The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-15
PRoLoG Continued


we may not abandon them while
a single avenue Of pursuit remains
open to US. Here Is that avenue
Ne waved his hand across the broad
ocean. "And here the means Of ira
yersing it. He pointed to the small
BOAT.
1T would carry scarce twenty
men," cried one.
1T need carry but three" replied
David, for it will sail TO rescue, not
By force, but by strategy; or per-
haps only to locate the stronghold
OF the enemy, that We may return
and lead a sufficient force upon 1t
70 overwhelm it."
II shall CO." concluded the En-
peror. "Who will accompany me2"
Instantly every man within hear
ing Of his voice, saving the prison.
ers only, pressed forward to offer
his services. David smiled.
Il knew as much" he said, but
| can not take you all. / shall need
only one and that shall be ia OF
Anoroc, the greatest sailor Of Pei
luctdar." p
A great shout arose, for ia, the
King Of Anoroc, who is also chief
onhcer OF the navy Of P~ellucidar, is
vastly popular drought the empire,
But two is too small a number
10 hope for success" argued Ghak,
and ], the father Of Tanar, should
be permitted to accompany you.",
"ATUMBERs, such as we might
IN crowd in that little boat,
would avail us nothing" replied
David, so why risk a single addi-
tional life. II twenty could pass
through the unknown dangers that
lie ahead Of us, two may do the
same, while with fewer men we can
carry a far greater supply OF food
and water against the u~nguessed ex-
tent Of the great sea that we face"
But two are too few to man the
boat" expostulated another, and
Ghak Is right-the father Of Tanar
should be among his rescuers."
"Ghak is needed by the empire, :"
replied David. "He must remain to
command the armies for the en-
press until / return, but there shall
be q third. who will embark with
us"
"Who2" demanded Ghak.
One OF the prisoners" replied
David. For his freedom we readily
should md one willing to guide US
to the country Of the enemy"
Nor was this difficult, since every
prisoner volunteered when the pro-
posal was submitted to them. Da-
vid chose q young fellow who said
his name was Fit and who seemed
TO possess q more open and honest
countenance than any of his COM
panions. m
And then came the provisioning
OF the boat. BladderS were filled
with fresh water, and quantities of
corn and dried fish and jerked
neat, as well as vegetables and
fruits, were packed into other blad-
derS, and all were stored in the
boat until 1t seemed that she might
carry no more. n.
AS the three men were about to
embark, David had a last word with
Ghak.
"VOU have seen the size and
l. armament of the enemy ships,
Ghak," he said. my last injunc-
tion to you is to build at once a
heet that can cope successfully with
those great ships of the enemy,
and while the feet is building-and
it must be built upon the shores Of.
this sea-sSnd expeditions forth to
search zor a waterway from this
ocean TO our own. Can you find it.,
all our ships can be utilized and
the building of the greater navy
accelerated by utilizing the ship
yards of Anoroc.
when you have completed and
manned fifty ships, set forth to our
rescue. Do not destroy those pris-
oners, but preserve them well, for
they alone can guide you to their
country" p
sud then David I, emperor of
f~sllncider, and ia, king of Anoroc,
the prisoner Fit. boarded the
boat; friendly hands pushed
thc4A out upon the long oily sweTls
of a Pellucidarian sea: ten thousand
threats cheered them upon their
way and ten thousand pairsTof eyes
watched them until they had melted
into the mist of the upcurving dis
lance Of a Pellucidarian seascape.
David had departed upon a vain
but glorious adventure, and, in the
distant capital Of the Empire, Dian
the Beautiful would be weeping.