Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-26
CHAPTER It-Continuedl

1
l. became lost, and then the Sagoths dis.
covered me. For long time I eluded them,
''ulng IN caves and wading in rivers TO
throw them off my trail.
llNed on nuts and fruits and the edible
roots that chance throw in my way.
u traNe.ed on and on. in what directions
'ouIu not even guess and at last | could
cIuue them no longer, and the end came ne
had long forcseen that 1t would como. OK
cept that | had not foresecn that YOU would
be there to save me"
We rested in our camp until Perry had
reRained sufficient strength to travel again
We planned much, rebuilding all our shat
tered air castles; but above an we planned
most to find Dian.
could not believe she was dead vct
Where she might be in this savage world
ana under what friGhtful conditions she
might be living could not guess.
When Perry was rested we returned to
the prospector, where he fitted himself out
fully like civilized human beng-under-
clothing, socks, shoes. khaki Jacket and
breechcs and good. substantial puttees
Nhen had come upon him he was
clothed in rough sadok sandals gee
string and tunic fashioned from the
shaggy hide Of a thag. Now he wore real
clothing again for the first time since the
ape-follt had stripped us of our apparel that
lonE-gone day that had witnessed our ad-
vent within Pcucidar
With u baudOlcCr of cartridges across his
shoulder, two sX-shooters at his hips and
rife in his hand he a much rejuve-
mated Perry.
Indeed, lie was quite different person
altogether from the rather shaky old man
who had entered the prospcctor with me
ten or eleven years before for the trial trip
that had plunged us into such wondrous ad-
ventures and into such n strange and hth-
erto undreamed-of world
Now he was straight and active. His
muscles. almost atrophied from disuse in
his former life. had filed out.
He was still an old man, of course but
instead of appearing ten years older than
he really was as he had when we left the
outer world, he now appeared about ten
years younger. The wild. free life Of pellu-
cidar had worked wonders for him,
Well it must need have done so or killed
him. for a man of Perry's former physical
condition could not long have survived the
dangers and rigors of the primitive life of
the inner world.
Perry had been greatly interested in my
map and in the royal observatory" at
Greenwich. BY use of the pedometers we
had retraced our way to the prospeCtor with
ease and accuracy.
Now that we were ready to set out again.
we decided to follow a different route on
the chance that it might lead us into more
familiar territory
| shall not weary you with repetition of
the countless adventures of our long search.
Encounters with wild beasts of gigantic
size were of almost daily occurrence; but
with our deadly express rifles we ran conf
paratively little risk when one recalls that
previously we had both traversed this world
of frightful dangers inadequately armed
with crude, primitive weapons and all but
naked.
We ate and slept many times-so many
that we lost count-and so / do not know
how long we roamed, though our map
shows the distances and directions quite ac-
curately We must have covered a great
many thousand square miles of territory
and yet we had seen nothing in the way Of
a familiar landmark, when from the heights
of a mountain range we were crossing | |
deserted far in the distance great masses of |
bllowng clouds.
Now clouds are practically unknown in |
the skies of Pelucidar The moment that |
my eyes rested upon them my heart leaped. |
| seized Perry's arm and, pointing toward |
the horizonless distance. shouted
THE Mountains of the Clouds :"
"They lie close to Phutra, and the coun-
try of our worst enemies, the Mahars,"
Perry demonstrated.
Il know it," I replied, but they give us
a starting point from which to prosecute
a familiar landmark.
THEY tell us that we are upon the right
trail and not wandering far in the wrong
direction.
Furthermore, close to the Mountains of
the Clouds dwells good friend, ia the
Mezop. You did not know him, but you
know all that he did for me and all that he
will gladly do to aid me.
at least he can direct us upon the right
1iran Inn 10, nd Ga,i
THE Mountains of the Clouds constitute
4 mighty range" replied Perry. They
must cover an enormous territory. How
are you to find your friend in all the
great country that is visible from their
'ugged hanks?"
Easily" | answered him. for ia gave
ne minute directions l recall almost his
,xact words:
You need merely come to the foot of
he highest peak of the Mountains of the 1
Clouds. There you will find a river that
lows into the Lural Az
Directly opposite the mouth Of the river
,ou will see three large islands far out
10 far that they are barely dscernible
rhe one to the extreme left as you face
hem from tho mouth of the river is
Anoroc, where | rule the tribe of Anoroc.'
And so we hastened onward toward the