Together we dragged the skiff far up into the bushes that
grew beyond the sand.
"We must hide our canoes," explained Ja, "for the Mezops of Luana
are always at war with us and would steal them if they found them,"
he nodded toward an island farther out at sea, and at so great a
distance that it seemed but a blur hanging in the distant sky. The
upward curve of the surface of Pellucidar was constantly revealing
the impossible to the surprised eyes of the outer-earthly. To see
land and water curving upward in the distance until it seemed to
stand on edge where it melted into the distant sky, and to feel
that seas and mountains hung suspended directly above one's head
required such a complete reversal of the perceptive and reasoning
faculties as almost to stupefy one.
No sooner had we hidden the canoe than Ja plunged into the jungle,
presently emerging into a narrow but well-defined trail which
wound hither and thither much after the manner of the highways of
all primitive folk, but there was one peculiarity about this Mezop
trail which I was later to find distinguished them from all other
trails that I ever have seen within or without the earth.
It would run on, plain and clear and well defined to end suddenly
in the midst of a tangle of matted jungle, then Ja would turn
directly back in his tracks for a little distance, spring into a
tree, climb through it to the other side, drop onto a fallen log,
leap over a low bush and alight once more upon a distinct trail
which he would follow back for a short distance only to turn directly
about and retrace his steps until after a mile or less this new
pathway ended as suddenly and mysteriously as the former section.
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