ing from Phutra--a vast river that empties into the sea there."

The speaker pointed toward the northeast. "It is wide and smooth and
slow-running almost to the land 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 he was Hooja's
enemy, and now the pair of us were squat-ting 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 you are away?"

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

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

He said he could, and in the strange yet explicit fashion of the
Pellucidarians he explained minutely how I might 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 two could
accomplish but little more than one and would double the risk of
discovery. In the meantime he could make his way to the sea and guard
the boat, which I told him lay there at the foot of the cliff.

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

Then we parted--he to take up his position where he could 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 by
which Dacor's friend said he was called. There was the leaning tree,
my first point he told me to look for after rounding the boulder where
we had met. After that I crawled to the balanced rock, a huge boulder
resting upon 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 many caves. Zig-zag trails led up to them, and
narrow ledges scooped from the face of the soft rock