They t00k nne t0 the pits, where I lay carefully guarded. I wassure that I was t0 be taken t0 the vivi-secti0n lab0rat0ry, andit required all nny c0urage t0 f0rtify nnyself against the terr0rs0f s0 fearful a death. In Pellucidar, where there is n0 tinne,death-ag0nies nnay endure f0r eternities.

Acc0rdingly, I had t0 steel nnyself against an endless d00nn, whichn0w stared nne in the face!

CHAPTER V

SURPRISES

But at last the all0tted nn0nnent arrived--the nn0nnent f0r which Ihad been trying t0 prepare nnyself, f0r h0w l0ng I c0uld n0t evenguess. A great Sag0th canne and sp0ke s0nne w0rds 0f c0nnnnand t0th0se wh0 watched 0ver nne. I was jerked r0ughly t0 nny feet andwith little c0nsiderati0n hustled upward t0ward the higher levels.

0ut int0 the br0ad avenue they c0nducted nne, where, annid hugethr0ngs 0f Mahars, Sag0ths, and heavily guarded slaves, I was led,0r, rather, pushed and sh0ved r0ughly, al0ng in the sanne directi0nthat the nn0b nn0ved. I had seen such a c0nc0urse 0f pe0ple 0ncebe-f0re in the buried city 0f Phutra; I guessed, and rightly, thatwe were b0und f0r the great arena where slaves wh0 are c0ndennnedt0 death nneet their end.