, 1916-09-07
CHAPTER XII.


N ND now we had to decide upon
fV our immediate movements. We
IA shifted u position from among
the tick laden bushes until we
came to II small clearing th,rkly sur
rounded by trees upon all sio<.s. There
were some Hat slabs of rock in the cen
ter, with an excellent well close by.
and there we sat in clearly comfort
while we made our first plans for the
invasion of this new country. Birds
We're calling among the foliage. espe-
cially one with Il peculiar whooping
cry which was new to us, but beyond
these sounds there were no signs of
lire.
Our first care was to make some sort
of list of own own stores, so that we
might know what we had to rely upon
What with the things we had our
selves brought up and those which
Zambo had sen across on the rope we
were fairly well supplied. Most i'm
pOrtant of all, in view of the dangers
which might surround us, we had our
four rifles and 1900 rounds: also Il
shotgun, but not more thar 100 medi
UNI pellet cartridges. In the matter of
provisions we had enough to last for
several weeks. with II Sutliciency of
tobacco and a few scientific nipple.
ments, including a large telescope and
n good fieldglass. All these things we
collected together in the clearing. and
as II first precaution we cut down with
our Ratchet and knives a number of
thorny bushes, which we piled round
d. q. INHpl. ,aY,,n - Ft.a. .-.-I. l.. Al.
eter. This was to be our headquarters
for the time-our place Of refuge
against sudden danger and the guard
house for our stores. Fort Challenger
we called II.
The peaceful penetration of Maple
White Land, which we called the new
country, was the pressing subject be
fore us. We had the evidence of our
own eyes that the place was inhabited
by some unknown creatures, and there
was that of Maple Whites ~sketchbook
to show that more dreadful and dan
gerous monsters might still appear.
That there might also prove to be
human occupants and that they were
of a malcvoIent character was sug
gested by the skeleton impaled upon
the bamhOoS, which could not have got
there had 1t not been dropped from
above. our situation, stranded with
out possibility Of escape in such Il
land, was clearly full of danger. and
our reasons indorsed every measure
OF caution which Lord Johns expert
ence could suggest. Yet it was surely
impossible that we SHOULD halt On the
edge Of his world Of mystery when
our very souls were tingling with i'm
patience to push forward and to pluck
the hear from ii.
We therefore blocked the entrance
to u zarcba by filling it up with sev
eral thorny bushes and left our camp
with the stores entirely surrounded by
his protecting hedge. We then slowly
and cautiously set forth into the un
known, following the course of the lit
tie stream which flowed from our
spring. as it should always serve us
AS a guide on our return.
Hardly had we started when we
came across signs that theIc were In
deed Onders awaiting us. After II
few hundred yards of thick forest con
tanning many trees which were quite
unknown TO me, but which Summer
lee. whit was the butanist Of the par
ty, recognized as forms of Conifera
aud of cycadnccous plants which nave
long passed away in the world below.
we entered ii region where the stream
widened out and formed ii considerable
bog. Suddenly Lord John, who was
walking first, halted with uplifted
hand,
Look nt this said he. "By George.
this must h" the tyaiI OF the father Of