Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-07

Phutra-a vast river that empties into the
sea there"
The speaker pointed toward the north
east
1T is wide and smooth and slow running
almost TO the land of Sari." he added.
And where is Dian the Beautiful One
now?" asked.
had released my prisoner soon as
found that he was Hooja's enemy and now
the pair of us were sauatting beside the
boulder while he told his story.
"She returned to the cave where she had
been imprisoned" he replied, "and is await
ing me there"
There is no danger that Hooja will come
while you are away?"
"Hooja is upon the Island of Trees" he
replied.
Can you direct me to the cave 80 that
/ can find it alone?" / asked.
He said he could, and in the strange
| yet explicit fashion of the Pelucidarians
| he explained minutely how ! might reach
| the cave where he had been imprisoned
| and through the hole in its wall reach
| Dian.
l thought it best for but one of us to
return, since two could accomplish but
| little more than one and would double the
risk or discovery. In the meantime he
| could make his way to the sea and guard
| the boat, which told him lay there at the
| foot of the cliff,
| / told him to await us at the cfftop,
| and if Dian came alone to do his best to
| get away with her and take her to Sari,
| as thought it quite possible that. in case
| Of detection and pursuit, 1t might be neces-
| sary for me to hold off Hoojas people
| while Dian made her way alone to where
| my new friend was TO await her. / i'm
pressed upon him the fact that he might
| have to resort to trickery even to force
| to get Dian to leave me; but l made him
promise that he would sacrifice everything
even his life, in an attempt to rescue Da-
| cor's sister.
| Then we parted-he to take up his posi-
| ton where he could watch the boat and
| await Dian, l to crawl cautiously on toward
| the caves. had no difficulty in following
| the directions given me by Juag, the name
| by which Dacor's friend said he was called.
! There was the leaning tree. my first point
| he told me to look for after rounding the
| boulder where we had met. After that |
| crawled TO the balanced rock, huge boul-
| der resting upon a tiny base no larger than
! the palm of your nand.
From here | had my first view of the
village of caves. A low bluff ran diago-
naly across one end OF the mesa and in
| the face of this bluff were the mouths of
many caves Zgzag trails led up TO them
and narrow ledges scooped from the face
/ of the soft rock connected those upon the
same level.
The cave in VIII IN Juag had been con.
fined was at the extreme end of the cliff
| nearest me. BY taking advantage of the
| bluff itself, could approach within n few
| feet of the aperture without being visible
| from any other cave. There were few peo-
| pie about at the time most of these were
| congregated at the foot of the far end of
in excited conversttlof that ! felt but lit
tie fear of detectenE However. I exercised
the greatest care III approaching the cliff
After watching for q while until caught
an instant when every head was turned
away from me, + darted, rabbitlike, into
| the cave.
Like many of the man-made caves of
| Pellucidar. this one consisted of three
| chambers, one behind another, and all unht
| except for what sunlight filtered in through
the external opening. The result was grad
ually increasing darkness as one passed
into each succeeding chamber.
In the last of the three I could lust die.
tnguish objects and that was all AS |
was cropping around the walls for the hole
that should lead into the cave where Dian
was imprisoned, l heard a mans voice
quite close to me.
The speaker had evidently but inst en-.
tered, for he spoke In loud tone, demand.
ing the whereabouts of one whom he had
| come in search of.
Where are you, woman" he cried
"Hooja has sent for you"
And then woman's voice answered him
And what does Hooja want of me?"
The voice was dams | groped In th,
direction of the sounds feeling for tn,
hole.
HE wishes you brought to the Islant
of Trees" replied the man; "for he Is read,
to take you as his mate"
II win not CO." said Dian. II will di,
hrst"
II am sent TO bring you, and bring vol
shall" "a
could hear him crossing Ahe cav,
toward her.
Franticaly ] clawed the wall OF tn,
cave in which | was IN an effort TO fna
the elusive aperture that would lead ne 4
| ptan's side. N q. z \. x. 81 Z, (. b