THE LAND OF HIDDEN MEN
EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
Original Title: Jungle Girl
ACE BOOKS, INC.
1120 Avenue of the Americas
New York 36, N.Y.
This Ace edition follows the text of the first hard-cover edition,published as Jungle Girl in 1932. Original magazine serializationunder the title The Land of Hidden Men in Blue Book Magazine in 1931.
Cover art and title-page illustration by Roy Krenkel, Jr.
Printed in U.S.A.
"'There are other things deep in the jungle, my lord, that no man maylook upon and live.'
"'What, for example?' demanded King.
"'The ghosts of my ancestors,' answered the Cambodian, 'the Khmers whodwelt here in great cities ages ago. Within the dark shadows of thejungle the ruins of their cities still stand, and down the dark aislesof the forest pass the ancient kings and warriors and little sad-facedqueens on ghostly elephants. We might escape My Lord the Tiger and thewild elephants, but no man may look upon the ghosts of the dead Khmersand live.'"
But Gordon King, child of the twentieth century, was not to befrightened away by what seemed foolish superstition. The youngAmerican was soon to find that a courageous man might easily enter thetreacherous depths of the jungle, but it was quite another matter as towhether he might ever come out again, alive.
THE LAND OF HIDDEN MEN (JUNGLE GIRL)
I
THE JUNGLE
"My Lord, I may go no farther," said the Cambodian.
The young white man turned in astonishment upon his native guide.Behind them lay the partially cleared trail along which they had come.It was overgrown with tall grass that concealed the tree-stumps thathad been left behind the axes of the road-builders. Before them lay aravine, at the near edge of which the trail ended. Beyond the ravinewas the primitive jungle untouched by man.
"Why, we haven't even started yet!" exclaimed the white man. "Youcannot turn back now. What do you suppose I hired you for?"
"I promised to take my lord to the jungle," replied the Cambodian."There it is. I did not promise to enter it."
Gordon King lighted a cigarette. "Let's talk this thing over, myfriend," he said. "It is yet early morning. We can get into the jungleas far as I care to go and out again before sundown."
The Cambodian shook his head. "I will wait for you here, my lord," hesaid; "but I may not enter the jungle, and if you are wise you willnot."
"Why?" demanded King.
"There are wild elephants, my lord, and tigers," replied theCambodian, "and panthers which hunt by day as well as by night."
"Why do you suppose we brought two rifles?" demanded the white. "AtKompong-Thom they told me you were a good shot and a brave man. Youknew that we should have no need for rifles up to this point. No, sir,you have lost your nerve at the last minute, and I do not believe thatit is because of tigers or wild elephants."
"There are other things deep in the jungle, my lord, that no man maylook upon and live."
"What, for example?" demanded King.
"The ghosts of my ancestors," answered the Cambodian, "the Khmers whodwelt here in great cities ages ago. Within the dark shadows of thejungle the ruins of their cities still stand, and down the dark aislesof the forest pass the ancient kings and warriors and l