large land carnivora; but the smaller flying reptiles, the snakes,
leopards, and panthers were a constant menace, though by no means
as much to be feared as the huge beasts that roamed the surface of
the earth.

At the close of the third day Ajor and I were able to converse
with considerable fluency, and it was a great relief to both of us,
especially to Ajor. She now did nothing but ask questions whenever
I would let her, which could not be all the time, as our preservation
depended largely upon the rapidity with which I could gain knowledge
of the geography and customs of Caspak, and accordingly I had to
ask numerous questions myself.

I enjoyed immensely hearing and answering her, so naive were many
of her queries and so filled with wonder was she at the things
I told her of the world beyond the lofty barriers of Caspak; not
once did she seem to doubt me, however marvelous my statements must
have seemed; and doubtless they were the cause of marvel to Ajor,
who before had never dreamed that any life existed beyond Caspak
and the life she knew.

Artless though many of her questions were, they evidenced a keen
intellect and a shrewdness which seemed far beyond her years of
her experience. Altogether I was finding my little savage a mighty
interesting and companionable person, and I often thanked the kind
fate that directed the crossing of our paths. From her I learned
much of Caspak, but there still remained the mystery that had proved
so baffling to Bowen Tyler--the total absence of young among the
ape, the semihuman and the human races with which both he and I
had come in contact upon opposite shores of the inland sea. Ajor