Tarzan at the Earth's Core

Tarzan no Centro da Terra

Edgar Rice Burroughs

ESL Easy Read

Reading Comprehension B1 • Original Text • Português Support

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Copyright

Fonte original — domínio público

Esta edição ESL Easy Read foi adaptada a partir de Tarzan at the Earth's Core, de Edgar Rice Burroughs, publicado originalmente em 1929.

A obra original encontra-se em domínio público e pode ser utilizada, reproduzida, distribuída e adaptada de acordo com a legislação aplicável.

Autor

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950)

Estados Unidos

Esta obra foi publicada originalmente em 1929.

Nos Estados Unidos, obras publicadas antes de 1930 encontram-se normalmente em domínio público.

Com base no ano de publicação disponível, esta obra encontra-se em domínio público nos Estados Unidos desde 1º de janeiro de 2025.

Brasil

Autor: Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950)

De acordo com a Lei nº 9.610/1998, os direitos patrimoniais expiram 70 anos após a morte do autor, contados a partir de 1º de janeiro do ano seguinte ao falecimento.

Edgar Rice Burroughs faleceu em 1950.

Situação no Brasil: DOMÍNIO PÚBLICO.

Portugal

Autor: Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950)

De acordo com o Código do Direito de Autor e dos Direitos Conexos, a proteção patrimonial dura 70 anos após a morte do autor.

Edgar Rice Burroughs faleceu em 1950.

Situação em Portugal: DOMÍNIO PÚBLICO.

Dados da publicação original

Obra original: Tarzan at the Earth's Core

Autor: Edgar Rice Burroughs

Primeira publicação: 1929

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Introdução

Como ler este livro

Cada livro desta coleção é apresentado em um nível de leitura simplificada, de acordo com o CEFR — Quadro Europeu Comum de Referência para Línguas.

A2 — Básico: indicado para leitores que já compreendem frases simples, vocabulário frequente e textos curtos sobre situações do cotidiano.

B1 — Intermediário: indicado para leitores que conseguem compreender as ideias principais de textos claros e acompanhar uma narrativa com vocabulário e estruturas de dificuldade moderada.

B2 — Intermediário avançado: indicado para leitores que já conseguem compreender textos mais complexos, acompanhar descrições detalhadas e reconhecer uma variedade maior de vocabulário e estruturas gramaticais.

Este livro foi adaptado para o nível B1.

Assim, você pode começar a lê-lo mesmo sem dominar completamente o inglês. O texto foi simplificado para facilitar a compreensão, preservando a história, os personagens e os acontecimentos principais da obra original.

Como usar as notas

No texto de leitura simplificada, cada parágrafo possui um link Pt/En. Esse link abre uma nota com a tradução em português do texto simplificado e o trecho correspondente no texto original em inglês.

No texto original em inglês, o link PT leva diretamente ao parágrafo correspondente na versão em português. Na tradução portuguesa, o link En retorna ao parágrafo correspondente no texto original.

A tradução para o português é feita a partir do texto em inglês simplificado, e não diretamente do texto original. O objetivo é ajudar você a compreender com precisão a frase simplificada que está estudando naquele momento.

O texto original em inglês é apresentado separadamente para a etapa seguinte do aprendizado, quando você já estiver preparado para ler e comparar a obra em sua forma original.

Cada nota contém links que permitem retornar exatamente ao parágrafo que você estava lendo.

Como usar o glossário

Na última parte do livro, o Glossary: New Words reúne, em ordem alfabética, palavras mais complexas ou menos frequentes presentes no texto simplificado de nível B1. Essas palavras aparecem em itálico no texto.

Cada entrada apresenta pronúncia, tradução em português, explicação simples em inglês, frase de exemplo e até cinco frases reais do livro.

O link Back to B1 retorna exatamente à frase correspondente na versão simplificada.

Depois do texto simplificado, o livro apresenta também o texto original completo em inglês e a versão completa em português.

Sobre este livro

Em 'Tarzan e o Império Perdido', de Edgar Rice Burroughs, o lendário homem-macaco embarca em uma jornada perigosa para o interior oco da Terra, conhecido como Pellucidar. A história começa quando Tarzan recebe um pedido de socorro de seu amigo Jason Gridley, que está preso neste mundo pré-histórico. Acompanhado por um grupo de companheiros leais, Tarzan desce através de uma abertura polar em Pellucidar, uma terra onde dinossauros e tribos humanas primitivas ainda prosperam. O conflito central surge quando Tarzan precisa navegar pela paisagem traiçoeira, confrontar feras selvagens e superar os cruéis Mahars — uma raça de criaturas inteligentes semelhantes a pássaros que escravizam a população humana local. Ao longo do caminho, ele encontra aliados como a corajosa guerreira Dian, a Bela, e o engenhoso inventor Abner Perry. A narrativa progride através de uma série de aventuras emocionantes, incluindo batalhas com répteis gigantes, fugas de masmorras subterrâneas e uma revolta culminante contra os Mahars. O tom de Burroughs é aventureiro e acelerado, misturando elementos de ficção científica e fantasia com o heroísmo clássico da selva. O romance explora temas de coragem, lealdade e o choque entre civilização e natureza primal. A força, inteligência e código moral de Tarzan são testados enquanto ele luta para libertar os escravizados e encontrar um caminho de volta ao mundo da superfície. A história mantém um senso de maravilha e perigo, capturando a imaginação com sua representação vívida de um mundo oculto sob nossos pés.

Sobre o autor

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950) foi um escritor norte-americano e um dos grandes nomes da literatura de aventura popular do século XX. Criou Tarzan em 1912, personagem que rapidamente se tornou um fenómeno mundial. Ao longo da carreira escreveu dezenas de romances de aventura, fantasia e ficção científica, incluindo as séries Tarzan, Barsoom (John Carter de Marte), Pellucidar, Venus e Caspak. As suas obras foram traduzidas para numerosos idiomas e inspiraram filmes, séries de televisão, banda desenhada, animações e adaptações radiofónicas durante mais de um século. Mini cronologia: 1875 — nascimento; 1912 — Tarzan of the Apes; 1917 — A Princess of Mars; anos 1920 — Tarzan torna-se fenómeno mundial; 1950 — falecimento. Hoje, Tarzan continua a ser uma das personagens mais reconhecidas da literatura popular mundial.

Nota editorial

A tradução para o português e a versão Reading Comprehension B1 foram geradas com apoio de inteligência artificial e submetidas a revisão editorial.

Em caso de dúvida ou observações, fale conosco.

MicMac from Las Vegas LLC
Contato: admin@micmacfromlasvegas.com

Outros livros e materiais

Materiais e outros livros da série ESL Easy Read:

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Tarzan of the Apes

The Return Of Tarzan

The Beasts Of Tarzan

The Son Of Tarzan

Tarzan and the Jewels Of Opar

Jungle Tales Of Tarzan

Tarzan The Untamed

Tarzan The Terrible

Tarzan and the Golden Lion

Tarzan and the Ant Men

Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle

Jungle Tales Of Tarzan — ESL Easy Read

Tarzan and the City of Gold

Tarzan and the Lion Man

Tarzan and the Lost Empire

Tarzan at the Earth's Core

Tarzan the Invincible

Tarzan Triumphant

The Tarzan Twins

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www.micmacfromlasvegas.com

Reading Comprehension B1

1 - Foreword

1 - The O-220

2 - Pellucidar

3 - The Great Cats

Foreword

Pt/En Pellucidar is a world inside our world. It is located on the inner surface of the Earth, which is a hollow sphere.

Pt/En David Innes and Abner Perry found Pellucidar. They were testing a machine invented by Perry to find coal. The machine went straight down for 500 miles. On the third day, they broke through the Earth's crust into the inner world. Perry was unconscious from lack of air, and David was also losing consciousness, but they found fresh air.

Pt/En Since then, these two explorers have had strange adventures. Perry never came back to the outer world. Innes returned only once. He went back in the machine to bring tools to his people in the inner world. He wanted to give them the civilization of the twentieth century.

Pt/En However, Pellucidar has not advanced much toward civilization. This is because of fights with primitive people and animals. For the large area of the inner world and its many inhabitants from an ancient time, David Innes and Abner Perry might as well have never existed.

Pt/En The land and water areas on Pellucidar are in the opposite places compared to the outer world. This fact can help us imagine how large this great world within a world is.

Pt/En The land on the Earth's surface is about 53 million square miles. But inside Pellucidar, three-quarters of the surface is land. This means Pellucidar has a very large land area, over 124 million square miles. The oceans there are also very big.

Pt/En This is strange because it means there is a bigger world inside a smaller one. Pellucidar is different from our world and does not follow the usual rules of nature that we know.

Pt/En In the middle of the Earth is Pellucidar's sun. It is small, but it gives light and warmth to Pellucidar's jungles. Because the sun is always in the sky, there is never night in Pellucidar; it is always daytime.

Pt/En Pellucidar has no stars and its sun does not seem to move. So, there are no compass directions. There is also no horizon because the land always curves up. You cannot see far away. Since there is no sun, stars, or moon like ours, there is no concept of time. Pellucidar is a world without time, so people there do not worry about being busy or about money.

Pt/En People from the outer world have heard from Pellucidar three times. We know that Perry first brought gunpowder to the people there. Later, he also brought repeating rifles, small boats with guns, and finally, a radio.

Pt/En Perry was a scientist who liked experiments. His radio could not receive signals from the outside world. But a young man named Jason Gridley, from Tarzana, invented a new wave called the Gridley Wave. He used it to receive the first message from Pellucidar.

Pt/En The last message received from Perry before his signals stopped told that David Innes, the first Emperor of Pellucidar, was kept in a dark prison. This prison was in the land of the Korsars, which is very far from his home, Sari. Sari is a land on a high plain near the Lural Az.

The O-220

Pt/En Tarzan of the apes stopped to listen and smell the air. You would not have heard what he heard, or understood it. You would only have smelled old plants and new growing things.

Pt/En The sounds Tarzan heard were very far away and quiet, even for him. At first, he could not tell what made the sounds. But he felt that the sounds meant people were coming.

Pt/En Animals like Buto the rhinoceros, Tantor the elephant, or Numa the lion could pass through the forest, and Tarzan would only watch them with mild interest. But when he saw a man, Tarzan would investigate. This is because people, more than any other creatures, bring trouble and change wherever they go.

Pt/En Tarzan grew up with apes and did not know other people like him. He was worried when people came into his jungle because they often caused trouble. He had met some friendly people, but he always wondered why people visited his home. Today, he heard sounds and moved quietly to see what was happening.

Pt/En As Tarzan got closer, he heard the sound of people walking with bare feet and singing. They were carrying heavy loads. He also smelled the scent of black men and, a little bit, the smell of a white man. Tarzan knew a white man was there, leading the group, before he could see them on the path.

Pt/En A young white man was walking at the front of the group. Tarzan looked at him and felt that the stranger was good. Tarzan had a special feeling that helped him know if people he met were good or bad, like many wild animals and early humans.

Pt/En Tarzan turned and quickly and quietly moved through the trees. He went ahead of the group until he was a little distance in front of them. Then, he climbed down to the path and waited for them to arrive.

Pt/En The first guards saw Tarzan when they came around a bend in the path. They stopped and started talking loudly and excitedly. These men were from a different area and did not recognize Tarzan of the Apes.

Pt/En The ape-man announced that he was Tarzan and asked why the other person was in Tarzan's country.

Pt/En The young man, who had stopped near his soldier, walked towards the ape-man. He smiled and asked if he was Lord Greystoke.

Pt/En The foster son of Kala replied that here, he was Tarzan of the Apes.

Pt/En The young man said that he was lucky because he had traveled all the way from Southern California to find him.

Pt/En The ape-man demanded to know who the young man was and what he wanted from Tarzan of the Apes.

Pt/En The man said his name was Jason Gridley. He explained that he had a long story to tell. He hoped Tarzan could go with him to their next camp and listen to his mission.

Pt/En Tarzan nodded. He told Gridley that in the jungle, they were not usually in a hurry. He asked where Gridley planned to make camp.

Pt/En Gridley explained that their guide had become ill and left them. None of his own men knew the area well, so they did not know if there was a good place for a camp nearby.

Pt/En Tarzan replied that there was a good camp-site with clean water less than half a mile away.

Pt/En Gridley said "Good." The group continued walking, and the porters were happy because they expected to make camp early.

Pt/En That evening, while Tarzan and Jason were drinking coffee, Tarzan asked Jason about the reason for his visit.

Pt/En Tarzan asked Jason what had brought him from Southern California to the middle of Africa.

Pt/En Gridley smiled and said that now he was there, he felt it would be hard to convince Tarzan he was not crazy. However, he was sure his story was true. He had already spent a lot of money and time on his plan. He wanted Tarzan's help, both personal and financial, and was ready to give more money and all his time. He could not pay for the whole trip himself, but he thought Tarzan was the best person to lead this adventure.

Pt/En Tarzan said that if Gridley was willing to risk so much of his own money, the expedition must have the potential for great profits.

Pt/En Gridley replied that, as far as he knew, there would be no financial profit for anyone involved.

Pt/En Tarzan smiled and asked if they were American.

Pt/En Gridley answered that not all people cared only about money.

Pt/En Tarzan asked what the reason was and wanted the whole plan explained to him.

Pt/En He asked if they had ever heard the idea that the earth is a hollow ball with a world inside.

Pt/En The ape-man replied that science had already proven that idea wrong.

Pt/En Gridley asked if it had been proven wrong well enough.

Pt/En Tarzan replied that scientists were satisfied.

Pt/En The American said he was also satisfied, but that changed when he recently got a message from the inner world.

Pt/En The ape-man said he was surprised.

Pt/En He explained that he had been surprised too, but he had been talking by radio to Abner Perry in the inner world called Pellucidar. He had brought a copy of the message and a paper that proved it was real. Another man, who was familiar to Tarzan, had heard the message at the same time and signed the paper.

Pt/En Gridley took a letter and a thick book from a bag. He gave them to Tarzan.

Pt/En Gridley told Tarzan that he would not read the whole story of Tanar of Pellucidar. He explained that much of it was not needed to understand his plan.

Pt/En Tarzan agreed and said that he was listening.

Pt/En Jason Gridley read parts of the book for thirty minutes. He said that these parts convinced him Pellucidar was real. He also said that David Innes was in trouble, and this made him want to ask Tarzan to help start an expedition to rescue Innes from the Korsars.

Pt/En Tarzan asked Gridley how he thought they could do this. He also asked if Gridley believed Innes' idea that there was an entrance to the inner world at each pole.

Pt/En The American said he was unsure what to believe. However, after receiving a message from Perry, he began to look into the idea. He learned that the theory of a habitable world inside the Earth, with entrances at the North and South Poles, was not new. He found that there was good evidence to support this idea. He read books written about 1830 and more recently. These books offered what seemed like a good explanation for many known events that science had not explained well.

Pt/En Tarzan asked for an example.

Pt/En He explained that there were warm winds and ocean currents from the north, and branches with green leaves floating south from far north. He also mentioned the northern lights, suggesting they could be light from the central sun of the inner world. He pointed out pollen on the snow and ice, which must come from the inner world. Finally, he noted that northern tribes of Eskimos said their ancestors came from a country to the north.

Pt/En Tarzan asked if Amundsen and Ellsworth's expedition had disproven the idea of a north polar opening, and if airplanes had flown over unexplored areas near the pole.

Pt/En The American replied that the opening might be so large that explorers could fly over it without noticing. He also suggested that explorers often followed the edge of the opening, which could explain why compasses acted strangely near the North Pole, a mystery to explorers.

Pt/En Tarzan asked if they were sure that an inner world existed and if there was an entrance to it at the north pole.

Pt/En Gridley replied that he believed in an inner world but was not convinced about a polar opening. He thought there was enough evidence to organize the expedition he had suggested.

Pt/En The speaker asked how they planned to discover and explore the inner world, assuming a polar opening existed.

Pt/En He explained that a specially built airship, like a Zeppelin and using helium gas, would be the best way to travel. He believed this ship would be safer than other transport and that the journey to the inner world would be less difficult than the Norge's trip across the pole. He mentioned David Innes discovered a sea north of the Korsars' land before being captured.

Pt/En The biggest danger would be not being able to return because the helium gas might run out during the journey. However, he said this was a risk all explorers must take. He also thought that if they could build a strong and light ship, they could use vacuum tanks for safety and buoyancy instead of dangerous gases.

Pt/En Tarzan said that perhaps it was possible. He was becoming more interested in what Gridley was suggesting.

Pt/En The American disagreed. He explained that it might be possible in the future, but not now with the materials they had. He said that any container strong enough to handle the air pressure on a vacuum would be too heavy for the vacuum to lift.

Pt/En Tarzan replied that maybe it was possible, but maybe it was not.

Pt/En Gridley asked Tarzan what he meant.

Pt/En Tarzan explained that what Gridley had just said reminded him of a young friend, Erich von Harben. Erich was a scientist and explorer. He had recently returned from the Wiramwazi Mountains, where he found a tribe living by a lake. They used canoes made of a metal that was very light, like cork, but very strong, like steel. Erich had brought back samples of this metal and was doing experiments in his father's mission.

Pt/En Gridley asked where the man was.

Pt/En The ape-man replied that Dr. von Harben's mission was in the Urambi country. He said it was about a four-day journey west from where they were.

Pt/En The two men talked about the project late into the night because Tarzan was very interested. The next day, they traveled back to the Urambi country and von Harben's mission. They arrived four days later and were welcomed by Dr. von Harben, his son Erich, and Erich's wife, Favonia.

Pt/En The story will not explain all the details about how the expedition to Pellucida was planned and prepared. However, the part about finding the mine with the special metal, now called Harbenite, was full of adventure and excitement and could be a book on its own.

Pt/En While Tarzan and Erich von Harben were finding the mine and moving the metal to the coast, Jason Gridley was in Germany. He was talking with engineers about building a special airship. This airship would be used to try and reach the inner world.

Pt/En Jason Gridley brought samples of Harbenite to Friedrichshafen. Scientists tested the material carefully. They made plans, and when the Harbenite arrived, construction could start immediately. The building happened in secret. Six months later, a new airship called the O-220 was ready. Most people thought it was just another normal airship for carrying passengers in Europe.

Pt/En The O-220 was a large, cigar-shaped airship. It was almost 1,000 feet long and 150 feet wide. Inside, the hull had six big rooms that could be sealed off from air. Three rooms were above the middle line of the ship, and three were below. Along the sides of the ship, between the upper and lower tanks, there were long hallways. These hallways held the engines, motors, pumps, and fuel.

Pt/En The engine room was inside the airship because there was no risk of fire. Airships that use hydrogen gas for lift often have fire dangers. The O-220 was built to be completely fireproof. Almost everything was made of Harbenite, except for some small parts in the motors, generators, and propellers.

Pt/En Two hallways ran across the ship, one at the front and one at the back. These connected the engine hallways on the left and right sides. Two shafts went up and down through the ship, crossing these hallways. These shafts were used for climbing between levels.

Pt/En At the top of the front climbing shaft, there was a small cabin for a gun and for observing. A narrow walkway went along the top of the ship from this front cabin to a small turret near the back. This turret was equipped to hold a machine gun.

Pt/En The main room of the ship was part of its strong body. Because it was built this way, it did not need rooms hanging below. The ship had landing gear with six large wheels with strong tires that stuck out from the bottom. At the back of the ship, a small airplane was kept. It could be lowered through the bottom of the ship and flown while the main ship was flying.

Pt/En Eight motors with cooling systems drove eight propellers. The propellers were placed in pairs on each side of the ship. They were arranged so that the air from the front propellers did not hit the ones behind them.

Pt/En The engines made 5600 horsepower. They could make the ship travel at 105 miles per hour.

Pt/En Inside the O-220, there was a main tube made of Harbenite that went along the ship's center. Smaller tubes came out from this main tube, like spokes from a wheel. These connected to the ship's frame, and the Harbenite plates of the outside skin were attached to this frame.

Pt/En Harbenite is very light. Because of this, the ship weighed only 75 tons. However, its vacuum tanks could lift 225 tons.

Pt/En The ship had special air valves and pumps to control the vacuum in its tanks. These were used for moving the ship and for landing. Pumps could remove air from the tanks when a new vacuum was needed. The ship also had rudders and elevators for steering. These could be controlled from the front cabin or from a backup position in case the main controls broke.

Pt/En Inside the ship's main cabin were rooms for the officers and crew. There were also storage areas for guns, food, fuel, and water. The water tanks could be emptied quickly if there was an emergency. Some fuel tanks were designed to be dropped from the ship if it was necessary to make the ship lighter very quickly.

Pt/En This large, strong airship was the one Jason Gridley and Tarzan of the Apes planned to use. They hoped to find the entrance to the inner world at the north pole and save David Innes, the ruler of Pellucidar, from the Korsars' prisons.

Pellucidar

Pt/En Before sunrise on a clear June morning, the O-220 airship slowly left its hangar using its own power. It was fully loaded for a test flight. This flight would be like its long journey. The three bottom tanks still had air, and the ship had extra water to help it stay balanced. This made it move safely and easily on the ground, almost like a car.

Pt/En When the ship moved into the open, its pumps began to push air out of the three bottom tanks. At the same time, some of the extra water ballast was released. Soon after, the large ship began to rise slowly and smoothly from the ground.

Pt/En The people on the ship for the test flight were the same people chosen for the expedition. Zuppner was the captain. He had managed the building of the ship and helped design it. The two mates, Von Horst and Dorf, had been officers in the air force, like the navigator, Lieutenant Hines. There were also twelve engineers, eight mechanics, a cook, and two cabin-boys.

Pt/En Tarzan was the leader of the expedition. Jason Gridley was his second-in-command. The fighters on the ship were Muviro and nine of his Waziri warriors.

Pt/En As the ship flew smoothly up from the city, Zuppner, who was controlling it, was very excited.

Pt/En He said it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and that the ship moved easily with the slightest touch.

Pt/En Hines replied that he was not surprised because he knew the ship would work well. He added that they had more than enough crew to manage it.

Pt/En Tarzan told the Lieutenant that he wanted many people on the ship because they were going to an unknown place. He explained that they might be away for a long time. Tarzan also said that there would be fighting, and they might need more men for the trip back, as some people might not return.

Pt/En Hines agreed with Tarzan. He said that on the ship, with its calm feeling and the peaceful view below, danger and death seemed far away.

Pt/En Tarzan hoped danger was far away and that everyone would return safely. However, he believed in being ready. He and Gridley had been studying navigation and wanted practice before they arrived at their destination.

Pt/En Zuppner laughed and told Hines that others already knew about his plans.

Pt/En The Lieutenant smiled. He said he would teach them everything he knew. He also bet that if the ship returned, he would still be its navigator.

Pt/En Gridley explained that the situation was like a game where one side always wins, no matter the result.

Pt/En Tarzan said that he wanted his Waziri to help the mechanics and engineers. He explained that they were smart and learned quickly. Tarzan believed it was important for more people to know how the ship's engines and machines worked, in case of any problems.

Pt/En Zuppner agreed with Tarzan, saying that he would make sure it happened.

Pt/En The large, shiny ship flew north. Ravensburg disappeared behind them, and soon after, the gray Danube river was visible below.

Pt/En Zuppner became more excited the longer they were in the air. He said he had believed the test flight would be successful, but he was very impressed with how perfect the ship was. He thought it was the start of a new time for flying machines and was sure that before they reached Hamburg, everyone would be completely satisfied with the O-220's safety and ability to fly.

Pt/En Tarzan asked why they were turning back at Hamburg. He explained that the plan was to go to Hamburg and then return to Friedrichshafen for the test trip.

Pt/En The other people looked at him with questions because they understood what he was asking.

Pt/En Gridley asked the same question: why were they turning back?

Pt/En Zuppner moved his shoulders. He said they had everything they needed, like food and supplies.

Pt/En Hines asked why they should travel 800 miles back to Friedrichshafen if they were ready.

Pt/En Tarzan suggested they continue north if everyone agreed. So, the ship O-220 began its long journey toward the interior of the earth, and the expedition remained secret.

Pt/En The plan was to fly north along the Tenth Meridian east of Greenwich to the pole. However, to avoid attracting attention, they slightly changed course. The ship went west of Hamburg, across the North Sea, and then due north, passing west of Spitzbergen over the frozen polar lands.

Pt/En Flying at an average speed of about 75 miles per hour, the O-220 reached the area near the north pole on the second day. Hines announced they were directly over the pole according to his calculations, and everyone was excited. Tarzan suggested the ship fly slowly in circles a few hundred feet above the rough, snow-covered ice.

Pt/En Zuppner joked they might see Italian flags, which would show where the Norge had passed. However, any signs of the Norge's earlier visit were completely covered by deep snow.

Pt/En The ship made one circle above the empty, icy area before heading south along the 170th East Meridian.

Pt/En Jason Gridley watched the instruments and the land as their ship flew south from the pole. He thought the north polar opening was near 85 degrees north latitude and 170 degrees east longitude. He looked closely at the compass because he had an idea that was important for finding the opening.

Pt/En The ship flew south for five hours. Then, it seemed to start turning towards the west.

Pt/En Gridley told the captain to keep the ship steady. He explained that if his idea was correct, they were flying over the edge of the polar opening. He said the compass was showing a wrong direction, not their actual course. He believed the compass would become more confused the further they went. He also said that if they tried to fly straight up across the opening, the needle would spin around, but they could not reach the center because it was too high. Gridley thought they were on the east side of the opening. He warned that if they turned the ship to the right (starboard), they would slowly go down into Pellucidar, but the compass would not work for the next 400 to 600 miles.

Pt/En Zuppner was not sure. He said that if the weather stayed good, they might be able to do it. But he doubted he could keep a course if he could not follow the compass, especially if it started to blow hard.

Pt/En Gridley told him to do his best and to turn the ship to the right (starboard) if he was unsure about the direction.

Pt/En The people were very worried and stressed. They were so nervous that they did not talk for many hours.

Pt/En Hines suddenly shouted for them to look. He said that they could see open water in front of them.

Pt/En Zuppner said that they could expect to see open water. He explained that he had not believed Gridley's idea about a polar opening since Gridley first told him about it.

Pt/En Gridley thought that he was perhaps the only one who believed in the idea. He said it was not his idea and he would not have been surprised if it was wrong. But he asked them to look at the sun. He said that even if there was no opening to an inner world, there must be a very deep place in the earth's surface. He explained that they had gone down into it a lot. He pointed out that the sun was lower than it should be at midnight. He thought that if they continued, the sun would get even lower and eventually set. He believed they would soon see the light of the eternal sun of Pellucidar.

Pt/En Suddenly, the telephone rang. Hines answered it. After a moment, he said it was Von Horst calling from the observation room. Von Horst reported that he had seen land directly in front of them.

Pt/En Zuppner shouted that they had found land. He said that the map only showed Siberia in that direction.

Pt/En Gridley explained that Siberia was more than a thousand miles south of latitude 85. He added that they could not be more than three hundred miles south of 85.

Pt/En Lieutenant Hines suggested they had either found a new land in the Arctic, or they were getting close to the northern edge of Pellucidar.

Pt/En Gridley agreed and told them to look at their thermometer.

Pt/En Zuppner exclaimed that the temperature was only twenty degrees Fahrenheit above zero.

Pt/En Tarzan said that they could see the land clearly now. He mentioned that it looked empty, but there were only small areas of snow.

Pt/En Gridley said that this land was similar to the land Innes had described north of Korsar.

Pt/En News quickly spread around the ship to the officers and crew that they believed the land below was Pellucidar. Everyone was very excited. Men who were not busy with their jobs went up to see or looked through the windows to get a look at the inner world.

Pt/En The ship O-220 continued south. Just as the midnight sun went below the horizon behind them, they could clearly see the light of Pellucidar's central sun in front of them.

Pt/En The land below began to change quickly. The empty land was now behind them. The ship had flown over some wooded hills, and now a large forest was ahead. It seemed to curve upwards and disappear into the mist in the distance. This was truly Pellucidar, the place Jason Gridley had imagined.

Pt/En Outside the forest was a large, gently sloping land with groups of trees. Many streams flowed through this well-watered area and ended in a big river on the far side.

Pt/En Large groups of animals were eating grass in the open fields, and there were no people in sight.

Pt/En Tarzan of the Apes thought the place looked like heaven and asked the Captain to land.

Pt/En The large ship slowly landed by taking air into special tanks to reduce its speed.

Pt/En Short ladders were put out because the bottom of the cabin was only six feet from the ground. Soon, almost everyone from the ship, except for a few guards, was walking in the tall grasses of Pellucidar.

Pt/En Tarzan said that he had hoped they would find some fresh meat. However, he explained that the ship had scared all the animals away.

Pt/En Dorf replied that from what he had seen, they would not have to go far to find some animals.

Pt/En Tarzan stated that what they needed most was rest. He mentioned that for weeks everyone had been working hard to prepare for the expedition, and he doubted if anyone had slept more than two hours in the last three days. He suggested they stay there until they were all rested and then begin a careful search for the city of Korsar.

Pt/En Everyone agreed with the plan, and they made arrangements to stay for several days.

Pt/En Gridley told Captain Zuppner that he thought it would be wise to give strict orders. He wanted no one to leave the ship or its immediate area without the Captain's permission. He also suggested that no one should go far away unless they were with a group led by an officer. Gridley explained that they were sure to encounter wild people and dangerous animals everywhere in Pellucidar.

Pt/En Tarzan smiled and said he hoped he would not have to follow that order.

Pt/En Zuppner said he thought Tarzan could manage by himself in any place.

Pt/En The ape-man replied that he could hunt much better by himself than with a group.

Pt/En Zuppner continued that the order came from Tarzan as commander. He added that no one would complain if Tarzan exempted himself, because none of the others wanted to travel alone in Pellucidar.

Pt/En All the officers and men slept continuously, except for the watch, which was changed every four hours.

Pt/En Tarzan was the first person to wake up and leave the ship. He had taken off the clothes that felt uncomfortable. He was not dressed like a typical Englishman. Instead, he was almost naked and carried his old hunting weapons: a knife, a spear, a bow and arrows, and a rope. He liked these weapons from his youth more than modern ones.

Pt/En Lieutenant Dorf was the only officer working at that time. He saw Tarzan leave the ship. Dorf watched Tarzan with great admiration as he walked across the open land and then went into the forest.

Pt/En Tarzan recognized some trees, but others were new to him. It was a forest, and that was enough to make him happy. He could forget the last few weeks he had spent in the unpleasant places of civilization. He was also happy to be free from the ship, and although he liked his companions, he was glad to be alone.

Pt/En Tarzan felt like a boy who had just finished school. He was free from the clothes he disliked and far from anything that reminded him of how people harm nature. He breathed the fresh air of Pellucidar. He jumped into a tree and swung through the forest. At that moment, he only felt the joy of being alive. Strange birds flew away from him, and animals hid below. But Tarzan did not pay attention. He was not hunting or looking for new things. He was just living.

Pt/En While Tarzan felt this way, he did not think about time or distance. He did not worry about where he was going. He believed he could handle any situation because of his own abilities. He did not remember that in his own jungle, he used the sun, moon, and stars, and many familiar things to find his way. These were like a silent language that only jungle people could understand.

Pt/En Tarzan slowed down and landed on a clear animal path. He looked at the amazing things around him. He saw very old trees and thick vines, which seemed older than his own jungle. He also saw beautiful flowers everywhere. Suddenly, something grabbed his body and threw him high into the air.

Pt/En Tarzan of the Apes had been thinking. Because he was busy looking at the new world, he was not as careful as usual. Animals in the wild must always be watchful.

Pt/En Almost immediately, Tarzan understood what had happened. He knew it could be bad, but he almost smiled. He felt a little ashamed because he had been caught in a simple trap, like an animal.

Pt/En A rope trap, made from animal skin, was hidden in the path. It was connected to a tree branch that was bent down. Tarzan stepped on the trigger. The problem was worse because the rope trap held his arms tightly to his sides when it closed.

Pt/En He was hanging about six feet above the path, caught around his hips. The rope held his arms tight against his body. To make things worse, he was hanging upside down and spinning around, like a weight on a string.

Pt/En Tarzan tried to move his arm to get his hunting knife and free himself. But his body's weight pulled the rope tighter around him. Every effort he made only made the strong rope grip his flesh more deeply.

Pt/En He knew the rope meant people were near. He thought they would come soon to check their trap. He knew hunters did not leave traps for long. He wondered what kind of people they were and if he could be friends with them. He hoped they would come before dangerous animals arrived. While thinking this, he heard footsteps. They were not human steps. He could not smell anything, and he realized the animal could not smell him either. It was coming slowly. As it got closer, he knew it was an animal with hooves. He felt he had little to fear from it, unless it was a strange creature from Pellucidar with unusual features.

Pt/En As he felt a little safer, he smelled a strong scent. This scent always made the hair on his head stand up, not from fear, but because it was an old enemy. He had never smelled this odor before. It was not the smell of a lion (Numa) or a leopard (Sheeta), but it was the smell of a large cat. He could now hear it moving quietly through the bushes. He knew it was coming towards the path, perhaps because it knew he was there, or because it knew the other animal was coming.

Pt/En The large cat was not the first to appear. A large, ox-like animal with wide horns and thick fur came into view first. It was a huge bull. It walked a few yards along the path before it saw Tarzan. This animal was called the thag of Pellucidar. It was like an ancient ox from Earth's past, a relative of today's cattle.

Pt/En For a moment, the bull looked at the man hanging in front of it.

Pt/En Tarzan watched quietly. He did not want to scare the animal away because he knew one of them might be hunted by a dangerous animal. However, the animal was not scared. It made angry sounds, hit the ground with its foot, and lowered its big horns. Then it attacked angrily. Tarzan saw the animal was getting very angry and ready to charge. It was coming closer with loud noises, its tail up and head down, starting to run before the attack.

Pt/En Tarzan knew that if the animal hit him with its horns or head, his head would break easily, like an eggshell.

Pt/En The spinning motion had slowed down, so Tarzan sometimes faced the animal and sometimes faced the other way. He was very upset about being helpless and worried more about this than about dying. He had faced death many times since he was a child and was not afraid of it. He knew death was natural for everyone. While he liked living and did not want to die, he did not panic. But he wanted to fight for his life. As he slowly turned away from the charging animal, he felt sad that he could not even see death coming.

Pt/En In the short time before the impact, a very loud and terrible scream was heard. The animal's angry sounds became higher and mixed with the scream.

Pt/En Tarzan turned again and saw a sight that people from the outside world had not seen for thousands of years.

Pt/En Tarzan saw a very large saber-tooth tiger on a big animal called a thag. The tiger was so big that Tarzan could hardly believe his eyes. The thag tried to fight the tiger by swinging its horns and shaking its body, and it made loud noises because of the pain and anger.

Pt/En The saber-tooth tiger moved to a better position. Then, very quickly, it hit the thag's head with a strong blow. This blow broke the thag's skull, and the animal fell down dead. After that, the tiger began to eat its food.

Pt/En The saber-tooth tiger did not see Tarzan during the fight. After the tiger started eating the thag, it noticed Tarzan watching from a few yards away. The tiger stopped eating, lowered its head, and made an angry noise. It watched Tarzan, and then slowly got up from the dead animal and walked towards him.

The Great Cats

Pt/En Robert Jones was a soldier who was captured and sent to a prison camp. He was friendly and made friends, but he could not get free. When the prison was evacuated, Robert Jones stayed behind. He had learned the language and made friends with the people there. They gave him a job, and Robert Jones from Alabama was happy to stay. He became a cook for officers and was chosen by Captain Zuppner for a special trip called the O-220 expedition.

Pt/En Robert Jones woke up on the O-220 ship. He yawned, stretched, and sat up, surprised. He got out of bed and looked out of an open window.

Pt/En He exclaimed in surprise that the other person had overslept.

Pt/En He looked at the sun for a moment. Then he quickly got dressed and went into his galley.

Pt/En He thought it was strange that no one was awake and that they must have all overslept. He checked the clock on the galley wall, which showed six o'clock. He listened and heard that the clock was still working. He opened the door on the side of the ship and looked up at the sun again. He then said that something was wrong and he did not know if he should cook breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Pt/En Jason Gridley came out of his cabin and walked towards the galley. He stopped at the doorway and greeted Bob, asking if there was a chance to get some breakfast.

Pt/En Robert asked if Jason had said breakfast.

Pt/En Gridley agreed and said he wanted toast, coffee, and a couple of eggs. He said he would eat anything that was easy to get.

Pt/En The man exclaimed that he knew it. He said the old clock was right, but the sun was not working correctly.

Pt/En Gridley smiled. He said he would go for a short walk and return in fifteen minutes. He asked if the other person had seen Lord Greystoke.

Pt/En The other person replied that he had not seen Master Tarzan since the day before.

Pt/En Gridley said he was wondering about that because Lord Greystoke was not in his cabin.

Pt/En Gridley walked near the ship for fifteen minutes. When he returned to the mess room, Zuppner and Dorf were waiting for breakfast. He said good morning to them.

Pt/En Zuppner replied that he did not know if it was a good morning or a good evening.

Pt/En Dorf said they had been there for twelve hours and the time was the same as when they arrived. He had been on watch for four hours, and without the clock, he could not be sure if he had been on watch for fifteen minutes or a week.

Pt/En Gridley agreed that it made a strange feeling of unreality that was hard to explain.

Pt/En Zuppner asked where Greystoke was, noting that he usually woke up early.

Pt/En Gridley said he had asked Bob, but Bob had not seen the person they were looking for.

Pt/En Dorf stated that the person had left the ship about three hours before, shortly after he began his watch. He also mentioned seeing the person walk across the open land and go into the forest.

Pt/En Gridley expressed his wish that the person had not gone out by himself.

Pt/En Zuppner commented that the person seemed capable of looking after himself.

Pt/En Dorf said that he had seen things in the last four hours that made him doubt if any person could stay safe alone in this world, especially someone with only simple weapons like Greystoke had.

Pt/En Zuppner asked if the person had no guns.

Pt/En Dorf said the person had a bow and arrows, a spear, a rope, and a hunting knife. But he thought these weapons were not very useful against the dangerous things he had seen.

Pt/En Zuppner asked Dorf what he meant and what he had seen.

Pt/En Dorf smiled shyly and said he did not want to tell because he did not believe it himself.

Pt/En Zuppner told him to speak and said they would understand that his youth, or the sun and horizon of Pellucidar, might affect his sight or his truthfulness.

Pt/En Dorf said that about an hour before, a bear had passed close to their ship.

Pt/En Zuppner replied that there was nothing special about that.

Pt/En However, Dorf said that the bear was very remarkable.

Pt/En Gridley asked in what way.

Pt/En Dorf explained that the bear was as large as an ox. He added that if he were hunting bears in that country, he would need heavy weapons.

Pt/En Zuppner asked if he had only seen a bear.

Pt/En Dorf replied that he had seen tigers. He saw twelve tigers, and they were much bigger than Bengal tigers. He also said the bear was much bigger than any bear he had seen before. The tigers were very big with long, curved teeth, about 8 inches to a foot long. They drank from the stream and then went into the forest or towards a big river.

Pt/En Zuppner said that Greystoke would not be able to fight these animals, even with a rifle.

Pt/En Gridley suggested that if Greystoke was in the forest, he could escape them.

Pt/En Zuppner shook his head and said he did not like the situation. He wished Greystoke had not gone out alone.

Pt/En Dorf explained that the bears and tigers were bad, but he had seen another animal that he thought was even worse.

Pt/En Robert, who was allowed special privileges, came in from the kitchen. He listened with great interest to Dorf's story about the animals he had seen. Meanwhile, Victor, a Filipino cabin boy, was serving food to the officers.

Pt/En Dorf continued his story, saying he saw a very strange flying creature. He first thought it was a bird, but then saw it was a winged reptile with a long head and sharp teeth. It was very big, with a wingspan of about twenty feet. The creature flew over the ship, and Dorf saw it drop to the ground nearby. It then picked up an animal as big as a sheep in its claws and flew away easily. Dorf concluded that the creature ate meat and was strong enough to carry away a person.

Pt/En Robert Jones covered his mouth and quickly left the room, his shoulders shaking. Once he was alone in the kitchen with the door shut, he laughed a lot.

Pt/En Victor asked Robert what was wrong.

Pt/En Robert was very surprised. He said that he thought people in the Adventurous Club could lie, but Lieutenant Dorf was even better. He asked if they had heard Lieutenant Dorf talk about a flying snake that carried away sheep.

Pt/En However, the white men in the mess room listened to Lieutenant Dorf's story more seriously.

Pt/En Zuppner suggested that the creature might be a pterodactyl.

Pt/En Lieutenant Dorf agreed and said that he had identified it as a Pteranodon.

Pt/En Gridley asked if they should organize a search party.

Pt/En Zuppner replied that he thought Greystoke would not approve.

Pt/En Dorf suggested that they could go out pretending to be a hunting party.

Pt/En Zuppner said that if Tarzan had not returned in an hour, they would have to do something similar.

Pt/En Hines and Von Horst entered the room. When they heard that Tarzan was missing from the ship and learned about the dangerous animals he might have met, they also worried about his safety.

Pt/En Von Horst suggested to Zuppner that they could sail around the area for a while.

Pt/En Gridley asked what would happen if he returned to that place while they were gone.

Pt/En Zuppner asked if they could bring the ship back to the same place.

Pt/En The Lieutenant replied that he did not think so. He explained that their equipment was almost useless in Pellucidar.

Pt/En Gridley then said it would be better for them to stay where they were until he returned.

Pt/En Zuppner asked what guarantee they had that a search party sent on foot would be able to find its way back to the ship.

Pt/En Gridley said it would not be difficult. He explained that they could mark their path as they went, so they could easily find their way back.

Pt/En Zuppner agreed with Gridley.

Pt/En Gridley suggested that he and Von Horst could go with Muviro and his Waziri. He said they were good trackers, strong fighters, and knew the jungle well.

Pt/En Dorf replied that they did not know this particular jungle.

Pt/En Gridley insisted that they knew any jungle better than the others.

Pt/En Zuppner said that he thought the plan was good. He also mentioned that since the other person was now in command, the rest of them would happily follow their orders.

Pt/En Gridley explained that the situation they were in was new to everyone. He believed that decisions should be made after discussing them fully, rather than just following the person in charge without thinking.

Pt/En Zuppner agreed with Gridley, saying that Greystoke's way of doing things had always made things easy and pleasant for everyone. He could not think of a better plan than the one suggested.

Pt/En Gridley agreed and asked the lieutenant, Von Horst, if he would go with him.

Pt/En The officer smiled and exclaimed that he would be very unhappy if he was not included in the plan.

Pt/En Gridley agreed and said they should prepare immediately for an early start. He asked the Lieutenant to make sure the Waziri had eaten and to tell Muviro that they needed to be armed with rifles. Gridley mentioned that although the Waziri could use rifles, they often felt that traditional weapons like spears and arrows were better.

Pt/En Hines confirmed this, explaining that Muviro had told him his people thought using guns was a sign of weakness. He said they practiced with firearms but preferred to use their spears and arrows when hunting dangerous animals like lions or rhinos.

Pt/En Dorf suggested that after seeing what he had seen, the Waziri would respect a powerful rifle more.

Pt/En Gridley instructed Von Horst to ensure they took plenty of ammunition. He explained that based on his observations in the country, they would not need to carry any food.

Pt/En Zuppner commented that a person who could not find food in this land would starve even in a place full of food.

Pt/En Von Horst went to follow Gridley's instructions. Gridley returned to his cabin to prepare for the journey.

Pt/En The officers and crew of the O-220 watched the expedition leave to find Tarzan. Ten strong Waziri warriors marched with Gridley and Von Horst. Robert Jones watched from the galley door and felt proud. He thought the warriors were very brave and that any flying snakes should leave the area. Robert watched the group cross the plain until they entered the dark forest. Then, he looked at the sun, shook his head, and went back to the galley.

Pt/En Soon after the group left the ship, Gridley asked Muviro to lead and look for Tarzan's tracks. Muviro was the best tracker in the group. The Waziri chief easily followed the ape-man's tracks across the plain and into the forest. However, the tracks disappeared under a large tree.

Pt/En Muviro explained that the "Big Bwana" had climbed into the trees there. He said that no one could follow his tracks through the lower, middle, or upper parts of the trees.

Pt/En Gridley asked Muviro what he suggested they do next.

Pt/En The warrior explained that if Tarzan were in his own jungle, he would move directly through the trees to where he wanted to go. However, if he was hunting, his path would change because of animal signs and smells.

Pt/En Von Horst said that Tarzan was probably hunting.

Pt/En Muviro added that if Tarzan was hunting, he would move in a straight line until he found animal tracks or a clear path used by animals.

Pt/En Gridley asked what Tarzan would do next.

Pt/En Muviro replied that Tarzan might wait near the animal path or follow it. He thought Tarzan would follow it because he was always interested in exploring new places.

Pt/En Gridley suggested that they should go straight into the forest in the same direction until they found a path used by animals.

Pt/En Muviro and three warriors went ahead, clearing plants and marking trees so they could find their way back to the ship. Gridley used a small compass to guide them through the forest, which was hard to do under the strong sun shining through the leaves.

Pt/En Von Horst said he was surprised by the forest and that looking for one person there was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Pt/En Gridley replied that finding the needle might be a little possible.

Pt/En Von Horst thought it might be a good idea to shoot a gun sometimes.

Pt/En Gridley said that the rifles were excellent. He explained that the rifles had stronger bullets and made a louder sound than their revolvers.

Pt/En After telling the others what he planned, he asked one of the local men to shoot three times. Gridley and Von Horst did not have rifles; they each carried two revolvers. Later, they fired one shot every half hour. However, as the search party moved deeper into the forest, everyone started to feel that their search was useless.

Pt/En Soon, the forest began to look different. The trees were not as close together. The plants on the ground were still thick, but not as much as before. Here, they found a wide animal path. This path was very deep, about two feet lower than the ground around it, because many animals had walked on it. It was here that Jason Gridley made a mistake.

Pt/En Gridley told Muviro that they would follow this path and would not mark the trees. He said they would only mark the trees if the path split or if other paths crossed it.

Pt/En It was an easy mistake to make. Marking the trees would not help them find their way back later, because they were following the path, not looking for marked trees.

Pt/En The path was easier here. The Waziri warriors walked fast, and they covered many miles quickly. The hot sun made them forget about the time. They were very interested in the many animals and plants around them.

Pt/En They saw strange monkeys that looked a lot like people and were very big. Colorful and plain birds flew away from them noisily. Large shapes moved in the bushes, and they could hear animals walking on soft feet all around.

Pt/En Sometimes the forest was very quiet, like a tomb. Other times, they heard loud, frightening noises like growls, roars, and screams all around them.

Pt/En After a very loud and wild noise, Von Horst said he wanted to see some of the animals making the sounds.

Pt/En Gridley replied that he was surprised they had not seen them. He thought the animals were probably afraid of them. He believed this was because of their large numbers and also because of the strange smells around them, which would make the animals more suspicious, especially after hearing their gunshots.

Pt/En Von Horst told Gridley that he had noticed most of the loud, angry sounds were coming from behind them. He explained that they heard squeals and noises like elephants from the front and sides, but growls and roars only came from far away.

Pt/En Gridley asked Von Horst how he could explain this.

Pt/En Von Horst replied that he could not explain it. He said it was as if they were walking in the middle of a group, with all the dangerous animals behind them.

Pt/En Gridley laughed and said that the constant sun had some good points because it meant they would not have to stay there for the night.

Pt/En At that moment, one of the Waziri behind them shouted to get their attention. He told them to look back along the path. Gridley and Von Horst looked where the man pointed and saw a large animal slowly walking behind them on the trail.

Pt/En Von Horst exclaimed in surprise, saying he had thought Dorf was exaggerating.

Pt/En Gridley found it hard to believe that five hundred miles below them, cars were driving on busy streets with tall buildings. He also found it strange that modern technology like the telegraph, telephone, and radio were common there, and that many people lived without needing to defend themselves. At the same time, they were facing a saber-tooth tiger in a place that seemed very old.

Pt/En Von Horst pointed them out, saying that if there was one, there were a dozen.

Pt/En One of the Waziri asked his leader if they should shoot.

Original English Text

1 - Foreword

1 - The O-220

2 - Pellucidar

3 - The Great Cats

Foreword

PT Pellucidar, as every schoolboy knows, is a world within a world, lying, as it does, upon the inner surface of the hollow sphere, which is the Earth.

PT It was discovered by David Innes and Abner Perry upon the occasion when they made the trial trip upon the mechanical prospector invented by Perry, wherewith they hoped to locate new beds of anthracite coal. Owing, however, to their inability to deflect the nose of the prospector, after it had started downward into the Earth's crust, they bored straight through for five hundred miles, and upon the third day, when Perry was already unconscious owing to the consumption of their stock of oxygen, and David was fast losing consciousness, the nose of the prospector broke through the crust of the inner world and the cabin was filled with fresh air.

PT In the years that have intervened, weird adventures have befallen these two explorers. Perry has never returned to the outer crust, and Innes but once—upon that occasion when he made the difficult and dangerous return trip in the prospector for the purpose of bringing back to the empire he had founded in the inner world the means to bestow upon his primitive people of the stone age the civilization of the twentieth century.

PT But what with battles with primitive men and still more primitive beasts and reptiles, the advance of the empire of Pellucidar toward civilization has been small; and in so far as the great area of the inner world is concerned, or the countless millions of its teeming life of another age than ours, David Innes and Abner Perry might never have existed.

PT When one considers that these land and water areas upon the surface of Pellucidar are in opposite relationship to the same areas upon the outer crust, some slight conception of the vast extent of this mighty world within a world may be dreamed.

PT The land area of the outer world comprises some fifty-three million square miles, or one-quarter of the total area of the earth's surface; while within Pellucidar three-quarters of the surface is land, so that jungle, mountain, forest and plain stretch interminably over 124,110,000 square miles; nor are the oceans with their area of 41,370,000 square miles of any mean or niggardly extent.

PT Thus, considering the land area only, we have the strange anomaly of a larger world within a smaller one, but then Pellucidar is a world of deviation from what we of the outer crust have come to accept as unalterable laws of nature.

PT In the exact center of the earth hangs Pellucidar's sun, a tiny orb compared with ours, but sufficient to illuminate Pellucidar and flood her teeming jungles with warmth and life-giving rays. Her sun hanging thus perpetually at zenith, there is no night upon Pellucidar, but always an endless eternity of noon.

PT There being no stars and no apparent movement of the sun, Pellucidar has no points of compass; nor has she any horizon since her surface curves always upward in all directions from the observer, so that far above one's line of vision, plain or sea or distant mountain range go onward and upward until lost in the haze of the distance. And again, in a world where there is no sun, no stars and no moon, such as we know, there can be no such thing as time, as we know it. And so, in Pellucidar, we have a timeless world which must necessarily be free from those pests who are constantly calling our attention to "the busy little bee" and to the fact that "time is money." While time may be "the soul of this world" and the "essence of contracts," in the beatific existence of Pellucidar it is nothing and less than nothing.

PT Thrice in the past have we of the outer world received communication from Pellucidar. We know that Perry's first great gift of civilization to the stone age was gunpowder. We know that he followed this with repeating rifles, small ships of war upon which were mounted guns of no great caliber, and finally we know that he perfected a radio.

PT Knowing Perry as something of an empiric, we were not surprised to learn that his radio could not be tuned in upon any known wave or wave length of the outer world, and it remained for young Jason Gridley of Tarzana, experimenting with his newly discovered Gridley Wave, to pick up the first message from Pellucidar.

PT The last word that we received from Perry before his messages faltered and died out was to the effect that David Innes, first Emperor of Pellucidar, was languishing in a dark dungeon in the land of the Korsars, far across continent and ocean from his beloved land of Sari, which lies upon a great plateau not far inland from the Lural Az.

The O-220

PT Tarzan of the apes paused to listen and to sniff the air. Had you been there you could not have heard what he heard, or had you you could not have interpreted it. You could have smelled nothing but the mustiness of decaying vegetation, which blended with the aroma of growing things.

PT The sounds that Tarzan heard came from a great distance and were faint even to his ears; nor at first could he definitely ascribe them to their true source, though he conceived the impression that they heralded the coming of a party of men.

PT Buto the rhinoceros, Tantor the elephant or Numa the lion might come and go through the forest without arousing more than the indifferent interest of the Lord of the Jungle, but when man came Tarzan investigated, for man alone of all creatures brings change and dissension and strife wheresoever he first sets foot.

PT Reared to manhood among the great apes without knowledge of the existence of any other creatures like himself, Tarzan had since learned to anticipate with concern each fresh invasion of his jungle by these two-footed harbingers of strife. Among many races of men he had found friends, but this did not prevent him from questioning the purposes and the motives of whosoever entered his domain. And so today he moved silently through the middle terrace of his leafy way in the direction of the sounds that he had heard.

PT As the distance closed between him and those he went to investigate, his keen ears cataloged the sound of padding, naked feet and the song of native carriers as they swung along beneath their heavy burdens. And then to his nostrils came the scent spoor of black men and with it, faintly, the suggestion of another scent, and Tarzan knew that a white man was on safari before the head of the column came in view along the wide, well-marked game trail, above which the Lord of the Jungle waited.

PT Near the head of the column marched a young white man, and when Tarzan's eyes had rested upon him for a moment as he swung along the trail they impressed their stamp of approval of the stranger within the ape-man's brain, for in common with many savage beasts and primitive men Tarzan possessed an uncanny instinct in judging aright the characters of strangers whom he met.

PT Turning about, Tarzan moved swiftly and silently through the trees until he was some little distance ahead of the marching safari, then he dropped down into the trail and awaited its coming.

PT Rounding a curve in the trail the leading askari came in sight of him and when they saw him they halted and commenced to jabber excitedly, for these were men recruited in another district—men who did not know Tarzan of the Apes by sight.

PT "I am Tarzan," announced the ape-man. "What do you in Tarzan's country?"

PT Immediately the young man, who had halted abreast of his askari, advanced toward the ape-man. There was a smile upon his eager face. "You are Lord Greystoke?" he asked.

PT "Here, I am Tarzan of the Apes," replied the foster son of Kala.

PT "Then luck is certainly with me," said the young man, "for I have come all the way from Southern California to find you."

PT "Who are you," demanded the ape-man, "and what do you want of Tarzan of the Apes?"

PT "My name is Jason Gridley," replied the other. "And what I have come to talk to you about will make a long story. I hope that you can find the time to accompany me to our next camp and the patience to listen to me there until I have explained my mission."

PT Tarzan nodded. "In the jungle," he said, "we are not often pressed for time. Where do you intend making camp?"

PT "The guide that I obtained in the last village complained of being ill and turned back an hour ago, and as none of my own men is familiar with this country we do not know whether there is a suitable camp-site within one mile or ten."

PT "There is one within half a mile," replied Tarzan, "and with good water."

PT "Good," said Gridley; and the safari resumed its way, the porters laughing and singing at the prospect of an early camp.

PT It was not until Jason and Tarzan were enjoying their coffee that evening that the ape-man reverted to the subject of the American's visit.

PT "And now," he said, "what has brought you all the way from Southern California to the heart of Africa?"

PT Gridley smiled. "Now that I am actually here," he said, "and face to face with you, I am suddenly confronted with the conviction that after you have heard my story it is going to be difficult to convince you that I am not crazy, and yet in my own mind I am so thoroughly convinced of the truth of what I am going to tell you that I have already invested a considerable amount of money and time to place my plan before you for the purpose of enlisting your personal and financial support, and I am ready and willing to invest still more money and all of my time. Unfortunately I cannot wholly finance the expedition that I have in mind from my personal resources, but that is not primarily my reason for coming to you. Doubtless I could have raised the necessary money elsewhere, but I believe that you are peculiarly fitted to lead such a venture as I have in mind."

PT "Whatever the expedition may be that you are contemplating," said Tarzan, "the potential profits must be great indeed if you are willing to risk so much of your own money."

PT "On the contrary," replied Gridley, "there will be no financial profit for anyone concerned in so far as I now know."

PT "And you are an American?" asked Tarzan, smiling.

PT "We are not all money mad," replied Gridley.

PT "Then what is the incentive? Explain the whole proposition to me."

PT "Have you ever heard of the theory that the earth is a hollow sphere, containing a habitable world within its interior?"

PT "The theory that has been definitely refuted by scientific investigation," replied the ape-man.

PT "But has it been refuted satisfactorily?" asked Gridley.

PT "To the satisfaction of the scientists," replied Tarzan.

PT "And to my satisfaction, too," replied the American, "until I recently received a message direct from the inner world."

PT "You surprise me," said the ape-man.

PT "And I, too, was surprised, but the fact remains that I have been in radio communication with Abner Perry in the inner world of Pellucidar and I have brought a copy of that message with me and also an affidavit of its authenticity from a man with whose name you are familiar and who was with me when I received the message; in fact, he was listening in at the same time with me. Here they are."

PT From a portfolio he took a letter which he handed to Tarzan and a bulky manuscript bound in board covers.

PT "I shall not take the time to read you all of the story of Tanar of Pellucidar," said Gridley, "because there is a great deal in it that is not essential to the exposition of my plan."

PT "As you will," said Tarzan. "I am listening."

PT For half an hour Jason Gridley read excerpts from the manuscript before him. "This," he said, when he had completed the reading, "is what convinced me of the existence of Pellucidar, and it is the unfortunate situation of David Innes that impelled me to come to you with the proposal that we undertake an expedition whose first purpose shall be to rescue him from the dungeon of the Korsars."

PT "And how do you think this may be done?" asked the ape-man. "Are you convinced of the correctness of Innes' theory that there is an entrance to the inner world at each pole?"

PT "I am free to confess that I do not know what to believe," replied the American. "But after I received this message from Perry I commenced to investigate and I discovered that the theory of an inhabitable world at the center of the earth with openings leading into it at the north and south poles is no new one and that there is much evidence to support it. I found a very complete exposition of the theory in a book written about 1830 and in another work of more recent time. Therein I found what seemed to be a reasonable explanation of many well known phenomena that have not been satisfactorily explained by any hypothesis endorsed by science."

PT "What, for example?" asked Tarzan.

PT "Well, for example, warm winds and warm ocean currents coming from the north and encountered and reported by practically all arctic explorers; the presence of the limbs and branches of trees with green foliage upon them floating southward from the far north, far above the latitude where any such trees are found upon the outer crust; then there is the phenomenon of the northern lights, which in the light of David Innes' theory may easily be explained as rays of light from the central sun of the inner world, breaking occasionally through the fog and cloud banks above the polar opening. Again there is the pollen, which often thickly covers the snow and ice in portions of the polar regions. This pollen could not come from elsewhere than the inner world. And in addition to all this is the insistence of the far northern tribes of Eskimos that their forefathers came from a country to the north."

PT "Did not Amundson and Ellsworth in the Norge expedition definitely disprove the theory of a north polar opening in the earth's crust, and have not airplane flights been made over a considerable portion of the hitherto unexplored regions near the pole?" demanded the ape-man.

PT "The answer to that is that the polar opening is so large that a ship, a dirigible or an airplane could dip down over the edge into it a short distance and return without ever being aware of the fact, but the most tenable theory is that in most instances explorers have merely followed around the outer rim of the orifice, which would largely explain the peculiar and mystifying action of compasses and other scientific instruments at points near the so-called north pole—matters which have greatly puzzled all arctic explorers."

PT "You are convinced then that there is not only an inner world but that there is an entrance to it at the north pole?" asked Tarzan.

PT "I am convinced that there is an inner world, but I am not convinced of the existence of a polar opening," replied Gridley. "I can only say that I believe there is sufficient evidence to warrant the organization of an expedition such as I have suggested."

PT "Assuming that a polar opening into an inner world exists, by just what means do you purpose accomplishing the discovery and exploration of it?"

PT "The most practical means of transportation that exists today for carrying out my plan would be a specially constructed rigid airship, built along the lines of the modern Zeppelin. Such a ship, using helium gas, would show a higher factor of safety than any other means of transportation at our disposal. I have given the matter considerable thought and I feel sure that if there is such a polar opening, the obstacles that would confront us in an attempt to enter the inner world would be far less than those encountered by the Norge in its famous trip across the pole to Alaska, for there is no question in my mind but that it made a wide detour in following the rim of the polar orifice and covered a far greater distance than we shall have to cover to reach a reasonably safe anchorage below the cold, polar sea that David Innes discovered north of the land of the Korsars before he was finally taken prisoner by them.

PT "The greatest risk that we would have to face would be a possible inability to return to the outer crust, owing to the depletion of our helium gas that might be made necessary by the maneuvering of the ship. But that is only the same chance of life or death that every explorer and scientific investigator must be willing to assume in the prosecution of his labors. If it were but possible to build a hull sufficiently light, and at the same time sufficiently strong, to withstand atmospheric pressure, we could dispense with both the dangerous hydrogen gas and the rare and expensive helium gas and have the assurance of the utmost safety and maximum of buoyancy in a ship supported entirely by vacuum tanks."

PT "Perhaps even that is possible," said Tarzan, who was now evincing increasing interest in Gridley's proposition.

PT The American shook his head. "It may be possible some day," he said, "but not at present with any known material. Any receptacle having sufficient strength to withstand the atmospheric pressure upon a vacuum would have a weight far too great for the vacuum to lift."

PT "Perhaps," said Tarzan, "and, again, perhaps not."

PT "What do you mean?" inquired Gridley.

PT "What you have just said," replied Tarzan, "reminds me of something that a young friend of mine recently told me. Erich von Harben is something of a scientist and explorer himself, and the last time that I saw him he had just returned from a second expedition into the Wiramwazi Mountains, where he told me that he had discovered a lake-dwelling tribe using canoes made of a metal that was apparently as light as cork and stronger than steel. He brought some samples of the metal back with him, and at the time I last saw him he was conducting some experiments in a little laboratory he has rigged up at his father's mission."

PT "Where is this man?" demanded Gridley.

PT "Dr. von Harben's mission is in the Urambi country," replied the ape-man, "about four marches west of where we now are."

PT Far into the night the two men discussed plans for the project, for Tarzan was now thoroughly interested, and the next day they turned back toward the Urambi country and von Harben's mission, where they arrived on the fourth day and were greeted by Dr. von Harben and his son, Erich, as well as by the latter's wife, the beautiful Favonia of Castrum Mare.

PT It is not my intention to weary you with a recital of the details of the organization and equipment of the Pellucidarian expedition, although that portion of it which relates to the search for and discovery of the native mine containing the remarkable metal now known as Harbenite, filled as it was with adventure and excitement, is well worth a volume by itself.

PT While Tarzan and Erich von Harben were locating the mine and transporting the metal to the seacoast, Jason Gridley was in Friedrichshafen in consultation with the engineers of the company he had chosen to construct the specially designed airship in which the attempt was to be made to reach the inner world.

PT Exhaustive tests were made of the samples of Harbenite brought to Friedrichshafen by Jason Gridley. Plans were drawn, and by the time the shipment of the ore arrived everything was in readiness to commence immediate construction, which was carried on secretly. And six months later, when the O-220, as it was officially known, was ready to take the air, it was generally considered to be nothing more than a new design of the ordinary type of rigid airship, destined to be used as a common carrier upon one of the already numerous commercial airways of Europe.

PT The great cigar-shaped hull of the O-220 was 997 feet in length and 150 feet in diameter. The interior of the hull was divided into six large, air-tight compartments, three of which, running the full length of the ship, were above the medial line and three below. Inside the hull and running along each side of the ship, between the upper and lower vacuum tanks, were long corridors in which were located the engines, motors and pumps, in addition to supplies of gasoline and oil.

PT The internal location of the engine room was made possible by the elimination of fire risk, which is an ever-present source of danger in airships which depend for their lifting power upon hydrogen gas, as well as to the absolutely fireproof construction of the O-220; every part of which, with the exception of a few cabin fittings and furniture, was of Harbenite, this metal being used throughout except for certain bushings and bearings in motors, generators and propellers.

PT Connecting the port and starboard engine and fuel corridors were two transverse corridors, one forward and one aft, while bisecting these transverse corridors were two climbing shafts extending from the bottom of the ship to the top.

PT The upper end of the forward climbing shaft terminated in a small gun and observation cabin at the top of the ship, along which was a narrow walkingway extending from the forward cabin to a small turret near the tail of the ship, where provision had been made for fixing a machine gun.

PT The main cabin, running along the keel of the ship, was an integral part of the hull, and because of this entirely rigid construction, which eliminated the necessity for cabins suspended below the hull, the O-220 was equipped with landing gear in the form of six, large, heavily tired wheels projecting below the bottom of the main cabin. In the extreme stern of the keel cabin a small scout monoplane was carried in such a way that it could be lowered through the bottom of the ship and launched while the O-220 was in flight.

PT Eight air-cooled motors drove as many propellers, which were arranged in pairs upon either side of the ship and staggered in such a manner that the air from the forward propellers would not interfere with those behind.

PT The engines, developing 5600 horsepower, were capable of driving the ship at a speed of 105 miles per hour.

PT In the O-220 the ordinary axial wire, which passes the whole length of the ship through the center, consisted of a tubular shaft of Harbenite from which smaller tubular braces radiated, like the spokes of a wheel, to the tubular girders, to which the Harbenite plates of the outer envelope were welded.

PT Owing to the extreme lightness of Harbenite, the total weight of the ship was 75 tons, while the total lift of its vacuum tanks was 225 tons.

PT For purposes of maneuvering the ship and to facilitate landing, each of the vacuum tanks was equipped with a bank of eight air valves operated from the control cabin at the forward end of the keel; while six pumps, three in the starboard and three in the port engine corridors, were designed to expel the air from the tanks when it became necessary to renew the vacuum. Special rudders and elevators were also operated from the forward control cabin as well as from an auxiliary position aft in the port engine corridor, in the event that the control cabin steering gear should break down.

PT In the main keel cabin were located the quarters for the officers and crew, gun and ammunition room, provision room, galley, additional gasoline and oil storage tanks, and water tanks, the latter so constructed that the contents of any of them might be emptied instantaneously in case of an emergency, while a proportion of the gasoline and oil tanks were slip tanks that might be slipped through the bottom of the ship in cases of extreme emergency when it was necessary instantaneously to reduce the weight of the load.

PT This, then, briefly, was the great, rigid airship in which Jason Gridley and Tarzan of the Apes hoped to discover the north polar entrance to the inner world and rescue David Innes, Emperor of Pellucidar, from the dungeons of the Korsars.

Pellucidar

PT Just before daybreak of a clear June morning, the O-220 moved slowly from its hangar under its own power. Fully loaded and equipped, it was to make its test flight under load conditions identical with those which would obtain when it set forth upon its long journey. The three lower tanks were still filled with air and she carried an excess of water ballast sufficient to overcome her equilibrium, so that while she moved lightly over the ground she moved with entire safety and could be maneuvered almost as handily as an automobile.

PT As she came into the open her pumps commenced to expel the air from the three lower tanks, and at the same time a portion of her excess water ballast was slowly discharged, and almost immediately the huge ship rose slowly and gracefully from the ground.

PT The entire personnel of the ship's company during the test flight was the same that had been selected for the expedition. Zuppner, who had been chosen as captain, had been in charge of the construction of the ship and had a considerable part in its designing. There were two mates, Von Horst and Dorf, who had been officers in the Imperial air forces, as also had the navigator, Lieutenant Hines. In addition to these there were twelve engineers and eight mechanics, a negro cook and two Filipino cabin-boys.

PT Tarzan was commander of the expedition, with Jason Gridley as his lieutenant, while the fighting men of the ship consisted of Muviro and nine of his Waziri warriors.

PT As the ship rose gracefully above the city, Zuppner, who was at the controls, could scarce restrain his enthusiasm.

PT "The sweetest thing I ever saw!" he exclaimed. "She responds to the lightest touch."

PT "I am not surprised at that," said Hines; "I knew she'd do it. Why we've got twice the crew we need to handle her."

PT "There you go again, Lieutenant," said Tarzan, laughing; "but do not think that my insistence upon a large crew was based upon any lack of confidence in the ship. We are going into a strange world. We may be gone a long time. If we reach our destination we shall have fighting, as each of you men who volunteered has been informed many times, so that while we may have twice as many men as we need for the trip in, we may yet find ourselves short handed on the return journey, for not all of us will return."

PT "I suppose you are right," said Hines; "but with the feel of this ship permeating me and the quiet peacefulness of the scene below, danger and death seem remote."

PT "I hope they are," returned Tarzan, "and I hope that we shall return with every man that goes out with us, but I believe in being prepared and to that end Gridley and I have been studying navigation and we want you to give us a chance at some practical experience before we reach our destination."

PT Zuppner laughed. "They have you marked already, Hines," he said.

PT The Lieutenant grinned. "I'll teach them all I know," he said; "but I'll bet the best dinner that can be served in Berlin that if this ship returns I'll still be her navigator."

PT "That is a case of heads-I-win, tails-you-lose," said Gridley.

PT "And to return to the subject of preparedness," said Tarzan, "I am going to ask you to let my Waziri help the mechanics and engineers. They are highly intelligent men, quick to learn, and if some calamity should overtake us we cannot have too many men familiar with the engines, and other machinery of the ship."

PT "You are right," said Zuppner, "and I shall see that it is done."

PT The great, shining ship sailed majestically north; Ravensburg fell astern and half an hour later the somber gray ribbon of the Danube lay below them.

PT The longer they were in the air the more enthusiastic Zuppner became. "I had every confidence in the successful outcome of the trial flight," he said; "but I can assure you that I did not look for such perfection as I find in this ship. It marks a new era in aeronautics, and I am convinced that long before we cover the four hundred miles to Hamburg that we shall have established the entire air worthiness of the O-220 to the entire satisfaction of each of us."

PT "To Hamburg and return to Friedrichshafen was to have been the route of the trial trip," said Tarzan, "but why turn back at Hamburg?"

PT The others turned questioning eyes upon him as the purport of his query sank home.

PT "Yes, why?" demanded Gridley.

PT Zuppner shrugged his shoulders. "We are fully equipped and provisioned," he said.

PT "Then why waste eight hundred miles in returning to Friedrichshafen?" demanded Hines.

PT "If you are all agreeable we shall continue toward the north," said Tarzan. And so it was that the trial trip of the O-220 became an actual start upon its long journey toward the interior of the earth, and the secrecy that was desired for the expedition was insured.

PT The plan had been to follow the Tenth Meridian east of Greenwich north to the pole. But to avoid attracting unnecessary notice a slight deviation from this course was found desirable, and the ship passed to the west of Hamburg and out across the waters of the North Sea, and thus due north, passing to the west of Spitzbergen and out across the frozen polar wastes.

PT Maintaining an average cruising speed of about 75 miles per hour, the O-220 reached the vicinity of the north pole about midnight of the second day, and excitement ran high when Hines announced that in accordance with his calculation they should be directly over the pole. At Tarzan's suggestion the ship circled slowly at an altitude of a few hundred feet above the rough, snow-covered ice.

PT "We ought to be able to recognize it by the Italian flags," said Zuppner, with a smile. But if any reminders of the passage of the Norge remained below them, they were effectually hidden by the mantle of many snows.

PT The ship made a single circle above the desolate ice pack before she took up her southerly course along the 170th East Meridian.

PT From the moment that the ship struck south from the pole Jason Gridley remained constantly with Hines and Zuppner eagerly and anxiously watching the instruments, or gazing down upon the bleak landscape ahead. It was Gridley's belief that the north polar opening lay in the vicinity of 85 north latitude and 170 east longitude. Before him were compass, aneroids, bubble statoscope, air speed indicator, inclinometers, rise and fall indicator, bearing plate, clock and thermometers; but the instrument that commanded his closest attention was the compass, for Jason Gridley held a theory and upon the correctness of it depended their success in finding the north polar opening.

PT For five hours the ship flew steadily toward the south, when she developed an apparent tendency to fall off toward the west.

PT "Hold her steady, Captain," cautioned Gridley, "for if I am correct we are now going over the lip of the polar opening, and the deviation is in the compass only and not in our course. The further we go along this course the more erratic the compass will become and if we were presently to move upward, or in other words, straight out across the polar opening toward its center, the needle would spin erratically in a circle. But we could not reach the center of the polar opening because of the tremendous altitude which this would require. I believe that we are now on the eastern verge of the opening and if whatever deviation from the present course you make is to the starboard we shall slowly spiral downward into Pellucidar, but your compass will be useless for the next four to six hundred miles."

PT Zuppner shook his head, dubiously. "If this weather holds, we may be able to do it," he said, "but if it commences to blow I doubt my ability to keep any sort of a course if I am not to follow the compass."

PT "Do the best you can," said Gridley, "and when in doubt put her to starboard."

PT So great was the nervous strain upon all of them that for hours at a time scarcely a word was exchanged.

PT "Look!" exclaimed Hines suddenly. "There is open water just ahead of us."

PT "That, of course, we might expect," said Zuppner, "even if there is no polar opening, and you know that I have been skeptical about that ever since Gridley first explained his theory to me."

PT "I think," said Gridley, with a smile, "that really I am the only one in the party who has had any faith at all in the theory, but please do not call it my theory for it is not, and even I should not have been surprised had the theory proven to be a false one. But if any of you has been watching the sun for the last few hours, I think that you will have to agree with me that even though there may be no polar opening into an inner world, there must be a great depression at this point in the earth's crust and that we had gone down into it for a considerable distance, for you will notice that the midnight sun is much lower than it should be and that the further we continue upon this course the lower it drops—eventually it will set completely, and if I am not much mistaken we shall soon see the light of the eternal noonday sun of Pellucidar."

PT Suddenly the telephone rang and Hines put the receiver to his ear. "Very good, sir," he said, after a moment, and hung up. "It was Von Horst, Captain, reporting from the observation cabin. He has sighted land dead ahead."

PT "Land!" exclaimed Zuppner. "The only land our chart shows in this direction is Siberia."

PT "Siberia lies over a thousand miles south of 85, and we cannot be over three hundred miles south of 85," said Gridley.

PT "Then we have either discovered a new arctic land, or we are approaching the northern frontiers of Pellucidar," said Lieutenant Hines.

PT "And that is just what we are doing," said Gridley. "Look at your thermometer."

PT "The devil!" exclaimed Zuppner. "It is only twenty degrees above zero Fahrenheit."

PT "You can see the land plainly now," said Tarzan. "It looks desolate enough, but there are only little patches of snow here and there."

PT "This corresponds with the land Innes described north of Korsar," said Gridley.

PT Word was quickly passed around the ship to the other officers and the crew that there was reason to believe that the land below them was Pellucidar. Excitement ran high, and every man who could spare a moment from his duties was aloft on the walkingway, or peering through portholes for a glimpse of the inner world.

PT Steadily the O-220 forged southward and just as the rim of the midnight sun disappeared from view below the horizon astern, the glow of Pellucidar's central sun was plainly visible ahead.

PT The nature of the landscape below was changing rapidly. The barren land had fallen astern, the ship had crossed a range of wooded hills and now before it lay a great forest that stretched on and on seemingly curving upward to be lost eventually in the haze of the distance. This was indeed Pellucidar—the Pellucidar of which Jason Gridley had dreamed.

PT Beyond the forest lay a rolling plain dotted with clumps of trees, a well-watered plain through which wound numerous streams, which emptied into a large river at its opposite side.

PT Great herds of game were grazing in the open pasture land and nowhere was there sight of man.

PT "This looks like heaven to me," said Tarzan of the Apes. "Let us land, Captain."

PT Slowly the great ship came to earth as air was taken into the lower vacuum tanks.

PT Short ladders were run out, for the bottom of the cabin was only six feet above the ground, and presently the entire ship's company, with the exception of a watch of an officer and two men, were knee deep in the lush grasses of Pellucidar.

PT "I thought we might get some fresh meat," said Tarzan, "but the ship has frightened all the game away."

PT "From the quantity of it I saw, we shall not have to go far to bag some," said Dorf.

PT "What we need most right now, however, is rest," said Tarzan. "For weeks every man has been working at high pitch in completing the preparation for the expedition and I doubt if one of us has had over two hours sleep in the last three days. I suggest that we remain here until we are all thoroughly rested and then take up a systematic search for the city of Korsar."

PT The plan met with general approval and preparations were made for a stay of several days.

PT "I believe," said Gridley to Captain Zuppner, "that it would be well to issue strict orders that no one is to leave the ship, or rather its close vicinity, without permission from you and that no one be allowed to venture far afield except in parties commanded by an officer, for we have every assurance that we shall meet with savage men and far more savage beasts everywhere within Pellucidar."

PT "I hope that you will except me from that order," said Tarzan, smiling.

PT "I believe that you can take care of yourself in any country," said Zuppner.

PT "And I can certainly hunt to better effect alone than I can with a party," said the ape-man.

PT "In any event," continued Zuppner, "the order comes from you as commander, and no one will complain if you exempt yourself from its provisions since I am sure that none of the rest of us is particularly anxious to wander about Pellucidar alone."

PT Officers and men, with the exception of the watch, which changed every four hours, slept the clock around.

PT Tarzan of the Apes was the first to complete his sleep and leave the ship. He had discarded the clothing that had encumbered and annoyed him since he had left his own African jungle to join in the preparation of the O-220, and it was no faultlessly attired Englishman that came from the cabin and dropped to the ground below, but instead an almost naked and primitive warrior, armed with hunting knife, spear, a bow and arrows, and the long rope which Tarzan always carried, for in the hunt he preferred the weapons of his youth to the firearms of civilization.

PT Lieutenant Dorf, the only officer on duty at the time, saw him depart and watched with unfeigned admiration as the black-haired jungle lord moved across the open plain and disappeared in the forest.

PT There were trees that were familiar to the eyes of the ape-man, and trees such as he had never seen before, but it was a forest and that was enough to lure Tarzan of the Apes and permit him to forget the last few weeks that had been spent amidst the distasteful surroundings of civilization. He was happy to be free from the ship, too, and, while he liked all his companions, he was yet glad to be alone.

PT In the first flight of his new-found freedom Tarzan was like a boy released from school. Unhampered by the hated vestments of civilization, out of sight of anything that might even remotely remind him of the atrocities with which man scars the face of nature, he filled his lungs with the free air of Pellucidar, leaped into a nearby tree and swung away through the forest, his only concern for the moment the joyousness of exultant vitality and life. On he sped through the primeval forest of Pellucidar. Strange birds, startled by his swift and silent passage, flew screaming from his path, and strange beasts slunk to cover beneath him. But Tarzan did not care; he was not hunting; he was not even searching for the new in this new world. For the moment he was only living.

PT While this mood dominated him Tarzan gave no thought to the passage of time any more than he had given thought to the timelessness of Pellucidar, whose noonday sun, hanging perpetually at zenith, gives a lie to us of the outer crust who rush frantically through life in mad and futile effort to beat the earth in her revolutions. Nor did Tarzan reckon upon distance or direction, for such matters were seldom the subjects of conscious consideration upon the part of the ape-man, whose remarkable ability to meet every and any emergency he unconsciously attributed to powers that lay within himself, not stopping to consider that in his own jungle he relied upon the friendly sun and moon and stars as guides by day and night, and to the myriad familiar things that spoke to him in a friendly, voiceless language that only the jungle people can interpret.

PT As his mood changed Tarzan reduced his speed, and presently he dropped to the ground in a well-marked game trail. Now he let his eyes take in the new wonders all about him. He noticed the evidences of great age as betokened by the enormous size of the trees and the hoary stems of the great vines that clung to many of them—suggestions of age that made his own jungle seem modern—and he marvelled at the gorgeous flowers that bloomed in riotous profusion upon every hand, and then of a sudden something gripped him about the body and snapped him high into the air.

PT Tarzan of the Apes had nodded. His mind occupied with the wonders of this new world had permitted a momentary relaxation of that habitual wariness that distinguishes creatures of the wild.

PT Almost in the instant of its occurrence the ape-man realized what had befallen him. Although he could easily imagine its disastrous sequel, the suggestion of a smile touched his lips—a rueful smile—and one that was perhaps tinged with disgust for himself, for Tarzan of the Apes had been caught in as primitive a snare as was ever laid for unwary beasts.

PT A rawhide noose, attached to the downbent limb of an overhanging tree, had been buried in the trail along which he had been passing and he had struck the trigger—that was the whole story. But its sequel might have had less unfortunate possibilities had the noose not pinioned his arms to his sides as it closed about him.

PT He hung about six feet above the trail, caught securely about the hips, the noose imprisoning his arms between elbows and wrists and pinioning them securely to his sides. And to add to his discomfort and helplessness, he swung head downward, spinning dizzily like a human plumb-bob.

PT He tried to draw an arm from the encircling noose so that he might reach his hunting knife and free himself, but the weight of his body constantly drew the noose more tightly about him and every effort upon his part seemed but to strengthen the relentless grip of the rawhide that was pressing deep into his flesh.

PT He knew that the snare meant the presence of men and that doubtless they would soon come to inspect their noose, for his own knowledge of primitive hunting taught him that they would not leave their snares long untended, since in the event of a catch, if they would have it at all, they must claim it soon lest it fall prey to carnivorous beasts or birds. He wondered what sort of people they were and if he might not make friends with them, but whatever they were he hoped that they would come before the beasts of prey came. And while such thoughts were running through his mind, his keen ears caught the sound of approaching footsteps, but they were not the steps of men. Whatever was approaching was approaching across the wind and he could detect no scent spoor; nor, upon the other hand, he realized, could the beast scent him. It was coming leisurely and as it neared him, but before it came in sight along the trail, he knew that it was a hoofed animal and, therefore, that he had little reason to fear its approach unless, indeed, it might prove to be some strange Pellucidarian creature with characteristics entirely unlike any that he knew upon the outer crust.

PT But even as he permitted these thoughts partially to reassure him, there came strongly to his nostrils a scent that always caused the short hairs upon his head to rise, not in fear but in natural reaction to the presence of an hereditary enemy. It was not an odor that he had ever smelled before. It was not the scent spoor of Numa the lion, nor Sheeta the leopard, but it was the scent spoor of some sort of great cat. And now he could hear its almost silent approach through the underbrush and he knew that it was coming down toward the trail, lured either by knowledge of his presence or by that of the beast whose approach Tarzan had been awaiting.

PT It was the latter who came first into view—a great ox-like animal with wide-spread horns and shaggy coat—a huge bull that advanced several yards along the trail after Tarzan discovered it before it saw the ape-man dangling in front of it. It was the thag of Pellucidar, the Bos Primigenus of the paleontologist of the outer crust, a long extinct progenitor of the bovine races of our own world.

PT For a moment it stood eyeing the man dangling in its path.

PT Tarzan remained very quiet. He did not wish to frighten it away for he realized that one of them must be the prey of the carnivore sneaking upon them, but if he expected the thag to be frightened he soon realized his error in judgment for, uttering low grumblings, the great bull pawed the earth with a front foot, and then, lowering his massive horns, gored it angrily, and the ape-man knew that he was working his short temper up to charging pitch; nor did it seem that this was to take long for already he was advancing menacingly to the accompaniment of thunderous bellowing. His tail was up and his head down as he broke into the trot that preluded the charge.

PT The ape-man realized that if he was ever struck by those massive horns or that heavy head, his skull would be crushed like an eggshell.

PT The dizzy spinning that had been caused by the first stretching of the rawhide to his weight had lessened to a gentle turning motion, so that sometimes he faced the thag and sometimes in the opposite direction. The utter helplessness of his position galled the ape-man and gave him more concern than any consideration of impending death. From childhood he had walked hand in hand with the Grim Reaper and he had looked upon death in so many forms that it held no terror for him. He knew that it was the final experience of all created things, that it must as inevitably come to him as to others and while he loved life and did not wish to die, its mere approach induced within him no futile hysteria. But to die without a chance to fight for life was not such an end as Tarzan of the Apes would have chosen. And now, as his body slowly revolved and his eyes were turned away from the charging thag, his heart sank at the thought that he was not even to be vouchsafed the meager satisfaction of meeting death face to face.

PT In the brief instant that he waited for the impact, the air was rent by as horrid a scream as had ever broken upon the ears of the ape-man and the bellowing of the bull rose suddenly to a higher pitch and mingled with that other awesome sound.

PT Once more the dangling body of the ape-man revolved and his eyes fell upon such a scene as had not been vouchsafed to men of the outer world for countless ages.

PT Upon the massive shoulders and neck of the great thag clung a tiger of such huge proportions that Tarzan could scarce credit the testimony of his own eyes. Great saber-like tusks, projecting from the upper jaw, were buried deep in the neck of the bull, which, instead of trying to escape, had stopped in its tracks and was endeavoring to dislodge the great beast of prey, swinging its huge horns backward in an attempt to rake the living death from its shoulders, or again shaking its whole body violently for the same purpose and all the while bellowing in pain and rage.

PT Gradually the saber-tooth changed its position until it had attained a hold suited to its purpose. Then with lightning-like swiftness it swung back a great forearm and delivered a single, terrific blow on the side of the thag's head—a titanic blow that crushed that mighty skull and dropped the huge bull dead in its tracks. And then the carnivore settled down to feast upon its kill.

PT During the battle the saber-tooth had not noticed the ape-man; nor was it until after he had commenced to feed upon the thag that his eye was attracted by the revolving body swinging above the trail a few yards away. Instantly the beast stopped feeding; his head lowered and flattened, his upper lip turned back in a hideous snarl. He watched the ape-man. Low, menacing growls rumbled from his cavernous throat; his long, sinuous tail lashed angrily as slowly he arose from the body of his kill and advanced toward Tarzan of the Apes.

The Great Cats

PT The ebbing tide of the great war had left human flotsam stranded upon many an unfamiliar beach. In its full flow it had lifted Robert Jones, high private in the ranks of a labor battalion, from uncongenial surroundings and landed him in a prison camp behind the enemy line. Here his good nature won him friends and favors, but neither one nor the other served to obtain his freedom. Robert Jones seemed to have been lost in the shuffle. And finally, when the evacuation of the prison had been completed, Robert Jones still remained, but he was not downhearted. He had learned the language of his captors and had made many friends among them. They found him a job and Robert Jones of Alabama was content to remain where he was. He had been graduated from body servant to cook of an officers' mess and it was in this capacity that he had come under the observation of Captain Zuppner, who had drafted him for the O-220 expedition.

PT Robert Jones yawned, stretched, turned over in his narrow berth aboard the O-220, opened his eyes and sat up with an exclamation of surprise. He jumped to the floor and stuck his head out of an open port.

PT "Lawd, niggah!" he exclaimed; "you all suah done overslep' yo'sef."

PT For a moment he gazed up at the noonday sun shining down upon him and then, hastily dressing, hurried into his galley.

PT "'S funny," he soliloquized; "dey ain't no one stirrin'—mus' all of overslep' demsef." He looked at the clock on the galley wall. The hour hand pointed to six. He cocked his ear and listened. "She ain't stopped," he muttered. Then he went to the door that opened from the galley through the ship's side and pushed it back. Leaning far out he looked up again at the sun. Then he shook his head. "Dey's sumpin wrong," he said. "Ah dunno whether to cook breakfas', dinner or supper."

PT Jason Gridley, emerging from his cabin, sauntered down the narrow corridor toward the galley. "Good morning, Bob!" he said, stopping in the open doorway. "What's the chance for a bite of breakfast?"

PT "Did you all say breakfas', suh?" inquired Robert.

PT "Yes," replied Gridley; "just toast and coffee and a couple of eggs—anything you have handy."

PT "Ah knew it!" exclaimed the black. "Ah knew dat ol' clock couldn't be wrong, but Mistah Sun he suah gone hay wire."

PT Gridley grinned. "I'll drop down and have a little walk," he said. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes. Have you seen anything of Lord Greystoke?"

PT "No suh, Ah ain't seen nothin' o' Massa Ta'zan sence yesterday."

PT "I wondered," said Gridley; "he is not in his cabin."

PT For fifteen minutes Gridley walked briskly about in the vicinity of the ship. When he returned to the mess room he found Zuppner and Dorf awaiting breakfast and greeted them with a pleasant "good morning."

PT "I don't know whether it's good morning or good evening," said Zuppner.

PT "We have been here twelve hours," said Dorf, "and it is just the same time that it was when we arrived. I have been on watch for the last four hours and if it hadn't been for the chronometer I could not swear that I had been on fifteen minutes or that I had not been on a week."

PT "It certainly induces a feeling of unreality that is hard to explain," said Gridley.

PT "Where is Greystoke?" asked Zuppner. "He is usually an early riser."

PT "I was just asking Bob," said Gridley, "but he has not seen him."

PT "He left the ship shortly after I came on watch," said Dorf. "I should say about three hours ago, possibly longer. I saw him cross the open country and enter the forest."

PT "I wish he had not gone out alone," said Gridley.

PT "He strikes me as a man who can take care of himself," said Zuppner.

PT "I have seen some things during the last four hours," said Dorf, "that make me doubt whether any man can take care of himself alone in this world, especially one armed only with the primitive weapons that Greystoke carried with him."

PT "You mean that he carried no firearms?" demanded Zuppner.

PT "He was armed with a bow and arrows, a spear and a rope," said Dorf, "and I think he carried a hunting knife as well. But he might as well have had nothing but a pea-shooter if he met some of the things I have seen since I went on watch."

PT "What do you mean?" demanded Zuppner. "What have you seen?"

PT Dorf grinned sheepishly. "Honestly, Captain, I hate to tell you," he said, "for I'm damned if I believe it myself."

PT "Well, out with it," exclaimed Zuppner. "We will make allowances for your youth and for the effect that the sun and horizon of Pellucidar may have had upon your eyesight or your veracity."

PT "Well," said Dorf, "about an hour ago a bear passed within a hundred yards of the ship."

PT "There is nothing remarkable about that," said Zuppner.

PT "There was a great deal that was remarkable about the bear, however," said Dorf.

PT "In what way?" asked Gridley.

PT "It was fully as large as an ox," said Dorf, "and if I were going out after bear in this country I should want to take along field artillery."

PT "Was that all you saw—just a bear?" asked Zuppner.

PT "No," said Dorf, "I saw tigers, not one but fully a dozen, and they were as much larger than our Bengal tigers as the bear was larger than any bear of the outer crust that I have ever seen. They were perfectly enormous and they were armed with the most amazing fangs you ever saw—great curved fangs that extended from their upper jaws to lengths of from eight inches to a foot. They came down to this stream here to drink and then wandered away, some of them toward the forest and some down toward that big river yonder."

PT "Greystoke couldn't do much against such creatures as those even if he had carried a rifle," said Zuppner.

PT "If he was in the forest, he could escape them," said Gridley.

PT Zuppner shook his head. "I don't like the looks of it," he said. "I wish that he had not gone out alone."

PT "The bear and the tigers were bad enough," continued Dorf, "but I saw another creature that to me seemed infinitely worse."

PT Robert, who was more or less a privileged character, had entered from the galley and was listening with wide-eyed interest to Dorf's account of the creatures he had seen, while Victor, one of the Filipino cabin-boys, served the officers.

PT "Yes," continued Dorf, "I saw a mighty strange creature. It flew directly over the ship and I had an excellent view of it. At first I thought that it was a bird, but when it approached more closely I saw that it was a winged reptile. It had a long, narrow head and it flew so close that I could see its great jaws, armed with an infinite number of long, sharp teeth. Its head was elongated above the eyes and came to a sharp point. It was perfectly immense and must have had a wing spread of at least twenty feet. While I was watching it, it dropped suddenly to earth only a short distance beyond the ship, and when it arose again it was carrying in its talons some animal that must have been fully as large as a good sized sheep, with which it flew away without apparent effort. That the creature is carnivorous is evident as is also the fact that it has sufficient strength to carry away a man."

PT Robert Jones covered his large mouth with a pink palm and with hunched and shaking shoulders turned and tip-toed from the room. Once in the galley with the door closed, he gave himself over to unrestrained mirth.

PT "What is the matter with you?" asked Victor.

PT "Lawd-a-massy!" exclaimed Robert. "Ah allus thought some o' dem gem'n in dat dere Adventurous Club in Bummingham could lie some, but, shucks, dey ain't in it with this Lieutenant Dorf. Did you all heah him tell about dat flyin' snake what carries off sheep?"

PT But back in the mess room the white men took Dorf's statement more seriously.

PT "That would be a pterodactyl," said Zuppner.

PT "Yes," replied Dorf. "I classified it as a Pteranodon."

PT "Don't you think we ought to send out a search party?" asked Gridley.

PT "I am afraid Greystoke would not like it," replied Zuppner.

PT "It could go out under the guise of a hunting party," suggested Dorf.

PT "If he has not returned within an hour," said Zuppner, "we shall have to do something of the sort."

PT Hines and Von Horst now entered the mess room, and when they learned of Tarzan's absence from the ship and had heard from Dorf a description of some of the animals that he might have encountered, they were equally as apprehensive as the others of his safety.

PT "We might cruise around a bit, sir," suggested Von Horst to Zuppner.

PT "But suppose he returns to this spot during our absence?" asked Gridley.

PT "Could you return the ship to this anchorage again?" inquired Zuppner.

PT "I doubt it," replied the Lieutenant. "Our instruments are almost worthless under the conditions existing in Pellucidar."

PT "Then we had better remain where we are," said Gridley, "until he returns."

PT "But if we send a searching party after him on foot, what assurance have we that it will be able to find its way back to the ship?" demanded Zuppner.

PT "That will not be so difficult," said Gridley. "We can always blaze our trail as we go and thus easily retrace our steps."

PT "Yes, that is so," agreed Zuppner.

PT "Suppose," said Gridley, "that Von Horst and I go out with Muviro and his Waziri. They are experienced trackers, prime fighting men and they certainly know the jungle."

PT "Not this jungle," said Dorf.

PT "But at least they know any jungle better than the rest of us," insisted Gridley.

PT "I think your plan is a good one," said Zuppner, "and anyway as you are in command now, the rest of us gladly place ourselves under your orders."

PT "The conditions that confront us here are new to all of us," said Gridley. "Nothing that anyone of us can suggest or command can be based upon any personal experience or knowledge that the rest do not possess, and in matters of this kind I think that we had better reach our decision after full discussion rather than to depend blindly upon official priority of authority."

PT "That has been Greystoke's policy," said Zuppner, "and it has made it very easy and pleasant for all of us. I quite agree with you, but I can think of no more feasible plan than that which you have suggested."

PT "Very good," said Gridley. "Will you accompany me, Lieutenant?" he asked, turning to Von Horst.

PT The officer grinned. "Will I?" he exclaimed. "I should never have forgiven you if you had left me out of it."

PT "Fine," said Gridley. "And now, I think, we might as well make our preparations at once and get as early a start as possible. See that the Waziri have eaten, Lieutenant, and tell Muviro that I want them armed with rifles. These fellows can use them all right, but they rather look with scorn upon anything more modern than their war spears and arrows."

PT "Yes, I discovered that," said Hines. "Muviro told me a few days ago that his people consider firearms as something of an admission of cowardice. He told me that they use them for target practice, but when they go out after lions or rhino they leave their rifles behind and take their spears and arrows."

PT "After they have seen what I saw," said Dorf, "they will have more respect for an express rifle."

PT "See that they take plenty of ammunition, Von Horst," said Gridley, "for from what I have seen in this country we shall not have to carry any provisions."

PT "A man who could not live off this country would starve to death in a meat market," said Zuppner.

PT Von Horst left to carry out Gridley's orders while the latter returned to his cabin to prepare for the expedition.

PT The officers and crew remaining with the O-220 were all on hand to bid farewell to the expedition starting out in search of Tarzan of the Apes, and as the ten stalwart Waziri warriors marched away behind Gridley and Von Horst, Robert Jones, watching from the galley door, swelled with pride. "Dem niggahs is sho nuf hot babies," he exclaimed. "All dem flyin' snakes bettah clear out de country now." With the others Robert watched the little party as it crossed the plain and until it had disappeared within the dark precincts of the forest upon the opposite side. Then he glanced up at the noonday sun, shook his head, elevated his palms in resignation and turned back into his galley.

PT Almost immediately after the party had left the ship, Gridley directed Muviro to take the lead and watch for Tarzan's trail since, of the entire party, he was the most experienced tracker; nor did the Waziri chieftain have any difficulty in following the spoor of the ape-man across the plain and into the forest, but here, beneath a great tree, it disappeared.

PT "The Big Bwana took to the trees here," said Muviro, "and no man lives who can follow his spoor through the lower, the middle or the upper terraces."

PT "What do you suggest, then, Muviro?" asked Gridley.

PT "If this were his own jungle," replied the warrior, "I should feel sure that when he took to the trees he would move in a straight line toward the place he wished to go; unless he happened to be hunting, in which case his direction would be influenced by the sign and scent of game."

PT "Doubtless he was hunting here," said Von Horst.

PT "If he was hunting," said Muviro, "he would have moved in a straight line until he caught the scent spoor of game or came to a well-beaten game trail."

PT "And then what would he do?" asked Gridley.

PT "He might wait above the trail," replied Muviro, "or he might follow it. In a new country like this, I think he would follow it, for he has always been interested in exploring every new country he entered."

PT "Then let us push straight into the forest in this same direction until we strike a game trail," said Gridley.

PT Muviro and three of his warriors went ahead, cutting brush where it was necessary and blazing the trees at frequent intervals that they might more easily retrace their steps to the ship. With the aid of a small pocket compass Gridley directed the line of advance, which otherwise it would have been difficult to hold accurately beneath that eternal noonday sun, whose warm rays filtered down through the foliage of the forest.

PT "God! What a forest!" exclaimed Von Horst. "To search for a man here is like the proverbial search for the needle in a haystack."

PT "Except," said Gridley, "that one might stand a slight chance of finding the needle."

PT "Perhaps we had better fire a shot occasionally," suggested Von Horst.

PT "Excellent," said Gridley. "The rifles carry a much heavier charge and make a louder report than our revolvers."

PT After warning the others of his intention, he directed one of the blacks to fire three shots at intervals of a few seconds, for neither Gridley nor Von Horst was armed with rifles, each of the officers carrying two.45 caliber Colts. Thereafter, at intervals of about half an hour, a single shot was fired, but as the searching party forced its way on into the forest each of its members became gloomily impressed with the futility of their search.

PT Presently the nature of the forest changed. The trees were set less closely together and the underbrush, while still forming an almost impenetrable screen, was less dense than it had been heretofore and here they came upon a wide game trail, worn by countless hoofs and padded feet to a depth of two feet or more below the surface of the surrounding ground, and here Jason Gridley blundered.

PT "We won't bother about blazing the trees as long as we follow this trail," he said to Muviro, "except at such places as it may fork or be crossed by other trails."

PT It was, after all, a quite natural mistake since a few blazed trees along the trail would not serve any purpose in following it back when they wished to return.

PT The going here was easier and as the Waziri warriors swung along at a brisk pace, the miles dropped quickly behind them and already had the noonday sun so cast its spell upon them that the element of time seemed not to enter into their calculations, while the teeming life about them absorbed the attention of blacks and whites alike.

PT Strange monkeys, some of them startlingly man-like in appearance and of large size, watched them pass. Birds of both gay and somber plumage scattered protestingly before their advance, and again dim bulks loomed through the undergrowth and the sound of padded feet was everywhere.

PT At times they would pass through a stretch of forest as silent as the tomb, and then again they seemed to be surrounded by a bedlam of hideous growls and roars and screams.

PT "I'd like to see some of those fellows," said Von Horst, after a particularly savage outburst of sound.

PT "I am surprised that we haven't," replied Gridley; "but I imagine that they are a little bit leery of us right now, not alone on account of our numbers but because of the, to them strange and unfamiliar, odors which must surround us. These would naturally increase the suspicion which must have been aroused by the sound of our shots."

PT "Have you noticed," said Von Horst, "that most of the noise seems to come from behind us; I mean the more savage, growling sounds. I have heard squeals and noises that sounded like the trumpeting of elephants to the right and to the left and ahead, but only an occasional growl or roar seems to come from these directions and then always at a considerable distance."

PT "How do you account for it?" asked Gridley.

PT "I can't account for it," replied Von Horst. "It is as though we were moving along in the center of a procession with all the savage carnivores behind us."

PT "This perpetual noonday sun has its compensations," remarked Gridley with a laugh, "for at least it insures that we shall not have to spend the night here."

PT At that instant the attention of the two men was attracted by an exclamation from one of the Waziri behind them. "Look, Bwana! Look!" cried the man, pointing back along the trail. Following the direction of the Waziri's extended finger, Gridley and Von Horst saw a huge beast slinking slowly along the trail in their rear.

PT "God!" exclaimed Von Horst, "and I thought Dorf was exaggerating."

PT "It doesn't seem possible," exclaimed Gridley, "that five hundred miles below our feet automobiles are dashing through crowded streets lined by enormous buildings; that there the telegraph, the telephone and the radio are so commonplace as to excite no comment; that countless thousands live out their entire lives without ever having to use a weapon in self-defense, and yet at the same instant we stand here facing a saber-tooth tiger in surroundings that may not have existed upon the outer crust for a million years."

PT "Look at them!" exclaimed Von Horst. "If there is one there are a dozen of them."

PT "Shall we fire, Bwana?" asked one of the Waziri.

Versão em Português

1 - Prefácio

1 - O O-220

2 - Pellucidar

3 - Os Grandes Felinos

Prefácio

En Pellucidar, como é comumente conhecido, é um mundo dentro de um mundo, localizado na superfície interna da esfera oca que é a Terra.

En David Innes e Abner Perry descobriram Pellucidar enquanto testavam o prospectador mecânico de Perry, que foi projetado para localizar jazidas de carvão. Quando o prospectador começou a perfurar a crosta terrestre, eles não conseguiram desviá-lo, e ele perfurou diretamente por quinhentas milhas. No terceiro dia, como Perry já havia perdido a consciência por falta de oxigênio e Innes estava perto do colapso, o prospectador rompeu a crosta interna, enchendo a cabine de ar fresco.

En Nos anos que se seguiram, os dois exploradores vivenciaram muitas aventuras estranhas. Perry nunca retornou ao mundo exterior. Innes fez apenas uma difícil viagem de volta, usando o prospectador para trazer ferramentas e conhecimento do século XX para o povo primitivo de seu império em Pellucidar.

En No entanto, devido a constantes batalhas com humanos primitivos e animais e répteis ainda mais primitivos, o império de Pellucidar fez pouco progresso em direção à civilização. Para o vasto mundo interior e seus inúmeros habitantes antigos, David Innes e Abner Perry poderiam nunca ter existido.

En Considerando que as áreas de terra e água em Pellucidar são opostas às da crosta externa, pode-se começar a imaginar o enorme tamanho deste mundo dentro de um mundo.

En A área terrestre do mundo exterior é de cerca de cinquenta e três milhões de milhas quadradas, apenas um quarto da superfície da Terra. Em contraste, a terra de Pellucidar cobre três quartos de seu interior, estendendo-se por cento e vinte e quatro milhões de milhas quadradas. Seus oceanos também são vastos, cobrindo mais de quarenta e um milhões de milhas quadradas.

En Assim, considerando apenas a terra, encontramos o fato estranho de um mundo maior dentro de um menor. Pellucidar é um mundo que se desvia do que nós, da crosta externa, aceitamos como leis naturais imutáveis.

En No centro exato da Terra paira o sol de Pellucidar, um pequeno orbe comparado ao nosso, porém suficiente para iluminar e aquecer suas densas selvas. Como este sol permanece perpetuamente no zênite, não há noite — apenas um meio-dia interminável.

En Sem estrelas e sem movimento aparente do sol, Pellucidar não tem pontos cardeais. Sua superfície se curva para cima em todas as direções, então não há horizonte; planície, mar ou montanha se elevam até se perderem na névoa distante. Sem sol, estrelas ou lua como os conhecemos, não pode haver tempo. Assim, Pellucidar é atemporal, livre daqueles que pregam sobre a abelha ocupada ou que tempo é dinheiro. Embora o tempo possa ser a alma do nosso mundo, na existência venturosa de Pellucidar ele não é nada.

En Três vezes no passado, o mundo exterior recebeu comunicações de Pellucidar. Sabemos que o primeiro presente de civilização de Perry para a idade da pedra foi a pólvora. Ele seguiu isso com rifles de repetição e pequenos navios de guerra carregando canhões leves, e finalmente aperfeiçoou um rádio.

En Conhecendo Perry como um empiricista, não nos surpreendeu que seu rádio não conseguisse sintonizar nenhuma onda conhecida do mundo exterior. Foi o jovem Jason Gridley, de Tarzana, experimentando sua recém-descoberta Onda Gridley, quem primeiro recebeu uma mensagem de Pellucidar.

En A última mensagem recebida de Perry antes de suas transmissões desaparecerem relatou que David Innes, o primeiro Imperador de Pellucidar, definhava em uma masmorra escura na terra dos Korsars, muito além de um continente e um oceano de sua amada Sari, que fica em um grande planalto não muito longe do interior do Lural Az.

O O-220

En Tarzan, o dos macacos, parou para ouvir e cheirar o ar. Se você estivesse lá, não teria ouvido o que ele ouviu, e mesmo que tivesse, não teria entendido. Você teria sentido apenas o cheiro de vegetação em decomposição misturado com o aroma de coisas crescendo.

En Os sons que Tarzan ouviu vieram de uma grande distância e eram fracos até para seus ouvidos aguçados. A princípio, ele não conseguiu identificar a fonte, embora tenha sentido que anunciavam a aproximação de um grupo de homens.

En Buto, o rinoceronte, Tantor, o elefante, ou Numa, o leão, podiam ir e vir pela floresta sem despertar mais do que indiferente interesse do Senhor da Selva. Mas quando um homem aparecia, Tarzan investigava, pois só o homem entre todas as criaturas traz mudança, discórdia e conflito aonde quer que ponha os pés.

En Tendo crescido entre grandes primatas sem conhecer outros seres como ele, Tarzan aprendera a ser cauteloso sempre que novos visitantes humanos entravam em sua selva. Embora tivesse feito amizade com pessoas de vários grupos, ele sempre permanecia desconfiado de suas intenções. Naquele dia, ele se moveu silenciosamente pelos galhos médios em direção aos barulhos que ouvira.

En À medida que se aproximava, seus ouvidos aguçados detectaram o som de pés descalços e o canto dos carregadores nativos transportando cargas pesadas. Então seu nariz captou o odor de homens negros e, junto com ele, um leve indício de um cheiro diferente. Antes mesmo de ver a frente da coluna, Tarzan percebeu que um homem branco liderava o safari.

En Um jovem homem branco marchava perto da frente do grupo. Quando Tarzan o viu, sentiu uma aprovação imediata, pois possuía uma habilidade estranha de julgar o caráter de estranhos, uma característica compartilhada por muitos animais selvagens e povos primitivos.

En Virando-se, Tarzan moveu-se rápida e silenciosamente pelas árvores até ficar a uma curta distância à frente do grupo em marcha. Então ele desceu para a trilha e esperou que eles chegassem.

En Quando o askari líder contornou uma curva na trilha e viu Tarzan, eles pararam e começaram a tagarelar animadamente. Esses homens haviam sido recrutados de um distrito diferente e não reconheceram Tarzan dos Macacos.

En Tarzan anunciou que ele era o homem-macaco e perguntou o que a outra pessoa estava fazendo em seu país.

En O jovem, que havia parado ao lado de seu askari, aproximou-se do homem-macaco com um sorriso em seu rosto ansioso e perguntou se ele era Lord Greystoke.

En O filho adotivo de Kala respondeu que naquele lugar ele era conhecido como Tarzan dos Macacos.

En O jovem disse que ele realmente tinha sorte porque havia viajado todo o caminho do Sul da Califórnia para encontrá-lo.

En O homem-macaco exigiu saber a identidade do jovem e o que ele queria de Tarzan dos Macacos.

En O homem se apresentou como Jason Gridley e disse que tinha uma longa história para contar. Ele esperava que Tarzan pudesse acompanhá-lo até o próximo acampamento e tivesse paciência para ouvir até que ele explicasse sua missão.

En Tarzan acenou com a cabeça e comentou que na selva raramente tinham pressa. Ele então perguntou onde Gridley planejava montar o acampamento.

En Gridley explicou que o guia que ele havia contratado na última vila havia adoecido e partido uma hora antes. Como nenhum de seus próprios homens conhecia a região, eles não faziam ideia se um local adequado para acampar estava a uma milha ou a dez.

En Tarzan respondeu que havia um local adequado a menos de meia milha de distância, com boa água.

En Gridley expressou sua aprovação, e o safári continuou seu caminho. Os carregadores estavam alegres, rindo e cantando ao pensar em montar o acampamento cedo.

En Naquela noite, enquanto Tarzan e Jason tomavam café, o homem-macaco retornou ao assunto da visita do americano.

En Tarzan perguntou a Jason o que o trouxera de tão longe, do sul da Califórnia até o coração da África.

En Gridley sorriu. Ele admitiu que, agora que estava realmente lá, temia que Tarzan pudesse achá-lo louco, mas estava convencido de que sua história era verdadeira. Ele já havia investido uma boa quantia de dinheiro e tempo e estava disposto a investir mais, esperando o apoio pessoal e financeiro de Tarzan. Ele não podia financiar completamente a expedição sozinho, mas acreditava que Tarzan era especialmente adequado para liderá-la.

En Tarzan comentou que, qualquer que fosse a expedição que Gridley planejasse, os lucros potenciais deviam ser realmente grandes se ele estava disposto a arriscar tanto do seu próprio dinheiro.

En Gridley respondeu que, pelo que sabia, não haveria lucro financeiro para ninguém envolvido.

En Tarzan perguntou com um sorriso se o outro homem era americano.

En Gridley respondeu que nem todo mundo era obcecado por dinheiro.

En Ele então perguntou qual era a motivação, exigindo uma explicação completa.

En Gridley perguntou se Tarzan já tinha ouvido a teoria de que a Terra é uma esfera oca contendo um mundo habitável em seu interior.

En O homem-macaco respondeu que a investigação científica havia refutado completamente essa teoria.

En Gridley perguntou se a teoria havia sido refutada de maneira satisfatória.

En Tarzan respondeu que os cientistas estavam satisfeitos.

En O americano concordou que estava satisfeito até recentemente receber uma mensagem diretamente do mundo interior.

En O homem-macaco expressou surpresa.

En Ele disse que também ficara surpreso, mas de fato havia se comunicado por rádio com Abner Perry no mundo interior de Pellucidar. Ele trouxera uma cópia da mensagem e um affidavit atestando sua autenticidade, assinado por um homem bem conhecido de Tarzan, que estivera ouvindo ao mesmo tempo. Em seguida, ele apresentou os documentos.

En Ele pegou uma carta e um manuscrito grosso encadernado em capa dura de uma pasta e os deu a Tarzan.

En Gridley explicou que não leria toda a história de Tanar de Pellucidar, pois grande parte dela não era necessária para explicar seu plano.

En Tarzan concordou e indicou que estava ouvindo.

En Após ler trechos por meia hora, Gridley declarou que o manuscrito o havia convencido de que Pellucidar existia. Ele acrescentou que a situação de David Innes o levou a propor uma expedição para resgatar Innes do calabouço dos Korsars.

En Tarzan perguntou como eles poderiam realizar isso e se Gridley acreditava que a teoria de Innes sobre uma entrada em cada polo estava correta.

En O americano admitiu que estava incerto sobre o que acreditar. No entanto, após receber uma mensagem de Perry, ele começou a investigar. Ele descobriu que a ideia de um mundo habitável dentro da Terra, com aberturas nos Polos Norte e Sul, não era nova e tinha evidências consideráveis de apoio. Ele encontrou uma exposição detalhada da teoria em um livro de cerca de 1830 e em outro trabalho mais recente. Esses livros ofereciam o que parecia ser uma explicação razoável para muitos fenômenos bem conhecidos que a ciência não havia explicado satisfatoriamente.

En Tarzan pediu um exemplo.

En Ele citou vários exemplos: ventos quentes e correntes oceânicas quentes vindas do norte, relatados por exploradores do Ártico; galhos de árvores com folhas verdes flutuando para o sul vindos de muito além de onde tais árvores crescem na crosta externa; as auroras boreais, que poderiam ser explicadas como raios do sol central do mundo interior atravessando a névoa perto da abertura polar; pólen cobrindo densamente a neve e o gelo em regiões polares, que deve se originar do mundo interior; e a insistência de tribos esquimós do extremo norte de que seus ancestrais vieram de um país ao norte.

En Tarzan exigiu saber se as expedições de Amundsen e Ellsworth, incluindo o voo do Norge, haviam refutado a teoria de uma abertura no polo norte, e se voos de avião haviam coberto grande parte das regiões polares anteriormente inexploradas.

En O americano respondeu que a abertura polar é tão grande que um navio, dirigível ou avião poderia mergulhar sobre sua borda por uma curta distância e retornar sem nunca perceber. A teoria mais plausível, ele disse, é que a maioria dos exploradores simplesmente seguiu a borda externa do orifício, o que explicaria em grande parte o comportamento peculiar das bússolas e outros instrumentos científicos perto do chamado polo norte — uma questão que há muito intriga os exploradores do Ártico.

En Tarzan perguntou se eles tinham certeza de que existia um mundo interior e que havia uma entrada para ele no polo norte.

En Gridley respondeu que estava convencido da existência de um mundo interior, mas não de uma abertura polar. Ele acreditava que havia evidências suficientes para justificar a organização de uma expedição como a que havia proposto.

En Supondo que existisse uma abertura polar para um mundo interior, como eles pretendiam descobri-la e explorá-la?

En Ele explicou que o meio de transporte mais prático seria uma aeronave rígida especialmente construída, semelhante a um Zeppelin moderno, usando gás hélio para segurança. Ele acreditava que tal nave enfrentaria menos obstáculos do que o Norge enfrentou em seu famoso voo polar. Ele também mencionou que David Innes havia descoberto um mar polar frio ao norte da terra dos Korsars antes de ser capturado.

En O maior risco seria a possibilidade de não conseguir retornar à crosta externa se as manobras esgotassem o gás hélio. No entanto, esse era um risco que todo explorador e cientista deve aceitar. Se um casco suficientemente leve e resistente pudesse ser construído, eles poderiam usar tanques de vácuo para flutuabilidade em vez de gases perigosos ou caros.

En Tarzan reconheceu que até isso poderia ser possível, demonstrando interesse crescente pela ideia de Gridley.

En O americano discordou, balançando a cabeça. Ele admitiu que poderia se tornar viável no futuro, mas com os materiais atuais, qualquer recipiente forte o suficiente para suportar a pressão atmosférica sobre um vácuo seria pesado demais para um vácuo levantar.

En Tarzan respondeu com uma simples evasiva: talvez fosse possível, e talvez não.

En Gridley pediu esclarecimentos.

En Tarzan comentou que as palavras de Gridley o lembraram de um jovem amigo, Erich von Harben, um cientista e explorador. Erich acabara de retornar de uma segunda expedição às Montanhas Wiramwazi, onde descobriu uma tribo que vivia às margens de um lago usando canoas feitas de um metal tão leve quanto cortiça, porém mais forte que aço. Ele havia trazido amostras e estava conduzindo experimentos em um laboratório montado na missão de seu pai.

En Gridley exigiu saber onde o homem estava.

En O homem-macaco respondeu que a missão do Dr. von Harben ficava no país Urambi, a cerca de quatro dias de viagem a oeste de sua localização atual.

En Os dois homens discutiram o projeto até tarde da noite, pois Tarzan havia se tornado profundamente interessado. No dia seguinte, eles retornaram ao país Urambi e chegaram à missão de von Harben após quatro dias. Lá, foram recebidos pelo Dr. von Harben, seu filho Erich e a esposa de Erich, a bela Favonia de Castrum Mare.

En O narrador não pretende sobrecarregar os leitores com todos os detalhes da organização e equipamento da expedição pelucidariana. No entanto, a parte referente à busca e descoberta da mina nativa contendo o notável metal agora conhecido como Harbenita foi tão cheia de aventura e empolgação que merece um volume próprio.

En Enquanto Tarzan e Erich von Harben localizavam a mina e transportavam o metal para a costa, Jason Gridley estava em Friedrichshafen consultando engenheiros da empresa que ele havia escolhido para construir o dirigível especialmente projetado destinado à tentativa de alcançar o mundo interior.

En Jason Gridley trouxe amostras de Harbenita para Friedrichshafen, onde foram testadas minuciosamente. Planos foram preparados e, quando o carregamento do minério chegou, a construção secreta imediata começou. Seis meses depois, o O-220 foi concluído e amplamente considerado apenas mais um dirigível comum para uso comercial na Europa.

En O O-220 tinha um casco em forma de charuto com 997 pés de comprimento e 150 pés de diâmetro. Dentro, havia seis compartimentos herméticos, três acima e três abaixo da linha média. Longos corredores corriam ao longo de cada lado entre os tanques de vácuo superior e inferior, abrigando motores, bombas e suprimentos de combustível.

En A colocação interna da sala de máquinas era segura porque o O-220 foi construído sem risco de incêndio. Ao contrário dos dirigíveis a hidrogênio, ele usava Harbenita à prova de fogo para quase tudo, exceto certas buchas e rolamentos nos motores, geradores e hélices.

En Dois corredores transversais, um à frente e outro à ré, conectavam os corredores de motor e combustível de bombordo e estibordo. Dois poços de escalada corriam verticalmente através do navio, cruzando esses corredores transversais.

En O topo do poço de escalada dianteiro se abria em uma pequena cabine de observação e arma. De lá, uma estreita passarela se estendia ao longo do topo do navio até uma pequena torre perto da cauda, que foi projetada para montar uma metralhadora.

En A cabine principal, que corria ao longo da quilha, era construída no próprio casco. Devido a essa construção rígida, não havia necessidade de cabines suspensas abaixo, então o O-220 tinha trem de pouso composto por seis grandes rodas com pneus pesados que se projetavam do fundo da cabine principal. Bem no fundo da cabine da quilha, um pequeno monoplano de reconhecimento era armazenado de forma que pudesse ser baixado pelo fundo do navio e lançado enquanto o O-220 estava em voo.

En Oito motores refrigerados a ar acionavam oito hélices, que eram dispostas em pares de cada lado do navio. As hélices eram escalonadas para que o fluxo de ar das dianteiras não interferisse nas traseiras.

En Os motores, que produziam 5600 cavalos de potência, podiam impulsionar o navio a uma velocidade de 105 milhas por hora.

En No O-220, o fio axial usual que percorria todo o comprimento do navio através do centro era um eixo tubular feito de Harbenita. Desse eixo, braços tubulares menores irradiavam para fora como os raios de uma roda, conectando-se às vigas tubulares às quais as placas de Harbenita do envelope externo eram soldadas.

En Como a Harbenita era extremamente leve, o peso total do navio era de apenas 75 toneladas, enquanto a sustentação fornecida por seus tanques a vácuo era de 225 toneladas.

En Para controlar o movimento e o pouso da nave, cada tanque de vácuo tinha oito válvulas de ar operadas a partir da cabine de controle. Seis bombas, três de cada lado, podiam expelir ar para renovar o vácuo. Os lemes e profundores eram controlados a partir da cabine dianteira ou de uma posição de backup na popa, no corredor do motor de bombordo, caso o leme principal falhasse.

En A cabine principal da quilha abrigava alojamentos para oficiais e tripulação, além de depósitos para armas, comida, combustível e água. Os tanques de água podiam ser esvaziados instantaneamente em uma emergência, e alguns tanques de combustível podiam ser lançados pelo fundo da nave para reduzir o peso subitamente, se necessário.

En Este grande dirigível rígido era o que Jason Gridley e Tarzan esperavam usar para encontrar a entrada polar norte para o mundo interior e resgatar David Innes, Imperador de Pellucidar, das masmorras dos Korsars.

Pellucidar

En Pouco antes do amanhecer de uma clara manhã de junho, o O-220 saiu do hangar com seus próprios motores. Totalmente carregado, fazia um voo de teste sob condições idênticas às que enfrentaria na longa viagem. Os três tanques inferiores ainda continham ar, e levava lastro de água extra para manter o equilíbrio, permitindo movimento seguro e fácil no solo, quase como um automóvel.

En Ao emergir no espaço aberto, as bombas começaram a expelir ar dos três tanques inferiores, enquanto um pouco do lastro de água extra era liberado. Quase imediatamente, a enorme nave subiu lenta e graciosamente do solo.

En A tripulação do navio durante o voo de teste era composta pelas mesmas pessoas que haviam sido escolhidas para a expedição. O capitão Zuppner, que supervisionou a construção do navio e contribuiu significativamente para seu projeto, estava no comando. Os oficiais incluíam dois imediatos, Von Horst e Dorf, e o navegador, tenente Hines, todos ex-oficiais das forças aéreas imperiais. Além disso, havia doze engenheiros, oito mecânicos, um cozinheiro negro e dois camareiros filipinos.

En Tarzan liderou a expedição, com Jason Gridley servindo como seu tenente. A força de combate a bordo era composta por Muviro e nove de seus guerreiros waziri.

En Enquanto o navio subia graciosamente acima da cidade, Zuppner, que estava nos controles, mal conseguia conter sua empolgação.

En Zuppner exclamou que era a coisa mais bela que já tinha visto e que o navio respondia ao toque mais leve.

En Hines respondeu que não estava surpreso; ele esperava que o navio tivesse um bom desempenho e observou que eles tinham o dobro da tripulação necessária para operá-lo.

En Tarzan riu e disse ao Tenente que sua insistência em uma tripulação grande não se devia à falta de confiança no navio. Ele explicou que estavam entrando em um mundo desconhecido e poderiam ficar ausentes por muito tempo. Se chegassem ao destino, haveria luta, como os voluntários haviam sido informados. Embora pudessem ter mais homens do que o necessário para a viagem de ida, poderiam se ver com falta de pessoal na volta, já que nem todos sobreviveriam.

En Hines reconheceu que Tarzan provavelmente estava certo, mas acrescentou que a presença calmante do navio e a paisagem tranquila abaixo faziam com que o perigo e a morte parecessem distantes.

En Tarzan expressou sua esperança de que o perigo estivesse realmente distante e que todos voltassem em segurança. No entanto, ele acreditava em preparação. Ele mencionou que ele e Gridley estavam estudando navegação e queriam ganhar experiência prática antes de chegarem.

En Zuppner riu e comentou com Hines que os outros já o haviam descoberto.

En O Tenente sorriu e se ofereceu para ensinar tudo o que sabia. Apostou que, se o navio retornasse, ele ainda seria seu navegador.

En Gridley observou que o resultado estava predeterminado a seu favor, independentemente de como os eventos se desenrolassem.

En Tarzan propôs que seus Waziri ajudassem os mecânicos e engenheiros, observando que eles aprendiam rápido e que era prudente ter muitos homens familiarizados com os motores do navio em caso de emergência.

En Zuppner concordou e prometeu garantir que fosse realizado.

En A magnífica e reluzente embarcação viajou para o norte com grandeza; Ravensburg ficou para trás, e em meia hora a sombria faixa cinzenta do rio Danúbio apareceu abaixo.

En À medida que o voo continuava, Zuppner ficava cada vez mais entusiasmado. Ele admitiu que estava confiante no sucesso do teste, mas não tinha anticipado um desempenho tão impecável. Ele declarou que o navio marcava uma nova era na aviação e que, antes de chegar a Hamburgo, todos estariam totalmente convencidos da aeronavegabilidade do O-220.

En Tarzan destacou que o plano original era ir a Hamburgo e depois retornar a Friedrichshafen, e perguntou por que eles voltariam em Hamburgo em vez disso.

En Os outros lançaram olhares questionadores para ele à medida que o significado de sua pergunta ficou claro.

En Gridley exigiu saber por que eles estavam voltando.

En Zuppner deu de ombros e disse que estavam completamente abastecidos e equipados.

En Hines perguntou por que eles desperdiçariam oitocentas milhas voltando para Friedrichshafen se já estavam prontos.

En Tarzan propôs que continuassem para o norte se todos concordassem. Assim, a viagem de teste do O-220 tornou-se o verdadeiro início de sua longa jornada em direção ao interior da Terra, e o desejado sigilo da expedição foi mantido.

En O plano original era seguir o décimo meridiano a leste de Greenwich em direção ao polo norte. No entanto, para evitar chamar atenção indesejada, eles decidiram desviar ligeiramente. O navio passou a oeste de Hamburgo, cruzou o Mar do Norte, depois seguiu diretamente para o norte, a oeste de Spitzbergen, e sobre as regiões polares congeladas.

En Viajando a uma velocidade média de cerca de 75 milhas por hora, o O-220 alcançou a área próxima ao Polo Norte por volta da meia-noite do segundo dia. A excitação aumentou quando Hines anunciou que, de acordo com seus cálculos, eles estavam diretamente sobre o polo. Por sugestão de Tarzan, o navio circulou lentamente a algumas centenas de pés acima do gelo irregular e coberto de neve.

En Zuppner brincou que eles deveriam reconhecer o local pelas bandeiras italianas. No entanto, qualquer evidência da passagem do Norge estava completamente escondida sob camadas de neve.

En O navio completou um círculo sobre a banquisa de gelo estéril antes de seguir para o sul ao longo do 170º meridiano leste.

En Desde o momento em que o navio virou para o sul a partir do polo, Jason Gridley permaneceu perto de Hines e Zuppner, observando ansiosamente os instrumentos ou olhando para a paisagem desolada. Ele acreditava que a abertura polar norte estava perto de 85 graus de latitude norte e 170 graus de longitude leste. Ele tinha uma teoria, e o sucesso deles dependia de sua correção, então ele prestou a maior atenção à bússola.

En Após cinco horas de voo constante em direção ao sul, o navio começou a mostrar uma tendência a derivar para oeste.

En Gridley alertou o capitão para manter o navio estável, explicando que, se sua teoria estivesse correta, eles estavam voando sobre a borda da abertura polar. O desvio da bússola era falso; ele acreditava que estavam na borda leste e que qualquer curva a estibordo os faria espiralar para Pellucidar, embora a bússola ficasse inútil pelas próximas centenas de milhas.

En Zuppner expressou incerteza, dizendo que o clima favorável poderia permitir que eles tivessem sucesso, mas duvidava de sua capacidade de manter um rumo sem a bússola em ventos fortes.

En Gridley disse-lhe para fazer o seu melhor e virar a estibordo sempre que tivesse dúvidas.

En A tensão era tão avassaladora que por muitas horas ninguém disse uma palavra.

En Hines gritou de repente e apontou que havia água aberta diretamente à frente deles.

En Zuppner comentou que a água aberta era esperada independentemente de uma abertura polar, e lembrou-lhes que ele duvidava da teoria de Gridley desde o início.

En Gridley sorriu e admitiu que talvez fosse o único que ainda tinha fé na teoria, embora não se surpreendesse se ela se provasse falsa. Ele instou os outros a olharem para o sol; mesmo que não houvesse uma abertura polar para um mundo interior, a posição do sol indicava que eles haviam descido para uma grande depressão na crosta terrestre. Ele explicou que o sol da meia-noite estava mais baixo do que o esperado e continuaria a cair até se pôr completamente, e acreditava que em breve veriam o sol eterno do meio-dia de Pellucidar.

En O telefone tocou de repente. Hines atendeu e depois reportou ao capitão que Von Horst havia ligado da cabine de observação, tendo avistado terra à frente.

En Zuppner exclamou que eles haviam avistado terra, embora a única terra marcada em seu mapa naquela direção fosse a Sibéria.

En Gridley apontou que a Sibéria estava a mais de mil milhas ao sul da latitude 85, enquanto eles provavelmente não estavam a mais de trezentas milhas ao sul dessa linha.

En O tenente Hines raciocinou que eles deviam ter descoberto uma terra ártica anteriormente desconhecida ou estavam se aproximando dos limites setentrionais de Pellucidar.

En Gridley confirmou que esse era exatamente o caso e os instruiu a verificar o termômetro.

En Zuppner xingou de surpresa, observando que a temperatura era de meros vinte graus Fahrenheit acima de zero.

En Tarzan observou que a terra agora era claramente visível. Ele a descreveu como aparentando ser estéril, mas com apenas manchas ocasionais de neve.

En Gridley notou que isso correspondia ao território do qual Innes havia falado ao norte de Korsar.

En A notícia se espalhou rapidamente pelo navio de que a terra abaixo poderia ser Pellucidar, causando grande entusiasmo. Aqueles que não estavam de serviço subiram para o convés de observação ou espiaram pelas vigias para vislumbrar o mundo interior.

En O O-220 continuou firmemente para o sul, e assim que a borda do sol da meia-noite desapareceu abaixo do horizonte atrás deles, o brilho do sol central de Pellucidar tornou-se claramente visível adiante.

En A paisagem abaixo se transformou rapidamente; o solo estéril agora ficava para trás e, após atravessar uma cadeia de colinas arborizadas, uma vasta floresta se estendia diante deles. Parecia se curvar para cima, desaparecendo na névoa distante. Esta era realmente Pellucidar, a terra com a qual Jason Gridley havia sonhado.

En Além da floresta, estendia-se uma planície ondulada, pontuada por aglomerados de árvores. Essa paisagem bem irrigada era atravessada por inúmeros riachos que eventualmente se juntavam em um grande rio do outro lado.

En Grandes manadas de animais pastavam pela campina aberta, e nenhum vestígio de presença humana podia ser visto.

En Tarzan dos Macacos comentou que o lugar parecia um paraíso para ele e sugeriu ao Capitão que deveriam descer.

En O grande navio desceu lentamente, seus tanques de vácuo inferiores se enchendo de ar para amortecer o pouso.

En Escadas curtas foram estendidas, pois o piso da cabine ficava a apenas seis pés do chão. Logo, quase toda a tripulação do navio — deixando apenas um oficial e dois homens de vigia — estava com os joelhos enterrados na grama exuberante de Pellucidar.

En Tarzan disse que esperava que eles pudessem obter carne fresca, mas o navio havia espantado todos os animais.

En Dorf comentou que, com base na quantidade que havia visto, eles não precisariam viajar longe para caçar algumas presas.

En Tarzan afirmou que o que mais precisavam naquele momento era descanso. Ele observou que, por semanas, todos haviam trabalhado intensamente para finalizar os preparativos da expedição, e duvidava que alguém tivesse dormido mais de duas horas nos últimos três dias. Ele propôs que ficassem ali até que todos estivessem totalmente descansados, e então realizariam uma busca metódica pela cidade de Korsar.

En O plano foi amplamente aceito, e eles começaram a fazer arranjos para permanecer por vários dias.

En Gridley sugeriu ao Capitão Zuppner que seria aconselhável dar instruções rigorosas de que ninguém deveria se afastar do navio ou de sua área imediata sem a permissão do capitão, e que qualquer pessoa que fosse mais longe deveria estar em grupos liderados por um oficial, pois certamente encontrariam homens selvagens e animais ainda mais ferozes em toda a Pellucidar.

En Tarzan sorriu e expressou sua esperança de que fosse isentado daquela ordem.

En Zuppner comentou que acreditava que Tarzan poderia se virar sozinho em qualquer terra.

En O homem-macaco destacou que poderia caçar com mais eficácia sozinho do que em grupo.

En Zuppner continuou, observando que, já que a ordem vinha de Tarzan como comandante, ninguém se oporia se ele se isentasse, pois nenhum dos outros desejava vagar sozinho por Pellucidar.

En Com exceção da vigilância, que era revezada a cada quatro horas, todos os oficiais e soldados dormiam o dia inteiro.

En Tarzan, o macaco, foi o primeiro a terminar de dormir e deixar o navio. Ele havia removido as roupas que o incomodavam desde que deixou sua selva africana para ajudar a preparar o O-220. Em vez de aparecer como um inglês perfeitamente vestido quando saiu da cabine e pulou no chão, ele estava quase nu, como um guerreiro primitivo. Carregava uma faca de caça, uma lança, um arco e flechas, e a longa corda que sempre levava consigo, pois para caçar preferia as armas de sua juventude às armas de fogo da civilização.

En O tenente Dorf, o único oficial de serviço na época, o viu partir e observou com óbvia admiração enquanto o senhor da selva de cabelos negros se movia pela planície aberta e desaparecia na floresta.

En Havia árvores que o homem-macaco reconhecia e outras que nunca tinha visto antes, mas era uma floresta, e isso era suficiente para atrair Tarzan e deixá-lo esquecer as últimas semanas passadas nos arredores desagradáveis da civilização. Ele também estava feliz por estar livre do navio e, embora gostasse de todos os seus companheiros, estava contente por estar sozinho.

En Na primeira alegria de sua nova liberdade, Tarzan era como um menino solto da escola. Livre das odiadas roupas da civilização e longe de qualquer coisa que pudesse lembrá-lo dos danos que os humanos causam à natureza, ele encheu os pulmões com o ar livre de Pellucidar, saltou para uma árvore próxima e balançou pela floresta. Sua única preocupação naquele momento era a felicidade de estar vivo e cheio de energia. Ele avançou pela floresta primordial de Pellucidar. Pássaros estranhos, assustados com sua passagem rápida e silenciosa, voaram gritando, e animais estranhos se esconderam abaixo dele. Mas Tarzan não se importou; ele não estava caçando nem procurando algo novo neste novo mundo. Por enquanto, ele estava simplesmente vivendo.

En Enquanto esse humor o dominava, Tarzan não pensava na passagem do tempo, assim como não pensava na atemporalidade de Pellucidar, cujo sol, sempre em seu ponto mais alto, contradiz aqueles de nós da crosta externa que correm freneticamente pela vida tentando vencer a Terra em suas revoluções. Tampouco Tarzan considerava distância ou direção, pois essas coisas raramente eram algo que o homem-macaco pensava conscientemente. Ele atribuía inconscientemente sua notável capacidade de lidar com qualquer situação a poderes dentro de si mesmo, sem parar para perceber que em sua própria selva ele confiava no amigável sol, lua e estrelas como guias de dia e de noite, e nas inúmeras coisas familiares que falavam com ele em uma linguagem silenciosa que apenas o povo da selva pode entender.

En À medida que seu humor mudou, Tarzan diminuiu a velocidade e logo pousou em uma trilha de caça bem marcada. Ele então começou a observar as novas maravilhas ao seu redor. Notou sinais de grande idade, como as árvores enormes e as videiras antigas agarradas a elas, o que fazia sua própria selva parecer moderna. Ele se maravilhou com as flores abundantes e brilhantes. De repente, algo o agarrou pelo corpo e o ergueu bem alto no ar.

En Tarzan dos Macacos deixara sua atenção divagar. Sua mente, absorvida pelas maravilhas deste novo mundo, permitira uma breve falha na constante vigilância que caracteriza as criaturas selvagens.

En Quase imediatamente, o homem-macaco entendeu o que havia acontecido. Embora pudesse facilmente imaginar o desfecho desastroso, um sorriso pesaroso tocou seus lábios — um sorriso tingido de nojo de si mesmo. Tarzan dos Macacos havia sido pego em uma armadilha tão primitiva quanto qualquer outra já colocada para bestas incautas.

En Um laço de couro cru, preso a um galho curvado de uma árvore pendente, estava enterrado na trilha. Ele acionara o gatilho. Mas a situação poderia ter sido menos lamentável se o laço não tivesse imobilizado seus braços contra o corpo ao se fechar ao redor dele.

En Ele estava pendurado a cerca de seis pés acima da trilha, preso firmemente em volta dos quadris, com o laço prendendo seus braços entre os cotovelos e os punhos, imobilizando-os junto ao corpo. Para aumentar seu desconforto e desamparo, ele balançava de cabeça para baixo, girando vertiginosamente como um prumo humano.

En Tarzan tentou libertar um braço do laço que se apertava para alcançar sua faca de caça, mas o peso do seu corpo puxou o nó mais apertado. Cada esforço apenas aprofundou o aperto do couro cru em sua carne.

En Tarzan sabia que a armadilha indicava homens por perto, que logo viriam verificá-la. Ele esperava que chegassem antes dos predadores. Enquanto pensava nisso, ouviu passos se aproximando — não humanos. Ele não conseguia detectar cheiro, nem a fera podia senti-lo. A criatura se movia calmamente e, quando se aproximou, ele reconheceu como um animal ungulado, provavelmente inofensivo, a menos que fosse uma besta desconhecida de Pellucidar.

En Mas então um forte cheiro o alcançou, um que sempre fazia seus pelos se eriçarem em resposta instintiva a um inimigo ancestral. Era desconhecido, não o odor de leão ou leopardo, mas de algum grande felino. Ele ouviu sua aproximação silenciosa através da vegetação, vindo em direção à trilha, possivelmente atraído por sua presença ou pelo outro animal.

En A última criatura apareceu primeiro — um enorme boi peludo com chifres largos. Avançou vários metros antes de notar Tarzan. Este era o thag de Pellucidar, um ancestral pré-histórico do gado da Terra.

En Por um momento, o touro ficou olhando para o homem pendurado em seu caminho.

En Tarzan permaneceu imóvel, não querendo assustar o animal porque sabia que um deles se tornaria a presa do predador que se aproximava sorrateiramente. Mas logo percebeu que o thag não estava assustado; em vez disso, o grande touro escavou o chão com a pata, baixou seus chifres enormes e golpeou a terra com raiva, inflamando-se de fúria. A besta avançou ameaçadoramente com urros trovejantes, com a cauda erguida e a cabeça baixa, iniciando um trote que sinalizava a carga.

En O homem-macaco entendeu que se aqueles chifres enormes ou aquela cabeça pesada o atingissem, seu crânio se estilhaçaria como uma casca de ovo.

En O giro causado pelo seu peso havia diminuído para uma volta suave, de modo que ele ora enfrentava o thag, ora ficava de costas. Sua impotência o enfurecia mais do que o pensamento da morte, pois ele caminhara ao lado da morte desde a infância e não a temia. Sabia que a morte era a experiência final de todos os seres vivos, inevitável e natural, e embora amasse a vida, sua aproximação não o enchia de pânico. Mas morrer sem lutar não era o fim que desejava. Enquanto seu corpo girava lentamente e seus olhos se afastavam do thag investindo, seu coração se apertou ao ser negado até mesmo a pequena satisfação de enfrentar a morte cara a cara.

En No breve momento antes do impacto, um grito horrível rasgou o ar, diferente de tudo que o homem-macaco já ouvira, e os urros do touro subiram bruscamente, misturando-se àquele som aterrorizante.

En Mais uma vez, o corpo pendente de Tarzan girou, e seus olhos caíram sobre uma cena que as pessoas do mundo exterior não testemunhavam há incontáveis eras.

En Um tigre de tamanho imenso agarrou-se aos ombros e pescoço maciços de um grande thag. Tarzan mal podia acreditar em seus olhos. Os longos dentes de sabre do tigre estavam enterrados profundamente no pescoço do touro, mas o thag havia parado de fugir e tentava se livrar do predador. Ele balançava seus enormes chifres para trás e sacudia todo o corpo violentamente, enquanto berrava de dor e fúria.

En O dente-de-sabre ajustou sua pegada até ter uma firme segura, então com velocidade relâmpago balançou um antebraço poderoso e desferiu um único golpe devastador na cabeça do thag, que esmagou seu crânio, matando o touro instantaneamente. O carnívoro então se acomodou para se banquetear com sua presa.

En Durante a batalha, o dente-de-sabre não havia notado o homem-macaco, mas depois que começou a se alimentar, seu olho foi atraído pelo corpo giratório balançando acima da trilha nas proximidades. A fera parou de comer, abaixou a cabeça e rosnou horrivelmente. Observou Tarzan, rosnando baixo e ameaçadoramente, com sua longa cauda chicoteando, enquanto se levantava lentamente de sua presa e avançava em sua direção.

Os Grandes Felinos

En A maré decrescente da guerra havia deixado destroços humanos em praias desconhecidas. Robert Jones, um soldado raso em um batalhão de trabalho, foi capturado e colocado em um campo de prisioneiros atrás das linhas inimigas. Sua boa natureza lhe rendeu amigos e favores, mas não a liberdade. Quando o campo foi evacuado, Jones permaneceu, tendo aprendido a língua dos captores e feito muitos amigos. Ele se tornou cozinheiro para um rancho de oficiais, e o Capitão Zuppner o notou, convocando-o para a expedição O-220.

En Robert Jones bocejou, espreguiçou-se e virou-se em seu beliche estreito a bordo do O-220. Ele abriu os olhos, sentou-se com uma exclamação de surpresa, pulou no chão e colocou a cabeça para fora de uma janela aberta.

En Ele exclamou que a outra pessoa definitivamente tinha dormido demais.

En Ele olhou para o sol do meio-dia por um momento, depois vestiu-se rapidamente e correu para sua cozinha.

En Ele achou estranho que ninguém estivesse se mexendo, acreditando que todos deviam ter dormido demais. Ele verificou o relógio na parede da cozinha, que marcava seis horas, e notou que ainda estava funcionando. Então abriu a porta lateral, inclinou-se para fora e olhou para o sol novamente. Balançando a cabeça, disse que algo estava errado e que não sabia se deveria preparar café da manhã, almoço ou jantar.

En Jason Gridley saiu de sua cabine e caminhou pelo corredor estreito até a cozinha. Parou na porta aberta e cumprimentou Bob, perguntando se havia alguma chance de conseguir um pouco de café da manhã.

En Robert perguntou se Jason tinha dito café da manhã.

En Gridley respondeu que gostaria de torradas, café e alguns ovos, acrescentando que qualquer coisa conveniente serviria.

En O homem exclamou que sempre soubera; o relógio antigo estava certo, mas o sol claramente havia falhado.

En Gridley sorriu e comentou que iria descer para uma curta caminhada, retornando em quinze minutos. Em seguida, perguntou se o outro tinha visto Lord Greystoke.

En O outro homem respondeu que não via o Mestre Tarzan desde o dia anterior.

En Gridley disse que estava se perguntando, pois Lord Greystoke não estava em sua cabine.

En Depois de andar rapidamente perto do navio por quinze minutos, Gridley voltou à sala de refeições onde Zuppner e Dorf esperavam pelo café da manhã. Ele lhes deu um alegre bom-dia.

En Zuppner comentou que não tinha certeza se era manhã ou noite.

En Dorf observou que eles estavam lá há doze horas, mas o tempo permanecia inalterado. Ele havia feito vigília por quatro horas e, sem o cronômetro, não podia ter certeza se estava de serviço há quinze minutos ou uma semana inteira.

En Gridley concordou que a situação criava uma sensação de irrealidade difícil de explicar.

En Zuppner perguntou sobre o paradeiro de Greystoke, mencionando que ele geralmente acordava cedo.

En Gridley mencionou que estava perguntando ao Bob, mas Bob não tinha visto o homem.

En Dorf relatou que o homem havia deixado o navio cerca de três horas antes, logo após Dorf iniciar seu turno, e que ele o viu cruzar as planícies e entrar na floresta.

En Gridley expressou pesar que o homem havia saído sozinho.

En Zuppner observou que o homem parecia capaz de cuidar de si mesmo.

En Dorf disse que nas últimas quatro horas ele havia testemunhado coisas que o faziam duvidar que alguém pudesse sobreviver sozinho naquele mundo, especialmente alguém como Greystoke, que carregava apenas armas primitivas.

En Zuppner perguntou se o homem não carregava armas de fogo.

En Dorf respondeu que o homem estava armado com um arco e flechas, uma lança, uma corda e uma faca de caça, mas que essas armas poderiam muito bem ter sido uma zarabatana se ele encontrasse algumas das coisas que Dorf tinha visto durante a vigília.

En Zuppner exigiu saber o que Dorf queria dizer e o que ele tinha visto.

En Dorf sorriu envergonhado e admitiu que estava relutante em contar, pois mal podia acreditar ele mesmo.

En Zuppner o incentivou a falar, dizendo que levariam em conta sua juventude e os possíveis efeitos do sol e do horizonte de Pellucidar em sua visão ou veracidade.

En Aproximadamente uma hora antes, Dorf mencionou que um urso havia se aproximado a menos de cem jardas do navio.

En Zuppner respondeu que isso não era particularmente incomum.

En Dorf, no entanto, insistiu que o urso era bastante extraordinário.

En Gridley perguntou sobre os detalhes específicos.

En Dorf descreveu o urso como sendo tão grande quanto um boi e comentou que qualquer pessoa caçando neste país precisaria de artilharia de campanha.

En Zuppner perguntou se aquilo era tudo o que ele tinha visto, apenas um urso.

En Dorf disse que tinha visto não apenas um, mas uma dúzia de tigres, muito maiores que os tigres de Bengala, com enormes presas curvas de oito polegadas a um pé de comprimento. Eles vieram ao riacho para beber e depois seguiram em direção à floresta ou ao grande rio.

En Zuppner comentou que, mesmo com um rifle, Greystoke seria impotente contra tais criaturas.

En Gridley sugeriu que, se Greystoke estivesse na floresta, ele poderia escapar.

En Zuppner balançou a cabeça em desaprovação, dizendo que a situação parecia preocupante e que ele lamentava que Greystoke tivesse saído sozinho.

En Dorf continuou, dizendo que, embora o urso e os tigres fossem ruins, ele tinha visto outra criatura que lhe parecia muito pior.

En Robert, que gozava de certos privilégios, entrou vindo da cozinha e ouviu atentamente a descrição de Dorf sobre as criaturas que ele havia observado, enquanto Victor, um camareiro filipino, atendia os oficiais.

En Dorf continuou, descrevendo uma criatura muito estranha que ele tinha visto. Ela voou diretamente sobre o navio, e a princípio ele pensou que fosse um pássaro, mas uma inspeção mais detalhada revelou que era um réptil alado com uma cabeça longa e estreita e uma boca cheia de dentes afiados. A cabeça era alongada e pontiaguda, e a criatura era imensa, com uma envergadura de asas de pelo menos vinte pés. Enquanto observava, ela de repente caiu no chão nas proximidades e então se ergueu novamente carregando um animal do tamanho de uma ovelha grande em suas garras, voando para longe sem esforço. Dorf concluiu que a criatura era carnívora e forte o suficiente para carregar um homem.

En Robert Jones cobriu a boca com a mão e, com os ombros tremendo, virou-se e saiu do cômodo na ponta dos pés. Uma vez na cozinha com a porta fechada, ele riu incontrolavelmente.

En Victor perguntou o que havia de errado com ele.

En Robert exclamou surpreso, dizendo que sempre achou que alguns membros do Clube Aventureiro em Birmingham podiam mentir, mas o Tenente Dorf os superava. Ele então perguntou se os outros tinham ouvido a história de Dorf sobre uma cobra voadora que carregava ovelhas.

En De volta ao refeitório, no entanto, os homens brancos levaram a declaração de Dorf mais a sério.

En Zuppner observou que a criatura parecia um pterodátilo.

En Dorf concordou e disse que a havia classificado como um Pteranodonte.

En Gridley sugeriu que eles deveriam enviar um grupo de busca.

En Zuppner expressou sua preocupação de que Greystoke não aprovasse o plano.

En Dorf propôs que eles poderiam se apresentar como um grupo de caça para evitar suspeitas.

En Zuppner afirmou que, se Tarzan não retornasse dentro de uma hora, eles seriam forçados a tomar uma ação semelhante.

En Hines e Von Horst se juntaram a eles no refeitório e, ao saberem da ausência de Tarzan e das criaturas perigosas que poderiam estar à espreita nas proximidades, também ficaram apreensivos com o bem-estar dele.

En Von Horst recomendou a Zuppner que eles navegassem pelas redondezas em busca dele.

En Gridley questionou o que poderia acontecer se o homem retornasse àquele local enquanto eles estivessem ausentes.

En Zuppner perguntou se eles seriam capazes de trazer o navio de volta à mesma ancoragem.

En O Tenente expressou dúvida, explicando que seus instrumentos eram quase inúteis sob as condições em Pellucidar.

En Gridley sugeriu que eles deveriam ficar onde estavam até o homem voltar.

En Zuppner exigiu saber que garantia eles tinham de que uma equipe de busca enviada a pé conseguiria encontrar o caminho de volta ao navio.

En Gridley observou que não seria particularmente difícil, já que eles poderiam sempre marcar seu caminho enquanto avançassem e, portanto, encontrar facilmente o caminho de volta.

En Zuppner concordou com essa avaliação.

En Gridley propôs que ele e Von Horst saíssem com Muviro e seus Waziri, descrevendo-os como rastreadores habilidosos, guerreiros excelentes e homens que inegavelmente possuíam conhecimento da selva.

En Dorf objetou, salientando que eles não conheciam esta selva em particular.

En Gridley insistiu que, apesar disso, eles entendiam qualquer selva melhor que o resto do grupo.

En Zuppner expressou aprovação do plano e afirmou que, como o outro estava agora no comando, o grupo seguiria sua liderança de bom grado.

En Gridley observou que a situação era desconhecida para todos e que nenhuma sugestão poderia ser baseada em experiência pessoal. Ele argumentou que as decisões deveriam ser tomadas por meio de discussão aprofundada, em vez de confiar apenas na hierarquia.

En Zuppner concordou com Gridley, mencionando que a abordagem de Greystoke havia tornado as coisas confortáveis para todos. Ele admitiu que não poderia propor um plano mais viável do que o sugerido.

En Gridley concordou e então perguntou ao Tenente Von Horst se ele o acompanharia.

En O oficial sorriu, expressando que ficaria profundamente decepcionado se fosse excluído da expedição.

En Gridley concordou e disse que deveriam se preparar imediatamente. Ele instruiu o Tenente a garantir que os Waziri tivessem comido e a dizer a Muviro que eles deveriam ser armados com rifles. Ele observou que, embora os Waziri soubessem usar rifles, eles tendiam a desdenhar de armas mais modernas em favor de suas lanças e flechas tradicionais.

En Hines confirmou que havia descoberto isso. Ele relatou que Muviro lhe dissera alguns dias antes que seu povo considerava as armas de fogo como um sinal de covardia. Eles as usavam para prática de tiro, mas quando caçavam leões ou rinocerontes, deixavam seus rifles para trás e confiavam em suas lanças e flechas.

En Dorf comentou que, depois de testemunhar o que ele havia visto, os Waziri desenvolveriam maior respeito por um rifle potente.

En Gridley disse a Von Horst para garantir que levassem bastante munição. Ele explicou que, com base em suas observações neste país, eles não precisariam carregar nenhum suprimento de comida.

En Zuppner observou que qualquer um incapaz de sobreviver da terra morreria de fome mesmo em um lugar abundante em comida.

En Von Horst foi seguir as instruções de Gridley, enquanto Gridley voltou para sua cabine para se preparar para a expedição.

En Os oficiais e a tripulação que permaneceram no O-220 se reuniram para se despedir da expedição que partia em busca de Tarzan. Enquanto os dez fortes guerreiros Waziri marchavam atrás de Gridley e Von Horst, Robert Jones observava da porta da cozinha, inchando de orgulho. Ele comentou que aqueles guerreiros eram realmente formidáveis e que quaisquer cobras voadoras seriam sábias em deixar a área. Robert, junto com os outros, observou o grupo atravessar a planície até desaparecer na floresta escura do outro lado. Então ele olhou para o sol do meio-dia, balançou a cabeça, ergueu as palmas das mãos em resignação e voltou para sua cozinha.

En Logo após o grupo deixar o navio, Gridley disse a Muviro para liderar o caminho e procurar os rastros de Tarzan, pois Muviro era o rastreador mais experiente entre eles. O chefe Waziri não teve dificuldade em seguir a trilha do homem-macaco pela planície e pela floresta. No entanto, debaixo de uma grande árvore, a trilha desapareceu.

En Muviro disse que o Grande Bwana havia subido nas árvores naquele ponto, e que ninguém vivo poderia rastreá-lo pelos níveis inferior, médio ou superior da floresta.

En Gridley perguntou a Muviro o que ele propunha que fizessem em seguida.

En O guerreiro respondeu que, se esta fosse a própria selva de Tarzan, ele teria certeza de que, quando Tarzan subisse nas árvores, viajaria em linha reta em direção ao seu destino, a menos que estivesse caçando, caso em que seu caminho seria guiado pelos rastros e odores dos animais.

En Von Horst comentou que Tarzan estava sem dúvida caçando nesta área.

En Muviro disse que, se Tarzan estivesse caçando, ele teria seguido em frente em linha reta até captar o cheiro da presa ou chegar a uma trilha de animais bem usada.

En Gridley perguntou o que Tarzan faria depois disso.

En Muviro respondeu que Tarzan poderia tanto esperar acima da trilha quanto segui-la. Ele pensou que, em uma terra desconhecida como esta, Tarzan escolheria segui-la, porque sempre foi curioso em explorar qualquer nova região que encontrava.

En Gridley propôs que continuassem direto pela floresta, mantendo a direção atual, até encontrarem uma trilha de caça.

En Muviro, acompanhado por três de seus guerreiros, avançou na frente, limpando a vegetação rasteira onde necessário e marcando as árvores em intervalos regulares para que pudessem encontrar facilmente o caminho de volta ao navio. Usando uma pequena bússola de bolso, Gridley manteve a direção da viagem, o que teria sido difícil de manter com precisão sob o sol perpétuo do meio-dia, cujos raios quentes filtravam-se através da copa da floresta.

En Von Horst exclamou maravilhado com a imensidão da floresta, comparando a busca por um homem ali à proverbial procura por uma agulha num palheiro.

En Gridley observou que talvez se tivesse uma chance ligeiramente maior de encontrar a agulha.

En Von Horst sugeriu que eles disparassem um tiro de vez em quando.

En Gridley comentou que os rifles eram excelentes, observando que carregavam uma carga mais pesada e faziam um som mais alto do que seus revólveres.

En Depois de informar os outros sobre seu plano, ele ordenou que um dos nativos disparasse três tiros em intervalos de alguns segundos, já que nem Gridley nem Von Horst tinham rifles; cada oficial carregava dois Colts calibre .45. A partir de então, um único tiro era disparado a cada meia hora, mas à medida que o grupo de busca avançava pela floresta, cada membro se tornava cada vez mais pessimista sobre a futilidade da busca.

En A floresta logo mudou. As árvores ficaram mais espaçadas e a vegetação rasteira, embora ainda espessa, estava menos densa. Eles encontraram uma trilha larga de caça, desgastada por muitos animais. Aqui, Jason Gridley cometeu um erro.

En Gridley disse a Muviro que, enquanto seguissem a trilha, não precisariam marcar as árvores, exceto onde a trilha se bifurcasse ou fosse cruzada por outras trilhas.

En Foi um erro natural, já que árvores marcadas ao longo da trilha não os ajudariam a encontrar o caminho de volta quando quisessem retornar.

En A viagem tornou-se mais fácil ali. Os guerreiros Waziri se moviam rapidamente, percorrendo muitos quilômetros, e o sol do meio-dia fez com que perdessem a noção do tempo. Tanto negros quanto brancos ficaram cativados pela abundante vida selvagem ao redor.

En Macacos incomuns, alguns grandes e perturbadoramente semelhantes a humanos, observavam-nos passar. Pássaros com penas coloridas ou opacas protestavam ruidosamente, e formas grandes se moviam pelos arbustos, com o som de passos macios ao redor.

En Às vezes, passavam por florestas tão silenciosas quanto um túmulo; outras vezes, eram cercados por um caos de terríveis grunhidos, rugidos e gritos.

En Após uma explosão de ruído especialmente feroz, Von Horst expressou o desejo de ver alguns daqueles animais.

En Gridley respondeu que estava surpreso por ainda não terem encontrado nenhum. Ele especulou que os animais estavam desconfiados deles, não apenas por causa de seu número, mas também pelos odores estranhos e desconhecidos que cercavam o grupo, o que naturalmente aumentaria a suspeita despertada pelo som de seus tiros.

En Von Horst observou que os ruídos mais altos e agressivos pareciam originar-se atrás deles, enquanto os sons semelhantes a trombetas de elefante vinham da frente e dos lados. Ele notou que os rosnados e rugidos dessas direções eram infrequentes e distantes.

En Gridley perguntou como Von Horst explicava essa observação.

En Von Horst respondeu que não tinha explicação, mas parecia que estavam andando no meio de um desfile com todos os animais predadores seguindo atrás.

En Gridley comentou rindo que o sol constante tinha suas vantagens, porque eles não precisariam passar uma noite ali.

En De repente, um dos Waziri atrás deles gritou, apontando para trás ao longo da trilha. Gridley e Von Horst se viraram para ver uma besta enorme se movendo lenta e furtivamente na retaguarda.

En Von Horst gritou de espanto, admitindo que acreditara que Dorf estava exagerando.

En Gridley expressou incredulidade de que quinhentas milhas abaixo de seus pés, automóveis atravessavam ruas lotadas ladeadas por enormes edifícios, e que invenções modernas como o telégrafo, o telefone e o rádio eram tão comuns que não atraíam comentários. Ele observou que milhares incontáveis viviam suas vidas inteiras sem nunca precisar de uma arma para autodefesa, mas naquele exato momento eles estavam diante de um tigre-dentes-de-sabre em um ambiente que poderia não existir na superfície há um milhão de anos.

En Von Horst gritou, apontando, e observou que se havia um, provavelmente havia uma dúzia.

En Um dos Waziri perguntou se deveriam abrir fogo.

Foreword

Português

Pellucidar, como é comumente conhecido, é um mundo dentro de um mundo, localizado na superfície interna da esfera oca que é a Terra.

Original English

Pellucidar, as every schoolboy knows, is a world within a world, lying, as it does, upon the inner surface of the hollow sphere, which is the Earth.

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Português

David Innes e Abner Perry descobriram Pellucidar enquanto testavam o prospectador mecânico de Perry, que foi projetado para localizar jazidas de carvão. Quando o prospectador começou a perfurar a crosta terrestre, eles não conseguiram desviá-lo, e ele perfurou diretamente por quinhentas milhas. No terceiro dia, como Perry já havia perdido a consciência por falta de oxigênio e Innes estava perto do colapso, o prospectador rompeu a crosta interna, enchendo a cabine de ar fresco.

Original English

It was discovered by David Innes and Abner Perry upon the occasion when they made the trial trip upon the mechanical prospector invented by Perry, wherewith they hoped to locate new beds of anthracite coal. Owing, however, to their inability to deflect the nose of the prospector, after it had started downward into the Earth's crust, they bored straight through for five hundred miles, and upon the third day, when Perry was already unconscious owing to the consumption of their stock of oxygen, and David was fast losing consciousness, the nose of the prospector broke through the crust of the inner world and the cabin was filled with fresh air.

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Português

Nos anos que se seguiram, os dois exploradores vivenciaram muitas aventuras estranhas. Perry nunca retornou ao mundo exterior. Innes fez apenas uma difícil viagem de volta, usando o prospectador para trazer ferramentas e conhecimento do século XX para o povo primitivo de seu império em Pellucidar.

Original English

In the years that have intervened, weird adventures have befallen these two explorers. Perry has never returned to the outer crust, and Innes but once—upon that occasion when he made the difficult and dangerous return trip in the prospector for the purpose of bringing back to the empire he had founded in the inner world the means to bestow upon his primitive people of the stone age the civilization of the twentieth century.

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Português

No entanto, devido a constantes batalhas com humanos primitivos e animais e répteis ainda mais primitivos, o império de Pellucidar fez pouco progresso em direção à civilização. Para o vasto mundo interior e seus inúmeros habitantes antigos, David Innes e Abner Perry poderiam nunca ter existido.

Original English

But what with battles with primitive men and still more primitive beasts and reptiles, the advance of the empire of Pellucidar toward civilization has been small; and in so far as the great area of the inner world is concerned, or the countless millions of its teeming life of another age than ours, David Innes and Abner Perry might never have existed.

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Português

Considerando que as áreas de terra e água em Pellucidar são opostas às da crosta externa, pode-se começar a imaginar o enorme tamanho deste mundo dentro de um mundo.

Original English

When one considers that these land and water areas upon the surface of Pellucidar are in opposite relationship to the same areas upon the outer crust, some slight conception of the vast extent of this mighty world within a world may be dreamed.

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Português

A área terrestre do mundo exterior é de cerca de cinquenta e três milhões de milhas quadradas, apenas um quarto da superfície da Terra. Em contraste, a terra de Pellucidar cobre três quartos de seu interior, estendendo-se por cento e vinte e quatro milhões de milhas quadradas. Seus oceanos também são vastos, cobrindo mais de quarenta e um milhões de milhas quadradas.

Original English

The land area of the outer world comprises some fifty-three million square miles, or one-quarter of the total area of the earth's surface; while within Pellucidar three-quarters of the surface is land, so that jungle, mountain, forest and plain stretch interminably over 124,110,000 square miles; nor are the oceans with their area of 41,370,000 square miles of any mean or niggardly extent.

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Português

Assim, considerando apenas a terra, encontramos o fato estranho de um mundo maior dentro de um menor. Pellucidar é um mundo que se desvia do que nós, da crosta externa, aceitamos como leis naturais imutáveis.

Original English

Thus, considering the land area only, we have the strange anomaly of a larger world within a smaller one, but then Pellucidar is a world of deviation from what we of the outer crust have come to accept as unalterable laws of nature.

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Português

No centro exato da Terra paira o sol de Pellucidar, um pequeno orbe comparado ao nosso, porém suficiente para iluminar e aquecer suas densas selvas. Como este sol permanece perpetuamente no zênite, não há noite — apenas um meio-dia interminável.

Original English

In the exact center of the earth hangs Pellucidar's sun, a tiny orb compared with ours, but sufficient to illuminate Pellucidar and flood her teeming jungles with warmth and life-giving rays. Her sun hanging thus perpetually at zenith, there is no night upon Pellucidar, but always an endless eternity of noon.

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Português

Sem estrelas e sem movimento aparente do sol, Pellucidar não tem pontos cardeais. Sua superfície se curva para cima em todas as direções, então não há horizonte; planície, mar ou montanha se elevam até se perderem na névoa distante. Sem sol, estrelas ou lua como os conhecemos, não pode haver tempo. Assim, Pellucidar é atemporal, livre daqueles que pregam sobre a abelha ocupada ou que tempo é dinheiro. Embora o tempo possa ser a alma do nosso mundo, na existência venturosa de Pellucidar ele não é nada.

Original English

There being no stars and no apparent movement of the sun, Pellucidar has no points of compass; nor has she any horizon since her surface curves always upward in all directions from the observer, so that far above one's line of vision, plain or sea or distant mountain range go onward and upward until lost in the haze of the distance. And again, in a world where there is no sun, no stars and no moon, such as we know, there can be no such thing as time, as we know it. And so, in Pellucidar, we have a timeless world which must necessarily be free from those pests who are constantly calling our attention to "the busy little bee" and to the fact that "time is money." While time may be "the soul of this world" and the "essence of contracts," in the beatific existence of Pellucidar it is nothing and less than nothing.

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Português

Três vezes no passado, o mundo exterior recebeu comunicações de Pellucidar. Sabemos que o primeiro presente de civilização de Perry para a idade da pedra foi a pólvora. Ele seguiu isso com rifles de repetição e pequenos navios de guerra carregando canhões leves, e finalmente aperfeiçoou um rádio.

Original English

Thrice in the past have we of the outer world received communication from Pellucidar. We know that Perry's first great gift of civilization to the stone age was gunpowder. We know that he followed this with repeating rifles, small ships of war upon which were mounted guns of no great caliber, and finally we know that he perfected a radio.

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Português

Conhecendo Perry como um empiricista, não nos surpreendeu que seu rádio não conseguisse sintonizar nenhuma onda conhecida do mundo exterior. Foi o jovem Jason Gridley, de Tarzana, experimentando sua recém-descoberta Onda Gridley, quem primeiro recebeu uma mensagem de Pellucidar.

Original English

Knowing Perry as something of an empiric, we were not surprised to learn that his radio could not be tuned in upon any known wave or wave length of the outer world, and it remained for young Jason Gridley of Tarzana, experimenting with his newly discovered Gridley Wave, to pick up the first message from Pellucidar.

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Português

A última mensagem recebida de Perry antes de suas transmissões desaparecerem relatou que David Innes, o primeiro Imperador de Pellucidar, definhava em uma masmorra escura na terra dos Korsars, muito além de um continente e um oceano de sua amada Sari, que fica em um grande planalto não muito longe do interior do Lural Az.

Original English

The last word that we received from Perry before his messages faltered and died out was to the effect that David Innes, first Emperor of Pellucidar, was languishing in a dark dungeon in the land of the Korsars, far across continent and ocean from his beloved land of Sari, which lies upon a great plateau not far inland from the Lural Az.

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The O-220

Português

Tarzan, o dos macacos, parou para ouvir e cheirar o ar. Se você estivesse lá, não teria ouvido o que ele ouviu, e mesmo que tivesse, não teria entendido. Você teria sentido apenas o cheiro de vegetação em decomposição misturado com o aroma de coisas crescendo.

Original English

Tarzan of the apes paused to listen and to sniff the air. Had you been there you could not have heard what he heard, or had you you could not have interpreted it. You could have smelled nothing but the mustiness of decaying vegetation, which blended with the aroma of growing things.

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Português

Os sons que Tarzan ouviu vieram de uma grande distância e eram fracos até para seus ouvidos aguçados. A princípio, ele não conseguiu identificar a fonte, embora tenha sentido que anunciavam a aproximação de um grupo de homens.

Original English

The sounds that Tarzan heard came from a great distance and were faint even to his ears; nor at first could he definitely ascribe them to their true source, though he conceived the impression that they heralded the coming of a party of men.

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Português

Buto, o rinoceronte, Tantor, o elefante, ou Numa, o leão, podiam ir e vir pela floresta sem despertar mais do que indiferente interesse do Senhor da Selva. Mas quando um homem aparecia, Tarzan investigava, pois só o homem entre todas as criaturas traz mudança, discórdia e conflito aonde quer que ponha os pés.

Original English

Buto the rhinoceros, Tantor the elephant or Numa the lion might come and go through the forest without arousing more than the indifferent interest of the Lord of the Jungle, but when man came Tarzan investigated, for man alone of all creatures brings change and dissension and strife wheresoever he first sets foot.

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Português

Tendo crescido entre grandes primatas sem conhecer outros seres como ele, Tarzan aprendera a ser cauteloso sempre que novos visitantes humanos entravam em sua selva. Embora tivesse feito amizade com pessoas de vários grupos, ele sempre permanecia desconfiado de suas intenções. Naquele dia, ele se moveu silenciosamente pelos galhos médios em direção aos barulhos que ouvira.

Original English

Reared to manhood among the great apes without knowledge of the existence of any other creatures like himself, Tarzan had since learned to anticipate with concern each fresh invasion of his jungle by these two-footed harbingers of strife. Among many races of men he had found friends, but this did not prevent him from questioning the purposes and the motives of whosoever entered his domain. And so today he moved silently through the middle terrace of his leafy way in the direction of the sounds that he had heard.

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Português

À medida que se aproximava, seus ouvidos aguçados detectaram o som de pés descalços e o canto dos carregadores nativos transportando cargas pesadas. Então seu nariz captou o odor de homens negros e, junto com ele, um leve indício de um cheiro diferente. Antes mesmo de ver a frente da coluna, Tarzan percebeu que um homem branco liderava o safari.

Original English

As the distance closed between him and those he went to investigate, his keen ears cataloged the sound of padding, naked feet and the song of native carriers as they swung along beneath their heavy burdens. And then to his nostrils came the scent spoor of black men and with it, faintly, the suggestion of another scent, and Tarzan knew that a white man was on safari before the head of the column came in view along the wide, well-marked game trail, above which the Lord of the Jungle waited.

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Português

Um jovem homem branco marchava perto da frente do grupo. Quando Tarzan o viu, sentiu uma aprovação imediata, pois possuía uma habilidade estranha de julgar o caráter de estranhos, uma característica compartilhada por muitos animais selvagens e povos primitivos.

Original English

Near the head of the column marched a young white man, and when Tarzan's eyes had rested upon him for a moment as he swung along the trail they impressed their stamp of approval of the stranger within the ape-man's brain, for in common with many savage beasts and primitive men Tarzan possessed an uncanny instinct in judging aright the characters of strangers whom he met.

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Português

Virando-se, Tarzan moveu-se rápida e silenciosamente pelas árvores até ficar a uma curta distância à frente do grupo em marcha. Então ele desceu para a trilha e esperou que eles chegassem.

Original English

Turning about, Tarzan moved swiftly and silently through the trees until he was some little distance ahead of the marching safari, then he dropped down into the trail and awaited its coming.

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Português

Quando o askari líder contornou uma curva na trilha e viu Tarzan, eles pararam e começaram a tagarelar animadamente. Esses homens haviam sido recrutados de um distrito diferente e não reconheceram Tarzan dos Macacos.

Original English

Rounding a curve in the trail the leading askari came in sight of him and when they saw him they halted and commenced to jabber excitedly, for these were men recruited in another district—men who did not know Tarzan of the Apes by sight.

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Português

Tarzan anunciou que ele era o homem-macaco e perguntou o que a outra pessoa estava fazendo em seu país.

Original English

"I am Tarzan," announced the ape-man. "What do you in Tarzan's country?"

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Português

O jovem, que havia parado ao lado de seu askari, aproximou-se do homem-macaco com um sorriso em seu rosto ansioso e perguntou se ele era Lord Greystoke.

Original English

Immediately the young man, who had halted abreast of his askari, advanced toward the ape-man. There was a smile upon his eager face. "You are Lord Greystoke?" he asked.

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Português

O filho adotivo de Kala respondeu que naquele lugar ele era conhecido como Tarzan dos Macacos.

Original English

"Here, I am Tarzan of the Apes," replied the foster son of Kala.

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Português

O jovem disse que ele realmente tinha sorte porque havia viajado todo o caminho do Sul da Califórnia para encontrá-lo.

Original English

"Then luck is certainly with me," said the young man, "for I have come all the way from Southern California to find you."

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Português

O homem-macaco exigiu saber a identidade do jovem e o que ele queria de Tarzan dos Macacos.

Original English

"Who are you," demanded the ape-man, "and what do you want of Tarzan of the Apes?"

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Português

O homem se apresentou como Jason Gridley e disse que tinha uma longa história para contar. Ele esperava que Tarzan pudesse acompanhá-lo até o próximo acampamento e tivesse paciência para ouvir até que ele explicasse sua missão.

Original English

"My name is Jason Gridley," replied the other. "And what I have come to talk to you about will make a long story. I hope that you can find the time to accompany me to our next camp and the patience to listen to me there until I have explained my mission."

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Português

Tarzan acenou com a cabeça e comentou que na selva raramente tinham pressa. Ele então perguntou onde Gridley planejava montar o acampamento.

Original English

Tarzan nodded. "In the jungle," he said, "we are not often pressed for time. Where do you intend making camp?"

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Português

Gridley explicou que o guia que ele havia contratado na última vila havia adoecido e partido uma hora antes. Como nenhum de seus próprios homens conhecia a região, eles não faziam ideia se um local adequado para acampar estava a uma milha ou a dez.

Original English

"The guide that I obtained in the last village complained of being ill and turned back an hour ago, and as none of my own men is familiar with this country we do not know whether there is a suitable camp-site within one mile or ten."

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Português

Tarzan respondeu que havia um local adequado a menos de meia milha de distância, com boa água.

Original English

"There is one within half a mile," replied Tarzan, "and with good water."

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Português

Gridley expressou sua aprovação, e o safári continuou seu caminho. Os carregadores estavam alegres, rindo e cantando ao pensar em montar o acampamento cedo.

Original English

"Good," said Gridley; and the safari resumed its way, the porters laughing and singing at the prospect of an early camp.

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Português

Naquela noite, enquanto Tarzan e Jason tomavam café, o homem-macaco retornou ao assunto da visita do americano.

Original English

It was not until Jason and Tarzan were enjoying their coffee that evening that the ape-man reverted to the subject of the American's visit.

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Português

Tarzan perguntou a Jason o que o trouxera de tão longe, do sul da Califórnia até o coração da África.

Original English

"And now," he said, "what has brought you all the way from Southern California to the heart of Africa?"

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Português

Gridley sorriu. Ele admitiu que, agora que estava realmente lá, temia que Tarzan pudesse achá-lo louco, mas estava convencido de que sua história era verdadeira. Ele já havia investido uma boa quantia de dinheiro e tempo e estava disposto a investir mais, esperando o apoio pessoal e financeiro de Tarzan. Ele não podia financiar completamente a expedição sozinho, mas acreditava que Tarzan era especialmente adequado para liderá-la.

Original English

Gridley smiled. "Now that I am actually here," he said, "and face to face with you, I am suddenly confronted with the conviction that after you have heard my story it is going to be difficult to convince you that I am not crazy, and yet in my own mind I am so thoroughly convinced of the truth of what I am going to tell you that I have already invested a considerable amount of money and time to place my plan before you for the purpose of enlisting your personal and financial support, and I am ready and willing to invest still more money and all of my time. Unfortunately I cannot wholly finance the expedition that I have in mind from my personal resources, but that is not primarily my reason for coming to you. Doubtless I could have raised the necessary money elsewhere, but I believe that you are peculiarly fitted to lead such a venture as I have in mind."

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Português

Tarzan comentou que, qualquer que fosse a expedição que Gridley planejasse, os lucros potenciais deviam ser realmente grandes se ele estava disposto a arriscar tanto do seu próprio dinheiro.

Original English

"Whatever the expedition may be that you are contemplating," said Tarzan, "the potential profits must be great indeed if you are willing to risk so much of your own money."

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Português

Gridley respondeu que, pelo que sabia, não haveria lucro financeiro para ninguém envolvido.

Original English

"On the contrary," replied Gridley, "there will be no financial profit for anyone concerned in so far as I now know."

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Português

Tarzan perguntou com um sorriso se o outro homem era americano.

Original English

"And you are an American?" asked Tarzan, smiling.

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Português

Gridley respondeu que nem todo mundo era obcecado por dinheiro.

Original English

"We are not all money mad," replied Gridley.

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Português

Ele então perguntou qual era a motivação, exigindo uma explicação completa.

Original English

"Then what is the incentive? Explain the whole proposition to me."

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Português

Gridley perguntou se Tarzan já tinha ouvido a teoria de que a Terra é uma esfera oca contendo um mundo habitável em seu interior.

Original English

"Have you ever heard of the theory that the earth is a hollow sphere, containing a habitable world within its interior?"

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Português

O homem-macaco respondeu que a investigação científica havia refutado completamente essa teoria.

Original English

"The theory that has been definitely refuted by scientific investigation," replied the ape-man.

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Português

Gridley perguntou se a teoria havia sido refutada de maneira satisfatória.

Original English

"But has it been refuted satisfactorily?" asked Gridley.

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Português

Tarzan respondeu que os cientistas estavam satisfeitos.

Original English

"To the satisfaction of the scientists," replied Tarzan.

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Português

O americano concordou que estava satisfeito até recentemente receber uma mensagem diretamente do mundo interior.

Original English

"And to my satisfaction, too," replied the American, "until I recently received a message direct from the inner world."

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Português

O homem-macaco expressou surpresa.

Original English

"You surprise me," said the ape-man.

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Português

Ele disse que também ficara surpreso, mas de fato havia se comunicado por rádio com Abner Perry no mundo interior de Pellucidar. Ele trouxera uma cópia da mensagem e um affidavit atestando sua autenticidade, assinado por um homem bem conhecido de Tarzan, que estivera ouvindo ao mesmo tempo. Em seguida, ele apresentou os documentos.

Original English

"And I, too, was surprised, but the fact remains that I have been in radio communication with Abner Perry in the inner world of Pellucidar and I have brought a copy of that message with me and also an affidavit of its authenticity from a man with whose name you are familiar and who was with me when I received the message; in fact, he was listening in at the same time with me. Here they are."

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Português

Ele pegou uma carta e um manuscrito grosso encadernado em capa dura de uma pasta e os deu a Tarzan.

Original English

From a portfolio he took a letter which he handed to Tarzan and a bulky manuscript bound in board covers.

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Português

Gridley explicou que não leria toda a história de Tanar de Pellucidar, pois grande parte dela não era necessária para explicar seu plano.

Original English

"I shall not take the time to read you all of the story of Tanar of Pellucidar," said Gridley, "because there is a great deal in it that is not essential to the exposition of my plan."

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Português

Tarzan concordou e indicou que estava ouvindo.

Original English

"As you will," said Tarzan. "I am listening."

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Português

Após ler trechos por meia hora, Gridley declarou que o manuscrito o havia convencido de que Pellucidar existia. Ele acrescentou que a situação de David Innes o levou a propor uma expedição para resgatar Innes do calabouço dos Korsars.

Original English

For half an hour Jason Gridley read excerpts from the manuscript before him. "This," he said, when he had completed the reading, "is what convinced me of the existence of Pellucidar, and it is the unfortunate situation of David Innes that impelled me to come to you with the proposal that we undertake an expedition whose first purpose shall be to rescue him from the dungeon of the Korsars."

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Português

Tarzan perguntou como eles poderiam realizar isso e se Gridley acreditava que a teoria de Innes sobre uma entrada em cada polo estava correta.

Original English

"And how do you think this may be done?" asked the ape-man. "Are you convinced of the correctness of Innes' theory that there is an entrance to the inner world at each pole?"

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Português

O americano admitiu que estava incerto sobre o que acreditar. No entanto, após receber uma mensagem de Perry, ele começou a investigar. Ele descobriu que a ideia de um mundo habitável dentro da Terra, com aberturas nos Polos Norte e Sul, não era nova e tinha evidências consideráveis de apoio. Ele encontrou uma exposição detalhada da teoria em um livro de cerca de 1830 e em outro trabalho mais recente. Esses livros ofereciam o que parecia ser uma explicação razoável para muitos fenômenos bem conhecidos que a ciência não havia explicado satisfatoriamente.

Original English

"I am free to confess that I do not know what to believe," replied the American. "But after I received this message from Perry I commenced to investigate and I discovered that the theory of an inhabitable world at the center of the earth with openings leading into it at the north and south poles is no new one and that there is much evidence to support it. I found a very complete exposition of the theory in a book written about 1830 and in another work of more recent time. Therein I found what seemed to be a reasonable explanation of many well known phenomena that have not been satisfactorily explained by any hypothesis endorsed by science."

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Português

Tarzan pediu um exemplo.

Original English

"What, for example?" asked Tarzan.

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Português

Ele citou vários exemplos: ventos quentes e correntes oceânicas quentes vindas do norte, relatados por exploradores do Ártico; galhos de árvores com folhas verdes flutuando para o sul vindos de muito além de onde tais árvores crescem na crosta externa; as auroras boreais, que poderiam ser explicadas como raios do sol central do mundo interior atravessando a névoa perto da abertura polar; pólen cobrindo densamente a neve e o gelo em regiões polares, que deve se originar do mundo interior; e a insistência de tribos esquimós do extremo norte de que seus ancestrais vieram de um país ao norte.

Original English

"Well, for example, warm winds and warm ocean currents coming from the north and encountered and reported by practically all arctic explorers; the presence of the limbs and branches of trees with green foliage upon them floating southward from the far north, far above the latitude where any such trees are found upon the outer crust; then there is the phenomenon of the northern lights, which in the light of David Innes' theory may easily be explained as rays of light from the central sun of the inner world, breaking occasionally through the fog and cloud banks above the polar opening. Again there is the pollen, which often thickly covers the snow and ice in portions of the polar regions. This pollen could not come from elsewhere than the inner world. And in addition to all this is the insistence of the far northern tribes of Eskimos that their forefathers came from a country to the north."

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Português

Tarzan exigiu saber se as expedições de Amundsen e Ellsworth, incluindo o voo do Norge, haviam refutado a teoria de uma abertura no polo norte, e se voos de avião haviam coberto grande parte das regiões polares anteriormente inexploradas.

Original English

"Did not Amundson and Ellsworth in the Norge expedition definitely disprove the theory of a north polar opening in the earth's crust, and have not airplane flights been made over a considerable portion of the hitherto unexplored regions near the pole?" demanded the ape-man.

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Português

O americano respondeu que a abertura polar é tão grande que um navio, dirigível ou avião poderia mergulhar sobre sua borda por uma curta distância e retornar sem nunca perceber. A teoria mais plausível, ele disse, é que a maioria dos exploradores simplesmente seguiu a borda externa do orifício, o que explicaria em grande parte o comportamento peculiar das bússolas e outros instrumentos científicos perto do chamado polo norte — uma questão que há muito intriga os exploradores do Ártico.

Original English

"The answer to that is that the polar opening is so large that a ship, a dirigible or an airplane could dip down over the edge into it a short distance and return without ever being aware of the fact, but the most tenable theory is that in most instances explorers have merely followed around the outer rim of the orifice, which would largely explain the peculiar and mystifying action of compasses and other scientific instruments at points near the so-called north pole—matters which have greatly puzzled all arctic explorers."

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Português

Tarzan perguntou se eles tinham certeza de que existia um mundo interior e que havia uma entrada para ele no polo norte.

Original English

"You are convinced then that there is not only an inner world but that there is an entrance to it at the north pole?" asked Tarzan.

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Português

Gridley respondeu que estava convencido da existência de um mundo interior, mas não de uma abertura polar. Ele acreditava que havia evidências suficientes para justificar a organização de uma expedição como a que havia proposto.

Original English

"I am convinced that there is an inner world, but I am not convinced of the existence of a polar opening," replied Gridley. "I can only say that I believe there is sufficient evidence to warrant the organization of an expedition such as I have suggested."

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Português

Supondo que existisse uma abertura polar para um mundo interior, como eles pretendiam descobri-la e explorá-la?

Original English

"Assuming that a polar opening into an inner world exists, by just what means do you purpose accomplishing the discovery and exploration of it?"

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Português

Ele explicou que o meio de transporte mais prático seria uma aeronave rígida especialmente construída, semelhante a um Zeppelin moderno, usando gás hélio para segurança. Ele acreditava que tal nave enfrentaria menos obstáculos do que o Norge enfrentou em seu famoso voo polar. Ele também mencionou que David Innes havia descoberto um mar polar frio ao norte da terra dos Korsars antes de ser capturado.

Original English

"The most practical means of transportation that exists today for carrying out my plan would be a specially constructed rigid airship, built along the lines of the modern Zeppelin. Such a ship, using helium gas, would show a higher factor of safety than any other means of transportation at our disposal. I have given the matter considerable thought and I feel sure that if there is such a polar opening, the obstacles that would confront us in an attempt to enter the inner world would be far less than those encountered by the Norge in its famous trip across the pole to Alaska, for there is no question in my mind but that it made a wide detour in following the rim of the polar orifice and covered a far greater distance than we shall have to cover to reach a reasonably safe anchorage below the cold, polar sea that David Innes discovered north of the land of the Korsars before he was finally taken prisoner by them.

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Português

O maior risco seria a possibilidade de não conseguir retornar à crosta externa se as manobras esgotassem o gás hélio. No entanto, esse era um risco que todo explorador e cientista deve aceitar. Se um casco suficientemente leve e resistente pudesse ser construído, eles poderiam usar tanques de vácuo para flutuabilidade em vez de gases perigosos ou caros.

Original English

"The greatest risk that we would have to face would be a possible inability to return to the outer crust, owing to the depletion of our helium gas that might be made necessary by the maneuvering of the ship. But that is only the same chance of life or death that every explorer and scientific investigator must be willing to assume in the prosecution of his labors. If it were but possible to build a hull sufficiently light, and at the same time sufficiently strong, to withstand atmospheric pressure, we could dispense with both the dangerous hydrogen gas and the rare and expensive helium gas and have the assurance of the utmost safety and maximum of buoyancy in a ship supported entirely by vacuum tanks."

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Português

Tarzan reconheceu que até isso poderia ser possível, demonstrando interesse crescente pela ideia de Gridley.

Original English

"Perhaps even that is possible," said Tarzan, who was now evincing increasing interest in Gridley's proposition.

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Português

O americano discordou, balançando a cabeça. Ele admitiu que poderia se tornar viável no futuro, mas com os materiais atuais, qualquer recipiente forte o suficiente para suportar a pressão atmosférica sobre um vácuo seria pesado demais para um vácuo levantar.

Original English

The American shook his head. "It may be possible some day," he said, "but not at present with any known material. Any receptacle having sufficient strength to withstand the atmospheric pressure upon a vacuum would have a weight far too great for the vacuum to lift."

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Português

Tarzan respondeu com uma simples evasiva: talvez fosse possível, e talvez não.

Original English

"Perhaps," said Tarzan, "and, again, perhaps not."

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Português

Gridley pediu esclarecimentos.

Original English

"What do you mean?" inquired Gridley.

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Português

Tarzan comentou que as palavras de Gridley o lembraram de um jovem amigo, Erich von Harben, um cientista e explorador. Erich acabara de retornar de uma segunda expedição às Montanhas Wiramwazi, onde descobriu uma tribo que vivia às margens de um lago usando canoas feitas de um metal tão leve quanto cortiça, porém mais forte que aço. Ele havia trazido amostras e estava conduzindo experimentos em um laboratório montado na missão de seu pai.

Original English

"What you have just said," replied Tarzan, "reminds me of something that a young friend of mine recently told me. Erich von Harben is something of a scientist and explorer himself, and the last time that I saw him he had just returned from a second expedition into the Wiramwazi Mountains, where he told me that he had discovered a lake-dwelling tribe using canoes made of a metal that was apparently as light as cork and stronger than steel. He brought some samples of the metal back with him, and at the time I last saw him he was conducting some experiments in a little laboratory he has rigged up at his father's mission."

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Português

Gridley exigiu saber onde o homem estava.

Original English

"Where is this man?" demanded Gridley.

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Português

O homem-macaco respondeu que a missão do Dr. von Harben ficava no país Urambi, a cerca de quatro dias de viagem a oeste de sua localização atual.

Original English

"Dr. von Harben's mission is in the Urambi country," replied the ape-man, "about four marches west of where we now are."

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Português

Os dois homens discutiram o projeto até tarde da noite, pois Tarzan havia se tornado profundamente interessado. No dia seguinte, eles retornaram ao país Urambi e chegaram à missão de von Harben após quatro dias. Lá, foram recebidos pelo Dr. von Harben, seu filho Erich e a esposa de Erich, a bela Favonia de Castrum Mare.

Original English

Far into the night the two men discussed plans for the project, for Tarzan was now thoroughly interested, and the next day they turned back toward the Urambi country and von Harben's mission, where they arrived on the fourth day and were greeted by Dr. von Harben and his son, Erich, as well as by the latter's wife, the beautiful Favonia of Castrum Mare.

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Português

O narrador não pretende sobrecarregar os leitores com todos os detalhes da organização e equipamento da expedição pelucidariana. No entanto, a parte referente à busca e descoberta da mina nativa contendo o notável metal agora conhecido como Harbenita foi tão cheia de aventura e empolgação que merece um volume próprio.

Original English

It is not my intention to weary you with a recital of the details of the organization and equipment of the Pellucidarian expedition, although that portion of it which relates to the search for and discovery of the native mine containing the remarkable metal now known as Harbenite, filled as it was with adventure and excitement, is well worth a volume by itself.

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Português

Enquanto Tarzan e Erich von Harben localizavam a mina e transportavam o metal para a costa, Jason Gridley estava em Friedrichshafen consultando engenheiros da empresa que ele havia escolhido para construir o dirigível especialmente projetado destinado à tentativa de alcançar o mundo interior.

Original English

While Tarzan and Erich von Harben were locating the mine and transporting the metal to the seacoast, Jason Gridley was in Friedrichshafen in consultation with the engineers of the company he had chosen to construct the specially designed airship in which the attempt was to be made to reach the inner world.

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Português

Jason Gridley trouxe amostras de Harbenita para Friedrichshafen, onde foram testadas minuciosamente. Planos foram preparados e, quando o carregamento do minério chegou, a construção secreta imediata começou. Seis meses depois, o O-220 foi concluído e amplamente considerado apenas mais um dirigível comum para uso comercial na Europa.

Original English

Exhaustive tests were made of the samples of Harbenite brought to Friedrichshafen by Jason Gridley. Plans were drawn, and by the time the shipment of the ore arrived everything was in readiness to commence immediate construction, which was carried on secretly. And six months later, when the O-220, as it was officially known, was ready to take the air, it was generally considered to be nothing more than a new design of the ordinary type of rigid airship, destined to be used as a common carrier upon one of the already numerous commercial airways of Europe.

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Português

O O-220 tinha um casco em forma de charuto com 997 pés de comprimento e 150 pés de diâmetro. Dentro, havia seis compartimentos herméticos, três acima e três abaixo da linha média. Longos corredores corriam ao longo de cada lado entre os tanques de vácuo superior e inferior, abrigando motores, bombas e suprimentos de combustível.

Original English

The great cigar-shaped hull of the O-220 was 997 feet in length and 150 feet in diameter. The interior of the hull was divided into six large, air-tight compartments, three of which, running the full length of the ship, were above the medial line and three below. Inside the hull and running along each side of the ship, between the upper and lower vacuum tanks, were long corridors in which were located the engines, motors and pumps, in addition to supplies of gasoline and oil.

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Português

A colocação interna da sala de máquinas era segura porque o O-220 foi construído sem risco de incêndio. Ao contrário dos dirigíveis a hidrogênio, ele usava Harbenita à prova de fogo para quase tudo, exceto certas buchas e rolamentos nos motores, geradores e hélices.

Original English

The internal location of the engine room was made possible by the elimination of fire risk, which is an ever-present source of danger in airships which depend for their lifting power upon hydrogen gas, as well as to the absolutely fireproof construction of the O-220; every part of which, with the exception of a few cabin fittings and furniture, was of Harbenite, this metal being used throughout except for certain bushings and bearings in motors, generators and propellers.

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Português

Dois corredores transversais, um à frente e outro à ré, conectavam os corredores de motor e combustível de bombordo e estibordo. Dois poços de escalada corriam verticalmente através do navio, cruzando esses corredores transversais.

Original English

Connecting the port and starboard engine and fuel corridors were two transverse corridors, one forward and one aft, while bisecting these transverse corridors were two climbing shafts extending from the bottom of the ship to the top.

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Português

O topo do poço de escalada dianteiro se abria em uma pequena cabine de observação e arma. De lá, uma estreita passarela se estendia ao longo do topo do navio até uma pequena torre perto da cauda, que foi projetada para montar uma metralhadora.

Original English

The upper end of the forward climbing shaft terminated in a small gun and observation cabin at the top of the ship, along which was a narrow walkingway extending from the forward cabin to a small turret near the tail of the ship, where provision had been made for fixing a machine gun.

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Português

A cabine principal, que corria ao longo da quilha, era construída no próprio casco. Devido a essa construção rígida, não havia necessidade de cabines suspensas abaixo, então o O-220 tinha trem de pouso composto por seis grandes rodas com pneus pesados que se projetavam do fundo da cabine principal. Bem no fundo da cabine da quilha, um pequeno monoplano de reconhecimento era armazenado de forma que pudesse ser baixado pelo fundo do navio e lançado enquanto o O-220 estava em voo.

Original English

The main cabin, running along the keel of the ship, was an integral part of the hull, and because of this entirely rigid construction, which eliminated the necessity for cabins suspended below the hull, the O-220 was equipped with landing gear in the form of six, large, heavily tired wheels projecting below the bottom of the main cabin. In the extreme stern of the keel cabin a small scout monoplane was carried in such a way that it could be lowered through the bottom of the ship and launched while the O-220 was in flight.

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Português

Oito motores refrigerados a ar acionavam oito hélices, que eram dispostas em pares de cada lado do navio. As hélices eram escalonadas para que o fluxo de ar das dianteiras não interferisse nas traseiras.

Original English

Eight air-cooled motors drove as many propellers, which were arranged in pairs upon either side of the ship and staggered in such a manner that the air from the forward propellers would not interfere with those behind.

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Português

Os motores, que produziam 5600 cavalos de potência, podiam impulsionar o navio a uma velocidade de 105 milhas por hora.

Original English

The engines, developing 5600 horsepower, were capable of driving the ship at a speed of 105 miles per hour.

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Português

No O-220, o fio axial usual que percorria todo o comprimento do navio através do centro era um eixo tubular feito de Harbenita. Desse eixo, braços tubulares menores irradiavam para fora como os raios de uma roda, conectando-se às vigas tubulares às quais as placas de Harbenita do envelope externo eram soldadas.

Original English

In the O-220 the ordinary axial wire, which passes the whole length of the ship through the center, consisted of a tubular shaft of Harbenite from which smaller tubular braces radiated, like the spokes of a wheel, to the tubular girders, to which the Harbenite plates of the outer envelope were welded.

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Português

Como a Harbenita era extremamente leve, o peso total do navio era de apenas 75 toneladas, enquanto a sustentação fornecida por seus tanques a vácuo era de 225 toneladas.

Original English

Owing to the extreme lightness of Harbenite, the total weight of the ship was 75 tons, while the total lift of its vacuum tanks was 225 tons.

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Português

Para controlar o movimento e o pouso da nave, cada tanque de vácuo tinha oito válvulas de ar operadas a partir da cabine de controle. Seis bombas, três de cada lado, podiam expelir ar para renovar o vácuo. Os lemes e profundores eram controlados a partir da cabine dianteira ou de uma posição de backup na popa, no corredor do motor de bombordo, caso o leme principal falhasse.

Original English

For purposes of maneuvering the ship and to facilitate landing, each of the vacuum tanks was equipped with a bank of eight air valves operated from the control cabin at the forward end of the keel; while six pumps, three in the starboard and three in the port engine corridors, were designed to expel the air from the tanks when it became necessary to renew the vacuum. Special rudders and elevators were also operated from the forward control cabin as well as from an auxiliary position aft in the port engine corridor, in the event that the control cabin steering gear should break down.

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Português

A cabine principal da quilha abrigava alojamentos para oficiais e tripulação, além de depósitos para armas, comida, combustível e água. Os tanques de água podiam ser esvaziados instantaneamente em uma emergência, e alguns tanques de combustível podiam ser lançados pelo fundo da nave para reduzir o peso subitamente, se necessário.

Original English

In the main keel cabin were located the quarters for the officers and crew, gun and ammunition room, provision room, galley, additional gasoline and oil storage tanks, and water tanks, the latter so constructed that the contents of any of them might be emptied instantaneously in case of an emergency, while a proportion of the gasoline and oil tanks were slip tanks that might be slipped through the bottom of the ship in cases of extreme emergency when it was necessary instantaneously to reduce the weight of the load.

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Português

Este grande dirigível rígido era o que Jason Gridley e Tarzan esperavam usar para encontrar a entrada polar norte para o mundo interior e resgatar David Innes, Imperador de Pellucidar, das masmorras dos Korsars.

Original English

This, then, briefly, was the great, rigid airship in which Jason Gridley and Tarzan of the Apes hoped to discover the north polar entrance to the inner world and rescue David Innes, Emperor of Pellucidar, from the dungeons of the Korsars.

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Pellucidar

Português

Pouco antes do amanhecer de uma clara manhã de junho, o O-220 saiu do hangar com seus próprios motores. Totalmente carregado, fazia um voo de teste sob condições idênticas às que enfrentaria na longa viagem. Os três tanques inferiores ainda continham ar, e levava lastro de água extra para manter o equilíbrio, permitindo movimento seguro e fácil no solo, quase como um automóvel.

Original English

Just before daybreak of a clear June morning, the O-220 moved slowly from its hangar under its own power. Fully loaded and equipped, it was to make its test flight under load conditions identical with those which would obtain when it set forth upon its long journey. The three lower tanks were still filled with air and she carried an excess of water ballast sufficient to overcome her equilibrium, so that while she moved lightly over the ground she moved with entire safety and could be maneuvered almost as handily as an automobile.

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Português

Ao emergir no espaço aberto, as bombas começaram a expelir ar dos três tanques inferiores, enquanto um pouco do lastro de água extra era liberado. Quase imediatamente, a enorme nave subiu lenta e graciosamente do solo.

Original English

As she came into the open her pumps commenced to expel the air from the three lower tanks, and at the same time a portion of her excess water ballast was slowly discharged, and almost immediately the huge ship rose slowly and gracefully from the ground.

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Português

A tripulação do navio durante o voo de teste era composta pelas mesmas pessoas que haviam sido escolhidas para a expedição. O capitão Zuppner, que supervisionou a construção do navio e contribuiu significativamente para seu projeto, estava no comando. Os oficiais incluíam dois imediatos, Von Horst e Dorf, e o navegador, tenente Hines, todos ex-oficiais das forças aéreas imperiais. Além disso, havia doze engenheiros, oito mecânicos, um cozinheiro negro e dois camareiros filipinos.

Original English

The entire personnel of the ship's company during the test flight was the same that had been selected for the expedition. Zuppner, who had been chosen as captain, had been in charge of the construction of the ship and had a considerable part in its designing. There were two mates, Von Horst and Dorf, who had been officers in the Imperial air forces, as also had the navigator, Lieutenant Hines. In addition to these there were twelve engineers and eight mechanics, a negro cook and two Filipino cabin-boys.

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Português

Tarzan liderou a expedição, com Jason Gridley servindo como seu tenente. A força de combate a bordo era composta por Muviro e nove de seus guerreiros waziri.

Original English

Tarzan was commander of the expedition, with Jason Gridley as his lieutenant, while the fighting men of the ship consisted of Muviro and nine of his Waziri warriors.

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Português

Enquanto o navio subia graciosamente acima da cidade, Zuppner, que estava nos controles, mal conseguia conter sua empolgação.

Original English

As the ship rose gracefully above the city, Zuppner, who was at the controls, could scarce restrain his enthusiasm.

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Português

Zuppner exclamou que era a coisa mais bela que já tinha visto e que o navio respondia ao toque mais leve.

Original English

"The sweetest thing I ever saw!" he exclaimed. "She responds to the lightest touch."

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Português

Hines respondeu que não estava surpreso; ele esperava que o navio tivesse um bom desempenho e observou que eles tinham o dobro da tripulação necessária para operá-lo.

Original English

"I am not surprised at that," said Hines; "I knew she'd do it. Why we've got twice the crew we need to handle her."

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Português

Tarzan riu e disse ao Tenente que sua insistência em uma tripulação grande não se devia à falta de confiança no navio. Ele explicou que estavam entrando em um mundo desconhecido e poderiam ficar ausentes por muito tempo. Se chegassem ao destino, haveria luta, como os voluntários haviam sido informados. Embora pudessem ter mais homens do que o necessário para a viagem de ida, poderiam se ver com falta de pessoal na volta, já que nem todos sobreviveriam.

Original English

"There you go again, Lieutenant," said Tarzan, laughing; "but do not think that my insistence upon a large crew was based upon any lack of confidence in the ship. We are going into a strange world. We may be gone a long time. If we reach our destination we shall have fighting, as each of you men who volunteered has been informed many times, so that while we may have twice as many men as we need for the trip in, we may yet find ourselves short handed on the return journey, for not all of us will return."

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Português

Hines reconheceu que Tarzan provavelmente estava certo, mas acrescentou que a presença calmante do navio e a paisagem tranquila abaixo faziam com que o perigo e a morte parecessem distantes.

Original English

"I suppose you are right," said Hines; "but with the feel of this ship permeating me and the quiet peacefulness of the scene below, danger and death seem remote."

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Português

Tarzan expressou sua esperança de que o perigo estivesse realmente distante e que todos voltassem em segurança. No entanto, ele acreditava em preparação. Ele mencionou que ele e Gridley estavam estudando navegação e queriam ganhar experiência prática antes de chegarem.

Original English

"I hope they are," returned Tarzan, "and I hope that we shall return with every man that goes out with us, but I believe in being prepared and to that end Gridley and I have been studying navigation and we want you to give us a chance at some practical experience before we reach our destination."

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Português

Zuppner riu e comentou com Hines que os outros já o haviam descoberto.

Original English

Zuppner laughed. "They have you marked already, Hines," he said.

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Português

O Tenente sorriu e se ofereceu para ensinar tudo o que sabia. Apostou que, se o navio retornasse, ele ainda seria seu navegador.

Original English

The Lieutenant grinned. "I'll teach them all I know," he said; "but I'll bet the best dinner that can be served in Berlin that if this ship returns I'll still be her navigator."

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Português

Gridley observou que o resultado estava predeterminado a seu favor, independentemente de como os eventos se desenrolassem.

Original English

"That is a case of heads-I-win, tails-you-lose," said Gridley.

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Português

Tarzan propôs que seus Waziri ajudassem os mecânicos e engenheiros, observando que eles aprendiam rápido e que era prudente ter muitos homens familiarizados com os motores do navio em caso de emergência.

Original English

"And to return to the subject of preparedness," said Tarzan, "I am going to ask you to let my Waziri help the mechanics and engineers. They are highly intelligent men, quick to learn, and if some calamity should overtake us we cannot have too many men familiar with the engines, and other machinery of the ship."

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Português

Zuppner concordou e prometeu garantir que fosse realizado.

Original English

"You are right," said Zuppner, "and I shall see that it is done."

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Português

A magnífica e reluzente embarcação viajou para o norte com grandeza; Ravensburg ficou para trás, e em meia hora a sombria faixa cinzenta do rio Danúbio apareceu abaixo.

Original English

The great, shining ship sailed majestically north; Ravensburg fell astern and half an hour later the somber gray ribbon of the Danube lay below them.

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Português

À medida que o voo continuava, Zuppner ficava cada vez mais entusiasmado. Ele admitiu que estava confiante no sucesso do teste, mas não tinha anticipado um desempenho tão impecável. Ele declarou que o navio marcava uma nova era na aviação e que, antes de chegar a Hamburgo, todos estariam totalmente convencidos da aeronavegabilidade do O-220.

Original English

The longer they were in the air the more enthusiastic Zuppner became. "I had every confidence in the successful outcome of the trial flight," he said; "but I can assure you that I did not look for such perfection as I find in this ship. It marks a new era in aeronautics, and I am convinced that long before we cover the four hundred miles to Hamburg that we shall have established the entire air worthiness of the O-220 to the entire satisfaction of each of us."

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Português

Tarzan destacou que o plano original era ir a Hamburgo e depois retornar a Friedrichshafen, e perguntou por que eles voltariam em Hamburgo em vez disso.

Original English

"To Hamburg and return to Friedrichshafen was to have been the route of the trial trip," said Tarzan, "but why turn back at Hamburg?"

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Português

Os outros lançaram olhares questionadores para ele à medida que o significado de sua pergunta ficou claro.

Original English

The others turned questioning eyes upon him as the purport of his query sank home.

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Português

Gridley exigiu saber por que eles estavam voltando.

Original English

"Yes, why?" demanded Gridley.

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Português

Zuppner deu de ombros e disse que estavam completamente abastecidos e equipados.

Original English

Zuppner shrugged his shoulders. "We are fully equipped and provisioned," he said.

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Português

Hines perguntou por que eles desperdiçariam oitocentas milhas voltando para Friedrichshafen se já estavam prontos.

Original English

"Then why waste eight hundred miles in returning to Friedrichshafen?" demanded Hines.

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Português

Tarzan propôs que continuassem para o norte se todos concordassem. Assim, a viagem de teste do O-220 tornou-se o verdadeiro início de sua longa jornada em direção ao interior da Terra, e o desejado sigilo da expedição foi mantido.

Original English

"If you are all agreeable we shall continue toward the north," said Tarzan. And so it was that the trial trip of the O-220 became an actual start upon its long journey toward the interior of the earth, and the secrecy that was desired for the expedition was insured.

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Português

O plano original era seguir o décimo meridiano a leste de Greenwich em direção ao polo norte. No entanto, para evitar chamar atenção indesejada, eles decidiram desviar ligeiramente. O navio passou a oeste de Hamburgo, cruzou o Mar do Norte, depois seguiu diretamente para o norte, a oeste de Spitzbergen, e sobre as regiões polares congeladas.

Original English

The plan had been to follow the Tenth Meridian east of Greenwich north to the pole. But to avoid attracting unnecessary notice a slight deviation from this course was found desirable, and the ship passed to the west of Hamburg and out across the waters of the North Sea, and thus due north, passing to the west of Spitzbergen and out across the frozen polar wastes.

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Português

Viajando a uma velocidade média de cerca de 75 milhas por hora, o O-220 alcançou a área próxima ao Polo Norte por volta da meia-noite do segundo dia. A excitação aumentou quando Hines anunciou que, de acordo com seus cálculos, eles estavam diretamente sobre o polo. Por sugestão de Tarzan, o navio circulou lentamente a algumas centenas de pés acima do gelo irregular e coberto de neve.

Original English

Maintaining an average cruising speed of about 75 miles per hour, the O-220 reached the vicinity of the north pole about midnight of the second day, and excitement ran high when Hines announced that in accordance with his calculation they should be directly over the pole. At Tarzan's suggestion the ship circled slowly at an altitude of a few hundred feet above the rough, snow-covered ice.

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Português

Zuppner brincou que eles deveriam reconhecer o local pelas bandeiras italianas. No entanto, qualquer evidência da passagem do Norge estava completamente escondida sob camadas de neve.

Original English

"We ought to be able to recognize it by the Italian flags," said Zuppner, with a smile. But if any reminders of the passage of the Norge remained below them, they were effectually hidden by the mantle of many snows.

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Português

O navio completou um círculo sobre a banquisa de gelo estéril antes de seguir para o sul ao longo do 170º meridiano leste.

Original English

The ship made a single circle above the desolate ice pack before she took up her southerly course along the 170th East Meridian.

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Português

Desde o momento em que o navio virou para o sul a partir do polo, Jason Gridley permaneceu perto de Hines e Zuppner, observando ansiosamente os instrumentos ou olhando para a paisagem desolada. Ele acreditava que a abertura polar norte estava perto de 85 graus de latitude norte e 170 graus de longitude leste. Ele tinha uma teoria, e o sucesso deles dependia de sua correção, então ele prestou a maior atenção à bússola.

Original English

From the moment that the ship struck south from the pole Jason Gridley remained constantly with Hines and Zuppner eagerly and anxiously watching the instruments, or gazing down upon the bleak landscape ahead. It was Gridley's belief that the north polar opening lay in the vicinity of 85 north latitude and 170 east longitude. Before him were compass, aneroids, bubble statoscope, air speed indicator, inclinometers, rise and fall indicator, bearing plate, clock and thermometers; but the instrument that commanded his closest attention was the compass, for Jason Gridley held a theory and upon the correctness of it depended their success in finding the north polar opening.

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Português

Após cinco horas de voo constante em direção ao sul, o navio começou a mostrar uma tendência a derivar para oeste.

Original English

For five hours the ship flew steadily toward the south, when she developed an apparent tendency to fall off toward the west.

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Português

Gridley alertou o capitão para manter o navio estável, explicando que, se sua teoria estivesse correta, eles estavam voando sobre a borda da abertura polar. O desvio da bússola era falso; ele acreditava que estavam na borda leste e que qualquer curva a estibordo os faria espiralar para Pellucidar, embora a bússola ficasse inútil pelas próximas centenas de milhas.

Original English

"Hold her steady, Captain," cautioned Gridley, "for if I am correct we are now going over the lip of the polar opening, and the deviation is in the compass only and not in our course. The further we go along this course the more erratic the compass will become and if we were presently to move upward, or in other words, straight out across the polar opening toward its center, the needle would spin erratically in a circle. But we could not reach the center of the polar opening because of the tremendous altitude which this would require. I believe that we are now on the eastern verge of the opening and if whatever deviation from the present course you make is to the starboard we shall slowly spiral downward into Pellucidar, but your compass will be useless for the next four to six hundred miles."

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Português

Zuppner expressou incerteza, dizendo que o clima favorável poderia permitir que eles tivessem sucesso, mas duvidava de sua capacidade de manter um rumo sem a bússola em ventos fortes.

Original English

Zuppner shook his head, dubiously. "If this weather holds, we may be able to do it," he said, "but if it commences to blow I doubt my ability to keep any sort of a course if I am not to follow the compass."

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Português

Gridley disse-lhe para fazer o seu melhor e virar a estibordo sempre que tivesse dúvidas.

Original English

"Do the best you can," said Gridley, "and when in doubt put her to starboard."

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Português

A tensão era tão avassaladora que por muitas horas ninguém disse uma palavra.

Original English

So great was the nervous strain upon all of them that for hours at a time scarcely a word was exchanged.

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Português

Hines gritou de repente e apontou que havia água aberta diretamente à frente deles.

Original English

"Look!" exclaimed Hines suddenly. "There is open water just ahead of us."

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Português

Zuppner comentou que a água aberta era esperada independentemente de uma abertura polar, e lembrou-lhes que ele duvidava da teoria de Gridley desde o início.

Original English

"That, of course, we might expect," said Zuppner, "even if there is no polar opening, and you know that I have been skeptical about that ever since Gridley first explained his theory to me."

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Português

Gridley sorriu e admitiu que talvez fosse o único que ainda tinha fé na teoria, embora não se surpreendesse se ela se provasse falsa. Ele instou os outros a olharem para o sol; mesmo que não houvesse uma abertura polar para um mundo interior, a posição do sol indicava que eles haviam descido para uma grande depressão na crosta terrestre. Ele explicou que o sol da meia-noite estava mais baixo do que o esperado e continuaria a cair até se pôr completamente, e acreditava que em breve veriam o sol eterno do meio-dia de Pellucidar.

Original English

"I think," said Gridley, with a smile, "that really I am the only one in the party who has had any faith at all in the theory, but please do not call it my theory for it is not, and even I should not have been surprised had the theory proven to be a false one. But if any of you has been watching the sun for the last few hours, I think that you will have to agree with me that even though there may be no polar opening into an inner world, there must be a great depression at this point in the earth's crust and that we had gone down into it for a considerable distance, for you will notice that the midnight sun is much lower than it should be and that the further we continue upon this course the lower it drops—eventually it will set completely, and if I am not much mistaken we shall soon see the light of the eternal noonday sun of Pellucidar."

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Português

O telefone tocou de repente. Hines atendeu e depois reportou ao capitão que Von Horst havia ligado da cabine de observação, tendo avistado terra à frente.

Original English

Suddenly the telephone rang and Hines put the receiver to his ear. "Very good, sir," he said, after a moment, and hung up. "It was Von Horst, Captain, reporting from the observation cabin. He has sighted land dead ahead."

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Português

Zuppner exclamou que eles haviam avistado terra, embora a única terra marcada em seu mapa naquela direção fosse a Sibéria.

Original English

"Land!" exclaimed Zuppner. "The only land our chart shows in this direction is Siberia."

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Português

Gridley apontou que a Sibéria estava a mais de mil milhas ao sul da latitude 85, enquanto eles provavelmente não estavam a mais de trezentas milhas ao sul dessa linha.

Original English

"Siberia lies over a thousand miles south of 85, and we cannot be over three hundred miles south of 85," said Gridley.

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Português

O tenente Hines raciocinou que eles deviam ter descoberto uma terra ártica anteriormente desconhecida ou estavam se aproximando dos limites setentrionais de Pellucidar.

Original English

"Then we have either discovered a new arctic land, or we are approaching the northern frontiers of Pellucidar," said Lieutenant Hines.

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Português

Gridley confirmou que esse era exatamente o caso e os instruiu a verificar o termômetro.

Original English

"And that is just what we are doing," said Gridley. "Look at your thermometer."

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Português

Zuppner xingou de surpresa, observando que a temperatura era de meros vinte graus Fahrenheit acima de zero.

Original English

"The devil!" exclaimed Zuppner. "It is only twenty degrees above zero Fahrenheit."

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Português

Tarzan observou que a terra agora era claramente visível. Ele a descreveu como aparentando ser estéril, mas com apenas manchas ocasionais de neve.

Original English

"You can see the land plainly now," said Tarzan. "It looks desolate enough, but there are only little patches of snow here and there."

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Português

Gridley notou que isso correspondia ao território do qual Innes havia falado ao norte de Korsar.

Original English

"This corresponds with the land Innes described north of Korsar," said Gridley.

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Português

A notícia se espalhou rapidamente pelo navio de que a terra abaixo poderia ser Pellucidar, causando grande entusiasmo. Aqueles que não estavam de serviço subiram para o convés de observação ou espiaram pelas vigias para vislumbrar o mundo interior.

Original English

Word was quickly passed around the ship to the other officers and the crew that there was reason to believe that the land below them was Pellucidar. Excitement ran high, and every man who could spare a moment from his duties was aloft on the walkingway, or peering through portholes for a glimpse of the inner world.

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Português

O O-220 continuou firmemente para o sul, e assim que a borda do sol da meia-noite desapareceu abaixo do horizonte atrás deles, o brilho do sol central de Pellucidar tornou-se claramente visível adiante.

Original English

Steadily the O-220 forged southward and just as the rim of the midnight sun disappeared from view below the horizon astern, the glow of Pellucidar's central sun was plainly visible ahead.

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Português

A paisagem abaixo se transformou rapidamente; o solo estéril agora ficava para trás e, após atravessar uma cadeia de colinas arborizadas, uma vasta floresta se estendia diante deles. Parecia se curvar para cima, desaparecendo na névoa distante. Esta era realmente Pellucidar, a terra com a qual Jason Gridley havia sonhado.

Original English

The nature of the landscape below was changing rapidly. The barren land had fallen astern, the ship had crossed a range of wooded hills and now before it lay a great forest that stretched on and on seemingly curving upward to be lost eventually in the haze of the distance. This was indeed Pellucidar—the Pellucidar of which Jason Gridley had dreamed.

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Português

Além da floresta, estendia-se uma planície ondulada, pontuada por aglomerados de árvores. Essa paisagem bem irrigada era atravessada por inúmeros riachos que eventualmente se juntavam em um grande rio do outro lado.

Original English

Beyond the forest lay a rolling plain dotted with clumps of trees, a well-watered plain through which wound numerous streams, which emptied into a large river at its opposite side.

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Português

Grandes manadas de animais pastavam pela campina aberta, e nenhum vestígio de presença humana podia ser visto.

Original English

Great herds of game were grazing in the open pasture land and nowhere was there sight of man.

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Português

Tarzan dos Macacos comentou que o lugar parecia um paraíso para ele e sugeriu ao Capitão que deveriam descer.

Original English

"This looks like heaven to me," said Tarzan of the Apes. "Let us land, Captain."

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Português

O grande navio desceu lentamente, seus tanques de vácuo inferiores se enchendo de ar para amortecer o pouso.

Original English

Slowly the great ship came to earth as air was taken into the lower vacuum tanks.

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Português

Escadas curtas foram estendidas, pois o piso da cabine ficava a apenas seis pés do chão. Logo, quase toda a tripulação do navio — deixando apenas um oficial e dois homens de vigia — estava com os joelhos enterrados na grama exuberante de Pellucidar.

Original English

Short ladders were run out, for the bottom of the cabin was only six feet above the ground, and presently the entire ship's company, with the exception of a watch of an officer and two men, were knee deep in the lush grasses of Pellucidar.

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Português

Tarzan disse que esperava que eles pudessem obter carne fresca, mas o navio havia espantado todos os animais.

Original English

"I thought we might get some fresh meat," said Tarzan, "but the ship has frightened all the game away."

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Português

Dorf comentou que, com base na quantidade que havia visto, eles não precisariam viajar longe para caçar algumas presas.

Original English

"From the quantity of it I saw, we shall not have to go far to bag some," said Dorf.

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Português

Tarzan afirmou que o que mais precisavam naquele momento era descanso. Ele observou que, por semanas, todos haviam trabalhado intensamente para finalizar os preparativos da expedição, e duvidava que alguém tivesse dormido mais de duas horas nos últimos três dias. Ele propôs que ficassem ali até que todos estivessem totalmente descansados, e então realizariam uma busca metódica pela cidade de Korsar.

Original English

"What we need most right now, however, is rest," said Tarzan. "For weeks every man has been working at high pitch in completing the preparation for the expedition and I doubt if one of us has had over two hours sleep in the last three days. I suggest that we remain here until we are all thoroughly rested and then take up a systematic search for the city of Korsar."

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Português

O plano foi amplamente aceito, e eles começaram a fazer arranjos para permanecer por vários dias.

Original English

The plan met with general approval and preparations were made for a stay of several days.

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Português

Gridley sugeriu ao Capitão Zuppner que seria aconselhável dar instruções rigorosas de que ninguém deveria se afastar do navio ou de sua área imediata sem a permissão do capitão, e que qualquer pessoa que fosse mais longe deveria estar em grupos liderados por um oficial, pois certamente encontrariam homens selvagens e animais ainda mais ferozes em toda a Pellucidar.

Original English

"I believe," said Gridley to Captain Zuppner, "that it would be well to issue strict orders that no one is to leave the ship, or rather its close vicinity, without permission from you and that no one be allowed to venture far afield except in parties commanded by an officer, for we have every assurance that we shall meet with savage men and far more savage beasts everywhere within Pellucidar."

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Português

Tarzan sorriu e expressou sua esperança de que fosse isentado daquela ordem.

Original English

"I hope that you will except me from that order," said Tarzan, smiling.

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Português

Zuppner comentou que acreditava que Tarzan poderia se virar sozinho em qualquer terra.

Original English

"I believe that you can take care of yourself in any country," said Zuppner.

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Português

O homem-macaco destacou que poderia caçar com mais eficácia sozinho do que em grupo.

Original English

"And I can certainly hunt to better effect alone than I can with a party," said the ape-man.

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Português

Zuppner continuou, observando que, já que a ordem vinha de Tarzan como comandante, ninguém se oporia se ele se isentasse, pois nenhum dos outros desejava vagar sozinho por Pellucidar.

Original English

"In any event," continued Zuppner, "the order comes from you as commander, and no one will complain if you exempt yourself from its provisions since I am sure that none of the rest of us is particularly anxious to wander about Pellucidar alone."

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Português

Com exceção da vigilância, que era revezada a cada quatro horas, todos os oficiais e soldados dormiam o dia inteiro.

Original English

Officers and men, with the exception of the watch, which changed every four hours, slept the clock around.

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Português

Tarzan, o macaco, foi o primeiro a terminar de dormir e deixar o navio. Ele havia removido as roupas que o incomodavam desde que deixou sua selva africana para ajudar a preparar o O-220. Em vez de aparecer como um inglês perfeitamente vestido quando saiu da cabine e pulou no chão, ele estava quase nu, como um guerreiro primitivo. Carregava uma faca de caça, uma lança, um arco e flechas, e a longa corda que sempre levava consigo, pois para caçar preferia as armas de sua juventude às armas de fogo da civilização.

Original English

Tarzan of the Apes was the first to complete his sleep and leave the ship. He had discarded the clothing that had encumbered and annoyed him since he had left his own African jungle to join in the preparation of the O-220, and it was no faultlessly attired Englishman that came from the cabin and dropped to the ground below, but instead an almost naked and primitive warrior, armed with hunting knife, spear, a bow and arrows, and the long rope which Tarzan always carried, for in the hunt he preferred the weapons of his youth to the firearms of civilization.

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Português

O tenente Dorf, o único oficial de serviço na época, o viu partir e observou com óbvia admiração enquanto o senhor da selva de cabelos negros se movia pela planície aberta e desaparecia na floresta.

Original English

Lieutenant Dorf, the only officer on duty at the time, saw him depart and watched with unfeigned admiration as the black-haired jungle lord moved across the open plain and disappeared in the forest.

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Português

Havia árvores que o homem-macaco reconhecia e outras que nunca tinha visto antes, mas era uma floresta, e isso era suficiente para atrair Tarzan e deixá-lo esquecer as últimas semanas passadas nos arredores desagradáveis da civilização. Ele também estava feliz por estar livre do navio e, embora gostasse de todos os seus companheiros, estava contente por estar sozinho.

Original English

There were trees that were familiar to the eyes of the ape-man, and trees such as he had never seen before, but it was a forest and that was enough to lure Tarzan of the Apes and permit him to forget the last few weeks that had been spent amidst the distasteful surroundings of civilization. He was happy to be free from the ship, too, and, while he liked all his companions, he was yet glad to be alone.

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Português

Na primeira alegria de sua nova liberdade, Tarzan era como um menino solto da escola. Livre das odiadas roupas da civilização e longe de qualquer coisa que pudesse lembrá-lo dos danos que os humanos causam à natureza, ele encheu os pulmões com o ar livre de Pellucidar, saltou para uma árvore próxima e balançou pela floresta. Sua única preocupação naquele momento era a felicidade de estar vivo e cheio de energia. Ele avançou pela floresta primordial de Pellucidar. Pássaros estranhos, assustados com sua passagem rápida e silenciosa, voaram gritando, e animais estranhos se esconderam abaixo dele. Mas Tarzan não se importou; ele não estava caçando nem procurando algo novo neste novo mundo. Por enquanto, ele estava simplesmente vivendo.

Original English

In the first flight of his new-found freedom Tarzan was like a boy released from school. Unhampered by the hated vestments of civilization, out of sight of anything that might even remotely remind him of the atrocities with which man scars the face of nature, he filled his lungs with the free air of Pellucidar, leaped into a nearby tree and swung away through the forest, his only concern for the moment the joyousness of exultant vitality and life. On he sped through the primeval forest of Pellucidar. Strange birds, startled by his swift and silent passage, flew screaming from his path, and strange beasts slunk to cover beneath him. But Tarzan did not care; he was not hunting; he was not even searching for the new in this new world. For the moment he was only living.

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Português

Enquanto esse humor o dominava, Tarzan não pensava na passagem do tempo, assim como não pensava na atemporalidade de Pellucidar, cujo sol, sempre em seu ponto mais alto, contradiz aqueles de nós da crosta externa que correm freneticamente pela vida tentando vencer a Terra em suas revoluções. Tampouco Tarzan considerava distância ou direção, pois essas coisas raramente eram algo que o homem-macaco pensava conscientemente. Ele atribuía inconscientemente sua notável capacidade de lidar com qualquer situação a poderes dentro de si mesmo, sem parar para perceber que em sua própria selva ele confiava no amigável sol, lua e estrelas como guias de dia e de noite, e nas inúmeras coisas familiares que falavam com ele em uma linguagem silenciosa que apenas o povo da selva pode entender.

Original English

While this mood dominated him Tarzan gave no thought to the passage of time any more than he had given thought to the timelessness of Pellucidar, whose noonday sun, hanging perpetually at zenith, gives a lie to us of the outer crust who rush frantically through life in mad and futile effort to beat the earth in her revolutions. Nor did Tarzan reckon upon distance or direction, for such matters were seldom the subjects of conscious consideration upon the part of the ape-man, whose remarkable ability to meet every and any emergency he unconsciously attributed to powers that lay within himself, not stopping to consider that in his own jungle he relied upon the friendly sun and moon and stars as guides by day and night, and to the myriad familiar things that spoke to him in a friendly, voiceless language that only the jungle people can interpret.

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Português

À medida que seu humor mudou, Tarzan diminuiu a velocidade e logo pousou em uma trilha de caça bem marcada. Ele então começou a observar as novas maravilhas ao seu redor. Notou sinais de grande idade, como as árvores enormes e as videiras antigas agarradas a elas, o que fazia sua própria selva parecer moderna. Ele se maravilhou com as flores abundantes e brilhantes. De repente, algo o agarrou pelo corpo e o ergueu bem alto no ar.

Original English

As his mood changed Tarzan reduced his speed, and presently he dropped to the ground in a well-marked game trail. Now he let his eyes take in the new wonders all about him. He noticed the evidences of great age as betokened by the enormous size of the trees and the hoary stems of the great vines that clung to many of them—suggestions of age that made his own jungle seem modern—and he marvelled at the gorgeous flowers that bloomed in riotous profusion upon every hand, and then of a sudden something gripped him about the body and snapped him high into the air.

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Português

Tarzan dos Macacos deixara sua atenção divagar. Sua mente, absorvida pelas maravilhas deste novo mundo, permitira uma breve falha na constante vigilância que caracteriza as criaturas selvagens.

Original English

Tarzan of the Apes had nodded. His mind occupied with the wonders of this new world had permitted a momentary relaxation of that habitual wariness that distinguishes creatures of the wild.

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Português

Quase imediatamente, o homem-macaco entendeu o que havia acontecido. Embora pudesse facilmente imaginar o desfecho desastroso, um sorriso pesaroso tocou seus lábios — um sorriso tingido de nojo de si mesmo. Tarzan dos Macacos havia sido pego em uma armadilha tão primitiva quanto qualquer outra já colocada para bestas incautas.

Original English

Almost in the instant of its occurrence the ape-man realized what had befallen him. Although he could easily imagine its disastrous sequel, the suggestion of a smile touched his lips—a rueful smile—and one that was perhaps tinged with disgust for himself, for Tarzan of the Apes had been caught in as primitive a snare as was ever laid for unwary beasts.

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Português

Um laço de couro cru, preso a um galho curvado de uma árvore pendente, estava enterrado na trilha. Ele acionara o gatilho. Mas a situação poderia ter sido menos lamentável se o laço não tivesse imobilizado seus braços contra o corpo ao se fechar ao redor dele.

Original English

A rawhide noose, attached to the downbent limb of an overhanging tree, had been buried in the trail along which he had been passing and he had struck the trigger—that was the whole story. But its sequel might have had less unfortunate possibilities had the noose not pinioned his arms to his sides as it closed about him.

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Português

Ele estava pendurado a cerca de seis pés acima da trilha, preso firmemente em volta dos quadris, com o laço prendendo seus braços entre os cotovelos e os punhos, imobilizando-os junto ao corpo. Para aumentar seu desconforto e desamparo, ele balançava de cabeça para baixo, girando vertiginosamente como um prumo humano.

Original English

He hung about six feet above the trail, caught securely about the hips, the noose imprisoning his arms between elbows and wrists and pinioning them securely to his sides. And to add to his discomfort and helplessness, he swung head downward, spinning dizzily like a human plumb-bob.

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Português

Tarzan tentou libertar um braço do laço que se apertava para alcançar sua faca de caça, mas o peso do seu corpo puxou o nó mais apertado. Cada esforço apenas aprofundou o aperto do couro cru em sua carne.

Original English

He tried to draw an arm from the encircling noose so that he might reach his hunting knife and free himself, but the weight of his body constantly drew the noose more tightly about him and every effort upon his part seemed but to strengthen the relentless grip of the rawhide that was pressing deep into his flesh.

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Português

Tarzan sabia que a armadilha indicava homens por perto, que logo viriam verificá-la. Ele esperava que chegassem antes dos predadores. Enquanto pensava nisso, ouviu passos se aproximando — não humanos. Ele não conseguia detectar cheiro, nem a fera podia senti-lo. A criatura se movia calmamente e, quando se aproximou, ele reconheceu como um animal ungulado, provavelmente inofensivo, a menos que fosse uma besta desconhecida de Pellucidar.

Original English

He knew that the snare meant the presence of men and that doubtless they would soon come to inspect their noose, for his own knowledge of primitive hunting taught him that they would not leave their snares long untended, since in the event of a catch, if they would have it at all, they must claim it soon lest it fall prey to carnivorous beasts or birds. He wondered what sort of people they were and if he might not make friends with them, but whatever they were he hoped that they would come before the beasts of prey came. And while such thoughts were running through his mind, his keen ears caught the sound of approaching footsteps, but they were not the steps of men. Whatever was approaching was approaching across the wind and he could detect no scent spoor; nor, upon the other hand, he realized, could the beast scent him. It was coming leisurely and as it neared him, but before it came in sight along the trail, he knew that it was a hoofed animal and, therefore, that he had little reason to fear its approach unless, indeed, it might prove to be some strange Pellucidarian creature with characteristics entirely unlike any that he knew upon the outer crust.

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Português

Mas então um forte cheiro o alcançou, um que sempre fazia seus pelos se eriçarem em resposta instintiva a um inimigo ancestral. Era desconhecido, não o odor de leão ou leopardo, mas de algum grande felino. Ele ouviu sua aproximação silenciosa através da vegetação, vindo em direção à trilha, possivelmente atraído por sua presença ou pelo outro animal.

Original English

But even as he permitted these thoughts partially to reassure him, there came strongly to his nostrils a scent that always caused the short hairs upon his head to rise, not in fear but in natural reaction to the presence of an hereditary enemy. It was not an odor that he had ever smelled before. It was not the scent spoor of Numa the lion, nor Sheeta the leopard, but it was the scent spoor of some sort of great cat. And now he could hear its almost silent approach through the underbrush and he knew that it was coming down toward the trail, lured either by knowledge of his presence or by that of the beast whose approach Tarzan had been awaiting.

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Português

A última criatura apareceu primeiro — um enorme boi peludo com chifres largos. Avançou vários metros antes de notar Tarzan. Este era o thag de Pellucidar, um ancestral pré-histórico do gado da Terra.

Original English

It was the latter who came first into view—a great ox-like animal with wide-spread horns and shaggy coat—a huge bull that advanced several yards along the trail after Tarzan discovered it before it saw the ape-man dangling in front of it. It was the thag of Pellucidar, the Bos Primigenus of the paleontologist of the outer crust, a long extinct progenitor of the bovine races of our own world.

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Português

Por um momento, o touro ficou olhando para o homem pendurado em seu caminho.

Original English

For a moment it stood eyeing the man dangling in its path.

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Português

Tarzan permaneceu imóvel, não querendo assustar o animal porque sabia que um deles se tornaria a presa do predador que se aproximava sorrateiramente. Mas logo percebeu que o thag não estava assustado; em vez disso, o grande touro escavou o chão com a pata, baixou seus chifres enormes e golpeou a terra com raiva, inflamando-se de fúria. A besta avançou ameaçadoramente com urros trovejantes, com a cauda erguida e a cabeça baixa, iniciando um trote que sinalizava a carga.

Original English

Tarzan remained very quiet. He did not wish to frighten it away for he realized that one of them must be the prey of the carnivore sneaking upon them, but if he expected the thag to be frightened he soon realized his error in judgment for, uttering low grumblings, the great bull pawed the earth with a front foot, and then, lowering his massive horns, gored it angrily, and the ape-man knew that he was working his short temper up to charging pitch; nor did it seem that this was to take long for already he was advancing menacingly to the accompaniment of thunderous bellowing. His tail was up and his head down as he broke into the trot that preluded the charge.

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Português

O homem-macaco entendeu que se aqueles chifres enormes ou aquela cabeça pesada o atingissem, seu crânio se estilhaçaria como uma casca de ovo.

Original English

The ape-man realized that if he was ever struck by those massive horns or that heavy head, his skull would be crushed like an eggshell.

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Português

O giro causado pelo seu peso havia diminuído para uma volta suave, de modo que ele ora enfrentava o thag, ora ficava de costas. Sua impotência o enfurecia mais do que o pensamento da morte, pois ele caminhara ao lado da morte desde a infância e não a temia. Sabia que a morte era a experiência final de todos os seres vivos, inevitável e natural, e embora amasse a vida, sua aproximação não o enchia de pânico. Mas morrer sem lutar não era o fim que desejava. Enquanto seu corpo girava lentamente e seus olhos se afastavam do thag investindo, seu coração se apertou ao ser negado até mesmo a pequena satisfação de enfrentar a morte cara a cara.

Original English

The dizzy spinning that had been caused by the first stretching of the rawhide to his weight had lessened to a gentle turning motion, so that sometimes he faced the thag and sometimes in the opposite direction. The utter helplessness of his position galled the ape-man and gave him more concern than any consideration of impending death. From childhood he had walked hand in hand with the Grim Reaper and he had looked upon death in so many forms that it held no terror for him. He knew that it was the final experience of all created things, that it must as inevitably come to him as to others and while he loved life and did not wish to die, its mere approach induced within him no futile hysteria. But to die without a chance to fight for life was not such an end as Tarzan of the Apes would have chosen. And now, as his body slowly revolved and his eyes were turned away from the charging thag, his heart sank at the thought that he was not even to be vouchsafed the meager satisfaction of meeting death face to face.

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Português

No breve momento antes do impacto, um grito horrível rasgou o ar, diferente de tudo que o homem-macaco já ouvira, e os urros do touro subiram bruscamente, misturando-se àquele som aterrorizante.

Original English

In the brief instant that he waited for the impact, the air was rent by as horrid a scream as had ever broken upon the ears of the ape-man and the bellowing of the bull rose suddenly to a higher pitch and mingled with that other awesome sound.

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Português

Mais uma vez, o corpo pendente de Tarzan girou, e seus olhos caíram sobre uma cena que as pessoas do mundo exterior não testemunhavam há incontáveis eras.

Original English

Once more the dangling body of the ape-man revolved and his eyes fell upon such a scene as had not been vouchsafed to men of the outer world for countless ages.

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Português

Um tigre de tamanho imenso agarrou-se aos ombros e pescoço maciços de um grande thag. Tarzan mal podia acreditar em seus olhos. Os longos dentes de sabre do tigre estavam enterrados profundamente no pescoço do touro, mas o thag havia parado de fugir e tentava se livrar do predador. Ele balançava seus enormes chifres para trás e sacudia todo o corpo violentamente, enquanto berrava de dor e fúria.

Original English

Upon the massive shoulders and neck of the great thag clung a tiger of such huge proportions that Tarzan could scarce credit the testimony of his own eyes. Great saber-like tusks, projecting from the upper jaw, were buried deep in the neck of the bull, which, instead of trying to escape, had stopped in its tracks and was endeavoring to dislodge the great beast of prey, swinging its huge horns backward in an attempt to rake the living death from its shoulders, or again shaking its whole body violently for the same purpose and all the while bellowing in pain and rage.

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Português

O dente-de-sabre ajustou sua pegada até ter uma firme segura, então com velocidade relâmpago balançou um antebraço poderoso e desferiu um único golpe devastador na cabeça do thag, que esmagou seu crânio, matando o touro instantaneamente. O carnívoro então se acomodou para se banquetear com sua presa.

Original English

Gradually the saber-tooth changed its position until it had attained a hold suited to its purpose. Then with lightning-like swiftness it swung back a great forearm and delivered a single, terrific blow on the side of the thag's head—a titanic blow that crushed that mighty skull and dropped the huge bull dead in its tracks. And then the carnivore settled down to feast upon its kill.

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Português

Durante a batalha, o dente-de-sabre não havia notado o homem-macaco, mas depois que começou a se alimentar, seu olho foi atraído pelo corpo giratório balançando acima da trilha nas proximidades. A fera parou de comer, abaixou a cabeça e rosnou horrivelmente. Observou Tarzan, rosnando baixo e ameaçadoramente, com sua longa cauda chicoteando, enquanto se levantava lentamente de sua presa e avançava em sua direção.

Original English

During the battle the saber-tooth had not noticed the ape-man; nor was it until after he had commenced to feed upon the thag that his eye was attracted by the revolving body swinging above the trail a few yards away. Instantly the beast stopped feeding; his head lowered and flattened, his upper lip turned back in a hideous snarl. He watched the ape-man. Low, menacing growls rumbled from his cavernous throat; his long, sinuous tail lashed angrily as slowly he arose from the body of his kill and advanced toward Tarzan of the Apes.

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The Great Cats

Português

A maré decrescente da guerra havia deixado destroços humanos em praias desconhecidas. Robert Jones, um soldado raso em um batalhão de trabalho, foi capturado e colocado em um campo de prisioneiros atrás das linhas inimigas. Sua boa natureza lhe rendeu amigos e favores, mas não a liberdade. Quando o campo foi evacuado, Jones permaneceu, tendo aprendido a língua dos captores e feito muitos amigos. Ele se tornou cozinheiro para um rancho de oficiais, e o Capitão Zuppner o notou, convocando-o para a expedição O-220.

Original English

The ebbing tide of the great war had left human flotsam stranded upon many an unfamiliar beach. In its full flow it had lifted Robert Jones, high private in the ranks of a labor battalion, from uncongenial surroundings and landed him in a prison camp behind the enemy line. Here his good nature won him friends and favors, but neither one nor the other served to obtain his freedom. Robert Jones seemed to have been lost in the shuffle. And finally, when the evacuation of the prison had been completed, Robert Jones still remained, but he was not downhearted. He had learned the language of his captors and had made many friends among them. They found him a job and Robert Jones of Alabama was content to remain where he was. He had been graduated from body servant to cook of an officers' mess and it was in this capacity that he had come under the observation of Captain Zuppner, who had drafted him for the O-220 expedition.

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Português

Robert Jones bocejou, espreguiçou-se e virou-se em seu beliche estreito a bordo do O-220. Ele abriu os olhos, sentou-se com uma exclamação de surpresa, pulou no chão e colocou a cabeça para fora de uma janela aberta.

Original English

Robert Jones yawned, stretched, turned over in his narrow berth aboard the O-220, opened his eyes and sat up with an exclamation of surprise. He jumped to the floor and stuck his head out of an open port.

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Português

Ele exclamou que a outra pessoa definitivamente tinha dormido demais.

Original English

"Lawd, niggah!" he exclaimed; "you all suah done overslep' yo'sef."

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Português

Ele olhou para o sol do meio-dia por um momento, depois vestiu-se rapidamente e correu para sua cozinha.

Original English

For a moment he gazed up at the noonday sun shining down upon him and then, hastily dressing, hurried into his galley.

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Português

Ele achou estranho que ninguém estivesse se mexendo, acreditando que todos deviam ter dormido demais. Ele verificou o relógio na parede da cozinha, que marcava seis horas, e notou que ainda estava funcionando. Então abriu a porta lateral, inclinou-se para fora e olhou para o sol novamente. Balançando a cabeça, disse que algo estava errado e que não sabia se deveria preparar café da manhã, almoço ou jantar.

Original English

"'S funny," he soliloquized; "dey ain't no one stirrin'—mus' all of overslep' demsef." He looked at the clock on the galley wall. The hour hand pointed to six. He cocked his ear and listened. "She ain't stopped," he muttered. Then he went to the door that opened from the galley through the ship's side and pushed it back. Leaning far out he looked up again at the sun. Then he shook his head. "Dey's sumpin wrong," he said. "Ah dunno whether to cook breakfas', dinner or supper."

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Português

Jason Gridley saiu de sua cabine e caminhou pelo corredor estreito até a cozinha. Parou na porta aberta e cumprimentou Bob, perguntando se havia alguma chance de conseguir um pouco de café da manhã.

Original English

Jason Gridley, emerging from his cabin, sauntered down the narrow corridor toward the galley. "Good morning, Bob!" he said, stopping in the open doorway. "What's the chance for a bite of breakfast?"

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Português

Robert perguntou se Jason tinha dito café da manhã.

Original English

"Did you all say breakfas', suh?" inquired Robert.

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Português

Gridley respondeu que gostaria de torradas, café e alguns ovos, acrescentando que qualquer coisa conveniente serviria.

Original English

"Yes," replied Gridley; "just toast and coffee and a couple of eggs—anything you have handy."

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Português

O homem exclamou que sempre soubera; o relógio antigo estava certo, mas o sol claramente havia falhado.

Original English

"Ah knew it!" exclaimed the black. "Ah knew dat ol' clock couldn't be wrong, but Mistah Sun he suah gone hay wire."

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Português

Gridley sorriu e comentou que iria descer para uma curta caminhada, retornando em quinze minutos. Em seguida, perguntou se o outro tinha visto Lord Greystoke.

Original English

Gridley grinned. "I'll drop down and have a little walk," he said. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes. Have you seen anything of Lord Greystoke?"

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Português

O outro homem respondeu que não via o Mestre Tarzan desde o dia anterior.

Original English

"No suh, Ah ain't seen nothin' o' Massa Ta'zan sence yesterday."

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Português

Gridley disse que estava se perguntando, pois Lord Greystoke não estava em sua cabine.

Original English

"I wondered," said Gridley; "he is not in his cabin."

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Português

Depois de andar rapidamente perto do navio por quinze minutos, Gridley voltou à sala de refeições onde Zuppner e Dorf esperavam pelo café da manhã. Ele lhes deu um alegre bom-dia.

Original English

For fifteen minutes Gridley walked briskly about in the vicinity of the ship. When he returned to the mess room he found Zuppner and Dorf awaiting breakfast and greeted them with a pleasant "good morning."

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Português

Zuppner comentou que não tinha certeza se era manhã ou noite.

Original English

"I don't know whether it's good morning or good evening," said Zuppner.

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Português

Dorf observou que eles estavam lá há doze horas, mas o tempo permanecia inalterado. Ele havia feito vigília por quatro horas e, sem o cronômetro, não podia ter certeza se estava de serviço há quinze minutos ou uma semana inteira.

Original English

"We have been here twelve hours," said Dorf, "and it is just the same time that it was when we arrived. I have been on watch for the last four hours and if it hadn't been for the chronometer I could not swear that I had been on fifteen minutes or that I had not been on a week."

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Português

Gridley concordou que a situação criava uma sensação de irrealidade difícil de explicar.

Original English

"It certainly induces a feeling of unreality that is hard to explain," said Gridley.

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Português

Zuppner perguntou sobre o paradeiro de Greystoke, mencionando que ele geralmente acordava cedo.

Original English

"Where is Greystoke?" asked Zuppner. "He is usually an early riser."

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Português

Gridley mencionou que estava perguntando ao Bob, mas Bob não tinha visto o homem.

Original English

"I was just asking Bob," said Gridley, "but he has not seen him."

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Português

Dorf relatou que o homem havia deixado o navio cerca de três horas antes, logo após Dorf iniciar seu turno, e que ele o viu cruzar as planícies e entrar na floresta.

Original English

"He left the ship shortly after I came on watch," said Dorf. "I should say about three hours ago, possibly longer. I saw him cross the open country and enter the forest."

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Português

Gridley expressou pesar que o homem havia saído sozinho.

Original English

"I wish he had not gone out alone," said Gridley.

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Português

Zuppner observou que o homem parecia capaz de cuidar de si mesmo.

Original English

"He strikes me as a man who can take care of himself," said Zuppner.

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Português

Dorf disse que nas últimas quatro horas ele havia testemunhado coisas que o faziam duvidar que alguém pudesse sobreviver sozinho naquele mundo, especialmente alguém como Greystoke, que carregava apenas armas primitivas.

Original English

"I have seen some things during the last four hours," said Dorf, "that make me doubt whether any man can take care of himself alone in this world, especially one armed only with the primitive weapons that Greystoke carried with him."

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Português

Zuppner perguntou se o homem não carregava armas de fogo.

Original English

"You mean that he carried no firearms?" demanded Zuppner.

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Português

Dorf respondeu que o homem estava armado com um arco e flechas, uma lança, uma corda e uma faca de caça, mas que essas armas poderiam muito bem ter sido uma zarabatana se ele encontrasse algumas das coisas que Dorf tinha visto durante a vigília.

Original English

"He was armed with a bow and arrows, a spear and a rope," said Dorf, "and I think he carried a hunting knife as well. But he might as well have had nothing but a pea-shooter if he met some of the things I have seen since I went on watch."

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Português

Zuppner exigiu saber o que Dorf queria dizer e o que ele tinha visto.

Original English

"What do you mean?" demanded Zuppner. "What have you seen?"

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Português

Dorf sorriu envergonhado e admitiu que estava relutante em contar, pois mal podia acreditar ele mesmo.

Original English

Dorf grinned sheepishly. "Honestly, Captain, I hate to tell you," he said, "for I'm damned if I believe it myself."

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Português

Zuppner o incentivou a falar, dizendo que levariam em conta sua juventude e os possíveis efeitos do sol e do horizonte de Pellucidar em sua visão ou veracidade.

Original English

"Well, out with it," exclaimed Zuppner. "We will make allowances for your youth and for the effect that the sun and horizon of Pellucidar may have had upon your eyesight or your veracity."

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Português

Aproximadamente uma hora antes, Dorf mencionou que um urso havia se aproximado a menos de cem jardas do navio.

Original English

"Well," said Dorf, "about an hour ago a bear passed within a hundred yards of the ship."

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Português

Zuppner respondeu que isso não era particularmente incomum.

Original English

"There is nothing remarkable about that," said Zuppner.

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Português

Dorf, no entanto, insistiu que o urso era bastante extraordinário.

Original English

"There was a great deal that was remarkable about the bear, however," said Dorf.

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Português

Gridley perguntou sobre os detalhes específicos.

Original English

"In what way?" asked Gridley.

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Português

Dorf descreveu o urso como sendo tão grande quanto um boi e comentou que qualquer pessoa caçando neste país precisaria de artilharia de campanha.

Original English

"It was fully as large as an ox," said Dorf, "and if I were going out after bear in this country I should want to take along field artillery."

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Português

Zuppner perguntou se aquilo era tudo o que ele tinha visto, apenas um urso.

Original English

"Was that all you saw—just a bear?" asked Zuppner.

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Português

Dorf disse que tinha visto não apenas um, mas uma dúzia de tigres, muito maiores que os tigres de Bengala, com enormes presas curvas de oito polegadas a um pé de comprimento. Eles vieram ao riacho para beber e depois seguiram em direção à floresta ou ao grande rio.

Original English

"No," said Dorf, "I saw tigers, not one but fully a dozen, and they were as much larger than our Bengal tigers as the bear was larger than any bear of the outer crust that I have ever seen. They were perfectly enormous and they were armed with the most amazing fangs you ever saw—great curved fangs that extended from their upper jaws to lengths of from eight inches to a foot. They came down to this stream here to drink and then wandered away, some of them toward the forest and some down toward that big river yonder."

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Português

Zuppner comentou que, mesmo com um rifle, Greystoke seria impotente contra tais criaturas.

Original English

"Greystoke couldn't do much against such creatures as those even if he had carried a rifle," said Zuppner.

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Português

Gridley sugeriu que, se Greystoke estivesse na floresta, ele poderia escapar.

Original English

"If he was in the forest, he could escape them," said Gridley.

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Português

Zuppner balançou a cabeça em desaprovação, dizendo que a situação parecia preocupante e que ele lamentava que Greystoke tivesse saído sozinho.

Original English

Zuppner shook his head. "I don't like the looks of it," he said. "I wish that he had not gone out alone."

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Português

Dorf continuou, dizendo que, embora o urso e os tigres fossem ruins, ele tinha visto outra criatura que lhe parecia muito pior.

Original English

"The bear and the tigers were bad enough," continued Dorf, "but I saw another creature that to me seemed infinitely worse."

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Português

Robert, que gozava de certos privilégios, entrou vindo da cozinha e ouviu atentamente a descrição de Dorf sobre as criaturas que ele havia observado, enquanto Victor, um camareiro filipino, atendia os oficiais.

Original English

Robert, who was more or less a privileged character, had entered from the galley and was listening with wide-eyed interest to Dorf's account of the creatures he had seen, while Victor, one of the Filipino cabin-boys, served the officers.

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Português

Dorf continuou, descrevendo uma criatura muito estranha que ele tinha visto. Ela voou diretamente sobre o navio, e a princípio ele pensou que fosse um pássaro, mas uma inspeção mais detalhada revelou que era um réptil alado com uma cabeça longa e estreita e uma boca cheia de dentes afiados. A cabeça era alongada e pontiaguda, e a criatura era imensa, com uma envergadura de asas de pelo menos vinte pés. Enquanto observava, ela de repente caiu no chão nas proximidades e então se ergueu novamente carregando um animal do tamanho de uma ovelha grande em suas garras, voando para longe sem esforço. Dorf concluiu que a criatura era carnívora e forte o suficiente para carregar um homem.

Original English

"Yes," continued Dorf, "I saw a mighty strange creature. It flew directly over the ship and I had an excellent view of it. At first I thought that it was a bird, but when it approached more closely I saw that it was a winged reptile. It had a long, narrow head and it flew so close that I could see its great jaws, armed with an infinite number of long, sharp teeth. Its head was elongated above the eyes and came to a sharp point. It was perfectly immense and must have had a wing spread of at least twenty feet. While I was watching it, it dropped suddenly to earth only a short distance beyond the ship, and when it arose again it was carrying in its talons some animal that must have been fully as large as a good sized sheep, with which it flew away without apparent effort. That the creature is carnivorous is evident as is also the fact that it has sufficient strength to carry away a man."

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Português

Robert Jones cobriu a boca com a mão e, com os ombros tremendo, virou-se e saiu do cômodo na ponta dos pés. Uma vez na cozinha com a porta fechada, ele riu incontrolavelmente.

Original English

Robert Jones covered his large mouth with a pink palm and with hunched and shaking shoulders turned and tip-toed from the room. Once in the galley with the door closed, he gave himself over to unrestrained mirth.

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Português

Victor perguntou o que havia de errado com ele.

Original English

"What is the matter with you?" asked Victor.

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Português

Robert exclamou surpreso, dizendo que sempre achou que alguns membros do Clube Aventureiro em Birmingham podiam mentir, mas o Tenente Dorf os superava. Ele então perguntou se os outros tinham ouvido a história de Dorf sobre uma cobra voadora que carregava ovelhas.

Original English

"Lawd-a-massy!" exclaimed Robert. "Ah allus thought some o' dem gem'n in dat dere Adventurous Club in Bummingham could lie some, but, shucks, dey ain't in it with this Lieutenant Dorf. Did you all heah him tell about dat flyin' snake what carries off sheep?"

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Português

De volta ao refeitório, no entanto, os homens brancos levaram a declaração de Dorf mais a sério.

Original English

But back in the mess room the white men took Dorf's statement more seriously.

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Português

Zuppner observou que a criatura parecia um pterodátilo.

Original English

"That would be a pterodactyl," said Zuppner.

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Português

Dorf concordou e disse que a havia classificado como um Pteranodonte.

Original English

"Yes," replied Dorf. "I classified it as a Pteranodon."

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Português

Gridley sugeriu que eles deveriam enviar um grupo de busca.

Original English

"Don't you think we ought to send out a search party?" asked Gridley.

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Português

Zuppner expressou sua preocupação de que Greystoke não aprovasse o plano.

Original English

"I am afraid Greystoke would not like it," replied Zuppner.

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Português

Dorf propôs que eles poderiam se apresentar como um grupo de caça para evitar suspeitas.

Original English

"It could go out under the guise of a hunting party," suggested Dorf.

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Português

Zuppner afirmou que, se Tarzan não retornasse dentro de uma hora, eles seriam forçados a tomar uma ação semelhante.

Original English

"If he has not returned within an hour," said Zuppner, "we shall have to do something of the sort."

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Português

Hines e Von Horst se juntaram a eles no refeitório e, ao saberem da ausência de Tarzan e das criaturas perigosas que poderiam estar à espreita nas proximidades, também ficaram apreensivos com o bem-estar dele.

Original English

Hines and Von Horst now entered the mess room, and when they learned of Tarzan's absence from the ship and had heard from Dorf a description of some of the animals that he might have encountered, they were equally as apprehensive as the others of his safety.

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Português

Von Horst recomendou a Zuppner que eles navegassem pelas redondezas em busca dele.

Original English

"We might cruise around a bit, sir," suggested Von Horst to Zuppner.

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Português

Gridley questionou o que poderia acontecer se o homem retornasse àquele local enquanto eles estivessem ausentes.

Original English

"But suppose he returns to this spot during our absence?" asked Gridley.

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Português

Zuppner perguntou se eles seriam capazes de trazer o navio de volta à mesma ancoragem.

Original English

"Could you return the ship to this anchorage again?" inquired Zuppner.

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Português

O Tenente expressou dúvida, explicando que seus instrumentos eram quase inúteis sob as condições em Pellucidar.

Original English

"I doubt it," replied the Lieutenant. "Our instruments are almost worthless under the conditions existing in Pellucidar."

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Português

Gridley sugeriu que eles deveriam ficar onde estavam até o homem voltar.

Original English

"Then we had better remain where we are," said Gridley, "until he returns."

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Português

Zuppner exigiu saber que garantia eles tinham de que uma equipe de busca enviada a pé conseguiria encontrar o caminho de volta ao navio.

Original English

"But if we send a searching party after him on foot, what assurance have we that it will be able to find its way back to the ship?" demanded Zuppner.

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Português

Gridley observou que não seria particularmente difícil, já que eles poderiam sempre marcar seu caminho enquanto avançassem e, portanto, encontrar facilmente o caminho de volta.

Original English

"That will not be so difficult," said Gridley. "We can always blaze our trail as we go and thus easily retrace our steps."

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Português

Zuppner concordou com essa avaliação.

Original English

"Yes, that is so," agreed Zuppner.

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Português

Gridley propôs que ele e Von Horst saíssem com Muviro e seus Waziri, descrevendo-os como rastreadores habilidosos, guerreiros excelentes e homens que inegavelmente possuíam conhecimento da selva.

Original English

"Suppose," said Gridley, "that Von Horst and I go out with Muviro and his Waziri. They are experienced trackers, prime fighting men and they certainly know the jungle."

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Português

Dorf objetou, salientando que eles não conheciam esta selva em particular.

Original English

"Not this jungle," said Dorf.

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Português

Gridley insistiu que, apesar disso, eles entendiam qualquer selva melhor que o resto do grupo.

Original English

"But at least they know any jungle better than the rest of us," insisted Gridley.

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Português

Zuppner expressou aprovação do plano e afirmou que, como o outro estava agora no comando, o grupo seguiria sua liderança de bom grado.

Original English

"I think your plan is a good one," said Zuppner, "and anyway as you are in command now, the rest of us gladly place ourselves under your orders."

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Português

Gridley observou que a situação era desconhecida para todos e que nenhuma sugestão poderia ser baseada em experiência pessoal. Ele argumentou que as decisões deveriam ser tomadas por meio de discussão aprofundada, em vez de confiar apenas na hierarquia.

Original English

"The conditions that confront us here are new to all of us," said Gridley. "Nothing that anyone of us can suggest or command can be based upon any personal experience or knowledge that the rest do not possess, and in matters of this kind I think that we had better reach our decision after full discussion rather than to depend blindly upon official priority of authority."

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Português

Zuppner concordou com Gridley, mencionando que a abordagem de Greystoke havia tornado as coisas confortáveis para todos. Ele admitiu que não poderia propor um plano mais viável do que o sugerido.

Original English

"That has been Greystoke's policy," said Zuppner, "and it has made it very easy and pleasant for all of us. I quite agree with you, but I can think of no more feasible plan than that which you have suggested."

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Português

Gridley concordou e então perguntou ao Tenente Von Horst se ele o acompanharia.

Original English

"Very good," said Gridley. "Will you accompany me, Lieutenant?" he asked, turning to Von Horst.

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Português

O oficial sorriu, expressando que ficaria profundamente decepcionado se fosse excluído da expedição.

Original English

The officer grinned. "Will I?" he exclaimed. "I should never have forgiven you if you had left me out of it."

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Português

Gridley concordou e disse que deveriam se preparar imediatamente. Ele instruiu o Tenente a garantir que os Waziri tivessem comido e a dizer a Muviro que eles deveriam ser armados com rifles. Ele observou que, embora os Waziri soubessem usar rifles, eles tendiam a desdenhar de armas mais modernas em favor de suas lanças e flechas tradicionais.

Original English

"Fine," said Gridley. "And now, I think, we might as well make our preparations at once and get as early a start as possible. See that the Waziri have eaten, Lieutenant, and tell Muviro that I want them armed with rifles. These fellows can use them all right, but they rather look with scorn upon anything more modern than their war spears and arrows."

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Português

Hines confirmou que havia descoberto isso. Ele relatou que Muviro lhe dissera alguns dias antes que seu povo considerava as armas de fogo como um sinal de covardia. Eles as usavam para prática de tiro, mas quando caçavam leões ou rinocerontes, deixavam seus rifles para trás e confiavam em suas lanças e flechas.

Original English

"Yes, I discovered that," said Hines. "Muviro told me a few days ago that his people consider firearms as something of an admission of cowardice. He told me that they use them for target practice, but when they go out after lions or rhino they leave their rifles behind and take their spears and arrows."

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Português

Dorf comentou que, depois de testemunhar o que ele havia visto, os Waziri desenvolveriam maior respeito por um rifle potente.

Original English

"After they have seen what I saw," said Dorf, "they will have more respect for an express rifle."

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Português

Gridley disse a Von Horst para garantir que levassem bastante munição. Ele explicou que, com base em suas observações neste país, eles não precisariam carregar nenhum suprimento de comida.

Original English

"See that they take plenty of ammunition, Von Horst," said Gridley, "for from what I have seen in this country we shall not have to carry any provisions."

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Português

Zuppner observou que qualquer um incapaz de sobreviver da terra morreria de fome mesmo em um lugar abundante em comida.

Original English

"A man who could not live off this country would starve to death in a meat market," said Zuppner.

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Português

Von Horst foi seguir as instruções de Gridley, enquanto Gridley voltou para sua cabine para se preparar para a expedição.

Original English

Von Horst left to carry out Gridley's orders while the latter returned to his cabin to prepare for the expedition.

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Português

Os oficiais e a tripulação que permaneceram no O-220 se reuniram para se despedir da expedição que partia em busca de Tarzan. Enquanto os dez fortes guerreiros Waziri marchavam atrás de Gridley e Von Horst, Robert Jones observava da porta da cozinha, inchando de orgulho. Ele comentou que aqueles guerreiros eram realmente formidáveis e que quaisquer cobras voadoras seriam sábias em deixar a área. Robert, junto com os outros, observou o grupo atravessar a planície até desaparecer na floresta escura do outro lado. Então ele olhou para o sol do meio-dia, balançou a cabeça, ergueu as palmas das mãos em resignação e voltou para sua cozinha.

Original English

The officers and crew remaining with the O-220 were all on hand to bid farewell to the expedition starting out in search of Tarzan of the Apes, and as the ten stalwart Waziri warriors marched away behind Gridley and Von Horst, Robert Jones, watching from the galley door, swelled with pride. "Dem niggahs is sho nuf hot babies," he exclaimed. "All dem flyin' snakes bettah clear out de country now." With the others Robert watched the little party as it crossed the plain and until it had disappeared within the dark precincts of the forest upon the opposite side. Then he glanced up at the noonday sun, shook his head, elevated his palms in resignation and turned back into his galley.

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Português

Logo após o grupo deixar o navio, Gridley disse a Muviro para liderar o caminho e procurar os rastros de Tarzan, pois Muviro era o rastreador mais experiente entre eles. O chefe Waziri não teve dificuldade em seguir a trilha do homem-macaco pela planície e pela floresta. No entanto, debaixo de uma grande árvore, a trilha desapareceu.

Original English

Almost immediately after the party had left the ship, Gridley directed Muviro to take the lead and watch for Tarzan's trail since, of the entire party, he was the most experienced tracker; nor did the Waziri chieftain have any difficulty in following the spoor of the ape-man across the plain and into the forest, but here, beneath a great tree, it disappeared.

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Português

Muviro disse que o Grande Bwana havia subido nas árvores naquele ponto, e que ninguém vivo poderia rastreá-lo pelos níveis inferior, médio ou superior da floresta.

Original English

"The Big Bwana took to the trees here," said Muviro, "and no man lives who can follow his spoor through the lower, the middle or the upper terraces."

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Português

Gridley perguntou a Muviro o que ele propunha que fizessem em seguida.

Original English

"What do you suggest, then, Muviro?" asked Gridley.

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Português

O guerreiro respondeu que, se esta fosse a própria selva de Tarzan, ele teria certeza de que, quando Tarzan subisse nas árvores, viajaria em linha reta em direção ao seu destino, a menos que estivesse caçando, caso em que seu caminho seria guiado pelos rastros e odores dos animais.

Original English

"If this were his own jungle," replied the warrior, "I should feel sure that when he took to the trees he would move in a straight line toward the place he wished to go; unless he happened to be hunting, in which case his direction would be influenced by the sign and scent of game."

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Português

Von Horst comentou que Tarzan estava sem dúvida caçando nesta área.

Original English

"Doubtless he was hunting here," said Von Horst.

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Português

Muviro disse que, se Tarzan estivesse caçando, ele teria seguido em frente em linha reta até captar o cheiro da presa ou chegar a uma trilha de animais bem usada.

Original English

"If he was hunting," said Muviro, "he would have moved in a straight line until he caught the scent spoor of game or came to a well-beaten game trail."

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Português

Gridley perguntou o que Tarzan faria depois disso.

Original English

"And then what would he do?" asked Gridley.

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Português

Muviro respondeu que Tarzan poderia tanto esperar acima da trilha quanto segui-la. Ele pensou que, em uma terra desconhecida como esta, Tarzan escolheria segui-la, porque sempre foi curioso em explorar qualquer nova região que encontrava.

Original English

"He might wait above the trail," replied Muviro, "or he might follow it. In a new country like this, I think he would follow it, for he has always been interested in exploring every new country he entered."

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Português

Gridley propôs que continuassem direto pela floresta, mantendo a direção atual, até encontrarem uma trilha de caça.

Original English

"Then let us push straight into the forest in this same direction until we strike a game trail," said Gridley.

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Português

Muviro, acompanhado por três de seus guerreiros, avançou na frente, limpando a vegetação rasteira onde necessário e marcando as árvores em intervalos regulares para que pudessem encontrar facilmente o caminho de volta ao navio. Usando uma pequena bússola de bolso, Gridley manteve a direção da viagem, o que teria sido difícil de manter com precisão sob o sol perpétuo do meio-dia, cujos raios quentes filtravam-se através da copa da floresta.

Original English

Muviro and three of his warriors went ahead, cutting brush where it was necessary and blazing the trees at frequent intervals that they might more easily retrace their steps to the ship. With the aid of a small pocket compass Gridley directed the line of advance, which otherwise it would have been difficult to hold accurately beneath that eternal noonday sun, whose warm rays filtered down through the foliage of the forest.

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Português

Von Horst exclamou maravilhado com a imensidão da floresta, comparando a busca por um homem ali à proverbial procura por uma agulha num palheiro.

Original English

"God! What a forest!" exclaimed Von Horst. "To search for a man here is like the proverbial search for the needle in a haystack."

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Português

Gridley observou que talvez se tivesse uma chance ligeiramente maior de encontrar a agulha.

Original English

"Except," said Gridley, "that one might stand a slight chance of finding the needle."

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Português

Von Horst sugeriu que eles disparassem um tiro de vez em quando.

Original English

"Perhaps we had better fire a shot occasionally," suggested Von Horst.

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Português

Gridley comentou que os rifles eram excelentes, observando que carregavam uma carga mais pesada e faziam um som mais alto do que seus revólveres.

Original English

"Excellent," said Gridley. "The rifles carry a much heavier charge and make a louder report than our revolvers."

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Português

Depois de informar os outros sobre seu plano, ele ordenou que um dos nativos disparasse três tiros em intervalos de alguns segundos, já que nem Gridley nem Von Horst tinham rifles; cada oficial carregava dois Colts calibre .45. A partir de então, um único tiro era disparado a cada meia hora, mas à medida que o grupo de busca avançava pela floresta, cada membro se tornava cada vez mais pessimista sobre a futilidade da busca.

Original English

After warning the others of his intention, he directed one of the blacks to fire three shots at intervals of a few seconds, for neither Gridley nor Von Horst was armed with rifles, each of the officers carrying two.45 caliber Colts. Thereafter, at intervals of about half an hour, a single shot was fired, but as the searching party forced its way on into the forest each of its members became gloomily impressed with the futility of their search.

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Português

A floresta logo mudou. As árvores ficaram mais espaçadas e a vegetação rasteira, embora ainda espessa, estava menos densa. Eles encontraram uma trilha larga de caça, desgastada por muitos animais. Aqui, Jason Gridley cometeu um erro.

Original English

Presently the nature of the forest changed. The trees were set less closely together and the underbrush, while still forming an almost impenetrable screen, was less dense than it had been heretofore and here they came upon a wide game trail, worn by countless hoofs and padded feet to a depth of two feet or more below the surface of the surrounding ground, and here Jason Gridley blundered.

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Português

Gridley disse a Muviro que, enquanto seguissem a trilha, não precisariam marcar as árvores, exceto onde a trilha se bifurcasse ou fosse cruzada por outras trilhas.

Original English

"We won't bother about blazing the trees as long as we follow this trail," he said to Muviro, "except at such places as it may fork or be crossed by other trails."

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Português

Foi um erro natural, já que árvores marcadas ao longo da trilha não os ajudariam a encontrar o caminho de volta quando quisessem retornar.

Original English

It was, after all, a quite natural mistake since a few blazed trees along the trail would not serve any purpose in following it back when they wished to return.

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Português

A viagem tornou-se mais fácil ali. Os guerreiros Waziri se moviam rapidamente, percorrendo muitos quilômetros, e o sol do meio-dia fez com que perdessem a noção do tempo. Tanto negros quanto brancos ficaram cativados pela abundante vida selvagem ao redor.

Original English

The going here was easier and as the Waziri warriors swung along at a brisk pace, the miles dropped quickly behind them and already had the noonday sun so cast its spell upon them that the element of time seemed not to enter into their calculations, while the teeming life about them absorbed the attention of blacks and whites alike.

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Português

Macacos incomuns, alguns grandes e perturbadoramente semelhantes a humanos, observavam-nos passar. Pássaros com penas coloridas ou opacas protestavam ruidosamente, e formas grandes se moviam pelos arbustos, com o som de passos macios ao redor.

Original English

Strange monkeys, some of them startlingly man-like in appearance and of large size, watched them pass. Birds of both gay and somber plumage scattered protestingly before their advance, and again dim bulks loomed through the undergrowth and the sound of padded feet was everywhere.

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Português

Às vezes, passavam por florestas tão silenciosas quanto um túmulo; outras vezes, eram cercados por um caos de terríveis grunhidos, rugidos e gritos.

Original English

At times they would pass through a stretch of forest as silent as the tomb, and then again they seemed to be surrounded by a bedlam of hideous growls and roars and screams.

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Português

Após uma explosão de ruído especialmente feroz, Von Horst expressou o desejo de ver alguns daqueles animais.

Original English

"I'd like to see some of those fellows," said Von Horst, after a particularly savage outburst of sound.

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Português

Gridley respondeu que estava surpreso por ainda não terem encontrado nenhum. Ele especulou que os animais estavam desconfiados deles, não apenas por causa de seu número, mas também pelos odores estranhos e desconhecidos que cercavam o grupo, o que naturalmente aumentaria a suspeita despertada pelo som de seus tiros.

Original English

"I am surprised that we haven't," replied Gridley; "but I imagine that they are a little bit leery of us right now, not alone on account of our numbers but because of the, to them strange and unfamiliar, odors which must surround us. These would naturally increase the suspicion which must have been aroused by the sound of our shots."

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Português

Von Horst observou que os ruídos mais altos e agressivos pareciam originar-se atrás deles, enquanto os sons semelhantes a trombetas de elefante vinham da frente e dos lados. Ele notou que os rosnados e rugidos dessas direções eram infrequentes e distantes.

Original English

"Have you noticed," said Von Horst, "that most of the noise seems to come from behind us; I mean the more savage, growling sounds. I have heard squeals and noises that sounded like the trumpeting of elephants to the right and to the left and ahead, but only an occasional growl or roar seems to come from these directions and then always at a considerable distance."

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Português

Gridley perguntou como Von Horst explicava essa observação.

Original English

"How do you account for it?" asked Gridley.

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Português

Von Horst respondeu que não tinha explicação, mas parecia que estavam andando no meio de um desfile com todos os animais predadores seguindo atrás.

Original English

"I can't account for it," replied Von Horst. "It is as though we were moving along in the center of a procession with all the savage carnivores behind us."

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Português

Gridley comentou rindo que o sol constante tinha suas vantagens, porque eles não precisariam passar uma noite ali.

Original English

"This perpetual noonday sun has its compensations," remarked Gridley with a laugh, "for at least it insures that we shall not have to spend the night here."

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Português

De repente, um dos Waziri atrás deles gritou, apontando para trás ao longo da trilha. Gridley e Von Horst se viraram para ver uma besta enorme se movendo lenta e furtivamente na retaguarda.

Original English

At that instant the attention of the two men was attracted by an exclamation from one of the Waziri behind them. "Look, Bwana! Look!" cried the man, pointing back along the trail. Following the direction of the Waziri's extended finger, Gridley and Von Horst saw a huge beast slinking slowly along the trail in their rear.

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Português

Von Horst gritou de espanto, admitindo que acreditara que Dorf estava exagerando.

Original English

"God!" exclaimed Von Horst, "and I thought Dorf was exaggerating."

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Português

Gridley expressou incredulidade de que quinhentas milhas abaixo de seus pés, automóveis atravessavam ruas lotadas ladeadas por enormes edifícios, e que invenções modernas como o telégrafo, o telefone e o rádio eram tão comuns que não atraíam comentários. Ele observou que milhares incontáveis viviam suas vidas inteiras sem nunca precisar de uma arma para autodefesa, mas naquele exato momento eles estavam diante de um tigre-dentes-de-sabre em um ambiente que poderia não existir na superfície há um milhão de anos.

Original English

"It doesn't seem possible," exclaimed Gridley, "that five hundred miles below our feet automobiles are dashing through crowded streets lined by enormous buildings; that there the telegraph, the telephone and the radio are so commonplace as to excite no comment; that countless thousands live out their entire lives without ever having to use a weapon in self-defense, and yet at the same instant we stand here facing a saber-tooth tiger in surroundings that may not have existed upon the outer crust for a million years."

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Português

Von Horst gritou, apontando, e observou que se havia um, provavelmente havia uma dúzia.

Original English

"Look at them!" exclaimed Von Horst. "If there is one there are a dozen of them."

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Português

Um dos Waziri perguntou se deveriam abrir fogo.

Original English

"Shall we fire, Bwana?" asked one of the Waziri.

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Glossary: New Words

Words introduced by the simplified reading. Each entry shows up to five real sentences from this book; every Back to B1 link opens the exact sentence in the simplified version.

affect əˈfɛkt (2)

Português: afetar

Simple English: To change or influence something.

Example: The medicine does not affect her other senses.

Uses in this book:

1. Zuppner told him to speak and said they would understand that his youth, or the sun and horizon of Pellucidar, might affect his sight or his truthfulness. Back to B1

2. But he was most worried about how this would affect his main goal: finding The Red Flower of Zoram.

Amundsen əˈmʌnsən (1)

Português: Amundsen

Simple English: Name of a famous explorer.

Example: Tarzan asked if Amundsen and Ellsworth's expedition had disproven the idea.

Uses in this book:

1. Tarzan asked if Amundsen and Ellsworth's expedition had disproven the idea of a north polar opening, and if airplanes had flown over unexplored areas near the pole. Back to B1

approve /əˈpruːv/ (1)

Português: aprovar; autorizar

Simple English: To officially agree or accept a plan or proposal after review.

Example: The committee will approve the project's budget during their next meeting.

Uses in this book:

1. Zuppner replied that he thought Greystoke would not approve. Back to B1

arrangements əˈreɪndʒmənts (1)

Português: arranjos

Simple English: Plans made before doing something.

Example: He made arrangements before leaving.

Uses in this book:

1. Everyone agreed with the plan, and they made arrangements to stay for several days. Back to B1

awake əˈweɪk (2)

Português: acordado

Simple English: Not sleeping.

Example: He was only partly awake when people lifted him up.

Uses in this book:

1. He thought it was strange that no one was awake and that they must have all overslept. Back to B1

2. When Jason needed to sleep, Jana stayed awake.

backup ˈbækʌp (1)

Português: suporte

Simple English: A copy or alternative used in case the main one fails.

Example: These controls could be used from a backup position if the main controls broke.

Uses in this book:

1. These could be controlled from the front cabin or from a backup position in case the main controls broke. Back to B1

ball bɔːl (1)

Português: bola

Simple English: A round object shaped like a sphere.

Example: They talked about the idea that the earth is a hollow ball.

Uses in this book:

1. He asked if they had ever heard the idea that the earth is a hollow ball with a world inside. Back to B1

bigger ˈbɪɡər (5)

Português: maior

Simple English: larger in size

Example: Other, bigger animals did not bother him.

Uses in this book:

1. This is strange because it means there is a bigger world inside a smaller one. Back to B1

2. He saw twelve tigers, and they were much bigger than Bengal tigers. Back to B1

3. He also said the bear was much bigger than any bear he had seen before. Back to B1

4. He explained it was a creature he had never seen before, bigger and more frightening than a thipdar.

5. It was a very large bird with a head bigger than a horse's, standing eight feet tall.

biggest ˈbɪɡɪst (2)

Português: o maior

Simple English: the largest in size or importance

Example: The biggest problem was the lack of water.

Uses in this book:

1. The biggest danger would be not being able to return because the helium gas might run out during the journey. Back to B1

2. They knew their biggest danger was much smaller now because these new friends had very powerful weapons.

Bushes ˈbʊʃɪz (8)

Português: arbustos

Simple English: Small plants with many branches close to the ground.

Example: The garden has many green bushes.

Uses in this book:

1. He could now hear it moving quietly through the bushes. Back to B1

2. Large shapes moved in the bushes, and they could hear animals walking on soft feet all around. Back to B1

3. He could hear them moving in the bushes.

4. This clearing was about a hundred acres wide, with only a few bushes and trees.

5. It could not stand the constant hitting anymore, so it ran away into the bushes.

calm /kɑːm/ (7)

Português: calma; acalmar; tranqüilo

Simple English: Weather without wind, storm, or turbulent atmospheric conditions.

Example: The sea was calm, making it perfect for sailing.

Uses in this book:

1. He said that on the ship, with its calm feeling and the peaceful view below, danger and death seemed far away. Back to B1

2. Before the tigers arrived, the animals had been calm, eating grass or leaves.

3. She had stayed strong and faced the dangerous animal without fear or losing her calm.

4. Ovan was quiet and calm, like a wild animal, and he did not talk too much, unlike many people from cities.

5. After a short struggle, the water became calm again, with only ripples showing where they had gone.

car kɑːr (1)

Português: carro

Simple English: A vehicle used for traveling on roads.

Example: It moved safely and easily on the ground, almost like a car.

Uses in this book:

1. This made it move safely and easily on the ground, almost like a car. Back to B1

cars kɑːrz (1)

Português: carros

Simple English: vehicles for traveling on roads

Example: The cars stopped at the traffic light.

Uses in this book:

1. Gridley found it hard to believe that five hundred miles below them, cars were driving on busy streets with tall buildings. Back to B1

cattle ˈkætəl (1)

Português: gado

Simple English: Farm animals like cows and oxen kept for meat or milk.

Example: It was like an ancient ox, a relative of today's cattle.

Uses in this book:

1. It was like an ancient ox from Earth's past, a relative of today's cattle. Back to B1

clean kliːn (2)

Português: limpo

Simple English: Free from dirt or mess.

Example: The house is clean and tidy.

Uses in this book:

1. Tarzan replied that there was a good camp-site with clean water less than half a mile away. Back to B1

2. About thirty minutes later, Jason felt clean and wore new clothes.

concept /ˈkɒnsɛpt/ (1)

Português: conceito; noção

Simple English: An abstract idea or principle.

Example: The concept of freedom can mean different things to different people.

Uses in this book:

1. Since there is no sun, stars, or moon like ours, there is no concept of time. Back to B1

confirmed kənˈfɜːrmd (5)

Português: confirmado

Simple English: Shown to be true.

Example: This was confirmed when pygmies surrounded them.

Uses in this book:

1. Hines confirmed this, explaining that Muviro had told him his people thought using guns was a sign of weakness. Back to B1

2. Thoar confirmed that Zoram was his country.

3. The warrior confirmed that he was in Zoram.

4. Someone confirmed that he was dead.

5. Thoar confirmed he knew what they were, but said these were the first he had seen.

connected kəˈnɛktɪd (4)

Português: ligado

Simple English: Joined or related to something or someone.

Example: He was not connected to the film company.

Uses in this book:

1. These connected the engine hallways on the left and right sides. Back to B1

2. These connected to the ship's frame, and the Harbenite plates of the outside skin were attached to this frame. Back to B1

3. It was connected to a tree branch that was bent down. Back to B1

4. Muviro, the Waziri leader, thought these men might be connected to his master's disappearance and wanted to question them.

Container /kənˈteɪnər/ (1)

Português: contêiner; recipiente; reservatório

Simple English: Any object used to hold or store substances inside.

Example: I bought a plastic container to store the leftovers safely.

Uses in this book:

1. He said that any container strong enough to handle the air pressure on a vacuum would be too heavy for the vacuum to lift. Back to B1

cooling ˈkuːlɪŋ (1)

Português: refrigeração

Simple English: making something less hot

Example: The fan helps with cooling the room.

Uses in this book:

1. Eight motors with cooling systems drove eight propellers. Back to B1

daytime ˈdeɪtaɪm (2)

Português: durante o dia

Simple English: the period of the day when it is light

Example: We like to swim during daytime.

Uses in this book:

1. Because the sun is always in the sky, there is never night in Pellucidar; it is always daytime. Back to B1

2. He looked up at the sun and understood that it would always be daytime, with no night.

disagreed ˌdɪsəˈɡriːd (6)

Português: discordou

Simple English: to have a different opinion

Example: Professor Porter disagreed.

Uses in this book:

1. The American disagreed. Back to B1

2. Another person disagreed.

3. But no one said anything or disagreed.

4. Ovan disagreed, saying that was not true.

5. Thoar disagreed and said that his tribe had visited this place before to get back a stolen woman.

disproven dɪsˈpruːvən (1)

Português: refutado

Simple English: shown that something is not true

Example: The theory was disproven by new evidence.

Uses in this book:

1. Tarzan asked if Amundsen and Ellsworth's expedition had disproven the idea of a north polar opening, and if airplanes had flown over unexplored areas near the pole. Back to B1

dressed drɛst (3)

Português: vestido

Simple English: Wearing clothes.

Example: She was dressed in a beautiful red dress.

Uses in this book:

1. He was not dressed like a typical Englishman. Back to B1

2. Then he quickly got dressed and went into his galley. Back to B1

3. He wondered how he could search for it dressed so poorly.

dying ˈdaɪɪŋ (5)

Português: morrendo

Simple English: stopping living

Example: The old tree is slowly dying.

Uses in this book:

1. He was very upset about being helpless and worried more about this than about dying. Back to B1

2. He thought of God as a personal being and hoped he would live again after dying.

3. He did not regret this because he was afraid of dying.

4. Jason was very tired, almost too tired to care about dying.

5. Jason was not afraid of dying, but he found the idea of being made fat to be killed very unpleasant.

earlier ˈɜrliər (3)

Português: mais cedo

Simple English: before now or before another time

Example: I arrived earlier than expected.

Uses in this book:

1. However, any signs of the Norge's earlier visit were completely covered by deep snow. Back to B1

2. He had lost his spear and bow earlier, but the Sagoths had not taken them.

3. He felt that humans were a mistake, having bad qualities from earlier animals but few of their good ones.

ensure /ɛnˈʃʊr/ (1)

Português: garantir; assegurar; certifique

Simple English: To guarantee that something will take place or be true.

Example: We need to ensure that all safety protocols are followed during the event.

Uses in this book:

1. Gridley instructed Von Horst to ensure they took plenty of ammunition. Back to B1

evacuated ɪˈvækjueɪtɪd (1)

Português: evacuado

Simple English: made people leave a dangerous place

Example: The prison was evacuated because of danger.

Uses in this book:

1. When the prison was evacuated, Robert Jones stayed behind. Back to B1

explore /ɪkˈsplɔːr/ (2)

Português: explorar

Simple English: To visit new places to learn or discover things.

Example: We plan to explore the city and find hidden gems this weekend.

Uses in this book:

1. The speaker asked how they planned to discover and explore the inner world, assuming a polar opening existed. Back to B1

2. A desire to explore was growing inside her.

flown floʊn (5)

Português: voado

Simple English: Moved in the air using wings.

Example: The bird has flown away from the tree.

Uses in this book:

1. Tarzan asked if Amundsen and Ellsworth's expedition had disproven the idea of a north polar opening, and if airplanes had flown over unexplored areas near the pole. Back to B1

2. It could be lowered through the bottom of the ship and flown while the main ship was flying. Back to B1

3. The ship had flown over some wooded hills, and now a large forest was ahead. Back to B1

4. It was frustrating to think he might have flown right over his friends, but there was no other way.

5. He had already flown as far as he had planned when he saw a range of tall mountains ahead.

fur fɜːr (1)

Português: pele com pelo

Simple English: The thick hair that covers the bodies of some animals.

Example: The cat has soft fur.

Uses in this book:

1. A large, ox-like animal with wide horns and thick fur came into view first. Back to B1

Germany ˈdʒɜːrməni (1)

Português: Alemanha

Simple English: A country in Europe.

Example: He introduced Erich von Harben, a leader from Germany, to his uncle.

Uses in this book:

1. While Tarzan and Erich von Harben were finding the mine and moving the metal to the coast, Jason Gridley was in Germany. Back to B1

grabbed ˈɡræbd (13)

Português: agarrou

Simple English: took hold of something quickly

Example: He grabbed the book from the table.

Uses in this book:

1. Suddenly, something grabbed his body and threw him high into the air. Back to B1

2. Then, one of the creatures from the trees reached down, grabbed the rope holding Tarzan, and pulled him up quickly.

3. He was pulled up into the branches, where three hairy beings grabbed him.

4. Two creatures grabbed Tarzan by his arms, and a third grabbed his throat.

5. However, they were skilled climbers and grabbed the same branch while falling.

gunshots ˈɡʌnʃɒts (2)

Português: disparos

Simple English: Several sounds of guns firing.

Example: Twice, they heard gunshots.

Uses in this book:

1. He believed this was because of their large numbers and also because of the strange smells around them, which would make the animals more suspicious, especially after hearing their gunshots. Back to B1

2. The reptile heard Jason's gunshots.

hallways ˈhɔːlweɪz (5)

Português: corredores

Simple English: long passage inside a building with doors to rooms

Example: Other hallways opened from this one, marked with strange symbols.

Uses in this book:

1. Along the sides of the ship, between the upper and lower tanks, there were long hallways. Back to B1

2. These hallways held the engines, motors, pumps, and fuel. Back to B1

3. Two hallways ran across the ship, one at the front and one at the back. Back to B1

4. These connected the engine hallways on the left and right sides. Back to B1

5. Two shafts went up and down through the ship, crossing these hallways. Back to B1

happily ˈhæpɪli (2)

Português: felizmente

Simple English: in a happy way

Example: She smiled happily at the good news.

Uses in this book:

1. He also mentioned that since the other person was now in command, the rest of them would happily follow their orders. Back to B1

2. He looked happily at the prize they had brought.

hooves huːvz (1)

Português: casco

Simple English: the hard feet of animals like horses

Example: The horses' hooves left clear tracks on the ground.

Uses in this book:

1. As it got closer, he knew it was an animal with hooves. Back to B1

icy ˈaɪsi (1)

Português: gelado

Simple English: Covered with or full of ice.

Example: The ship flew over the icy area.

Uses in this book:

1. The ship made one circle above the empty, icy area before heading south along the 170th East Meridian. Back to B1

instructions ɪnˈstrʌkʃənz (4)

Português: instruções

Simple English: Steps or orders to do something.

Example: He followed Gridley’s instructions.

Uses in this book:

1. Von Horst went to follow Gridley's instructions. Back to B1

2. He explained that Lajo would land safely if he followed instructions.

3. He stayed with the fleet only to get clear instructions from David.

4. These instructions were about how to find the way to the polar opening from the city of Korsar.

involved ɪnˈvɑːlvd (2)

Português: envolvido

Simple English: To have taken part or been included in an activity or situation.

Example: Several people must have been involved.

Uses in this book:

1. Gridley replied that, as far as he knew, there would be no financial profit for anyone involved. Back to B1

2. He looked confused for a moment, but he did not usually get involved in other people's problems.

kitchen ˈkɪtʃɪn (7)

Português: cozinha

Simple English: A room where food is cooked.

Example: He came in from the kitchen.

Uses in this book:

1. Robert, who was allowed special privileges, came in from the kitchen. Back to B1

2. Once he was alone in the kitchen with the door shut, he laughed a lot. Back to B1

3. He looked out of the kitchen door to see the sun.

4. When the three men sat down, Robert Jones came in from the kitchen.

5. The man replied that he was coming right away and hurried into the kitchen.

local ˈloʊkəl (5)

Português: local

Simple English: from the nearby place

Example: The local people live in this village.

Uses in this book:

1. After telling the others what he planned, he asked one of the local men to shoot three times. Back to B1

2. Tarzan saw that two people, Gridley and another person who looked like a woman or a young person from a local tribe, had come to the plane after it crashed.

3. He felt there was no point in waiting longer for the local people, as it was very unlikely to find an attractive woman among them.

4. However, he believed the local people would not come back while they were nearby.

5. They wanted to find an area that was safe from attacks by local tribes and dangerous animals.

lucky ˈlʌki (6)

Português: sortudo

Simple English: having good luck

Example: He felt lucky to win the prize.

Uses in this book:

1. The young man said that he was lucky because he had traveled all the way from Southern California to find him. Back to B1

2. He was very lucky.

3. But he was lucky.

4. Maybe they were small, smart, or lucky.

5. But Jason thought it might be lucky.

lunch lʌnʧ (1)

Português: almoço

Simple English: The meal you eat in the middle of the day.

Example: He did not know if he should cook lunch.

Uses in this book:

1. He then said that something was wrong and he did not know if he should cook breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Back to B1

manage ˈmænɪdʒ (3)

Português: lidar

Simple English: to control or deal with a situation

Example: She had to manage her tasks carefully.

Uses in this book:

1. He added that they had more than enough crew to manage it. Back to B1

2. Zuppner said he thought Tarzan could manage by himself in any place. Back to B1

3. He had great trust in her skill to manage the difficult life in Pellucidaria, so he was not very worried about her safety during the storm.

managed ˈmænɪdʒd (3)

Português: gerenciavam

Simple English: controlled or organized well

Example: They managed the team carefully.

Uses in this book:

1. He had managed the building of the ship and helped design it. Back to B1

2. They managed to turn some animals away.

3. They managed to trap a small group.

map mæp (1)

Português: mapa

Simple English: A picture that shows places and land.

Example: I looked at the map to find the city.

Uses in this book:

1. He said that the map only showed Siberia in that direction. Back to B1

meanwhile /ˈmiːnˌwaɪl/ (3)

Português: entretanto

Simple English: At the same time but often in another place.

Example: She was studying; meanwhile, he was watching TV in the living room.

Uses in this book:

1. Meanwhile, Victor, a Filipino cabin boy, was serving food to the officers. Back to B1

2. Meanwhile, Skruk and his companions had found an easier way down.

3. Meanwhile, Robert Jones slowly climbed up a shaft to the ship's walkway, which was high above his kitchen.

mist mɪst (1)

Português: névoa

Simple English: Thin fog or small drops of water in the air.

Example: The mountains were covered in mist.

Uses in this book:

1. It seemed to curve upwards and disappear into the mist in the distance. Back to B1

mixed /mɪkst/ (5)

Português: misto; misturado; mixado

Simple English: Consisting of different types combined together.

Example: The salad was a mixed variety, containing both leafy greens and colorful vegetables.

Uses in this book:

1. The animal's angry sounds became higher and mixed with the scream. Back to B1

2. The sounds of the prey mixed with the growls and roars of the predators.

3. The strong wind mixed the rain, creating a thick fog that made it impossible to see more than a few feet.

4. The large creature came closer, its wings making a sad flapping sound, sometimes mixed with an angry hiss.

5. However, this liking was mixed with a feeling that was not quite dislike, but similar to it.

noisily ˈnɔɪ.zɪ.li (1)

Português: barulhentamente

Simple English: Making a lot of noise.

Example: The birds flew away noisily.

Uses in this book:

1. Colorful and plain birds flew away from them noisily. Back to B1

o'clock əˈklɒk (1)

Português: horas

Simple English: Used to say the exact hour.

Example: The clock shows six o'clock.

Uses in this book:

1. He checked the clock on the galley wall, which showed six o'clock. Back to B1

organize ˈɔːrɡənaɪz (2)

Português: organizar

Simple English: To arrange or plan something carefully.

Example: He helped organize the city's defense.

Uses in this book:

1. He thought there was enough evidence to organize the expedition he had suggested. Back to B1

2. Gridley asked if they should organize a search party. Back to B1

overslept ˌoʊ.vərˈslɛpt (2)

Português: dormiu demais

Simple English: Stayed asleep too long and woke late.

Example: I overslept and missed the bus.

Uses in this book:

1. He exclaimed in surprise that the other person had overslept. Back to B1

2. He thought it was strange that no one was awake and that they must have all overslept. Back to B1

paper ˈpeɪ.pər (2)

Português: papel

Simple English: Thin material used for writing or printing.

Example: She wrote a letter on paper.

Uses in this book:

1. He had brought a copy of the message and a paper that proved it was real. Back to B1

2. Another man, who was familiar to Tarzan, had heard the message at the same time and signed the paper. Back to B1

passengers ˈpæs.ɪn.dʒərz (2)

Português: passageiros

Simple English: People who travel in a vehicle.

Example: The bus has many passengers.

Uses in this book:

1. Most people thought it was just another normal airship for carrying passengers in Europe. Back to B1

2. Good winds carried the boat and its passengers.

Pellucida pəˈluː.sɪ.də (2)

Português: Pellucida

Simple English: A name of a place (proper noun).

Example: The expedition to Pellucida was planned carefully.

Uses in this book:

1. The story will not explain all the details about how the expedition to Pellucida was planned and prepared. Back to B1

2. As Jason got to know Thoar better, his feelings changed from not trusting him to admiring him, and finally to liking the man from Pellucida.

pretending prɪˈtɛndɪŋ (1)

Português: fingir

Simple English: acting as if something is true, but it is not

Example: They were pretending to fight.

Uses in this book:

1. Dorf suggested that they could go out pretending to be a hunting party. Back to B1

privileges ˈprɪvɪlɪdʒɪz (1)

Português: privilégios

Simple English: Special rights or advantages some people have.

Example: The teacher gave him special privileges because he worked hard.

Uses in this book:

1. Robert, who was allowed special privileges, came in from the kitchen. Back to B1

proud /praʊd/ (6)

Português: orgulhoso

Simple English: Feeling satisfied with achievements or possessions.

Example: She felt proud of her team for winning the championship.

Uses in this book:

1. Robert Jones watched from the galley door and felt proud. Back to B1

2. It is more reasonable to think that when humans started to think, they felt confident and maybe a bit proud.

3. The mountain people were proud of their girls' beauty, and this fame meant men came from far away to try and steal a wife like Jana.

4. He remembered Cynthia Furnois, a proud woman from Hollywood, whose father was a famous director.

5. He thought Cynthia was a very proud and selfish person.

scare skɛər (5)

Português: assustar

Simple English: To make someone feel afraid.

Example: Because Kerchak was their leader, they could scare other tribes away from their jungle area.

Uses in this book:

1. He did not want to scare the animal away because he knew one of them might be hunted by a dangerous animal. Back to B1

2. He had broken his watch in the forest while trying to scare a tiger up a tree.

3. He thought the loud noise of his gun might scare it away.

4. He warned Jason to stay away from its tail and to use his spear, explaining that making noise would not scare the creature.

5. He thought it was funny that the warrior believed he had only used his gun to scare the creature.

scared skɛərd (26)

Português: com medo

Simple English: Feeling afraid or frightened.

Example: The man felt scared and helpless when he thought about their serious situation.

Uses in this book:

1. However, he explained that the ship had scared all the animals away. Back to B1

2. However, the animal was not scared. Back to B1

3. But when the big cats appeared, the animals became scared.

4. The scared herbivores were focused on the tigers and did not notice the small humans walking among them.

5. Some people imagine early humans were always scared and ran away from danger.

shapes ʃeɪps (1)

Português: formas

Simple English: the outline or form of something

Example: The valley had strange rock shapes.

Uses in this book:

1. Large shapes moved in the bushes, and they could hear animals walking on soft feet all around. Back to B1

shyly ˈʃaɪli (1)

Português: tímida(o)

Simple English: in a nervous or shy way

Example: He smiled shyly at the girl.

Uses in this book:

1. Dorf smiled shyly and said he did not want to tell because he did not believe it himself. Back to B1

sloping ˈsloʊpɪŋ (1)

Português: inclinado

Simple English: going down or up at an angle

Example: They walked down sloping paths.

Uses in this book:

1. Outside the forest was a large, gently sloping land with groups of trees. Back to B1

smart smɑːrt (6)

Português: inteligente

Simple English: clever and able to solve problems

Example: The smart boy quickly answered the question.

Uses in this book:

1. He explained that they were smart and learned quickly. Back to B1

2. Their faces were rougher than Bolgani's, but their heads showed they had brains as smart as a human's.

3. Jason realized she was smart as well as beautiful.

4. Ulan was important in the Clovi councils because he was smart, brave, and capable.

5. Maybe they were small, smart, or lucky.

smell smɛl (22)

Português: cheirar

Simple English: To notice a scent with your nose.

Example: She can smell fresh flowers.

Uses in this book:

1. Tarzan of the apes stopped to listen and smell the air. Back to B1

2. He also smelled the scent of black men and, a little bit, the smell of a white man. Back to B1

3. He could not smell anything, and he realized the animal could not smell him either. Back to B1

4. It was not the smell of a lion (Numa) or a leopard (Sheeta), but it was the smell of a large cat. Back to B1

5. However, one thag, frightened by the smell of the meat-eaters and the noise, became angry.

smells smɛlz (4)

Português: cheiros

Simple English: things you notice with your nose

Example: Tarzan could tell different smells apart.

Uses in this book:

1. However, if he was hunting, his path would change because of animal signs and smells. Back to B1

2. He believed this was because of their large numbers and also because of the strange smells around them, which would make the animals more suspicious, especially after hearing their gunshots. Back to B1

3. He noticed strange, unpleasant smells that he could not identify.

4. These smells were different from those of familiar animals like snakes, and they made him feel worried.

soldier ˈsoʊldʒər (2)

Português: soldado

Simple English: A person who works in an army.

Example: The soldier marched in the parade.

Uses in this book:

1. The young man, who had stopped near his soldier, walked towards the ape-man. Back to B1

2. Robert Jones was a soldier who was captured and sent to a prison camp. Back to B1

sunrise ˈsʌnˌraɪz (1)

Português: nascer do sol

Simple English: the time when the sun appears in the morning

Example: We watched the sunrise on the beach.

Uses in this book:

1. Before sunrise on a clear June morning, the O-220 airship slowly left its hangar using its own power. Back to B1

systems ˈsɪstəmz (1)

Português: sistemas

Simple English: a set of connected parts working together

Example: Cooling systems keep the motors from overheating.

Uses in this book:

1. Eight motors with cooling systems drove eight propellers. Back to B1

technology tɛkˈnɒlədʒi (1)

Português: tecnologia

Simple English: machines and tools made using science

Example: Modern technology helps us communicate easily.

Uses in this book:

1. He also found it strange that modern technology like the telegraph, telephone, and radio were common there, and that many people lived without needing to defend themselves. Back to B1

tools tuːlz (6)

Português: ferramentas

Simple English: Objects used to do a job or work.

Example: He used many tools to fix the chair.

Uses in this book:

1. He went back in the machine to bring tools to his people in the inner world. Back to B1

2. Their only tools were clubs.

3. These clubs looked like they had been shaped with sharp tools to make them easier to hold and to throw well.

4. Tar-gash did not seem to notice the tools; he bit into the Dyal's chest with his strong teeth and ate large pieces of raw meat.

5. Jason saw no signs of houses or advanced skills, only tools for making weapons and simple armor to protect their soft stomachs.

traditional trəˈdɪʃənəl (1)

Português: tradicional

Simple English: followed old customs or ways

Example: They used traditional weapons like spears.

Uses in this book:

1. Gridley mentioned that although the Waziri could use rifles, they often felt that traditional weapons like spears and arrows were better. Back to B1

truly /ˈtruːli/ (3)

Português: verdadeiramente; realmente; sinceramente

Simple English: In a sincere and genuine manner; with heartfelt honesty.

Example: She truly believes that everyone deserves a second chance.

Uses in this book:

1. This was truly Pellucidar, the place Jason Gridley had imagined. Back to B1

2. Jason said it was good they had brought Bob along, especially for Pellucidar, which had never had a truly effective rabbit's foot before.

3. But now that it was real, he understood that his dreams had not shown him how truly embarrassed and unconfident he would feel in reality.

truthfulness ˈtruːθfəlnəs (1)

Português: veracidade

Simple English: the quality of being honest and telling the truth

Example: Her truthfulness made people trust her.

Uses in this book:

1. Zuppner told him to speak and said they would understand that his youth, or the sun and horizon of Pellucidar, might affect his sight or his truthfulness. Back to B1

Tube /tjuːb/ (2)

Português: tubo; tubos; metro

Simple English: A flexible container used to store thick liquids.

Example: He squeezed the toothpaste out of the tube onto his brush.

Uses in this book:

1. Inside the O-220, there was a main tube made of Harbenite that went along the ship's center. Back to B1

2. Smaller tubes came out from this main tube, like spokes from a wheel. Back to B1

tubes tjuːbz (1)

Português: tubos

Simple English: long, hollow objects used to hold or carry things

Example: The doctor used tubes to give the medicine.

Uses in this book:

1. Smaller tubes came out from this main tube, like spokes from a wheel. Back to B1

unsure ʌnˈʃʊər (3)

Português: incerto

Simple English: Not sure or confident about something

Example: I was unsure about which road to take.

Uses in this book:

1. The American said he was unsure what to believe. Back to B1

2. Gridley told him to do his best and to turn the ship to the right (starboard) if he was unsure about the direction. Back to B1

3. Lajo paused, seeming unsure.

upset /ʌpˈsɛt/ (2)

Português: chateado; aborrecido; transtornado

Simple English: To make someone feel unhappy or disturbed emotionally.

Example: He was upset when he lost his favorite toy during the game.

Uses in this book:

1. He was very upset about being helpless and worried more about this than about dying. Back to B1

2. He thought she was upset because she believed he was not interested in her, even though she was beautiful and many men wanted her.

upside ˈʌpˌsaɪd (2)

Português: lado de cima

Simple English: The top part or surface of something

Example: He turned the box upside down to find the note.

Uses in this book:

1. To make things worse, he was hanging upside down and spinning around, like a weight on a string. Back to B1

2. The plane turned completely upside down, and at the same moment, Gridley jumped out.

useful ˈjuːsfəl (3)

Português: útil

Simple English: Helping to do a job or something important

Example: This tool is very useful for fixing bikes.

Uses in this book:

1. But he thought these weapons were not very useful against the dangerous things he had seen. Back to B1

2. He explained that talking was not useful because they did not understand each other.

3. He soon saw how useful it was and wondered why people in the outside world wore so much clothing when the temperature did not need it.

wake weɪk (2)

Português: acordar

Simple English: to stop sleeping

Example: She explained that Uhha would wake Obebe.

Uses in this book:

1. Tarzan was the first person to wake up and leave the ship. Back to B1

2. He told each warrior to wake up and come to the council of warriors.

walkway ˈwɔːkweɪ (2)

Português: passarela

Simple English: a path for people to walk on

Example: The narrow walkway went along the bridge.

Uses in this book:

1. A narrow walkway went along the top of the ship from this front cabin to a small turret near the back. Back to B1

2. Meanwhile, Robert Jones slowly climbed up a shaft to the ship's walkway, which was high above his kitchen.

wherever wɛrˈɛvər (2)

Português: onde quer que

Simple English: In every place or any place that.

Example: People bring trouble and change wherever they go.

Uses in this book:

1. This is because people, more than any other creatures, bring trouble and change wherever they go. Back to B1

2. He pointed in different directions, showing he was ready to go wherever she wanted.

window ˈwɪndoʊ (3)

Português: janela

Simple English: An opening in the wall with glass to see outside or let light in.

Example: He looked out of an open window.

Uses in this book:

1. He got out of bed and looked out of an open window. Back to B1

2. Lieutenant Hines watched some creatures from a window.

3. He walked across it, took the clock from its hook, and threw it out of an open window into the sea.

windows ˈwɪndoʊz (1)

Português: janelas

Simple English: Multiple openings in walls with glass to look through.

Example: Men looked through the windows to see the inner world.

Uses in this book:

1. Men who were not busy with their jobs went up to see or looked through the windows to get a look at the inner world. Back to B1

wingspan ˈwɪŋspæn (1)

Português: envergadura

Simple English: The distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip.

Example: It had a wingspan of about twenty feet.

Uses in this book:

1. It was very big, with a wingspan of about twenty feet. Back to B1

woke woʊk (9)

Português: acordaram

Simple English: to stop sleeping

Example: They woke early in the morning.

Uses in this book:

1. Robert Jones woke up on the O-220 ship. Back to B1

2. Zuppner asked where Greystoke was, noting that he usually woke up early. Back to B1

3. He woke up feeling rested, but he was extremely thirsty.

4. When he woke up, he was lying on soft grass at the top of a valley.

5. He slept for an unknown amount of time but woke up feeling rested and refreshed.