\"Ah！\"exclaimedBearwarden,\"herewehaveoneofourJack—o\'—lanterns。Letusseewhatitisgoingtodo。\"
\"Itisincomprehensibletome,\"saidCortlandt,\"howitmaintainsitself;forithasneitherwingsnorvisiblemeansofsupport,yet,asitwasabletoimmerseitselfinthestream,therebydisplacingavolumeofliquidequivalenttoitsbulk,itmustbeatleastasheavyaswater。\"
Thejelly—fishremainedpoisedintheairuntildirectlyabovethem,whenitbegantodescend。
\"Standfromunder！\"criedBearwarden,steppingback。\"I,forone,shouldnotcaretobetouched。\"
Thegreatsoftmasscamedirectlyoverthespotonwhichtheyhadbeenstanding,andstoppeditsdescentaboutthreefeetfromtheground,paralleltowhichitwasslowlycarriedbythewind。A
fewyardsoff,inthedirectioninwhichitwasmoving,layalongblacksnakeasleeponthesand。Whendirectlyoveritsvictimthejellyglobuleagainsanktillittouchedthemiddleofthereptile\'sback。Theserpentimmediatelycoileditselfinaknot,butwasalreadydead。Thejellyfishdidnotswallow,butcompletelysurroundeditsprey,andagainroseintheair,withthesnake\'sblackbodyclearlyvisiblewithinit。
\"OurWill—o\'—the—wispisprettierbynightthanbyday,\"saidBearwarden。\"Isuggestthatweinvestigatethisfurther。\"
\"How？\"askedCortlandt。
\"Bydestroyingitslife,\"repliedBearwarden。\"Giveitonebarrelfromyourgun,doctor,andseeifitcanthendefygravitation。\"
AccordinglyCortlandttookcarefulaimattheobject,abouttwenty—yardsaway,andfired。Themainportionofthejellyfish,withthesnakestillinitsembrace,sailedaway,butmanypoundsofjellyfelltotheground。Mostofthisremainedwhereithadfallen,butafewofthelargerpiecesshowedafaintluminosityandroseagain。
\"Youcannotkillthatwhichissimplyamassofprotoplasm,\"saidCortlandt。\"Doubtlesseachofthosepieceswillformaneworganism。Thisprovesthatthereareramificationsanddevelopmentsoflifewhichweneverdreamedof。\"
CHAPTERVII。
ANUNSEENHUNTER。
Theycalculatedthattheyhadcometenortwelvemilesfromtheplaceatwhichtheybuilttheraft,whilethedampsaltbreezeblowingfromthesouthshowedthemtheywereneartheocean。
Concludingthatlargebodiesofwatermustbeverymuchalikeonallplanets,theydecidedtomakeforarangeofhillsduenorthandafewmilesoff,andtocompletethecircuitofthesquareinreturningtotheCallisto。Thesoftwetsandwascoveredwithhugeandcurioustracks,doubtlessmadebycreaturesthathadcometothestreamduringthenighttodrink,andtheynoticedwithsatisfactionastheysetoutthatthefresheronesledoffinthedirectioninwhichtheyweregoing。Forpractice,theyblewofftheheadsoftheboa—constrictorsastheyhungfromthetrees,andoftheotherhugesnakesthatmovedalongtheground,withexplosivebullets,ineverythicketthroughwhichtheypassed,knowingthatthegame,neverhavingbeenshotat,wouldnottakefrightatthenoise。Sometimestheycameupongreatmassesofsnakes,intertwinedandcoiledlikeworms;inthesecasesCortlandtbroughthisgunintoplay,rakingthemwithduck—shottohisheart\'scontent。\"Asthefunctionofthesereptiles,\"heexplained,\"istoformasoilonwhichhigherlifemaygrow,wemayaswellhelpalongtheirmetamorphosisbyartificialmeans。\"Theywereimpressedbythetremendouscannon—likereportsoftheirfirearms,whichtheyperceivedatonceresultedfromthegreatdensityoftheJovianatmosphere。
Andthiswasalsoaconsiderableaidtotheminmakingmuscularexertion,forithadjustthereverseeffectofrarefiedmountainair,andtheyseldomhadtoexpandtheirlungsfullyinordertobreathe。
Thegroundcontinuedtobemarkedwithverylargefootprints。
Oftentheimpressionswerethoseofabipedlikesomehugebird,exceptthatoccasionallythecreaturehadputdownoneorbothforefeet,andathicktailhadevidentlydraggednearlyallthetimeitwalkederect。Presently,comingtosomethingtheyhadtakenforalargeflatrock,theyweresurprisedtoseeitmove。
Itwasabouttwelvefeetwidebyeighteenfeetlong,whileitsshellseemedatleastafootthick,anditwasofcoursethelargestturtletheyhadeverseen。
\"Twenty—fourpeoplecoulddineatatableofthissizewithease,\"saidBearwarden,\"whileitwouldmakesoupforaregiment。
Iwonderifitbelongstothesnappingordiamond—backedspecies。\"
Atthisjuncturethemonsteragainmoved。
\"Asitisheadinginourdirection,\"resumedBearwarden,\"Ivotewestrikeforafreepass,\"and,takingarun,hesprangwithhisspikedbootsupontheturtle\'sshellandclamberedupontheflattop,whichwasaboutsixfeetfromtheground。HewasquicklyfollowedbyAyrault,whowasnotmuchaheadofCortlandt,for,notwithstandinghisfiftyyears,theprofessorwasveryspry。
ThetortoisewasalmosttheexactcounterpartoftheGlyptodonasperthatformerlyexistedonearth,andshambledalongatajerkygait,abouthalfasfastagainastheycouldwalk,andwhileitcontinuedtogointheirdirectiontheyweregreatlypleased。Theysoonfoundthatbydroppingthebuttsoftheirriflessharplyandsimultaneouslyoneitherside,justbackofthehead,theycoulddirecttheircourse,bymakingtheirsteedswerveawayfromthestamping。
\"Itisstrange,\"saidAyrault,\"that,withtheexceptionofthemastodonandthistortoise,wehaveseennoneofthemonstersthatseemtoappearatthecloseofCarboniferousperiods,althoughthegroundiscoveredwiththeirtracks。\"
\"Probablywedidnotreachthegroundsattherighttimeofday,\"
repliedBearwarden。\"Thelargegamedoubtlessstaysinthewoodsandjunglestillnight。\"
\"Ifancy,\"saidCortlandt,\"weshallfindrepresentativesofallthespeciesthatoncelivedupontheearth。InthecaseofthesingingflowersandtheJack—o\'—lanternjelly—fish,wehave,inaddition,seendevelopmentstheexistenceofwhichnoscientisthaseverbeforeevensuspected。\"
Occasionallythetortoisestopped,whereupontheypokeditfrombehindwiththeirknives。Itwasavicious—lookingbrute,andhadahugehornybeak,withwhichitbitoffyoungtreesthatstoodinitswayasthoughtheyhadbeenbladesofgrass。Theywerepassingthroughavalleyabouthalfamilewide,borderedoneachsidebywoods,whenBearwardensuddenlyexclaimed,\"Herewehaveit！\"and,lookingforward,theyunexpectedlysawaheadriseandremainpoisedaboutfifteenfeetfromtheground。Itwasadinosaur,andbelongedtothescaledorarmouredspecies。Inafewmomentsanotherheadappeared,andtoweredseveralfeetabovethefirst。Theheadwasobviouslyreptilian,buthadabeaksimilartothatoftheirtortoise。Thehindlegsweredevelopedlikethoseofakangaroo,whilethesmallrudimentaryforepaws,whichcouldbeusedashandsorforgoingquadruped—fashion,nowhungdown。Thestrongthicktailwasevidentlyofgreatusetothemwhenstandingerect,byformingasortoftripod。
\"HowIwishwecouldtakeapairofthosecreatureswithuswhenwereturntotheearth！\"saidCortlandt。
\"Theywouldbetrumpcards,\"repliedBearwarden,\"inazoologicalgardenoradimemuseum,andwouldtakethewindoutofthesailsofalltheotherfreaks。\"
Astheylayflatontheturtle\'sback,themonstersgazedatthemunconcernedly,munchingthepalm—treefruitsoloudlythattheycouldbeheardalongdistance。
\"Havingnothingtofearfromatortoise,\"resumedCortlandt,\"theymayallowustostalkthem。Weareintheireyeslikehippocentaurs,exceptthatwearepartofatortoiseinsteadofpartofahorse,orelsetheytakeusforaparasiteorfibrousgrowthontheshell。\"
\"Theywouldnothavemuchtofearfromusaswereallyare,\"
repliedBearwarden,\"wereitnotforourexplosivebullets。\"
\"Iamsurprised,\"saidAyrault,\"thatgraminivorousanimalsshouldbesoheavilyarmedasthese,sincetherecanbenogreatstruggleinobtainingtheirfood。\"
\"Fromthelooksoftheirjaws,\"repliedCortlandt,\"Ishouldsaytheyareomnivorous,andwoulddoubtlessprefermeattowhattheyareeatingnow。Somethingseemstohavegonewrongwiththeanimalcreationhereaboutsto—day。\"
Theirwar—horseclankedalonglikeabadlyrustedmachine,approachingthedinosaursobliquely。Whenonlyaboutfiftyyardsintervened,asthehunterswerepreparingtoaim,theirattentionwasdivertedbyatremendouscommotioninthewoodsontheirleftandsomewhatahead。Withthecrunchingofdeadbranchesandswayingofthetrees,adroveofmonstersmadeahastyexitandspedacrosstheopenvalley。Someshowedonlythetopsoftheirbacksabovethelonggrass,whileothersshambledandleapedwiththeirheadsnearlythirtyfeetabovetheground。Thedinosaursinstantlydroppedonall—foursandjoinedintheflight,thoughatabouthalf—minuteintervalstheyroseontheirhindlegsandforafewsecondsranerect。Thedrovepassedabouthalfamilebeforethetravellers,andmadestraightforthewoodsopposite;
buthardlyhadthemonstersbeenoutofsighttwominuteswhentheyreappeared,evenmoreprecipitatelythanbefore,andfledupthevalleyinthesamedirectionasthetortoise。
\"Theanimalshere,\"saidBearwarden,\"behaveasthoughtheyweregoingtocatchatrain;onlyourfriendbeneathusseemssuperiortohaste。\"
\"Iwouldgiveagooddealtoknow,\"saidCortlandt,\"whatispursuingthosegiants,andwhetheritisidenticalorsimilartothemutilatorofthemastodon。Nothingbutabjectterrorcouldmakethemrunlikethat。\"
\"Ihaveawell—formedidea,\"saidBearwarden,\"thatahuntisgoingon,withnodoubttwoparties,oneinthewoodsoneitherside,andthatthehuntersmaybeonascalecommensuratewiththatoftheirvictims。\"
\"Iftheexcitementiscausedbymen,\"repliedCortlandt,\"ourexplorationmayturnouttobeafarmoredifficultundertakingthanweanticipated。Butwhy,iftherearemeninthosewoods,dotheynotshowthemselves？——fortheycouldcertainlykeeppacewiththegamemoreeasilyintheopenthanamongthetrees。\"
\"Because,\"repliedBearwarden,\"themeninthewoodsaredoubtlessthebeaters,whosedutyitistodrivethegameintoandupthevalley,attheendofwhichthekillingwillbedone。\"
\"Wemayhaveachancetoseeit,\"saidAyrault,\"ortotakeahand,forwearetravellingstraightinthatdirection,andshallbeabletogiveagoodaccountourselvesifourrightsarechallenged。\"
\"Why,\"askedCortlandt,\"ifthehuntingpartiesthathavebeeninourvicinitywereonlybeaters,shouldtheyhavemutilatedthemastodoninsuchitwaythathecouldnotwalk？Andhowweretheyabletotakethemselvesoffsoquickly——formaninhisnaturalstatehasneverbeenafastmover？Irepeat,itwillupsetmytheoriesifwefindmen。\"
Itwasobvioustothemthattortoiseswerenotmuchtroubledbytheapparentlygeneralfoe,forthespecimeninwhichtheywerejusttheninterestedcontinuedhiscourseentirelyunconcerned。
Soon,however,heseemedtofeelfatigue,forhedrewhisfeetandheadwithinhisshell,whichhetightlyclosed,andafterthatnopokingorproddinghadthedesiredeffect。
\"Isuspectwemustdependonshank\'smaresforatime,\"saidBearwarden,cheerfully,astheyscrambleddown。
\"Wecannowsee,\"saidCortlandt,\"whyourfriendwassounconcerned,sincehehasbuttodrawhimselfwithinhimselftobecomeinvulnerabletoanythingshortofastrokeoflightning;
fornobirdcouldhavepowerenoughtoraiseanddrophimfromagreatheightuponrocks,astheeaglesdoonearth。\"
\"Isuspect,ifanxiousforturtlesoup,\"saidBearwarden,\"wemustattachalightning——rod,andwaitforathunderstormtoelectrocutehim。\"
CHAPTERVIII。
SPORTSMEN\'SREVERIES。
Feelinggratefultothehugetortoiseforthegoodservicehehadrendered,theyshotanumberofthegreatsnakesthatwereglidingaboutontheground,andplacedthemwherehewouldfindthemonawaiting。Theythenpickedtheirwaycarefullytowardsstretchesonwhichthegrasswasshortest。Whentheyhadgoneabouttwomiles,andhadalreadyreachedhigherground,theycametoaridgeofrockrunningatrightanglestotheircourse。Thistheyclimbed,andonlookingovertheedgeofthecrestbeheldasightthatmadetheirheartsstandstill。Amonster,somewhatresemblinganalligator,exceptthatthebackwasarched,waswaddlingaboutperhapsseventy—fiveyardsfromthem。Itwassixtyfeetlong,andtothetopofitsscaleswasatleasttwenty—fivefeethigh。Itwasconstantlymoving,andthetravellersnoticedwithsomedismaythatitsmotionwasfarmorerapidthantheywouldhavesupposeditcouldbe。
\"Itisalsoadinosaur,\"saidtheprofessor,watchingitsharply,\"andverycloselyresemblestheStegosaurusungulatusrestoredinthemuseums。Thequestionis,Whatshallwedowiththelivingspecimen,nowthatwehaveit？\"
\"Ourchairman,\"saidAyrault,\"mustfindawaytokillit,sothatwemayexamineitclosely。\"
\"Thetroubleis,\"saidBearwarden,\"ourbulletswillexplodebeforetheypenetratethescales。Intheabsenceofanywayofmakingapassageforanexplosiveballbymeansofasolidone,wemuststrikeavitalspot。Hisscalesbeingnoharderthanthetrunkofatree,wecanwoundhimterriblybytouchinghimanywhere;butthereisnoobjectindoingthisunlesswecankillhim,especiallyasthereisnodeepstream,suchaswouldhavedelayedthemastodoninreachingus,toprotectushere。Wemustspreadoutsoastodiverthisattentionfromonetoanother。\"
AftersomeconsultationitwasdecidedthatCortlandt,whohadonlyashot—gun,shouldremainwheretheywere,whileBearwardenandAyraultmovedsomedistancetotherightandleft。AtasignalfromCortlandt,whowastoattractthemonster\'sattention,thewingsweretoadvancesimultaneously。Thesearrangementstheycarriedouttotheletter。WhenBearwardenandAyraulthadgoneabouttwenty—fiveyardsoneitherside,thedoctorimitatedthepeculiargruntingsoundofanalligator,atwhichthecolossalmonsterturnedandfacedhim,whileBearwardenandAyraultmovedtotheattack。Theplanofthiswasgood,for,withhisattentionfixedonthreeobjects,thedinosaurseemedconfused,andthoughBearwardenandAyraulthadgoodanglesfromwhichtoshoot,therewasnopossibilityoftheirhittingeachother。Theythereforeadvancedsteadilywiththeirrifleshalfup。Thoughtheirowndangerincreasedwitheachstep,intheeventoftheirmissing,thechanceoftheirshootingwilddecreased,theideabeingtoreachthebrainthroughtheeye。
Cortlandt\'sparthadalsoitsrisks,for,beingentirelydefencelesswithhisshot—gunagainstthelargecreature,whoseattentionitwashisdutytoattract,hestakedallonthemarksmanshipofhisfriends。Notconsideringthis,however,hestoodhisground,havingthethumb—pieceonhisWinchestermagazineshovedupandreadytomakeanoisydiversionifnecessaryinbehalfofeitherwing。Havingarousedthemonster\'scuriosity,Cortlandtsprangup,wavinghisarmsandhisgun。Thedinosaurloweredhisheadasiftocharge,therebybringingittoalevelwiththerifles,eitherofwhichcouldhavegivenitthefatalshot。Butastheirfingerspressedthetriggersthereptilesoaredupthirtyfeetintheair。Ayraultpulledforhisfirstsight,shootingthroughthelowerjaw,andshiveringthatmember,whileBearwardenchangedhisaimandsightedstraightfortheheart。Inaninstantthemonsterwasdownagain,justmissingAyrault\'sheadashesteppedback,andBearwarden\'sriflepouredastreamofexplosiveballsagainstitsside,rendingandblowingawaytheheavyscales。Havingdrawnthedinosaur\'sattentiontohimself,heretreated,whileAyraultrenewedtheattack。Cortlandt,seeingthattheoriginalplanhadmiscarried,pouredshowersofsmallshotagainstthehugebeast\'sface。
Finally,oneofAyrault\'sballsexplodedinthebrain,andallwasover。
\"Wehavekilleditatlast,\"saidBearwarden\"butthefirstattack,thoughartistic,hadnotthebrilliantresultsweexpected。Thesecreatures\'modeoffightingisdoubtlesssomewhatsimilartothatofthekangaroo,whichitissaidputsitsforepawsgently,almostlovingly,onaman\'sshoulders,andthendisembowelshimbytherapidmovementofahindleg。Butweshallgetusedtotheirmethod,andcandobetternexttime。\"
Theythenreloadedtheirweaponsand,whileCortlandtexaminedtheirvictimfromanaturalist\'spointofview,BearwardenandAyraultsecuredtheheart,whichtheythoughtwouldbethemostediblepart,theoperationbeingrenderedpossiblebytheamountofarmourtheexplosiveballshadstrippedoff。
\"To—morrow,\"saidBearwarden,\"wemustmakeitapointtogetsomewell—fedbirds;forIcanroast,broil,orfricasseethemtoaturn。Lifeistooshorttoliveonthismeatinsuchasportsman\'sparadise。Inanycasetherecanbenoendofmastodons,mammoths,woollyrhinoceroses,moabirds,andallsuchshooting。\"
Asthesunwasalreadynearthehorizon,theychoseadry,sandyplace,tosecureasmuchimmunityaspossiblefromnocturnalvisits,and,afterprocuringasupplyofwaterfromapool,proceededtoarrangetheircampforthenight。Theyfirstlaidouttheprotection—wires,settingthemwhilethesunstillshone。Nexttheybuiltafireandpreparedtheireveningmeal。
Whiletheyateit,twilightbecamenight,andthefire—flies,twinklinginlegionsintheneighbouringvalley,seemedlikethelampsofagreatcity。
\"Theirlights,\"saidBearwarden,pointingtothem,\"arenotasfineasthejelly—fishWill—o\'—thewispswerelastnight,buttheyarenotsodangerous。NogymnotusorelectriceelthatI
haveeverseencomparedwiththem,andIamconvincedthatanyoneofustheymighthavetouchedwouldhavebeeninkingdomcome。\"
Thebalmyairsoothedthetravellers\'browsastheyreclinedagainstmoundsofsand,whiletheflowersinthevalleysentuptheirdyingnotes。Onebyonethemoonsarose,tillfour——amongthemtheLilliputian,discoveredbyProf。Barnardin1893——wereinthesky,floodingthelandscapewiththeirsilverylight,andsomethinginthesurroundingstouchedasympatheticcordinthemen。
\"OhthatIwereyoungagain,\"saidCortlandt,\"andhadlifebeforeme！Ishouldliketoremainhereandgrowupwiththisplanet,inwhichwealreadyperceivethenextNewWorld。Thebeautiesofeartharebarrencomparedwiththesceneswehavehere。\"
\"Youremember,\"repliedBearwarden,\"howCicerodefendsoldageinhisDeSenectute,andshowsthatwhileithasalmosteverythingthatyouthhas,ithasalsoasenseofcalmandmanythingsbesides。\"
\"Yes,\"answeredCortlandt,\"but,whileplausible,itdoesnotconvince。Thepleasuresofagearelargelynegative,theoldbeinghappywhenfreefrompain。\"
\"Sincethehighestjoyoflife,\"saidAyrault,\"iscomingtoknowourCreator,Ishouldsaytheold,beingfurtheradvanced,wouldbethehappierofthetwo。Ishouldneverregardthismateriallifeasgreatlytobeprizedforitself。Youremembertheoldsong:
\"\'OYouth！WhenwecometoconsiderThepain,thetoil,andthestrife,ThehappiestmanofallisTheonewhohasfinishedhislife。\'
\"Isuspect,\"continuedAyrault,\"thatthemanwhoreacheseventhelowestplaneinparadisewillfindfarmorebeautifulvisionsthananywehavehere。\"
Astheyhadbutlittlerestthenightbefore,theywerealltired。Thewarmbreezeswayedthelongdrygrass,causingittogiveoutasoftrustle;allbirdsexcepttheflittingbatswereasleepamongthetallfernsoronthegreattreesthatspreadtheirbranchestowardsheaven。Therewasnothingtorecallapictureofthehugemonsterstheyhadseenthatday,orofthestillmoretobedreadedterrorthesehadbornewitnessto。Thusnightclosestheactivitiesoftheday,andinitsserenegrandeurthesoulhastimetothink。Whiletheythought,however,drowsinessovercamethem,andinalittlewhileallwereasleep。
Thedoublelineofprotection—wiresencircledthemlikeasilentguard,whilethemethodicaltickingofthealarm—clockthatwastowakethemattheapproachofdanger,andregisterthehourofinterruption,formedacuriouscontrasttotheirregularcriesofthenight—hawksinthedistance。Timeandagainsomehugeiguanodonorahipsohopuswouldpass,shakingthegroundwithitstread;butsoimplicitwasthetravellers\'trustinthevigilanceoftheirmechanicalandtirelesswatch,thattheysleptonascalmlyandunconcernedlyasthoughtheyhadbeenintheirbedsathome,whilethetickwasasconstantandregularasasentry\'smarch。Thewiresofcoursedidnotprotectthemfromcreatureshavingwings,andtheyransomeriskofavisitationfromtheblood—suckingbats。Thefar—awayvolcanoesoccasionallysentupsheetsofflame,whichinthedistancewerelikesummerlightning;thetorrentsoflavaandcrashesthathadsoundedsothunderouswhennear,werenowlikethemurmuroftheocean\'sebbtide,lullingtheterrestrialstodeepersleep。Thepalemoonswereatintervalsmomentarilyobscuredbytherushingcloudsintheupperair,onlytoreappearsoonafterwardsassereneasbefore。AllNatureseemedatrest。
Shortlybeforedawntherewasanunusuallyheavystep。Amomentlatertheever—vigilantbatteriespouredforththeircurrent,andtheclangofthealarm—bellmadethestillnightring。Inaninstantthethreemenwereawake,eachrestingononeknee,withtheirbackstowardsthecentreandtheirpolishedbarrelsraised。
Itwasnotlongbeforetheyperceivedtheintruderbythemoonlight。AhugemonsteroftheTriceratopsprorsusspecieshadenteredthecamp。Itwasshapedsomethinglikeanelephant,buthadtenortwelvetimesthebulk,beingoverfortyfeetinlength,notincludingthelong,thicktail。Theheadcarriedtwohugehornsontheforeheadandoneonthenose。
\"Aplagueonmyshot—gun！\"saidCortlandt。\"HadIknownhowmuchofthiskindofgameweshouldsee,Itooshouldhavebroughtarifle。\"
Themonsterwasentangledinthewires,andinanothersecondwouldhavesteppedonthebatteriesthatwerestillcausingthebelltoring。
\"Aimfortheheart,\"saidBearwardentoAyrault。\"Whenyoushowmehisribs,Iwillfollowyouinthehole。\"
Ayraultinstantlyfiredforapointjustbackoftheleftforeleg。Theexplosionhadthesameeffectasonthemastodon,removingahalf—barrelofhide,etc;andthenextsecondBearwardensentabulletlessthananinchfromwhereAyrault\'shadstopped。Beforethecolossuscouldturn,eachhadcausedseveralexplosionsincloseproximitytothefirst。Thecreaturewasofcourseterriblywounded,andseveralribswerecracked,butnoballhadgonethrough。Witharoaritmadestraightforthewoods,andwithsurprisingagility,runningfullyasfastasanelephant。BearwardenandAyraultkeptuparapidfireatthelefthindleg,andsooncompletelydisabledit。Thedinosaur,however,supporteditselfwithitshugetail,andcontinuedtomakegoodtime。Knowingtheycouldnotgiveitafatalwoundattheinterveningdistance,intheuncertainlight,theystoppedfiringandsetoutinpursuit。Cortlandtpausedtostopthebellthatstillrang,andthenputhisbestfootforemostinregaininghisfriends。Forhalfamiletheyhurriedalong,until,seeingbythequantityofbloodonthegroundthattheywereinnodangeroflosingthegame,theydeterminedtosavetheirstrength。Thetrailenteredthewoodsbyanarrowravine,passedthroughwhatprovedtobebutabeltoftimber,andthenturnednorthtotheright。Presentlyinthesemi—darknesstheysawthemonster\'sheadagainstthesky。Hewasbrowsingamongthetrees,tearingofftheyoungbranches,andthehunterssucceededingettingwithinseventy—fiveyardsbeforebeingdiscovered。Justashebegantorun,thetworiflesagainfired,thistimeattherighthindleg,whichtheysucceededinhamstringing。AfterthattheTriceratopsprorsuswasattheirmercy,andtheyquicklyputanendtoitssuffering。
\"Thesunisabouttorise,\"saidBearwarden;\"inafewminutesweshallhaveenoughlight。\"
Theycutoutadozenthickslicesoftenderloinsteak,andsoonwerebroilingandeatingasubstantialbreakfast。
\"Therearenotasmanyspectatorstowatchuseathere,\"saidCortlandt,\"asinthewoods。Isuggestthat,afterreturningtocampforourblanketsandthings,westeerfortheCallisto,viathisTriceratops,toseewhatcreatureshavebeenattractedbythebody。\"
Onfinishingtheirmealtheyreturnedtotheplaceatwhichtheyhadpassedthenight。Havingstraightenedtheprotection—wires,whichhadbecometwisted,andarrangedtheirimpedimenta,theysetout,andweresoononcemorebesidetheirlatestvictim。
CHAPTERIX。
THEHONEYOFDEATH。
Atfirstnothingseemedtohavebeendisturbed,whentheysuddenlyperceivedthatbothforelegsweremissing。Onfurtherexaminationtheyfoundthattheponderoustail,sevenfeetindiameter,wascutthroughintwoplaces,thethickerportionhavingdisappeared,andthattheheavybonesinthisextremityofthevertebralcolumnhadbeenseveredlikestraws。Thecutsurfaceswerebutlittlecoolerthantheinteriorofthebody,showinghowrecentlythemutilationhadbeeneffected。
\"Byallthegods！\"exclaimedBearwarden,\"itiseasytoseethemethodinthis;thehuntershaveagaincutoffonlythosepartsthatcouldbeeasilyrolled。TheseJovianfellowsmusthaveweaponscomparedwithwhichtheoldscythechariotswouldbebuttoys,withwhichtheyamputatethelegsoftheirvictims。Wemustseetoitthattheirscimitarsdonotcometooneartous,andIventuretohopethatinourbulletstheywillfindtheirmatch。Whatsayyou,doctor？\"
\"Iseenodepressionsuchassuchheavybodieswouldnecessarilyhavemadehadtheybeenrolledalongtheground,neitherdoesitseemtomethatthesecurioustracksinthesandarethoseofmen。\"
Thelooseearthlookedasifthecross—tiesofsomerailroadhadbeenremoved,thespaceformerlyoccupiedhavingbeenbutpartlyfilled,andthesedepressionswereacrosstheprobabledirectionofmotion。
\"Whateverwascapableofchasingmastodonsandcarryingsuchweights,\"saidAyrault,\"will,Isuspect,havelittletofearfromus。Probablynothingshortoflightartillerywouldleavemucheffect。\"
\"Idaresay,\"repliedBearwarden,\"wehadbettergivetheunknownquantityawideberth,thoughIwouldgiveayear\'ssalarytoseewhatitislike。Theabsenceofothertracksshowsthathisconfreresleave\'Scissor—jaw\'alone。\"
Keepingasharplookoutinalldirections,theyresumedtheirmarchalongthethirdsideofthesquarewhichwastobringthembacktotheCallisto。Theircoursewasparalleltothestream,andoncomparativelyhighground。Cortlandt\'sgundidgoodservice,bringingdownbetweenfiftyandsixtybirdsthatusuallyallowedthemtogetasnearastheypleased,andoftenseemedunwillingtoleavetheirbranches。Bythetimetheywerereadyforluncheontheysawitwouldbedarkinanhour。Astherapidityoftheplanet\'srotationdidnotgivethemachancetobecometired,theyconcludednottopitchtheircamp,buttoresumethemarchbymoonlight,whichwouldbeeasyinthehigh,opencountrytheyweretraversing。
Whileinquestoffire—wood,theycameupongreatheapsofbones,mostlythoseofbirds,andwereattractedbythetall,bell—shapedflowersgrowingluxuriantlyintheirmidst。Theseexhaledamostdeliciousperfume,andatthecentreofeachflowerwasaviscousliquid,thecolourofhoney。
\"Ifthistastesaswellasitlooks,\"saidBearwarden,\"itwillcomeinwellfordessert\";sayingwhichhethrusthisfingerintotherecessesoftheflower,intendingtotastetheessence。
Quietly,butlikeaflash,theflowerclosed,hishandbeingnearlycaughtandbadlyscratchedbythelong,sharpthornsthatnowappearedattheedges。
\"Ha！\"heexclaimed,\"asensitiveandyoumayalmostsayaman—eatingplant。Thisdoubtlesshasbeenthefateofthesebirds,whosebonesnowliebleachingatitsfeetaftertheyhavenourisheditslipswiththeirlives。Nodoubttheplanthasuseforthemstill,sincetheirskeletonsmayservetofertilizeitsroots。\"
Wishingtoinvestigatefurther,Bearwardenplacedoneofthebirdstheyhadshotwithinthebellofanotherflower,whichimmediatelycontractedwithsuchforcethattheysawdropsofbloodsqueezedout。Aftersomeminutesthefloweropened,asbeautifulasever,anddischargedanoblongballcompressedtoaboutthesizeofahen\'segg,thoughthebirdthatwasplacedwithinithadbeenaslargeasasmallduck。Towardseveningtheseflowerssentuptheirmostbeautifulsong,tohearwhichflocksofbirdscamefromfarandnear,alightingonthetrees,andmanywereluredtodeathbythesirenstrainsandthehoney。
Beforeresumingtheirjourney,thetravellerspaidapartingvisittothebell—shapedliliesontheirpyramidsofbones。Theflowerswereclosedforthenight,andthetravellerssawbythemoonlightthatthewhitemoundsweresimplyalivewithdiamond—headedsnakes。Thesecoiledthemselves,flattenedtheirheads,andsetupsuchahissingontheexplorers\'approachthattheyweregladtoretire,andleavethiscuriouscontrastofhideousnessandbeautytothefire—fliesandthemoons。MarchingalonginIndianfile,thebettertoavoidtreadingonthewrithingserpentsthatstrewedtheground,theykeptonforabouttwohours。Theyfrequentlypassedhugeheapsormoundsofbones,evidentlytheremainsofbearsorotherlargeanimals。Thecarnivorousplantsgrowingattheircentrewereoftenlikehollowtrees,andmighteasilyhavereceivedthethreetravellersinoneembrace。Butasbefore,themoundswerealivewithserpentsthatevidentlymadethemtheirhomes,andraisedanangryhisswheneverthemenapproached。
\"Thewondertome,\"saidBearwarden,\"is,thatthesesnakesdonotprotectthegame,bykeepingitfromthelife—devouringplants。Itmaybethattheydonotshowthemselvesbydayorwhenthevictimsarenear,orthatthequadrupedsonwhichtheseplantslivetakeapleasure,likedeer,inkillingthembyjumpingwithallfourfeetupontheirbacksorinsomeotherway,andafterthatareentrappedbytheflowers。\"
Shortlyaftermidnighttheyrestedforahalfhour,butthedawnfoundthemtrudgingalongsteadily,thoughsomewhatwearily,andhavingaboutcompletedthethirdsideoftheirsquare。
Accordingly,theysoonmadearight—angleturntotheleft,andhadbeenpickingtheirwayovertheroughgroundfornearlytwohours,withthesunalreadyhighinthesky,whentheynoticedadiminutionoflight。Glancingup,theysawthatoneofthemoonswaspassingacrossthesun,andthattheywereontheeveofatotaleclipse。
\"Sinceallbutthefifthmoon,\"saidCortlandt,\"revolveexactlyintheplaneofJupiter\'sequator,anyinhabitantsthatsettletherewillbecomeaccustomedtoeclipses,fortheremustbeoneofthesun,andalsoofthemoons,ateachrevolution,oraboutforty—fivehundredineveryJovianyear。Thereasonwehaveseennonebeforeis,becausewearenotexactlyontheequator。\"
Theyhadaglimpseofthecoronalstreamersasthelastportionofthesunwascovered,andalltheotherphenomenathatattendaneclipseonearth。Forafewminutestherewasatotalreturntonight。Thetwinklingstarsandothermoonsshonetranquillyinthesky,andeventhenoiseoftheinsectsceased。Presentlytheedgeofthesunthathadbeenfirstobscuredreappeared,andthenNaturewentthroughthephenomenonofanaccelerateddawn。