, 1916-11-23
CHAPTER Xxx.
Attacked By Frishtful Monsters.

# forming our camp near the In
dian caves that a tragedy occur-
red. Challenger and Summarize
had goue off together hat day to the
lake. where some of the natives I'M
de their direction were engaged in
harpooning specimens of the great
lizards. Lord John and | had remain
ed in our camp, while a number of the
Indians were scattered about upon the
grassy slope in front of the caves en-
gagged in different ways. Suddenly
there was a shrill cry of alarm, with
the word "Stoa!" resounding from a
hundred tongues. From every side
men, women and children were rush
ing wildly for shelter, swarming up
the staircases n into the caves in a
mad stampede.
Looking up, we could see them wav-
ing their arms from the rocks above
and reckoning to us to join them in
their refuge We had both seized our
magazine rifles and ran out to see
what the danger could be. Suddenly
from the near belt of trees there broke
forth a group of twelve or fifteen In
dams. running for their lives, and at
their very heels two of those frightful
monsters which had disturbed our
camp and pursued me upon my soil
tary journey. In shape they were like
horrible toads and moved in n success
sion of springs. but in size they were
of an incredible bulk. larger han the
largest elephant. We had never be
fore seen them save at night. and in
deed they are nocturnal animals save
when disturbed in their lairs. as these
had been. We now stood amazed at
the sight, for their blOtched and warty
skins were of a curious, fshlike rides.
cence. and the sunlight struck them
with an aver varying rainbow bloom az
they moved
We had little time to watch them.
however. for I'm an instant they mad
overtaken the fugitives n were max
ing a dire slaughter among them.
Their method was to fall forward with
their fun weight upon each I'm turn,
leaving him. crushed and mangled. to
bound on after the others. The wretch.
ed Indians screamed with terror. but
were helpless. run as they would. be
lOit lht ltltlllitSS Pun poH' oiu u
Bile activity Of these monstrous crea-
lures. One after another they went
down, and there were not half n dozen
surviving by the time my companion
and | could come TO their help. But
our aid was of little avail and only In
yolved US In the same peril. At the
range of a couple of hundred yards we
emptied our magazines. firing bullet
| after bullet into the beasts. but with
no more effect than II We were pelting
them with pellets of paper Their slow
reptilian natures cared nothing for
wounds. and the springs OF their lives,
with no special brain center. but scat
tered throughout their spinal cords,
could not be tapped by any modern
The most that we could do
was to check their progress by dis
tracing their attention with the flash
and roar of III guns and so to give
both the natives and ourselves time to
reach the steps which led to safety.
But where the conical explosive bullets
OF the twentieth century were or no
avail the poisoned arrows OF the ma
tives. dipped In the Juice OF
thus and stepped afterward In decayed
I carrion could succeed. Such arrows
were of little avail to the hunter who
attacked the beast. because their action
in that torpid circulation was slow, and
before its powers failed 1t could GER
tainly overtake and Stay its assailant-
But now, as the two monsters bounded
us to the very foot of h stairs, a drift
of darts came whistling from avery
chink In the cliff above them. In a
minut they we're feathered with them
and vet. with no sign of pain. they
! ella wed and slabbered with impotent
rage at the steps which would lead
them TO their victims, mounting cium'
silly up for IA few yards and then slid'
ing down again to the ground. but
AT last the poison worked, One OF
them gave a deep rumb'ing groan and
1..u,,oa Lilo buua gouat head on to the