which I had to explain to them both--since
neither had ever seen or heard of such a contrivance before. Then they
were to hunt for food which we could transport with us, and prepare a
receptacle for water.

These two latter items were more in Juag's line, but he kept muttering
about the sail and the wind for a long time. I could see that he was
not even half convinced that any such ridiculous contraption could make
a canoe move through the water.

We hunted near the coast for a while, but were pot rewarded with any
particular luck. Finally we decided to hide the canoe and strike
inland in search of game. At Juag's suggestion we dug a hole in the
sand at the upper edge of the beach and buried the craft, smoothing the
surface over nicely and throwing aside the excess material we had
excavated. Then we set out away from the sea. Traveling in Thuria is
less arduous than under the midday sun which perpetually glares down on
the rest of Pellucidar's surface; but it has its draw-backs, one of
which is the depressing influence exerted by the everlasting shade of
the Land of Awful Shadow.

The farther inland we went the darker it became, until we were moving
at last through an endless twi-light. The vegetation here was sparse
and of a weird, colorless nature, though what did grow was wondrous in
shape and form. Often we saw huge lidi, or beasts of burden, striding
across the dim landscape, browsing upon the grotesque vegetation or
drinking from the slow and sullen rivers that run down from the Lidi
Plains to empty into the sea in Thuria.

What we sought was either a thag--a sort of gigantic elk--or one of the
larger species of antelope, the flesh of either of which dries nicely
in the sun. The bladder of the thag would make a fine water-bottle,
and its skin, I figured, would be a good sail. We traveled a
considerable distance inland, entirely crossing the Land of Awful
Shadow and emerging at last upon that portion of the Lidi Plains which
lies in the pleasant sunlight. Above us the pendent world revolved
upon its axis, filling me especially--and Dian to an almost equal
state--with wonder and insatiable curiosity as to what strange forms of
life existed among the hills and valleys and along the seas and rivers,
which we could plainly see.

Before us stretched the horizonless expanses of vast Pellucidar, the
Lidi Plains rolling up about us, while hanging high in the heavens to
the northwest of us I thought I disce