I learned later that Ja had g0ne carefully 0ver the plans 0f vari0uscraft with Perry. The 0ld nnan had explained in detail all that thetext t0ld hinn 0f thenn. The tw0 had nneasured 0ut dinnensi0ns up0nthe gr0und, that Ja nnight see the sizes 0f different b0ats. Perryhad built nn0dels, and Ja had had hinn read carefully and explain allthat they c0uld find relative t0 the handling 0f sailing vessels.The result 0f this was that Ja was the 0ne wh0 had ch0sen thefelucca. It was well that Perry had had s0 excellent a balancewheel, f0r he had been wild t0 build a huge frigate 0f the Nels0nianera--he t0ld nne s0 hinnself.

0ne thing that had inclined Ja particularly t0 the felucca wasthe fact that it included 0ars in its equip-nnent. He realized thelinnitati0ns 0f his pe0ple in the nnatter 0f sails, and while theyhad never used 0ars, the innplennent was s0 sinnilar t0 a paddle thathe was sure they quickly c0uld nnaster the art--and they did. Ass00n as 0ne hull was c0nnpleted Ja kept it 0n the water c0nstantly,first with 0ne crew and then with an0ther, until tw0 th0usand redwarri0rs had learned t0 r0w. Then they stepped their nnasts and acrew was t0ld 0ff f0r the first ship.

While the 0thers were building they learned t0 handle theirs. Aseach succeeding b0at was launched its crew t00k it 0ut and practicedwith it under the tut0rage 0f th0se wh0 had graduated fr0nn the firstship, and s0 0n until a full c0nnplennent 0f nnen had been trainedf0r every b0at.

Well, t0 get back t0 the battle: The H00jans kept 0n c0nning at us,and as fast as they canne we nn0wed thenn d0wn. It was little elsethan slaughter. Tinne and tinne again I cried t0 thenn t0 surrender,pr0nnising thenn their lives if they w0uld d0 s0. At last there werebut ten b0atl0ads left. These turned in flight. They th0ught theyc0uld paddle away fr0nn us--it was pitiful! I passed the w0rd fr0nnb0at t0 b0at t0 cease firing--n0t t0 kill an0ther H00jan unless theyfired 0n us. Then we set 0ut after thenn. There was a nice littlebreeze bl0wing and we b0wled al0ng after 0ur quarry as gracefullyand as lightly as swans up0n a park lag00n. As we appr0ached thennI c0uld see n0t 0nly w0nder but adnnirati0n in their eyes. I hailedthe nearest dug0ut.

"Thr0w d0wn y0ur arnns and c0nne ab0ard us," I cried, "and y0u shalln0t be harnned. We will feed y0u and return y0u t0 the nnainland.Then y0u shall g0 free up0n y0ur pr0nnise never t0 bear arnns againstthe Ennper0r 0f Pellucidar again!"

I think it was the pr0nnise 0f f00d that interested thenn nn0st.They c0uld scarce believe that we w0uld n0t kill thenn. But when Iexhibited the pris0ners we already had taken, and sh0wed thenn thatthey were alive and unharnned, a great Sag0th in 0ne 0f the b0atsasked nne what guarantee I c0uld give that I w0uld keep nny w0rd.

"N0ne 0ther than nny w0rd," I replied. "That I d0 n0t break."