The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-03-18


lived"
IF ever we get out Of this alive,
must have a head with me-" said
Lord John.
1t is true that these monstrous
creatures which we had seen were
numbering, inoffensive brutes which
were unlikely to hurt any one, but
in this world of wonders what other
survivals might there not be?
II was destined that on this very
morning-our first in the new coun-
tryAwe were to find out what
strange hazards lay around us.
We passed very slowly through
the woods, partly because Lord Rox-
ton acted as scout before he would
let us advance. and partly because
at every second step one or other
OF our professors would fall, with a
cry of wonder, before some flower
or insect which presented him with
a new type. We may have Travelled
two or three miles in all, keeping to
the right of the line of the stream,
when we came upon considerable
opening in the trees. A belt of
brushwood led up to a tangle of
rocks-the whole plateau was strewn
with powders. We were walking
slowly toward these rocks, among
bushes which reached over our waist
when we became aware of strange
low Cabling and whistling sound.
which filled the air with a constant
clamor and appeared to come from
some spot Immediately before us.
Lord John held up his hand as A
signal for us 20 stop, and he made
his way swiftly, STOPPING and run
ming, to the line of rocks. We saw
him peep over them and give a
gesture of amazement. Then he
stood staring as IL forgetting us, so
utterly entranced was he by what
he saw. Finally he waved us to
come on, holding UP his hand as a
signal for caution. His whole bear
ing made me feel that something
wonderful but dangerous lay before
us.
Creeping to his side. we looked
over the rocks. The place into
which we gazed was a pit, and may.
in the early days. nave been one OF
the smaller volcanic blow-holes Of
the plateau. It was bowl-shaped
and at the bottom, some hundreds
of yards from where we lay, were
pools of green-scummed, stagnant
water, fringed with bullrushes. 1t
til Ill L. ks.+ g.
occupants made II seem like a scene
from the Seven Circle OF Dante. The
place was a rookery OF pterodactyls.
There were hundreds OF them con-
gregated within view. All the bot
tom area round the water-edge was
alive with their young ones, and
with hideous mothers brooding upon
their leathery, yellowish eggs. From
this crawling Tapping mass of OBJ
scene reptilisn life came the shock
ing clamor which filled the air and
the mephitic, horrible, musty ordor
which turned us sick But above
perched each upon its own stone.
tall, gray and withered, more like
dead and dried specimens than
actual living creatures. sat the hor-
rible males. absolutely motionless
save for the rolling of their red eyes
or an occasional snap Of their rat
trap beaks as dragon-fly went past
them. Their huge. membranous
wings were closed by folding their
fore-arms.
Our professors would gladly have
stayed there all day, so entranced
were they by this opportunity of
studying the life Of a prehistoric age.
They pointed out the fish and the
dead birds lying about among the
rocks as proving the nature of the
food OF these creatures, and I heard
them congratulating each other on
having cleared up the point why the
bones Of this flying dragon are found
in such great numbers in certain
well-defined areas, as in the Cam.
bridge Green-sand, since 1t was now
seen that, like penguins, they lived
in gregarious fashion.
Challenger, bent upon proving
some point which Summeriee had
contested, thrust his head over the
rock and nearly brought destruction
upon us all. In an instant the near.
est male gave shrill, whistling cry
and tapped its twenty-foot span OF
leathery wings as 1t scared UP into
the air. The females and young ones
huddled together beside the water
while the whole circle OF sentinels
rose one after the other and sailed
off into the sky. 1t was a wonderful
sight to see at least a hundred
creatures of such enormous size and
hideous appearance all swoopine
like swallows with swift, shearips