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


"Algiers"
Ten minutes after reading this letter I
had cabled Mr.. NeStor as follows:
STORY true. Await mo Algiers."
AS fast as train and boat would carry
me, ] sped toward my destination. For all
those dragging days my mind was a whirl
of mad conjecture, of frantic hope, of numb
ing fear.
The finding of the telegraph instrument
practically assured me that David Innes
had driven Perry's Iron Mole back through
the earth's crust to the buried world of
Pellucidar; but what adventures had be-
fallen him since his return?
Had he found Dian the Beautiful his
half.savage mate, safe among his friends
or had Hooja the Sly One succeeded in his
nefarious schemes to abduct her?
Did Abner Perry, the lovable old inven-
tor and paleontologist, still live?
Had the federated tribes Of Pellucdar
succeeded in overthrowing the mighty Ma.
hars, the dominant race of reptilian mon
sters, and their fierce, gorillalike soldiery,
the savage Sagoths?
I must admit that I was in state bor-
dering upon nervous prostration when I
entered the and - Club, in AL.
giers, and inquired for Mr.. Nestor. A
moment later 1 was ushered into his pres
ence, to find myself casping hands with
the sort Of chap that the world holds only
| too few Of.
He was a tall, smooth-faced man of
| about thirty, clean-cut, straight. and strong.
| and weather-tanned to the hue Of a desert
| Arab. I liked him immensely from the
first. and hope that after our three months
| together in the desert country three
months not entirely lacking in adventure
| he found that a man may be writer OF
impossible trash" and yet have some re-
| deeming qualities.
The day following my arrival at Algiers
| - IzTk g.. xl,a hox,tn dc
| all arrangements in advance. guessing. as
he naturally did. that I could be coming tc
| Africa for but a single purpose-to hasten
| at once to the buried telegraph instrument
and wrest its secret from it,
In addition to our native servants, we
took along an English telegraph operator
| named Frank Downes. Nothing of Interest
enlivened our journey by rail and caravan
| till we came to the cluster of date palms
| about the ancient we'll upon the rim Of the
| Sahara.
1t was the very spot at which I first hat
seen David Innes. If he had ever raised
| a cairn above the telegraph intrument nj
sign of it remained now. Had 1t not beer
for the chance that caused Cogdon Nestol
to throw down his sleeping rug directl,
over the hidden instrument, 1t might still
be clicking there unheard-and this stor!
still unwritten.
When we reached the spot and unearthet
| the little DOx tHo lHStI was duiS', Nv
did repeated attempts upon the part Of ou
telegrapher succeed in winning a respons
from the other end Of the line.
After several days Of futile endeavor t
raise Pellucidar we had begun to despair
was as positive that the other end o
that little cable protruded through the sur
faoe of the inner world as am that 81
here today in my study-when about mid
night of the fourth day I was awakene
by the sound of the instrument,
Leaping to my feet I grasped Downe
roughly by the neck and dragged him ou
of his blankets He didn't need TO be tol
,vhat caused INV excitement for the instan
he was awake he, too, heard the long hoped
for click, and with "a whoop OF deligh
pounced upon the instrument.
Nestor was on his feet almost as 500
as l. The three of us huddled ABOUT Una