Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-24
PROLOGUE

sirnost perfected Tor a return to my old |
s.srnnIng grounds in northern Africa, where |
~ other days I had had excellent sport in |
sursut of the king of beasts.
The date Of my departure had been set {:
,uos IN leave in two weeks. No schoolboy
sountng the tagging hours that must pass
,Ssfpre the beginning of Tong vacation" re-
,rsxed him to the delirious joys of the sum-
3sssr camp could have been filled with
Srsater impatience or keener anticipation.
Ana then came a letter that started me
~ Africa twelve days ahead Of my sched-
uls
VI 'nstan am I in receipt Of letters from
.tranrers who have found something in a
storv of mine to commend or to condemn.
Nv interest in this department OF my cor
s.snondence is ever fresh. I opened this
rsrticular letter with all the zest of pleas
rw.sbe anticipation with which had opened
"a many others. The postmark,
"ALG1ERs"
s.A aroused my interest and curiosity, espe-
s,sI,v at this time, since 1t was Algiers
that was presently to witness the termina-
tion Of my coming sea voyage in search
of sport and adventure.
1. .omnleted lions and lion hunting had fled
NV thoughts, and I was In state OF ex-
:, Nlfen,ent bordering upon frenzy.
tt Well, read 1t yourself. and see II
vou. too, do not find food for frantic con-
, lecture, for tantalizing doubts, and tor
great hope.
aEdsar Rice Burroughs, Esq,
"Oal Park, Ill.
~Dear sir-I think that have run across
scs az the most remarkable condolences In
Z ~aasrn literature But let me start at the
beginning: ,o,,
ma face of the earth. have no trade--nor
any other occupation.
&1,aa
n ts,ne remoter ancestor-a lust to roam
~ have combined the two and invested tnem
X carefully and without extravagance.
'For the past year have been purchas.
ing adventure in North Africa. oeVerai
months ago I came upon some pack num-
\, hers Of the EVENING LEDGER in the read
ing room of club here In Algiers
NI became interested in your STORY Az
the Earths Core not so much because o,
the probability Of the tale as of great ana
abiding wonder that people should be paio
zeal money for writing such tmpossipie
trash. You will pardon my candor, put II
is necessary that you understand my men,
tal attitude toward this particular story
that you may credit that when ioliows'
re "Shortly thereafter I started Tor the ID,
nara in search of rather rare species OIL
antelope that is to be found only OCCASION
~ aIlv within a limited area at certain sea-
son of the year. My chase led me rar iroi'i
the haunts of civilized man. l.,
q N far as antelope is concerned put oi'e
nIoht as Law counting sleep at the edee U.
4 little cluster Of date palms that surroun, sur ,s
An ancient we'll in the midst or the ai,u
shifting sands, I suddenly peca,ne ava rontiv
y scious of strange sound coming appo'e"N''
from the earth beneath my head.
ar was an intermittent ticking
sft "No reptile or insect with which l am am
familiar reproduces any such notes 10y
for an notwithstanding intentiy.
0ctf
~. arose, lighted my lamp and COM
nenced to investigate ...,,,.a
'My bedding lay upon rug stretcneu
directly upon the warm sand Ihe ho,se .,s =
appeared to be coming from beneatn ue nc
rug. I raised it, and found notnlhs-ye' a.
intervals, the sound continued.
s "I dug into the sand with the point OF my
hunting knife. A few inches below tne
surface of the sand encountered sono
mbstance that had the feel of WOOD De-
meath the sharp steel.
"Excayating about it, unearthed small
wooden box. From this receptacle ISSUED
the strange sound that had hearo.
"How did it come hereT
"What did 1t contain?
"In attempting to lift it from its buryine
place 1 discovered that it seemed 10 Do heie
fast by means of very small lnsulatee
y cable running farther into the e""u w
meath It, ..,,,
"My first impulse was to drag the thlnt
loose by main strength but, fortunately.
thought better of this and fell to examinlhi
the box. I soon saw that 1t was covere. '
by q hinged lid, which was heid cioseo W
q simple screw-hook and eye. ,
TT took but a moment to loosen tnI
and raise the cover, when, to my utter as
itonishment, I discovered an Ordinary .e'e
graph instrument clicking away WITHIN;
"'What in the world thought l. 40 '"'
thing doing here"
"That It was a French military instru
ment was my first guess; but reaiiy 'neI
didn't seem much likelihood that this wa
the correct explanation, when one tooh nv '
account the loneliness and remoteness
ethe spot.
"As I sat gazing at my remarkable find
which was ticking and clicking away ther
IN the silence of the desert night tryhs .
convey some message which was uiaoi ,
to interpret my eyes fell upon DIT =
\ paper lying in the bottom of the box pesld
the instrument 1 picked it up and es
I amined it. Upon it were written but wv
letters:
'They meant nothing to me then wa
hafied.
"once, in an interval Of silence upon tn
part of the receiving instrument, l move
y the sending-key UP and down Few time
Instantly the receiving mechanism eo''
4 menced to work frantically.
II tried to recall something OF the MOT ,sa.
N
4 Aiboy--but time had obliterated 1t from m
memory. became almost frantic as II
/ my Imagination run riot among the pos
abilities for which this clicking instruihei
might stand.
"Some poor devil at the unknown oth'
end might be in dire need Of succor. ~
very frantcness OF the instruments WI
Flashing betokened something OF the KIN
sand there sat I, powerless to interpre
and so powerless to help!
MN 1T was then that the inspiration came
me In flash there leaped to my miI
The closing paragraphs Of the story hs
read In the club at Algiers
Does the answer lie somewhere up'
<4 the bosom of the broad Sahara. at the EN-
OF two tiny wires, hidden beneath 10
cairn?
The idea seemed preposterous. EXP
rence and intelligence combined TO assn
me that there could be no slightest gra
o. truth or possibility in your Wild tale
was fiction pure and simple.