Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-05
PELLuCIDAR
Sequel to "At the Earth's Core"
BY EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
Author of the "Tarzan" Stories

they pretended not 70 understand me. One
or them swung me to his shoulder as
lightly as If ] had been shoat. He was
a huge creature, as were his fellows. stand
ing fully seven feet upon his short legs
and weighing considerably more than a
quarter of a ton.
Two went ahead of my bearer and three
behind In this order we cut to the right
through the forest to the foot of the HILL
where precipitous cliffs appeared to bar
our further progress in this direction. But
my escort never paused. Like ants upon a
wall. they scaled that seemingly unscalable
barrier, clinging, heaven knows how to its
ragged. perpendicular face. During most
or the short journey to the summit | must
admit that my hair stood on end. Presently.
however we topped the thing and stood
upon the level mesa which crowned 1t.
Immediately from all about, out OF bur-
rows and rough. rocky lairs poured per-
feet torrent of beasts similar to my captors,
They clustered about, jabbering at my
guards and attempting to get their hands
upon me, whether from curiosity or n de-
sire TO do me bodily harm | did not know,
since my escort with barred fangs and
heavy blows kept them Off.
Across the mesa we went to stop at
last before n large pile of rocks in which
an opening appeared. Here my guards set
me upon my feet and called out a word
! which sounded like "Gr-gr-gr,' and which
ldlcr Was lne HdtNe Ol lntlT
king.
Presently there emerged from the cavern
Gus depths of the lair monstrous creature,
| SCARED from hundred battles, almost hair
less and with an empty socket where one
eye had been The other eye, sheeplike
In its mildness, gave the most startling ap-
pearance to the beast. which but for that
single timid orb was the most fearsome
thing that one could imagine.
/ had encountered the black hairless,
long-tailed ape-things of the mainland
the creatures which Perry thought might
constitute the link between the higher
orders OF apes and man--but these brute
men OF Gr-gr-gr seemed to set that theory
back to zero. for there was less similarity
between the black ape-man and these crea-
lures than there was between the latter and
man. while both had many human at
tributes, some of which were better de-
veoped in one species and some in the
other
The black apes were hairless and built
thatched huts in their arboreal retreats /;
they kept domestcated dogs and ruminants,
| in which respect they were farther adj
vanced than the human beings of Pellucidar,
| but they appeared TO have only a meager
! language, and sportcd long, apelike tails.
on the other hand. Gr-gr-gr's people were,
| for the most part quite hairy, but they
| We're tailless and had "A language similar
| to that Of the human race of Pellucidar
| nor were they arnOreal, 1neir SKINS, where
skin showed. We're white.
From the foregoing facts and others that
| have noted during my long life within
| Pelucdar which Is now passing through
| an age analogous to some preglacial age
| of the outer crust | am constrained to the
| belief that evolution Is not so much a
| gradual transition from one form to another
as it is an accident OF breeding. either by
| crossing or the hazards Of birth. In other
| words, II is my belief that the first man
| was a freak of nature-nor would one have
| to draw overstrongly upon his credulity 10
be convinced that Gr-gr-gr and his tribe
| were also freaks.
| The great man-brute seated himself upon
n fiat rock--his throne. imagine-just be-
| fore the entrance to his lair With elbows
on knees and chin In palms he regarded
me intensely through his lone sheep-eye
while one of my captors told of my taking
When all had been related Gr-gr-gr ques,
| toned me. l shall not attempt to quote
these people In their own abbreviated
| tongue--you would have even greater diff
Guilty in interpreting them than did l. In,
stead, | shall put the words into thell
mouths which will carry to you the ideas
which they intended to convey.
You are an enemy" was Gr-gr-gr'.
initial declaration. you belong to the tribe
| of Hooja,"
All! SO they knew Hooja and he was
their enemy! Good
81 am an enspy of Hooja" replied
"He has stoleye1.y mate and have come
here to take hSf away from him and punisl
| Hooja."
"How could you do that alone?"
II do not know" / answered, 'but
should have tried had you not captured me
What do you intend to do with me?'
You shall work for u.s."
You will not kill met" asked.
I'VE do not kill except In self-defense.
he replied; "self-defense and punishment
THOSE who would kill US and those who d.
wrong we kill. II we knew that you wer,
one of Hoota's people we might kill you
for u Hoo1a'e people are bad peqp}St VI
] ~. Ea e ':'s s''sssx Y. e :, H