The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-04-06

From now EDWARDS you devote
your energies to getting us out Of
this horrible country and back once
more to civilization"
CHAPTER XIV
"Our Eyes Have Seen Great
Wonders"
The victory of the Indians and
the humiliation of the ape.men,
marked the turning point Of our
fortunes. From then EDWARDS, we
were in truth masters Of the plateau,
for the natives looked upon us with
mixture Of fear and gratitude,
since by our strange powers we
had aided them to destroy their
hereditary foe. For their own sakes
they would, perhaps. be glad to see
the departure of such formidable
and incalculable people, but they
have not themselves suggested any
way by which we may reach the
far as we could follow their signs,
tunnel by which the place could
be approached, the lower exit of
which we had seen from below. By
this, no doubt, both ape-men and In
dams had at different epochs reached
the top, and Maple White with his
companion had taken the same way.
| n. ~ L.
had been a terrific earthquake, and
the upper end Of the tunnel had
fallen in and completely disap-
peared. The Indians now could only
shake their heads and shrug their
shoulders when we expressed by
signs our desire to descend. 1t may
be that they can not, but e may
also be that they will not, help us
to get away.
At the end Of the victorious cam.
paign the surviving ape-folk were
driven across the plateau their wall
ings were HORRIBLY and established
in the neighborhood Of the Indian
caves, where they would, from now
EDWARDS, be a servile race under the
eyes OF their masters. Hewers of
wood and drawers Of water, such
were they from now EDWARDS.
We had returned across the pla-
teau with our allies two days after
the battle, and made our camp at
the foot Of their cliffs They would
have had us share their caves with
them, but Lord John would by no
means consent to 1t, considering that
to do so would put us in their power
if they were treacherously disposed.
We continually visited their caves,
which were most remarkable places.
They were all on the one stratum,
followed out Of some soft rock which
lay between the volcanic basalt
forming the ruddy cliffs above them,
and the hard granite which formed
their base.
The openings were about eighty
feet above the ground, and were
led up to by long stone stairs, so
narrow and steep that no large ami?
NAL could mount them. Inside they
were warm and dry, running in
straight passages of varying length
into the side of the hill, with smooth
gray walls decorated with many ex.
cellent pictures done with charred
sticks and representing the various
animals of the plateau.
Since we had learned that the
huge igunodons were kept as tame
herds by their owners, and were sim
. ply walking meat-stores, we had con
/ ceived that man, even with his primi
tive weapons, had established his
ascendancy upon the plateau. We
were soon to discover that 1t was
not so, and that he was still there
upon tolerance.
It was on the third day after our
forming our camp near the In
dian caves that the tragedy &C.
Cured. Challenger and Summer
lee had gone off together that day
to the lake where some Of the ma
tives, under their direction, weiI
engaged in harpooning specimens
of the great lizards. Lord John
and I had remained in our camp,
while q number Of the Indians were
scattered about upon the grassy
slope in front Of the caves engaged
in different ways. Suddenly there
vas a shrill cry Of alarm, with the
word "Stoa" resounding from Il
hundred tongues. From every side
men, women, and children were
rushing wildly for shelter, swarming
up the staircases and into the caves
in a mad stampede.
Looking up, We could see them
waving 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 group Of twelve
or fifteen Indians, running for their
lives, and at their very heels two Of
those fr1ghtful monsters which had
disturbed our camp and pursued me
upon my solitary journey. Ir. shape
they were like horrible toads, and
moved in a succession of springs,
but In size they were Of an incredible
bulk, larger than the largest ele-
plant. We had never before seen
them. save at night, and indeed 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 fish
like iridescence, and the sunlight
struck them with an ever-varying
rainbow bloom as they moved.
(To be continGedD
DOWNRIGHT 1912 nv Conan DovIa