Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-07-19

by which l drew myself up again. And now
| found this great plain to consist of that
fluid which sometimes falls from the sky, anu
causes SO much trouble by filling our holes
"As | stood considering how to proceed on
my journey, gentle breeze arose, which, ne
fore / was aware, carried the leaf l was upon
away from the solid land into this yielding
fluid, which, however, bore it up and me along
with it. At first was greatly alarmed, ana
ran round and round my leaf in order to ind
some way of getting back but perceivlng this
to be mpracticabe, | resigned myself to my
fate, and even began to take pleasure IN the
easy motion by which l was borne forward.
But what new and wonderful forms OF living
creatures did see inhabiting this liquid land:
Bodies of prodigious bulk, covered with Sims
ing scales of various colors shot by me with
vast rapidity, and sported thousand ways.
They had large heads and staring eyes, tire
mendous wide mouths, but no legs; and they
seemed TO be carried on by the action OF
something like small wings planted on various
parts of the body, and especially at the end
of the tail, which continually waved about:
Other smaller creatures of great variety of
extraordinary forms, were moving through the
clear fluids, resting upon its surface; ana
saw with terror numbers OF them continual
ly seized and swallowed by the larger ones
before mentioned.
when l had got near the middle, the
smooth surface of this plain was roughened,
and moved up and down, so as to toss about
my leaf, and nearly overset it. l trembled
be thrown amidst all these terrible monsters.
At last however, / got safe to the other side,
and with JOY set my feet on dry land again;
I assembled gentle green slope, which led
to a tall plantation like that had before
passed through. Another green plain and
another stony desert succeeded. which brought
me at length to the opposite boundary OF our
world, enclosed by the same immense mound
rising to the heavens, which limits us on this
side.
"Here fell in with another nation of our
species differing little in way Of life from our
cselves. They invited me to their settlement
and entertained me Hospitality, and l accom-
panied them in several excursions in the neigh
borhood There was charming fruit tree at
no great distance, to which we made fire.
quent visits. One day as | was regallng de
| liciousy on the heart of green-gage plum,
felt myself on sudden carried along with
great swiftness, till | got into dark place,
where horTid crash threw me upon soft
moist piece of flesh, whence was soon driven
| forth in torrent of wind and moisture, and
found myself ON the ground all covered with
slime. / discngaged myself with difficulty,
and looking up, deserted one of those enormous
twolegged animals, which often shake the
ground over our heads and put us IN terror.
my new friends now began to hint to me
that it was time to depart, for you know we
are not fond of naturalizing strangers. And
| lucky, indeed it was for me that l received
the hint when | did; for | had but just left
the place, and was travelling over a nelghbor-
/
! tremendous noise; and booking back | saw the
whole of their settlement blown into the air
with prodigous explosion of fire and smoke.
Numbers of halfburnt bodies, together with
the ruins of their habitations, were thrown to
vast distance around; and such a suffocating
vapor arose that l lay for some time deprived
of sense and. motion. From some OF the
wretched fugitives l learned that the disaster
wus attributed to subterranean fire bursting
| its way to the surface; the cause of which,
however, was supposed to be connected with
the Vaccinations of that malignant two-legged
monster from whose jaws ! had so narrowly
escaped, who had been observed Just before the
explosion to pour through the holes leading
to the great apartment of the settlement
number of black shining grains.
ION my return from this remote country,
kept along the boundary wall which | knew
nv observation must at length bring me back
to nv own home 1 met with several wan
dering tribes of cur species in my road, and
frequently joined their foraging parties in
search for food. One day a company of US,
allured by the smell Of something sweet.
placed vast round edi6ce, having only one
entrance. At this, were continually going in
and coming out some of those winged animals
somewhat like ourselves in form, but many
times bigger, and armed with dreadful sting,
which we so often meet with slipping the
Juices of flowers; but whether they were the
architects of this great mansion or it was built
for them by some benehcent being of great
powers, / am unable to decide. 1t seemed.
however, to be the place where they deposited
what they SO industriously collected; for they
were perpetually arriving loaded with fra
grant substance. which they carried in and
then returned empty. We had great desire
to enter with them, but were deferred by
their formidable appearance, and kind Of
angry hum, which continually proceeded from
the house. At length two or three OF the
boldest of our party, watching time when
the entrance was pretty free, ventured to go
in, but we soon saw them driven out in great
ste and tramnlad down and maSsacred at