Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-29

plcloh MY friends told them that ! was a
stranger from a remote country. and as
we had previously planned against such a
contingency | pretended ignorance of the
language which the human beings of Pei
lucidar employ in conversing with the
gorla-like soldiery of the Mahars
| noticed, and not without mlsgivings,
that the leader of the Sagoths eyed me with
an expression that betokened partial recoe-
milton. | was sure that he had seen me
before during the period of my incarcer-
alton in Phutra and that he was trying to
recall my identity
1t worried me not IA little. | was ex-
tremely thankful when we bade them adieu
and continued upon our journey.
Several times during the next few
marches ] became acutey conscious of the
sensation of being watched by unseen eyes
but ! did not speak of my suspicious TO
my companions. Later | had reason to re-
eret my reticence, for
Well this is how it happened:
we mad Killed an antelope and afte.
eating our fill | had laid down to sleep The
Pelucidarians, who seem seldom if ever
TO require sleep. joined me in this instance
for we had had a very trying march along
the northern foothills of the Mountains of
the Clouds, and now with their bellies
hlled with meat they seemed ready to
slumber
When ! awoke it was with start to find
n couple of huge Sagoths asrde me- They
chained my wrists behind my back Then
they let me up.
saw my companions; the brave fell
lows lay dead where they had slept. jaw
elined to death without a chance at self
defense.
| was furious. | threatened the Sagoth
leader with all sorts of dire reprisals; but
when he heard me speak the hybrid lam
guage that is the medium of communica ton
between his kind and the human race of the
inner world he only grinned, as much as to
say. Il thought So"
They had not taken my revolvers or
ammunition away from me because they did
not know what they were but my heavy
rifle ! had lost. They simply left it where
it had lain beside me-
SO low in the scale of intelligence are
they that they had not sufficient interest
in this strange object even to fetch it along
with them.
| knew from the direction of our march
that they were taking me to Phutra. once
there | did not need much of an imagna-
tion to picture what my fate would be. II
was the arena and wild thag or fierce
tarag for me-unless the Mahars elected
to take me to the pits.
In that case my end would be no more
certain though infinitely more horrible and
painful, for in the pits | should be subject
to cruel vivseCtiOn. From what had once
seen of their methods in the pits of Phutra
] knew them TO be the opposite of merc-
full whereas in the arena | should be
quickly dispatched by some savage beast.
Arrived at the underground city. / was
taken Immediately before "A Shiny AIahar
When the creature had received the report
of the Sagoth its cold eyes glistened with
malice and hatred they were turned
balefully upon me.
| knew then that my identity had been
guessed With show of excitement that 7
had never before seen evinced by a member
Of ha dominant ppllnri61r ha
Mahar hustled me away, heavily guarded,
through the main avenue of the city to one
of the principal buildings.
Here we were ushered into a great hall
where presently many Mahars gathered.
In utter silence they Conversed, for they
have no oral speech, since they are without
auditory nerves. Their method of COM
munication Perry has likened to the pro-
lection of sixth sense into fourth |
dimension where it becomes cognzabe |
to the sixth sense of their audience.
Be that as il may, however, it was evil |
dent that | was the subject of discussion
and from the hateful looks bestowed upon
me not a particularly pleasant subject,
How long | waited for the eir decision |
do not know, but it must have been "A very |
long time. Finally one Of the Sagoths ad- |
dressed me. lie was acting as interpreter
for his masters.
THE Mahars will spare your life.' he
said, "and release you Oh one condition"
And what rs mat condltlOn| ! asked |
though | could guess its terms,
That you return to them that which !
YOU stole from the pits of Phutra when
you killed the four Mahars and escaped"
he replied.
I had thought that that would be it, The |
great secret upon which depended the con-
tinuance of the Nahar race was safely hid |
where only Dian and knew.
| ventured TO imagine that they would |
have given me much more than my liberty |
10 have II safely in their keeping again |
but after that-what?
Would they keep their promises?
doubted il. And with the secret of |
artificial propagation once more in their |
hands their numbers would soon be made
there could be no hope for the eventual |
supremacy of the human race, the cause |
for which | so devouty hoped, for which |
| had consecrated my life. and for which | |
was now willing TO give my life.
Yes In that moment as | stood before |
the heartless tribunal | felt that my life |
would be a very little thing to give could |
II save TO the human race of Pelucdar the |
chance to come into it's own by insuring |
the eventual extinction of the hated, power |
ful Mahars.
Come! !" exclaimed the Sagoth The |
mighty Mahars await your reply"
"You may say to them" l answered, |
that shall not tell them where the great |
secret is hid"
When this had been translated to them |
there was great beating of reptilian |
wings, gaping of sharp-fanged jaws and |
hdeous kissing. thought that they were |
about to fall upon me on the spot, and so |
laid my hands upon my revolyers; but |
at length they became more quiet and |
presently transmitted some command to my |
sagoth guard. the chief o. which lad y
fs.tt 81 W. n "A x. 81 tt st ~ N ..l>t