The longboat wallowed through the sea making the best headway that it could, but the pursuing ships, stringing out as far as the eye could reach until their numbers presented the appearance of a vast armada, continued to close up rapidly upon it.
The leading ship was now closing up so swiftly upon them that the occupants of the longboat had an excellent view of it. It was short and broad of beam with rather a high bow. It had two sails and in addition was propelled by oars, which protruded through ports along each side, there being some fifty oars all told. Above the line of oars, over the sides of the ship, were hung the shields of the warriors.
"Lord!" exclaimed Jason to Tarzan; "Pellucidar not only boasts Spanish pirates, but vikings as well, for if those are not viking ships they certainly are an adaptation of them."
"Slightly modernized, however," remarked the Lord of the Jungle. "There is a gun mounted on a small deck built in the bow."
"So there is," exclaimed Jason, "and I think we had better come about. There is a fellow up there turning it on us now."
Presently another man appeared upon the elevated bow deck of the enemy. "Heave to," he cried, "or I'll blow you out of the water."
"Who are you?" demanded Jason.
"I am Ja of Anoroc," replied the man, "and this is the fleet of David I, Emperor of Pellucidar."
"Come about," said Tarzan to Lajo.
"Someone in this boat must have been born on Sunday," exclaimed Jason. "I never knew there was so much good luck in the world."