Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-07-01
CHAPTER Xxx.
Attacked BY FrightfuI Monsters.

forming our camp near the In
dian caves that a tragedy occur
red. Challenger and Summerlee
had gone Off together that day to the
lake, where some of the natives un-
der their direction were engaged in
harpooning specimens of the great
lizards. Lord John and l 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 shrill cry of alarm, with
the word "Stoaw resounding from a
hundred tongues. From every side
men, women and children were rush
ing wildly for shelter, swarming up
the staircases and into the caves il u
mad stampede.
Looking up, we could see them wav-
ing their arms from the rocks above
and beckoning 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
dians, running for their lives, and at
their very heels two Of those frightful
monsters which had disturbed our
camp and pursued me upon my sOlI-
tary journey. In shape they were like
horrible toads and moved in a success
sion Of springs, but In size they were
of an incredible bulk, larger than 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 curious, fishlike rides
cence, and the sunlight struck them
with an ever varying rainbow bloom as
they moved
We had little time to watch them,
however, for in an instant they had
overtaken the fugitives and were max
ing q dire slaughter among them.
Their method was to fall forward with
their full weight upon each in 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-
fore the relentless purpose and hOrri-
bic activity of these monstrOus crea-
lures. One after another they went
down, and there were not half q dozen
surviving by the time my companion
and | could come to their help. But
our aid was of little avail and only In
yolyed us in the same peril. At the
range of couple Of hundred yards we
emptied our magazines, firing bullet
after bullet into the beasts, but with
no more effect than if 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
weapons. The most that we could do
was to check their progress by dis
tracing their attention with the flash
and roar Of our 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 Of no
avail the poisoned arrows Of the ma
tlves, dipped in the juice of strOphan-
thus and stepped afterward in decayed
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 slay its assailant.
But now, as the two monsters bounded
us to the very foot of the stairs, drift
Of darts came whistllng from every
chink in the cliff above them. In
minute they were feathered with them,
and yet, with no sign Of pain, they
clawed and slabbered with impOtent
rage at the steps which would lead
them to their victims, mounting clum-
| silly up for a few yards and then slid
ing down again to the ground. But
at last the poison worked One OF
them gave a deep rumblng groan and
dropped his huge squat head on to the
earth. The other bounded around In
an eccentric circle, with shrlll, wall
ing cries, and then, lying down, writh-
ed in agony for some minutes before 1t
also stiffened and lay still. With yells
Of triumph the Indians came tlocking
down from their caves and danced a
frenzied dance Of victory around tho
dead bodies, in mad joy that two more
Of the most dangerous Of all their enc
mics had been slain. That night they
cut up and removed the bodies, not to
eat, for the poison was still active, but
lest they should breed a pestilence.
The great reptilan hearts, however,
each as large as a cushion. still lay
there, beating slowly and steadily.
with a gentle rise and fall, in horrible
Independent life 1t was only upon
the third day that the ganglia ran
down and the dreadful things were
still.
Continued next Saturday,
EllzIElIE n Ea