of the blooms that shot the green
made a most gorgeous spectacle.

Perry was right in the midst of a flowery panegyric on the wonders of
the peaceful beauty of the scene when a canoe shot out from the nearest
island. There were a dozen warriors in it; it was quickly followed by
a second and third.

Of course we couldn't know the intentions of the strangers, but we
could pretty well guess them.

Perry wanted to man the sweeps and try to get away from them, but I
soon convinced him that any speed of which the Sari was capable would
be far too slow to outdistance the swift, though awkward, dugouts of
the Mezops.

I waited until they were quite close enough to hear me, and then I
hailed them. I told them that we were friends of the Mezops, and that
we were upon a visit to Ja of Anoroc, to which they replied that they
were at war with Ja, and that if we would wait a minute they'd board us
and throw our corpses to the azdyryths.

I warned them that they would get the worst of it if they didn't leave
us alone, but they only shouted in derision and paddled swiftly toward
us. It was evident that they were considerably impressed by the
appearance and dimensions of our craft, but as these fellows know no
fear they were not at all awed.

Seeing that they were determined to give battle, I leaned over the rail
of the Sari and brought the imperial battle-squadron of the Emperor of
Pellucidar into action for the first time in the history of a world.
In other and simpler words, I fired my revolver at the nearest canoe.

The effect was magical. A warrior rose from his knees, threw his
paddle aloft, stiffened into rigidity for an instant, and then toppled
overboard.

The others ceased paddling, and, with wide eyes, looked first at me and
then at the battling sea-things which fought for the corpse of their
comrade. To them it must have seemed a miracle that I should be able
to stand at thrice the range of the most powerful javelin-thrower and
with a loud noise and a smudge of smoke slay one of their number with
an invisible missile.

But only for an instant were they paralyzed with wonder. Then, with
savage shouts, they fell once more to their paddles and forged rapidly
toward us.

Again and again I fired. At each shot a warrior sank to the bottom of
the canoe or tumbled overboard.

When the prow of the first craft touched the side of the Sari it
contained only dead and dying men. The other two dugouts were
approac