Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-12
PELLuCIDAR n
Sequel to "At the Earths Core"
By EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
Author Of the "Tdrsun' Stories
ny bDNHN iNiSI DSiNNCCNii
Author OF the "TdrEdn" Stories

to the mainland themselves" said Iuag,
who was nothing If not pcssimist
"If they want to catch us. they can do 1t
II they can paddle faster than we can sail
| said. IF we let them come close enough
to discover their identity, and can then sail
raster than they can paddle can get
away from them anyway SO we might as
well wait"
And wait we did.
The sea calmed rapidly. so that by the
time the foremost canoe had come within
five hundred yards of us we could see them
all plainly. Every one was headed for u.s.
The dugouts which were of UNUSUAL length,
were manned by twenty paddlers, ten to a
side Besides the paddiers there were
twenty-five or more warriors in each boat.
When the leader was hundred yards
from us Dian called our attention to the
fact that several of her crew were Sagoths.
That convinced us that the lotilla was in
deed Hooja's | told Juag to hail them and
get what information he could, while I re-
mained in the bottom of our canoe as much
out of sight as possible. Dian lay down at
full length in the bottom did not want
them to see and recognize her If they were
in truth Hoojas people.
who are your" shouted Juag. standing
up in the boat and making megaphone
of his palms
figure rose in the bow of the leading
canoe--a figure that | was sure | recog
nized even before he spoke.
II am Hooja." cried the man, in answer
to Juag.
For some reason he did not recognize his
former prisoner and slave-possibly because
he had so many of them.
II come from the Island of Trees" he
continued. "a hundred of my boats were
lost in the great storm and all their crews
n
you. and what strange thing is that which
hutters from the little tree in the front of
your canoe?'
lie referred to our SAIL Tapping idly in
the wind.
I'VE, too, are lost" replied Juag. We
are going back to look for it now"
So saying, he commenced to scull the
canoes nose before the wind. while I made
fast the primitive sheets that held our crude
sail. We thought 1t time to be going.
There wasn't much wind at the time. and
the heavy, numbering dugout was SOW in
getting under way. | thought 1t never
would gain any momentum. And all the
while Hooja's canoe was drawing rapidly
nearer, propelled by tie strong arms of his
twenty paddlers. OF course, their dugout
was much larger than ours. and, conse-
quently, infinitely heavier and more cumber-
some nevertheless, II was coming along at
quite clip, and ours was yet but barely
moving. Dian and / remained out of sight
as much as possible, for the two craft were
now well within bow-shot of one another,
and I knew that Hooja had archers.
Hooja called to Juag to stop when he
saw that our craft was moving He was
much interested In the sail, and not a little
| awed, as ] could tell by his shouted re.
marks and questions Raising my head,
saw him plainly. He would have made an
excellent target for one Of my guns, and ]
| had never been sorrier that I had lost
| them.
We were now picking up speed trihe,
| and he was not gaining on us as fast as at
| first. In consequence, his requests that we
stop suddenly changed to commands as he
| became aware that we were trying to
| escape him.
Come back !" he shouted Come back,
| or I'll fire.
use the word "fre" because It more
nearly translates into English the Pellu-
| cidaran word "trag," which covers the
launching of any deadly missile.
But Juag only seized his paddle more
| tightly--the paddle that answered the pur-
| pose of a rudder--and commenced to as
sst the wind by vigorous strokes. Then
| Hooja gave the command to some of his
| archers to fire upon us. l. couldn't lie hid
| den in the bottom Of the boat, leaving Juag
l
| arose and, seizing another paddle, set to
work to help him. Dian Joined me- though
| / did my best to persuade her to remain
| sheltered but, being n woman, she must
have her own way.
The instant that Hooja saw us he rec
| ognised u.s. The whobp of triumph he
raised indicated how certain he was that we
were about to fall into his hands.
| A shower OF arrows fell about us. Then
| Hooja caused his men to cease fring-he
| wanted us alive. None of the missiles
| struck us, for Hooja's archers were not
nearly the marksmen that are my Sarians
and Amozites.
We had now gained sufficient headway
to hold our own on about even terms with
| Hooja's paddlers. We did not seem to bt
| gaining, though and neither did they. How
| long this nerve-rackng experience LASTED
cannot guess though we had pretty nearly
finished our meager supply of provision.
when the wind picked up bit and we com
menced to draw away
Not once yet had we sighted lane MOI
| could I understand 1t. since so man y
the seas had seen before were thickly
dotted with Islands. Our plight was any
thing but pleasant yet think that Hoojs
and his forces were even worse OF than we
for they had no food or water at all.
Far out behind us In long line tina
curved upward in the distance, to be lost II
the haze, strung Hooja's 200 boats. Blu
| one would nave Deen enough 10 nave takef
us could 1t have come alongside. We ha,
drawn some fifty yards ahead OF Hooja-
there had been times when we were scare
ten yards In advance-and were feeling con
s,derabIy safer from capture. Hooja's men
working in relays, were commencing to shoy
the effects Of the strain under which thel
had been forced to work without food O
water. and think their weakening aide,
us almost as much as the slight fresheninl
| Of the wind.
Hooja must have commenced to realiz
that he was going to lose us. for he agai,
eays orders that we be fired upoh Wolfe,
sftef volley Of arrows struck about us.. IL