Pellucidar

well enough upon a park lagoon if safely anchored, but upo

ed she drifted terribly, as a nautical man might have guessed she would. We

til it became evident that we should have to pass between the two right-

their beauty. When we were directly between two of th

ost to the water's edge and the vivid colors of the blo

ceful beauty of the scene when a canoe shot out from the nearest island. Ther

ntentions of the strangers, but

convinced him that any speed of which the Sari was capable would be far

riends of the Mezops, and that we were upon a visit to Ja of Anoroc, to which they replied that they were

in derision and paddled swiftly toward us. It was evident that they were considerably impressed by th

ht the imperial battle-squadron of the Emperor of Pellucidar into action for the first time i

knees, threw his paddle aloft, stiffened into ri

e corpse of their comrade. To them it must have seemed a miracle that I should be able to stand at thrice the range of the

wonder. Then, with savage shouts, they fell once

shot a warrior sank to the bottom

it contained only dead and dying men. The other two dugouts

ild, naked, red warriors-for when the first man fell in the second boat

oined in the conference. Taking advantage of the lull in the

them who I was and added that if they would live in

erated Kingdoms of Pellucidar, and that single-handed he has overcome you, just as he intends overcoming the

yet that they were loath to give up without further contesting my claim to naval supremacy was also

ich had not decreased her snail-like speed during this,

his head up through th

parted?" he asked. "Hav

to kill have depart

ne canoe floating a short distance astern with its grim and gri

occasion. It is a great day in the annals o

the enemy thrice its own size, manned by

"we," yet I was glad to share the rejoicing with him as I shal

was not created for fighting; but I think that if the occasion should ever arise

sure afforded we took turns working on our map, and by means of the compass and a little

nt of a world had taken place. In a note-book we jotted down, as ha

ails of the island that I could never find my way inland to the hidden tree-village of the Mezop chieftain, Ja;

copper-colored warriors appeared upon the shore. They watched us for a m

d their eyes toward our strange craft. It was evident that they were greatly puzzled by our appearance as well as unable t

Ja?" he asked. "What w

ell Ja that David, whose life he once saved

will come ashore. We cannot bri

them entered a canoe that several dragged from its hi

e canoe we had left astern after the battle and the survivors who were paddling rapidly toward their shore were the first he ever had s

elative to Ja they explained that he had not been in the village when our signals were heard, but t

e enough to recognize me. He said that Ja would be delighted to welcome me, and that all the tribe of Anoroc knew of me by repute, and ha

hile we stood conversing with our bronze friend

lighted with pleasure. He came quickly forw

giant as completely as had I. Ja conducted us along the maze-like trail to his

hich resembled nothing so much as a huge wasp's nest

story, which included a narrative of the events leading to the formation of the federated kingdoms, the battl

to send a party of warriors toward Sari to investigate the reports, and to arrange for the entrance of Anoroc into the empire in

s and the Mezops for many generations, they camped with these warriors of the reptiles, fro

much interested. The location of Anoroc, the Mountains of the Clou

ra, where one of the powerful Mahar nations had its seat. He likewise showed us where Sar

might be reached by water more easily than by the arduous crossing of the mountains or the dangerous a

thwest of Greenwich-an assumption which, by the way, we found later to be true. Also,

-ocean. As Ja had never been so far and knew only of Amoz through hearsay, we thought that he must be mistaken; b

mark in the past. You may take one of them to the uttermost ends of his world, to places of which he has never even heard, yet

e around, but never once does his sense of dir

ny place to which they have ever been, and know that of many o

untry contiguous thereto. It always proved of the greatest aid to Perry and me; nevertheless

he prospector with a strong party of Mezops and fetch the freight I had brought from the outer world. J

dea to start these naturally maritime people upon the construction of a well built navy of staunch sailing-ves

t dreadnoughts and armored cruisers for a while and build instead

e the rehabilitation of the federation. Perry was going as far as possible by water, with

the Clouds we took a route that passed a little way south of Phutra. We had eaten four times and slept once, and were, as m

derable suspicion. My friends told them that I was a stranger from a remote country, and as we had previously planned against such a contingen

pression that betokened partial recognition. I was sure that he had seen me before durin

tremely thankful when we bade them a

he sensation of being watched by unseen eyes, but I did not speak of my s

is how it

m if ever to require sleep, joined me in this instance, for we had had a very trying march along the northern fo

Sagoths astride me. They pinioned my arms and legs, and la

ay dead where they had slept, javelined

he heard me speak the hybrid language that is the medium of communication between his kin

ecause they did not know what they were; but my heavy rifle

that they had not sufficient interest in this

did not need much of an imagination to picture what my fate would be. It was the arena

ould be subjected to cruel vivisection. From what I had once seen of their methods in the pits of Phutra I knew

ahar. When the creature had received the report of the Sagoth its cold ey

before seen evinced by a member of the dominant race of Pellucidar, the Mahar hustled me a

a great hall where prese

ry nerves. Their method of communication Perry has likened to the projection of a sixth sen

the subject of discussion, and from the hateful look

must have been a very long time. Finally one of the Sagoths

r life," he said, "and rel

tion?" I asked, though

ole from the pits of Phutra when you kille

ret upon which depended the continuance of the Mah

en me much more than my liberty to have it saf

keep thei

to overrun the world of Pellucidar that there could be no hope for the eventual supremacy of the human race, the caus

be a very little thing to give could it save to the human race of Pellucidar the chance

Sagoths. "The mighty M

ed, "that I shall not tell them

at they were about to fall upon me on the spot, and so I laid my hands upon my revolvers; but at length they became more quiet and presently trans

vivisection laboratory, and it required all my courage to fortify myself against the terrors of

self against an endless doom,