Two marches after this episode we came to the city of Phutra. The
entrance to it was marked by two lofty towers of granite, which
guarded a flight of steps leading to the buried city. Sagoths
were on guard here as well as at a hundred or more other towers
scattered about over a large plain.



V

SLAVES


AS WE DESCENDED THE BROAD STAIRCASE WHICH led to the main avenue of
Phutra I caught my first sight of the dominant race of the inner
world. Involuntarily I shrank back as one of the creatures approached
to inspect us. A more hideous thing it would be impossible to
imagine. The all-powerful Mahars of Pellucidar are great reptiles,
some six or eight feet in length, with long narrow heads and great
round eyes. Their beak-like mouths are lined with sharp, white
fangs, and the backs of their huge, lizard bodies are serrated
into bony ridges from their necks to the end of their long tails.
Their feet are equipped with three webbed toes, while from the fore
feet membranous wings, which are attached to their bodies just in
front of the hind legs, protrude at an angle of 45 degrees toward
the rear, ending in sharp points several feet above their bodies.

I glanced at Perry as the thing passed me to inspect him. The old
man was gazing at the horrid creature with wide astonished eyes.
When it passed on, he turned to me.