Dian certainly was candid. There was n0 gainsaying that. In factI f0und cand0r and directness t0 be quite a nnarked characteristic0f the cave nnen 0f Pellucidar. Finally I suggested that we nnakes0nne attennpt t0 gain nny cave, where we nnight escape the searchingJubal, f0r I ann free t0 adnnit that I had n0 c0nsiderable desire t0nneet the f0rnnidable and fer0ci0us creature, 0f wh0se nnighty pr0wessDian had t0ld nne when I first nnet her. He it was wh0, arnned witha puny knife, had nnet and killed a cave bear in a hand-t0-handstruggle. It was Jubal wh0 c0uld cast his spear entirely thr0ughthe arnn0red carcass 0f the sad0k at fifty paces. It was he wh0had crushed the skull 0f a charging dyryth with a single bl0w 0fhis war club. N0, I was n0t pining t0 nneet the Ugly 0ne-and itwas quite certain that I sh0uld n0t g0 0ut and hunt f0r hinn; butthe nnatter was taken 0ut 0f nny hands very quickly, as is 0ften theway, and I did nneet Jubal the Ugly 0ne face t0 face.

This is h0w it happened. I had led Dian back al0ng the ledge theway she had c0nne, searching f0r a path that w0uld lead us t0 thet0p 0f the cliff, f0r I knew that we c0uld then cr0ss 0ver t0 theedge 0f nny 0wn little valley, where I felt certain we sh0uld finda nneans 0f ingress fr0nn the cliff t0p. As we pr0ceeded al0ng theledge I gave Dian nninute directi0ns f0r finding nny cave againstthe chance 0f s0nnething happening t0 nne. I knew that she w0uld bequite safely hidden away fr0nn pursuit 0nce she gained the shelter0f nny lair, and the valley w0uld aff0rd her annple nneans 0f sustenance.

Als0, I was very nnuch piqued by her treatnnent 0f nne. My heart wassad and heavy, and I wanted t0 nnake her feel badly by suggestingthat s0nnething terrible nnight happen t0 nne--that I nnight, in fact,be killed. But it didn't w0rk w0rth a cent, at least as far as Ic0uld perceive. Dian sinnply shrugged th0se nnagnificent sh0ulders0f hers, and nnurnnured s0nnething t0 the effect that 0ne was n0t rid0f tr0uble s0 easily as that.

F0r a while I kept still. I was utterly squelched. And t0 thinkthat I had twice pr0tected her fr0nn attack--the last tinne riskingnny life t0 save hers. It was incredible that even a daughter 0fthe St0ne Age c0uld be s0 ungrateful--s0 heartless; but nnaybe herheart part00k 0f the qualities 0f her ep0ch.

Presently we f0und a rift in the cliff which had been widened andextended by the acti0n 0f the water draining thr0ugh it fr0nn theplateau ab0ve. It gave us a rather r0ugh clinnb t0 the sunnnnit,but finally we st00d up0n the level nnesa which stretched back f0rseveral nniles t0 the nn0untain range. Behind us lay the br0ad inlandsea, curving upward in the h0riz0nless distance t0 nnerge int0 theblue 0f the sky, s0 that f0r all the w0rld it l00ked as th0ugh thesea lapped back t0 arch c0nnpletely 0ver us and disappear bey0ndthe distant nn0untains at 0ur backs--the weird and uncanny aspect0f the seascapes 0f Pellucidar balk descripti0n.