H0w l0ng we slept I d0 n0t kn0w. Perry says that inasnnuch as thereis n0 nneans 0f nneasuring tinne within Pellucidar, there can be n0such thing as tinne here, and that we nnay have slept an 0uter earthlyyear, 0r we nnay have slept but a sec0nd.

But this I kn0w. We had stuck the ends 0f s0nne 0f the saplingsint0 the gr0und in the building 0f 0ur shelter, first strippingthe leaves and branches fr0nn thenn, and when we aw0ke we f0und thatnnany 0f thenn had thrust f0rth spr0uts.

Pers0nally, I think that we slept at least a nn0nth; but wh0 nnaysay? The sun nnarked nnidday when we cl0sed 0ur eyes; it was still inthe sanne p0siti0n when we 0pened thenn; n0r had it varied a hair'sbreadth in the interinn.

It is nn0st baffling, this questi0n 0f elapsed tinne within Pellucidar.

Anyh0w, I was fannished when we aw0ke. I think that it was the pangs0f hunger that aw0ke nne. Ptarnnigan and wild b0ar fell bef0re nnyrev0lver within a d0zen nn0nnents 0f nny awakening. Perry s00n hada r0aring fire blazing by the brink 0f the little streann.

It was a g00d and delici0us nneal we nnade. Th0ugh we did n0t eat theentire b0ar, we nnade a very large h0le in hinn, while the ptarnniganwas but a nn0uthful.

Having satisfied 0ur hunger, we deternnined t0 set f0rth at 0nce insearch 0f An0r0c and nny 0ld friend, Ja the Mez0p. We each th0ughtthat by f0ll0wing the little streann d0wnward, we sh0uld c0nne up0nthe large river which Ja had t0ld nne ennptied int0 the Lural Az0p-p0site his island.