They say adventure can be found in the oddest places. But in a bottle?

Well, that’s exactly where I found a manuscript written by Bowen J Tyler Jr, son of a wealthy Californian shipbuilder.

Cliffs Bowen?

Submerged Tunnel

In it, Bowen recounted a series of incredible events that led him, his dog Nobs, Miss Lys La Rue, and a handful of allies and Germans to take a U-33 to the lost world of Caspak,

inside the legendary island of Caprona. On the island they discovered a savage land full of giant prehistoric reptiles,

extinct mammals and a host of tribes at various stages of evolution.

After setting up camp together, the treacherous Germans ran away with the

U-33, while Bowen was busy rescuing Lys.

Once Bowen realised that his friends had probably died while exploring Caspak, he knew that he and Lys were deserted on the island.

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I managed to find Bowen’s family business and hand over the manuscript to them. Soon after, Bowen’s father unexpectedly died. His

assistant, Tom Billings, subsequently organised an attempt to rescue Bowen from Caspak.

There were forty people in the search party. This included the master and crew

of the ship known as the Toreador.

Tom Billings took full command of the expedition. Raised as a cowboy, Billings had been Bowen’s classmate

in college, before becoming an assistant to his father.

Billings was determined to find his friend, so we assembled a hydro-aeroplane that he could

use to search the island.

We checked the weapons and ammunition thoroughly to ensure that nothing had been omitted.

Soon after Billings flew over the cliff, we heard the sound of his

machine gun firing. Then… silence.

We have not seen him since.

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Jehoshaphat!

This is the journal of Tom Billings, June 1935. I hereby give testimony to the strange events that happened to

me at the beginning of April 1918.

I’ll never forget my first impressions of Caspak as I circled in, high

over the surrounding cliffs. I was mesmerised by the scene below; an

old world long forgotten by time.

While I was marvelling at the scenery, a giant prehistoric creature decided to attack my plane. The first sign of it was the sudden blotting out of the sunlight from above.

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I... c-can’t turn the plane

around. Can’t even keep it airborne!

I’ve got to try to land in that river!

Aw no!

You’re hungry? Then swallow this!

Something – probably man’s natural love of battle – compelled me to pursue the creature and retaliate.

I had nearly made it to the river when I noticed that I

was very near to a large tree.

The creature’s collision with my left wing happened so quickly.

I was already close to the ground, which made my attempted

landing extremely dangerous.

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Some cavalry you are, Tom. All those years riding the range

and you can’t even mount a decent rescue.

And what about my crew? Will they find me? And

how am I going to find--

That ’s one big tree! It must

stand forty feet tall!

Almost made it.

Who goes there?

...and crashed into the tree, where the plane came to rest, battered and torn.

One wing touched a branch, which caused the plane to tip

and swing. I lost control...

All my plans for the rescue of Bowen and Miss La Rue had depended upon this craft and, in a few brief minutes, their

hopes and mine had been wrecked.

I heard a sound in front of me, and saw something running rapidly through the forest towards me.

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It was supposed to be a standard rescue…

As far as Tom Billings was concerned, all he had to do was set sail for the South Pacifi c island of Caprona and fi nd the last-known whereabouts of Bowen J Tyler. It sounded so simple.

However, arriving on the island with his own private army, Billings becomes separated from his companions after a machine gun fi ght with what appears to be a prehistoric creature.

Standing between Billings and Tyler is the interior of the island, known to its local population as Caspak. It is a hot, overgrown, and unforgiving land. We accompany Billings step by step as he experiences strange rituals, vicious creatures and ancient tribes – many of whom want to kill him. There are times when he almost resigns himself to death in the face of insurmountable odds. But, true to his nature, he never gives up.

The People that Time Forgot is the second book in the Caspak trilogy, written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Since 1918, this science fi ction story has delighted and enthralled millions of readers. Preceded by The Land that Time Forgot, this second book in the Caspak trilogy will capture your imagination, by bringing to life the wild, ferocious and dangerous island that is Caspak.

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