +question with another.<br> +</p> + +"They do not, where I come from," I replied. "Sometimes they run +after them." <br> +<p>But she could not understand. Nor could I get her to grasp the +fact that I was of another world. She was quite as positive that +creation was originated solely to produce her own kind and the +world she lived in as are many of the outer world.<br> +</p> + +"But Jubal," I insisted. "Tell me about him, and why you ran away +to be chained by the neck and scourged across the face of a +world." <br> +<p>"Jubal the Ugly One placed his trophy before my father's +house. It was the head of a mighty tandor. It remained there and +no greater trophy was placed beside it. So I knew that Jubal the +Ugly One would come and take me as his mate. None other so +powerful wished me, or they would have slain a mightier beast and +thus have won me from Jubal. My father is not a mighty hunter. +Once he was, but a sadok tossed him, and never again had he the +full use of his right arm. My brother, Dacor the Strong One, had +gone to the land of Sari to steal a mate for himself. Thus there +was none, father, brother, or lover, to save me from Jubal the +Ugly One, and I ran away and hid among the hills that skirt the +land of Amoz. And there these Sagoths found me and made me +captive."<br> +</p> + +"What will they do with you?" I asked. "Where are they taking +us?" <br> +<p>Again she looked her incredulity.<br> +</p> + +"I can almost believe that you are of another world," she said, +"for otherwise such ignorance were inexplicable. Do you really +mean that you do not know that the Sagoths are the creatures of +the Mahars--the mighty Mahars who think they own Pellucidar and +all that walks or grows upon its surface, or creeps or burrows +beneath, or swims within its lakes and oceans, or flies through +its air? Next you will be telling me that you never before heard +of the Mahars!" <br> +<p>I was loath to do it, and further incur her scorn; but there +was no alternative if I were to absorb knowledge, so I made a +clean breast of my pitiful ignorance as to the mighty Mahars. She +was shocked. But she did her very best to enlighten me, though +much that she said was as Greek would have been to her. She +described the Mahars largely by comparisons. In this way they +were like unto thipdars, in that to the hairless lidi.<br> +</p> + +About all I gleaned of them was that they were quite hideous, had +wings, and webbed feet; lived in cities built beneath the ground; +could swim under water for great distances, and were very, very +wise. The Sagoths were their weapons of offense and defense, and +the races like herself were their hands and feet--they were the +slaves and servants who did all the manual labor. The Mahars were +the heads--the brains--of the inner world. I longed to see this +wondrous race of supermen. <br> +<p>Perry learned the language with me. When we halted, as we +occasionally did, though sometimes the halts seemed ages apart, +he would join in the conversation, as would Ghak the Hairy One, +he who was chained just ahead of Dian the Beautiful. Ahead of +Ghak was Hooja the Sly One. He too entered the conversation +occasionally. Most of his remarks were directed toward Dian the +Beautiful. It didn't take half an eye to see that he had +developed a bad case; but the girl appeared totally oblivious to +his thinly veiled advances. Did I say thinly veiled? There is a +race of men in New Zealand, or Australia, I have forgotten which, +who indicate their preference for the lady of their affections by +banging her over the head with a bludgeon. By comparison with +this method Hooja's lovemaking might be called thinly veiled. At +first it caused me to blush violently although I have seen +several Old Years out at Rectors, and in other less fashionable +places off Broadway, and in Vienna, and Hamburg.<br> +</p> + +But the girl! She was magnificent. It was easy to see that she +considered herself as entirely above and apart from her present +surroundings and company. She talked with me, and with Perry, and +with the taciturn Ghak because we were respectful; but she +couldn't even see Hooja the Sly One, much less hear him, and that +made him furious. He tried to get one of the Sagoths to move the +girl up ahead of him in the slave gang, but the fellow only poked +him with his spear and told him that he had selected the girl for +his own property--that he would buy her from the Mahars as soon +as they reached Phutra. Phutra, it seemed, was the city of our +destination. <br> +<p>After passing over the first chain of mountains we skirted a +salt sea, upon whose bosom swam countless horrid things. +Seal-like creatures there were with long necks stretching ten and +more feet above their enormous bodies and whose snake heads were +split with gaping mouths bristling with countless fangs. There +were huge tortoises too, paddling about among these other +reptiles, which Perry said were Plesiosaurs of the Lias. I didn't +question his veracity--they might have been most anything.<br> +</p> + +Dian told me they were tandorazes, or tandors of the sea, and +that the other, and more fearsome reptiles, which occasionally +rose from the deep to do battle with them, were azdyryths, or +sea-dyryths--Perry called them Ichthyosaurs. They resembled a +whale with the head of an alligator. <br> +<p>I had forgotten what little geology I had studied at +school--about all that remained was an impression of horror that +the illustrations of restored prehistoric monsters had made upon +me, and a well-defined belief that any man with a pig's shank and +a vivid imagination could "restore" most any sort of paleolithic +monster he saw fit, and take rank as a first class +paleontologist. But when I saw these sleek, shiny carcasses +shimmering in the sunlight as they emerged from the ocean, +shaking their giant heads; when I saw the waters roll from their +sinuous bodies in miniature waterfalls as they glided hither and +thither, now upon the surface, now half submerged; as I saw them +meet, open-mouthed, hissing and snorting, in their titanic and +interminable warring I realized how futile is man's poor, weak +imagination by comparison with Nature's incredible genius.<br> +</p> + +And Perry! He was absolutely flabbergasted. He said so himself. +<br> +<p>"David," he remarked, after we had marched for a long time +beside that awful sea. "David, I used to teach geology, and I +thought that I believed what I taught; but now I see that I did +not believe it--that it is impossible for man to believe such +things as these unless he sees them with his own eyes. We take +things for granted, perhaps, because we are told them over and +over again, and have no way of disproving them--like religions, +for example; but we don't believe them, we only think we do. If +you ever get back to the outer world you will find that the +geologists and paleontologists will be the first to set you down +a liar, for they know that no such creatures as they restore ever +existed. It is all right to IMAGINE them as existing in an +equally imaginary epoch--but now? poof!"<br> +</p> + +At the next halt Hooja the Sly One managed to find enough slack +chain to permit him to worm himself back quite close to Dian. We +were all standing, and as he edged near the girl she turned her +back upon him in such a truly earthly feminine manner that I +could scarce repress a smile; but it was a short-lived smile for +on the instant the Sly One's hand fell upon the girl's bare arm, +jerking her roughly toward him. <br> +<p>I was not then familiar with the customs or social ethics +which prevailed within Pellucidar; but even so I did not need the +appealing look which the girl shot to me from her magnificent +eyes to influence my subsequent act. What the Sly One's intention +was I paused not to inquire; but instead, before he could lay +hold of her with his other hand, I placed a right to the point of +his jaw that felled him in his tracks.<br> +</p> + +A roar of approval went up from those of the other prisoners and +the Sagoths who had witnessed the brief drama; not, as I later +learned, because I had championed the girl, but for the neat and, +to them, astounding method by which I had bested Hooja. <br> +<p>And the girl? At first she looked at me with wide, wondering +eyes, and then she dropped her head, her face half averted, and a +delicate flush suffused her cheek. For a moment she stood thus in +silence, and then her head went high, and she turned her back +upon me as she had upon Hooja. Some of the prisoners laughed, and +I saw the face of Ghak the Hairy One go very black as he looked +at me searchingly. And what I could see of Dian's cheek went +suddenly from red to white.<br> +</p> + +Immediately after we resumed the march, and though I realized +that in some way I had offended Dian the Beautiful I could not +prevail upon her to talk with me that I might learn wherein I had +erred--in fact I might quite as well have been addressing a +sphinx for all the attention I got. At last my own foolish pride +stepped in and prevented my making any further attempts, and thus +a companionship that without my realizing it had come to mean a +great deal to me was cut off. Thereafter I confined my +conversation to Perry. Hooja did not renew his advances toward +the girl, nor did he again venture near me. <br> +<p>Again the weary and apparently interminable marching became a +perfect nightmare of horrors to me. The more firmly fixed became +the realization that the girl's friendship had meant so much to +me, the more I came to miss it; and the more impregnable the +barrier of silly pride. But I was very young and would not ask +Ghak for the explanation which I was sure he could give, and that +might have made everything all right again.<br> +</p> + +On the march, or during halts, Dian refused consistently to +notice me--when her eyes wandered in my direction she looked +either over my head or directly through me. At last I became +desperate, and determined to swallow my self-esteem, and again +beg her to tell me how I had offended, and how I might make +reparation. I made up my mind that I should do this at the next +halt. We were approaching another range of mountains at the time, +and when we reached them, instead of winding across them through +some high-flung pass we entered a mighty natural tunnel--a series +of labyrinthine grottoes, dark as Erebus. <br> +<p>The guards had no torches or light of any description. In fact +we had seen no artificial light or sign of fire since we had +entered Pellucidar. In a land of perpetual noon there is no need +of light above ground, yet I marveled that they had no means of +lighting their way through these dark, subterranean passages. So +we crept along at a snail's pace, with much stumbling and +falling--the guards keeping up a singsong chant ahead of us, +interspersed with certain high notes which I found always +indicated rough places and turns.<br> +</p> + +Halts were now more frequent, but I did not wish to speak to Dian +until I could see from the expression of her face how she was +receiving my apologies. At last a faint glow ahead forewarned us +of the end of the tunnel, for which I for one was devoutly +thankful. Then at a sudden turn we emerged into the full light of +the noonday sun. <br> +<p>But with it came a sudden realization of what meant to me a +real catastrophe--Dian was gone, and with her a half-dozen other +prisoners. The guards saw it too, and the ferocity of their rage +was terrible to behold. Their awesome, bestial faces were +contorted in the most diabolical expressions, as they accused +each other of responsibility for the loss. Finally they fell upon +us, beating us with their spear shafts, and hatchets. They had +already killed two near the head of the line, and were like to +have finished the balance of us when their leader finally put a +stop to the brutal slaughter. Never in all my life had I +witnessed a more horrible exhibition of bestial rage--I thanked +God that Dian had not been one of those left to endure it.<br> +</p> + +Of the twelve prisoners who had been chained ahead of me each +alternate one had been freed commencing with Dian. Hooja was +gone. Ghak remained. What could it mean? How had it been +accomplished? The commander of the guards was investigating. Soon +he discovered that the rude locks which had held the neckbands in +place had been deftly picked. <br> +<p>"Hooja the Sly One," murmured Ghak, who was now next to me in +line. "He has taken the girl that you would not have," he +continued, glancing at me.<br> +</p> + +"That I would not have!" I cried. "What do you mean?" <br> +<p>He looked at me closely for a moment.<br> +</p> + +"I have doubted your story that you are from another world," he +said at last, "but yet upon no other grounds could your ignorance +of the ways of Pellucidar be explained. Do you really mean that +you do not know that you offended the Beautiful One, and how?" +<br> +<p>"I do not know, Ghak," I replied.<br> +</p> + +"Then shall I tell you. When a man of Pellucidar intervenes +between another man and the woman the other man would have, the +woman belongs to the victor. Dian the Beautiful belongs to you. +You should have claimed her or released her. Had you taken her +hand, it would have indicated your desire to make her your mate, +and had you raised her hand above her head and then dropped it, +it would have meant that you did not wish her for a mate and that +you released her from all obligation to you. By doing neither you +have put upon her the greatest affront that a man may put upon a +woman. Now she is your slave. No man will take her as mate, or +may take her honorably, until he shall have overcome you in +combat, and men do not choose slave women as their mates--at +least not the men of Pellucidar." <br> +<p>"I did not know, Ghak," I cried. "I did not know. Not for all +Pellucidar would I have harmed Dian the Beautiful by word, or +look, or act of mine. I do not want her as my slave. I do not +want her as my--" but here I stopped. The vision of that sweet +and innocent face floated before me amidst the soft mists of +imagination, and where I had on the second believed that I clung +only to the memory of a gentle friendship I had lost, yet now it +seemed that it would have been disloyalty to her to have said +that I did not want Dian the Beautiful as my mate. I had not +thought of her except as a welcome friend in a strange, cruel +world. Even now I did not think that I loved her.<br> +</p> + +I believe Ghak must have read the truth more in my expression +than in my words, for presently he laid his hand upon my +shoulder. <br> +<p>"Man of another world," he said, "I believe you. Lips may lie, +but when the heart speaks through the eyes it tells only the +truth. Your heart has spoken to me. I know now that you meant no +affront to Dian the Beautiful. She is not of my tribe; but her +mother is my sister. She does not know it--her mother was stolen +by Dian's father who came with many others of the tribe of Amoz +to battle with us for our women--the most beautiful women of +Pellucidar. Then was her father king of Amoz, and her mother was +daughter of the king of Sari--to whose power I, his son, have +succeeded. Dian is the daughter of kings, though her father is no +longer king since the sadok tossed him and Jubal the Ugly One +wrested his kingship from him. Because of her lineage the wrong +you did her was greatly magnified in the eyes of all who saw it. +She will never forgive you."<br> +</p> + +I asked Ghak if there was not some way in which I could release +the girl from the bondage and ignominy I had unwittingly placed +upon her. <br> +<p>"If ever you find her, yes," he answered. "Merely to raise her +hand above her head and drop it in the presence of others is +sufficient to release her; but how may you ever find her, you who +are doomed to a life of slavery yourself in the buried city of +Phutra?"<br> +</p> + +"Is there no escape?" I asked. <br> +<p>"Hooja the Sly One escaped and took the others with him," +replied Ghak. "But there are no more dark places on the way to +Phutra, and once there it is not so easy--the Mahars are very +wise. Even if one escaped from Phutra there are the +thipdars--they would find you, and then--" the Hairy One +shuddered. "No, you will never escape the Mahars."<br> +</p> + +It was a cheerful prospect. I asked Perry what he thought about +it; but he only shrugged his shoulders and continued a longwinded +prayer he had been at for some time. He was wont to say that the +only redeeming feature of our captivity was the ample time it +gave him for the improvisation of prayers--it was becoming an +obsession with him. The Sagoths had begun to take notice of his +habit of declaiming throughout entire marches. One of them asked +him what he was saying--to whom he was talking. The question gave +me an idea, so I answered quickly before Perry could say +anything. <br> +<p>"Do not interrupt him," I said. "He is a very holy man in the +world from which we come. He is speaking to spirits which you +cannot see--do not interrupt him or they will spring out of the +air upon you and rend you limb from limb--like that," and I +jumped toward the great brute with a loud "Boo!" that sent him +stumbling backward.<br> +</p> + +I took a long chance, I realized, but if we could make any +capital out of Perry's harmless mania I wanted to make it while +the making was prime. It worked splendidly. The Sagoths treated +us both with marked respect during the balance of the journey, +and then passed the word along to their masters, the Mahars. <br> +<p>Two marches after this episode we came to the city of Phutra. +The entrance to it was marked by two lofty towers of granite, +which guarded a flight of steps leading to the buried city. +Sagoths were on guard here as well as at a hundred or more other +towers scattered about over a large plain.<br> +</p> + +<br> +<h1 id="ref_6">CHAPTER V</h1> + +SLAVES <br> +As we descended the broad staircase which led to the main avenue +of Phutra I caught my first sight of the dominant race of the +inner world. Involuntarily I shrank back as one of the creatures +approached to inspect us. A more hideous thing it would be +impossible to imagine. The all-powerful Mahars of Pellucidar are +great reptiles, some six or eight feet in length, with long +narrow heads and great round eyes. Their beak-like mouths are +lined with sharp, white fangs, and the backs of their huge, +lizard bodies are serrated into bony ridges from their necks to +the end of their long tails. Their feet are equipped with three +webbed toes, while from the fore feet membranous wings, which are +attached to their bodies just in front of the hind legs, protrude +at an angle of 45 degrees toward the rear, ending in sharp points +several feet above their bodies. <br> +<p>I glanced at Perry as the thing passed me to inspect him. The +old man was gazing at the horrid creature with wide astonished +eyes. When it passed on, he turned to me.<br> +</p> + +"A rhamphorhynchus of the Middle Olitic, David," he said, "but, +gad, how enormous! The largest remains we ever have discovered +have never indicated a size greater than that attained by an +ordinary crow." <br> +<p>As we continued on through the main avenue of Phutra we saw +many thousand of the creatures coming and going upon their daily +duties. They paid but little attention to us. Phutra is laid out +underground with a regularity that indicates remarkable +engineering skill. It is hewn from solid limestone strata. The +streets are broad and of a uniform height of twenty feet. At +intervals tubes pierce the roof of this underground city, and by +means of lenses and reflectors transmit the sunlight, softened +and diffused, to dispel what would otherwise be Cimmerian +darkness. In like manner air is introduced.<br> +</p> + +Perry and I were taken, with Ghak, to a large public building, +where one of the Sagoths who had formed our guard explained to a +Maharan official the circumstances surrounding our capture. The +method of communication between these two was remarkable in that +no spoken words were exchanged. They employed a species of sign +language. As I was to learn later, the Mahars have no ears, not +any spoken language. Among themselves they communicate by means +of what Perry says must be a sixth sense which is cognizant of a +fourth dimension. <br> +<p>I never did quite grasp him, though he endeavored to explain +it to me upon numerous occasions. I suggested telepathy, but he +said no, that it was not telepathy since they could only +communicate when in each others' presence, nor could they talk +with the Sagoths or the other inhabitants of Pellucidar by the +same method they used to converse with one another.<br> +</p> + +"What they do," said Perry, "is to project their thoughts into +the fourth dimension, when they become appreciable to the sixth +sense of their listener. Do I make myself quite clear?" <br> +<p>"You do not, Perry," I replied. He shook his head in despair, +and returned to his work. They had set us to carrying a great +accumulation of Maharan literature from one apartment to another, +and there arranging it upon shelves. I suggested to Perry that we +were in the public library of Phutra, but later, as he commenced +to discover the key to their written language, he assured me that +we were handling the ancient archives of the race.<br> +</p> + +During this period my thoughts were continually upon Dian the +Beautiful. I was, of course, glad that she had escaped the +Mahars, and the fate that had been suggested by the Sagoth who +had threatened to purchase her upon our arrival at Phutra. I +often wondered if the little party of fugitives had been +overtaken by the guards who had returned to search for them. +Sometimes I was not so sure but that I should have been more +contented to know that Dian was here in Phutra, than to think of +her at the mercy of Hooja the Sly One. Ghak, Perry, and I often +talked together of possible escape, but the Sarian was so steeped +in his lifelong belief that no one could escape from the Mahars +except by a miracle, that he was not much aid to us--his attitude +was of one who waits for the miracle to come to him. <br> +<p>At my suggestion Perry and I fashioned some swords of scraps +of iron which we discovered among some rubbish in the cells where +we slept, for we were permitted almost unrestrained freedom of +action within the limits of the building to which we had been +assigned. So great were the number of slaves who waited upon the +inhabitants of Phutra that none of us was apt to be overburdened +with work, nor were our masters unkind to us.<br> +</p> + +We hid our new weapons beneath the skins which formed our beds, +and then Perry conceived the idea of making bows and +arrows--weapons apparently unknown within Pellucidar. Next came +shields; but these I found it easier to steal from the walls of +the outer guardroom of the building. <br> +<p>We had completed these arrangements for our protection after +leaving Phutra when the Sagoths who had been sent to recapture +the escaped prisoners returned with four of them, of whom Hooja +was one. Dian and two others had eluded them. It so happened that +Hooja was confined in the same building with us. He told Ghak +that he had not seen Dian or the others after releasing them +within the dark grotto. What had become of them he had not the +faintest conception--they might be wandering yet, lost within the +labyrinthine tunnel, if not dead from starvation.<br> +</p> + +I was now still further apprehensive as to the fate of Dian, and +at this time, I imagine, came the first realization that my +affection for the girl might be prompted by more than friendship. +During my waking hours she was constantly the subject of my +thoughts, and when I slept her dear face haunted my dreams. More +than ever was I determined to escape the Mahars. <br> +<p>"Perry, " I confided to the old man, "if I have to search +every inch of this diminutive world I am going to find Dian the +Beautiful and right the wrong I unintentionally did her." That +was the excuse I made for Perry's benefit.<br> +</p> + +"Diminutive world!" he scoffed. "You don't know what you are +talking about, my boy," and then he showed me a map of Pellucidar +which he had recently discovered among the manuscript he was +arranging. <br> +<p>"Look," he cried, pointing to it, "this is evidently water, +and all this land. Do you notice the general configuration of the +two areas? Where the oceans are upon the outer crust, is land +here. These relatively small areas of ocean follow the general +lines of the continents of the outer world.<br> +</p> + +"We know that the crust of the globe is 500 miles in thickness; +then the inside diameter of Pellucidar must be 7,000 miles, and +the superficial area 165,480,000 square miles. Three-fourths of +this is land. Think of it! A land area of 124,110,000 square +miles! Our own world contains but 53,000,000 square miles of +land, the balance of its surface being covered by water. Just as +we often compare nations by their relative land areas, so if we +compare these two worlds in the same way we have the strange +anomaly of a larger world within a smaller one! <br> +<p>"Where within vast Pellucidar would you search for your Dian? +Without stars, or moon, or changing sun how could you find her +even though you knew where she might be found?"<br> +</p> + +The proposition was a corker. It quite took my breath away; but I +found that it left me all the more determined to attempt it. <br> +<p>"If Ghak will accompany us we may be able to do it," I +suggested.<br> +</p> + +Perry and I sought him out and put the question straight to him. +<br> +<p>"Ghak," I said, "we are determined to escape from this +bondage. Will you accompany us?"<br> +</p> + +"They will set the thipdars upon us," he said, "and then we shall +be killed; but--" he hesitated--"I would take the chance if I +thought that I might possibly escape and return to my own +people." <br> +<p>"Could you find your way back to your own land?" asked Perry. +"And could you aid David in his search for Dian?"<br> +</p> + +"Yes." <br> +<p>"But how," persisted Perry, "could you travel to strange +country without heavenly bodies or a compass to guide you?"<br> +</p> + +Ghak didn't know what Perry meant by heavenly bodies or a +compass, but he assured us that you might blindfold any man of +Pellucidar and carry him to the farthermost corner of the world, +yet he would be able to come directly to his own home again by +the shortest route. He seemed surprised to think that we found +anything wonderful in it. Perry said it must be some sort of +homing instinct such as is possessed by certain breeds of earthly +pigeons. I didn't know, of course, but it gave me an idea. <br> +<p>"Then Dian could have found her way directly to her own +people?" I asked.<br> +</p> + +"Surely," replied Ghak, "unless some mighty beast of prey killed +her." <br> +<p>I was for making the attempted escape at once, but both Perry +and Ghak counseled waiting for some propitious accident which +would insure us some small degree of success. I didn't see what +accident could befall a whole community in a land of perpetual +daylight where the inhabitants had no fixed habits of sleep. Why, +I am sure that some of the Mahars never sleep, while others may, +at long intervals, crawl into the dark recesses beneath their +dwellings and curl up in protracted slumber. Perry says that if a +Mahar stays awake for three years he will make up all his lost +sleep in a long year's snooze. That may be all true, but I never +saw but three of them asleep, and it was the sight of these three +that gave me a suggestion for our means of escape.<br> +</p> + +I had been searching about far below the levels that we slaves +were supposed to frequent--possibly fifty feet beneath the main +floor of the building--among a network of corridors and +apartments, when I came suddenly upon three Mahars curled up upon +a bed of skins. At first I thought they were dead, but later +their regular breathing convinced me of my error. Like a flash +the thought came to me of the marvelous opportunity these +sleeping reptiles offered as a means of eluding the watchfulness +of our captors and the Sagoth guards. <br> +<p>Hastening back to Perry where he pored over a musty pile of, +to me, meaningless hieroglyphics, I explained my plan to him. To +my surprise he was horrified.<br> +</p> + +"It would be murder, David," he cried. <br> +<p>"Murder to kill a reptilian monster?" I asked in +astonishment.<br> +</p> + +"Here they are not monsters, David," he replied. "Here they are +the dominant race--we are the 'monsters'--the lower orders. In +Pellucidar evolution has progressed along different lines than +upon the outer earth. These terrible convulsions of nature time +and time again wiped out the existing species--but for this fact +some monster of the Saurozoic epoch might rule today upon our own +world. We see here what might well have occurred in our own +history had conditions been what they have been here. <br> +<p>"Life within Pellucidar is far younger than upon the outer +crust. Here man has but reached a stage analogous to the Stone +Age of our own world's history, but for countless millions of +years these reptiles have been progressing. Possibly it is the +sixth sense which I am sure they possess that has given them an +advantage over the other and more frightfully armed of their +fellows; but this we may never know. They look upon us as we look +upon the beasts of our fields, and I learn from their written +records that other races of Mahars feed upon men--they keep them +in great droves, as we keep cattle. They breed them most +carefully, and when they are quite fat, they kill and eat +them."<br> +</p> + +I shuddered. <br> +<p>"What is there horrible about it, David?" the old man asked. +"They understand us no better than we understand the lower +animals of our own world. Why, I have come across here very +learned discussions of the question as to whether gilaks, that is +men, have any means of communication. One writer claims that we +do not even reason--that our every act is mechanical, or +instinctive. The dominant race of Pellucidar, David, have not yet +learned that men converse among themselves, or reason. Because we +do not converse as they do it is beyond them to imagine that we +converse at all. It is thus that we reason in relation to the +brutes of our own world. They know that the Sagoths have a spoken +language, but they cannot comprehend it, or how it manifests +itself, since they have no auditory apparatus. They believe that +the motions of the lips alone convey the meaning. That the +Sagoths can communicate with us is incomprehensible to them.<br> +</p> + +"Yes, David," he concluded, "it would entail murder to carry out +your plan." <br> +<p>"Very well then, Perry." I replied. "I shall become a +murderer."<br> +</p> + +He got me to go over the plan again most carefully, and for some +reason which was not at the time clear to me insisted upon a very +careful description of the apartments and corridors I had just +explored. <br> +<p>"I wonder, David," he said at length, "as you are determined +to carry out your wild scheme, if we could not accomplish +something of very real and lasting benefit for the human race of +Pellucidar at the same time. Listen, I have learned much of a +most surprising nature from these archives of the Mahars. That +you may not appreciate my plan I shall briefly outline the +history of the race.<br> +</p> + +"Once the males were all-powerful, but ages ago the females, +little by little, assumed the mastery. For other ages no +noticeable change took place in the race of Mahars. It continued +to progress under the intelligent and beneficent rule of the +ladies. Science took vast strides. This was especially true of +the sciences which we know as biology and eugenics. Finally a +certain female scientist announced the fact that she had +discovered a method whereby eggs might be fertilized by chemical +means after they were laid--all true reptiles, you know, are +hatched from eggs. <br> +<p>"What happened? Immediately the necessity for males ceased to +exist--the race was no longer dependent upon them. More ages +elapsed until at the present time we find a race consisting +exclusively of females. But here is the point. The secret of this +chemical formula is kept by a single race of Mahars. It is in the +city of Phutra, and unless I am greatly in error I judge from +your description of the vaults through which you passed today +that it lies hidden in the cellar of this building.<br> +</p> + +"For two reasons they hide it away and guard it jealously. First, +because upon it depends the very life of the race of Mahars, and +second, owing to the fact that when it was public property as at +first so many were experimenting with it that the danger of +over-population became very grave. <br> +<p>"David, if we can escape, and at the same time take with us +this great secret what will we not have accomplished for the +human race within Pellucidar!" The very thought of it fairly +overpowered me. Why, we two would be the means of placing the men +of the inner world in their rightful place among created things. +Only the Sagoths would then stand between them and absolute +supremacy, and I was not quite sure but that the Sagoths owed all +their power to the greater intelligence of the Mahars--I could +not believe that these gorilla-like beasts were the mental +superiors of the human race of Pellucidar.<br> +</p> + +"Why, Perry," I exclaimed, "you and I may reclaim a whole world! +Together we can lead the races of men out of the darkness of +ignorance into the light of advancement and civilization. At one +step we may carry them from the Age of Stone to the twentieth +century. It's marvelous--absolutely marvelous just to think about +it." <br> +<p>"David," said the old man, "I believe that God sent us here +for just that purpose--it shall be my life work to teach them His +word--to lead them into the light of His mercy while we are +training their hearts and hands in the ways of culture and +civilization."<br> +</p> + +"You are right, Perry," I said, "and while you are teaching them +to pray I'll be teaching them to fight, and between us we'll make +a race of men that will be an honor to us both." <br> +<p>Ghak had entered the apartment some time before we concluded +our conversation, and now he wanted to know what we were so +excited about. Perry thought we had best not tell him too much, +and so I only explained that I had a plan for escape. When I had +outlined it to him, he seemed about as horror-struck as Perry had +been; but for a different reason. The Hairy One only considered +the horrible fate that would be ours were we discovered; but at +last I prevailed upon him to accept my plan as the only feasible +one, and when I had assured him that I would take all the +responsibility for it were we captured, he accorded a reluctant +assent.<br> +</p> + +<br> +<h1 id="ref_7">CHAPTER VI</h1> + +THE BEGINNING OF HORROR <br> +Within Pellucidar one time is as good as another. There were no +nights to mask our attempted escape. All must be done in broad +daylight--all but the work I had to do in the apartment beneath +the building. So we determined to put our plan to an immediate +test lest the Mahars who made it possible should awake before I +reached them; but we were doomed to disappointment, for no sooner +had we reached the main floor of the building on our way to the +pits beneath, than we encountered hurrying bands of slaves being +hastened under strong Sagoth guard out of the edifice to the +avenue beyond. <br> +<p>Other Sagoths were darting hither and thither in search of +other slaves, and the moment that we appeared we were pounced +upon and hustled into the line of marching humans.<br> +</p> + +What the purpose or nature of the general exodus we did not know, +but presently through the line of captives ran the rumor that two +escaped slaves had been recaptured--a man and a woman--and that +we were marching to witness their punishment, for the man had +killed a Sagoth of the detachment that had pursued and overtaken +them. <br> +<p>At the intelligence my heart sprang to my throat, for I was +sure that the two were of those who escaped in the dark grotto +with Hooja the Sly One, and that Dian must be the woman. Ghak +thought so too, as did Perry.<br> +</p> + +"Is there naught that we may do to save her?" I asked Ghak. <br> +<p>"Naught," he replied.<br> +</p> + +Along the crowded avenue we marched, the guards showing unusual +cruelty toward us, as though we, too, had been implicated in the +murder of their fellow. The occasion was to serve as an +object-lesson to all other slaves of the danger and futility of +attempted escape, and the fatal consequences of taking the life +of a superior being, and so I imagine that Sagoths felt amply +justified in making the entire proceeding as uncomfortable and +painful to us as possible. <br> +<p>They jabbed us with their spears and struck at us with the +hatchets at the least provocation, and at no provocation at all. +It was a most uncomfortable half-hour that we spent before we +were finally herded through a low entrance into a huge building +the center of which was given up to a good-sized arena. Benches +surrounded this open space upon three sides, and along the fourth +were heaped huge bowlders which rose in receding tiers toward the +roof.<br> +</p> + +At first I couldn't make out the purpose of this mighty pile of +rock, unless it were intended as a rough and picturesque +background for the scenes which were enacted in the arena before +it, but presently, after the wooden benches had been pretty well +filled by slaves and Sagoths, I discovered the purpose of the +bowlders, for then the Mahars began to file into the enclosure. +<br> +<p>They marched directly across the arena toward the rocks upon +the opposite side, where, spreading their bat-like wings, they +rose above the high wall of the pit, settling down upon the +bowlders above. These were the reserved seats, the boxes of the +elect.<br> +</p> + +Reptiles that they are, the rough surface of a great stone is to +them as plush as upholstery to us. Here they lolled, blinking +their hideous eyes, and doubtless conversing with one another in +their sixth-sense- fourth-dimension language. <br> +<p>For the first time I beheld their queen. She differed from the +others in no feature that was appreciable to my earthly eyes, in +fact all Mahars look alike to me: but when she crossed the arena +after the balance of her female subjects had found their +bowlders, she was preceded by a score of huge Sagoths, the +largest I ever had seen, and on either side of her waddled a huge +thipdar, while behind came another score of Sagoth guardsmen.<br> +</p> + +At the barrier the Sagoths clambered up the steep side with truly +apelike agility, while behind them the haughty queen rose upon +her wings with her two frightful dragons close beside her, and +settled down upon the largest bowlder of them all in the exact +center of that side of the amphitheater which is reserved for the +dominant race. Here she squatted, a most repulsive and +uninteresting queen; though doubtless quite as well assured of +her beauty and divine right to rule as the proudest monarch of +the outer world. <br> +<p>And then the music started--music without sound! The Mahars +cannot hear, so the drums and fifes and horns of earthly bands +are unknown among them. The "band" consists of a score or more +Mahars. It filed out in the center of the arena where the +creatures upon the rocks might see it, and there it performed for +fifteen or twenty minutes.<br> +</p> + +Their technic consisted in waving their tails and moving their +heads in a regular succession of measured movements resulting in +a cadence which evidently pleased the eye of the Mahar as the +cadence of our own instrumental music pleases our ears. Sometimes +the band took measured steps in unison to one side or the other, +or backward and again forward--it all seemed very silly and +meaningless to me, but at the end of the first piece the Mahars +upon the rocks showed the first indications of enthusiasm that I +had seen displayed by the dominant race of Pellucidar. They beat +their great wings up and down, and smote their rocky perches with +their mighty tails until the ground shook. Then the band started +another piece, and all was again as silent as the grave. That was +one great beauty about Mahar music--if you didn't happen to like +a piece that was being played all you had to do was shut your +eyes. <br> +<p>When the band had exhausted its repertory it took wing and +settled upon the rocks above and behind the queen. Then the +business of the day was on. A man and woman were pushed into the +arena by a couple of Sagoth guardsmen. I leaned forward in my +seat to scrutinize the female--hoping against hope that she might +prove to be another than Dian the Beautiful. Her back was toward +me for a while, and the sight of the great mass of raven hair +piled high upon her head filled me with alarm.<br> +</p> + +Presently a door in one side of the arena wall was opened to +admit a huge, shaggy, bull-like creature. <br> +<p>"A Bos," whispered Perry, excitedly. "His kind roamed the +outer crust with the cave bear and the mammoth ages and ages ago. +We have been carried back a million years, David, to the +childhood of a planet--is it not wondrous?"<br> +</p> + +But I saw only the raven hair of a half-naked girl, and my heart +stood still in dumb misery at the sight of her, nor had I any +eyes for the wonders of natural history. But for Perry and Ghak I +should have leaped to the floor of the arena and shared whatever +fate lay in store for this priceless treasure of the Stone Age. +<br> +<p>With the advent of the Bos--they call the thing a thag within +Pellucidar--two spears were tossed into the arena at the feet of +the prisoners. It seemed to me that a bean shooter would have +been as effective against the mighty monster as these pitiful +weapons.<br> +</p> + +As the animal approached the two, bellowing and pawing the ground +with the strength of many earthly bulls, another door directly +beneath us was opened, and from it issued the most terrific roar +that ever had fallen upon my outraged ears. I could not at first +see the beast from which emanated this fearsome challenge, but +the sound had the effect of bringing the two victims around with +a sudden start, and then I saw the girl's face--she was not Dian! +I could have wept for relief. <br> +<p>And now, as the two stood frozen in terror, I saw the author +of that fearsome sound creeping stealthily into view. It was a +huge tiger--such as hunted the great Bos through the jungles +primeval when the world was young. In contour and markings it was +not unlike the noblest of the Bengals of our own world, but as +its dimensions were exaggerated to colossal proportions so too +were its colorings exaggerated. Its vivid yellows fairly screamed +aloud; its whites were as eider down; its blacks glossy as the +finest anthracite coal, and its coat long and shaggy as a +mountain goat. That it is a beautiful animal there is no +gainsaying, but if its size and colors are magnified here within +Pellucidar, so is the ferocity of its disposition. It is not the +occasional member of its species that is a man hunter--all are +man hunters; but they do not confine their foraging to man alone, +for there is no flesh or fish within Pellucidar that they will +not eat with relish in the constant efforts which they make to +furnish their huge carcasses with sufficient sustenance to +maintain their mighty thews.<br> +</p> + +Upon one side of the doomed pair the thag bellowed and advanced, +and upon the other tarag, the frightful, crept toward them with +gaping mouth and dripping fangs. <br> +<p>The man seized the spears, handing one of them to the woman. +At the sound of the roaring of the tiger the bull's bellowing +became a veritable frenzy of rageful noise. Never in my life had +I heard such an infernal din as the two brutes made, and to think +it was all lost upon the hideous reptiles for whom the show was +staged!<br> +</p> + +The thag was charging now from one side, and the tarag from the +other. The two puny things standing between them seemed already +lost, but at the very moment that the beasts were upon them the +man grasped his companion by the arm and together they leaped to +one side, while the frenzied creatures came together like +locomotives in collision. <br> +<p>There ensued a battle royal which for sustained and frightful +ferocity transcends the power of imagination or description. Time +and again the colossal bull tossed the enormous tiger high into +the air, but each time that the huge cat touched the ground he +returned to the encounter with apparently undiminished strength, +and seemingly increased ire.<br> +</p> + +For a while the man and woman busied themselves only with keeping +out of the way of the two creatures, but finally I saw them +separate and each creep stealthily toward one of the combatants. +The tiger was now upon the bull's broad back, clinging to the +huge neck with powerful fangs while its long, strong talons +ripped the heavy hide into shreds and ribbons. <br> +<p>For a moment the bull stood bellowing and quivering with pain +and rage, its cloven hoofs widespread, its tail lashing viciously +from side to side, and then, in a mad orgy of bucking it went +careening about the arena in frenzied attempt to unseat its +rending rider. It was with difficulty that the girl avoided the +first mad rush of the wounded animal.<br> +</p> + +All its efforts to rid itself of the tiger seemed futile, until +in desperation it threw itself upon the ground, rolling over and +over. A little of this so disconcerted the tiger, knocking its +breath from it I imagine, that it lost its hold and then, quick +as a cat, the great thag was up again and had buried those mighty +horns deep in the tarag's abdomen, pinning him to the floor of +the arena. <br> +<p>The great cat clawed at the shaggy head until eyes and ears +were gone, and naught but a few strips of ragged, bloody flesh +remained upon the skull. Yet through all the agony of that +fearful punishment the thag still stood motionless pinning down +his adversary, and then the man leaped in, seeing that the blind +bull would be the least formidable enemy, and ran his spear +through the tarag's heart.<br> +</p> + +As the animal's fierce clawing ceased, the bull raised his gory, +sightless head, and with a horrid roar ran headlong across the +arena. With great leaps and bounds he came, straight toward the +arena wall directly beneath where we sat, and then accident +carried him, in one of his mighty springs, completely over the +barrier into the midst of the slaves and Sagoths just in front of +us. Swinging his bloody horns from side to side the beast cut a +wide swath before him straight upward toward our seats. Before +him slaves and gorilla-men fought in mad stampede to escape the +menace of the creature's death agonies, for such only could that +frightful charge have been. <br> +<p>Forgetful of us, our guards joined in the general rush for the +exits, many of which pierced the wall of the amphitheater behind +us. Perry, Ghak, and I became separated in the chaos which +reigned for a few moments after the beast cleared the wall of the +arena, each intent upon saving his own hide.<br> +</p> + +I ran to the right, passing several exits choked with the fear +mad mob that were battling to escape. One would have thought that +an entire herd of thags was loose behind them, rather than a +single blinded, dying beast; but such is the effect of panic upon +a crowd. <br> +<p><br> +</p> + +<h1 id="ref_8">CHAPTER VII</h1> + +FREEDOM <br> +<p>Once out of the direct path of the animal, fear of it left me, +but another emotion as quickly gripped me--hope of escape that +the demoralized condition of the guards made possible for the +instant.<br> +</p> + +I thought of Perry, but for the hope that I might better +encompass his release if myself free I should have put the +thought of freedom from me at once. As it was I hastened on +toward the right searching for an exit toward which no Sagoths +were fleeing, and at last I found it--a low, narrow aperture +leading into a dark corridor. <br> +<p>Without thought of the possible consequence, I darted into the +shadows of the tunnel, feeling my way along through the gloom for +some distance. The noises of the amphitheater had grown fainter +and fainter until now all was as silent as the tomb about me. +Faint light filtered from above through occasional ventilating +and lighting tubes, but it was scarce sufficient to enable my +human eyes to cope with the darkness, and so I was forced to move +with extreme care, feeling my way along step by step with a hand +upon the wall beside me.<br> +</p> + +Presently the light increased and a moment later, to my delight, +I came upon a flight of steps leading upward, at the top of which +the brilliant light of the noonday sun shone through an opening +in the ground. <br> +<p>Cautiously I crept up the stairway to the tunnel's end, and +peering out saw the broad plain of Phutra before me. The numerous +lofty, granite towers which mark the several entrances to the +subterranean city were all in front of me--behind, the plain +stretched level and unbroken to the nearby foothills. I had come +to the surface, then, beyond the city, and my chances for escape +seemed much enhanced.<br> +</p> + +My first impulse was to await darkness before attempting to cross +the plain, so deeply implanted are habits of thought; but of a +sudden I recollected the perpetual noonday brilliance which +envelopes Pellucidar, and with a smile I stepped forth into the +day-light. <br> +<p>Rank grass, waist high, grows upon the plain of Phutra--the +gorgeous flowering grass of the inner world, each particular +blade of which is tipped with a tiny, five-pointed +blossom--brilliant little stars of varying colors that twinkle in +the green foliage to add still another charm to the weird, yet +lovely, land-scape.<br> +</p> + +But then the only aspect which attracted me was the distant hills +in which I hoped to find sanctuary, and so I hastened on, +trampling the myriad beauties beneath my hurrying feet. Perry +says that the force of gravity is less upon the surface of the +inner world than upon that of the outer. He explained it all to +me once, but I was never particularly brilliant in such matters +and so most of it has escaped me. As I recall it the difference +is due in some part to the counter-attraction of that portion of +the earth's crust directly opposite the spot upon the face of +Pellucidar at which one's calculations are being made. Be that as +it may, it always seemed to me that I moved with greater speed +and agility within Pellucidar than upon the outer surface--there +was a certain airy lightness of step that was most pleasing, and +a feeling of bodily detachment which I can only compare with that +occasionally experienced in dreams. <br> +<p>And as I crossed Phutra's flower-bespangled plain that time I +seemed almost to fly, though how much of the sensation was due to +Perry's suggestion and how much to actuality I am sure I do not +know. The more I thought of Perry the less pleasure I took in my +new-found freedom. There could be no liberty for me within +Pellucidar unless the old man shared it with me, and only the +hope that I might find some way to encompass his release kept me +from turning back to Phutra.<br> +</p> + +Just how I was to help Perry I could scarce imagine, but I hoped +that some fortuitous circumstance might solve the problem for me. +It was quite evident however that little less than a miracle +could aid me, for what could I accomplish in this strange world, +naked and unarmed? It was even doubtful that I could retrace my +steps to Phutra should I once pass beyond view of the plain, and +even were that possible, what aid could I bring to Perry no +matter how far I wandered? <br> +<p>The case looked more and more hopeless the longer I viewed it, +yet with a stubborn persistency I forged ahead toward the +foothills. Behind me no sign of pursuit developed, before me I +saw no living thing. It was as though I moved through a dead and +forgotten world.<br> +</p> + +I have no idea, of course, how long it took me to reach the limit +of the plain, but at last I entered the foothills, following a +pretty little canyon upward toward the mountains. Beside me +frolicked a laughing brooklet, hurrying upon its noisy way down +to the silent sea. In its quieter pools I discovered many small +fish, of fouror five-pound weight I should imagine. In +appearance, except as to size and color, they were not unlike the +whale of our own seas. As I watched them playing about I +discovered, not only that they suckled their young, but that at +intervals they rose to the surface to breathe as well as to feed +upon certain grasses and a strange, scarlet lichen which grew +upon the rocks just above the water line. <br> +<p>It was this last habit that gave me the opportunity I craved +to capture one of these herbivorous cetaceans--that is what Perry +calls them--and make as good a meal as one can on raw, +warm-blooded fish; but I had become rather used, by this time, to +the eating of food in its natural state, though I still balked on +the eyes and entrails, much to the amusement of Ghak, to whom I +always passed these delicacies.<br> +</p> + +Crouching beside the brook, I waited until one of the diminutive +purple whales rose to nibble at the long grasses which overhung +the water, and then, like the beast of prey that man really is, I +sprang upon my victim, appeasing my hunger while he yet wriggled +to escape. <br> +<p>Then I drank from the clear pool, and after washing my hands +and face continued my flight. Above the source of the brook I +encountered a rugged climb to the summit of a long ridge. Beyond +was a steep declivity to the shore of a placid, inland sea, upon +the quiet surface of which lay several beautiful islands.<br> +</p> + +The view was charming in the extreme, and as no man or beast was +to be seen that might threaten my new-found liberty, I slid over +the edge of the bluff, and half sliding, half falling, dropped +into the delightful valley, the very aspect of which seemed to +offer a haven of peace and security. <br> +<p>The gently sloping beach along which I walked was thickly +strewn with strangely shaped, colored shells; some empty, others +still housing as varied a multitude of mollusks as ever might +have drawn out their sluggish lives along the silent shores of +the antediluvian seas of the outer crust. As I walked I could not +but compare myself with the first man of that other world, so +complete the solitude which surrounded me, so primal and +untouched the virgin wonders and beauties of adolescent nature. I +felt myself a second Adam wending my lonely way through the +childhood of a world, searching for my Eve, and at the thought +there rose before my mind's eye the exquisite outlines of a +perfect face surmounted by a loose pile of wondrous, raven +hair.<br> +</p> + +As I walked, my eyes were bent upon the beach so that it was not +until I had come quite upon it that I discovered that which +shattered all my beautiful dream of solitude and safety and peace +and primal overlordship. The thing was a hollowed log drawn upon +the sands, and in the bottom of it lay a crude paddle. <br> +<p>The rude shock of awakening to what doubtless might prove some +new form of danger was still upon me when I heard a rattling of +loose stones from the direction of the bluff, and turning my eyes +in that direction I beheld the author of the disturbance, a great +copper-colored man, running rapidly toward me.<br> +</p> + +There was that in the haste with which he came which seemed quite +sufficiently menacing, so that I did not need the added evidence +of brandishing spear and scowling face to warn me that I was in +no safe position, but whither to flee was indeed a momentous +question. <br> +<p>The speed of the fellow seemed to preclude the possibility of +escaping him upon the open beach. There was but a single +alternative--the rude skiff--and with a celerity which equaled +his, I pushed the thing into the sea and as it floated gave a +final shove and clambered in over the end.<br> +</p> + +A cry of rage rose from the owner of the primitive craft, and an +instant later his heavy, stone-tipped spear grazed my shoulder +and buried itself in the bow of the boat beyond. Then I grasped +the paddle, and with feverish haste urged the awkward, wobbly +thing out upon the surface of the sea. <br> +<p>A glance over my shoulder showed me that the copper-colored +one had plunged in after me and was swimming rapidly in pursuit. +His mighty strokes bade fair to close up the distance between us +in short order, for at best I could make but slow progress with +my unfamiliar craft, which nosed stubbornly in every direction +but that which I desired to follow, so that fully half my energy +was expended in turning its blunt prow back into the course.<br> +</p> + +I had covered some hundred yards from shore when it became +evident that my pursuer must grasp the stern of the skiff within +the next half-dozen strokes. In a frenzy of despair, I bent to +the grandfather of all paddles in a hopeless effort to escape, +and still the copper giant behind me gained and gained. <br> +<p>His hand was reaching upward for the stern when I saw a sleek, +sinuous body shoot from the depths below. The man saw it too, and +the look of terror that overspread his face assured me that I +need have no further concern as to him, for the fear of certain +death was in his look.<br> +</p> + +And then about him coiled the great, slimy folds of a hideous +monster of that prehistoric deep--a mighty serpent of the sea, +with fanged jaws, and darting forked tongue, with bulging eyes, +and bony protuberances upon head and snout that formed short, +stout horns. <br> +<p>As I looked at that hopeless struggle my eyes met those of the +doomed man, and I could have sworn that in his I saw an +expression of hopeless appeal. But whether I did or not there +swept through me a sudden compassion for the fellow. He was +indeed a brother-man, and that he might have killed me with +pleasure had he caught me was forgotten in the extremity of his +danger.<br> +</p> + +Unconsciously I had ceased paddling as the serpent rose to engage +my pursuer, so now the skiff still drifted close beside the two. +The monster seemed to be but playing with his victim before he +closed his awful jaws upon him and dragged him down to his dark +den beneath the surface to devour him. The huge, snakelike body +coiled and uncoiled about its prey. The hideous, gaping jaws +snapped in the victim's face. The forked tongue, lightning-like, +ran in and out upon the copper skin. <br> +<p>Nobly the giant battled for his life, beating with his stone +hatchet against the bony armor that covered that frightful +carcass; but for all the damage he inflicted he might as well +have struck with his open palm.<br> +</p> + +At last I could endure no longer to sit supinely by while a +fellowman was dragged down to a horrible death by that repulsive +reptile. Embedded in the prow of the skiff lay the spear that had +been cast after me by him whom I suddenly desired to save. With a +wrench I tore it loose, and standing upright in the wobbly log +drove it with all the strength of my two arms straight into the +gaping jaws of the hydrophidian. <br> +<p>With a loud hiss the creature abandoned its prey to turn upon +me, but the spear, imbedded in its throat, prevented it from +seizing me though it came near to overturning the skiff in its +mad efforts to reach me.<br> +</p> + +<br> +<h1 id="ref_9">CHAPTER VIII</h1> + +THE MAHAR TEMPLE <br> +The aborigine, apparently uninjured, climbed quickly into the +skiff, and seizing the spear with me helped to hold off the +infuriated creature. Blood from the wounded reptile was now +crimsoning the waters about us and soon from the weakening +struggles it became evident that I had inflicted a death wound +upon it. Presently its efforts to reach us ceased entirely, and +with a few convulsive movements it turned upon its back quite +dead. <br> +<p>And then there came to me a sudden realization of the +predicament in which I had placed myself. I was entirely within +the power of the savage man whose skiff I had stolen. Still +clinging to the spear I looked into his face to find him +scrutinizing me intently, and there we stood for some several +minutes, each clinging tenaciously to the weapon the while we +gazed in stupid wonderment at each other.<br> +</p> + +What was in his mind I do not know, but in my own was merely the +question as to how soon the fellow would recommence hostilities. +<br> +<p>Presently he spoke to me, but in a tongue which I was unable +to translate. I shook my head in an effort to indicate my +ignorance of his language, at the same time addressing him in the +bastard tongue that the Sagoths use to converse with the human +slaves of the Mahars.<br> +</p> + +To my delight he understood and answered me in the same jargon. +<br> +<p>"What do you want of my spear?" he asked.<br> +</p> + +"Only to keep you from running it through me," I replied. <br> +<p>"I would not do that," he said, "for you have just saved my +life," and with that he released his hold upon it and squatted +down in the bottom of the skiff.<br> +</p> + +"Who are you," he continued, "and from what country do you come?" +<br> +<p>I too sat down, laying the spear between us, and tried to +explain how I came to Pellucidar, and wherefrom, but it was as +impossible for him to grasp or believe the strange tale I told +him as I fear it is for you upon the outer crust to believe in +the existence of the inner world. To him it seemed quite +ridiculous to imagine that there was another world far beneath +his feet peopled by beings similar to himself, and he laughed +uproariously the more he thought upon it. But it was ever thus. +That which has never come within the scope of our really +pitifully meager world-experience cannot be--our finite minds +cannot grasp that which may not exist in accordance with the +conditions which obtain about us upon the outside of the +insignificant grain of dust which wends its tiny way among the +bowlders of the universe--the speck of moist dirt we so proudly +call the World.<br> +</p> + +So I gave it up and asked him about himself. He said he was a +Mezop, and that his name was Ja. <br> +<p>"Who are the Mezops?" I asked. "Where do they live?"<br> +</p> + +He looked at me in surprise. <br> +<p>"I might indeed believe that you were from another world," he +said, "for who of Pellucidar could be so ignorant! The Mezops +live upon the islands of the seas. In so far as I ever have heard +no Mezop lives elsewhere, and no others than Mezops dwell upon +islands, but of course it may be different in other far-distant +lands. I do not know. At any rate in this sea and those near by +it is true that only people of my race inhabit the islands.<br> +</p> + +"We are fishermen, though we be great hunters as well, often +going to the mainland in search of the game that is scarce upon +all but the larger islands. And we are warriors also," he added +proudly. "Even the Sagoths of the Mahars fear us. Once, when +Pellucidar was young, the Sagoths were wont to capture us for +slaves as they do the other men of Pellucidar, it is handed down +from father to son among us that this is so; but we fought so +desperately and slew so many Sagoths, and those of us that were +captured killed so many Mahars in their own cities that at last +they learned that it were better to leave us alone, and later +came the time that the Mahars became too indolent even to catch +their own fish, except for amusement, and then they needed us to +supply their wants, and so a truce was made between the races. +Now they give us certain things which we are unable to produce in +return for the fish that we catch, and the Mezops and the Mahars +live in peace. <br> +<p>"The great ones even come to our islands. It is there, far +from the prying eyes of their own Sagoths, that they practice +their religious rites in the temples they have builded there with +our assistance. If you live among us you will doubtless see the +manner of their worship, which is strange indeed, and most +unpleasant for the poor slaves they bring to take part in +it."<br> +</p> + +As Ja talked I had an excellent opportunity to inspect him more +closely. He was a huge fellow, standing I should say six feet six +or seven inches, well developed and of a coppery red not unlike +that of our own North American Indian, nor were his features +dissimilar to theirs. He had the aquiline nose found among many +of the higher tribes, the prominent cheek bones, and black hair +and eyes, but his mouth and lips were better molded. All in all, +Ja was an impressive and handsome creature, and he talked well +too, even in the miserable makeshift language we were compelled +to use. <br> +<p>During our conversation Ja had taken the paddle and was +propelling the skiff with vigorous strokes toward a large island +that lay some half-mile from the mainland. The skill with which +he handled his crude and awkward craft elicited my deepest +admiration, since it had been so short a time before that I had +made such pitiful work of it.<br> +</p> + +As we touched the pretty, level beach Ja leaped out and I +followed him. Together we dragged the skiff far up into the +bushes that grew beyond the sand. <br> +<p>"We must hide our canoes," explained Ja, "for the Mezops of +Luana are always at war with us and would steal them if they +found them," he nodded toward an island farther out at sea, and +at so great a distance that it seemed but a blur hanging in the +distant sky. The upward curve of the surface of Pellucidar was +constantly revealing the impossible to the surprised eyes of the +outer-earthly. To see land and water curving upward in the +distance until it seemed to stand on edge where it melted into +the distant sky, and to feel that seas and mountains hung +suspended directly above one's head required such a complete +reversal of the perceptive and reasoning faculties as almost to +stupefy one.<br> +</p> + +No sooner had we hidden the canoe than Ja plunged into the +jungle, presently emerging into a narrow but well-defined trail +which wound hither and thither much after the manner of the +highways of all primitive folk, but there was one peculiarity +about this Mezop trail which I was later to find distinguished +them from all other trails that I ever have seen within or +without the earth. <br> +<p>It would run on, plain and clear and well defined to end +suddenly in the midst of a tangle of matted jungle, then Ja would +turn directly back in his tracks for a little distance, spring +into a tree, climb through it to the other side, drop onto a +fallen log, leap over a low bush and alight once more upon a +distinct trail which he would follow back for a short distance +only to turn directly about and retrace his steps until after a +mile or less this new pathway ended as suddenly and mysteriously +as the former section. Then he would pass again across some media +which would reveal no spoor, to take up the broken thread of the +trail beyond.<br> +</p> + +As the purpose of this remarkable avenue dawned upon me I could +not but admire the native shrewdness of the ancient progenitor of +the Mezops who hit upon this novel plan to throw his enemies from +his track and delay or thwart them in their attempts to follow +him to his deep-buried cities. <br> +<p>To you of the outer earth it might seem a slow and tortuous +method of traveling through the jungle, but were you of +Pellucidar you would realize that time is no factor where time +does not exist. So labyrinthine are the windings of these trails, +so varied the connecting links and the distances which one must +retrace one's steps from the paths' ends to find them that a +Mezop often reaches man's estate before he is familiar even with +those which lead from his own city to the sea.<br> +</p> + +In fact three-fourths of the education of the young male Mezop +consists in familiarizing himself with these jungle avenues, and +the status of an adult is largely determined by the number of +trails which he can follow upon his own island. The females never +learn them, since from birth to death they never leave the +clearing in which the village of their nativity is situated +except they be taken to mate by a male from another village, or +captured in war by the enemies of their tribe. <br> +<p>After proceeding through the jungle for what must have been +upward of five miles we emerged suddenly into a large clearing in +the exact center of which stood as strange an appearing village +as one might well imagine.<br> +</p> + +Large trees had been chopped down fifteen or twenty feet above +the ground, and upon the tops of them spherical habitations of +woven twigs, mud covered, had been built. Each ball-like house +was surmounted by some manner of carven image, which Ja told me +indicated the identity of the owner. <br> +<p>Horizontal slits, six inches high and two or three feet wide, +served to admit light and ventilation. The entrances to the house +were through small apertures in the bases of the trees and thence +upward by rude ladders through the hollow trunks to the rooms +above. The houses varied in size from two to several rooms. The +largest that I entered was divided into two floors and eight +apartments.<br> +</p> + +All about the village, between it and the jungle, lay beautifully +cultivated fields in which the Mezops raised such cereals, +fruits, and vegetables as they required. Women and children were +working in these gardens as we crossed toward the village. At +sight of Ja they saluted deferentially, but to me they paid not +the slightest attention. Among them and about the outer verge of +the cultivated area were many warriors. These too saluted Ja, by +touching the points of their spears to the ground directly before +them. <br> +<p>Ja conducted me to a large house in the center of the +village--the house with eight rooms--and taking me up into it +gave me food and drink. There I met his mate, a comely girl with +a nursing baby in her arms. Ja told her of how I had saved his +life, and she was thereafter most kind and hospitable toward me, +even permitting me to hold and amuse the tiny bundle of humanity +whom Ja told me would one day rule the tribe, for Ja, it seemed, +was the chief of the community.<br> +</p> + +We had eaten and rested, and I had slept, much to Ja's amusement, +for it seemed that he seldom if ever did so, and then the red man +proposed that I accompany him to the temple of the Mahars which +lay not far from his village. "We are not supposed to visit it," +he said; "but the great ones cannot hear and if we keep well out +of sight they need never know that we have been there. For my +part I hate them and always have, but the other chieftains of the +island think it best that we continue to maintain the amicable +relations which exist between the two races; otherwise I should +like nothing better than to lead my warriors amongst the hideous +creatures and exterminate them--Pellucidar would be a better +place to live were there none of them." <br> +<p>I wholly concurred in Ja's belief, but it seemed that it might +be a difficult matter to exterminate the dominant race of +Pellucidar. Thus conversing we followed the intricate trail +toward the temple, which we came upon in a small clearing +surrounded by enormous trees similar to those which must have +flourished upon the outer crust during the carboniferous age.<br> +</p> + +Here was a mighty temple of hewn rock built in the shape of a +rough oval with rounded roof in which were several large +openings. No doors or windows were visible in the sides of the +structure, nor was there need of any, except one entrance for the +slaves, since, as Ja explained, the Mahars flew to and from their +place of ceremonial, entering and leaving the building by means +of the apertures in the roof. <br> +<p>"But," added Ja, "there is an entrance near the base of which +even the Mahars know nothing. Come," and he led me across the +clearing and about the end to a pile of loose rock which lay +against the foot of the wall. Here he removed a couple of large +bowlders, revealing a small opening which led straight within the +building, or so it seemed, though as I entered after Ja I +discovered myself in a narrow place of extreme darkness.<br> +</p> + +"We are within the outer wall," said Ja. "It is hollow. Follow me +closely." <br> +<p>The red man groped ahead a few paces and then began to ascend +a primitive ladder similar to that which leads from the ground to +the upper stories of his house. We ascended for some forty feet +when the interior of the space between the walls commenced to +grow lighter and presently we came opposite an opening in the +inner wall which gave us an unobstructed view of the entire +interior of the temple.<br> +</p> + +The lower floor was an enormous tank of clear water in which +numerous hideous Mahars swam lazily up and down. Artificial +islands of granite rock dotted this artificial sea, and upon +several of them I saw men and women like myself. <br> +<p>"What are the human beings doing here?" I asked.<br> +</p> + +"Wait and you shall see," replied Ja. "They are to take a leading +part in the ceremonies which will follow the advent of the queen. +You may be thankful that you are not upon the same side of the +wall as they." <br> +<p>Scarcely had he spoken than we heard a great fluttering of +wings above and a moment later a long procession of the frightful +reptiles of Pellucidar winged slowly and majestically through the +large central opening in the roof and circled in stately manner +about the temple.<br> +</p> + +There were several Mahars first, and then at least twenty +awe-inspiring pterodactyls--thipdars, they are called within +Pellucidar. Behind these came the queen, flanked by other +thipdars as she had been when she entered the amphitheater at +Phutra. <br> +<p>Three times they wheeled about the interior of the oval +chamber, to settle finally upon the damp, cold bowlders that +fringe the outer edge of the pool. In the center of one side the +largest rock was reserved for the queen, and here she took her +place surrounded by her terrible guard.<br> +</p> + +All lay quiet for several minutes after settling to their places. +One might have imagined them in silent prayer. The poor slaves +upon the diminutive islands watched the horrid creatures with +wide eyes. The men, for the most part, stood erect and stately +with folded arms, awaiting their doom; but the women and children +clung to one another, hiding behind the males. They are a +noble-looking race, these cave men of Pellucidar, and if our +progenitors were as they, the human race of the outer crust has +deteriorated rather than improved with the march of the ages. All +they lack is opportunity. We have opportunity, and little else. +<br> +<p>Now the queen moved. She raised her ugly head, looking about; +then very slowly she crawled to the edge of her throne and slid +noiselessly into the water. Up and down the long tank she swam, +turning at the ends as you have seen captive seals turn in their +tiny tanks, turning upon their backs and diving below the +surface.<br> +</p> + +Nearer and nearer to the island she came until at last she +remained at rest before the largest, which was directly opposite +her throne. Raising her hideous head from the water she fixed her +great, round eyes upon the slaves. They were fat and sleek, for +they had been brought from a distant Mahar city where human +beings are kept in droves, and bred and fattened, as we breed and +fatten beef cattle. <br> +<p>The queen fixed her gaze upon a plump young maiden. Her victim +tried to turn away, hiding her face in her hands and kneeling +behind a woman; but the reptile, with unblinking eyes, stared on +with such fixity that I could have sworn her vision penetrated +the woman, and the girl's arms to reach at last the very center +of her brain.<br> +</p> + +Slowly the reptile's head commenced to move to and fro, but the +eyes never ceased to bore toward the frightened girl, and then +the victim responded. She turned wide, fear-haunted eyes toward +the Mahar queen, slowly she rose to her feet, and then as though +dragged by some unseen power she moved as one in a trance +straight toward the reptile, her glassy eyes fixed upon those of +her captor. To the water's edge she came, nor did she even pause, +but stepped into the shallows beside the little island. On she +moved toward the Mahar, who now slowly retreated as though +leading her victim on. The water rose to the girl's knees, and +still she advanced, chained by that clammy eye. Now the water was +at her waist; now her armpits. Her fellows upon the island looked +on in horror, helpless to avert her doom in which they saw a +forecast of their own. <br> +<p>The Mahar sank now till only the long upper bill and eyes were +exposed above the surface of the water, and the girl had advanced +until the end of that repulsive beak was but an inch or two from +her face, her horror-filled eyes riveted upon those of the +reptile.<br> +</p> + +Now the water passed above the girl's mouth and nose--her eyes +and forehead all that showed--yet still she walked on after the +retreating Mahar. The queen's head slowly disappeared beneath the +surface and after it went the eyes of her victim--only a slow +ripple widened toward the shores to mark where the two vanished. +<br> +<p>For a time all was silence within the temple. The slaves were +motionless in terror. The Mahars watched the surface of the water +for the reappearance of their queen, and presently at one end of +the tank her head rose slowly into view. She was backing toward +the surface, her eyes fixed before her as they had been when she +dragged the helpless girl to her doom.<br> +</p> + +And then to my utter amazement I saw the forehead and eyes of the +maiden come slowly out of the depths, following the gaze of the +reptile just as when she had disappeared beneath the surface. On +and on came the girl until she stood in water that reached barely +to her knees, and though she had been beneath the surface +sufficient time to have drowned her thrice over there was no +indication, other than her dripping hair and glistening body, +that she had been submerged at all. <br> +<p>Again and again the queen led the girl into the depths and out +again, until the uncanny weirdness of the thing got on my nerves +so that I could have leaped into the tank to the child's rescue +had I not taken a firm hold of myself.<br> +</p> + +Once they were below much longer than usual, and when they came +to the surface I was horrified to see that one of the girl's arms +was gone--gnawed completely off at the shoulder--but the poor +thing gave no indication of realizing pain, only the horror in +her set eyes seemed intensified. <br> +<p>The next time they appeared the other arm was gone, and then +the breasts, and then a part of the face--it was awful. The poor +creatures on the islands awaiting their fate tried to cover their +eyes with their hands to hide the fearful sight, but now I saw +that they too were under the hypnotic spell of the reptiles, so +that they could only crouch in terror with their eyes fixed upon +the terrible thing that was transpiring before them.<br> +</p> + +Finally the queen was under much longer than ever before, and +when she rose she came alone and swam sleepily toward her +bowlder. The moment she mounted it seemed to be the signal for +the other Mahars to enter the tank, and then commenced, upon a +larger scale, a repetition of the uncanny performance through +which the queen had led her victim. <br> +<p>Only the women and children fell prey to the Mahars--they +being the weakest and most tender--and when they had satisfied +their appetite for human flesh, some of them devouring two and +three of the slaves, there were only a score of full-grown men +left, and I thought that for some reason these were to be spared, +but such was far from the case, for as the last Mahar crawled to +her rock the queen's thipdars darted into the air, circled the +temple once and then, hissing like steam engines, swooped down +upon the remaining slaves.<br> +</p> + +There was no hypnotism here--just the plain, brutal ferocity of +the beast of prey, tearing, rending, and gulping its meat, but at +that it was less horrible than the uncanny method of the Mahars. +By the time the thipdars had disposed of the last of the slaves +the Mahars were all asleep upon their rocks, and a moment later +the great pterodactyls swung back to their posts beside the +queen, and themselves dropped into slumber. <br> +<p>"I thought the Mahars seldom, if ever, slept," I said to +Ja.<br> +</p> + +"They do many things in this temple which they do not do +elsewhere," he replied. "The Mahars of Phutra are not supposed to +eat human flesh, yet slaves are brought here by thousands and +almost always you will find Mahars on hand to consume them. I +imagine that they do not bring their Sagoths here, because they +are ashamed of the practice, which is supposed to obtain only +among the least advanced of their race; but I would wager my +canoe against a broken paddle that there is no Mahar but eats +human flesh whenever she can get it." <br> +<p>"Why should they object to eating human flesh," I asked, "if +it is true that they look upon us as lower animals?"<br> +</p> + +"It is not because they consider us their equals that they are +supposed to look with abhorrence upon those who eat our flesh," +replied Ja; "it is merely that we are warm-blooded animals. They +would not think of eating the meat of a thag, which we consider +such a delicacy, any more than I would think of eating a snake. +As a matter of fact it is difficult to explain just why this +sentiment should exist among them." <br> +<p>"I wonder if they left a single victim," I remarked, leaning +far out of the opening in the rocky wall to inspect the temple +better. Directly below me the water lapped the very side of the +wall, there being a break in the bowlders at this point as there +was at several other places about the side of the temple.<br> +</p> + +My hands were resting upon a small piece of granite which formed +a part of the wall, and all my weight upon it proved too much for +it. It slipped and I lunged forward. There was nothing to save +myself and I plunged headforemost into the water below. <br> +<p>Fortunately the tank was deep at this point, and I suffered no +injury from the fall, but as I was rising to the surface my mind +filled with the horrors of my position as I thought of the +terrible doom which awaited me the moment the eyes of the +reptiles fell upon the creature that had disturbed their +slumber.<br> +</p> + +As long as I could I remained beneath the surface, swimming +rapidly in the direction of the islands that I might prolong my +life to the utmost. At last I was forced to rise for air, and as +I cast a terrified glance in the direction of the Mahars and the +thipdars I was almost stunned to see that not a single one +remained upon the rocks where I had last seen them, nor as I +searched the temple with my eyes could I discern any within it. +<br> +<p>For a moment I was puzzled to account for the thing, until I +realized that the reptiles, being deaf, could not have been +disturbed by the noise my body made when it hit the water, and +that as there is no such thing as time within Pellucidar there +was no telling how long I had been beneath the surface. It was a +difficult thing to attempt to figure out by earthly +standards--this matter of elapsed time--but when I set myself to +it I began to realize that I might have been submerged a second +or a month or not at all. You have no conception of the strange +contradictions and impossibilities which arise when all methods +of measuring time, as we know them upon earth, are +non-existent.<br> +</p> + +I was about to congratulate myself upon the miracle which had +saved me for the moment, when the memory of the hypnotic powers +of the Mahars filled me with apprehension lest they be practicing +their uncanny art upon me to the end that I merely imagined that +I was alone in the temple. At the thought cold sweat broke out +upon me from every pore, and as I crawled from the water onto one +of the tiny islands I was trembling like a leaf--you cannot +imagine the awful horror which even the simple thought of the +repulsive Mahars of Pellucidar induces in the human mind, and to +feel that you are in their power--that they are crawling, slimy, +and abhorrent, to drag you down beneath the waters and devour +you! It is frightful. <br> +<p>But they did not come, and at last I came to the conclusion +that I was indeed alone within the temple. How long I should be +alone was the next question to assail me as I swam frantically +about once more in search of a means to escape.<br> +</p> + +Several times I called to Ja, but he must have left after I +tumbled into the tank, for I received no response to my cries. +Doubtless he had felt as certain of my doom when he saw me topple +from our hiding place as I had, and lest he too should be +discovered, had hastened from the temple and back to his village. +<br> +<p>I knew that there must be some entrance to the building beside +the doorways in the roof, for it did not seem reasonable to +believe that the thousands of slaves which were brought here to +feed the Mahars the human flesh they craved would all be carried +through the air, and so I continued my search until at last it +was rewarded by the discovery of several loose granite blocks in +the masonry at one end of the temple.<br> +</p> + +A little effort proved sufficient to dislodge enough of these +stones to permit me to crawl through into the clearing, and a +moment later I had scurried across the intervening space to the +dense jungle beyond. <br> +<p>Here I sank panting and trembling upon the matted grasses +beneath the giant trees, for I felt that I had escaped from the +grinning fangs of death out of the depths of my own grave. +Whatever dangers lay hidden in this island jungle, there could be +none so fearsome as those which I had just escaped. I knew that I +could meet death bravely enough if it but came in the form of +some familiar beast or man--anything other than the hideous and +uncanny Mahars.<br> +</p> + +<br> +<h1 id="ref_10">CHAPTER IX</h1> + +THE FACE OF DEATH <br> +I must have fallen asleep from exhaustion. When I awoke I was +very hungry, and after busying myself searching for fruit for a +while, I set off through the jungle to find the beach. I knew +that the island was not so large but that I could easily find the +sea if I did but move in a straight line, but there came the +difficulty as there was no way in which I could direct my course +and hold it, the sun, of course, being always directly above my +head, and the trees so thickly set that I could see no distant +object which might serve to guide me in a straight line. <br> +<p>As it was I must have walked for a great distance since I ate +four times and slept twice before I reached the sea, but at last +I did so, and my pleasure at the sight of it was greatly enhanced +by the chance discovery of a hidden canoe among the bushes +through which I had stumbled just prior to coming upon the +beach.<br> +</p> + +I can tell you that it did not take me long to pull that awkward +craft down to the water and shove it far out from shore. My +experience with Ja had taught me that if I were to steal another +canoe I must be quick about it and get far beyond the owner's +reach as soon as possible. <br> +<p>I must have come out upon the opposite side of the island from +that at which Ja and I had entered it, for the mainland was +nowhere in sight. For a long time I paddled around the shore, +though well out, before I saw the mainland in the distance. At +the sight of it I lost no time in directing my course toward it, +for I had long since made up my mind to return to Phutra and give +myself up that I might be once more with Perry and Ghak the Hairy +One.<br> +</p> + +I felt that I was a fool ever to have attempted to escape alone, +especially in view of the fact that our plans were already well +formulated to make a break for freedom together. Of course I +realized that the chances of the success of our proposed venture +were slim indeed, but I knew that I never could enjoy freedom +without Perry so long as the old man lived, and I had learned +that the probability that I might find him was less than slight. +<br> +<p>Had Perry been dead, I should gladly have pitted my strength +and wit against the savage and primordial world in which I found +myself. I could have lived in seclusion within some rocky cave +until I had found the means to outfit myself with the crude +weapons of the Stone Age, and then set out in search of her whose +image had now become the constant companion of my waking hours, +and the central and beloved figure of my dreams.<br> +</p> + +But, to the best of my knowledge, Perry still lived and it was my +duty and wish to be again with him, that we might share the +dangers and vicissitudes of the strange world we had discovered. +And Ghak, too; the great, shaggy man had found a place in the +hearts of us both, for he was indeed every inch a man and king. +Uncouth, perhaps, and brutal, too, if judged too harshly by the +standards of effete twentieth- century civilization, but withal +noble, dignified, chivalrous, and loveable. <br> +<p>Chance carried me to the very beach upon which I had +discovered Ja's canoe, and a short time later I was scrambling up +the steep bank to retrace my steps from the plain of Phutra. But +my troubles came when I entered the canyon beyond the summit, for +here I found that several of them centered at the point where I +crossed the divide, and which one I had traversed to reach the +pass I could not for the life of me remember.<br> +</p> + +It was all a matter of chance and so I set off down that which +seemed the easiest going, and in this I made the same mistake +that many of us do in selecting the path along which we shall +follow out the course of our lives, and again learned that it is +not always best to follow the line of least resistance. <br> +<p>By the time I had eaten eight meals and slept twice I was +convinced that I was upon the wrong trail, for between Phutra and +the inland sea I had not slept at all, and had eaten but once. To +retrace my steps to the summit of the divide and explore another +canyon seemed the only solution of my problem, but a sudden +widening and levelness of the canyon just before me seemed to +suggest that it was about to open into a level country, and with +the lure of discovery strong upon me I decided to proceed but a +short distance farther before I turned back.<br> +</p> + +The next turn of the canyon brought me to its mouth, and before +me I saw a narrow plain leading down to an ocean. At my right the +side of the canyon continued to the water's edge, the valley +lying to my left, and the foot of it running gradually into the +sea, where it formed a broad level beach. <br> +<p>Clumps of strange trees dotted the landscape here and there +almost to the water, and rank grass and ferns grew between. From +the nature of the vegetation I was convinced that the land +between the ocean and the foothills was swampy, though directly +before me it seemed dry enough all the way to the sandy strip +along which the restless waters advanced and retreated.<br> +</p> + +Curiosity prompted me to walk down to the beach, for the scene +was very beautiful. As I passed along beside the deep and tangled +vegetation of the swamp I thought that I saw a movement of the +ferns at my left, but though I stopped a moment to look it was +not repeated, and if anything lay hid there my eyes could not +penetrate the dense foliage to discern it. <br> +<p>Presently I stood upon the beach looking out over the wide and +lonely sea across whose forbidding bosom no human being had yet +ventured, to discover what strange and mysterious lands lay +beyond, or what its invisible islands held of riches, wonders, or +adventure. What savage faces, what fierce and formidable beasts +were this very instant watching the lapping of the waves upon its +farther shore! How far did it extend? Perry had told me that the +seas of Pellucidar were small in comparison with those of the +outer crust, but even so this great ocean might stretch its broad +expanse for thousands of miles. For countless ages it had rolled +up and down its countless miles of shore, and yet today it +remained all unknown beyond the tiny strip that was visible from +its beaches.<br> +</p> + +The fascination of speculation was strong upon me. It was as +though I had been carried back to the birth time of our own outer +world to look upon its lands and seas ages before man had +traversed either. Here was a new world, all untouched. It called +to me to explore it. I was dreaming of the excitement and +adventure which lay before us could Perry and I but escape the +Mahars, when something, a slight noise I imagine, drew my +attention behind me. <br> +<p>As I turned, romance, adventure, and discovery in the abstract +took wing before the terrible embodiment of all three in concrete +form that I beheld advancing upon me.<br> +</p> + +A huge, slimy amphibian it was, with toad-like body and the +mighty jaws of an alligator. Its immense carcass must have +weighed tons, and yet it moved swiftly and silently toward me. +Upon one hand was the bluff that ran from the canyon to the sea, +on the other the fearsome swamp from which the creature had +sneaked upon me, behind lay the mighty untracked sea, and before +me in the center of the narrow way that led to safety stood this +huge mountain of terrible and menacing flesh. <br> +<p>A single glance at the thing was sufficient to assure me that +I was facing one of those long-extinct, prehistoric creatures +whose fossilized remains are found within the outer crust as far +back as the Triassic formation, a gigantic labyrinthodon. And +there I was, unarmed, and, with the exception of a loin cloth, as +naked as I had come into the world. I could imagine how my first +ancestor felt that distant, prehistoric morn that he encountered +for the first time the terrifying progenitor of the thing that +had me cornered now beside the restless, mysterious sea.<br> +</p> + +Unquestionably he had escaped, or I should not have been within +Pellucidar or elsewhere, and I wished at that moment that he had +handed down to me with the various attributes that I presumed I +have inherited from him, the specific application of the instinct +of self-preservation which saved him from the fate which loomed +so close before me today. <br> +<p>To seek escape in the swamp or in the ocean would have been +similar to jumping into a den of lions to escape one upon the +outside. The sea and swamp both were doubtless alive with these +mighty, carnivorous amphibians, and if not, the individual that +menaced me would pursue me into either the sea or the swamp with +equal facility.<br> +</p> + +There seemed nothing to do but stand supinely and await my end. I +thought of Perry--how he would wonder what had become of me. I +thought of my friends of the outer world, and of how they all +would go on living their lives in total ignorance of the strange +and terrible fate that had overtaken me, or unguessing the weird +surroundings which had witnessed the last frightful agony of my +extinction. And with these thoughts came a realization of how +unimportant to the life and happiness of the world is the +existence of any one of us. We may be snuffed out without an +instant's warning, and for a brief day our friends speak of us +with subdued voices. The following morning, while the first worm +is busily engaged in testing the construction of our coffin, they +are teeing up for the first hole to suffer more acute sorrow over +a sliced ball than they did over our, to us, untimely demise. The +labyrinthodon was coming more slowly now. He seemed to realize +that escape for me was impossible, and I could have sworn that +his huge, fanged jaws grinned in pleasurable appreciation of my +predicament, or was it in anticipation of the juicy morsel which +would so soon be pulp between those formidable teeth? <br> +<p>He was about fifty feet from me when I heard a voice calling +to me from the direction of the bluff at my left. I looked and +could have shouted in delight at the sight that met my eyes, for +there stood Ja, waving frantically to me, and urging me to run +for it to the cliff's base.<br> +</p> + +I had no idea that I should escape the monster that had marked me +for his breakfast, but at least I should not die alone. Human +eyes would watch me end. It was cold comfort I presume, but yet I +derived some slight peace of mind from the contemplation of it. +<br> +<p>To run seemed ridiculous, especially toward that steep and +unscalable cliff, and yet I did so, and as I ran I saw Ja, agile +as a monkey, crawl down the precipitous face of the rocks, +clinging to small projections, and the tough creepers that had +found root-hold here and there.<br> +</p> + +The labyrinthodon evidently thought that Ja was coming to double +his portion of human flesh, so he was in no haste to pursue me to +the cliff and frighten away this other tidbit. Instead he merely +trotted along behind me. <br> +<p>As I approached the foot of the cliff I saw what Ja intended +doing, but I doubted if the thing would prove successful. He had +come down to within twenty feet of the bottom, and there, +clinging with one hand to a small ledge, and with his feet +resting, precariously upon tiny bushes that grew from the solid +face of the rock, he lowered the point of his long spear until it +hung some six feet above the ground.<br> +</p> + +To clamber up that slim shaft without dragging Ja down and +precipitating both to the same doom from which the copper-colored +one was attempting to save me seemed utterly impossible, and as I +came near the spear I told Ja so, and that I could not risk him +to try to save myself. <br> +<p>But he insisted that he knew what he was doing and was in no +danger himself.<br> +</p> + +"The danger is still yours," he called, "for unless you move much +more rapidly than you are now, the sithic will be upon you and +drag you back before ever you are halfway up the spear--he can +rear up and reach you with ease anywhere below where I stand." +<br> +<p>Well, Ja should know his own business, I thought, and so I +grasped the spear and clambered up toward the red man as rapidly +as I could--being so far removed from my simian ancestors as I +am. I imagine the slow-witted sithic, as Ja called him, suddenly +realized our intentions and that he was quite likely to lose all +his meal instead of having it doubled as he had hoped.<br> +</p> + +When he saw me clambering up that spear he let out a hiss that +fairly shook the ground, and came charging after me at a terrific +rate. I had reached the top of the spear by this time, or almost; +another six inches would give me a hold on Ja's hand, when I felt +a sudden wrench from below and glancing fearfully downward saw +the mighty jaws of the monster close on the sharp point of the +weapon. <br> +<p>I made a frantic effort to reach Ja's hand, the sithic gave a +tremendous tug that came near to jerking Ja from his frail hold +on the surface of the rock, the spear slipped from his fingers, +and still clinging to it I plunged feet foremost toward my +executioner.<br> +</p> + +At the instant that he felt the spear come away from Ja's hand +the creature must have opened his huge jaws to catch me, for when +I came down, still clinging to the butt end of the weapon, the +point yet rested in his mouth and the result was that the +sharpened end transfixed his lower jaw. <br> +<p>With the pain he snapped his mouth closed. I fell upon his +snout, lost my hold upon the spear, rolled the length of his face +and head, across his short neck onto his broad back and from +there to the ground.<br> +</p> + +Scarce had I touched the earth than I was upon my feet, dashing +madly for the path by which I had entered this horrible valley. A +glance over my shoulder showed me the sithic engaged in pawing at +the spear stuck through his lower jaw, and so busily engaged did +he remain in this occupation that I had gained the safety of the +cliff top before he was ready to take up the pursuit. When he did +not discover me in sight within the valley he dashed, hissing +into the rank vegetation of the swamp and that was the last I saw +of him. <br> +<p><br> +</p> + +<h1 id="ref_11">CHAPTER X</h1> + +PHUTRA AGAIN <br> +<p>I hastened to the cliff edge above Ja and helped him to a +secure footing. He would not listen to any thanks for his attempt +to save me, which had come so near miscarrying.<br> +</p> + +"I had given you up for lost when you tumbled into the Mahar +temple," he said, "for not even I could save you from their +clutches, and you may imagine my surprise when on seeing a canoe +dragged up upon the beach of the mainland I discovered your own +footprints in the sand beside it. <br> +<p>"I immediately set out in search of you, knowing as I did that +you must be entirely unarmed and defenseless against the many +dangers which lurk upon the mainland both in the form of savage +beasts and reptiles, and men as well. I had no difficulty in +tracking you to this point. It is well that I arrived when I +did."<br> +</p> + +"But why did you do it?" I asked, puzzled at this show of +friendship on the part of a man of another world and a different +race and color. <br> +<p>"You saved my life," he replied; "from that moment it became +my duty to protect and befriend you. I would have been no true +Mezop had I evaded my plain duty; but it was a pleasure in this +instance for I like you. I wish that you would come and live with +me. You shall become a member of my tribe. Among us there is the +best of hunting and fishing, and you shall have, to choose a mate +from, the most beautiful girls of Pellucidar. Will you come?"<br> +</p> + +I told him about Perry then, and Dian the Beautiful, and how my +duty was to them first. Afterward I should return and visit +him--if I could ever find his island. <br> +<p>"Oh, that is easy, my friend," he said. "You need merely to +come to the foot of the highest peak of the Mountains of the +Clouds. There you will find a river which flows into the Lural +Az. Directly opposite the mouth of the river you will see three +large islands far out, so far that they are barely discernible, +the one to the extreme left as you face them from the mouth of +the river is Anoroc, where I rule the tribe of Anoroc."<br> +</p> + +"But how am I to find the Mountains of the Clouds?" I asked. "Men +say that they are visible from half Pellucidar," he replied. <br> +<p>"How large is Pellucidar?" I asked, wondering what sort of +theory these primitive men had concerning the form and substance +of their world.<br> +</p> + +"The Mahars say it is round, like the inside of a tola shell," he +answered, "but that is ridiculous, since, were it true, we should +fall back were we to travel far in any direction, and all the +waters of Pellucidar would run to one spot and drown us. No, +Pellucidar is quite flat and extends no man knows how far in all +directions. At the edges, so my ancestors have reported and +handed down to me, is a great wall that prevents the earth and +waters from escaping over into the burning sea whereon Pellucidar +floats; but I never have been so far from Anoroc as to have seen +this wall with my own eyes. However, it is quite reasonable to +believe that this is true, whereas there is no reason at all in +the foolish belief of the Mahars. According to them +Pellucidarians who live upon the opposite side walk always with +their heads pointed downward!" and Ja laughed uproariously at the +very thought. <br> +<p>It was plain to see that the human folk of this inner world +had not advanced far in learning, and the thought that the ugly +Mahars had so outstripped them was a very pathetic one indeed. I +wondered how many ages it would take to lift these people out of +their ignorance even were it given to Perry and me to attempt it. +Possibly we would be killed for our pains as were those men of +the outer world who dared challenge the dense ignorance and +superstitions of the earth's younger days. But it was worth the +effort if the opportunity ever presented itself.<br> +</p> + +And then it occurred to me that here was an opportunity--that I +might make a small beginning upon Ja, who was my friend, and thus +note the effect of my teaching upon a Pellucidarian. <br> +<p>"Ja," I said, "what would you say were I to tell you that in +so far as the Mahars' theory of the shape of Pellucidar is +concerned it is correct?"<br> +</p> + +"I would say," he replied, "that either you are a fool, or took +me for one." <br> +<p>"But, Ja," I insisted, "if their theory is incorrect how do +you account for the fact that I was able to pass through the +earth from the outer crust to Pellucidar. If your theory is +correct all is a sea of flame beneath us, where in no peoples +could exist, and yet I come from a great world that is covered +with human beings, and beasts, and birds, and fishes in mighty +oceans."<br> +</p> + +"You live upon the under side of Pellucidar, and walk always with +your head pointed downward?" he scoffed. "And were I to believe +that, my friend, I should indeed be mad." <br> +<p>I attempted to explain the force of gravity to him, and by the +means of the dropped fruit to illustrate how impossible it would +be for a body to fall off the earth under any circumstances. He +listened so intently that I thought I had made an impression, and +started the train of thought that would lead him to a partial +understanding of the truth. But I was mistaken.<br> +</p> + +"Your own illustration," he said finally, "proves the falsity of +your theory." He dropped a fruit from his hand to the ground. +"See," he said, "without support even this tiny fruit falls until +it strikes something that stops it. If Pellucidar were not +supported upon the flaming sea it too would fall as the fruit +falls--you have proven it yourself!" He had me, that time--you +could see it in his eye. <br> +<p>It seemed a hopeless job and I gave it up, temporarily at +least, for when I contemplated the necessity explanation of our +solar system and the universe I realized how futile it would be +to attempt to picture to Ja or any other Pellucidarian the sun, +the moon, the planets, and the countless stars. Those born within +the inner world could no more conceive of such things than can we +of the outer crust reduce to factors appreciable to our finite +minds such terms as space and eternity.<br> +</p> + +"Well, Ja," I laughed, "whether we be walking with our feet up or +down, here we are, and the question of greatest importance is not +so much where we came from as where we are going now. For my part +I wish that you could guide me to Phutra where I may give myself +up to the Mahars once more that my friends and I may work out the +plan of escape which the Sagoths interrupted when they gathered +us together and drove us to the arena to witness the punishment +of the slaves who killed the guardsman. I wish now that I had not +left the arena for by this time my friends and I might have made +good our escape, whereas this delay may mean the wrecking of all +our plans, which depended for their consummation upon the +continued sleep of the three Mahars who lay in the pit beneath +the building in which we were confined." <br> +<p>"You would return to captivity?" cried Ja.<br> +</p> + +"My friends are there," I replied, "the only friends I have in +Pellucidar, except yourself. What else may I do under the +circumstances?" <br> +<p>He thought for a moment in silence. Then he shook his head +sorrowfully.<br> +</p> + +"It is what a brave man and a good friend should do," he said; +"yet it seems most foolish, for the Mahars will most certainly +condemn you to death for running away, and so you will be +accomplishing nothing for your friends by returning. Never in all +my life have I heard of a prisoner returning to the Mahars of his +own free will. There are but few who escape them, though some do, +and these would rather die than be recaptured." <br> +<p>"I see no other way, Ja," I said, "though I can assure you +that I would rather go to Sheol after Perry than to Phutra. +However, Perry is much too pious to make the probability at all +great that I should ever be called upon to rescue him from the +former locality."<br> +</p> + +Ja asked me what Sheol was, and when I explained, as best I +could, he said, "You are speaking of Molop Az, the flaming sea +upon which Pellucidar floats. All the dead who are buried in the +ground go there. Piece by piece they are carried down to Molop Az +by the little demons who dwell there. We know this because when +graves are opened we find that the bodies have been partially or +entirely borne off. That is why we of Anoroc place our dead in +high trees where the birds may find them and bear them bit by bit +to the Dead World above the Land of Awful Shadow. If we kill an +enemy we place his body in the ground that it may go to Molop +Az." <br> +<p>As we talked we had been walking up the canyon down which I +had come to the great ocean and the sithic. Ja did his best to +dissuade me from returning to Phutra, but when he saw that I was +determined to do so, he consented to guide me to a point from +which I could see the plain where lay the city. To my surprise +the distance was but short from the beach where I had again met +Ja. It was evident that I had spent much time following the +windings of a tortuous canon, while just beyond the ridge lay the +city of Phutra near to which I must have come several times.<br> +</p> + +As we topped the ridge and saw the granite gate towers dotting +the flowered plain at our feet Ja made a final effort to persuade +me to abandon my mad purpose and return with him to Anoroc, but I +was firm in my resolve, and at last he bid me good-bye, assured +in his own mind that he was looking upon me for the last time. +<br> +<p>I was sorry to part with Ja, for I had come to like him very +much indeed. With his hidden city upon the island of Anoroc as a +base, and his savage warriors as escort Perry and I could have +accomplished much in the line of exploration, and I hoped that +were we successful in our effort to escape we might return to +Anoroc later.<br> +</p> + +There was, however, one great thing to be accomplished first--at +least it was the great thing to me--the finding of Dian the +Beautiful. I wanted to make amends for the affront I had put upon +her in my ignorance, and I wanted to--well, I wanted to see her +again, and to be with her. <br> +<p>Down the hillside I made my way into the gorgeous field of +flowers, and then across the rolling land toward the shadowless +columns that guard the ways to buried Phutra. At a quarter-mile +from the nearest entrance I was discovered by the Sagoth guard, +and in an instant four of the gorilla-men were dashing toward +me.<br> +</p> + +Though they brandished their long spears and yelled like wild +Comanches I paid not the slightest attention to them, walking +quietly toward them as though unaware of their existence. My +manner had the effect upon them that I had hoped, and as we came +quite near together they ceased their savage shouting. It was +evident that they had expected me to turn and flee at sight of +them, thus presenting that which they most enjoyed, a moving +human target at which to cast their spears. <br> +<p>"What do you here?" shouted one, and then as he recognized me, +"Ho! It is the slave who claims to be from another world--he who +escaped when the thag ran amuck within the amphitheater. But why +do you return, having once made good your escape?"<br> +</p> + +"I did not 'escape'," I replied. "I but ran away to avoid the +thag, as did others, and coming into a long passage I became +confused and lost my way in the foothills beyond Phutra. Only now +have I found my way back." <br> +<p>"And you come of your free will back to Phutra!" exclaimed one +of the guardsmen.<br> +</p> + +"Where else might I go?" I asked. "I am a stranger within +Pellucidar and know no other where than Phutra. Why should I not +desire to be in Phutra? Am I not well fed and well treated? Am I +not happy? What better lot could man desire?" <br> +<p>The Sagoths scratched their heads. This was a new one on them, +and so being stupid brutes they took me to their masters whom +they felt would be better fitted to solve the riddle of my +return, for riddle they still considered it.<br> +</p> + +I had spoken to the Sagoths as I had for the purpose of throwing +them off the scent of my purposed attempt at escape. If they +thought that I was so satisfied with my lot within Phutra that I +would voluntarily return when I had once had so excellent an +opportunity to escape, they would never for an instant imagine +that I could be occupied in arranging another escape immediately +upon my return to the city. <br> +<p>So they led me before a slimy Mahar who clung to a slimy rock +within the large room that was the thing's office. With cold, +reptilian eyes the creature seemed to bore through the thin +veneer of my deceit and read my inmost thoughts. It heeded the +story which the Sagoths told of my return to Phutra, watching the +gorilla-men's lips and fingers during the recital. Then it +questioned me through one of the Sagoths.<br> +</p> + +"You say that you returned to Phutra of your own free will, +because you think yourself better off here than elsewhere--do you +not know that you may be the next chosen to give up your life in +the interests of the wonderful scientific investigations that our +learned ones are continually occupied with?" <br> +<p>I hadn't heard of anything of that nature, but I thought best +not to admit it.<br> +</p> + +"I could be in no more danger here," I said, "than naked and +unarmed in the savage jungles or upon the lonely plains of +Pellucidar. I was fortunate, I think, to return to Phutra at all. +As it was I barely escaped death within the jaws of a huge +sithic. No, I am sure that I am safer in the hands of intelligent +creatures such as rule Phutra. At least such would be the case in +my own world, where human beings like myself rule supreme. There +the higher races of man extend protection and hospitality to the +stranger within their gates, and being a stranger here I +naturally assumed that a like courtesy would be accorded me." +<br> +<p>The Mahar looked at me in silence for some time after I ceased +speaking and the Sagoth had translated my words to his master. +The creature seemed deep in thought. Presently he communicated +some message to the Sagoth. The latter turned, and motioning me +to follow him, left the presence of the reptile. Behind and on +either side of me marched the balance of the guard.<br> +</p> + +"What are they going to do with me?" I asked the fellow at my +right. <br> +<p>"You are to appear before the learned ones who will question +you regarding this strange world from which you say you +come."<br> +</p> + +After a moment's silence he turned to me again. <br> +<p>"Do you happen to know," he asked, "what the Mahars do to +slaves who lie to them?"<br> +</p> + +"No," I replied, "nor does it interest me, as I have no intention +of lying to the Mahars." <br> +<p>"Then be careful that you don't repeat the impossible tale you +told Sol-to-to just now--another world, indeed, where human +beings rule!" he concluded in fine scorn.<br> +</p> + +"But it is the truth," I insisted. "From where else then did I +come? I am not of Pellucidar. Anyone with half an eye could see +that." <br> +<p>"It is your misfortune then," he remarked dryly, "that you may +not be judged by one with but half an eye."<br> +</p> + +"What will they do with me," I asked, "if they do not have a mind +to believe me?" <br> +<p>"You may be sentenced to the arena, or go to the pits to be +used in research work by the learned ones," he replied.<br> +</p> + +"And what will they do with me there?" I persisted. <br> +<p>"No one knows except the Mahars and those who go to the pits +with them, but as the latter never return, their knowledge does +them but little good. It is said that the learned ones cut up +their subjects while they are yet alive, thus learning many +useful things. However I should not imagine that it would prove +very useful to him who was being cut up; but of course this is +all but conjecture. The chances are that ere long you will know +much more about it than I," and he grinned as he spoke. The +Sagoths have a well-developed sense of humor.<br> +</p> + +"And suppose it is the arena," I continued; "what then?" <br> +<p>"You saw the two who met the tarag and the thag the time that +you escaped?" he said.<br> +</p> + +"Yes. " <br> +<p>"Your end in the arena would be similar to what was intended +for them," he explained, "though of course the same kinds of +animals might not be employed."<br> +</p> + +"It is sure death in either event?" I asked. <br> +<p>"What becomes of those who go below with the learned ones I do +not know, nor does any other," he replied; "but those who go to +the arena may come out alive and thus regain their liberty, as +did the two whom you saw."<br> +</p> + +"They gained their liberty? And how?" <br> +<p>"It is the custom of the Mahars to liberate those who remain +alive within the arena after the beasts depart or are killed. +Thus it has happened that several mighty warriors from far +distant lands, whom we have captured on our slave raids, have +battled the brutes turned in upon them and slain them, thereby +winning their freedom. In the instance which you witnessed the +beasts killed each other, but the result was the same--the man +and woman were liberated, furnished with weapons, and started on +their homeward journey. Upon the left shoulder of each a mark was +burned--the mark of the Mahars--which will forever protect these +two from slaving parties."<br> +</p> + +"There is a slender chance for me then if I be sent to the arena, +and none at all if the learned ones drag me to the pits?" <br> +<p>"You are quite right," he replied; "but do not felicitate +yourself too quickly should you be sent to the arena, for there +is scarce one in a thousand who comes out alive."<br> +</p> + +To my surprise they returned me to the same building in which I +had been confined with Perry and Ghak before my escape. At the +doorway I was turned over to the guards there. <br> +<p>"He will doubtless be called before the investigators +shortly," said he who had brought me back," so have him in +readiness."<br> +</p> + +The guards in whose hands I now found myself, upon hearing that I +had returned of my own volition to Phutra evidently felt that it +would be safe to give me liberty within the building as had been +the custom before I had escaped, and so I was told to return to +whatever duty had been mine formerly. <br> +<p>My first act was to hunt up Perry; whom I found poring as +usual over the great tomes that he was supposed to be merely +dusting and rearranging upon new shelves.<br> +</p> + +As I entered the room he glanced up and nodded pleasantly to me, +only to resume his work as though I had never been away at all. I +was both astonished and hurt at his indifference. And to think +that I was risking death to return to him purely from a sense of +duty and affection! <br> +<p>"Why, Perry!" I exclaimed, "haven't you a word for me after my +long absence?"<br> +</p> + +"Long absence!" he repeated in evident astonishment. "What do you +mean?" <br> +<p>"Are you crazy, Perry? Do you mean to say that you have not +missed me since that time we were separated by the charging thag +within the arena?"<br> +</p> + +"'That time'," he repeated. "Why man, I have but just returned +from the arena! You reached here almost as soon as I. Had you +been much later I should indeed have been worried, and as it is I +had intended asking you about how you escaped the beast as soon +as I had completed the translation of this most interesting +passage." <br> +<p>"Perry, you ARE mad," I exclaimed. "Why, the Lord only knows +how long I have been away. I have been to other lands, discovered +a new race of humans within Pellucidar, seen the Mahars at their +worship in their hidden temple, and barely escaped with my life +from them and from a great labyrinthodon that I met afterward, +following my long and tedious wanderings across an unknown world. +I must have been away for months, Perry, and now you barely look +up from your work when I return and insist that we have been +separated but a moment. Is that any way to treat a friend? I'm +surprised at you, Perry, and if I'd thought for a moment that you +cared no more for me than this I should not have returned to +chance death at the hands of the Mahars for your sake."<br> +</p> + +The old man looked at me for a long time before he spoke. There +was a puzzled expression upon his wrinkled face, and a look of +hurt sorrow in his eyes. <br> +<p>"David, my boy," he said, "how could you for a moment doubt my +love for you? There is something strange here that I cannot +understand. I know that I am not mad, and I am equally sure that +you are not; but how in the world are we to account for the +strange hallucinations that each of us seems to harbor relative +to the passage of time since last we saw each other. You are +positive that months have gone by, while to me it seems equally +certain that not more than an hour ago I sat beside you in the +amphitheater. Can it be that both of us are right and at the same +time both are wrong? First tell me what time is, and then maybe I +can solve our problem. Do you catch my meaning?"<br> +</p> + +I didn't and said so. <br> +<p>"Yes," continued the old man, "we are both right. To me, bent +over my book here, there has been no lapse of time. I have done +little or nothing to waste my energies and so have required +neither food nor sleep, but you, on the contrary, have walked and +fought and wasted strength and tissue which must needs be rebuilt +by nutriment and food, and so, having eaten and slept many times +since last you saw me you naturally measure the lapse of time +largely by these acts. As a matter of fact, David, I am rapidly +coming to the conviction that there is no such thing as +time--surely there can be no time here within Pellucidar, where +there are no means for measuring or recording time. Why, the +Mahars themselves take no account of such a thing as time. I find +here in all their literary works but a single tense, the present. +There seems to be neither past nor future with them. Of course it +is impossible for our outer-earthly minds to grasp such a +condition, but our recent experiences seem to demonstrate its +existence."<br> +</p> + +It was too big a subject for me, and I said so, but Perry seemed +to enjoy nothing better than speculating upon it, and after +listening with interest to my account of the adventures through +which I had passed he returned once more to the subject, which he +was enlarging upon with considerable fluency when he was +interrupted by the entrance of a Sagoth. <br> +<p>"Come!" commanded the intruder, beckoning to me. "The +investigators would speak with you."<br> +</p> + +"Good-bye, Perry!" I said, clasping the old man's hand. "There +may be nothing but the present and no such thing as time, but I +feel that I am about to take a trip into the hereafter from which +I shall never return. If you and Ghak should manage to escape I +want you to promise me that you will find Dian the Beautiful and +tell her that with my last words I asked her forgiveness for the +unintentional affront I put upon her, and that my one wish was to +be spared long enough to right the wrong that I had done her." +<br> +<p>Tears came to Perry's eyes.<br> +</p> + +"I cannot believe but that you will return, David," he said. "It +would be awful to think of living out the balance of my life +without you among these hateful and repulsive creatures. If you +are taken away I shall never escape, for I feel that I am as well +off here as I should be anywhere within this buried world. +Good-bye, my boy, good-bye!" and then his old voice faltered and +broke, and as he hid his face in his hands the Sagoth guardsman +grasped me roughly by the shoulder and hustled me from the +chamber. <br> +<p><br> +</p> + +<h1 id="ref_12">CHAPTER XI</h1> + +FOUR DEAD MAHARS <br> +<p>A moment later I was standing before a dozen Mahars--the +social investigators of Phutra. They asked me many questions, +through a Sagoth interpreter. I answered them all truthfully. +They seemed particularly interested in my account of the outer +earth and the strange vehicle which had brought Perry and me to +Pellucidar. I thought that I had convinced them, and after they +had sat in silence for a long time following my examination, I +expected to be ordered returned to my quarters.<br> +</p> + +During this apparent silence they were debating through the +medium of strange, unspoken language the merits of my tale. At +last the head of the tribunal communicated the result of their +conference to the officer in charge of the Sagoth guard. <br> +<p>"Come," he said to me, "you are sentenced to the experimental +pits for having dared to insult the intelligence of the mighty +ones with the ridiculous tale you have had the temerity to unfold +to them."<br> +</p> + +"Do you mean that they do not believe me?" I asked, totally +astonished. <br> +<p>"Believe you!" he laughed. "Do you mean to say that you +expected any one to believe so impossible a lie?"<br> +</p> + +It was hopeless, and so I walked in silence beside my guard down +through the dark corridors and runways toward my awful doom. At a +low level we came upon a number of lighted chambers in which we +saw many Mahars engaged in various occupations. To one of these +chambers my guard escorted me, and before leaving they chained me +to a side wall. There were other humans similarly chained. Upon a +long table lay a victim even as I was ushered into the room. +Several Mahars stood about the poor creature holding him down so +that he could not move. Another, grasping a sharp knife with her +three-toed fore foot, was laying open the victim's chest and +abdomen. No anesthetic had been administered and the shrieks and +groans of the tortured man were terrible to hear. This, indeed, +was vivisection with a vengeance. Cold sweat broke out upon me as +I realized that soon my turn would come. And to think that where +there was no such thing as time I might easily imagine that my +suffering was enduring for months before death finally released +me! <br> +<p>The Mahars had paid not the slightest attention to me as I had +been brought into the room. So deeply immersed were they in their +work that I am sure they did not even know that the Sagoths had +entered with me. The door was close by. Would that I could reach +it! But those heavy chains precluded any such possibility. I +looked about for some means of escape from my bonds. Upon the +floor between me and the Mahars lay a tiny surgical instrument +which one of them must have dropped. It looked not unlike a +button-hook, but was much smaller, and its point was sharpened. A +hundred times in my boyhood days had I picked locks with a +buttonhook. Could I but reach that little bit of polished steel I +might yet effect at least a temporary escape.<br> +</p> + +Crawling to the limit of my chain, I found that by reaching one +hand as far out as I could my fingers still fell an inch short of +the coveted instrument. It was tantalizing! Stretch every fiber +of my being as I would, I could not quite make it. <br> +<p>At last I turned about and extended one foot toward the +object. My heart came to my throat! I could just touch the thing! +But suppose that in my effort to drag it toward me I should +accidentally shove it still farther away and thus entirely out of +reach! Cold sweat broke out upon me from every pore. Slowly and +cautiously I made the effort. My toes dropped upon the cold +metal. Gradually I worked it toward me until I felt that it was +within reach of my hand and a moment later I had turned about and +the precious thing was in my grasp.<br> +</p> + +Assiduously I fell to work upon the Mahar lock that held my +chain. It was pitifully simple. A child might have picked it, and +a moment later I was free. The Mahars were now evidently +completing their work at the table. One already turned away and +was examining other victims, evidently with the intention of +selecting the next subject. <br> +<p>Those at the table had their backs toward me. But for the +creature walking toward us I might have escaped that moment. +Slowly the thing approached me, when its attention was attracted +by a huge slave chained a few yards to my right. Here the reptile +stopped and commenced to go over the poor devil carefully, and as +it did so its back turned toward me for an instant, and in that +instant I gave two mighty leaps that carried me out of the +chamber into the corridor beyond, down which I raced with all the +speed I could command.<br> +</p> + +Where I was, or whither I was going, I knew not. My only thought +was to place as much distance as possible between me and that +frightful chamber of torture. <br> +<p>Presently I reduced my speed to a brisk walk, and later +realizing the danger of running into some new predicament, were I +not careful, I moved still more slowly and cautiously. After a +time I came to a passage that seemed in some mysterious way +familiar to me, and presently, chancing to glance within a +chamber which led from the corridor I saw three Mahars curled up +in slumber upon a bed of skins. I could have shouted aloud in joy +and relief. It was the same corridor and the same Mahars that I +had intended to have lead so important a role in our escape from +Phutra. Providence had indeed been kind to me, for the reptiles +still slept.<br> +</p> + +My one great danger now lay in returning to the upper levels in +search of Perry and Ghak, but there was nothing else to be done, +and so I hastened upward. When I came to the frequented portions +of the building, I found a large burden of skins in a corner and +these I lifted to my head, carrying them in such a way that ends +and corners fell down about my shoulders completely hiding my +face. Thus disguised I found Perry and Ghak together in the +chamber where we had been wont to eat and sleep. <br> +<p>Both were glad to see me, it was needless to say, though of +course they had known nothing of the fate that had been meted out +to me by my judges. It was decided that no time should now be +lost before attempting to put our plan of escape to the test, as +I could not hope to remain hidden from the Sagoths long, nor +could I forever carry that bale of skins about upon my head +without arousing suspicion. However it seemed likely that it +would carry me once more safely through the crowded passages and +chambers of the upper levels, and so I set out with Perry and +Ghak--the stench of the illy cured pelts fairly choking me.<br> +</p> + +Together we repaired to the first tier of corridors beneath the +main floor of the buildings, and here Perry and Ghak halted to +await me. The buildings are cut out of the solid limestone +formation. There is nothing at all remarkable about their +architecture. The rooms are sometimes rectangular, sometimes +circular, and again oval in shape. The corridors which connect +them are narrow and not always straight. The chambers are lighted +by diffused sunlight reflected through tubes similar to those by +which the avenues are lighted. The lower the tiers of chambers, +the darker. Most of the corridors are entirely unlighted. The +Mahars can see quite well in semidarkness. <br> +<p>Down to the main floor we encountered many Mahars, Sagoths, +and slaves; but no attention was paid to us as we had become a +part of the domestic life of the building. There was but a single +entrance leading from the place into the avenue and this was well +guarded by Sagoths--this doorway alone were we forbidden to pass. +It is true that we were not supposed to enter the deeper +corridors and apartments except on special occasions when we were +instructed to do so; but as we were considered a lower order +without intelligence there was little reason to fear that we +could accomplish any harm by so doing, and so we were not +hindered as we entered the corridor which led below.<br> +</p> + +Wrapped in a skin I carried three swords, and the two bows, and +the arrows which Perry and I had fashioned. As many slaves bore +skin-wrapped burdens to and fro my load attracted no comment. +Where I left Ghak and Perry there were no other creatures in +sight, and so I withdrew one sword from the package, and leaving +the balance of the weapons with Perry, started on alone toward +the lower levels. <br> +<p>Having come to the apartment in which the three Mahars slept I +entered silently on tiptoe, forgetting that the creatures were +without the sense of hearing. With a quick thrust through the +heart I disposed of the first but my second thrust was not so +fortunate, so that before I could kill the next of my victims it +had hurled itself against the third, who sprang quickly up, +facing me with wide-distended jaws. But fighting is not the +occupation which the race of Mahars loves, and when the thing saw +that I already had dispatched two of its companions, and that my +sword was red with their blood, it made a dash to escape me. But +I was too quick for it, and so, half hopping, half flying, it +scurried down another corridor with me close upon its heels.<br> +</p> + +Its escape meant the utter ruin of our plan, and in all +probability my instant death. This thought lent wings to my feet; +but even at my best I could do no more than hold my own with the +leaping thing before me. <br> +<p>Of a sudden it turned into an apartment on the right of the +corridor, and an instant later as I rushed in I found myself +facing two of the Mahars. The one who had been there when we +entered had been occupied with a number of metal vessels, into +which had been put powders and liquids as I judged from the array +of flasks standing about upon the bench where it had been +working. In an instant I realized what I had stumbled upon. It +was the very room for the finding of which Perry had given me +minute directions. It was the buried chamber in which was hidden +the Great Secret of the race of Mahars. And on the bench beside +the flasks lay the skin-bound book which held the only copy of +the thing I was to have sought, after dispatching the three +Mahars in their sleep.<br> +</p> + +There was no exit from the room other than the doorway in which I +now stood facing the two frightful reptiles. Cornered, I knew +that they would fight like demons, and they were well equipped to +fight if fight they must. Together they launched themselves upon +me, and though I ran one of them through the heart on the +instant, the other fastened its gleaming fangs about my sword arm +above the elbow, and then with her sharp talons commenced to rake +me about the body, evidently intent upon disemboweling me. I saw +that it was useless to hope that I might release my arm from that +powerful, viselike grip which seemed to be severing my arm from +my body. The pain I suffered was intense, but it only served to +spur me to greater efforts to overcome my antagonist. <br> +<p>Back and forth across the floor we struggled--the Mahar +dealing me terrific, cutting blows with her fore feet, while I +attempted to protect my body with my left hand, at the same time +watching for an opportunity to transfer my blade from my now +useless sword hand to its rapidly weakening mate. At last I was +successful, and with what seemed to me my last ounce of strength +I ran the blade through the ugly body of my foe.<br> +</p> + +Soundless, as it had fought, it died, and though weak from pain +and loss of blood, it was with an emotion of triumphant pride +that I stepped across its convulsively stiffening corpse to +snatch up the most potent secret of a world. A single glance +assured me it was the very thing that Perry had described to me. +<br> +<p>And as I grasped it did I think of what it meant to the human +race of Pellucidar--did there flash through my mind the thought +that countless generations of my own kind yet unborn would have +reason to worship me for the thing that I had accomplished for +them? I did not. I thought of a beautiful oval face, gazing out +of limpid eyes, through a waving mass of jet-black hair. I +thought of red, red lips, God-made for kissing. And of a sudden, +apropos of nothing, standing there alone in the secret chamber of +the Mahars of Pellucidar, I realized that I loved Dian the +Beautiful.<br> +</p> + +<br> +<h1 id="ref_13">CHAPTER XII</h1> + +PURSUIT <br> +For an instant I stood there thinking of her, and then, with a +sigh, I tucked the book in the thong that supported my loin +cloth, and turned to leave the apartment. At the bottom of the +corridor which leads aloft from the lower chambers I whistled in +accordance with the prearranged signal which was to announce to +Perry and Ghak that I had been successful. A moment later they +stood beside me, and to my surprise I saw that Hooja the Sly One +accompanied them. <br> +<p>"He joined us," explained Perry, "and would not be denied. The +fellow is a fox. He scents escape, and rather than be thwarted of +our chance now I told him that I would bring him to you, and let +you decide whether he might accompany us."<br> +</p> + +I had no love for Hooja, and no confidence in him. I was sure +that if he thought it would profit him he would betray us; but I +saw no way out of it now, and the fact that I had killed four +Mahars instead of only the three I had expected to, made it +possible to include the fellow in our scheme of escape. <br> +<p>"Very well," I said, "you may come with us, Hooja; but at the +first intimation of treachery I shall run my sword through you. +Do you understand?"<br> +</p> + +He said that he did. <br> +<p>Some time later we had removed the skins from the four Mahars, +and so succeeded in crawling inside of them ourselves that there +seemed an excellent chance for us to pass unnoticed from Phutra. +It was not an easy thing to fasten the hides together where we +had split them along the belly to remove them from their +carcasses, but by remaining out until the others had all been +sewed in with my help, and then leaving an aperture in the breast +of Perry's skin through which he could pass his hands to sew me +up, we were enabled to accomplish our design to really much +better purpose than I had hoped. We managed to keep the heads +erect by passing our swords up through the necks, and by the same +means were enabled to move them about in a life-like manner. We +had our greatest difficulty with the webbed feet, but even that +problem was finally solved, so that when we moved about we did so +quite naturally. Tiny holes punctured in the baggy throats into +which our heads were thrust permitted us to see well enough to +guide our progress.<br> +</p> + +Thus we started up toward the main floor of the building. Ghak +headed the strange procession, then came Perry, followed by +Hooja, while I brought up the rear, after admonishing Hooja that +I had so arranged my sword that I could thrust it through the +head of my disguise into his vitals were he to show any +indication of faltering. <br> +<p>As the noise of hurrying feet warned me that we were entering +the busy corridors of the main level, my heart came up into my +mouth. It is with no sense of shame that I admit that I was +frightened--never before in my life, nor since, did I experience +any such agony of soulsearing fear and suspense as enveloped me. +If it be possible to sweat blood, I sweat it then.<br> +</p> + +Slowly, after the manner of locomotion habitual to the Mahars, +when they are not using their wings, we crept through throngs of +busy slaves, Sagoths, and Mahars. After what seemed an eternity +we reached the outer door which leads into the main avenue of +Phutra. Many Sagoths loitered near the opening. They glanced at +Ghak as he padded between them. Then Perry passed, and then +Hooja. Now it was my turn, and then in a sudden fit of freezing +terror I realized that the warm blood from my wounded arm was +trickling down through the dead foot of the Mahar skin I wore and +leaving its tell-tale mark upon the pavement, for I saw a Sagoth +call a companion's attention to it. <br> +<p>The guard stepped before me and pointing to my bleeding foot +spoke to me in the sign language which these two races employ as +a means of communication. Even had I known what he was saying I +could not have replied with the dead thing that covered me. I +once had seen a great Mahar freeze a presumptuous Sagoth with a +look. It seemed my only hope, and so I tried it. Stopping in my +tracks I moved my sword so that it made the dead head appear to +turn inquiring eyes upon the gorilla-man. For a long moment I +stood perfectly still, eyeing the fellow with those dead eyes. +Then I lowered the head and started slowly on. For a moment all +hung in the balance, but before I touched him the guard stepped +to one side, and I passed on out into the avenue.<br> +</p> + +On we went up the broad street, but now we were safe for the very +numbers of our enemies that surrounded us on all sides. +Fortunately, there was a great concourse of Mahars repairing to +the shallow lake which lies a mile or more from the city. They go +there to indulge their amphibian proclivities in diving for small +fish, and enjoying the cool depths of the water. It is a +fresh-water lake, shallow, and free from the larger reptiles +which make the use of the great seas of Pellucidar impossible for +any but their own kind. <br> +<p>In the thick of the crowd we passed up the steps and out onto +the plain. For some distance Ghak remained with the stream that +was traveling toward the lake, but finally, at the bottom of a +little gully he halted, and there we remained until all had +passed and we were alone. Then, still in our disguises, we set +off directly away from Phutra.<br> +</p> + +The heat of the vertical rays of the sun was fast making our +horrible prisons unbearable, so that after passing a low divide, +and entering a sheltering forest, we finally discarded the Mahar +skins that had brought us thus far in safety. <br> +<p>I shall not weary you with the details of that bitter and +galling flight. How we traveled at a dogged run until we dropped +in our tracks. How we were beset by strange and terrible beasts. +How we barely escaped the cruel fangs of lions and tigers the +size of which would dwarf into pitiful insignificance the +greatest felines of the outer world.<br> +</p> + +On and on we raced, our one thought to put as much distance +between ourselves and Phutra as possible. Ghak was leading us to +his own land--the land of Sari. No sign of pursuit had developed, +and yet we were sure that somewhere behind us relentless Sagoths +were dogging our tracks. Ghak said they never failed to hunt down +their quarry until they had captured it or themselves been turned +back by a superior force. <br> +<p>Our only hope, he said, lay in reaching his tribe which was +quite strong enough in their mountain fastness to beat off any +number of Sagoths.<br> +</p> + +At last, after what seemed months, and may, I now realize, have +been years, we came in sight of the dun escarpment which +buttressed the foothills of Sari. At almost the same instant, +Hooja, who looked ever quite as much behind as before, announced +that he could see a body of men far behind us topping a low ridge +in our wake. It was the long-expected pursuit. <br> +<p>I asked Ghak if we could make Sari in time to escape them.<br> +</p> + +"We may," he replied; "but you will find that the Sagoths can +move with incredible swiftness, and as they are almost tireless +they are doubtless much fresher than we. Then--" he paused, +glancing at Perry. <br> +<p>I knew what he meant. The old man was exhausted. For much of +the period of our flight either Ghak or I had half supported him +on the march. With such a handicap, less fleet pursuers than the +Sagoths might easily overtake us before we could scale the rugged +heights which confronted us.<br> +</p> + +"You and Hooja go on ahead," I said. "Perry and I will make it if +we are able. We cannot travel as rapidly as you two, and there is +no reason why all should be lost because of that. It can't be +helped--we have simply to face it." <br> +<p>"I will not desert a companion," was Ghak's simple reply. I +hadn't known that this great, hairy, primeval man had any such +nobility of character stowed away inside him. I had always liked +him, but now to my liking was added honor and respect. Yes, and +love.<br> +</p> + +But still I urged him to go on ahead, insisting that if he could +reach his people he might be able to bring out a sufficient force +to drive off the Sagoths and rescue Perry and myself. <br> +<p>No, he wouldn't leave us, and that was all there was to it, +but he suggested that Hooja might hurry on and warn the Sarians +of the king's danger. It didn't require much urging to start +Hooja--the naked idea was enough to send him leaping on ahead of +us into the foothills which we now had reached.<br> +</p> + +Perry realized that he was jeopardizing Ghak's life and mine and +the old fellow fairly begged us to go on without him, although I +knew that he was suffering a perfect anguish of terror at the +thought of falling into the hands of the Sagoths. Ghak finally +solved the problem, in part, by lifting Perry in his powerful +arms and carrying him. While the act cut down Ghak's speed he +still could travel faster thus than when half supporting the +stumbling old man. <br> +<p><br> +</p> + +<h1 id="ref_14">CHAPTER XIII</h1> + +THE SLY ONE <br> +<p>The Sagoths were gaining on us rapidly, for once they had +sighted us they had greatly increased their speed. On and on we +stumbled up the narrow canyon that Ghak had chosen to approach +the heights of Sari. On either side rose precipitous cliffs of +gorgeous, parti-colored rock, while beneath our feet a thick +mountain grass formed a soft and noiseless carpet. Since we had +entered the canyon we had had no glimpse of our pursuers, and I +was commencing to hope that they had lost our trail and that we +would reach the now rapidly nearing cliffs in time to scale them +before we should be overtaken.<br> +</p> + +Ahead we neither saw nor heard any sign which might betoken the +success of Hooja's mission. By now he should have reached the +outposts of the Sarians, and we should at least hear the savage +cries of the tribesmen as they swarmed to arms in answer to their +king's appeal for succor. In another moment the frowning cliffs +ahead should be black with primeval warriors. But nothing of the +kind happened--as a matter of fact the Sly One had betrayed us. +At the moment that we expected to see Sarian spearmen charging to +our relief at Hooja's back, the craven traitor was sneaking +around the outskirts of the nearest Sarian village, that he might +come up from the other side when it was too late to save us, +claiming that he had become lost among the mountains. <br> +<p>Hooja still harbored ill will against me because of the blow I +had struck in Dian's protection, and his malevolent spirit was +equal to sacrificing us all that he might be revenged upon +me.<br> +</p> + +As we drew nearer the barrier cliffs and no sign of rescuing +Sarians appeared Ghak became both angry and alarmed, and +presently as the sound of rapidly approaching pursuit fell upon +our ears, he called to me over his shoulder that we were lost. +<br> +<p>A backward glance gave me a glimpse of the first of the +Sagoths at the far end of a considerable stretch of canyon +through which we had just passed, and then a sudden turning shut +the ugly creature from my view; but the loud howl of triumphant +rage which rose behind us was evidence that the gorilla-man had +sighted us.<br> +</p> + +Again the canyon veered sharply to the left, but to the right +another branch ran on at a lesser deviation from the general +direction, so that appeared more like the main canyon than the +lefthand branch. The Sagoths were now not over two hundred and +fifty yards behind us, and I saw that it was hopeless for us to +expect to escape other than by a ruse. There was a bare chance of +saving Ghak and Perry, and as I reached the branching of the +canyon I took the chance. <br> +<p>Pausing there I waited until the foremost Sagoth hove into +sight. Ghak and Perry had disappeared around a bend in the +left-hand canyon, and as the Sagoth's savage yell announced that +he had seen me I turned and fled up the right-hand branch. My +ruse was successful, and the entire party of man-hunters raced +headlong after me up one canyon while Ghak bore Perry to safety +up the other.<br> +</p> + +Running has never been my particular athletic forte, and now when +my very life depended upon fleetness of foot I cannot say that I +ran any better than on the occasions when my pitiful base running +had called down upon my head the rooter's raucous and reproachful +cries of "Ice Wagon," and "Call a cab." <br> +<p>The Sagoths were gaining on me rapidly. There was one in +particular, fleeter than his fellows, who was perilously close. +The canyon had become a rocky slit, rising roughly at a steep +angle toward what seemed a pass between two abutting peaks. What +lay beyond I could not even guess--possibly a sheer drop of +hundreds of feet into the corresponding valley upon the other +side. Could it be that I had plunged into a cul-de-sac?<br> +</p> + +Realizing that I could not hope to outdistance the Sagoths to the +top of the canyon I had determined to risk all in an attempt to +check them temporarily, and to this end had unslung my rudely +made bow and plucked an arrow from the skin quiver which hung +behind my shoulder. As I fitted the shaft with my right hand I +stopped and wheeled toward the gorilla-man. <br> +<p>In the world of my birth I never had drawn a shaft, but since +our escape from Phutra I had kept the party supplied with small +game by means of my arrows, and so, through necessity, had +developed a fair degree of accuracy. During our flight from +Phutra I had restrung my bow with a piece of heavy gut taken from +a huge tiger which Ghak and I had worried and finally dispatched +with arrows, spear, and sword. The hard wood of the bow was +extremely tough and this, with the strength and elasticity of my +new string, gave me unwonted confidence in my weapon.<br> +</p> + +Never had I greater need of steady nerves than then--never were +my nerves and muscles under better control. I sighted as +carefully and deliberately as though at a straw target. The +Sagoth had never before seen a bow and arrow, but of a sudden it +must have swept over his dull intellect that the thing I held +toward him was some sort of engine of destruction, for he too +came to a halt, simultaneously swinging his hatchet for a throw. +It is one of the many methods in which they employ this weapon, +and the accuracy of aim which they achieve, even under the most +unfavorable circumstances, is little short of miraculous. <br> +<p>My shaft was drawn back its full length--my eye had centered +its sharp point upon the left breast of my adversary; and then he +launched his hatchet and I released my arrow. At the instant that +our missiles flew I leaped to one side, but the Sagoth sprang +forward to follow up his attack with a spear thrust. I felt the +swish of the hatchet at it grazed my head, and at the same +instant my shaft pierced the Sagoth's savage heart, and with a +single groan he lunged almost at my feet--stone dead. Close +behind him were two more--fifty yards perhaps--but the distance +gave me time to snatch up the dead guardsman's shield, for the +close call his hatchet had just given me had borne in upon me the +urgent need I had for one. Those which I had purloined at Phutra +we had not been able to bring along because their size precluded +our concealing them within the skins of the Mahars which had +brought us safely from the city.<br> +</p> + +With the shield slipped well up on my left arm I let fly with +another arrow, which brought down a second Sagoth, and then as +his fellow's hatchet sped toward me I caught it upon the shield, +and fitted another shaft for him; but he did not wait to receive +it. Instead, he turned and retreated toward the main body of +gorilla-men. Evidently he had seen enough of me for the moment. +<br> +<p>Once more I took up my flight, nor were the Sagoths apparently +overanxious to press their pursuit so closely as before. +Unmolested I reached the top of the canyon where I found a sheer +drop of two or three hundred feet to the bottom of a rocky chasm; +but on the left a narrow ledge rounded the shoulder of the +overhanging cliff. Along this I advanced, and at a sudden +turning, a few yards beyond the canyon's end, the path widened, +and at my left I saw the opening to a large cave. Before, the +ledge continued until it passed from sight about another +projecting buttress of the mountain.<br> +</p> + +Here, I felt, I could defy an army, for but a single foeman could +advance upon me at a time, nor could he know that I was awaiting +him until he came full upon me around the corner of the turn. +About me lay scattered stones crumbled from the cliff above. They +were of various sizes and shapes, but enough were of handy +dimensions for use as ammunition in lieu of my precious arrows. +Gathering a number of stones into a little pile beside the mouth +of the cave I waited the advance of the Sagoths. <br> +<p>As I stood there, tense and silent, listening for the first +faint sound that should announce the approach of my enemies, a +slight noise from within the cave's black depths attracted my +attention. It might have been produced by the moving of the great +body of some huge beast rising from the rock floor of its lair. +At almost the same instant I thought that I caught the scraping +of hide sandals upon the ledge beyond the turn. For the next few +seconds my attention was considerably divided.<br> +</p> + +And then from the inky blackness at my right I saw two flaming +eyes glaring into mine. They were on a level that was over two +feet above my head. It is true that the beast who owned them +might be standing upon a ledge within the cave, or that it might +be rearing up upon its hind legs; but I had seen enough of the +monsters of Pellucidar to know that I might be facing some new +and frightful Titan whose dimensions and ferocity eclipsed those +of any I had seen before. <br> +<p>Whatever it was, it was coming slowly toward the entrance of +the cave, and now, deep and forbidding, it uttered a low and +ominous growl. I waited no longer to dispute possession of the +ledge with the thing which owned that voice. The noise had not +been loud--I doubt if the Sagoths heard it at all--but the +suggestion of latent possibilities behind it was such that I knew +it would only emanate from a gigantic and ferocious beast.<br> +</p> + +As I backed along the ledge I soon was past the mouth of the +cave, where I no longer could see those fearful flaming eyes, but +an instant later I caught sight of the fiendish face of a Sagoth +as it warily advanced beyond the cliff's turn on the far side of +the cave's mouth. As the fellow saw me he leaped along the ledge +in pursuit, and after him came as many of his companions as could +crowd upon each other's heels. At the same time the beast emerged +from the cave, so that he and the Sagoths came face to face upon +that narrow ledge. <br> +<p>The thing was an enormous cave bear, rearing its colossal bulk +fully eight feet at the shoulder, while from the tip of its nose +to the end of its stubby tail it was fully twelve feet in length. +As it sighted the Sagoths it emitted a most frightful roar, and +with open mouth charged full upon them. With a cry of terror the +foremost gorilla-man turned to escape, but behind him he ran full +upon his on-rushing companions.<br> +</p> + +The horror of the following seconds is indescribable. The Sagoth +nearest the cave bear, finding his escape blocked, turned and +leaped deliberately to an awful death upon the jagged rocks three +hundred feet below. Then those giant jaws reached out and +gathered in the next--there was a sickening sound of crushing +bones, and the mangled corpse was dropped over the cliff's edge. +Nor did the mighty beast even pause in his steady advance along +the ledge. <br> +<p>Shrieking Sagoths were now leaping madly over the precipice to +escape him, and the last I saw he rounded the turn still pursuing +the demoralized remnant of the man hunters. For a long time I +could hear the horrid roaring of the brute intermingled with the +screams and shrieks of his victims, until finally the awful +sounds dwindled and disappeared in the distance.<br> +</p> + +Later I learned from Ghak, who had finally come to his tribesmen +and returned with a party to rescue me, that the ryth, as it is +called, pursued the Sagoths until it had exterminated the entire +band. Ghak was, of course, positive that I had fallen prey to the +terrible creature, which, within Pellucidar, is truly the king of +beasts. <br> +<p>Not caring to venture back into the canyon, where I might fall +prey either to the cave bear or the Sagoths I continued on along +the ledge, believing that by following around the mountain I +could reach the land of Sari from another direction. But I +evidently became confused by the twisting and turning of the +canyons and gullies, for I did not come to the land of Sari then, +nor for a long time thereafter.<br> +</p> + +<br> +<h1 id="ref_15">CHAPTER XIV</h1> + +THE GARDEN OF EDEN <br> +With no heavenly guide, it is little wonder that I became +confused and lost in the labyrinthine maze of those mighty hills. +What, in reality, I did was to pass entirely through them and +come out above the valley upon the farther side. I know that I +wandered for a long time, until tired and hungry I came upon a +small cave in the face of the limestone formation which had taken +the place of the granite farther back. <br> +<p>The cave which took my fancy lay halfway up the precipitous +side of a lofty cliff. The way to it was such that I knew no +extremely formidable beast could frequent it, nor was it large +enough to make a comfortable habitat for any but the smaller +mammals or reptiles. Yet it was with the utmost caution that I +crawled within its dark interior.<br> +</p> + +Here I found a rather large chamber, lighted by a narrow cleft in +the rock above which let the sunlight filter in in sufficient +quantities partially to dispel the utter darkness which I had +expected. The cave was entirely empty, nor were there any signs +of its having been recently occupied. The opening was +comparatively small, so that after considerable effort I was able +to lug up a bowlder from the valley below which entirely blocked +it. <br> +<p>Then I returned again to the valley for an armful of grasses +and on this trip was fortunate enough to knock over an orthopi, +the diminutive horse of Pellucidar, a little animal about the +size of a fox terrier, which abounds in all parts of the inner +world. Thus, with food and bedding I returned to my lair, where +after a meal of raw meat, to which I had now become quite +accustomed, I dragged the bowlder before the entrance and curled +myself upon a bed of grasses--a naked, primeval, cave man, as +savagely primitive as my prehistoric progenitors.<br> +</p> + +I awoke rested but hungry, and pushing the bowlder aside crawled +out upon the little rocky shelf which was my front porch. Before +me spread a small but beautiful valley, through the center of +which a clear and sparkling river wound its way down to an inland +sea, the blue waters of which were just visible between the two +mountain ranges which embraced this little paradise. The sides of +the opposite hills were green with verdure, for a great forest +clothed them to the foot of the red and yellow and copper green +of the towering crags which formed their summit. The valley +itself was carpeted with a luxuriant grass, while here and there +patches of wild flowers made great splashes of vivid color +against the prevailing green. <br> +<p>Dotted over the face of the valley were little clusters of +palmlike trees--three or four together as a rule. Beneath these +stood antelope, while others grazed in the open, or wandered +gracefully to a near-by ford to drink. There were several species +of this beautiful animal, the most magnificent somewhat +resembling the giant eland of Africa, except that their spiral +horns form a complete curve backward over their ears and then +forward again beneath them, ending in sharp and formidable points +some two feet before the face and above the eyes. In size they +remind one of a pure bred Hereford bull, yet they are very agile +and fast. The broad yellow bands that stripe the dark roan of +their coats made me take them for zebra when I first saw them. +All in all they are handsome animals, and added the finishing +touch to the strange and lovely landscape that spread before my +new home.<br> +</p> + +I had determined to make the cave my headquarters, and with it as +a base make a systematic exploration of the surrounding country +in search of the land of Sari. First I devoured the remainder of +the carcass of the orthopi I had killed before my last sleep. +Then I hid the Great Secret in a deep niche at the back of my +cave, rolled the bowlder before my front door, and with bow, +arrows, sword, and shield scrambled down into the peaceful +valley. <br> +<p>The grazing herds moved to one side as I passed through them, +the little orthopi evincing the greatest wariness and galloping +to safest distances. All the animals stopped feeding as I +approached, and after moving to what they considered a safe +distance stood contemplating me with serious eyes and up-cocked +ears. Once one of the old bull antelopes of the striped species +lowered his head and bellowed angrily--even taking a few steps in +my direction, so that I thought he meant to charge; but after I +had passed, he resumed feeding as though nothing had disturbed +him.<br> +</p> + +Near the lower end of the valley I passed a number of tapirs, and +across the river saw a great sadok, the enormous double-horned +progenitor of the modern rhinoceros. At the valley's end the +cliffs upon the left ran out into the sea, so that to pass around +them as I desired to do it was necessary to scale them in search +of a ledge along which I might continue my journey. Some fifty +feet from the base I came upon a projection which formed a +natural path along the face of the cliff, and this I followed out +over the sea toward the cliff's end. <br> +<p>Here the ledge inclined rapidly upward toward the top of the +cliffs--the stratum which formed it evidently having been forced +up at this steep angle when the mountains behind it were born. As +I climbed carefully up the ascent my attention suddenly was +attracted aloft by the sound of strange hissing, and what +resembled the flapping of wings.<br> +</p> + +And at the first glance there broke upon my horrified vision the +most frightful thing I had seen even within Pellucidar. It was a +giant dragon such as is pictured in the legends and fairy tales +of earth folk. Its huge body must have measured forty feet in +length, while the batlike wings that supported it in midair had a +spread of fully thirty. Its gaping jaws were armed with long, +sharp teeth, and its claw equipped with horrible talons. <br> +<p>The hissing noise which had first attracted my attention was +issuing from its throat, and seemed to be directed at something +beyond and below me which I could not see. The ledge upon which I +stood terminated abruptly a few paces farther on, and as I +reached the end I saw the cause of the reptile's agitation.<br> +</p> + +Some time in past ages an earthquake had produced a fault at this +point, so that beyond the spot where I stood the strata had +slipped down a matter of twenty feet. The result was that the +continuation of my ledge lay twenty feet below me, where it ended +as abruptly as did the end upon which I stood. <br> +<p>And here, evidently halted in flight by this insurmountable +break in the ledge, stood the object of the creature's attack--a +girl cowering upon the narrow platform, her face buried in her +arms, as though to shut out the sight of the frightful death +which hovered just above her.<br> +</p> + +The dragon was circling lower, and seemed about to dart in upon +its prey. There was no time to be lost, scarce an instant in +which to weigh the possible chances that I had against the +awfully armed creature; but the sight of that frightened girl +below me called out to all that was best in me, and the instinct +for protection of the other sex, which nearly must have equaled +the instinct of self-preservation in primeval man, drew me to the +girl's side like an irresistible magnet. <br> +<p>Almost thoughtless of the consequences, I leaped from the end +of the ledge upon which I stood, for the tiny shelf twenty feet +below. At the same instant the dragon darted in toward the girl, +but my sudden advent upon the scene must have startled him for he +veered to one side, and then rose above us once more.<br> +</p> + +The noise I made as I landed beside her convinced the girl that +the end had come, for she thought I was the dragon; but finally +when no cruel fangs closed upon her she raised her eyes in +astonishment. As they fell upon me the expression that came into +them would be difficult to describe; but her feelings could +scarcely have been one whit more complicated than my own--for the +wide eyes that looked into mine were those of Dian the Beautiful. +<br> +<p>"Dian!" I cried. "Dian! Thank God that I came in time."<br> +</p> + +"You?" she whispered, and then she hid her face again; nor could +I tell whether she were glad or angry that I had come. <br> +<p>Once more the dragon was sweeping toward us, and so rapidly +that I had no time to unsling my bow. All that I could do was to +snatch up a rock, and hurl it at the thing's hideous face. Again +my aim was true, and with a hiss of pain and rage the reptile +wheeled once more and soared away.<br> +</p> + +Quickly I fitted an arrow now that I might be ready at the next +attack, and as I did so I looked down at the girl, so that I +surprised her in a surreptitious glance which she was stealing at +me; but immediately, she again covered her face with her hands. +<br> +<p>"Look at me, Dian," I pleaded. "Are you not glad to see +me?"<br> +</p> + +She looked straight into my eyes. <br> +<p>"I hate you," she said, and then, as I was about to beg for a +fair hearing she pointed over my shoulder. "The thipdar comes," +she said, and I turned again to meet the reptile.<br> +</p> + +So this was a thipdar. I might have known it. The cruel +bloodhound of the Mahars. The long-extinct pterodactyl of the +outer world. But this time I met it with a weapon it never had +faced before. I had selected my longest arrow, and with all my +strength had bent the bow until the very tip of the shaft rested +upon the thumb of my left hand, and then as the great creature +darted toward us I let drive straight for that tough breast. <br> +<p>Hissing like the escape valve of a steam engine, the mighty +creature fell turning and twisting into the sea below, my arrow +buried completely in its carcass. I turned toward the girl. She +was looking past me. It was evident that she had seen the thipdar +die.<br> +</p> + +"Dian," I said, "won't you tell me that you are not sorry that I +have found you?" <br> +<p>"I hate you," was her only reply; but I imagined that there +was less vehemence in it than before--yet it might have been but +my imagination.<br> +</p> + +"Why do you hate me, Dian?" I asked, but she did not answer me. +<br> +<p>"What are you doing here?" I asked, "and what has happened to +you since Hooja freed you from the Sagoths?"<br> +</p> + +At first I thought that she was going to ignore me entirely, but +finally she thought better of it. <br> +<p>"I was again running away from Jubal the Ugly One," she said. +"After I escaped from the Sagoths I made my way alone back to my +own land; but on account of Jubal I did not dare enter the +villages or let any of my friends know that I had returned for +fear that Jubal might find out. By watching for a long time I +found that my brother had not yet returned, and so I continued to +live in a cave beside a valley which my race seldom frequents, +awaiting the time that he should come back and free me from +Jubal.<br> +</p> + +"But at last one of Jubal's hunters saw me as I was creeping +toward my father's cave to see if my brother had yet returned and +he gave the alarm and Jubal set out after me. He has been +pursuing me across many lands. He cannot be far behind me now. +When he comes he will kill you and carry me back to his cave. He +is a terrible man. I have gone as far as I can go, and there is +no escape," and she looked hopelessly up at the continuation of +the ledge twenty feet above us. <br> +<p>"But he shall not have me," she suddenly cried, with great +vehemence. "The sea is there"--she pointed over the edge of the +cliff--"and the sea shall have me rather than Jubal."<br> +</p> + +"But I have you now Dian," I cried; "nor shall Jubal, nor any +other have you, for you are mine," and I seized her hand, nor did +I lift it above her head and let it fall in token of release. +<br> +<p>She had risen to her feet, and was looking straight into my +eyes with level gaze.<br> +</p> + +"I do not believe you," she said, "for if you meant it you would +have done this when the others were present to witness it--then I +should truly have been your mate; now there is no one to see you +do it, for you know that without witnesses your act does not bind +you to me," and she withdrew her hand from mine and turned away. +<br> +<p>I tried to convince her that I was sincere, but she simply +couldn't forget the humiliation that I had put upon her on that +other occasion.<br> +</p> + +"If you mean all that you say you will have ample chance to prove +it," she said, "if Jubal does not catch and kill you. I am in +your power, and the treatment you accord me will be the best +proof of your intentions toward me. I am not your mate, and again +I tell you that I hate you, and that I should be glad if I never +saw you again." <br> +<p>Dian certainly was candid. There was no gainsaying that. In +fact I found candor and directness to be quite a marked +characteristic of the cave men of Pellucidar. Finally I suggested +that we make some attempt to gain my cave, where we might escape +the searching Jubal, for I am free to admit that I had no +considerable desire to meet the formidable and ferocious +creature, of whose mighty prowess Dian had told me when I first +met her. He it was who, armed with a puny knife, had met and +killed a cave bear in a hand-to-hand struggle. It was Jubal who +could cast his spear entirely through the armored carcass of the +sadok at fifty paces. It was he who had crushed the skull of a +charging dyryth with a single blow of his war club. No, I was not +pining to meet the Ugly One-and it was quite certain that I +should not go out and hunt for him; but the matter was taken out +of my hands very quickly, as is often the way, and I did meet +Jubal the Ugly One face to face.<br> +</p> + +This is how it happened. I had led Dian back along the ledge the +way she had come, searching for a path that would lead us to the +top of the cliff, for I knew that we could then cross over to the +edge of my own little valley, where I felt certain we should find +a means of ingress from the cliff top. As we proceeded along the +ledge I gave Dian minute directions for finding my cave against +the chance of something happening to me. I knew that she would be +quite safely hidden away from pursuit once she gained the shelter +of my lair, and the valley would afford her ample means of +sustenance. <br> +<p>Also, I was very much piqued by her treatment of me. My heart +was sad and heavy, and I wanted to make her feel badly by +suggesting that something terrible might happen to me--that I +might, in fact, be killed. But it didn't work worth a cent, at +least as far as I could perceive. Dian simply shrugged those +magnificent shoulders of hers, and murmured something to the +effect that one was not rid of trouble so easily as that.<br> +</p> + +For a while I kept still. I was utterly squelched. And to think +that I had twice protected her from attack--the last time risking +my life to save hers. It was incredible that even a daughter of +the Stone Age could be so ungrateful--so heartless; but maybe her +heart partook of the qualities of her epoch. <br> +<p>Presently we found a rift in the cliff which had been widened +and extended by the action of the water draining through it from +the plateau above. It gave us a rather rough climb to the summit, +but finally we stood upon the level mesa which stretched back for +several miles to the mountain range. Behind us lay the broad +inland sea, curving upward in the horizonless distance to merge +into the blue of the sky, so that for all the world it looked as +though the sea lapped back to arch completely over us and +disappear beyond the distant mountains at our backs--the weird +and uncanny aspect of the seascapes of Pellucidar balk +description.<br> +</p> + +At our right lay a dense forest, but to the left the country was +open and clear to the plateau's farther verge. It was in this +direction that our way led, and we had turned to resume our +journey when Dian touched my arm. I turned to her, thinking that +she was about to make peace overtures; but I was mistaken. <br> +<p>"Jubal," she said, and nodded toward the forest.<br> +</p> + +I looked, and there, emerging from the dense wood, came a perfect +whale of a man. He must have been seven feet tall, and +proportioned accordingly. He still was too far off to distinguish +his features. <br> +<p>"Run," I said to Dian. "I can engage him until you get a good +start. Maybe I can hold him until you have gotten entirely away," +and then, without a backward glance, I advanced to meet the Ugly +One. I had hoped that Dian would have a kind word to say to me +before she went, for she must have known that I was going to my +death for her sake; but she never even so much as bid me +good-bye, and it was with a heavy heart that I strode through the +flower-bespangled grass to my doom.<br> +</p> + +When I had come close enough to Jubal to distinguish his features +I understood how it was that he had earned the sobriquet of Ugly +One. Apparently some fearful beast had ripped away one entire +side of his face. The eye was gone, the nose, and all the flesh, +so that his jaws and all his teeth were exposed and grinning +through the horrible scar. <br> +<p>Formerly he may have been as good to look upon as the others +of his handsome race, and it may be that the terrible result of +this encounter had tended to sour an already strong and brutal +character. However this may be it is quite certain that he was +not a pretty sight, and now that his features, or what remained +of them, were distorted in rage at the sight of Dian with another +male, he was indeed most terrible to see--and much more terrible +to meet.<br> +</p> + +He had broken into a run now, and as he advanced he raised his +mighty spear, while I halted and fitting an arrow to my bow took +as steady aim as I could. I was somewhat longer than usual, for I +must confess that the sight of this awful man had wrought upon my +nerves to such an extent that my knees were anything but steady. +What chance had I against this mighty warrior for whom even the +fiercest cave bear had no terrors! Could I hope to best one who +slaughtered the sadok and dyryth singlehanded! I shuddered; but, +in fairness to myself, my fear was more for Dian than for my own +fate. <br> +<p>And then the great brute launched his massive stone-tipped +spear, and I raised my shield to break the force of its terrific +velocity. The impact hurled me to my knees, but the shield had +deflected the missile and I was unscathed. Jubal was rushing upon +me now with the only remaining weapon that he carried--a +murderous-looking knife. He was too close for a careful bowshot, +but I let drive at him as he came, without taking aim. My arrow +pierced the fleshy part of his thigh, inflicting a painful but +not disabling wound. And then he was upon me.<br> +</p> + +My agility saved me for the instant. I ducked beneath his raised +arm, and when he wheeled to come at me again he found a sword's +point in his face. And a moment later he felt an inch or two of +it in the muscles of his knife arm, so that thereafter he went +more warily. <br> +<p>It was a duel of strategy now--the great, hairy man +maneuvering to get inside my guard where he could bring those +giant thews to play, while my wits were directed to the task of +keeping him at arm's length. Thrice he rushed me, and thrice I +caught his knife blow upon my shield. Each time my sword found +his body--once penetrating to his lung. He was covered with blood +by this time, and the internal hemorrhage induced paroxysms of +coughing that brought the red stream through the hideous mouth +and nose, covering his face and breast with bloody froth. He was +a most unlovely spectacle, but he was far from dead.<br> +</p> + +As the duel continued I began to gain confidence, for, to be +perfectly candid, I had not expected to survive the first rush of +that monstrous engine of ungoverned rage and hatred. And I think +that Jubal, from utter contempt of me, began to change to a +feeling of respect, and then in his primitive mind there +evidently loomed the thought that perhaps at last he had met his +master, and was facing his end. <br> +<p>At any rate it is only upon this hypothesis that I can account +for his next act, which was in the nature of a last resort--a +sort of forlorn hope, which could only have been born of the +belief that if he did not kill me quickly I should kill him. It +happened on the occasion of his fourth charge, when, instead of +striking at me with his knife, he dropped that weapon, and +seizing my sword blade in both his hands wrenched the weapon from +my grasp as easily as from a babe.<br> +</p> + +Flinging it far to one side he stood motionless for just an +instant glaring into my face with such a horrid leer of malignant +triumph as to almost unnerve me--then he sprang for me with his +bare hands. But it was Jubal's day to learn new methods of +warfare. For the first time he had seen a bow and arrows, never +before that duel had he beheld a sword, and now he learned what a +man who knows may do with his bare fists. <br> +<p>As he came for me, like a great bear, I ducked again beneath +his outstretched arm, and as I came up planted as clean a blow +upon his jaw as ever you have seen. Down went that great mountain +of flesh sprawling upon the ground. He was so surprised and dazed +that he lay there for several seconds before he made any attempt +to rise, and I stood over him with another dose ready when he +should gain his knees.<br> +</p> + +Up he came at last, almost roaring in his rage and mortification; +but he didn't stay up--I let him have a left fair on the point of +the jaw that sent him tumbling over on his back. By this time I +think Jubal had gone mad with hate, for no sane man would have +come back for more as many times as he did. Time after time I +bowled him over as fast as he could stagger up, until toward the +last he lay longer on the ground between blows, and each time +came up weaker than before. <br> +<p>He was bleeding very profusely now from the wound in his +lungs, and presently a terrific blow over the heart sent him +reeling heavily to the ground, where he lay very still, and +somehow I knew at once that Jubal the Ugly One would never get up +again. But even as I looked upon that massive body lying there so +grim and terrible in death, I could not believe that I, +single-handed, had bested this slayer of fearful beasts--this +gigantic ogre of the Stone Age.<br> +</p> + +Picking up my sword I leaned upon it, looking down on the dead +body of my foeman, and as I thought of the battle I had just +fought and won a great idea was born in my brain--the outcome of +this and the suggestion that Perry had made within the city of +Phutra. If skill and science could render a comparative pygmy the +master of this mighty brute, what could not the brute's fellows +accomplish with the same skill and science. Why all Pellucidar +would be at their feet--and I would be their king and Dian their +queen. <br> +<p>Dian! A little wave of doubt swept over me. It was quite +within the possibilities of Dian to look down upon me even were I +king. She was quite the most superior person I ever had met--with +the most convincing way of letting you know that she was +superior. Well, I could go to the cave, and tell her that I had +killed Jubal, and then she might feel more kindly toward me, +since I had freed her of her tormentor. I hoped that she had +found the cave easily--it would be terrible had I lost her again, +and I turned to gather up my shield and bow to hurry after her, +when to my astonishment I found her standing not ten paces behind +me.<br> +</p> + +"Girl!" I cried, "what are you doing here? I thought that you had +gone to the cave, as I told you to do." <br> +<p>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.<br> +</p> + +"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." <br> +<p>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.<br> +</p> + +"Let us go to my cave," I said, "I am tired and hungry." <br> +<p>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.<br> +</p> + +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. <br> +<p>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.<br> +</p> + +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! <br> +<p>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.<br> +</p> + +"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?" <br> +<p>She was not quite sure as to what I meant.<br> +</p> + +"It is probable," she said, "that they all will want revenge for +the death of Jubal--there are seven of them--seven terrible men. +Someone may have to kill them all, if I am to return to my +people." <br> +<p>It began to look as though I had assumed a contract much too +large for me--about seven sizes, in fact.<br> +</p> + +"Had Jubal any cousins?" I asked. It was just as well to know the +worst at once. <br> +<p>"Yes," replied Dian, "but they don't count--they all have +mates. Jubal's brothers have no mates because Jubal could get +none for himself. He was so ugly that women ran away from +him--some have even thrown themselves from the cliffs of Amoz +into the Darel Az rather than mate with the Ugly One."<br> +</p> + +"But what had that to do with his brothers?" I asked. <br> +<p>"I forget that you are not of Pellucidar," said Dian, with a +look of pity mixed with contempt, and the contempt seemed to be +laid on a little thicker than the circumstance warranted--as +though to make quite certain that I shouldn't overlook it. "You +see," she continued, "a younger brother may not take a mate until +all his older brothers have done so, unless the older brother +waives his prerogative, which Jubal would not do, knowing that as +long as he kept them single they would be all the keener in +aiding him to secure a mate."<br> +</p> + +Noticing that Dian was becoming more communicative I began to +entertain hopes that she might be warming up toward me a bit, +although upon what slender thread I hung my hopes I soon +discovered. <br> +<p>"As you dare not return to Amoz," I ventured, "what is to +become of you since you cannot be happy here with me, hating me +as you do?"<br> +</p> + +"I shall have to put up with you," she replied coldly, "until you +see fit to go elsewhere and leave me in peace, then I shall get +along very well alone." <br> +<p>I looked at her in utter amazement. It seemed incredible that +even a prehistoric woman could be so cold and heartless and +ungrateful. Then I arose.<br> +</p> + +"I shall leave you NOW," I said haughtily, "I have had quite +enough of your ingratitude and your insults," and then I turned +and strode majestically down toward the valley. I had taken a +hundred steps in absolute silence, and then Dian spoke. <br> +<p>"I hate you!" she shouted, and her voice broke--in rage, I +thought.<br> +</p> + +I was absolutely miserable, but I hadn't gone too far when I +began to realize that I couldn't leave her alone there without +protection, to hunt her own food amid the dangers of that savage +world. She might hate me, and revile me, and heap indignity after +indignity upon me, as she already had, until I should have hated +her; but the pitiful fact remained that I loved her, and I +couldn't leave her there alone. <br> +<p>The more I thought about it the madder I got, so that by the +time I reached the valley I was furious, and the result of it was +that I turned right around and went up that cliff again as fast +as I had come down. I saw that Dian had left the ledge and gone +within the cave, but I bolted right in after her. She was lying +upon her face on the pile of grasses I had gathered for her bed. +When she heard me enter she sprang to her feet like a +tigress.<br> +</p> + +"I hate you!" she cried. <br> +<p>Coming from the brilliant light of the noonday sun into the +semidarkness of the cave I could not see her features, and I was +rather glad, for I disliked to think of the hate that I should +have read there.<br> +</p> + +I never said a word to her at first. I just strode across the +cave and grasped her by the wrists, and when she struggled, I put +my arm around her so as to pinion her hands to her sides. She +fought like a tigress, but I took my free hand and pushed her +head back--I imagine that I had suddenly turned brute, that I had +gone back a thousand million years, and was again a veritable +cave man taking my mate by force--and then I kissed that +beautiful mouth again and again. <br> +<p>"Dian," I cried, shaking her roughly, "I love you. Can't you +understand that I love you? That I love you better than all else +in this world or my own? That I am going to have you? That love +like mine cannot be denied?"<br> +</p> + +I noticed that she lay very still in my arms now, and as my eyes +became accustomed to the light I saw that she was smiling--a very +contented, happy smile. I was thunderstruck. Then I realized +that, very gently, she was trying to disengage her arms, and I +loosened my grip upon them so that she could do so. Slowly they +came up and stole about my neck, and then she drew my lips down +to hers once more and held them there for a long time. At last +she spoke. <br> +<p>"Why didn't you do this at first, David? I have been waiting +so long."<br> +</p> + +"What!" I cried. "You said that you hated me!" <br> +<p>"Did you expect me to run into your arms, and say that I loved +you before I knew that you loved me?" she asked.<br> +</p> + +"But I have told you right along that I love you," I said. "Love +speaks in acts," she replied. "You could have made your mouth say +what you wished it to say, but just now when you came and took me +in your arms your heart spoke to mine in the language that a +woman's heart understands. What a silly man you are, David?" <br> +<p>"Then you haven't hated me at all, Dian?" I asked.<br> +</p> + +"I have loved you always," she whispered, "from the first moment +that I saw you, although I did not know it until that time you +struck down Hooja the Sly One, and then spurned me." <br> +<p>"But I didn't spurn you, dear," I cried. "I didn't know your +ways--I doubt if I do now. It seems incredible that you could +have reviled me so, and yet have cared for me all the time."<br> +</p> + +"You might have known," she said, "when I did not run away from +you that it was not hate which chained me to you. While you were +battling with Jubal, I could have run to the edge of the forest, +and when I learned the outcome of the combat it would have been a +simple thing to have eluded you and returned to my own people." +<br> +<p>"But Jubal's brothers--and cousins--" I reminded her, "how +about them?"<br> +</p> + +She smiled, and hid her face on my shoulder. <br> +<p>"I had to tell you SOMETHING, David," she whispered. "I must +needs have SOME excuse for remaining near you."<br> +</p> + +"You little sinner!" I exclaimed. "And you have caused me all +this anguish for nothing!" <br> +<p>"I have suffered even more," she answered simply, "for I +thought that you did not love me, and I was helpless. I couldn't +come to you and demand that my love be returned, as you have just +come to me. Just now when you went away hope went with you. I was +wretched, terrified, miserable, and my heart was breaking. I +wept, and I have not done that before since my mother died," and +now I saw that there was the moisture of tears about her eyes. It +was near to making me cry myself when I thought of all that poor +child had been through. Motherless and unprotected; hunted across +a savage, primeval world by that hideous brute of a man; exposed +to the attacks of the countless fearsome denizens of its +mountains, its plains, and its jungles--it was a miracle that she +had survived it all.<br> +</p> + +To me it was a revelation of the things my early forebears must +have endured that the human race of the outer crust might +survive. It made me very proud to think that I had won the love +of such a woman. Of course she couldn't read or write; there was +nothing cultured or refined about her as you judge culture and +refinement; but she was the essence of all that is best in woman, +for she was good, and brave, and noble, and virtuous. And she was +all these things in spite of the fact that their observance +entailed suffering and danger and possible death. <br> +<p>How much easier it would have been to have gone to Jubal in +the first place! She would have been his lawful mate. She would +have been queen in her own land--and it meant just as much to the +cave woman to be a queen in the Stone Age as it does to the woman +of today to be a queen now; it's all comparative glory any way +you look at it, and if there were only half-naked savages on the +outer crust today, you'd find that it would be considerable glory +to be the wife a Dahomey chief.<br> +</p> + +I couldn't help but compare Dian's action with that of a splendid +young woman I had known in New York--I mean splendid to look at +and to talk to. She had been head over heels in love with a chum +of mine--a clean, manly chap--but she had married a broken-down, +disreputable old debauchee because he was a count in some dinky +little European principality that was not even accorded a +distinctive color by Rand McNally. <br> +<p>Yes, I was mighty proud of Dian.<br> +</p> + +After a time we decided to set out for Sari, as I was anxious to +see Perry, and to know that all was right with him. I had told +Dian about our plan of emancipating the human race of Pellucidar, +and she was fairly wild over it. She said that if Dacor, her +brother, would only return he could easily be king of Amoz, and +that then he and Ghak could form an alliance. That would give us +a flying start, for the Sarians and the Amozites were both very +powerful tribes. Once they had been armed with swords, and bows +and arrows, and trained in their use we were confident that they +could overcome any tribe that seemed disinclined to join the +great army of federated states with which we were planning to +march upon the Mahars. <br> +<p>I explained the various destructive engines of war which Perry +and I could construct after a little experimentation--gunpowder, +rifles, cannon, and the like, and Dian would clap her hands, and +throw her arms about my neck, and tell me what a wonderful thing +I was. She was beginning to think that I was omnipotent although +I really hadn't done anything but talk--but that is the way with +women when they love. Perry used to say that if a fellow was +one-tenth as remarkable as his wife or mother thought him, he +would have the world by the tail with a down-hill drag.<br> +</p> + +The first time we started for Sari I stepped into a nest of +poisonous vipers before we reached the valley. A little fellow +stung me on the ankle, and Dian made me come back to the cave. +She said that I mustn't exercise, or it might prove fatal--if it +had been a full-grown snake that struck me she said, I wouldn't +have moved a single pace from the nest--I'd have died in my +tracks, so virulent is the poison. As it was I must have been +laid up for quite a while, though Dian's poultices of herbs and +leaves finally reduced the swelling and drew out the poison. <br> +<p>The episode proved most fortunate, however, as it gave me an +idea which added a thousand-fold to the value of my arrows as +missiles of offense and defense. As soon as I was able to be +about again, I sought out some adult vipers of the species which +had stung me, and having killed them, I extracted their virus, +smearing it upon the tips of several arrows. Later I shot a +hyaenodon with one of these, and though my arrow inflicted but a +superficial flesh wound the beast crumpled in death almost +immediately after he was hit.<br> +</p> + +We now set out once more for the land of the Sarians, and it was +with feelings of sincere regret that we bade good-bye to our +beautiful Garden of Eden, in the comparative peace and harmony of +which we had lived the happiest moments of our lives. How long we +had been there I did not know, for as I have told you, time had +ceased to exist for me beneath that eternal noonday sun--it may +have been an hour, or a month of earthly time; I do not know. +<br> +<p><br> +</p> + +<h1 id="ref_16">CHAPTER XV</h1> + +BACK TO EARTH <br> +<p>We crossed the river and passed through the mountains beyond, +and finally we came out upon a great level plain which stretched +away as far as the eye could reach. I cannot tell you in what +direction it stretched even if you would care to know, for all +the while that I was within Pellucidar I never discovered any but +local methods of indicating direction--there is no north, no +south, no east, no west. UP is about the only direction which is +well defined, and that, of course, is DOWN to you of the outer +crust. Since the sun neither rises nor sets there is no method of +indicating direction beyond visible objects such as high +mountains, forests, lakes, and seas.<br> +</p> + +The plain which lies beyond the white cliffs which flank the +Darel Az upon the shore nearest the Mountains of the Clouds is +about as near to any direction as any Pellucidarian can come. If +you happen not to have heard of the Darel Az, or the white +cliffs, or the Mountains of the Clouds you feel that there is +something lacking, and long for the good old understandable +northeast and southwest of the outer world. <br> +<p>We had barely entered the great plain when we discovered two +enormous animals approaching us from a great distance. So far +were they that we could not distinguish what manner of beasts +they might be, but as they came closer, I saw that they were +enormous quadrupeds, eighty or a hundred feet long, with tiny +heads perched at the top of very long necks. Their heads must +have been quite forty feet from the ground. The beasts moved very +slowly--that is their action was slow--but their strides covered +such a great distance that in reality they traveled considerably +faster than a man walks.<br> +</p> + +As they drew still nearer we discovered that upon the back of +each sat a human being. Then Dian knew what they were, though she +never before had seen one. <br> +<p>"They are lidis from the land of the Thorians," she cried. +"Thoria lies at the outer verge of the Land of Awful Shadow. The +Thorians alone of all the races of Pellucidar ride the lidi, for +nowhere else than beside the dark country are they found."<br> +</p> + +"What is the Land of Awful Shadow?" I asked. <br> +<p>"It is the land which lies beneath the Dead World," replied +Dian; "the Dead World which hangs forever between the sun and +Pellucidar above the Land of Awful Shadow. It is the Dead World +which makes the great shadow upon this portion of +Pellucidar."<br> +</p> + +I did not fully understand what she meant, nor am I sure that I +do yet, for I have never been to that part of Pellucidar from +which the Dead World is visible; but Perry says that it is the +moon of Pellucidar--a tiny planet within a planet--and that it +revolves around the earth's axis coincidently with the earth, and +thus is always above the same spot within Pellucidar. <br> +<p>I remember that Perry was very much excited when I told him +about this Dead World, for he seemed to think that it explained +the hitherto inexplicable phenomena of nutation and the +precession of the equinoxes.<br> +</p> + +When the two upon the lidis had come quite close to us we saw +that one was a man and the other a woman. The former had held up +his two hands, palms toward us, in sign of peace, and I had +answered him in kind, when he suddenly gave a cry of astonishment +and pleasure, and slipping from his enormous mount ran forward +toward Dian, throwing his arms about her. <br> +<p>In an instant I was white with jealousy, but only for an +instant; since Dian quickly drew the man toward me, telling him +that I was David, her mate.<br> +</p> + +"And this is my brother, Dacor the Strong One, David," she said +to me. <br> +<p>It appeared that the woman was Dacor's mate. He had found none +to his liking among the Sari, nor farther on until he had come to +the land of the Thoria, and there he had found and fought for +this very lovely Thorian maiden whom he was bringing back to his +own people.<br> +</p> + +When they had heard our story and our plans they decided to +accompany us to Sari, that Dacor and Ghak might come to an +agreement relative to an alliance, as Dacor was quite as +enthusiastic about the proposed annihilation of the Mahars and +Sagoths as either Dian or I. <br> +<p>After a journey which was, for Pellucidar, quite uneventful, +we came to the first of the Sarian villages which consists of +between one and two hundred artificial caves cut into the face of +a great cliff. Here to our immense delight, we found both Perry +and Ghak. The old man was quite overcome at sight of me for he +had long since given me up as dead.<br> +</p> + +When I introduced Dian as my wife, he didn't quite know what to +say, but he afterward remarked that with the pick of two worlds I +could not have done better. <br> +<p>Ghak and Dacor reached a very amicable arrangement, and it was +at a council of the head men of the various tribes of the Sari +that the eventual form of government was tentatively agreed upon. +Roughly, the various kingdoms were to remain virtually +independent, but there was to be one great overlord, or emperor. +It was decided that I should be the first of the dynasty of the +emperors of Pellucidar.<br> +</p> + +We set about teaching the women how to make bows and arrows, and +poison pouches. The young men hunted the vipers which provided +the virus, and it was they who mined the iron ore, and fashioned +the swords under Perry's direction. Rapidly the fever spread from +one tribe to another until representatives from nations so far +distant that the Sarians had never even heard of them came in to +take the oath of allegiance which we required, and to learn the +art of making the new weapons and using them. <br> +<p>We sent our young men out as instructors to every nation of +the federation, and the movement had reached colossal proportions +before the Mahars discovered it. The first intimation they had +was when three of their great slave caravans were annihilated in +rapid succession. They could not comprehend that the lower orders +had suddenly developed a power which rendered them really +formidable.<br> +</p> + +In one of the skirmishes with slave caravans some of our Sarians +took a number of Sagoth prisoners, and among them were two who +had been members of the guards within the building where we had +been confined at Phutra. They told us that the Mahars were +frantic with rage when they discovered what had taken place in +the cellars of the buildings. The Sagoths knew that something +very terrible had befallen their masters, but the Mahars had been +most careful to see that no inkling of the true nature of their +vital affliction reached beyond their own race. How long it would +take for the race to become extinct it was impossible even to +guess; but that this must eventually happen seemed inevitable. +<br> +<p>The Mahars had offered fabulous rewards for the capture of any +one of us alive, and at the same time had threatened to inflict +the direst punishment upon whomever should harm us. The Sagoths +could not understand these seemingly paradoxical instructions, +though their purpose was quite evident to me. The Mahars wanted +the Great Secret, and they knew that we alone could deliver it to +them.<br> +</p> + +Perry's experiments in the manufacture of gunpowder and the +fashioning of rifles had not progressed as rapidly as we had +hoped--there was a whole lot about these two arts which Perry +didn't know. We were both assured that the solution of these +problems would advance the cause of civilization within +Pellucidar thousands of years at a single stroke. Then there were +various other arts and sciences which we wished to introduce, but +our combined knowledge of them did not embrace the mechanical +details which alone could render them of commercial, or practical +value. <br> +<p>"David," said Perry, immediately after his latest failure to +produce gunpowder that would even burn, "one of us must return to +the outer world and bring back the information we lack. Here we +have all the labor and materials for reproducing anything that +ever has been produced above--what we lack is knowledge. Let us +go back and get that knowledge in the shape of books--then this +world will indeed be at our feet."<br> +</p> + +And so it was decided that I should return in the prospector, +which still lay upon the edge of the forest at the point where we +had first penetrated to the surface of the inner world. Dian +would not listen to any arrangement for my going which did not +include her, and I was not sorry that she wished to accompany me, +for I wanted her to see my world, and I wanted my world to see +her. <br> +<p>With a large force of men we marched to the great iron mole, +which Perry soon had hoisted into position with its nose pointed +back toward the outer crust. He went over all the machinery +carefully. He replenished the air tanks, and manufactured oil for +the engine. At last everything was ready, and we were about to +set out when our pickets, a long, thin line of which had +surrounded our camp at all times, reported that a great body of +what appeared to be Sagoths and Mahars were approaching from the +direction of Phutra.<br> +</p> + +Dian and I were ready to embark, but I was anxious to witness the +first clash between two fair-sized armies of the opposing races +of Pellucidar. I realized that this was to mark the historic +beginning of a mighty struggle for possession of a world, and as +the first emperor of Pellucidar I felt that it was not alone my +duty, but my right, to be in the thick of that momentous +struggle. <br> +<p>As the opposing army approached we saw that there were many +Mahars with the Sagoth troops--an indication of the vast +importance which the dominant race placed upon the outcome of +this campaign, for it was not customary with them to take active +part in the sorties which their creatures made for slaves--the +only form of warfare which they waged upon the lower orders.<br> +</p> + +Ghak and Dacor were both with us, having come primarily to view +the prospector. I placed Ghak with some of his Sarians on the +right of our battle line. Dacor took the left, while I commanded +the center. Behind us I stationed a sufficient reserve under one +of Ghak's head men. The Sagoths advanced steadily with menacing +spears, and I let them come until they were within easy bowshot +before I gave the word to fire. <br> +<p>At the first volley of poison-tipped arrows the front ranks of +the gorilla-men crumpled to the ground; but those behind charged +over the prostrate forms of their comrades in a wild, mad rush to +be upon us with their spears. A second volley stopped them for an +instant, and then my reserve sprang through the openings in the +firing line to engage them with sword and shield. The clumsy +spears of the Sagoths were no match for the swords of the Sarian +and Amozite, who turned the spear thrusts aside with their +shields and leaped to close quarters with their lighter, handier +weapons.<br> +</p> + +Ghak took his archers along the enemy's flank, and while the +swordsmen engaged them in front, he poured volley after volley +into their unprotected left. The Mahars did little real fighting, +and were more in the way than otherwise, though occasionally one +of them would fasten its powerful jaw upon the arm or leg of a +Sarian. <br> +<p>The battle did not last a great while, for when Dacor and I +led our men in upon the Sagoth's right with naked swords they +were already so demoralized that they turned and fled before us. +We pursued them for some time, taking many prisoners and +recovering nearly a hundred slaves, among whom was Hooja the Sly +One.<br> +</p> + +He told me that he had been captured while on his way to his own +land; but that his life had been spared in hope that through him +the Mahars would learn the whereabouts of their Great Secret. +Ghak and I were inclined to think that the Sly One had been +guiding this expedition to the land of Sari, where he thought +that the book might be found in Perry's possession; but we had no +proof of this and so we took him in and treated him as one of us, +although none liked him. And how he rewarded my generosity you +will presently learn. <br> +<p>There were a number of Mahars among our prisoners, and so +fearful were our own people of them that they would not approach +them unless completely covered from the sight of the reptiles by +a piece of skin. Even Dian shared the popular superstition +regarding the evil effects of exposure to the eyes of angry +Mahars, and though I laughed at her fears I was willing enough to +humor them if it would relieve her apprehension in any degree, +and so she sat apart from the prospector, near which the Mahars +had been chained, while Perry and I again inspected every portion +of the mechanism.<br> +</p> + +At last I took my place in the driving seat, and called to one of +the men without to fetch Dian. It happened that Hooja stood quite +close to the doorway of the prospector, so that it was he who, +without my knowledge, went to bring her; but how he succeeded in +accomplishing the fiendish thing he did, I cannot guess, unless +there were others in the plot to aid him. Nor can I believe that, +since all my people were loyal to me and would have made short +work of Hooja had he suggested the heartless scheme, even had he +had time to acquaint another with it. It was all done so quickly +that I may only believe that it was the result of sudden impulse, +aided by a number of, to Hooja, fortuitous circumstances +occurring at precisely the right moment. <br> +<p>All I know is that it was Hooja who brought Dian to the +prospector, still wrapped from head to toe in the skin of an +enormous cave lion which covered her since the Mahar prisoners +had been brought into camp. He deposited his burden in the seat +beside me. I was all ready to get under way. The good-byes had +been said. Perry had grasped my hand in the last, long farewell. +I closed and barred the outer and inner doors, took my seat again +at the driving mechanism, and pulled the starting lever.<br> +</p> + +As before on that far-gone night that had witnessed our first +trial of the iron monster, there was a frightful roaring beneath +us--the giant frame trembled and vibrated-there was a rush of +sound as the loose earth passed up through the hollow space +between the inner and outer jackets to be deposited in our wake. +Once more the thing was off. <br> +<p>But on the instant of departure I was nearly thrown from my +seat by the sudden lurching of the prospector. At first I did not +realize what had happened, but presently it dawned upon me that +just before entering the crust the towering body had fallen +through its supporting scaffolding, and that instead of entering +the ground vertically we were plunging into it at a different +angle. Where it would bring us out upon the upper crust I could +not even conjecture. And then I turned to note the effect of this +strange experience upon Dian. She still sat shrouded in the great +skin.<br> +</p> + +"Come, come," I cried, laughing, "come out of your shell. No +Mahar eyes can reach you here," and I leaned over and snatched +the lion skin from her. And then I shrank back upon my seat in +utter horror. <br> +<p>The thing beneath the skin was not Dian--it was a hideous +Mahar. Instantly I realized the trick that Hooja had played upon +me, and the purpose of it. Rid of me, forever as he doubtless +thought, Dian would be at his mercy. Frantically I tore at the +steering wheel in an effort to turn the prospector back toward +Pellucidar; but, as on that other occasion, I could not budge the +thing a hair.<br> +</p> + +It is needless to recount the horrors or the monotony of that +journey. It varied but little from the former one which had +brought us from the outer to the inner world. Because of the +angle at which we had entered the ground the trip required nearly +a day longer, and brought me out here upon the sand of the Sahara +instead of in the United States as I had hoped. <br> +<p>For months I have been waiting here for a white man to come. I +dared not leave the prospector for fear I should never be able to +find it again--the shifting sands of the desert would soon cover +it, and then my only hope of returning to my Dian and her +Pellucidar would be gone forever.<br> +</p> + +That I ever shall see her again seems but remotely possible, for +how may I know upon what part of Pellucidar my return journey may +terminate--and how, without a north or south or an east or a west +may I hope ever to find my way across that vast world to the tiny +spot where my lost love lies grieving for me? <br> +<p>That is the story as David Innes told it to me in the +goat-skin tent upon the rim of the great Sahara Desert. The next +day he took me out to see the prospector--it was precisely as he +had described it. So huge was it that it could have been brought +to this inaccessible part of the world by no means of +transportation that existed there--it could only have come in the +way that David Innes said it came--up through the crust of the +earth from the inner world of Pellucidar.<br> +</p> + +I spent a week with him, and then, abandoned my lion hunt, +returned directly to the coast and hurried to London where I +purchased a great quantity of stuff which he wished to take back +to Pellucidar with him. There were books, rifles, revolvers, +ammunition, cameras, chemicals, telephones, telegraph +instruments, wire, tool and more books--books upon every subject +under the sun. He said he wanted a library with which they could +reproduce the wonders of the twentieth century in the Stone Age +and if quantity counts for anything I got it for him. <br> +<p>I took the things back to Algeria myself, and accompanied them +to the end of the railroad; but from here I was recalled to +America upon important business. However, I was able to employ a +very trustworthy man to take charge of the caravan--the same +guide, in fact, who had accompanied me on the previous trip into +the Sahara--and after writing a long letter to Innes in which I +gave him my American address, I saw the expedition head +south.<br> +</p> + +Among the other things which I sent to Innes was over five +hundred miles of double, insulated wire of a very fine gauge. I +had it packed on a special reel at his suggestion, as it was his +idea that he could fasten one end here before he left and by +paying it out through the end of the prospector lay a telegraph +line between the outer and inner worlds. In my letter I told him +to be sure to mark the terminus of the line very plainly with a +high cairn, in case I was not able to reach him before he set +out, so that I might easily find and communicate with him should +he be so fortunate as to reach Pellucidar. <br> +<p>I received several letters from him after I returned to +America--in fact he took advantage of every northward-passing +caravan to drop me word of some sort. His last letter was written +the day before he intended to depart. Here it is.<br> +</p> + +My Dear Friend: <br> +<p>Tomorrow I shall set out in quest of Pellucidar and Dian. That +is if the Arabs don't get me. They have been very nasty of late. +I don't know the cause, but on two occasions they have threatened +my life. One, more friendly than the rest, told me today that +they intended attacking me tonight. It would be unfortunate +should anything of that sort happen now that I am so nearly ready +to depart.<br> +</p> + +However, maybe I will be as well off, for the nearer the hour +approaches, the slenderer my chances for success appear. <br> +<p>Here is the friendly Arab who is to take this letter north for +me, so good-bye, and God bless you for your kindness to me.<br> +</p> + +The Arab tells me to hurry, for he sees a cloud of sand to the +south--he thinks it is the party coming to murder me, and he +doesn't want to be found with me. So goodbye again. <br> +<p>Yours,<br> +</p> + +David Innes. <br> +<p>A year later found me at the end of the railroad once more, +headed for the spot where I had left Innes. My first +disappointment was when I discovered that my old guide had died +within a few weeks of my return, nor could I find any member of +my former party who could lead me to the same spot.<br> +</p> + +For months I searched that scorching land, interviewing countless +desert sheiks in the hope that at last I might find one who had +heard of Innes and his wonderful iron mole. Constantly my eyes +scanned the blinding waste of sand for the ricky cairn beneath +which I was to find the wires leading to Pellucidar--but always +was I unsuccessful. <br> +<p>And always do these awful questions harass me when I think of +David Innes and his strange adventures.<br> +</p> + +Did the Arabs murder him, after all, just on the eve of his +departure? Or, did he again turn the nose of his iron monster +toward the inner world? Did he reach it, or lies he somewhere +buried in the heart of the great crust? And if he did come again +to Pellucidar was it to break through into the bottom of one of +her great island seas, or among some savage race far, far from +the land of his heart's desire? <br> +<p>Does the answer lie somewhere upon the bosom of the broad +Sahara, at the end of two tiny wires, hidden beneath a lost +cairn? I wonder.<br> +</p> + +[End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of At the Earth's Core] <br> +</body> +</html> + |