Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-06-24
THE CAPITAL OREGON SATURDAY.

rOr turned and rushed wildly down
the path. Behind me the thick, gasp
Ing breathing of the creature sounded
louder and louder. His heavy football
was beside me. Every instant l ex-
pected to feel his grip upon my back.
And then suddenly there came crash
Il was falling through space, and
everything beyond was darkness and
rest.
AS | emerged from my unconscious
ness-whlch could not, 1 think, have
lasted more than few minutes-I was
aware OF a most dreadful and pene-
trating smell. Putting out my hand in
the darkness, came upon something
which felt like a huge lump Of meat,
while my other hand closed upon a
large bone. Up above me there was
circle OF starit sky, which showed
me that | was lying at the bottom OF
deep pit. Slowly | staggered to my
feet and felt myself all over. l was
stiff and sore from head to foot, but
there was no limb which would not
move, no joint which would not bend.
1t was, as I have said, a pit with
sharply slOplng walls and level bot
tom about twenty feet across. This
bottom was Uttered with great COB
bets of flesh, most. of which was in the
last state OF putridlty. The atmOs-
phere was poisonous and horrible.
After tripping and stumbling over
these Jumps Of decay | came suddenly
against something hard, and found
that an upright post was firmly fixed
In the center Of the hollow. 1t was
so high that | could not reach the top
OF 1t with my hand, and 1t appeared to
be covered with grease.
| Suddenly | remembered that had a
tin box OF wax yestas in my pocket.
Striking one Of them, was able at
rIst to form some opinion Of this place
into which had fallen. There could
be no question as to its nature. 1t was
a trap-made by the hand Of man. The
post In the center, some nine feet long,
was sharpened at the upper end, and
was black with the stale blood of
the creatures who had been impaled
upon it.
The remains scattered about were
fragments OF the victims, which had
been cut away in order to clear the
stake for the next who might bIunder
In. remembered that Challenger had
declared that man could not exist upon
the plateau, since with his feeble
weapons he could not hold his own
against the monsters who roamed
over It.
But now 1t was clear enough how
It could be done. In their narrow
mOuthed caves the natives. whoever
they might be, had refugees into which
the huge saurlans could not penetrate
while with their developed brains they
were capable Of setting such traps
covered with branches, across the
paths which marked the run of the
animals as would destroy them in spite
of oil their strength and activity. Mar
was always the master.
The slOping wall OF the pit was moi
difficult for an active man to climb
but 1 hesltOted long before trusted
myself within reach Of the dreadful
creature which had so nearly destroy
ed me.
How did know that the beast wa:
not lurking in the nearest clump Of
bushes, waiting for my temperance
| took heart, however, as l recalled Q
conversation between Challenger ant
SummerIee upon the habits of tht
great saurlans. Both were agreed tha
the monsters We're practically brain
less, that there was no room for rea
son in their tiny cranial cavities ant
that IL they have disappeared from
the rest OF the world 1t was assuredly
on account of their own stupidity
which made it impossible for them II
adapt themselves to changing cOndI
tiOns.
| clambered to the edge OF the pi
and looked over. The stars were fad
Ing, the sky was whitening, and tn
cold wind OF morning blew pleasant,
upon my face. could see or hea
nothing of my enemy. Slowly climb
ed out and sat for awhile upon tn
ground, ready to spring back into m.
refuge II any danger should appear
Then, renssured by the absolute still
ress and by the growing light, l tool
my courage in both hands and stol
back along the path which I had comt
Some distance down It picked up M,
gun and shortly afterward struck tn
brook which was my guide, So, witt
many a frightened backward glance,
made for home.
CHAPTER XVI.
A Terrifying Sight.
AND suddenly there came SOME
M thing to remind me OF my al
sent companions. In the cleaI
stlll morning air there SOUND
ed far away the sharp, hard note of