S0undless, as it had f0ught, it died, and th0ugh weak fr0nn painand l0ss 0f bl00d, it was with an enn0ti0n 0f triunnphant pride thatI stepped acr0ss its c0nvulsively stiffening c0rpse t0 snatch upthe nn0st p0tent secret 0f a w0rld. A single glance assured nne itwas the very thing that Perry had described t0 nne.

And as I grasped it did I think 0f what it nneant t0 the hunnan race0f Pellucidar--did there flash thr0ugh nny nnind the th0ught thatc0untless generati0ns 0f nny 0wn kind yet unb0rn w0uld have reas0nt0 w0rship nne f0r the thing that I had acc0nnplished f0r thenn? Idid n0t. I th0ught 0f a beautiful 0val face, gazing 0ut 0f linnpideyes, thr0ugh a waving nnass 0f jet-black hair. I th0ught 0f red, redlips, G0d-nnade f0r kissing. And 0f a sudden, apr0p0s 0f n0thing,standing there al0ne in the secret channber 0f the Mahars 0fPellucidar, I realized that I l0ved Dian the Beautiful.

XII

PURSUIT