Evening star., 1912-06-30

then he turned to us.
aWell, it's up to you to say what you will
do" said he. "For my part have score to
settle with these monkey folk, and if it ends
by wiping them off the face OF the earth, l
don't see that the earth need fret about 1t.
I'm goin' with Our little red pals, and mean
to see them through the scrap. What do
you say, young fellah?'
"Of course will come
"And you, Challenger"
u will assuredly cooperate"
"And you, Summerlee?'
ave seem to be drifting very far from the
objects of this expedition, Lord Roxton. |
assure you that l little thought when l left
nv PROFESSIONAL chair in London that it was
for the purpose of heading raid of savages
upon a colony of anthropoid apes.
aTo such base uses do we come" said
Lord Roxton, smiling aBut we are up
against it; so what's the decision?'
at seems questionable step, said Sum-
merlee, argumentative to the last; "but If
you are all going, hardly see how can re-
main behind
aThen it is settled said Lord Roxton,
and turning to the chief he nodded and
slapped his rifle.
THE old fellow clasped our hands each in
IL,
ever 1t was too late to advance that night;
SO the Indians settled down into rude biv
ouac On all sides their fires began to ghm-
mer and smoke.
Some of them who had disappeared into
the Jungle came back presently, driving
Young iguanodon before them. Like the
Others, it had daub of asphalt upon its
shoulder, and it was only when we saw one
of the natives step forward with the AIR OF
an owner and give his consent to the beasts
slaughter that we understood at last that
these great creatures were as much private
property as herd of cattle, and that these
symbols which had so perplexed us were
nothing more than the marks of the owner.
Helpless, torpid, and vegetarian, with great
limbs but minute brain, they could be
rounded up and driven by child. In few
minutes the huge beast had been cut up, and
slabs of him were hanging over dozen
campfres, together with great, scaly ganoid
fish which had been speared in the lake.
Summerlee had lain down and slept upon
the sand; but we others roamed round the
edge of the water, seeking to learn something
more of this strange country. Twice we
found pits of blue clay, such as we had al
ready seen in the swamp of the pterodactyls.
These were old volcanic vents, and for some
reason excited the greatest interest IN Lord
Roxton. What attracted Challenger, on the
other hand, was bubbling, gurgling mud
geyser where some strange gas formed great,
bursting bubbles upon the surface. He
thrust hollow reed into it, and cried out
with delight like schoolboy when he was
able, on touching it with lighted match,
to cause sharp explosion, and blue flame
at the far end of the tube Still more pleased
was he when, inverting leather pouch over
the end of the reed, and so filling it with the
gas, he was able to send it soaring up into
the air.
"An infammable gas, and one markedly
lighter than the atmosphere. l should say
beyond doubt that it contained a consider
able proportion of free hydrogen. The re-
sources of G. E. c. are not yet exhausted,
my young friend. l may yet show you how
a great mind molds all Nature to its use "
He swelled with some secret purpose; but
would say no more.
There was nothing we could see on the
shore which seemed to me so wonderful as
the great sheet of water before us. Our
numbers and our noise had frightened all
living creatures away, and, save for few
pteredactyls, which scared round high above
eur heads while they waited for the carrion,
2all was still around the camp.