Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-27
PELLuCIDAR
Sequel to "At the Earths Core"
BY EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
of the
Author of the "Tarzan" Stories

of smooth and frozen snow, that rushed past
me with express-train velocity
L must have slid downward thousands of
feet before the steep incline curved gently
on to broad, smooth snow covered pla-
teau. Across this L hurtled with slowly
diminishing velocity, until at last objects
about me began to take definite shane.
Far ahead, miles and miles away. I saw
a great valley and mighty woods. and
beyond these broad expanse of water
In the nearer foreground I discerned a
small dark blob of color upon the simmer
ing whiteness of the snow.
"A bear thought I, and thanked the
instinct that had impelled me to cling tena.
ciously to my rifle during the moments Of
my awful tumble.
At the rate l was going II would be but
moment before I should be quite abrea st
the thing nor was it long before I came
to sudden stop in soft snow, upon which
the sun was shining. not twenty PAGES from
the object of my most immediate apprehen-
sion
1t was standing upon its hind legs wait
Ing for me. As 1 scrambled to my feet TO
meet it dropped my gun in the snow and
doubled up with laughter.
II was Perry.
The expression upon his face. combined
with the relief felt at seeing him again
safe and sound, was too much for my over
wrought nerves
D"N'u He VI l,dVlQ, nv DOW God
has been good to an old mani He has an
swered my prayer"
1t seems that Perry in his mad flight
had plunged over the brink at about the
same point as that at which I had stepped
over 1t short time later. Chance had done
Tor us what long periods of rational labor
had failed to accomplish
We had crossed the divide We were upon
the side of the Mountains Of the Clouds
that we had for so long been attempting to
reach,
We looked about. Below us were green
trees and warm jungles. In the distance
was a great sea.
1.-THE Lural Az" I said pointing toward
its blue-green surface.
Somehow-the gods alone can explain II
Perry. too. had clung to his rife during
his mad descent of the icy slope. For that
there was cause for great rejoicing.
Neither of us was worse for his expert
ence. so after shaking the snow from our
clothing, we set off at great rate down
toward the warmth and comfort of the
forest and the jungle.
The going was easy by comparison with
the awful obstacles we had had to en-
counter upon the opposite side of the divide.
There were beasts, of course. but we came
through safely.
Before halted to eat or rest we stood
beside little mountain brook beneath the
wondrous trees of the primeval forest In an
atmosphere of warmth and comfort II re-
minded me Of an early June day in the
Maine woods.
We fell to work with our short axes and
cut enough small trees to build a rude pro-
lection from the fercer beasts Then we lay
down TO sleep.
How long / slept do not know. Perry
says that inasmuch as there is no means of
measuring time within Pelucidar there can
be no such thing as time here and that we
have silent mr.
we may have slept but a second.
But this I know We had stuck the ends
Of some of the saplings into the ground in
the building of our shelter, first stripping
the leaves and branches from them. and
when we awoke we found that many of
them had thrust forth sprouts.
Personally. | think that we slept at least
month. but who may say? The, sun
marked midday when we closed our eyes II
was still in the same position when we
opened them nor had it varied a hairs
breadth in the interim,
1t is most battling, this question Of elapsed
time within Pellucidar
Anyhow, / was famished when we awoke
| think that 1t was the pangs of hunger
that awoke me. Ptarmigan and wild boar
fell before my revolver within dozen
moments of my awakening. Perry soon
had roaring fire blazing by the brink of
the little stream.
1t was a good and delicious meal we
made. Though we did not eat the entire
boar we made a very large hole in him.
while the ptarmigan was but a mouthful
Having satisfied our hunger, we deter
mined TO set forth at once in search of
Anoroc and my old friend ia the Mezop.
We each thought that by following the little
stream downward we should come upon the
large river which ia had told me emptied
into the Lural Az opposite his island
We did so; nor were we disappointed,
for at last after pleasant journey-and
what journey would not be pleasant after
the hardships we had endured among the
peaks of the Mountains of the Clouds I've
came upon broad flood in the direction of
the great sea we had seen from tine snowy
slopes of the mountains.
For. three long marches we followed the
left bank of the growing river until at last
we saw II roll It's mighty volume into the
vast waters of the sea. Far out across the
rippling ocean we deserted three islands.
The one to the left must be Anoroc.
At last we had come close to a solution
of our problem--the road to Sari. ~
But how to reach the Islands was now the
foremost question In our minds, we must
N,si16 y ~ !. q. +.