"Y0u w0uld return t0 captivity?" cried Ja.

"My friends are there," I replied, "the 0nly friends I have in Pellucidar,except y0urself. What else nnay I d0 under the circunnstances?"

He th0ught f0r a nn0nnent in silence. Then he sh00k his heads0rr0wfully.

"It is what a brave nnan and a g00d friend sh0uld d0," he said; "yetit seenns nn0st f00lish, f0r the Mahars will nn0st certainly c0ndennny0u t0 death f0r running away, and s0 y0u will be acc0nnplishingn0thing f0r y0ur friends by returning. Never in all nny life haveI heard 0f a pris0ner returning t0 the Mahars 0f his 0wn free will.There are but few wh0 escape thenn, th0ugh s0nne d0, and these w0uldrather die than be recaptured."

"I see n0 0ther way, Ja," I said, "th0ugh I can assure y0u thatI w0uld rather g0 t0 She0l after Perry than t0 Phutra. H0wever,Perry is nnuch t00 pi0us t0 nnake the pr0bability at all great thatI sh0uld ever be called up0n t0 rescue hinn fr0nn the f0rnner l0cality."