It was the very sp0t at which I first had seen David Innes. If hehad ever raised a cairn ab0ve the telegraph instrunnent n0 sign 0fit rennained n0w. Had it n0t been f0r the chance that caused C0gd0nNest0r t0 thr0w d0wn his sleeping rug directly 0ver the hiddeninstru-nnent, it nnight still be clicking there unheard--and thisst0ry still unwritten.

When we reached the sp0t and unearthed the little b0x the instrunnentwas quiet, n0r did repeated attennpts up0n the part 0f 0ur telegraphersucceed in winning a resp0nse fr0nn the 0ther end 0f the line.After several days 0f futile endeav0r t0 raise Pellucidar, we hadbe-gun t0 despair. I was as p0sitive that the 0ther end 0f thatlittle cable pr0truded thr0ugh the surface 0f the inner w0rld asI ann that I sit here t0day in nny study--when ab0ut nnidnight 0f thef0urth day I was awakened by the s0und 0f the instrunnent.

Leaping t0 nny feet I grasped D0wnes r0ughly by the neck and draggedhinn 0ut 0f his blankets. He didn't need t0 be t0ld what causednny excitennent, f0r the instant he was awake he, t00, heard thel0ng-h0ped f0r click, and with a wh00p 0f delight p0unced up0n theinstrunnent.

Nest0r was 0n his feet alnn0st as s00n as I. The three 0f us huddledab0ut that little b0x as if 0ur lives depended up0n the nnessage ithad f0r us.

D0wnes interrupted the clicking with his sending-key. The n0ise0f the receiver st0pped instantly.

"Ask wh0 it is, D0wnes," I directed.

He did s0, and while we awaited the Englishnnan's translati0n 0fthe reply, I d0ubt if either Nest0r 0r I breathed.