The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1925-05-20
CmNPTER NII.-Conllnned

AitAtlth Nil untfnAru
Mailman that ! was 20 lingcr 50
Aeag before fled, Up ta then he had
hunted by scent, and hil movement
was slow. Hut he had actually seen
me as started 20 run, PROM then
EDWARDS he had hunted b, dght. Tor
the patch showed him whore ! had
Eone, Now. as he came Mound tho
curve. he was springing IN grcat
hounds, The moonlight shone upou
his huge projecting eyes, tho TOW of
enormous teeth in his open mouth.
and tho cleaning fringe of claws
'lpon his short, powerful forcRrms.
With a scream of terror l turned and
rushed wildly down the path. BE
hind me tho thick grasping breathing
II tho creature sounded louder and
louder His heavy football Was beside
me. Every instant l expected TO feel
has grip upon my back, And then
suddenly there came a crash was
falling thru space. ana everything
beyond was darkness and rest.
As ! emerged from my uncon.
sciousncss-which could not. l think.
have lasted moro than n few min
utes-I was aware OF most dread.
ful and penetrating smell, Putting
out my hand In the darkness / came
upon something which felt Hike
huge lump OF meat. while my other
hand closed upon a large bone. Up
above me there was a circle Il starlit
sky, which showed me that was
lying az the bottom OF deep pit
Slowly / staggered 10 my feet and
felt myself All over. I was stiff and
SORE from head TO foot. but there
was no limb which would not move.
no joint which could not bend. A
the circumstances OF my fail camo
hack into my confused brain.
looked up In terror, expecting 60 ser
That dreadful head siihoucttci
against the palling sky. There was
no sign OF the monster. however. nor
could hear any sound from above.
began 10 walk slowly round. there
fore, feeling In every direction 20 find
out what this strRnEc place could b.
''iuto which bad been 20 OPPORTUNITY
prccipltatea
II was. MS have said, pit. with
sharply slipping walls and n level bot.
tom about 20 feet across. This bot
tom was Uttered with great gpbbcts
-ut flesh. most OF which was in tho
last state OF pu,ridity. Tho utmo,
sphere was poisonous and horrible.
After tripping and stumbling over
these lamps OF decay. I came sud
denly against something hard. and
X found that an upright post was
sflrrnly fixed in tho center OF tho hol.
low. II was so high that could not
resch tho top OF II with my hand.
snd Il appeared TO be covered with
grease.
Suddenly I remembered that had
= tin box OF wax.vestas tn my pocket.
Striking ono Of them. I was able az
last 20 form some opinion OF this
place into which had fallen. There
could be no question as 20 its nature.
II was trnp-madc BY the hand Of
man, The post In the center. some
nine feet long, was sharpcned NJ the
upper end, was black with the stale
Blood OF the creatures who had been
jmpaled upon IL. Tho remains scat
atersd about were fragments OF the
Victims. which had been cut away IN
order 10 clear the stake for the next
who might hlunder tn. rcmeui.
hercd that Challenger had declared
that man could not exist upon the
plateau. since with HIS feeble wcap-
ons he could not hold his own
against the monsters who roamcd
over H. But now Il was clear enough
how II could be done. In their mar
row mouthcd caves the natives. who
ever they might be. had refugees into
which the huge saurians 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