His head was turned over his shoulder as I first sawhim--he was looking back toward the village. As Ileaped for him his eyes fell upon me. Never in my lifehave I seen a more surprised mortal than this poor caveman. Before he could utter a single scream of warning oralarm I had my fingers on his throat and had draggedhim behind the boulder, where I proceeded to sit uponhim, while I figured out what I had best do with him.

He struggled a little at first, but finally lay still, andso I released the pressure of my fingers at his windpipe,for which I imagine he was quite thankful--I knowthat I should have been.

I hated to kill him in cold blood; but what else I wasto do with him I could not see, for to turn him loosewould have been merely to have the entire villagearoused and down upon me in a moment. The fellowlay looking up at me with the surprise still deeply written on his countenance. At last, all of a sudden, a lookof recognition entered his eyes.

"I have seen you before," he said. "I saw you in thearena at the Mahars' city of Phutra when the thipdarsdragged the tarag from you and your mate. I neverunderstood that. Afterward they put me in the arenawith two warriors from Gombul."

He smiled in recollection.

"It would have been the same had there been tenwarriors from Gombul. I slew them, winning my freedom. Look!"

He half turned his left shoulder toward me, exhibitingthe newly healed scar of the Mahars' branded mark.

"Then," he continued, "as I was returning to my people I met some of them fleeing. They told me thatone called Hooja the Sly One had come and seized ourvillage, putting our people into slavery. So I hurriedhither to learn the truth, and, sure enough, here I foundHooja and his wicked men living in my village, and myfather's people but slaves among them.

"I was discovered and captured, but Hooja did notkill me. I am the chief's son, and through me he hopedto win my father's warriors back to the village to helphim in a great war he says that he will soon commence.

"Among his prisoners is Dian the Beautiful One,whose brother, Dacor the Strong One, chief of Amoz,once saved my life when he came to Thuria to steal amate. I helped him capture her, and we are goodfriends. So when I learned that Dian the Beautiful Onewas Hooja's prisoner, I told him that I would not aid himif he harmed her.

"Recently one of Hooja's warriors overheard me talking with another prisoner. We were planning to combineall the prisoners, seize weapons, and when most ofHooja's warriors were away, slay the rest and retake ourhilltop. Had we done so we could have held it, for thereare only two entrances--the narrow tunnel at one endand the steep path up the cliffs at the other.

"But when Hooja heard what we had planned he wasvery angry, and ordered that I die. They bound mehand and foot and placed me in a cave until all thewarriors should return to witness my death; but whilethey were away I heard someone calling me in amuffled voice which seemed to come from the wall ofthe cave. When I replied the voice, which wasa woman's, told me that she had overheard all thathad passed between me and those who had brought methither, and that she was Dacor's sister and would finda way to help me.

"Presently a little hole appeared in the wall at thepoint from which the voice had come. After a time Isaw a woman's hand digging with a bit of stone. Dacor'ssister made a hole in the wall between the cave whereI lay bound and that in which she had been confined,and soon she was by my side and had cut my bonds.

"We talked then, and I offered to make the attempt totake her away and back to the land of Sari, where shetold me she would be able to learn the whereabouts ofher mate. Just now I was going to the other end of theisland to see if a boat lay there, and if the way wasclear for our escape. Most of the boats are always awaynow, for a great many of Hooja's men and nearly all theslaves are upon the Island of Trees, where Hooja is having many boats built to carry his warriors across thewater to the mouth of a great river which he discoveredwhile he was returning from Phutra--a vast river thatempties into the sea there."

The speaker pointed toward the northeast."It is wide and smooth and slow-running almost to theland of Sari," he added.

"And where is Dian the Beautiful One now?" I asked.

I had released my prisoner as soon as I found that hewas Hooja's enemy, and now the pair of us were squatting beside the boulder while he told his story.

"She returned to the cave where she had been imprisoned," he replied, "and is awaiting me there."

"There is no danger that Hooja will come while youare away?"

"Hooja is upon the Island of Trees," he replied.

"Can you direct me to the cave so that I can find italone?" I asked.

He said he could, and in the strange yet explicit fashion of the Pellucidarians he explained minutely how Imight reach the cave where he had been imprisoned,and through the hole in its wall reach Dian.

I thought it best for but one of us to return, since twocould accomplish but little more than one and woulddouble the risk of discovery. In the meantime he couldmake his way to the sea and guard the boat, which Itold him lay there at the foot of the cliff.

I told him to await us at the cliff-top, and if Diancame alone to do his best to get away with her and takeher to Sari, as I thought it quite possible that, in case ofdetection and pursuit, it might be necessary for me tohold off Hooja's people while Dian made her way aloneto where my new friend was to await her. I impressedupon him the fact that he might have to resort to trickery or even to force to get Dian to leave me; but I madehim promise that he would sacrifice everything, even hislife, in an attempt to rescue Dacor's sister.

Then we parted--he to take up his position where hecould watch the boat and await Dian, I to crawl cautiously on toward the caves. I had no difficulty in following the directions given me by Juag, the name bywhich Dacor's friend said he was called. There was theleaning tree, my first point he told me to look for afterrounding the boulder where we had met. After that Icrawled to the balanced rock, a huge boulder restingupon a tiny base no larger than the palm of your hand.

From here I had my first view of the village of caves. A low bluff ran diagonally across one end of the mesa,and in the face of this bluff were the mouths of manycaves. Zig-zag trails led up to them, and narrow ledgesscooped from the face of the soft rock connected thoseupon the same level.

The cave in which Juag had been confined was at theextreme end of the cliff nearest me. By taking advantage of the bluff itself, I could approach within a fewfeet of the aperture without being visible from anyother cave. There were few people about at the time;most of these were congregated at the foot of the farend of the bluff, where they were so engrossed in excited conversation that I felt but little fear of detection. However I exercised the greatest care in approachingthe cliff. After watching for a while until I caught an instant when every head was turned away from me, Idarted, rabbitlike, into the cave.

Like many of the man-made caves of Pellucidar, thisone consisted of three chambers, one behind another,and all unlit except for what sunlight filtered in throughthe external opening. The result was gradually increasing darkness as one passed into each succeeding chamber.

In the last of the three I could just distinguish objects,and that was all. As I was groping around the wallsfor the hole that should lead into the cave where Dianwas imprisoned, I heard a man's voice quite close to me.

The speaker had evidently but just entered, for hespoke in a loud tone, demanding the whereabouts ofone whom he had come in search of.

"Where are you, woman?" he cried. "Hooja has sentfor you."

And then a woman's voice answered him:

"And what does Hooja want of me?"

The voice was Dian's. I groped in the direction of thesounds, feeling for the hole.

"He wishes you brought to the Island of Trees,"replied the man; "for he is ready to take you as hismate."

"I will not go," said Dian. "I will die first."

"I am sent to bring you, and bring you I shall."

I could hear him crossing the cave toward her.

Frantically I clawed the wall of the cave in which Iwas in an effort to find the elusive aperture that wouldlead me to Dian's side.

I heard the sound of a scuffle in the next cave. Thenmy fingers sank into loose rock and earth in the sideof the cave. In an instant I realized why I had beenunable to find the opening while I had been lightlyfeeling the surface of the walls--Dian had blocked upthe hole she had made lest it arouse suspicion andlead to an early discovery of Juag's escape.

Plunging my weight against the crumbling mass, Isent it crashing into the adjoining cavern. With it cameI, David, Emperor of Pellucidar. I doubt if any otherpotentate in a world's history ever made a more undignified entrance. I landed head first on all fours, butI came quickly and was on my feet before the manin the dark guessed what had happened.

He saw me, though, when I arose and, sensing thatno friend came thus precipitately, turned to meet meeven as I charged him. I had my stone knife in myhand, and he had his. In the darkness of the cavethere was little opportunity for a display of science,though even at that I venture to say that we foughta very pretty duel.

Before I came to Pellucidar I do not recall that Iever had seen a stone knife, and I am sure that I neverfought with a knife of any description; but now I donot have to take my hat off to any of them when itcomes to wielding that primitive yet wicked weapon.

I could just see Dian in the darkness, but I knewthat she could not see my features or recognize me;and I enjoyed in anticipation, even while I was fightingfor her life and mine, her dear joy when she shoulddiscover that it was I who was her deliverer.

My opponent was large, but he also was active andno mean knife-man. He caught me once fairly in theshoulder--I carry the scar yet, and shall carry it tothe grave. And then he did a foolish thing, for as Ileaped back to gain a second in which to calm theshock of the wound he rushed after me and tried toclinch. He rather neglected his knife for the momentin his greater desire to get his hands on me. Seeingthe opening, I swung my left fist fairly to the pointof his jaw.

Down he went. Before ever he could scramble upagain I was on him and had buried my knife in hisheart. Then I stood up--and there was Dian facingme and peering at me through the dense gloom.

"You are not Juag!" she exclaimed. "Who are you?"

I took a step toward her, my arms outstretched.

"It is I, Dian," I said. "It is David."

At the sound of my voice she gave a little cry inwhich tears were mingled--a pathetic little cry thattold me all without words how far hope had gone fromher--and then she ran forward and threw herself inmy arms. I covered her perfect lips and her beautifulface with kisses, and stroked her thick black hair, andtold her again and again what she already knew--whatshe had known for years--that I loved her betterthan all else which two worlds had to offer. We couldn'tdevote much time, though, to the happiness of love-making, for we were in the midst of enemies whomight discover us at any moment.

I drew her into the adjoining cave. Thence we madeour way to the mouth of the cave that had given meentrance to the cliff. Here I reconnoitered for a moment, and seeing the coast clear, ran swiftly forth withDian at my side. We dodged around the cliff-end,then paused for an instant, listening. No sound reachedour ears to indicate that any had seen us, and wemoved cautiously onward along the way by which Ihad come.

As we went Dian told me that her captors had informed her how close I had come in search of her--even to the Land of Awful Shadow--and how one ofHooja's men who knew me had discovered me asleepand robbed me of all my possessions. And then howHooja had sent four others to find me and take meprisoner. But these men, she said, had not yet returned, or at least she had not heard of their return.

'Nor will you ever," I responded, "for they have goneto that place whence none ever returns." I then relatedmy adventure with these four.

We had come almost to the cliff-edge where Juagshould be awaiting us when we saw two men walkingrapidly toward the same spot from another direction. They did not see us, nor did they see Juag, whom Inow discovered hiding behind a low bush close to theverge of the precipice which drops into the sea at thispoint. As quickly as possible, without exposing ourselves too much to the enemy, we hastened forwardthat we might reach Juag as quickly as they.

But they noticed him first and immediately chargedhim, for one of them had been his guard, and theyhad both been sent to search for him, his escape havingbeen discovered between the time he left the caveand the time when I reached it. Evidently they hadwasted precious moments looking for him in otherportions of the mesa.

When I saw that the two of them were rushing him,I called out to attract their attention to the fact thatthey had more than a single man to cope with. Theypaused at the sound of my voice and looked about.

When they discovered Dian and me they exchangeda few words, and one of them continued toward Juagwhile the other turned upon us. As he came nearerI saw that he carried in his hand one of my six-shooters,but he was holding it by the barrel, evidently mistakingit for some sort of warclub or tomahawk.

I could scarce refrain a grin when I thought of thewasted possibilities of that deadly revolver in the handsof an untutored warrior of the stone age. Had he butreversed it and pulled the trigger he might still bealive; maybe he is for all I know, since I did not killhim then. When he was about twenty feet from meI flung my javelin with a quick movement that I hadlearned from Ghak. He ducked to avoid it, and insteadof receiving it in his heart, for which it was intended,he got it on the side of the head.

Down he went all in a heap. Then I glanced towardJuag. He was having a most exciting time. The fellowpitted against Juag was a veritable giant; he was hacking and hewing away at the poor slave with a villainous-looking knife that might have been designed for butchering mastodons. Step by step, he was forcing Juagback toward the edge of the cliff with a fiendish cunningthat permitted his adversary no chance to side-stepthe terrible consequences of retreat in this direction. I saw quickly that in another moment Juag must deliberately hurl himself to death over the precipice orbe pushed over by his foeman.

And as I saw Juag's predicament I saw, too, in thesame instant, a way to relieve him. Leaping quicklyto the side of the fellow I had just felled, I snatchedup my fallen revolver. It was a desperate chance totake, and I realized it in the instant that I threw thegun up from my hip and pulled the trigger. There wasno time to aim. Juag was upon the very brink of thechasm. His relentless foe was pushing him hard, beating at him furiously with the heavy knife.

And then the revolver spoke--loud and sharp. Thegiant threw his hands above his head, whirled aboutlike a huge top, and lunged forward over the precipice.

And Juag?

He cast a single affrighted glance in my direction--never before, of course, had he heard the report of afirearm--and with a howl of dismay he, too, turnedand plunged headforemost from sight. Horror-struck,I hastened to the brink of the abyss just in time to seetwo splashes upon the surface of the little cove below.

For an instant I stood there watching with Dian atmy side. Then, to my utter amazement, I saw Juag riseto the surface and swim strongly toward the boat.

The fellow had dived that incredible distance andcome up unharmed!

I called to him to await us below, assuring him thathe need have no fear of my weapon, since it wouldharm only my enemies. He shook his head and muttered something which I could not hear at so great adistance; but when I pushed him he promised to waitfor us. At the same instant Dian caught my arm andpointed toward the village. My shot had brought acrowd of natives on the run toward us.

The fellow whom I had stunned with my javelin hadregained consciousness and scrambled to his feet. Hewas now racing as fast as he could go back toward hispeople. It looked mighty dark for Dian and me withthat ghastly descent between us and even the beginnings of liberty, and a horde of savage enemies advancing at a rapid run.

There was but one hope. That was to get Dianstarted for the bottom without delay. I took her in myarms just for an instant--I felt, somehow, that it mightbe for the last time. For the life of me I couldn't seehow both of us could escape.

I asked her if she could make the descent alone--if she were not afraid. She smiled up at me bravelyand shrugged her shoulders. She afraid! So beautifulis she that I am always having difficulty in rememberingthat she is a primitive, half-savage cave girl of the stoneage, and often find myself mentally limiting her capacities to those of the effete and overcivilized beautiesof the outer crust.

"And you?" she asked as she swung over the edge ofthe cliff.

"I shall follow you after I take a shot or two at ourfriends," I replied. "I just want to give them a taste ofthis new medicine which is going to cure Pellucidarof all its ills. That will stop them long enough for meto join you. Now hurry, and tell Juag to be ready toshove off the moment I reach the boat, or the instantthat it becomes apparent that I cannot reach it.

"You, Dian, must return to Sari if anything happensto me, that you may devote your life to carrying outwith Perry the hopes and plans for Pellucidar that areso dear to my heart. Promise me, dear."

She hated to promise to desert me, nor would she;only shaking her head and making no move to descend. The tribesmen were nearing us. Juag was shouting upto us from below. It was evident that he realized frommy actions that I was attempting to persuade Dian todescend, and that grave danger threatened us fromabove.

"Dive!" he cried. "Dive!"

I looked at Dian and then down at the abyss belowus. The cove appeared no larger than a saucer. HowJuag ever had hit it I could not guess.

"Dive!" cried Juag. "It is the only way--there is notime to climb down."