Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-08
AT THE EARTHS CORE
BY EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS ALuAoR oErApzAAn

and reach you with ease anywhere below
where I stand"
Well. ia should know his own business
/ thought, and so 1 grasped the spear and
| cambered UP toward the red man as ran.
| idly as / could-being so far removed
| from my simian ancestors as I am.
! imagined the slow-witted sithic as Ia
! called him. suddenly realized our inteu-
| tions and that he was quite likely to lose
all his meal instead of having 1t doubled
as he had hoped.
When he saw me camberinE 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 Jas hand. when
l felt sudden wrench from below and.
glanclng fearfully downward, saw the
mighty jaws of the monster close on
the sharp point of the weapon
l made frantic effort to reach Jas
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 1t, | plunged feet fore
most toward my ravenous executioner.
AT the instant that he felt the spear
come away from Jas hand the creature
me. for when I came down, still clnging
to the butt-end of the weapon the point
yet rested in his mouth and the result
was that the sharp end transfxed his
lower jaw.
with the pain he snapped his mouth
closed. l fell upon his snout lost my
hold upon the spear rolled the length
of his face and head across his short
neck on to his broad back and from there
to the ground.
Scarce had touched the earth than
was upon my feet, dashing mGdly for the
path by which had entered this horrible
valley
A glance over my shoulder showed
me the sithic engaged in paving at the
spear stuck through his lower jaw, and
so busily engaged did he remain in this
occupation that 1 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 Kissing, into
the rank vegetation Of the swamp, and
that was the last I saw of him.
l fastened to the cliff edge above .Ja
and helped him to secure footing lie
would not listen to any thanks for his
attempt to save me, which had come so
near miscarrylng.
lliu BlNtH SOu UP LOT lOSl Wnen you
tumbed into the Mahar temple" he said.
"for not even l could save you from their
clutches. You may imagine my surprise
when on seeing canoe dragged up upon
the beach of the mainland / discovered
your own footprints in the sand beside it.
81 Immediately set out in search of you.
knowing, as / did, that you must be en-
trely unarmed and defenseless against the
many dangers which lurlt upon the main
land both in the form of savage hen ats
and reptiles, and men as well. l had no
difficulty in tracking you to this point. It
Is well that l arrived when l did"
But why did you do it?" | asked, puz-
zled Mt this show of friendship on the part
of a man Of another world and Il different
race and color.
You saved my life" he replied
"From that moment it became my duty to
protect and befriend you. l would have
been no true Mezop had l cvaded my plain
duty; but it was a pleasure in this in
stance. for like you