The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1925-05-11
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Published BY Arrangement with First National Pictures. Ine md
MaisTson X. ROthacker.

when We came upon considerable
opening In the trees. A belt Of
hrushwced led up TO a tsngle Of
rocka-thc whole plateau was strewn
with boulders. We were walking
slowly towards these rocks, among
bushes which reached over our
waists. when We became aware Of a
strange low gahbling and whistllns
sound which fllled tho air with a
constant clamor and appeared 10
come from some spot Immediately
before us, Lord John held up his
hand as a signal FOR vs. 20 stop, and
he made his way swiftly. STOPPING
and running. 20 the line OF rocks We
saw him peep over them and give
gesture Of amusement. Then he stood
staring as " forgetting Us. 80 utterly
eptranecd was he by what he saw
Finally he waved Us 10 come on.
holding up his hand as signal Tor
caution. His whole bearing made me
feel that something wonderful but
dangerous lay before Us,
Creeping 10 his side, We looked
over tho rocks The place into
which We ga4ed was a pit. and may,
In the early days, have been one OF
the smaller volcanic blow,holcs Of
the plateau. II was howl-ahapsd
and at tho bottom. some hundreds OF
yards from where We las. were pools
o. green .scummsd. stagnant water
frinEed with hullrushes II was a
weird place Ia itself. but its occu-
pants made Il seem like a scene from
the seven Circles OF Dante. The
place was Fookcry Of ptsredaotyls
There were hundreds OF them con-
grcgated within view. an the bot
tom area round tho water edge was
alive with their young ones, and
with hideous mothers breeding upon
leathery, yellowish esgs. From this
crawling Tapping mass OF obaoene
repttlian lie came the shocking
elamor which filled the air and the
mephitic. horrible. musty odor which
turned Us sick But above. perched
each upon Its own stone. tall. gTay
and withered. more like dead and
dried speciments than actual living
creatures. sat tho horrible males.
absolutely mo,ionloss save for the
rolling OF their red eyes or an oeea.
sional snap OF their rHt-trap behks
as dragon.fly went past them.
Their huge. membranous wings were
closed BY folding Their fore-armA 80
that they sat like gigantic old
women. wrapped in hideous, web.
eolored shswis. and with their Zero
cioua heads protrudtng above them.
Large and small. not less than
thousand OF these filthy creatures lay
in the hollow before US,
Our professors would gladly have
stayed there all day. 70 cntraneed
were they b. this opportunity OF
studying the life % prehistoric age.
They pointed out the fish and the
dead birds lying about among tho
rocks as proving tho nature Of the
food OF these creatures. and heard
them coggratulatiuE each other on
having cleared up the point why the
bones Of this flying dragon are found
in such great numbers IN certain
wsll-dsfined areas. as in the Cam.
bridge Grccn.sand. since IL was now
seen that. like pcngulus. they lived
in gregarious fashion.
Finally, however. Challenger. bent
upon proving some point which
Summarize had contested. thrust his
head over tho rock and nearly
brought destruction upon Us ali. In
an instant the nearest male gave n
shriil, whistling cry. and tapped its
20-foot span Of leathery wings as Il
scared up into the air The females
and young ones huddlsd together be-
side the water. while the whole
circle OF sentinels rose one after the
other and sailed of into the aky II
was a wonderful sight 10 sec al
least a hundred creatures OF such
enormous size and hideous appear
ance all swooping like swallows with
swift. shsnring wing strokes above
us: but soon VIC realized that Il vas
not one on which we could afford 20
linger. AZ first the great brutes
Flew round In huge ring. as II 10
make sure what the exact extent Of
the danger might be- Then. the
flight grew lower and the circle
narrower. until they were whizzinE
round and round US. the dry. rustllng
flap Of their huge slate-oolorcd
wings filling the air with a volume
OF sound that made me think Of Hen
don aerodrome upon a race day,
Make for the wood and keep
together" cried Lord John, clubbing
his rifle. The brutes mean mis-
chief"
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