Edgar Rice Burroughs - Back to the Stone Age

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LOST AT THE EARTH'S CORE

When the great dirigible, the O-220, sailed away from

the inner world of Pellucidar, it left behind one member

of its crew, a brave man they thought lost forever amid

the unexplored terrors of that primeval land.

That man was Lieutenant von Horst, and BACK TO

THE STONE AGE is the story of the strange adventures

that befell him as he wandered, friendless and alone,

from one danger to another. Here also is the story of the

love of this cultured man for a barbarian slave girl who

discouraged him and ran away from him for a strange

purpose that keeps the reader guessing to the very end.

Here is a thrilling novel of mighty beasts, savage men,

weird monsters, and human courage that equals anything

you have ever read before.

EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS

1875-1950

One of Chicago's most famous sons was Edgar Rice

Burroughs. Young Burroughs tried his hand at many

businesses without success, until, at the age of thirty-five,

he turned to writing. With the publication of Tarzan of

the Apes and A Princess of Mars, his career was assured.

The gratitude of a multitude of readers who found in

his imagination exactly the kind of escape reading they

loved assured him of a large fortune.

Edgar Rice Burroughs died at home in a town bearing

the name of his brain child, Tarzana, California. But, to

the countless millions who have enjoyed his works, he

will live forever.

EDGAR RICE

BURROUGHS

BACK TO THE

STONE AGE

Original Title: Seven Worlds to Conquer

ace books

A Division of Charter Communications Inc.

1120 Avenue of the Americas

New York, N.Y. 10036

BACK TO THE STONE AGE

An Ace Book, by arrangement with Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.

Originally published under the title, Seven Worlds to Conquer,

COVER PAINTING by FRANK FRAZETTA

Fourth Ace printing: January, 1973

Printed in U.S.A.

A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALL

ERB ENTHUSIASTS

Because of the widespread, continuing interest in the

books of Edgar Rice Burroughs, we are listing below

the names and addresses of various ERB fan club maga-

zines. Additional information may be obtained from the

editors of the magazines themselves.

-THE EDITORS

ERB-DOM P.

O. Box 550

Evergreen, Colorado 89439

THE BURROUGHS BIBLIOPHILES

6657 Locust Street

Kansas City, Missouri 64131

THE JASOOMIAN

P. O. Box 1305

Yuba City, California 95991

THE BURROUGHS NEWSBEAT

7710 Penn Avenue So., #206

Richfield, Minnesota 55423

ERBANIA

8001 Fernview Lane

Tampa, Florida 33615

LIVING DEATH

THE ETERNAL noonday sun of Pellucidar looked down

upon such a scene as the outer crust of earth may not

have witnessed for countless ages past, such a scene as

only the inner world of the earth's core may produce

today.

Hundreds of saber-toothed tigers were driving count-

less herbivorous animals into a clearing in a giant forest;

and two white men from the outer crust were there to

see, two white men and a handful of black warriors from

far distant Africa.

The men had come in a giant dirigible with others of

their kind through the north polar opening at the top of

the world at the urgent behest of Jason Gridley, but that

is a story that has been once told.

This is the story of the one who was lost.

"It doesn't seem possible," exclaimed Gridley, "that

five hundred miles below our feet automobiles are dash-

ing through crowded streets lined by enormous build-

ings; 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 saber-toothed

tigers in surroundings that may not have existed upon

the outer crust since a million years."

"Look at them!" exclaimed von Horst. "Look at what

they've driven into this clearing already, and more corn-

ing."

There were great ox-like creatures with shaggy coats

and wide-spreading horns. There were red deer and

sloths of gigantic size. There were mastadons and mam-

moths, and a huge, elephantine creature that resembled

an elephant and yet did not seem to be an elephant at

all. Its great head was four feet long and three feet

broad. It had a short, powerful trunk and from its lower

jaw mighty tusks curved downward, their points bending

inward toward the body. At the shoulder it stood at least

ten feet above the ground, and in length it must have

been fully twenty feet. But what resemblance it bore to

an elephant was lessened by its small, pig-like ears.

The two white men, momentarily forgetting the tigers

behind them in their amazement at the sight ahead,

halted and looked with wonder upon the huge gathering

of creatures within the clearing. But it soon became ap-

parent that if they were to escape with their lives they

must reach the safety of the trees before they were either

dragged down by the sabertooths or trampled to death

by the frightened herbivores which were already milling

around looking for an avenue of escape.

"There is still one opening ahead of us, bwana," said

Muviro, the black chief of the Waziri.

"We shall have to run for it," said Gridley. "The beasts

are all headed in our direction now. Give them a volley,

and then beat it for the trees. If they charge, it will be

every man for himself."

The volley turned them back for an instant; but when

they saw the great cats behind them, they wheeled about

once more in the direction of the men.

"Here they come!" cried von Horst. Then the men

broke into a run as they sought to reach the trees that

offered the only sanctuary.

Gridley was bowled over by a huge sloth; then he

scrambled to his feet just in time to leap from the path,

of a fleeing mastodon and reach a tree just as the main

body of the stampeding herd closed about it. A moment

later, temporarily safe among the branches, he looked

about for his companions; but none was in sight, nor

could any living thing so puny as man have remained

alive beneath that solid mass of leaping, plunging, ter-

rified beasts. Some of his fellows, he felt sure, might have

reached the forest in safety; but he feared for von Horst,

who had been some little distance in rear of the Waziri.

But Lieutenant Wilhelm von Horst had escaped. In fact,

he had succeeded in running some little distance into the

forest without having to take to the trees. He had borne

off to the right away from the escaping animals, which

had veered to the left after they entered the forest. He

could hear them thundering away in the distance, squeal-

ing and trumpeting, grunting and bellowing.

Winded and almost exhausted, he sat down at the foot

of a tree to catch his breath and rest. He was very tired,

and just for a moment he closed his eyes. The sun was

directly overhead. When he opened his eyes again the

sun was still directly overhead. He realized that he had

dozed, but he thought that it had been for but an instant.

He did not know that he had slept for a long time. How

long, who may say? For how may time be measured in

this timeless world whose stationary sun hangs eternally

motionless at zenith?

The forest was strangely silent. No longer did he hear

the trumpeting and squealing of the herbivores or the

growls and snarls of the cats. He called aloud to attract

the attention of his friends, but there was no response;

then he set out in search of them, taking what he thought

was a direct route back toward the main camp where the

dirigible was moored and toward which he knew they

would be sure to go. But instead of going north, as he

should have done, he went west.

Perhaps it was just as well that he did, for presently

he heard voices. He stopped and listened. Men were ap-

proaching. He heard them distinctly, but he could not

recognize their language. They might be friendly; but, in

this savage world, he doubted it. He stepped from the

trail he had been following and concealed himself be-

hind a clump of bushes, and a moment later the men that

he had heard came into view. They were Muviro and his

warriors. They were speaking the dialect of their own

African tribe. At sight of them von Horst stepped into

the trail. They were as glad to see him as he was to see

them. Now if they could but find Gridley they would be

happy; but they did not find him, though they searched

for a long time.

Muviro knew no better than von Horst where they

were or the direction of camp; and he and his warriors

were much chagrined to think that they, the Waziri,

could be lost in any forest. As they compared notes it

seemed evident that each had made a large circle in

opposite directions after they had separated. Only thus

could they account for their coming together face to

face as they had, since each insisted that he had not at

any time retraced his steps.

The Waziri had not slept, and they were very tired.

Von Horst, on the contrary had slept and was rested; so,

when they found a cave that would give them all shelter,

the Waziri went in where it was dark and slept while von

Horst sat on the ground at the mouth of the cave and

tried to plan for the future. As he sat there quietly a

large boar passed; and, knowing that they would require

meat, the man rose and stalked it. It had disappeared

around a curve in the trail; but though he thought that

he was close behind it he never seemed to be able to

catch sight of it again, and there was such a patchwork

of trails crossing and crisscrossing that he was soon con-

fused and started back toward the cave.

He had walked a considerable distance before he real-

ized that he was lost. He called Muviro's name aloud,

but there was no response; then he stopped and tried

very carefully to figure out in what direction the cave

must be. He looked up at the sun mechanically, as though

it might help him. It hung at zenith. How could he plot

a course where there were no stars but only a sun that

hung perpetually straight above one's head? He swore

under his breath and set out again. He could only do his

best.

For what seemed a very long time he plodded on, but

it was still noon. Often, mechanically, he glanced up at

the sun, the sun that gave him no bearings nor any hint

of the lapse of time, until he came to hate the shining

orb that seemed to mock him. The forest and the jungle

teemed with life. Fruits and flowers and nuts grew in

profusion. He never need lack for a variety of food if he

but knew which he might safely eat and which he might

not. He was very hungry and thirsty, and it was the latter

that worried him most. He had a pistol and plenty of

ammunition. In this lush game country he could always

provide himself with meat, but he must have water. He

pushed on. It was water that he was looking for now

more than for his companions or for camp. He com-

menced to suffer from thirst, and he became very tired

again and sleepy. He shot a large rodent and drank its

blood; then he made a fire and cooked the carcass. It

was only half cooked beneath the surface which was

charred in places. Lieutenant Wilhelm von Horst was a

man accustomed to excellent food properly prepared and

served, but he tore at the carcass of his unsavory kill

like a famished wolf and thought that no meal had ever

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摘要：

LOSTATTHEEARTH'SCOREWhenthegreatdirigible,theO-220,sailedawayfromtheinnerworldofPellucidar,itleftbehindonememberofitscrew,abravemantheythoughtlostforeveramidtheunexploredterrorsofthatprimevalland.ThatmanwasLieutenantvonHorst,andBACKTOTHESTONEAGEisthestoryofthestrangeadventuresthatbefellhimashewander...

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Edgar Rice Burroughs - Back to the Stone Age

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