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diff --git a/old/poftm11.txt b/old/poftm11.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0c71e21 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/poftm11.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4151 @@ +The Project Gutenberg Etext of People Out Of Time +by Edgar Rice Burroughs +(#2 in The Land That Time Forgot Series by Edgar Rice Burroughs) + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the laws for your country before redistributing these files!!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. + +Please do not remove this. + +This should be the first thing seen when anyone opens the book. +Do not change or edit it without written permission. 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The +truth was that as I sat in the Tyler library at Santa Monica I +commenced to feel a trifle foolish and to wish that I had merely +forwarded the manuscript by express instead of bearing it personally, +for I confess that I do not enjoy being laughed at. I have a +well-developed sense of humor--when the joke is not on me. + +Mr. Tyler, Sr., was expected almost hourly. The last steamer in +from Honolulu had brought information of the date of the expected +sailing of his yacht Toreador, which was now twenty-four hours +overdue. Mr. Tyler's assistant secretary, who had been left +at home, assured me that there was no doubt but that the Toreador +had sailed as promised, since he knew his employer well enough to +be positive that nothing short of an act of God would prevent his +doing what he had planned to do. I was also aware of the fact +that the sending apparatus of the Toreador's wireless equipment was +sealed, and that it would only be used in event of dire necessity. +There was, therefore, nothing to do but wait, and we waited. + +We discussed the manuscript and hazarded guesses concerning it and +the strange events it narrated. The torpedoing of the liner upon +which Bowen J. Tyler, Jr., had taken passage for France to join +the American Ambulance was a well-known fact, and I had further +substantiated by wire to the New York office of the owners, that +a Miss La Rue had been booked for passage. Further, neither she +nor Bowen had been mentioned among the list of survivors; nor had +the body of either of them been recovered. + +Their rescue by the English tug was entirely probable; the capture +of the enemy U-33 by the tug's crew was not beyond the range +of possibility; and their adventures during the perilous cruise +which the treachery and deceit of Benson extended until they found +themselves in the waters of the far South Pacific with depleted +stores and poisoned water-casks, while bordering upon the +fantastic, appeared logical enough as narrated, event by event, in +the manuscript. + +Caprona has always been considered a more or less mythical land, +though it is vouched for by an eminent navigator of the eighteenth +century; but Bowen's narrative made it seem very real, however many +miles of trackless ocean lay between us and it. Yes, the narrative +had us guessing. We were agreed that it was most improbable; but +neither of us could say that anything which it contained was beyond +the range of possibility. The weird flora and fauna of Caspak were +as possible under the thick, warm atmospheric conditions of the +super-heated crater as they were in the Mesozoic era under almost +exactly similar conditions, which were then probably world-wide. +The assistant secretary had heard of Caproni and his discoveries, +but admitted that he never had taken much stock in the one nor the +other. We were agreed that the one statement most difficult of +explanation was that which reported the entire absence of human +young among the various tribes which Tyler had had intercourse. +This was the one irreconcilable statement of the manuscript. A +world of adults! It was impossible. + +We speculated upon the probable fate of Bradley and his party of +English sailors. Tyler had found the graves of two of them; how +many more might have perished! And Miss La Rue--could a young +girl long have survived the horrors of Caspak after having been +separated from all of her own kind? The assistant secretary wondered +if Nobs still was with her, and then we both smiled at this tacit +acceptance of the truth of the whole uncanny tale: + +"I suppose I'm a fool," remarked the assistant secretary; "but by +George, I can't help believing it, and I can see that girl now, +with the big Airedale at her side protecting her from the terrors +of a million years ago. I can visualize the entire scene--the apelike +Grimaldi men huddled in their filthy caves; the huge pterodactyls +soaring through the heavy air upon their bat-like wings; the mighty +dinosaurs moving their clumsy hulks beneath the dark shadows of +preglacial forests--the dragons which we considered myths until +science taught us that they were the true recollections of the +first man, handed down through countless ages by word of mouth from +father to son out of the unrecorded dawn of humanity." + +"It is stupendous--if true," I replied. "And to think that possibly +they are still there--Tyler and Miss La Rue--surrounded by hideous +dangers, and that possibly Bradley still lives, and some of his +party! I can't help hoping all the time that Bowen and the girl +have found the others; the last Bowen knew of them, there were six +left, all told--the mate Bradley, the engineer Olson, and Wilson, +Whitely, Brady and Sinclair. There might be some hope for them +if they could join forces; but separated, I'm afraid they couldn't +last long." + +"If only they hadn't let the German prisoners capture the U-33! +Bowen should have had better judgment than to have trusted them at +all. The chances are von Schoenvorts succeeded in getting safely +back to Kiel and is strutting around with an Iron Cross this very +minute. With a large supply of oil from the wells they discovered +in Caspak, with plenty of water and ample provisions, there is +no reason why they couldn't have negotiated the submerged tunnel +beneath the barrier cliffs and made good their escape." + +"I don't like 'em," said the assistant secretary; "but sometimes +you got to hand it to 'em." + +"Yes," I growled, "and there's nothing I'd enjoy more than handing +it to them!" And then the telephone-bell rang. + +The assistant secretary answered, and as I watched him, I saw his +jaw drop and his face go white. "My God!" he exclaimed as he hung +up the receiver as one in a trance. "It can't be!" + +"What?" I asked. + +"Mr. Tyler is dead," he answered in a dull voice. "He died at sea, +suddenly, yesterday." + +The next ten days were occupied in burying Mr. Bowen J. Tyler, Sr., +and arranging plans for the succor of his son. Mr. Tom Billings, +the late Mr. Tyler's secretary, did it all. He is force, energy, +initiative and good judgment combined and personified. I never +have beheld a more dynamic young man. He handled lawyers, courts +and executors as a sculptor handles his modeling clay. He formed, +fashioned and forced them to his will. He had been a classmate of +Bowen Tyler at college, and a fraternity brother, and before, that +he had been an impoverished and improvident cow-puncher on one of the +great Tyler ranches. Tyler, Sr., had picked him out of thousands +of employees and made him; or rather Tyler had given him the +opportunity, and then Billings had made himself. Tyler, Jr., as +good a judge of men as his father, had taken him into his friendship, +and between the two of them they had turned out a man who would +have died for a Tyler as quickly as he would have for his flag. Yet +there was none of the sycophant or fawner in Billings; ordinarily +I do not wax enthusiastic about men, but this man Billings comes +as close to my conception of what a regular man should be as any +I have ever met. I venture to say that before Bowen J. Tyler sent +him to college he had never heard the word ethics, and yet I am +equally sure that in all his life he never has transgressed a single +tenet of the code of ethics of an American gentleman. + +Ten days after they brought Mr. Tyler's body off the Toreador, +we steamed out into the Pacific in search of Caprona. There were +forty in the party, including the master and crew of the Toreador; +and Billings the indomitable was in command. We had a long and +uninteresting search for Caprona, for the old map upon which the +assistant secretary had finally located it was most inaccurate. +When its grim walls finally rose out of the ocean's mists before +us, we were so far south that it was a question as to whether we +were in the South Pacific or the Antarctic. Bergs were numerous, +and it was very cold. + +All during the trip Billings had steadfastly evaded questions as +to how we were to enter Caspak after we had found Caprona. Bowen +Tyler's manuscript had made it perfectly evident to all that the +subterranean outlet of the Caspakian River was the only means of +ingress or egress to the crater world beyond the impregnable cliffs. +Tyler's party had been able to navigate this channel because their +craft had been a submarine; but the Toreador could as easily have +flown over the cliffs as sailed under them. Jimmy Hollis and Colin +Short whiled away many an hour inventing schemes for surmounting +the obstacle presented by the barrier cliffs, and making ridiculous +wagers as to which one Tom Billings had in mind; but immediately +we were all assured that we had raised Caprona, Billings called us +together. + +"There was no use in talking about these things," he said, "until +we found the island. At best it can be but conjecture on our part +until we have been able to scrutinize the coast closely. Each +of us has formed a mental picture of the Capronian seacoast from +Bowen's manuscript, and it is not likely that any two of these +pictures resemble each other, or that any of them resemble the +coast as we shall presently find it. I have in view three plans +for scaling the cliffs, and the means for carrying out each is in +the hold. There is an electric drill with plenty of waterproof +cable to reach from the ship's dynamos to the cliff-top when the +Toreador is anchored at a safe distance from shore, and there is +sufficient half-inch iron rod to build a ladder from the base to +the top of the cliff. It would be a long, arduous and dangerous +work to bore the holes and insert the rungs of the ladder from the +bottom upward; yet it can be done. + +"I also have a life-saving mortar with which we might be able to +throw a line over the summit of the cliffs; but this plan would +necessitate one of us climbing to the top with the chances more +than even that the line would cut at the summit, or the hooks at +the upper end would slip. + +"My third plan seems to me the most feasible. You all saw a number +of large, heavy boxes lowered into the hold before we sailed. I +know you did, because you asked me what they contained and commented +upon the large letter 'H' which was painted upon each box. These +boxes contain the various parts of a hydro-aeroplane. I purpose +assembling this upon the strip of beach described in Bowen's +manuscript--the beach where he found the dead body of the apelike +man--provided there is sufficient space above high water; otherwise +we shall have to assemble it on deck and lower it over the side. +After it is assembled, I shall carry tackle and ropes to the +cliff-top, and then it will be comparatively simple to hoist the +search-party and its supplies in safety. Or I can make a sufficient +number of trips to land the entire party in the valley beyond the +barrier; all will depend, of course, upon what my first reconnaissance +reveals." + +That afternoon we steamed slowly along the face of Caprona's towering +barrier. + +"You see now," remarked Billings as we craned our necks to scan the +summit thousands of feet above us, "how futile it would have been +to waste our time in working out details of a plan to surmount those." +And he jerked his thumb toward the cliffs. "It would take weeks, +possibly months, to construct a ladder to the top. I had no +conception of their formidable height. Our mortar would not carry +a line halfway to the crest of the lowest point. There is no use +discussing any plan other than the hydro-aeroplane. We'll find +the beach and get busy." + +Late the following morning the lookout announced that he could +discern surf about a mile ahead; and as we approached, we all saw +the line of breakers broken by a long sweep of rolling surf upon +a narrow beach. The launch was lowered, and five of us made a +landing, getting a good ducking in the ice-cold waters in the doing +of it; but we were rewarded by the finding of the clean-picked +bones of what might have been the skeleton of a high order of ape +or a very low order of man, lying close to the base of the cliff. +Billings was satisfied, as were the rest of us, that this was the +beach mentioned by Bowen, and we further found that there was ample +room to assemble the sea-plane. + +Billings, having arrived at a decision, lost no time in acting, +with the result that before mid-afternoon we had landed all the +large boxes marked "H" upon the beach, and were busily engaged in +opening them. Two days later the plane was assembled and tuned. +We loaded tackles and ropes, water, food and ammunition in it, and +then we each implored Billings to let us be the one to accompany +him. But he would take no one. That was Billings; if there was +any especially difficult or dangerous work to be done, that one man +could do, Billings always did it himself. If he needed assistance, +he never called for volunteers--just selected the man or men he +considered best qualified for the duty. He said that he considered +the principles underlying all volunteer service fundamentally wrong, +and that it seemed to him that calling for volunteers reflected +upon the courage and loyalty of the entire command. + +We rolled the plane down to the water's edge, and Billings mounted +the pilot's seat. There was a moment's delay as he assured +himself that he had everything necessary. Jimmy Hollis went over +his armament and ammunition to see that nothing had been omitted. +Besides pistol and rifle, there was the machine-gun mounted in +front of him on the plane, and ammunition for all three. Bowen's +account of the terrors of Caspak had impressed us all with the +necessity for proper means of defense. + +At last all was ready. The motor was started, and we pushed the +plane out into the surf. A moment later, and she was skimming +seaward. Gently she rose from the surface of the water, executed +a wide spiral as she mounted rapidly, circled once far above us +and then disappeared over the crest of the cliffs. We all stood +silent and expectant, our eyes glued upon the towering summit above +us. Hollis, who was now in command, consulted his wrist-watch at +frequent intervals. + +"Gad," exclaimed Short, "we ought to be hearing from him pretty +soon!" + +Hollis laughed nervously. "He's been gone only ten minutes," he +announced. + +"Seems like an hour," snapped Short. "What's that? Did you hear +that? He's firing! It's the machine-gun! Oh, Lord; and here we +are as helpless as a lot of old ladies ten thousand miles away! +We can't do a thing. We don't know what's happening. Why didn't +he let one of us go with him?" + +Yes, it was the machine-gun. We would hear it distinctly for at +least a minute. Then came silence. That was two weeks ago. We +have had no sign nor signal from Tom Billings since. + + + + + +Chapter 2 + + + + +I'll never forget my first impressions of Caspak as I circled in, +high over the surrounding cliffs. From the plane I looked down +through a mist upon the blurred landscape beneath me. The hot, +humid atmosphere of Caspak condenses as it is fanned by the cold +Antarctic air-currents which sweep across the crater's top, sending +a tenuous ribbon of vapor far out across the Pacific. Through this +the picture gave one the suggestion of a colossal impressionistic +canvas in greens and browns and scarlets and yellows surrounding +the deep blue of the inland sea--just blobs of color taking form +through the tumbling mist. + +I dived close to the cliffs and skirted them for several miles +without finding the least indication of a suitable landing-place; +and then I swung back at a lower level, looking for a clearing close +to the bottom of the mighty escarpment; but I could find none of +sufficient area to insure safety. I was flying pretty low by this +time, not only looking for landing places but watching the myriad +life beneath me. I was down pretty well toward the south end +of the island, where an arm of the lake reaches far inland, and I +could see the surface of the water literally black with creatures +of some sort. I was too far up to recognize individuals, but the +general impression was of a vast army of amphibious monsters. The +land was almost equally alive with crawling, leaping, running, +flying things. It was one of the latter which nearly did for me +while my attention was fixed upon the weird scene below. + +The first intimation I had of it was the sudden blotting out of +the sunlight from above, and as I glanced quickly up, I saw a most +terrific creature swooping down upon me. It must have been fully +eighty feet long from the end of its long, hideous beak to the tip +of its thick, short tail, with an equal spread of wings. It was +coming straight for me and hissing frightfully--I could hear it +above the whir of the propeller. It was coming straight down toward +the muzzle of the machine-gun and I let it have it right in the +breast; but still it came for me, so that I had to dive and turn, +though I was dangerously close to earth. + +The thing didn't miss me by a dozen feet, and when I rose, it wheeled +and followed me, but only to the cooler air close to the level of +the cliff-tops; there it turned again and dropped. Something--man's +natural love of battle and the chase, I presume--impelled me to +pursue it, and so I too circled and dived. The moment I came down +into the warm atmosphere of Caspak, the creature came for me again, +rising above me so that it might swoop down upon me. Nothing could +better have suited my armament, since my machine-gun was pointed +upward at an angle of about degrees and could not be either depressed +or elevated by the pilot. If I had brought someone along with me, +we could have raked the great reptile from almost any position, but +as the creature's mode of attack was always from above, he always +found me ready with a hail of bullets. The battle must have lasted +a minute or more before the thing suddenly turned completely over +in the air and fell to the ground. + +Bowen and I roomed together at college, and I learned a lot from +him outside my regular course. He was a pretty good scholar despite +his love of fun, and his particular hobby was paleontology. He +used to tell me about the various forms of animal and vegetable life +which had covered the globe during former eras, and so I was pretty +well acquainted with the fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals +of paleolithic times. I knew that the thing that had attacked me +was some sort of pterodactyl which should have been extinct millions +of years ago. It was all that I needed to realize that Bowen had +exaggerated nothing in his manuscript. + +Having disposed of my first foe, I set myself once more to search +for a landing-place near to the base of the cliffs beyond which my +party awaited me. I knew how anxious they would be for word from +me, and I was equally anxious to relieve their minds and also to +get them and our supplies well within Caspak, so that we might set +off about our business of finding and rescuing Bowen Tyler; but the +pterodactyl's carcass had scarcely fallen before I was surrounded +by at least a dozen of the hideous things, some large, some small, +but all bent upon my destruction. I could not cope with them all, +and so I rose rapidly from among them to the cooler strata wherein +they dared not follow; and then I recalled that Bowen's narrative +distinctly indicated that the farther north one traveled in Caspak, +the fewer were the terrible reptiles which rendered human life +impossible at the southern end of the island. + +There seemed nothing now but to search out a more northerly +landing-place and then return to the Toreador and transport my +companions, two by two, over the cliffs and deposit them at the +rendezvous. As I flew north, the temptation to explore overcame +me. I knew that I could easily cover Caspak and return to the +beach with less petrol than I had in my tanks; and there was the +hope, too, that I might find Bowen or some of his party. The broad +expanse of the inland sea lured me out over its waters, and as I +crossed, I saw at either extremity of the great body of water an +island--one to the south and one to the north; but I did not alter +my course to examine either closely, leaving that to a later time. + +The further shore of the sea revealed a much narrower strip of +land between the cliffs and the water than upon the western side; +but it was a hillier and more open country. There were splendid +landing-places, and in the distance, toward the north, I thought +I descried a village; but of that I was not positive. However, as +I approached the land, I saw a number of human figures apparently +pursuing one who fled across a broad expanse of meadow. As I +dropped lower to have a better look at these people, they caught +the whirring of my propellers and looked aloft. They paused an +instant--pursuers and pursued; and then they broke and raced for +the shelter of the nearest wood. Almost instantaneously a huge +bulk swooped down upon me, and as I looked up, I realized that there +were flying reptiles even in this part of Caspak. The creature +dived for my right wing so quickly that nothing but a sheer drop +could have saved me. I was already close to the ground, so that +my maneuver was extremely dangerous; but I was in a fair way of +making it successfully when I saw that I was too closely approaching +a large tree. My effort to dodge the tree and the pterodactyl at +the same time resulted disastrously. One wing touched an upper +branch; the plane tipped and swung around, and then, out of control, +dashed into the branches of the tree, where it came to rest, battered +and torn, forty feet above the ground. + +Hissing loudly, the huge reptile swept close above the tree in +which my plane had lodged, circled twice over me and then flapped +away toward the south. As I guessed then and was to learn later, +forests are the surest sanctuary from these hideous creatures, +which, with their enormous spread of wing and their great weight, +are as much out of place among trees as is a seaplane. + +For a minute or so I clung there to my battered flyer, now useless +beyond redemption, my brain numbed by the frightful catastrophe +that had befallen me. All my plans for the succor of Bowen and +Miss La Rue had depended upon this craft, and in a few brief minutes +my own selfish love of adventure had wrecked their hopes and mine. +And what effect it might have upon the future of the balance of +the rescuing expedition I could not even guess. Their lives, too, +might be sacrificed to my suicidal foolishness. That I was doomed +seemed inevitable; but I can honestly say that the fate of my +friends concerned me more greatly than did my own. + +Beyond the barrier cliffs my party was even now nervously awaiting +my return. Presently apprehension and fear would claim them--and +they would never know! They would attempt to scale the cliffs--of +that I was sure; but I was not so positive that they would succeed; and +after a while they would turn back, what there were left of them, +and go sadly and mournfully upon their return journey to home. +Home! I set my jaws and tried to forget the word, for I knew that +I should never again see home. + +And what of Bowen and his girl? I had doomed them too. They would +never even know that an attempt had been made to rescue them. If +they still lived, they might some day come upon the ruined remnants +of this great plane hanging in its lofty sepulcher and hazard vain +guesses and be filled with wonder; but they would never know; and +I could not but be glad that they would not know that Tom Billings +had sealed their death-warrants by his criminal selfishness. + +All these useless regrets were getting me in a bad way; but at last +I shook myself and tried to put such things out of my mind and take +hold of conditions as they existed and do my level best to wrest +victory from defeat. I was badly shaken up and bruised, but +considered myself mighty lucky to escape with my life. The plane +hung at a precarious angle, so that it was with difficulty and +considerable danger that I climbed from it into the tree and then +to the ground. + +My predicament was grave. Between me and my friends lay an +inland sea fully sixty miles wide at this point and an estimated +land-distance of some three hundred miles around the northern end +of the sea, through such hideous dangers as I am perfectly free +to admit had me pretty well buffaloed. I had seen quite enough of +Caspak this day to assure me that Bowen had in no way exaggerated +its perils. As a matter of fact, I am inclined to believe that +he had become so accustomed to them before he started upon his +manuscript that he rather slighted them. As I stood there beneath +that tree--a tree which should have been part of a coal-bed countless +ages since--and looked out across a sea teeming with frightful +life--life which should have been fossil before God conceived of +Adam--I would not have given a minim of stale beer for my chances +of ever seeing my friends or the outside world again; yet then +and there I swore to fight my way as far through this hideous land +as circumstances would permit. I had plenty of ammunition, an +automatic pistol and a heavy rifle--the latter one of twenty added +to our equipment on the strength of Bowen's description of the +huge beasts of prey which ravaged Caspak. My greatest danger lay +in the hideous reptilia whose low nervous organizations permitted +their carnivorous instincts to function for several minutes after +they had ceased to live. + +But to these things I gave less thought than to the sudden frustration of +all our plans. With the bitterest of thoughts I condemned myself +for the foolish weakness that had permitted me to be drawn from the +main object of my flight into premature and useless exploration. +It seemed to me then that I must be totally eliminated from further +search for Bowen, since, as I estimated it, the three hundred miles +of Caspakian territory I must traverse to reach the base of the +cliffs beyond which my party awaited me were practically impassable +for a single individual unaccustomed to Caspakian life and ignorant +of all that lay before him. Yet I could not give up hope entirely. +My duty lay clear before me; I must follow it while life remained +to me, and so I set forth toward the north. + +The country through which I took my way was as lovely as it was +unusual--I had almost said unearthly, for the plants, the trees, +the blooms were not of the earth that I knew. They were larger, +the colors more brilliant and the shapes startling, some almost to +grotesqueness, though even such added to the charm and romance of +the landscape as the giant cacti render weirdly beautiful the waste +spots of the sad Mohave. And over all the sun shone huge and round +and red, a monster sun above a monstrous world, its light dispersed +by the humid air of Caspak--the warm, moist air which lies sluggish +upon the breast of this great mother of life, Nature's mightiest +incubator. + +All about me, in every direction, was life. It moved through the +tree-tops and among the boles; it displayed itself in widening and +intermingling circles upon the bosom of the sea; it leaped from +the depths; I could hear it in a dense wood at my right, the murmur +of it rising and falling in ceaseless volumes of sound, riven at +intervals by a horrid scream or a thunderous roar which shook the +earth; and always I was haunted by that inexplicable sensation that +unseen eyes were watching me, that soundless feet dogged my trail. +I am neither nervous nor highstrung; but the burden of responsibility +upon me weighed heavily, so that I was more cautious than is my +wont. I turned often to right and left and rear lest I be surprised, +and I carried my rifle at the ready in my hand. Once I could have +sworn that among the many creatures dimly perceived amidst the +shadows of the wood I saw a human figure dart from one cover to +another, but I could not be sure. + +For the most part I skirted the wood, making occasional detours +rather than enter those forbidding depths of gloom, though many +times I was forced to pass through arms of the forest which extended +to the very shore of the inland sea. There was so sinister a +suggestion in the uncouth sounds and the vague glimpses of moving +things within the forest, of the menace of strange beasts and possibly +still stranger men, that I always breathed more freely when I had +passed once more into open country. + +I had traveled northward for perhaps an hour, still haunted by the +conviction that I was being stalked by some creature which kept +always hidden among the trees and shrubbery to my right and a +little to my rear, when for the hundredth time I was attracted by +a sound from that direction, and turning, saw some animal running +rapidly through the forest toward me. There was no longer any +effort on its part at concealment; it came on through the underbrush +swiftly, and I was confident that whatever it was, it had finally +gathered the courage to charge me boldly. Before it finally broke +into plain view, I became aware that it was not alone, for a few +yards in its rear a second thing thrashed through the leafy jungle. +Evidently I was to be attacked in force by a pair of hunting beasts +or men. + +And then through the last clump of waving ferns broke the figure of +the foremost creature, which came leaping toward me on light feet +as I stood with my rifle to my shoulder covering the point at which +I had expected it would emerge. I must have looked foolish indeed +if my surprise and consternation were in any way reflected upon +my countenance as I lowered my rifle and gazed incredulous at the +lithe figure of the girl speeding swiftly in my direction. But +I did not have long to stand thus with lowered weapon, for as she +came, I saw her cast an affrighted glance over her shoulder, and +at the same moment there broke from the jungle at the same spot at +which I had seen her, the hugest cat I had ever looked upon. + +At first I took the beast for a saber-tooth tiger, as it was quite +the most fearsome-appearing beast one could imagine; but it was not +that dread monster of the past, though quite formidable enough to +satisfy the most fastidious thrill-hunter. On it came, grim and +terrible, its baleful eyes glaring above its distended jaws, its +lips curled in a frightful snarl which exposed a whole mouthful of +formidable teeth. At sight of me it had abandoned its impetuous +rush and was now sneaking slowly toward us; while the girl, a long +knife in her hand, took her stand bravely at my left and a little +to my rear. She had called something to me in a strange tongue as +she raced toward me, and now she spoke again; but what she said I +could not then, of course, know--only that her tones were sweet, +well modulated and free from any suggestion of panic. + +Facing the huge cat, which I now saw was an enormous panther, +I waited until I could place a shot where I felt it would do the +most good, for at best a frontal shot at any of the large carnivora +is a ticklish matter. I had some advantage in that the beast was +not charging; its head was held low and its back exposed; and so +at forty yards I took careful aim at its spine at the junction of +neck and shoulders. But at the same instant, as though sensing my +intention, the great creature lifted its head and leaped forward +in full charge. To fire at that sloping forehead I knew would be +worse than useless, and so I quickly shifted my aim and pulled the +trigger, hoping against hope that the soft-nosed bullet and the +heavy charge of powder would have sufficient stopping effect to +give me time to place a second shot. + +In answer to the report of the rifle I had the satisfaction of seeing +the brute spring into the air, turning a complete somersault; but +it was up again almost instantly, though in the brief second that +it took it to scramble to its feet and get its bearings, it exposed +its left side fully toward me, and a second bullet went crashing +through its heart. Down it went for the second time--and then up +and at me. The vitality of these creatures of Caspak is one of +the marvelous features of this strange world and bespeaks the low +nervous organization of the old paleolithic life which has been so +long extinct in other portions of the world. + +I put a third bullet into the beast at three paces, and then I +thought that I was done for; but it rolled over and stopped at my +feet, stone dead. I found that my second bullet had torn its heart +almost completely away, and yet it had lived to charge ferociously +upon me, and but for my third shot would doubtless have slain me +before it finally expired--or as Bowen Tyler so quaintly puts it, +before it knew that it was dead. + +With the panther quite evidently conscious of the fact that dissolution +had overtaken it, I turned toward the girl, who was regarding me +with evident admiration and not a little awe, though I must admit +that my rifle claimed quite as much of her attention as did I. She +was quite the most wonderful animal that I have ever looked upon, +and what few of her charms her apparel hid, it quite effectively +succeeded in accentuating. A bit of soft, undressed leather was +caught over her left shoulder and beneath her right breast, falling +upon her left side to her hip and upon the right to a metal band +which encircled her leg above the knee and to which the lowest +point of the hide was attached. About her waist was a loose leather +belt, to the center of which was attached the scabbard belonging +to her knife. There was a single armlet between her right shoulder +and elbow, and a series of them covered her left forearm from elbow +to wrist. These, I learned later, answered the purpose of a shield +against knife attack when the left arm is raised in guard across +the breast or face. + +Her masses of heavy hair were held in place by a broad metal band +which bore a large triangular ornament directly in the center of +her forehead. This ornament appeared to be a huge turquoise, while +the metal of all her ornaments was beaten, virgin gold, inlaid in +intricate design with bits of mother-of-pearl and tiny pieces of +stone of various colors. From the left shoulder depended a leopard's +tail, while her feet were shod with sturdy little sandals. The +knife was her only weapon. Its blade was of iron, the grip was +wound with hide and protected by a guard of three out-bowing strips +of flat iron, and upon the top of the hilt was a knob of gold. + +I took in much of this in the few seconds during which we stood +facing each other, and I also observed another salient feature of +her appearance: she was frightfully dirty! Her face and limbs and +garment were streaked with mud and perspiration, and yet even so, +I felt that I had never looked upon so perfect and beautiful a +creature as she. Her figure beggars description, and equally so, +her face. Were I one of these writer-fellows, I should probably +say that her features were Grecian, but being neither a writer nor +a poet I can do her greater justice by saying that she combined all +of the finest lines that one sees in the typical American girl's +face rather than the pronounced sheeplike physiognomy of the +Greek goddess. No, even the dirt couldn't hide that fact; she was +beautiful beyond compare. + +As we stood looking at each other, a slow smile came to her face, +parting her symmetrical lips and disclosing a row of strong white +teeth. + +"Galu?" she asked with rising inflection. + +And remembering that I read in Bowen's manuscript that Galu seemed +to indicate a higher type of man, I answered by pointing to myself +and repeating the word. Then she started off on a regular catechism, +if I could judge by her inflection, for I certainly understood no +word of what she said. All the time the girl kept glancing toward +the forest, and at last she touched my arm and pointed in that +direction. + +Turning, I saw a hairy figure of a manlike thing standing watching +us, and presently another and another emerged from the jungle and +joined the leader until there must have been at least twenty of +them. They were entirely naked. Their bodies were covered with +hair, and though they stood upon their feet without touching their +hands to the ground, they had a very ape-like appearance, since they +stooped forward and had very long arms and quite apish features. +They were not pretty to look upon with their close-set eyes, flat +noses, long upper lips and protruding yellow fangs. + +"Alus!" said the girl. + +I had reread Bowen's adventures so often that I knew them almost by +heart, and so now I knew that I was looking upon the last remnant +of that ancient man-race--the Alus of a forgotten period--the +speechless man of antiquity. + +"Kazor!" cried the girl, and at the same moment the Alus came +jabbering toward us. They made strange growling, barking noises, +as with much baring of fangs they advanced upon us. They were +armed only with nature's weapons--powerful muscles and giant fangs; +yet I knew that these were quite sufficient to overcome us had we +nothing better to offer in defense, and so I drew my pistol and +fired at the leader. He dropped like a stone, and the others turned +and fled. Once again the girl smiled her slow smile and stepping +closer, caressed the barrel of my automatic. As she did so, her +fingers came in contact with mine, and a sudden thrill ran through +me, which I attributed to the fact that it had been so long since +I had seen a woman of any sort or kind. + +She said something to me in her low, liquid tones; but I could not +understand her, and then she pointed toward the north and started +away. I followed her, for my way was north too; but had it been +south I still should have followed, so hungry was I for human +companionship in this world of beasts and reptiles and half-men. + +We walked along, the girl talking a great deal and seeming mystified +that I could not understand her. Her silvery laugh rang merrily +when I in turn essayed to speak to her, as though my language was +the quaintest thing she ever had heard. Often after fruitless +attempts to make me understand she would hold her palm toward me, +saying, "Galu!" and then touch my breast or arm and cry, "Alu, alu!" +I knew what she meant, for I had learned from Bowen's narrative the +negative gesture and the two words which she repeated. She meant +that I was no Galu, as I claimed, but an Alu, or speechless one. +Yet every time she said this she laughed again, and so infectious +were her tones that I could only join her. It was only natural, +too, that she should be mystified by my inability to comprehend +her or to make her comprehend me, for from the club-men, the lowest +human type in Caspak to have speech, to the golden race of Galus, +the tongues of the various tribes are identical--except for +amplifications in the rising scale of evolution. She, who is a +Galu, can understand one of the Bo-lu and make herself understood +to him, or to a hatchet-man, a spear-man or an archer. The Ho-lus, +or apes, the Alus and myself were the only creatures of human +semblance with which she could hold no converse; yet it was evident +that her intelligence told her that I was neither Ho-lu nor Alu, +neither anthropoid ape nor speechless man. + +Yet she did not despair, but set out to teach me her language; and +had it not been that I worried so greatly over the fate of Bowen +and my companions of the Toreador, I could have wished the period +of instruction prolonged. + +I never have been what one might call a ladies' man, though I like +their company immensely, and during my college days and since have +made various friends among the sex. I think that I rather appeal +to a certain type of girl for the reason that I never make love +to them; I leave that to the numerous others who do it infinitely +better than I could hope to, and take my pleasure out of girls' +society in what seem to be more rational ways--dancing, golfing, +boating, riding, tennis, and the like. Yet in the company of this +half-naked little savage I found a new pleasure that was entirely +distinct from any that I ever had experienced. When she touched me, +I thrilled as I had never before thrilled in contact with another +woman. I could not quite understand it, for I am sufficiently +sophisticated to know that this is a symptom of love and I certainly +did not love this filthy little barbarian with her broken, unkempt +nails and her skin so besmeared with mud and the green of crushed +foliage that it was difficult to say what color it originally had +been. But if she was outwardly uncouth, her clear eyes and strong +white, even teeth, her silvery laugh and her queenly carriage, +bespoke an innate fineness which dirt could not quite successfully +conceal. + +The sun was low in the heavens when we came upon a little river +which emptied into a large bay at the foot of low cliffs. Our +journey so far had been beset with constant danger, as is every +journey in this frightful land. I have not bored you with a +recital of the wearying successions of attacks by the multitude of +creatures which were constantly crossing our path or deliberately +stalking us. We were always upon the alert; for here, to paraphrase, +eternal vigilance is indeed the price of life. + +I had managed to progress a little in the acquisition of a knowledge +of her tongue, so that I knew many of the animals and reptiles by +their Caspakian names, and trees and ferns and grasses. I knew +the words for sea and river and cliff, for sky and sun and cloud. +Yes, I was getting along finely, and then it occurred to me that I +didn't know my companion's name; so I pointed to myself and said, +"Tom," and to her and raised my eyebrows in interrogation. The +girl ran her fingers into that mass of hair and looked puzzled. I +repeated the action a dozen times. + +"Tom," she said finally in that clear, sweet, liquid voice. "Tom!" + +I had never thought much of my name before; but when she spoke it, +it sounded to me for the first time in my life like a mighty nice +name, and then she brightened suddenly and tapped her own breast +and said: "Ajor!" + +"Ajor!" I repeated, and she laughed and struck her palms together. + +Well, we knew each other's names now, and that was some satisfaction. +I rather liked hers--Ajor! And she seemed to like mine, for she +repeated it. + +We came to the cliffs beside the little river where it empties +into the bay with the great inland sea beyond. The cliffs were +weather-worn and rotted, and in one place a deep hollow ran back +beneath the overhanging stone for several feet, suggesting shelter +for the night. There were loose rocks strewn all about with which +I might build a barricade across the entrance to the cave, and so +I halted there and pointed out the place to Ajor, trying to make +her understand that we would spend the night there. + +As soon as she grasped my meaning, she assented with the Caspakian +equivalent of an affirmative nod, and then touching my rifle, +motioned me to follow her to the river. At the bank she paused, +removed her belt and dagger, dropping them to the ground at her +side; then unfastening the lower edge of her garment from the metal +leg-band to which it was attached, slipped it off her left shoulder +and let it drop to the ground around her feet. It was done so +naturally, so simply and so quickly that it left me gasping like +a fish out of water. Turning, she flashed a smile at me and then +dived into the river, and there she bathed while I stood guard +over her. For five or ten minutes she splashed about, and when +she emerged her glistening skin was smooth and white and beautiful. +Without means of drying herself, she simply ignored what to me +would have seemed a necessity, and in a moment was arrayed in her +simple though effective costume. + +It was now within an hour of darkness, and as I was nearly famished, +I led the way back about a quarter of a mile to a low meadow where +we had seen antelope and small horses a short time before. Here +I brought down a young buck, the report of my rifle sending the +balance of the herd scampering for the woods, where they were met +by a chorus of hideous roars as the carnivora took advantage of +their panic and leaped among them. + +With my hunting-knife I removed a hind-quarter, and then we returned +to camp. Here I gathered a great quantity of wood from fallen +trees, Ajor helping me; but before I built a fire, I also gathered +sufficient loose rock to build my barricade against the frightful +terrors of the night to come. + +I shall never forget the expression upon Ajor's face as she saw +me strike a match and light the kindling beneath our camp-fire. +It was such an expression as might transform a mortal face with +awe as its owner beheld the mysterious workings of divinity. It +was evident that Ajor was quite unfamiliar with modern methods of +fire-making. She had thought my rifle and pistol wonderful; but +these tiny slivers of wood which from a magic rub brought flame to +the camp hearth were indeed miracles to her. + +As the meat roasted above the fire, Ajor and I tried once again +to talk; but though copiously filled with incentive, gestures and +sounds, the conversation did not flourish notably. And then Ajor +took up in earnest the task of teaching me her language. She +commenced, as I later learned, with the simplest form of speech +known to Caspak or for that matter to the world--that employed by +the Bo-lu. I found it far from difficult, and even though it was +a great handicap upon my instructor that she could not speak my +language, she did remarkably well and demonstrated that she possessed +ingenuity and intelligence of a high order. + +After we had eaten, I added to the pile of firewood so that I could +replenish the fire before the entrance to our barricade, believing +this as good a protection against the carnivora as we could have; +and then Ajor and I sat down before it, and the lesson proceeded, +while from all about us came the weird and awesome noises of the +Caspakian night--the moaning and the coughing and roaring of the +tigers, the panthers and the lions, the barking and the dismal +howling of a wolf, jackal and hyaenadon, the shrill shrieks of +stricken prey and the hissing of the great reptiles; the voice of +man alone was silent. + +But though the voice of this choir-terrible rose and fell from +far and near in all directions, reaching at time such a tremendous +volume of sound that the earth shook to it, yet so engrossed was +I in my lesson and in my teacher that often I was deaf to what at +another time would have filled me with awe. The face and voice of +the beautiful girl who leaned so eagerly toward me as she tried to +explain the meaning of some word or correct my pronunciation of +another quite entirely occupied my every faculty of perception. +The firelight shone upon her animated features and sparkling eyes; +it accentuated the graceful motions of her gesturing arms and hands; +it sparkled from her white teeth and from her golden ornaments, and +glistened on the smooth firmness of her perfect skin. I am afraid +that often I was more occupied with admiration of this beautiful +animal than with a desire for knowledge; but be that as it may, +I nevertheless learned much that evening, though part of what I +learned had naught to do with any new language. + +Ajor seemed determined that I should speak Caspakian as quickly +as possible, and I thought I saw in her desire a little of that +all-feminine trait which has come down through all the ages from +the first lady of the world--curiosity. Ajor desired that I should +speak her tongue in order that she might satisfy a curiosity concerning +me that was filling her to a point where she was in danger of +bursting; of that I was positive. She was a regular little animated +question-mark. She bubbled over with interrogations which were +never to be satisfied unless I learned to speak her tongue. Her +eyes sparkled with excitement; her hand flew in expressive gestures; +her little tongue raced with time; yet all to no avail. I could +say man and tree and cliff and lion and a number of other words in +perfect Caspakian; but such a vocabulary was only tantalizing; it +did not lend itself well to a very general conversation, and the +result was that Ajor would wax so wroth that she would clench her +little fists and beat me on the breast as hard as ever she could, +and then she would sink back laughing as the humor of the situation +captured her. + +She was trying to teach me some verbs by going through the actions +herself as she repeated the proper word. We were very much +engrossed--so much so that we were giving no heed to what went on +beyond our cave--when Ajor stopped very suddenly, crying: "Kazor!" +Now she had been trying to teach me that ju meant stop; so when she +cried kazor and at the same time stopped, I thought for a moment +that this was part of my lesson--for the moment I forgot that kazor +means beware. I therefore repeated the word after her; but when +I saw the expression in her eyes as they were directed past me and +saw her point toward the entrance to the cave, I turned quickly--to +see a hideous face at the small aperture leading out into the night. +It was the fierce and snarling countenance of a gigantic bear. I +have hunted silvertips in the White Mountains of Arizona and thought +them quite the largest and most formidable of big game; but from +the appearance of the head of this awful creature I judged that +the largest grizzly I had ever seen would shrink by comparison to +the dimensions of a Newfoundland dog. + +Our fire was just within the cave, the smoke rising through the +apertures between the rocks that I had piled in such a way that +they arched inward toward the cliff at the top. The opening by +means of which we were to reach the outside was barricaded with a +few large fragments which did not by any means close it entirely; +but through the apertures thus left no large animal could gain +ingress. I had depended most, however, upon our fire, feeling +that none of the dangerous nocturnal beasts of prey would venture +close to the flames. In this, however, I was quite evidently +in error, for the great bear stood with his nose not a foot from +the blaze, which was now low, owing to the fact that I had been +so occupied with my lesson and my teacher that I had neglected to +replenish it. + +Ajor whipped out her futile little knife and pointed to my rifle. +At the same time she spoke in a quite level voice entirely devoid +of nervousness or any evidence of fear or panic. I knew she was +exhorting me to fire upon the beast; but this I did not wish to +do other than as a last resort, for I was quite sure that even my +heavy bullets would not more than further enrage him--in which case +he might easily force an entrance to our cave. + +Instead of firing, I piled some more wood upon the fire, and as the +smoke and blaze arose in the beast's face, it backed away, growling +most frightfully; but I still could see two ugly points of light +blazing in the outer darkness and hear its growls rumbling terrifically +without. For some time the creature stood there watching the +entrance to our frail sanctuary while I racked my brains in futile +endeavor to plan some method of defense or escape. I knew full +well that should the bear make a determined effort to get at us, +the rocks I had piled as a barrier would come tumbling down about +his giant shoulders like a house of cards, and that he would walk +directly in upon us. + +Ajor, having less knowledge of the effectiveness of firearms than +I, and therefore greater confidence in them, entreated me to shoot +the beast; but I knew that the chance that I could stop it with a +single shot was most remote, while that I should but infuriate it +was real and present; and so I waited for what seemed an eternity, +watching those devilish points of fire glaring balefully at us, and +listening to the ever-increasing volume of those seismic growls which +seemed to rumble upward from the bowels of the earth, shaking the +very cliffs beneath which we cowered, until at last I saw that the +brute was again approaching the aperture. It availed me nothing +that I piled the blaze high with firewood, until Ajor and I were +near to roasting; on came that mighty engine of destruction until +once again the hideous face yawned its fanged yawn directly within +the barrier's opening. It stood thus a moment, and then the head +was withdrawn. I breathed a sigh of relief, the thing had altered +its intention and was going on in search of other and more easily +procurable prey; the fire had been too much for it. + +But my joy was short-lived, and my heart sank once again as a +moment later I saw a mighty paw insinuated into the opening--a paw +as large around as a large dishpan. Very gently the paw toyed with +the great rock that partly closed the entrance, pushed and pulled +upon it and then very deliberately drew it outward and to one side. +Again came the head, and this time much farther into the cavern; +but still the great shoulders would not pass through the opening. +Ajor moved closer to me until her shoulder touched my side, and I +thought I felt a slight tremor run through her body, but otherwise +she gave no indication of fear. Involuntarily I threw my left +arm about her and drew her to me for an instant. It was an act of +reassurance rather than a caress, though I must admit that again +and even in the face of death I thrilled at the contact with her; +and then I released her and threw my rifle to my shoulder, for at +last I had reached the conclusion that nothing more could be gained +by waiting. My only hope was to get as many shots into the creature +as I could before it was upon me. Already it had torn away a second +rock and was in the very act of forcing its huge bulk through the +opening it had now made. + +So now I took careful aim between its eyes; my right fingers +closed firmly and evenly upon the small of the stock, drawing back +my trigger-finger by the muscular action of the hand. The bullet +could not fail to hit its mark! I held my breath lest I swerve +the muzzle a hair by my breathing. I was as steady and cool as I +ever had been upon a target-range, and I had the full consciousness of +a perfect hit in anticipation; I knew that I could not miss. And +then, as the bear surged forward toward me, the hammer fell--futilely, +upon an imperfect cartridge. + +Almost simultaneously I heard from without a perfectly hellish +roar; the bear gave voice to a series of growls far transcending +in volume and ferocity anything that he had yet essayed and at the +same time backed quickly from the cave. For an instant I couldn't +understand what had happened to cause this sudden retreat when +his prey was practically within his clutches. The idea that the +harmless clicking of the hammer had frightened him was too ridiculous +to entertain. However, we had not long to wait before we could at +least guess at the cause of the diversion, for from without came +mingled growls and roars and the sound of great bodies thrashing +about until the earth shook. The bear had been attacked in the +rear by some other mighty beast, and the two were now locked in a +titanic struggle for supremacy. With brief respites, during which +we could hear the labored breathing of the contestants, the battle +continued for the better part of an hour until the sounds of combat +grew gradually less and finally ceased entirely. + +At Ajor's suggestion, made by signs and a few of the words we knew +in common, I moved the fire directly to the entrance to the cave +so that a beast would have to pass directly through the flames to +reach us, and then we sat and waited for the victor of the battle +to come and claim his reward; but though we sat for a long time +with our eyes glued to the opening, we saw no sign of any beast. + +At last I signed to Ajor to lie down, for I knew that she must +have sleep, and I sat on guard until nearly morning, when the girl +awoke and insisted that I take some rest; nor would she be denied, +but dragged me down as she laughingly menaced me with her knife. + + + + + +Chapter 3 + + + + +When I awoke, it was daylight, and I found Ajor squatting before a +fine bed of coals roasting a large piece of antelope-meat. Believe +me, the sight of the new day and the delicious odor of the cooking +meat filled me with renewed happiness and hope that had been all +but expunged by the experience of the previous night; and perhaps +the slender figure of the bright-faced girl proved also a potent +restorative. She looked up and smiled at me, showing those perfect +teeth, and dimpling with evident happiness--the most adorable +picture that I had ever seen. I recall that it was then I first +regretted that she was only a little untutored savage and so far +beneath me in the scale of evolution. + +Her first act was to beckon me to follow her outside, and there +she pointed to the explanation of our rescue from the bear--a huge +saber-tooth tiger, its fine coat and its flesh torn to ribbons, +lying dead a few paces from our cave, and beside it, equally mangled, +and disemboweled, was the carcass of a huge cave-bear. To have +had one's life saved by a saber-tooth tiger, and in the twentieth +century into the bargain, was an experience that was to say the +least unique; but it had happened--I had the proof of it before my +eyes. + +So enormous are the great carnivora of Caspak that they must feed +perpetually to support their giant thews, and the result is that +they will eat the meat of any other creature and will attack anything +that comes within their ken, no matter how formidable the quarry. +From later observation--I mention this as worthy the attention +of paleontologists and naturalists--I came to the conclusion that +such creatures as the cave-bear, the cave-lion and the saber-tooth +tiger, as well as the larger carnivorous reptiles make, ordinarily, +two kills a day--one in the morning and one after night. They +immediately devour the entire carcass, after which they lie up and +sleep for a few hours. Fortunately their numbers are comparatively +few; otherwise there would be no other life within Caspak. It is +their very voracity that keeps their numbers down to a point which +permits other forms of life to persist, for even in the season of +love the great males often turn upon their own mates and devour +them, while both males and females occasionally devour their young. +How the human and semihuman races have managed to survive during +all the countless ages that these conditions must have existed here +is quite beyond me. + +After breakfast Ajor and I set out once more upon our northward +journey. We had gone but a little distance when we were attacked +by a number of apelike creatures armed with clubs. They seemed a +little higher in the scale than the Alus. Ajor told me they were +Bo-lu, or clubmen. A revolver-shot killed one and scattered the +others; but several times later during the day we were menaced +by them, until we had left their country and entered that of the +Sto-lu, or hatchet-men. These people were less hairy and more +man-like; nor did they appear so anxious to destroy us. Rather +they were curious, and followed us for some distance examining us +most closely. They called out to us, and Ajor answered them; but +her replies did not seem to satisfy them, for they gradually became +threatening, and I think they were preparing to attack us when a +small deer that had been hiding in some low brush suddenly broke +cover and dashed across our front. We needed meat, for it was near +one o'clock and I was getting hungry; so I drew my pistol and with +a single shot dropped the creature in its tracks. The effect upon +the Bo-lu was electrical. Immediately they abandoned all thoughts +of war, and turning, scampered for the forest which fringed our +path. + +That night we spent beside a little stream in the Sto-lu country. +We found a tiny cave in the rock bank, so hidden away that only +chance could direct a beast of prey to it, and after we had eaten +of the deer-meat and some fruit which Ajor gathered, we crawled into +the little hole, and with sticks and stones which I had gathered +for the purpose I erected a strong barricade inside the entrance. +Nothing could reach us without swimming and wading through the +stream, and I felt quite secure from attack. Our quarters were +rather cramped. The ceiling was so low that we could not stand up, +and the floor so narrow that it was with difficulty that we both +wedged into it together; but we were very tired, and so we made +the most of it; and so great was the feeling of security that I am +sure I fell asleep as soon as I had stretched myself beside Ajor. + +During the three days which followed, our progress was exasperatingly +slow. I doubt if we made ten miles in the entire three days. The +country was hideously savage, so that we were forced to spend hours +at a time in hiding from one or another of the great beasts which +menaced us continually. There were fewer reptiles; but the quantity +of carnivora seemed to have increased, and the reptiles that we +did see were perfectly gigantic. I shall never forget one enormous +specimen which we came upon browsing upon water-reeds at the edge +of the great sea. It stood well over twelve feet high at the rump, +its highest point, and with its enormously long tail and neck it +was somewhere between seventy-five and a hundred feet in length. +Its head was ridiculously small; its body was unarmored, but its +great bulk gave it a most formidable appearance. My experience of +Caspakian life led me to believe that the gigantic creature would +but have to see us to attack us, and so I raised my rifle and at +the same time drew away toward some brush which offered concealment; +but Ajor only laughed, and picking up a stick, ran toward the great +thing, shouting. The little head was raised high upon the long +neck as the animal stupidly looked here and there in search of the +author of the disturbance. At last its eyes discovered tiny little +Ajor, and then she hurled the stick at the diminutive head. With +a cry that sounded not unlike the bleat of a sheep, the colossal +creature shuffled into the water and was soon submerged. + +As I slowly recalled my collegiate studies and paleontological +readings in Bowen's textbooks, I realized that I had looked upon +nothing less than a diplodocus of the Upper Jurassic; but how infinitely +different was the true, live thing from the crude restorations of +Hatcher and Holland! I had had the idea that the diplodocus was +a land-animal, but evidently it is partially amphibious. I have +seen several since my first encounter, and in each case the creature +took to the sea for concealment as soon as it was disturbed. With +the exception of its gigantic tail, it has no weapon of defense; +but with this appendage it can lash so terrific a blow as to lay +low even a giant cave-bear, stunned and broken. It is a stupid, +simple, gentle beast--one of the few within Caspak which such a +description might even remotely fit. + +For three nights we slept in trees, finding no caves or other +places of concealment. Here we were free from the attacks of the +large land carnivora; but the smaller flying reptiles, the snakes, +leopards, and panthers were a constant menace, though by no means +as much to be feared as the huge beasts that roamed the surface of +the earth. + +At the close of the third day Ajor and I were able to converse +with considerable fluency, and it was a great relief to both of us, +especially to Ajor. She now did nothing but ask questions whenever +I would let her, which could not be all the time, as our preservation +depended largely upon the rapidity with which I could gain knowledge +of the geography and customs of Caspak, and accordingly I had to +ask numerous questions myself. + +I enjoyed immensely hearing and answering her, so naive were many +of her queries and so filled with wonder was she at the things +I told her of the world beyond the lofty barriers of Caspak; not +once did she seem to doubt me, however marvelous my statements must +have seemed; and doubtless they were the cause of marvel to Ajor, +who before had never dreamed that any life existed beyond Caspak +and the life she knew. + +Artless though many of her questions were, they evidenced a keen +intellect and a shrewdness which seemed far beyond her years of +her experience. Altogether I was finding my little savage a mighty +interesting and companionable person, and I often thanked the kind +fate that directed the crossing of our paths. From her I learned +much of Caspak, but there still remained the mystery that had proved +so baffling to Bowen Tyler--the total absence of young among the +ape, the semihuman and the human races with which both he and I +had come in contact upon opposite shores of the inland sea. Ajor +tried to explain the matter to me, though it was apparent that +she could not conceive how so natural a condition should demand +explanation. She told me that among the Galus there were a few +babies, that she had once been a baby but that most of her people +"came up," as he put it, "cor sva jo," or literally, "from the +beginning"; and as they all did when they used that phrase, she +would wave a broad gesture toward the south. + +"For long," she explained, leaning very close to me and whispering +the words into my ear while she cast apprehensive glances about +and mostly skyward, "for long my mother kept me hidden lest the +Wieroo, passing through the air by night, should come and take me +away to Oo-oh." And the child shuddered as she voiced the word. I +tried to get her to tell me more; but her terror was so real when +she spoke of the Wieroo and the land of Oo-oh where they dwell that +I at last desisted, though I did learn that the Wieroo carried off +only female babes and occasionally women of the Galus who had "come +up from the beginning." It was all very mysterious and unfathomable, +but I got the idea that the Wieroo were creatures of imagination--the +demons or gods of her race, omniscient and omnipresent. This led +me to assume that the Galus had a religious sense, and further +questioning brought out the fact that such was the case. Ajor +spoke in tones of reverence of Luata, the god of heat and life. +The word is derived from two others: Lua, meaning sun, and ata, +meaning variously eggs, life, young, and reproduction. She told +me that they worshiped Luata in several forms, as fire, the sun, +eggs and other material objects which suggested heat and reproduction. + +I had noticed that whenever I built a fire, Ajor outlined in the +air before her with a forefinger an isosceles triangle, and that +she did the same in the morning when she first viewed the sun. At +first I had not connected her act with anything in particular, but +after we learned to converse and she had explained a little of her +religious superstitions, I realized that she was making the sign +of the triangle as a Roman Catholic makes the sign of the cross. +Always the short side of the triangle was uppermost. As she +explained all this to me, she pointed to the decorations on her +golden armlets, upon the knob of her dagger-hilt and upon the band +which encircled her right leg above the knee--always was the design +partly made up of isosceles triangles, and when she explained the +significance of this particular geometric figure, I at once grasped +its appropriateness. + +We were now in the country of the Band-lu, the spearmen of Caspak. +Bowen had remarked in his narrative that these people were analogous +to the so-called Cro-Magnon race of the Upper Paleolithic, and I was +therefore very anxious to see them. Nor was I to be disappointed; +I saw them, all right! We had left the Sto-lu country and literally +fought our way through cordons of wild beasts for two days when +we decided to make camp a little earlier than usual, owing to the +fact that we had reached a line of cliffs running east and west in +which were numerous likely cave-lodgings. We were both very tired, +and the sight of these caverns, several of which could be easily +barricaded, decided us to halt until the following morning. It took +but a few minutes' exploration to discover one particular cavern +high up the face of the cliff which seemed ideal for our purpose. +It opened upon a narrow ledge where we could build our cook-fire; +the opening was so small that we had to lie flat and wriggle through +it to gain ingress, while the interior was high-ceiled and spacious. +I lighted a faggot and looked about; but as far as I could see, +the chamber ran back into the cliff. + +Laying aside my rifle, pistol and heavy ammunition-belt, I left +Ajor in the cave while I went down to gather firewood. We already +had meat and fruits which we had gathered just before reaching the +cliffs, and my canteen was filled with fresh water. Therefore, all +we required was fuel, and as I always saved Ajor's strength when I +could, I would not permit her to accompany me. The poor girl was +very tired; but she would have gone with me until she dropped, +I know, so loyal was she. She was the best comrade in the world, +and sometimes I regretted and sometimes I was glad that she was +not of my own caste, for had she been, I should unquestionably have +fallen in love with her. As it was, we traveled together like two +boys, with huge respect for each other but no softer sentiment. + +There was little timber close to the base of the cliffs, and so +I was forced to enter the wood some two hundred yards distant. I +realize now how foolhardy was my act in such a land as Caspak, +teeming with danger and with death; but there is a certain amount +of fool in every man; and whatever proportion of it I own must +have been in the ascendant that day, for the truth of the matter +is that I went down into those woods absolutely defenseless; and I +paid the price, as people usually do for their indiscretions. As +I searched around in the brush for likely pieces of firewood, my +head bowed and my eyes upon the ground, I suddenly felt a great +weight hurl itself upon me. I struggled to my knees and seized +my assailant, a huge, naked man--naked except for a breechcloth +of snakeskin, the head hanging down to the knees. The fellow was +armed with a stone-shod spear, a stone knife and a hatchet. In his +black hair were several gay-colored feathers. As we struggled to +and fro, I was slowly gaining advantage of him, when a score of +his fellows came running up and overpowered me. + +They bound my hands behind me with long rawhide thongs and then +surveyed me critically. I found them fine-looking specimens of +manhood, for the most part. There were some among them who bore +a resemblance to the Sto-lu and were hairy; but the majority had +massive heads and not unlovely features. There was little about them +to suggest the ape, as in the Sto-lu, Bo-lu and Alus. I expected +them to kill me at once, but they did not. Instead they questioned +me; but it was evident that they did not believe my story, for they +scoffed and laughed. + +"The Galus have turned you out," they cried. "If you go back to +them, you will die. If you remain here, you will die. We shall +kill you; but first we shall have a dance and you shall dance with +us--the dance of death." + +It sounded quite reassuring! But I knew that I was not to be killed +immediately, and so I took heart. They led me toward the cliffs, +and as we approached them, I glanced up and was sure that I saw +Ajor's bright eyes peering down upon us from our lofty cave; but +she gave no sign if she saw me; and we passed on, rounded the end +of the cliffs and proceeded along the opposite face of them until +we came to a section literally honeycombed with caves. All about, +upon the ground and swarming the ledges before the entrances, were +hundreds of members of the tribe. There were many women but no +babes or children, though I noticed that the females had better +developed breasts than any that I had seen among the hatchet-men, +the club-men, the Alus or the apes. In fact, among the lower +orders of Caspakian man the female breast is but a rudimentary +organ, barely suggested in the apes and Alus, and only a little +more defined in the Bo-lu and Sto-lu, though always increasingly +so until it is found about half developed in the females of the +spear-men; yet never was there an indication that the females had +suckled young; nor were there any young among them. Some of the +Band-lu women were quite comely. The figures of all, both men and +women, were symmetrical though heavy, and though there were some +who verged strongly upon the Sto-lu type, there were others who +were positively handsome and whose bodies were quite hairless. The +Alus are all bearded, but among the Bo-lu the beard disappears in +the women. The Sto-lu men show a sparse beard, the Band-lu none; +and there is little hair upon the bodies of their women. + +The members of the tribe showed great interest in me, especially +in my clothing, the like of which, of course, they never had seen. +They pulled and hauled upon me, and some of them struck me; but for +the most part they were not inclined to brutality. It was only the +hairier ones, who most closely resembled the Sto-lu, who maltreated +me. At last my captors led me into a great cave in the mouth +of which a fire was burning. The floor was littered with filth, +including the bones of many animals, and the atmosphere reeked +with the stench of human bodies and putrefying flesh. Here they +fed me, releasing my arms, and I ate of half-cooked aurochs steak +and a stew which may have been made of snakes, for many of the +long, round pieces of meat suggested them most nauseatingly. + +The meal completed, they led me well within the cavern, which they +lighted with torches stuck in various crevices in the light of +which I saw, to my astonishment, that the walls were covered with +paintings and etchings. There were aurochs, red deer, saber-tooth +tiger, cave-bear, hyaenadon and many other examples of the fauna of +Caspak done in colors, usually of four shades of brown, or scratched +upon the surface of the rock. Often they were super-imposed upon +each other until it required careful examination to trace out the +various outlines. But they all showed a rather remarkable aptitude +for delineation which further fortified Bowen's comparisons between +these people and the extinct Cro-Magnons whose ancient art is still +preserved in the caverns of Niaux and Le Portel. The Band-lu, +however, did not have the bow and arrow, and in this respect they +differ from their extinct progenitors, or descendants, of Western +Europe. + +Should any of my friends chance to read the story of my adventures +upon Caprona, I hope they will not be bored by these diversions, +and if they are, I can only say that I am writing my memoirs for +my own edification and therefore setting down those things which +interested me particularly at the time. I have no desire that +the general public should ever have access to these pages; but it +is possible that my friends may, and also certain savants who are +interested; and to them, while I do not apologize for my philosophizing, +I humbly explain that they are witnessing the groupings of a +finite mind after the infinite, the search for explanations of the +inexplicable. + +In a far recess of the cavern my captors bade me halt. Again +my hands were secured, and this time my feet as well. During the +operation they questioned me, and I was mighty glad that the marked +similarity between the various tribal tongues of Caspak enabled us +to understand each other perfectly, even though they were unable +to believe or even to comprehend the truth of my origin and the +circumstances of my advent in Caspak; and finally they left me +saying that they would come for me before the dance of death upon +the morrow. Before they departed with their torches, I saw that +I had not been conducted to the farthest extremity of the cavern, +for a dark and gloomy corridor led beyond my prison room into the +heart of the cliff. + +I could not but marvel at the immensity of this great underground +grotto. Already I had traversed several hundred yards of it, from +many points of which other corridors diverged. The whole cliff +must be honeycombed with apartments and passages of which this +community occupied but a comparatively small part, so that the +possibility of the more remote passages being the lair of savage +beasts that have other means of ingress and egress than that used +by the Band-lu filled me with dire forebodings. + +I believe that I am not ordinarily hysterically apprehensive; yet +I must confess that under the conditions with which I was confronted, +I felt my nerves to be somewhat shaken. On the morrow I was to die +some sort of nameless death for the diversion of a savage horde, +but the morrow held fewer terrors for me than the present, and +I submit to any fair-minded man if it is not a terrifying thing +to lie bound hand and foot in the Stygian blackness of an immense +cave peopled by unknown dangers in a land overrun by hideous beasts +and reptiles of the greatest ferocity. At any moment, perhaps at +this very moment, some silent-footed beast of prey might catch my +scent where it laired in some contiguous passage, and might creep +stealthily upon me. I craned my neck about, and stared through the +inky darkness for the twin spots of blazing hate which I knew would +herald the coming of my executioner. So real were the imaginings +of my overwrought brain that I broke into a cold sweat in absolute +conviction that some beast was close before me; yet the hours +dragged, and no sound broke the grave-like stillness of the cavern. + +During that period of eternity many events of my life passed before +my mental vision, a vast parade of friends and occurrences which +would be blotted out forever on the morrow. I cursed myself for +the foolish act which had taken me from the search-party that so +depended upon me, and I wondered what progress, if any, they had +made. Were they still beyond the barrier cliffs, awaiting my return? +Or had they found a way into Caspak? I felt that the latter would +be the truth, for the party was not made up of men easily turned +from a purpose. Quite probable it was that they were already +searching for me; but that they would ever find a trace of me +I doubted. Long since, had I come to the conclusion that it was +beyond human prowess to circle the shores of the inland sea of Caspak +in the face of the myriad menaces which lurked in every shadow by +day and by night. Long since, had I given up any hope of reaching +the point where I had made my entry into the country, and so I was +now equally convinced that our entire expedition had been worse +than futile before ever it was conceived, since Bowen J. Tyler +and his wife could not by any possibility have survived during all +these long months; no more could Bradley and his party of seamen +be yet in existence. If the superior force and equipment of my +party enabled them to circle the north end of the sea, they might +some day come upon the broken wreck of my plane hanging in the +great tree to the south; but long before that, my bones would be +added to the litter upon the floor of this mighty cavern. + +And through all my thoughts, real and fanciful, moved the image of +a perfect girl, clear-eyed and strong and straight and beautiful, +with the carriage of a queen and the supple, undulating grace of +a leopard. Though I loved my friends, their fate seemed of less +importance to me than the fate of this little barbarian stranger +for whom, I had convinced myself many a time, I felt no greater +sentiment than passing friendship for a fellow-wayfarer in this +land of horrors. Yet I so worried and fretted about her and her +future that at last I quite forgot my own predicament, though I +still struggled intermittently with bonds in vain endeavor to free +myself; as much, however, that I might hasten to her protection as +that I might escape the fate which had been planned for me. And +while I was thus engaged and had for the moment forgotten my +apprehensions concerning prowling beasts, I was startled into tense +silence by a distinct and unmistakable sound coming from the dark +corridor farther toward the heart of the cliff--the sound of padded +feet moving stealthily in my direction. + +I believe that never before in all my life, even amidst the terrors +of childhood nights, have I suffered such a sensation of extreme +horror as I did that moment in which I realized that I must lie +bound and helpless while some horrid beast of prey crept upon me +to devour me in that utter darkness of the Bandlu pits of Caspak. +I reeked with cold sweat, and my flesh crawled--I could feel it +crawl. If ever I came nearer to abject cowardice, I do not recall +the instance; and yet it was not that I was afraid to die, for I +had long since given myself up as lost--a few days of Caspak must +impress anyone with the utter nothingness of life. The waters, +the land, the air teem with it, and always it is being devoured +by some other form of life. Life is the cheapest thing in Caspak, +as it is the cheapest thing on earth and, doubtless, the cheapest +cosmic production. No, I was not afraid to die; in fact, I +prayed for death, that I might be relieved of the frightfulness of +the interval of life which remained to me--the waiting, the awful +waiting, for that fearsome beast to reach me and to strike. + +Presently it was so close that I could hear its breathing, and then +it touched me and leaped quickly back as though it had come upon +me unexpectedly. For long moments no sound broke the sepulchral +silence of the cave. Then I heard a movement on the part of the +creature near me, and again it touched me, and I felt something +like a hairless hand pass over my face and down until it touched +the collar of my flannel shirt. And then, subdued, but filled with +pent emotion, a voice cried: "Tom!" + +I think I nearly fainted, so great was the reaction. "Ajor!" I +managed to say. "Ajor, my girl, can it be you?" + +"Oh, Tom!" she cried again in a trembly little voice and flung +herself upon me, sobbing softly. I had not known that Ajor could +cry. + +As she cut away my bonds, she told me that from the entrance to +our cave she had seen the Band-lu coming out of the forest with +me, and she had followed until they took me into the cave, which +she had seen was upon the opposite side of the cliff in which ours +was located; and then, knowing that she could do nothing for me +until after the Band-lu slept, she had hastened to return to our +cave. With difficulty she had reached it, after having been stalked +by a cave-lion and almost seized. I trembled at the risk she had +run. + +It had been her intention to wait until after midnight, when most +of the carnivora would have made their kills, and then attempt +to reach the cave in which I was imprisoned and rescue me. She +explained that with my rifle and pistol--both of which she assured +me she could use, having watched me so many times--she planned +upon frightening the Band-lu and forcing them to give me up. Brave +little girl! She would have risked her life willingly to save me. +But some time after she reached our cave she heard voices from +the far recesses within, and immediately concluded that we had but +found another entrance to the caves which the Band-lu occupied upon +the other face of the cliff. Then she had set out through those +winding passages and in total darkness had groped her way, guided +solely by a marvelous sense of direction, to where I lay. She had +had to proceed with utmost caution lest she fall into some abyss +in the darkness and in truth she had thrice come upon sheer drops +and had been forced to take the most frightful risks to pass them. +I shudder even now as I contemplate what this girl passed through +for my sake and how she enhanced her peril in loading herself down +with the weight of my arms and ammunition and the awkwardness of +the long rifle which she was unaccustomed to bearing. + +I could have knelt and kissed her hand in reverence and gratitude; +nor am I ashamed to say that that is precisely what I did after +I had been freed from my bonds and heard the story of her trials. +Brave little Ajor! Wonder-girl out of the dim, unthinkable past! +Never before had she been kissed; but she seemed to sense something +of the meaning of the new caress, for she leaned forward in the +dark and pressed her own lips to my forehead. A sudden urge surged +through me to seize her and strain her to my bosom and cover her +hot young lips with the kisses of a real love, but I did not do so, +for I knew that I did not love her; and to have kissed her thus, +with passion, would have been to inflict a great wrong upon her +who had offered her life for mine. + +No, Ajor should be as safe with me as with her own mother, if she +had one, which I was inclined to doubt, even though she told me that +she had once been a babe and hidden by her mother. I had come to +doubt if there was such a thing as a mother in Caspak, a mother +such as we know. From the Bo-lu to the Kro-lu there is no word +which corresponds with our word mother. They speak of ata and +cor sva jo, meaning reproduction and from the beginning, and point +toward the south; but no one has a mother. + +After considerable difficulty we gained what we thought was our +cave, only to find that it was not, and then we realized that we +were lost in the labyrinthine mazes of the great cavern. We retraced +our steps and sought the point from which we had started, but only +succeeded in losing ourselves the more. Ajor was aghast--not so +much from fear of our predicament; but that she should have failed +in the functioning of that wonderful sense she possessed in common +with most other creatures Caspakian, which makes it possible for +them to move unerringly from place to place without compass or +guide. + +Hand in hand we crept along, searching for an opening into the outer +world, yet realizing that at each step we might be burrowing more +deeply into the heart of the great cliff, or circling futilely in +the vague wandering that could end only in death. And the darkness! +It was almost palpable, and utterly depressing. I had matches, and +in some of the more difficult places I struck one; but we couldn't +afford to waste them, and so we groped our way slowly along, doing +the best we could to keep to one general direction in the hope that +it would eventually lead us to an opening into the outer world. +When I struck matches, I noticed that the walls bore no paintings; +nor was there other sign that man had penetrated this far within +the cliff, nor any spoor of animals of other kinds. + +It would be difficult to guess at the time we spent wandering +through those black corridors, climbing steep ascents, feeling +our way along the edges of bottomless pits, never knowing at what +moment we might be plunged into some abyss and always haunted +by the ever-present terror of death by starvation and thirst. As +difficult as it was, I still realized that it might have been +infinitely worse had I had another companion than Ajor--courageous, +uncomplaining, loyal little Ajor! She was tired and hungry and +thirsty, and she must have been discouraged; but she never faltered +in her cheerfulness. I asked her if she was afraid, and she replied +that here the Wieroo could not get her, and that if she died of +hunger, she would at least die with me and she was quite content +that such should be her end. At the time I attributed her attitude +to something akin to a doglike devotion to a new master who had been +kind to her. I can take oath to the fact that I did not think it +was anything more. + +Whether we had been imprisoned in the cliff for a day or a week I +could not say; nor even now do I know. We became very tired and +hungry; the hours dragged; we slept at least twice, and then we +rose and stumbled on, always weaker and weaker. There were ages +during which the trend of the corridors was always upward. It was +heartbreaking work for people in the state of exhaustion in which +we then were, but we clung tenaciously to it. We stumbled and +fell; we sank through pure physical inability to retain our feet; +but always we managed to rise at last and go on. At first, wherever +it had been possible, we had walked hand in hand lest we become +separated, and later, when I saw that Ajor was weakening rapidly, +we went side by side, I supporting her with an arm about her waist. +I still retained the heavy burden of my armament; but with the +rifle slung to my back, my hands were free. When I too showed +indisputable evidences of exhaustion, Ajor suggested that I lay +aside my arms and ammunition; but I told her that as it would mean +certain death for me to traverse Caspak without them, I might as +well take the chance of dying here in the cave with them, for there +was the other chance that we might find our wayto liberty. + +There came a time when Ajor could no longer walk, and then it was +that I picked her up in my arms and carried her. She begged me +to leave her, saying that after I found an exit, I could come back +and get her; but she knew, and she knew that I knew, that if ever +I did leave her, I could never find her again. Yet she insisted. +Barely had I sufficient strength to take a score of steps at a time; +then I would have to sink down and rest for five to ten minutes. +I don't know what force urged me on and kept me going in the face +of an absolute conviction that my efforts were utterly futile. I +counted us already as good as dead; but still I dragged myself +along until the time came that I could no longer rise, but could +only crawl along a few inches at a time, dragging Ajor beside me. +Her sweet voice, now almost inaudible from weakness, implored me +to abandon her and save myself--she seemed to think only of me. Of +course I couldn't have left her there alone, no matter how much I +might have desired to do so; but the fact of the matter was that +I didn't desire to leave her. What I said to her then came very +simply and naturally to my lips. It couldn't very well have been +otherwise, I imagine, for with death so close, I doubt if people +are much inclined to heroics. "I would rather not get out at +all, Ajor," I said to her, "than to get out without you." We were +resting against a rocky wall, and Ajor was leaning against me, her +head on my breast. I could feel her press closer to me, and one +hand stroked my arm in a weak caress; but she didn't say anything, +nor were words necessary. + +After a few minutes' more rest, we started on again upon our utterly +hopeless way; but I soon realized that I was weakening rapidly, +and presently I was forced to admit that I was through. "It's no +use, Ajor," I said, "I've come as far as I can. It may be that +if I sleep, I can go on again after," but I knew that that was not +true, and that the end was near. "Yes, sleep," said Ajor. "We +will sleep together--forever." + +She crept close to me as I lay on the hard floor and pillowed +her head upon my arm. With the little strength which remained to +me, I drew her up until our lips touched, and, then I whispered: +"Good-bye!" I must have lost consciousness almost immediately, +for I recall nothing more until I suddenly awoke out of a troubled +sleep, during which I dreamed that I was drowning, to find the +cave lighted by what appeared to be diffused daylight, and a tiny +trickle of water running down the corridor and forming a puddle in +the little depression in which it chanced that Ajor and I lay. I +turned my eyes quickly upon Ajor, fearful for what the light might +disclose; but she still breathed, though very faintly. Then I +searched about for an explanation of the light, and soon discovered +that it came from about a bend in the corridor just ahead of us and +at the top of a steep incline; and instantly I realized that Ajor +and I had stumbled by night almost to the portal of salvation. Had +chance taken us a few yards further, up either of the corridors +which diverged from ours just ahead of us, we might have been +irrevocably lost; we might still be lost; but at least we could die +in the light of day, out of the horrid blackness of this terrible +cave. + +I tried to rise, and found that sleep had given me back a portion of +my strength; and then I tasted the water and was further refreshed. +I shook Ajor gently by the shoulder; but she did not open her eyes, +and then I gathered a few drops of water in my cupped palm and let +them trickle between her lips. This revived her so that she raised +her lids, and when she saw me, she smiled. + +"What happened?" she asked. "Where are we?" + +"We are at the end of the corridor," I replied, "and daylight is +coming in from the outside world just ahead. We are saved, Ajor!" + +She sat up then and looked about, and then, quite womanlike, she +burst into tears. It was the reaction, of course; and then too, +she was very weak. I took her in my arms and quieted her as best +I could, and finally, with my help, she got to her feet; for she, +as well as I, had found some slight recuperation in sleep. Together +we staggered upward toward the light, and at the first turn we +saw an opening a few yards ahead of us and a leaden sky beyond--a +leaden sky from which was falling a drizzling rain, the author of +our little, trickling stream which had given us drink when we were +most in need of it. + +The cave had been damp and cold; but as we crawled through the aperture, +the muggy warmth of the Caspakian air caressed and confronted us; +even the rain was warmer than the atmosphere of those dark corridors. +We had water now, and warmth, and I was sure that Caspak would +soon offer us meat or fruit; but as we came to where we could look +about, we saw that we were upon the summit of the cliffs, where +there seemed little reason to expect game. However, there were +trees, and among them we soon descried edible fruits with which we +broke our long fast. + + + + + +Chapter 4 + + + + +We spent two days upon the cliff-top, resting and recuperating. +There was some small game which gave us meat, and the little pools +of rainwater were sufficient to quench our thirst. The sun came +out a few hours after we emerged from the cave, and in its warmth +we soon cast off the gloom which our recent experiences had saddled +upon us. + +Upon the morning of the third day we set out to search for a path +down to the valley. Below us, to the north, we saw a large pool +lying at the foot of the cliffs, and in it we could discern the +women of the Band-lu lying in the shallow waters, while beyond and +close to the base of the mighty barrier-cliffs there was a large +party of Band-lu warriors going north to hunt. We had a splendid +view from our lofty cliff-top. Dimly, to the west, we could see the +farther shore of the inland sea, and southwest the large southern +island loomed distinctly before us. A little east of north was the +northern island, which Ajor, shuddering, whispered was the home of +the Wieroo--the land of Oo-oh. It lay at the far end of the lake +and was barely visible to us, being fully sixty miles away. + +From our elevation, and in a clearer atmosphere, it would have stood +out distinctly; but the air of Caspak is heavy with moisture, with +the result that distant objects are blurred and indistinct. Ajor +also told me that the mainland east of Oo-oh was her land--the land +of the Galu. She pointed out the cliffs at its southern boundary, +which mark the frontier, south of which lies the country of +Kro-lu--the archers. We now had but to pass through the balance +of the Band-lu territory and that of the Kro-lu to be within the +confines of her own land; but that meant traversing thirty-five +miles of hostile country filled with every imaginable terror, and +possibly many beyond the powers of imagination. I would certainly +have given a lot for my plane at that moment, for with it, twenty +minutes would have landed us within the confines of Ajor's country. + +We finally found a place where we could slip over the edge of the +cliff onto a narrow ledge which seemed to give evidence of being +something of a game-path to the valley, though it apparently had +not been used for some time. I lowered Ajor at the end of my rifle +and then slid over myself, and I am free to admit that my hair +stood on end during the process, for the drop was considerable and +the ledge appallingly narrow, with a frightful drop sheer below +down to the rocks at the base of the cliff; but with Ajor there to +catch and steady me, I made it all right, and then we set off down +the trail toward the valley. There were two or three more bad +places, but for the most part it was an easy descent, and we came +to the highest of the Band-lu caves without further trouble. Here +we went more slowly, lest we should be set upon by some member of +the tribe. + +We must have passed about half the Band-lu cave-levels before we +were accosted, and then a huge fellow stepped out in front of me, +barring our further progress. + +"Who are you?" he asked; and he recognized me and I him, for he +had been one of those who had led me back into the cave and bound +me the night that I had been captured. From me his gaze went +to Ajor. He was a fine-looking man with clear, intelligent eyes, +a good forehead and superb physique--by far the highest type of +Caspakian I had yet seen, barring Ajor, of course. + +"You are a true Galu," he said to Ajor, "but this man is of +a different mold. He has the face of a Galu, but his weapons and +the strange skins he wears upon his body are not of the Galus nor +of Caspak. Who is he?" + +"He is Tom," replied Ajor succinctly. + +"There is no such people," asserted the Band-lu quite truthfully, +toying with his spear in a most suggestive manner. + +"My name is Tom," I explained, "and I am from a country beyond +Caspak." I thought it best to propitiate him if possible, because +of the necessity of conserving ammunition as well as to avoid the +loud alarm of a shot which might bring other Band-lu warriors upon +us. "I am from America, a land of which you never heard, and I am +seeking others of my countrymen who are in Caspak and from whom I +am lost. I have no quarrel with you or your people. Let us go our +way in peace." + +"You are going there?" he asked, and pointed toward the north. + +"I am," I replied. + +He was silent for several minutes, apparently weighing some thought +in his mind. At last he spoke. "What is that?" he asked. "And +what is that?" He pointed first at my rifle and then to my pistol. + +"They are weapons," I replied, "weapons which kill at a great +distance." I pointed to the women in the pool beneath us. "With +this," I said, tapping my pistol, "I could kill as many of those +women as I cared to, without moving a step from where we now stand." + +He looked his incredulity, but I went on. "And with this"--I +weighed my rifle at the balance in the palm of my right hand--"I +could slay one of those distant warriors." And I waved my left +hand toward the tiny figures of the hunters far to the north. + +The fellow laughed. "Do it," he cried derisively, "and then it +may be that I shall believe the balance of your strange story." + +"But I do not wish to kill any of them," I replied. "Why should +I?" + +"Why not?" he insisted. "They would have killed you when they +had you prisoner. They would kill you now if they could get their +hands on you, and they would eat you into the bargain. But I know +why you do not try it--it is because you have spoken lies; your +weapon will not kill at a great distance. It is only a queerly +wrought club. For all I know, you are nothing more than a lowly +Bo-lu." + +"Why should you wish me to kill your own people?" I asked. + +"They are no longer my people," he replied proudly. "Last night, +in the very middle of the night, the call came to me. Like that +it came into my head"--and he struck his hands together smartly +once--"that I had risen. I have been waiting for it and expecting +it for a long time; today I am a Krolu. Today I go into the +coslupak" (unpeopled country, or literally, no man's land) "between +the Band-lu and the Kro-lu, and there I fashion my bow and my arrows +and my shield; there I hunt the red deer for the leathern jerkin +which is the badge of my new estate. When these things are done, +I can go to the chief of the Kro-lu, and he dare not refuse me. +That is why you may kill those low Band-lu if you wish to live, +for I am in a hurry. + +"But why do you wish to kill me?" I asked. + +He looked puzzled and finally gave it up. "I do not know," he +admitted. "It is the way in Caspak. If we do not kill, we shall +be killed, therefore it is wise to kill first whomever does not +belong to one's own people. This morning I hid in my cave till the +others were gone upon the hunt, for I knew that they would know at +once that I had become a Kro-lu and would kill me. They will kill +me if they find me in the coslupak; so will the Kro-lu if they +come upon me before I have won my Kro-lu weapons and jerkin. You +would kill me if you could, and that is the reason I know that +you speak lies when you say that your weapons will kill at a great +distance. Would they, you would long since have killed me. Come! +I have no more time to waste in words. I will spare the woman and +take her with me to the Kro-lu, for she is comely." And with that +he advanced upon me with raised spear. + +My rifle was at my hip at the ready. He was so close that I did +not need to raise it to my shoulder, having but to pull the trigger +to send him into Kingdom Come whenever I chose; but yet I hesitated. +It was difficult to bring myself to take a human life. I could feel +no enmity toward this savage barbarian who acted almost as wholly +upon instinct as might a wild beast, and to the last moment I was +determined to seek some way to avoid what now seemed inevitable. +Ajor stood at my shoulder, her knife ready in her hand and a sneer +on her lips at his suggestion that he would take her with him. + +Just as I thought I should have to fire, a chorus of screams broke +from the women beneath us. I saw the man halt and glance downward, +and following his example my eyes took in the panic and its cause. +The women had, evidently, been quitting the pool and slowly returning +toward the caves, when they were confronted by a monstrous cave-lion +which stood directly between them and their cliffs in the center of +the narrow path that led down to the pool among the tumbled rocks. +Screaming, the women were rushing madly back to the pool. + +"It will do them no good," remarked the man, a trace of excitement +in his voice. "It will do them no good, for the lion will wait until +they come out and take as many as he can carry away; and there is +one there," he added, a trace of sadness in his tone, "whom I hoped +would soon follow me to the Kro-lu. Together have we come up from +the beginning." He raised his spear above his head and poised it +ready to hurl downward at the lion. "She is nearest to him," he +muttered. "He will get her and she will never come to me among +the Kro-lu, or ever thereafter. It is useless! No warrior lives +who could hurl a weapon so great a distance." + +But even as he spoke, I was leveling my rifle upon the great brute +below; and as he ceased speaking, I squeezed the trigger. My bullet +must have struck to a hair the point at which I had aimed, for it +smashed the brute's spine back of his shoulders and tore on through +his heart, dropping him dead in his tracks. For a moment the women +were as terrified by the report of the rifle as they had been by +the menace of the lion; but when they saw that the loud noise had +evidently destroyed their enemy, they came creeping cautiously back +to examine the carcass. + +The man, toward whom I had immediately turned after firing, lest +he should pursue his threatened attack, stood staring at me in +amazement and admiration. + +"Why," he asked, "if you could do that, did you not kill me long +before?" + +"I told you," I replied, "that I had no quarrel with you. I do +not care to kill men with whom I have no quarrel." + +But he could not seem to get the idea through his head. "I +can believe now that you are not of Caspak," he admitted, "for no +Caspakian would have permitted such an opportunity to escape him." +This, however, I found later to be an exaggeration, as the tribes +of the west coast and even the Kro-lu of the east coast are far +less bloodthirsty than he would have had me believe. "And your +weapon!" he continued. "You spoke true words when I thought you +spoke lies." And then, suddenly: "Let us be friends!" + +I turned to Ajor. "Can I trust him?" I asked. + +"Yes," she replied. "Why not? Has he not asked to be friends?" + +I was not at the time well enough acquainted with Caspakian ways +to know that truthfulness and loyalty are two of the strongest +characteristics of these primitive people. They are not sufficiently +cultured to have become adept in hypocrisy, treason and dissimulation. +There are, of course, a few exceptions. + +"We can go north together," continued the warrior. "I will fight +for you, and you can fight for me. Until death will I serve you, +for you have saved So-al, whom I had given up as dead." He threw +down his spear and covered both his eyes with the palms of his two +hands. I looked inquiringly toward Ajor, who explained as best she +could that this was the form of the Caspakian oath of allegiance. +"You need never fear him after this," she concluded. + +"What should I do?" I asked. + +"Take his hands down from before his eyes and return his spear to +him," she explained. + +I did as she bade, and the man seemed very pleased. I then asked +what I should have done had I not wished to accept his friendship. +They told me that had I walked away, the moment that I was out +of sight of the warrior we would have become deadly enemies again. +"But I could so easily have killed him as he stood there defenseless!" +I exclaimed. + +"Yes," replied the warrior, "but no man with good sense blinds his +eyes before one whom he does not trust." + +It was rather a decent compliment, and it taught me just how much +I might rely on the loyalty of my new friend. I was glad to have +him with us, for he knew the country and was evidently a fearless +warrior. I wished that I might have recruited a battalion like +him. + +As the women were now approaching the cliffs, Tomar the warrior +suggested that we make our way to the valley before they could +intercept us, as they might attempt to detain us and were almost +certain to set upon Ajor. So we hastened down the narrow path, +reaching the foot of the cliffs but a short distance ahead of the +women. They called after us to stop; but we kept on at a rapid +walk, not wishing to have any trouble with them, which could only +result in the death of some of them. + +We had proceeded about a mile when we heard some one behind us +calling To-mar by name, and when we stopped and looked around, we +saw a woman running rapidly toward us. As she approached nearer +I could see that she was a very comely creature, and like all her +sex that I had seen in Caspak, apparently young. + +"It is So-al!" exclaimed To-mar. "Is she mad that she follows me +thus?" + +In another moment the young woman stopped, panting, before us. +She paid not the slightest attention to Ajor or me; but devouring +To-mar with her sparkling eyes, she cried: "I have risen! I have +risen!" + +"So-al!" was all that the man could say. + +"Yes," she went on, "the call came to me just before I quit the +pool; but I did not know that it had come to you. I can see it in +your eyes, To-mar, my To-mar! We shall go on together!" And she +threw herself into his arms. + +It was a very affecting sight, for it was evident that these two +had been mates for a long time and that they had each thought that +they were about to be separated by that strange law of evolution +which holds good in Caspak and which was slowly unfolding before +my incredulous mind. I did not then comprehend even a tithe of +the wondrous process, which goes on eternally within the confines +of Caprona's barrier cliffs nor am I any too sure that I do even +now. + +To-mar explained to So-al that it was I who had killed the cave-lion +and saved her life, and that Ajor was my woman and thus entitled +to the same loyalty which was my due. + +At first Ajor and So-al were like a couple of stranger cats on a +back fence but soon they began to accept each other under something +of an armed truce, and later became fast friends. So-al was a +mighty fine-looking girl, built like a tigress as to strength and +sinuosity, but withal sweet and womanly. Ajor and I came to be +very fond of her, and she was, I think, equally fond of us. To-mar +was very much of a man--a savage, if you will, but none the less +a man. + +Finding that traveling in company with To-mar made our journey +both easier and safer, Ajor and I did not continue on our way alone +while the novitiates delayed their approach to the Kro-lu country +in order that they might properly fit themselves in the matter +of arms and apparel, but remained with them. Thus we became well +acquainted--to such an extent that we looked forward with regret +to the day when they took their places among their new comrades +and we should be forced to continue upon our way alone. It was a +matter of much concern to To-mar that the Krolu would undoubtedly +not receive Ajor and me in a friendly manner, and that consequently +we should have to avoid these people. + +It would have been very helpful to us could we have made friends +with them, as their country abutted directly upon that of the +Galus. Their friendship would have meant that Ajor's dangers were +practically passed, and that I had accomplished fully one-half of +my long journey. In view of what I had passed through, I often +wondered what chance I had to complete that journey in search of +my friends. The further south I should travel on the west side of +the island, the more frightful would the dangers become as I neared +the stamping-grounds of the more hideous reptilia and the haunts +of the Alus and the Ho-lu, all of which were at the southern half +of the island; and then if I should not find the members of my +party, what was to become of me? I could not live for long in any +portion of Caspak with which I was familiar; the moment my ammunition +was exhausted, I should be as good as dead. + +There was a chance that the Galus would receive me; but even Ajor +could not say definitely whether they would or not, and even provided +that they would, could I retrace my steps from the beginning, after +failing to find my own people, and return to the far northern land +of Galus? I doubted it. However, I was learning from Ajor, who +was more or less of a fatalist, a philosophy which was as necessary +in Caspak to peace of mind as is faith to the devout Christian of +the outer world. + + + + + +Chapter 5 + + + + +We were sitting before a little fire inside a safe grotto one +night shortly after we had quit the cliff-dwellings of the Band-lu, +when So-al raised a question which it had never occurred to me to +propound to Ajor. She asked her why she had left her own people +and how she had come so far south as the country of the Alus, where +I had found her. + +At first Ajor hesitated to explain; but at last she consented, +and for the first time I heard the complete story of her origin +and experiences. For my benefit she entered into greater detail +of explanation than would have been necessary had I been a native +Caspakian. + +"I am a cos-ata-lo," commenced Ajor, and then she turned toward +me. "A cos-ata-lo, my Tom, is a woman" (lo) "who did not come from +an egg and thus on up from the beginning." (Cor sva jo.) "I was +a babe at my mother's breast. Only among the Galus are such, and +then but infrequently. The Wieroo get most of us; but my mother +hid me until I had attained such size that the Wieroo could not +readily distinguish me from one who had come up from the beginning. +I knew both my mother and my father, as only such as I may. My +father is high chief among the Galus. His name is Jor, and both he +and my mother came up from the beginning; but one of them, probably +my mother, had completed the seven cycles" (approximately seven +hundred years), "with the result that their offspring might be +cos-ata-lo, or born as are all the children of your race, my Tom, +as you tell me is the fact. I was therefore apart from my fellows +in that my children would probably be as I, of a higher state of +evolution, and so I was sought by the men of my people; but none +of them appealed to me. I cared for none. The most persistent +was Du-seen, a huge warrior of whom my father stood in considerable +fear, since it was quite possible that Du-seen could wrest from +him his chieftainship of the Galus. He has a large following of +the newer Galus, those most recently come up from the Kro-lu, and +as this class is usually much more powerful numerically than the +older Galus, and as Du-seen's ambition knows no bounds, we have +for a long time been expecting him to find some excuse for a break +with Jor the High Chief, my father. + +"A further complication lay in the fact that Duseen wanted me, while +I would have none of him, and then came evidence to my father's +ears that he was in league with the Wieroo; a hunter, returning +late at night, came trembling to my father, saying that he had +seen Du-seen talking with a Wieroo in a lonely spot far from the +village, and that plainly he had heard the words: `If you will help +me, I will help you--I will deliver into your hands all cos-ata-lo +among the Galus, now and hereafter; but for that service you must +slay Jor the High Chief and bring terror and confusion to his +followers.' + +"Now, when my father heard this, he was angry; but he was also +afraid--afraid for me, who am cosata-lo. He called me to him and +told me what he had heard, pointing out two ways in which we might +frustrate Du-seen. The first was that I go to Du-seen as his +mate, after which he would be loath to give me into the hands of +the Wieroo or to further abide by the wicked compact he had made--a +compact which would doom his own offspring, who would doubtless be +as am I, their mother. The alternative was flight until Du-seen +should have been overcome and punished. I chose the latter and +fled toward the south. Beyond the confines of the Galu country is +little danger from the Wieroo, who seek ordinarily only Galus of +the highest orders. There are two excellent reasons for this: One +is that from the beginning of time jealousy had existed between +the Wieroo and the Galus as to which would eventually dominate +the world. It seems generally conceded that that race which first +reaches a point of evolution which permits them to produce young +of their own species and of both sexes must dominate all other +creatures. The Wieroo first began to produce their own kind--after +which evolution from Galu to Wieroo ceased gradually until now it +is unknown; but the Wieroo produce only males--which is why they +steal our female young, and by stealing cos-ata-lo they increase +their own chances of eventually reproducing both sexes and at the +same time lessen ours. Already the Galus produce both male and +female; but so carefully do the Wieroo watch us that few of the +males ever grow to manhood, while even fewer are the females that +are not stolen away. It is indeed a strange condition, for while +our greatest enemies hate and fear us, they dare not exterminate +us, knowing that they too would become extinct but for us. + +"Ah, but could we once get a start, I am sure that when all were +true cos-ata-lo there would have been evolved at last the true +dominant race before which all the world would be forced to bow." + +Ajor always spoke of the world as though nothing existed beyond +Caspak. She could not seem to grasp the truth of my origin or +the fact that there were countless other peoples outside her stern +barrier-cliffs. She apparently felt that I came from an entirely +different world. Where it was and how I came to Caspak from it +were matters quite beyond her with which she refused to trouble +her pretty head. + +"Well," she continued, "and so I ran away to hide, intending to pass +the cliffs to the south of Galu and find a retreat in the Kro-lu +country. It would be dangerous, but there seemed no other way. + +"The third night I took refuge in a large cave in the cliffs at the +edge of my own country; upon the following day I would cross over +into the Kro-lu country, where I felt that I should be reasonably +safe from the Wieroo, though menaced by countless other dangers. +However, to a cos-ata-lo any fate is preferable to that of falling +into the clutches of the frightful Wieroo, from whose land none +returns. + +"I had been sleeping peacefully for several hours when I was +awakened by a slight noise within the cavern. The moon was shining +brightly, illumining the entrance, against which I saw silhouetted +the dread figure of a Wieroo. There was no escape. The cave was +shallow, the entrance narrow. I lay very still, hoping against +hope, that the creature had but paused here to rest and might soon +depart without discovering me; yet all the while I knew that he +came seeking me. + +"I waited, scarce breathing, watching the thing creep stealthily +toward me, its great eyes luminous in the darkness of the cave's +interior, and at last I knew that those eyes were directed upon me, +for the Wieroo can see in the darkness better than even the lion +or the tiger. But a few feet separated us when I sprang to my feet +and dashed madly toward my menacer in a vain effort to dodge past +him and reach the outside world. It was madness of course, for +even had I succeeded temporarily, the Wieroo would have but followed +and swooped down upon me from above. As it was, he reached forth +and seized me, and though I struggled, he overpowered me. In the +duel his long, white robe was nearly torn from him, and he became +very angry, so that he trembled and beat his wings together in his +rage. + +"He asked me my name; but I would not answer him, and that angered +him still more. At last he dragged me to the entrance of the cave, +lifted me in his arms, spread his great wings and leaping into +the air, flapped dismally through the night. I saw the moonlit +landscape sliding away beneath me, and then we were out above the +sea and on our way to Oo-oh, the country of the Wieroo. + +"The dim outlines of Oo-oh were unfolding below us when there +came from above a loud whirring of giant wings. The Wieroo and I +glanced up simultaneously, to see a pair of huge jo-oos" (flying +reptiles--pterodactyls) "swooping down upon us. The Wieroo +wheeled and dropped almost to sea-level, and then raced southward +in an effort to outdistance our pursuers. The great creatures, +notwithstanding their enormous weight, are swift on their wings; +but the Wieroo are swifter. Even with my added weight, the creature +that bore me maintained his lead, though he could not increase it. +Faster than the fastest wind we raced through the night, southward +along the coast. Sometimes we rose to great heights, where the +air was chill and the world below but a blur of dim outlines; but +always the jo-oos stuck behind us. + +"I knew that we had covered a great distance, for the rush of +the wind by my face attested the speed of our progress, but I had +no idea where we were when at last I realized that the Wieroo was +weakening. One of the jo-oos gained on us and succeeded in heading +us, so that my captor had to turn in toward the coast. Further +and further they forced him to the left; lower and lower he sank. +More labored was his breathing, and weaker the stroke of his once +powerful wings. We were not ten feet above the ground when they +overtook us, and at the edge of a forest. One of them seized the +Wieroo by his right wing, and in an effort to free himself, he +loosed his grasp upon me, dropping me to earth. Like a frightened +ecca I leaped to my feet and raced for the sheltering sanctuary of +the forest, where I knew neither could follow or seize me. Then I +turned and looked back to see two great reptiles tear my abductor +asunder and devour him on the spot. + +"I was saved; yet I felt that I was lost. How far I was from the +country of the Galus I could not guess; nor did it seem probable +that I ever could make my way in safety to my native land. + +"Day was breaking; soon the carnivora would stalk forth for their +first kill; I was armed only with my knife. About me was a strange +landscape--the flowers, the trees, the grasses, even, were different +from those of my northern world, and presently there appeared before +me a creature fully as hideous as the Wieroo--a hairy manthing +that barely walked erect. I shuddered, and then I fled. Through +the hideous dangers that my forebears had endured in the earlier +stages of their human evolution I fled; and always pursuing was +the hairy monster that had discovered me. Later he was joined by +others of his kind. They were the speechless men, the Alus, from +whom you rescued me, my Tom. From then on, you know the story of +my adventures, and from the first, I would endure them all again +because they led me to you!" + +It was very nice of her to say that, and I appreciated it. I felt +that she was a mighty nice little girl whose friendship anyone +might be glad to have; but I wished that when she touched me, those +peculiar thrills would not run through me. It was most discomforting, +because it reminded me of love; and I knew that I never could love +this half-baked little barbarian. I was very much interested in +her account of the Wieroo, which up to this time I had considered +a purely mythological creature; but Ajor shuddered so at even the +veriest mention of the name that I was loath to press the subject +upon her, and so the Wieroo still remained a mystery to me. + +While the Wieroo interested me greatly, I had little time to think +about them, as our waking hours were filled with the necessities +of existence--the constant battle for survival which is the chief +occupation of Caspakians. To-mar and So-al were now about fitted +for their advent into Kro-lu society and must therefore leave +us, as we could not accompany them without incurring great danger +ourselves and running the chance of endangering them; but each +swore to be always our friend and assured us that should we need +their aid at any time we had but to ask it; nor could I doubt their +sincerity, since we had been so instrumental in bringing them safely +upon their journey toward the Kro-lu village. + +This was our last day together. In the afternoon we should separate, +To-mar and So-al going directly to the Kro-lu village, while Ajor +and I made a detour to avoid a conflict with the archers. The +former both showed evidence of nervous apprehension as the time +approached for them to make their entry into the village of their +new people, and yet both were very proud and happy. They told us +that they would be well received as additions to a tribe always +are welcomed, and the more so as the distance from the beginning +increased, the higher tribes or races being far weaker numerically +than the lower. The southern end of the island fairly swarms with +the Ho-lu, or apes; next above these are the Alus, who are slightly +fewer in number than the Ho-lu; and again there are fewer Bolu than +Alus, and fewer Sto-lu than Bo-lu. Thus it goes until the Kro-lu +are fewer in number than any of the others; and here the law reverses, +for the Galus outnumber the Kro-lu. As Ajor explained it to me, +the reason for this is that as evolution practically ceases with +the Galus, there is no less among them on this score, for even the +cos-ata-lo are still considered Galus and remain with them. And +Galus come up both from the west and east coasts. There are, too, +fewer carnivorous reptiles at the north end of the island, and not +so many of the great and ferocious members of the cat family as +take their hideous toll of life among the races further south. + +By now I was obtaining some idea of the Caspakian scheme of +evolution, which partly accounted for the lack of young among the +races I had so far seen. Coming up from the beginning, the Caspakian +passes, during a single existence, through the various stages of +evolution, or at least many of them, through which the human race +has passed during the countless ages since life first stirred upon +a new world; but the question which continued to puzzle me was: +What creates life at the beginning, cor sva jo? + +I had noticed that as we traveled northward from the Alus' country +the land had gradually risen until we were now several hundred feet +above the level of the inland sea. Ajor told me that the Galus +country was still higher and considerably colder, which accounted +for the scarcity of reptiles. The change in form and kinds of the +lower animals was even more marked than the evolutionary stages +of man. The diminutive ecca, or small horse, became a rough-coated +and sturdy little pony in the Kro-lu country. I saw a greater +number of small lions and tigers, though many of the huge ones still +persisted, while the woolly mammoth was more in evidence, as were +several varieties of the Labyrinthadonta. These creatures, from +which God save me, I should have expected to find further south; +but for some unaccountable reason they gain their greatest bulk in +the Kro-lu and Galu countries, though fortunately they are rare. +I rather imagine that they are a very early life which is rapidly +nearing extinction in Caspak, though wherever they are found, they +constitute a menace to all forms of life. + +It was mid-afternoon when To-mar and So-al bade us good-bye. We +were not far from Kro-lu village; in fact, we had approached it +much closer than we had intended, and now Ajor and I were to make +a detour toward the sea while our companions went directly in search +of the Kro-lu chief. + +Ajor and I had gone perhaps a mile or two and were just about to +emerge from a dense wood when I saw that ahead of us which caused +me to draw back into concealment, at the same time pushing Ajor +behind me. What I saw was a party of Band-lu warriors--large, +fierce-appearing men. From the direction of their march I saw that +they were returning to their caves, and that if we remained where +we were, they would pass without discovering us. + +Presently Ajor nudged me. "They have a prisoner," she whispered. +"He is a Kro-lu." + +And then I saw him, the first fully developed Krolu I had seen. He +was a fine-looking savage, tall and straight with a regal carriage. +To-mar was a handsome fellow; but this Kro-lu showed plainly in +his every physical attribute a higher plane of evolution. While +To-mar was just entering the Kro-lu sphere, this man, it seemed +to me, must be close indeed to the next stage of his development, +which would see him an envied Galu. + +"They will kill him?" I whispered to Ajor. + +"The dance of death," she replied, and I shuddered, so recently had +I escaped the same fate. It seemed cruel that one who must have +passed safely up through all the frightful stages of human evolution +within Caspak, should die at the very foot of his goal. I raised +my rifle to my shoulder and took careful aim at one of the Band-lu. +If I hit him, I would hit two, for another was directly behind the +first. + +Ajor touched my arm. "What would you do?" she asked. "They are +all our enemies." + +"I am going to save him from the dance of death," I replied, "enemy +or no enemy," and I squeezed the trigger. At the report, the two +Band-lu lunged forward upon their faces. I handed my rifle to Ajor, +and drawing my pistol, stepped out in full view of the startled +party. The Band-lu did not run away as had some of the lower orders +of Caspakians at the sound of the rifle. Instead, the moment they +saw me, they let out a series of demoniac war-cries, and raising +their spears above their heads, charged me. + +The Kro-lu stood silent and statuesque, watching the proceedings. +He made no attempt to escape, though his feet were not bound and +none of the warriors remained to guard him. There were ten of +the Band-lu coming for me. I dropped three of them with my pistol +as rapidly as a man might count by three, and then my rifle spoke +close to my left shoulder, and another of them stumbled and rolled +over and over upon the ground. Plucky little Ajor! She had never +fired a shot before in all her life, though I had taught her to +sight and aim and how to squeeze the trigger instead of pulling it. +She had practiced these new accomplishments often, but little had +I thought they would make a marksman of her so quickly. + +With six of their fellows put out of the fight so easily, the +remaining six sought cover behind some low bushes and commenced +a council of war. I wished that they would go away, as I had no +ammunition to waste, and I was fearful that should they institute +another charge, some of them would reach us, for they were already +quite close. Suddenly one of them rose and launched his spear. It +was the most marvelous exhibition of speed I have ever witnessed. +It seemed to me that he had scarce gained an upright position when +the weapon was half-way upon its journey, speeding like an arrow +toward Ajor. And then it was, with that little life in danger, +that I made the best shot I have ever made in my life! I took +no conscious aim; it was as though my subconscious mind, impelled +by a stronger power even than that of self-preservation, directed +my hand. Ajor was in danger! Simultaneously with the thought my +pistol flew to position, a streak of incandescent powder marked +the path of the bullet from its muzzle; and the spear, its point +shattered, was deflected from its path. With a howl of dismay the +six Band-lu rose from their shelter and raced away toward the south. + +I turned toward Ajor. She was very white and wide-eyed, for the +clutching fingers of death had all but seized her; but a little +smile came to her lips and an expression of great pride to her eyes. +"My Tom!" she said, and took my hand in hers. That was all--"My +Tom!" and a pressure of the hand. Her Tom! Something stirred within +my bosom. Was it exaltation or was it consternation? Impossible! +I turned away almost brusquely. + +"Come!" I said, and strode off toward the Kro-lu prisoner. + +The Kro-lu stood watching us with stolid indifference. I presume +that he expected to be killed; but if he did, he showed no outward +sign of fear. His eyes, indicating his greatest interest, were +fixed upon my pistol or the rifle which Ajor still carried. I cut +his bonds with my knife. As I did so, an expression of surprise +tinged and animated the haughty reserve of his countenance. He +eyed me quizzically. + +"What are you going to do with me?" he asked. + +"You are free," I replied. "Go home, if you wish." + +"Why don't you kill me?" he inquired. "I am defenseless." + +"Why should I kill you? I have risked my life and that of this young +lady to save your life. Why, therefore should I now take it?" Of +course, I didn't say "young lady" as there is no Caspakian equivalent +for that term; but I have to allow myself considerable latitude in +the translation of Caspakian conversations. To speak always of a +beautiful young girl as a "she" may be literal; but it seems far +from gallant. + +The Kro-lu concentrated his steady, level gaze upon me for at least +a full minute. Then he spoke again. + +"Who are you, man of strange skins?" he asked. "Your she is Galu; +but you are neither Galu nor Krolu nor Band-lu, nor any other sort +of man which I have seen before. Tell me from whence comes so +mighty a warrior and so generous a foe." + +"It is a long story," I replied, "but suffice it to say that I am +not of Caspak. I am a stranger here, and--let this sink in--I am +not a foe. I have no wish to be an enemy of any man in Caspak, +with the possible exception of the Galu warrior Du-seen." + +"Du-seen!" he exclaimed. "You are an enemy of Du-seen? And why?" + +"Because he would harm Ajor," I replied. "You know him?" + +"He cannot know him," said Ajor. "Du-seen rose from the Kro-lu +long ago, taking a new name, as all do when they enter a new sphere. +He cannot know him, as there is no intercourse between the Kro-lu +and the Galu." + +The warrior smiled. "Du-seen rose not so long ago," he said, +"that I do not recall him well, and recently he has taken it upon +himself to abrogate the ancient laws of Caspak; he had had intercourse +with the Kro-lu. Du-seen would be chief of the Galus, and he has +come to the Kro-lu for help." + +Ajor was aghast. The thing was incredible. Never had Kro-lu and +Galu had friendly relations; by the savage laws of Caspak they were +deadly enemies, for only so can the several races maintain their +individuality. + +"Will the Kro-lu join him?" asked Ajor. "Will they invade the +country of Jor my father?" + +"The younger Kro-lu favor the plan," replied the warrior, "since +they believe they will thus become Galus immediately. They hope +to span the long years of change through which they must pass in +the ordinary course of events and at a single stride become Galus. +We of the older Kro-lu tell them that though they occupy the land +of the Galu and wear the skins and ornaments of the golden people, +still they will not be Galus till the time arrives that they are +ripe to rise. We also tell them that even then they will never +become a true Galu race, since there will still be those among +them who can never rise. It is all right to raid the Galu country +occasionally for plunder, as our people do; but to attempt to conquer +it and hold it is madness. For my part, I have been content to +wait until the call came to me. I feel that it cannot now be long." + +"What is your name?" asked Ajor. + +"Chal-az, " replied the man. + +"You are chief of the Kro-lu?" Ajor continued. + +"No, it is Al-tan who is chief of the Kro-lu of the east," answered +Chal-az. + +"And he is against this plan to invade my father's country?" + +"Unfortunately he is rather in favor of it," replied the man, "since +he has about come to the conclusion that he is batu. He has been +chief ever since, before I came up from the Band-lu, and I can see +no change in him in all those years. In fact, he still appears +to be more Band-lu than Kro-lu. However, he is a good chief and a +mighty warrior, and if Du-seen persuades him to his cause, the Galus +may find themselves under a Kro-lu chieftain before long--Du-seen +as well as the others, for Al-tan would never consent to occupy a +subordinate position, and once he plants a victorious foot in Galu, +he will not withdraw it without a struggle." + +I asked them what batu meant, as I had not before heard the word. +Literally translated, it is equivalent to through, finished, +done-for, as applied to an individual's evolutionary progress in +Caspak, and with this information was developed the interesting +fact that not every individual is capable of rising through every +stage to that of Galu. Some never progress beyond the Alu stage; +others stop as Bo-lu, as Sto-lu, as Bandlu or as Kro-lu. The +Ho-lu of the first generation may rise to become Alus; the Alus +of the second generation may become Bo-lu, while it requires three +generations of Bo-lu to become Band-lu, and so on until Kro-lu's +parent on one side must be of the sixth generation. + +It was not entirely plain to me even with this explanation, since +I couldn't understand how there could be different generations of +peoples who apparently had no offspring. Yet I was commencing to +get a slight glimmer of the strange laws which govern propagation +and evolution in this weird land. Already I knew that the warm +pools which always lie close to every tribal abiding-place were +closely linked with the Caspakian scheme of evolution, and that the +daily immersion of the females in the greenish slimy water was in +response to some natural law, since neither pleasure nor cleanliness +could be derived from what seemed almost a religious rite. Yet I +was still at sea; nor, seemingly, could Ajor enlighten me, since +she was compelled to use words which I could not understand and +which it was impossible for her to explain the meanings of. + +As we stood talking, we were suddenly startled by a commotion in +the bushes and among the boles of the trees surrounding us, and +simultaneously a hundred Kro-lu warriors appeared in a rough circle +about us. They greeted Chal-az with a volley of questions as they +approached slowly from all sides, their heavy bows fitted with +long, sharp arrows. Upon Ajor and me they looked with covetousness +in the one instance and suspicion in the other; but after they +had heard Chal-az's story, their attitude was more friendly. A +huge savage did all the talking. He was a mountain of a man, yet +perfectly proportioned. + +"This is Al-tan the chief," said Chal-az by way of introduction. Then +he told something of my story, and Al-tan asked me many questions +of the land from which I came. The warriors crowded around close +to hear my replies, and there were many expressions of incredulity +as I spoke of what was to them another world, of the yacht which +had brought me over vast waters, and of the plane that had borne +me Jo-oo-like over the summit of the barrier-cliffs. It was the +mention of the hydroaeroplane which precipitated the first outspoken +skepticism, and then Ajor came to my defense. + +"I saw it with my own eyes!" she exclaimed. "I saw him flying +through the air in battle with a Jo-oo. The Alus were chasing me, +and they saw and ran away." + +"Whose is this she?" demanded Al-tan suddenly, his eyes fixed +fiercely upon Ajor. + +For a moment there was silence. Ajor looked up at me, a hurt and +questioning expression on her face. "Whose she is this?" repeated +Al-tan. + +"She is mine," I replied, though what force it was that impelled me +to say it I could not have told; but an instant later I was glad +that I had spoken the words, for the reward of Ajor's proud and +happy face was reward indeed. + +Al-tan eyed her for several minutes and then turned to me. "Can +you keep her?" he asked, just the tinge of a sneer upon his face. + +I laid my palm upon the grip of my pistol and answered that I could. +He saw the move, glanced at the butt of the automatic where it +protruded from its holster, and smiled. Then he turned and raising +his great bow, fitted an arrow and drew the shaft far back. His +warriors, supercilious smiles upon their faces, stood silently +watching him. His bow was the longest and the heaviest among them +all. A mighty man indeed must he be to bend it; yet Al-tan drew +the shaft back until the stone point touched his left forefinger, +and he did it with consummate ease. Then he raised the shaft to the +level of his right eye, held it there for an instant and released +it. When the arrow stopped, half its length protruded from the +opposite side of a six-inch tree fifty feet away. Al-tan and his +warriors turned toward me with expressions of immense satisfaction +upon their faces, and then, apparently for Ajor's benefit, the +chieftain swaggered to and fro a couple of times, swinging his +great arms and his bulky shoulders for all the world like a drunken +prize-fighter at a beach dancehall. + +I saw that some reply was necessary, and so in a single motion, +I drew my gun, dropped it on the still quivering arrow and pulled +the trigger. At the sound of the report, the Kro-lu leaped back +and raised their weapons; but as I was smiling, they took heart +and lowered them again, following my eyes to the tree; the shaft +of their chief was gone, and through the bole was a little round +hole marking the path of my bullet. It was a good shot if I do +say it myself, "as shouldn't" but necessity must have guided that +bullet; I simply had to make a good shot, that I might immediately +establish my position among those savage and warlike Caspakians of the +sixth sphere. That it had its effect was immediately noticeable, +but I am none too sure that it helped my cause with Al-tan. +Whereas he might have condescended to tolerate me as a harmless +and interesting curiosity, he now, by the change in his expression, +appeared to consider me in a new and unfavorable light. Nor can I +wonder, knowing this type as I did, for had I not made him ridiculous +in the eyes of his warriors, beating him at his own game? What +king, savage or civilized, could condone such impudence? Seeing his +black scowls, I deemed it expedient, especially on Ajor's account, +to terminate the interview and continue upon our way; but when +I would have done so, Al-tan detained us with a gesture, and his +warriors pressed around us. + +"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded, and before Al-tan could +reply, Chal-az raised his voice in our behalf. + +"Is this the gratitude of a Kro-lu chieftain, Al-tan," he asked, +"to one who has served you by saving one of your warriors from the +enemy--saving him from the death dance of the Band-lu?" + +Al-tan was silent for a moment, and then his brow cleared, and the +faint imitation of a pleasant expression struggled for existence +as he said: "The stranger will not be harmed. I wished only to +detain him that he may be feasted tonight in the village of Al-tan +the Kro-lu. In the morning he may go his way. Al-tan will not +hinder him." + +I was not entirely reassured; but I wanted to see the interior +of the Kro-lu village, and anyway I knew that if Al-tan intended +treachery I would be no more in his power in the morning than I now +was--in fact, during the night I might find opportunity to escape +with Ajor, while at the instant neither of us could hope to escape +unscathed from the encircling warriors. Therefore, in order to +disarm him of any thought that I might entertain suspicion as to +his sincerity, I promptly and courteously accepted his invitation. +His satisfaction was evident, and as we set off toward his village, +he walked beside me, asking many questions as to the country +from which I came, its peoples and their customs. He seemed much +mystified by the fact that we could walk abroad by day or night +without fear of being devoured by wild beasts or savage reptiles, +and when I told him of the great armies which we maintained, his +simple mind could not grasp the fact that they existed solely for +the slaughtering of human beings. + +"I am glad," he said, "that I do not dwell in your country among +such savage peoples. Here, in Caspak, men fight with men when they +meet--men of different races--but their weapons are first for the +slaying of beasts in the chase and in defense. We do not fashion +weapons solely for the killing of man as do your peoples. Your +country must indeed be a savage country, from which you are fortunate +to have escaped to the peace and security of Caspak." + +Here was a new and refreshing viewpoint; nor could I take exception +to it after what I had told Altan of the great war which had been +raging in Europe for over two years before I left home. + +On the march to the Kro-lu village we were continually stalked by +innumerable beasts of prey, and three times we were attacked by +frightful creatures; but Altan took it all as a matter of course, +rushing forward with raised spear or sending a heavy shaft into +the body of the attacker and then returning to our conversation +as though no interruption had occurred. Twice were members of his +band mauled, and one was killed by a huge and bellicose rhinoceros; +but the instant the action was over, it was as though it never had +occurred. The dead man was stripped of his belongings and left +where he had died; the carnivora would take care of his burial. +The trophies that these Kro-lu left to the meat-eaters would have +turned an English big-game hunter green with envy. They did, it +is true, cut all the edible parts from the rhino and carry them +home; but already they were pretty well weighted down with the +spoils of the chase, and only the fact that they are particularly +fond of rhino-meat caused them to do so. + +They left the hide on the pieces they selected, as they use it +for sandals, shield-covers, the hilts of their knives and various +other purposes where tough hide is desirable. I was much interested +in their shields, especially after I saw one used in defense against +the attack of a saber-tooth tiger. The huge creature had charged +us without warning from a clump of dense bushes where it was lying +up after eating. It was met with an avalanche of spears, some of +which passed entirely through its body, with such force were they +hurled. The charge was from a very short distance, requiring +the use of the spear rather than the bow and arrow; but after the +launching of the spears, the men not directly in the path of the +charge sent bolt after bolt into the great carcass with almost +incredible rapidity. The beast, screaming with pain and rage, bore +down upon Chal-az while I stood helpless with my rifle for fear +of hitting one of the warriors who were closing in upon it. But +Chal-az was ready. Throwing aside his bow, he crouched behind +his large oval shield, in the center of which was a hole about six +inches in diameter. The shield was held by tight loops to his left +arm, while in his right hand he grasped his heavy knife. Bristling +with spears and arrows, the great cat hurled itself upon the shield, +and down went Chal-az upon his back with the shield entirely covering +him. The tiger clawed and bit at the heavy rhinoceros hide with +which the shield was faced, while Chal-az, through the round hole in +the shield's center, plunged his blade repeatedly into the vitals +of the savage animal. Doubtless the battle would have gone to +Chal-az even though I had not interfered; but the moment that I +saw a clean opening, with no Kro-lu beyond, I raised my rifle and +killed the beast. + +When Chal-az arose, he glanced at the sky and remarked that it +looked like rain. The others already had resumed the march toward +the village. The incident was closed. For some unaccountable +reason the whole thing reminded me of a friend who once shot a cat +in his backyard. For three weeks he talked of nothing else. + +It was almost dark when we reached the village--a large palisaded +enclosure of several hundred leaf-thatched huts set in groups +of from two to seven. The huts were hexagonal in form, and where +grouped were joined so that they resembled the cells of a bee-hive. +One hut meant a warrior and his mate, and each additional hut in a +group indicated an additional female. The palisade which surrounded +the village was of logs set close together and woven into a solid +wall with tough creepers which were planted at their base and +trained to weave in and out to bind the logs together. The logs +slanted outward at an angle of about thirty degrees, in which +position they were held by shorter logs embedded in the ground +at right angles to them and with their upper ends supporting the +longer pieces a trifle above their centers of equilibrium. Along +the top of the palisade sharpened stakes had been driven at all +sorts of angles. + +The only opening into the inclosure was through a small aperture +three feet wide and three feet high, which was closed from the inside +by logs about six feet long laid horizontally, one upon another, +between the inside face of the palisade and two other braced logs +which paralleled the face of the wall upon the inside. + +As we entered the village, we were greeted by a not unfriendly +crowd of curious warriors and women, to whom Chal-az generously +explained the service we had rendered him, whereupon they showered +us with the most well-meant attentions, for Chal-az, it seemed, +was a most popular member of the tribe. Necklaces of lion and +tiger-teeth, bits of dried meat, finely tanned hides and earthen +pots, beautifully decorated, they thrust upon us until we were +loaded down, and all the while Al-tan glared balefully upon us, +seemingly jealous of the attentions heaped upon us because we had +served Chal-az. + +At last we reached a hut that they set apart for us, and there we +cooked our meat and some vegetables the women brought us, and had +milk from cows--the first I had had in Caspak--and cheese from +the milk of wild goats, with honey and thin bread made from wheat +flour of their own grinding, and grapes and the fermented juice +of grapes. It was quite the most wonderful meal I had eaten since +I quit the Toreador and Bowen J. Tyler's colored chef, who could +make pork-chops taste like chicken, and chicken taste like heaven. + + + + + +Chapter 6 + + + + +After dinner I rolled a cigaret and stretched myself at ease upon +a pile of furs before the doorway, with Ajor's head pillowed in my +lap and a feeling of great content pervading me. It was the first +time since my plane had topped the barrier-cliffs of Caspak that I +had felt any sense of peace or security. My hand wandered to the +velvet cheek of the girl I had claimed as mine, and to her luxuriant +hair and the golden fillet which bound it close to her shapely +head. Her slender fingers groping upward sought mine and drew them +to her lips, and then I gathered her in my arms and crushed her to +me, smothering her mouth with a long, long kiss. It was the first +time that passion had tinged my intercourse with Ajor. We were +alone, and the hut was ours until morning. + +But now from beyond the palisade in the direction of the main gate +came the hallooing of men and the answering calls and queries of +the guard. We listened. Returning hunters, no doubt. We heard +them enter the village amidst the barking dogs. I have forgotten +to mention the dogs of Kro-lu. The village swarmed with them, +gaunt, wolflike creatures that guarded the herd by day when it +grazed without the palisade, ten dogs to a cow. By night the cows +were herded in an outer inclosure roofed against the onslaughts of +the carnivorous cats; and the dogs, with the exception of a few, +were brought into the village; these few well-tested brutes remained +with the herd. During the day they fed plentifully upon the beasts +of prey which they killed in protection of the herd, so that their +keep amounted to nothing at all. + +Shortly after the commotion at the gate had subsided, Ajor and +I arose to enter the hut, and at the same time a warrior appeared +from one of the twisted alleys which, lying between the irregularly +placed huts and groups of huts, form the streets of the Kro-lu +village. The fellow halted before us and addressed me, saying +that Al-tan desired my presence at his hut. The wording of the +invitation and the manner of the messenger threw me entirely off +my guard, so cordial was the one and respectful the other, and the +result was that I went willingly, telling Ajor that I would return +presently. I had laid my arms and ammunition aside as soon as we +had taken over the hut, and I left them with Ajor now, as I had +noticed that aside from their hunting-knives the men of Kro-lu +bore no weapons about the village streets. There was an atmosphere +of peace and security within that village that I had not hoped to +experience within Caspak, and after what I had passed through, it +must have cast a numbing spell over my faculties of judgment and +reason. I had eaten of the lotus-flower of safety; dangers no +longer threatened for they had ceased to be. + +The messenger led me through the labyrinthine alleys to an open +plaza near the center of the village. At one end of this plaza was +a long hut, much the largest that I had yet seen, before the door +of which were many warriors. I could see that the interior was +lighted and that a great number of men were gathered within. The +dogs about the plaza were as thick as fleas, and those I approached +closely evinced a strong desire to devour me, their noses evidently +apprising them of the fact that I was of an alien race, since +they paid no attention whatever to my companion. Once inside the +council-hut, for such it appeared to be, I found a large concourse +of warriors seated, or rather squatted, around the floor. At +one end of the oval space which the warriors left down the center +of the room stood Al-tan and another warrior whom I immediately +recognized as a Galu, and then I saw that there were many Galus +present. About the walls were a number of flaming torches stuck +in holes in a clay plaster which evidently served the purpose of +preventing the inflammable wood and grasses of which the hut was +composed from being ignited by the flames. Lying about among the +warriors or wandering restlessly to and fro were a number of savage +dogs. + +The warriors eyed me curiously as I entered, especially the Galus, +and then I was conducted into the center of the group and led forward +toward Al-tan. As I advanced I felt one of the dogs sniffing at +my heels, and of a sudden a great brute leaped upon my back. As +I turned to thrust it aside before its fangs found a hold upon me, +I beheld a huge Airedale leaping frantically about me. The grinning +jaws, the half-closed eyes, the back-laid ears spoke to me louder +than might the words of man that here was no savage enemy but +a joyous friend, and then I recognized him, and fell to one knee +and put my arms about his neck while he whined and cried with joy. +It was Nobs, dear old Nobs. Bowen Tyler's Nobs, who had loved me +next to his master. + +"Where is the master of this dog?" I asked, turning toward Al-tan. + +The chieftain inclined his head toward the Galu standing at his +side. "He belongs to Du-seen the Galu," he replied. + +"He belongs to Bowen J. Tyler, Jr., of Santa Monica," I retorted, +"and I want to know where his master is." + +The Galu shrugged. "The dog is mine," he said. "He came to +me cor-sva-jo, and he is unlike any dog in Caspak, being kind and +docile and yet a killer when aroused. I would not part with him. +I do not know the man of whom you speak." + +So this was Du-seen! This was the man from whom Ajor had fled. I +wondered if he knew that she was here. I wondered if they had sent +for me because of her; but after they had commenced to question me, +my mind was relieved; they did not mention Ajor. Their interest +seemed centered upon the strange world from which I had come, +my journey to Caspak and my intentions now that I had arrived. I +answered them frankly as I had nothing to conceal and assured +them that my only wish was to find my friends and return to my own +country. In the Galu Du-seen and his warriors I saw something of +the explanation of the term "golden race" which is applied to them, +for their ornaments and weapons were either wholly of beaten gold +or heavily decorated with the precious metal. They were a very +imposing set of men--tall and straight and handsome. About their +heads were bands of gold like that which Ajor wore, and from their +left shoulders depended the leopard-tails of the Galus. In addition +to the deer-skin tunic which constituted the major portion of their +apparel, each carried a light blanket of barbaric yet beautiful +design--the first evidence of weaving I had seen in Caspak. Ajor +had had no blanket, having lost it during her flight from the +attentions of Du-seen; nor was she so heavily incrusted with gold +as these male members of her tribe. + +The audience must have lasted fully an hour when Al-tan signified +that I might return to my hut. All the time Nobs had lain quietly +at my feet; but the instant that I turned to leave, he was up and +after me. Duseen called to him; but the terrier never even so +much as looked in his direction. I had almost reached the doorway +leading from the council-hall when Al-tan rose and called after +me. "Stop!" he shouted. "Stop, stranger! The beast of Du-seen +the Galu follows you." + +"The dog is not Du-seen's," I replied. "He belongs to my friend, +as I told you, and he prefers to stay with me until his master is +found." And I turned again to resume my way. I had taken but a +few steps when I heard a commotion behind me, and at the same moment +a man leaned close and whispered "Kazar!" close to my ear--kazar, +the Caspakian equivalent of beware. It was To-mar. As he spoke, +he turned quickly away as though loath to have others see that +he knew me, and at the same instant I wheeled to discover Du-seen +striding rapidly after me. Al-tan followed him, and it was evident +that both were angry. + +Du-seen, a weapon half drawn, approached truculently. "The beast +is mine," he reiterated. "Would you steal him?" + +"He is not yours nor mine," I replied, "and I am not stealing him. +If he wishes to follow you, he may; I will not interfere; but if +he wishes to follow me, he shall; nor shall you prevent." I turned +to Al-tan. "Is not that fair?" I demanded. "Let the dog choose +his master." + +Du-seen, without waiting for Al-tan's reply, reached for Nobs and +grasped him by the scruff of the neck. I did not interfere, for +I guessed what would happen; and it did. With a savage growl Nobs +turned like lightning upon the Galu, wrenched loose from his hold +and leaped for his throat. The man stepped back and warded off +the first attack with a heavy blow of his fist, immediately drawing +his knife with which to meet the Airedale's return. And Nobs would +have returned, all right, had not I spoken to him. In a low voice +I called him to heel. For just an instant he hesitated, standing +there trembling and with bared fangs, glaring at his foe; but he +was well trained and had been out with me quite as much as he had +with Bowen--in fact, I had had most to do with his early training; +then he walked slowly and very stiff-legged to his place behind +me. + +Du-seen, red with rage, would have had it out with the two of us +had not Al-tan drawn him to one side and whispered in his ear--upon +which, with a grunt, the Galu walked straight back to the opposite +end of the hall, while Nobs and I continued upon our way toward +the hut and Ajor. As we passed out into the village plaza, I saw +Chal-az--we were so close to one another that I could have reached +out and touched him--and our eyes met; but though I greeted him +pleasantly and paused to speak to him, he brushed past me without +a sign of recognition. I was puzzled at his behavior, and then +I recalled that To-mar, though he had warned me, had appeared not +to wish to seem friendly with me. I could not understand their +attitude, and was trying to puzzle out some sort of explanation, +when the matter was suddenly driven from my mind by the report of +a firearm. Instantly I broke into a run, my brain in a whirl of +forebodings, for the only firearms in the Kro-lu country were those +I had left in the hut with Ajor. + +That she was in danger I could not but fear, as she was now something +of an adept in the handling of both the pistol and rifle, a fact +which largely eliminated the chance that the shot had come from an +accidentally discharged firearm. When I left the hut, I had felt +that she and I were safe among friends; no thought of danger was in +my mind; but since my audience with Al-tan, the presence and bearing +of Duseen and the strange attitude of both To-mar and Chal-az had +each contributed toward arousing my suspicions, and now I ran along +the narrow, winding alleys of the Kro-lu village with my heart +fairly in my mouth. + +I am endowed with an excellent sense of direction, which has been +greatly perfected by the years I have spent in the mountains and +upon the plains and deserts of my native state, so that it was +with little or no difficulty that I found my way back to the hut +in which I had left Ajor. As I entered the doorway, I called her +name aloud. There was no response. I drew a box of matches from +my pocket and struck a light and as the flame flared up, a half-dozen +brawny warriors leaped upon me from as many directions; but even +in the brief instant that the flare lasted, I saw that Ajor was +not within the hut, and that my arms and ammunition had been removed. + +As the six men leaped upon me, an angry growl burst from behind +them. I had forgotten Nobs. Like a demon of hate he sprang among +those Kro-lu fighting-men, tearing, rending, ripping with his long +tusks and his mighty jaws. They had me down in an instant, and it +goes without saying that the six of them could have kept me there +had it not been for Nobs; but while I was struggling to throw them +off, Nobs was springing first upon one and then upon another of +them until they were so put to it to preserve their hides and their +lives from him that they could give me only a small part of their +attention. One of them was assiduously attempting to strike me on +the head with his stone hatchet; but I caught his arm and at the +same time turned over upon my belly, after which it took but an +instant to get my feet under me and rise suddenly. + +As I did so, I kept a grip upon the man's arm, carrying it over one +shoulder. Then I leaned suddenly forward and hurled my antagonist +over my head to a hasty fall at the opposite side of the hut. In +the dim light of the interior I saw that Nobs had already accounted +for one of the others--one who lay very quiet upon the floor--while +the four remaining upon their feet were striking at him with knives +and hatchets. + +Running to one side of the man I had just put out of the fighting, +I seized his hatchet and knife, and in another moment was in the +thick of the argument. I was no match for these savage warriors +with their own weapons and would soon have gone down to ignominious +defeat and death had it not been for Nobs, who alone was a match +for the four of them. I never saw any creature so quick upon its +feet as was that great Airedale, nor such frightful ferocity as he +manifested in his attacks. It was as much the latter as the former +which contributed to the undoing of our enemies, who, accustomed +though they were to the ferocity of terrible creatures, seemed awed +by the sight of this strange beast from another world battling at +the side of his equally strange master. Yet they were no cowards, +and only by teamwork did Nobs and I overcome them at last. We +would rush for a man, simultaneously, and as Nobs leaped for him +upon one side, I would strike at his head with the stone hatchet +from the other. + +As the last man went down, I heard the running of many feet approaching +us from the direction of the plaza. To be captured now would mean +death; yet I could not attempt to leave the village without first +ascertaining the whereabouts of Ajor and releasing her if she were +held a captive. That I could escape the village I was not at all +sure; but of one thing I was positive; that it would do neither +Ajor nor myself any service to remain where I was and be captured; +so with Nobs, bloody but happy, following at heel, I turned down +the first alley and slunk away in the direction of the northern +end of the village. + +Friendless and alone, hunted through the dark labyrinths of this +savage community, I seldom have felt more helpless than at that +moment; yet far transcending any fear which I may have felt for my +own safety was my concern for that of Ajor. What fate had befallen +her? Where was she, and in whose power? That I should live to +learn the answers to these queries I doubted; but that I should +face death gladly in the attempt--of that I was certain. And why? +With all my concern for the welfare of my friends who had accompanied +me to Caprona, and of my best friend of all, Bowen J. Tyler, Jr., +I never yet had experienced the almost paralyzing fear for the +safety of any other creature which now threw me alternately into a +fever of despair and into a cold sweat of apprehension as my mind +dwelt upon the fate on one bit of half-savage femininity of whose +very existence even I had not dreamed a few short weeks before. + +What was this hold she had upon me? Was I bewitched, that my mind +refused to function sanely, and that judgment and reason were +dethroned by some mad sentiment which I steadfastly refused to believe +was love? I had never been in love. I was not in love now--the +very thought was preposterous. How could I, Thomas Billings, the +right-hand man of the late Bowen J. Tyler, Sr., one of America's +foremost captains of industry and the greatest man in California, +be in love with a--a--the word stuck in my throat; yet by my own +American standards Ajor could be nothing else; at home, for all +her beauty, for all her delicately tinted skin, little Ajor by her +apparel, by the habits and customs and manners of her people, by +her life, would have been classed a squaw. Tom Billings in love +with a squaw! I shuddered at the thought. + +And then there came to my mind, in a sudden, brilliant flash upon +the screen of recollection the picture of Ajor as I had last seen +her, and I lived again the delicious moment in which we had clung +to one another, lips smothering lips, as I left her to go to the +council hall of Al-tan; and I could have kicked myself for the +snob and the cad that my thoughts had proven me--me, who had always +prided myself that I was neither the one nor the other! + +These things ran through my mind as Nobs and I made our way through +the dark village, the voices and footsteps of those who sought us +still in our ears. These and many other things, nor could I escape +the incontrovertible fact that the little figure round which +my recollections and my hopes entwined themselves was that of +Ajor--beloved barbarian! My reveries were broken in upon by a hoarse +whisper from the black interior of a hut past which we were making +our way. My name was called in a low voice, and a man stepped out +beside me as I halted with raised knife. It was Chal-az. + +"Quick!" he warned. "In here! It is my hut, and they will not +search it." + +I hesitated, recalled his attitude of a few minutes before; and +as though he had read my thoughts, he said quickly: "I could not +speak to you in the plaza without danger of arousing suspicions +which would prevent me aiding you later, for word had gone out +that Al-tan had turned against you and would destroy you--this was +after Du-seen the Galu arrived." + +I followed him into the hut, and with Nobs at our heels we passed +through several chambers into a remote and windowless apartment +where a small lamp sputtered in its unequal battle with the inky +darkness. A hole in the roof permitted the smoke from burning +oil egress; yet the atmosphere was far from lucid. Here Chal-az +motioned me to a seat upon a furry hide spread upon the earthen +floor. + +"I am your friend," he said. "You saved my life; and I am no +ingrate as is the batu Al-tan. I will serve you, and there are +others here who will serve you against Al-tan and this renegade +Galu, Du-seen." + +"But where is Ajor?" I asked, for I cared little for my own safety +while she was in danger. + +"Ajor is safe, too," he answered. "We learned the designs of Al-tan +and Du-seen. The latter, learning that Ajor was here, demanded her; +and Al-tan promised that he should have her; but when the warriors +went to get her To-mar went with them. Ajor tried to defend herself. +She killed one of the warriors, and then To-mar picked her up in +his arms when the others had taken her weapons from her. He told +the others to look after the wounded man, who was really already +dead, and to seize you upon your return, and that he, To-mar, would +bear Ajor to Al-tan; but instead of bearing her to Al-tan, he took +her to his own hut, where she now is with So-al, To-mar's she. It +all happened very quickly. To-mar and I were in the council-hut +when Du-seen attempted to take the dog from you. I was seeking +To-mar for this work. He ran out immediately and accompanied the +warriors to your hut while I remained to watch what went on within +the council-hut and to aid you if you needed aid. What has happened +since you know." + +I thanked him for his loyalty and then asked him to take me to Ajor; +but he said that it could not be done, as the village streets were +filled with searchers. In fact, we could hear them passing to and +fro among the huts, making inquiries, and at last Chal-az thought +it best to go to the doorway of his dwelling, which consisted of +many huts joined together, lest they enter and search. + +Chal-az was absent for a long time--several hours which seemed an +eternity to me. All sounds of pursuit had long since ceased, and +I was becoming uneasy because of his protracted absence when I +heard him returning through the other apartments of his dwelling. +He was perturbed when he entered that in which I awaited him, and +I saw a worried expression upon his face. + +"What is wrong?" I asked. "Have they found Ajor?" + +"No," he replied; "but Ajor has gone. She learned that you had +escaped them and was told that you had left the village, believing +that she had escaped too. So-al could not detain her. She made her +way out over the top of the palisade, armed with only her knife." + +"Then I must go," I said, rising. Nobs rose and shook himself. +He had been dead asleep when I spoke. + +"Yes," agreed Chal-az, "you must go at once. It is almost dawn. +Du-seen leaves at daylight to search for her." He leaned close +to my ear and whispered: "There are many to follow and help you. +Al-tan has agreed to aid Du-seen against the Galus of Jor; but +there are many of us who have combined to rise against Al-tan and +prevent this ruthless desecration of the laws and customs of the +Kro-lu and of Caspak. We will rise as Luata has ordained that we +shall rise, and only thus. No batu may win to the estate of a Galu +by treachery and force of arms while Chal-az lives and may wield +a heavy blow and a sharp spear with true Kro-lus at his back!" + +"I hope that I may live to aid you," I replied. "If I had my weapons +and my ammunition, I could do much. Do you know where they are?" +"No," he said, "they have disappeared." And then: "Wait! You +cannot go forth half armed, and garbed as you are. You are going +into the Galu country, and you must go as a Galu. Come!" And +without waiting for a reply, he led me into another apartment, or +to be more explicit, another of the several huts which formed his +cellular dwelling. + +Here was a pile of skins, weapons, and ornaments. "Remove your +strange apparel," said Chal-az, "and I will fit you out as a true +Galu. I have slain several of them in the raids of my early days +as a Kro-lu, and here are their trappings." + +I saw the wisdom of his suggestion, and as my clothes were by now +so ragged as to but half conceal my nakedness, I had no regrets in +laying them aside. Stripped to the skin, I donned the red-deerskin +tunic, the leopard-tail, the golden fillet, armlets and leg-ornaments +of a Galu, with the belt, scabbard and knife, the shield, spear, +bow and arrow and the long rope which I learned now for the first +time is the distinctive weapon of the Galu warrior. It is a rawhide +rope, not dissimilar to those of the Western plains and cow-camps +of my youth. The honda is a golden oval and accurate weight for +the throwing of the noose. This heavy honda, Chal-az explained, +is used as a weapon, being thrown with great force and accuracy at +an enemy and then coiled in for another cast. In hunting and in +battle, they use both the noose and the honda. If several warriors +surround a single foeman or quarry, they rope it with the noose +from several sides; but a single warrior against a lone antagonist +will attempt to brain his foe with the metal oval. + +I could not have been more pleased with any weapon, short of a +rifle, which he could have found for me, since I have been adept with +the rope from early childhood; but I must confess that I was less +favorably inclined toward my apparel. In so far as the sensation +was concerned, I might as well have been entirely naked, so short +and light was the tunic. When I asked Chal-az for the Caspakian +name for rope, he told me ga, and for the first time I understood +the derivation of the word Galu, which means ropeman. + +Entirely outfitted I would not have known myself, so strange was +my garb and my armament. Upon my back were slung my bow, arrows, +shield, and short spear; from the center of my girdle depended my +knife; at my right hip was my stone hatchet; and at my left hung +the coils of my long rope. By reaching my right hand over my left +shoulder, I could seize the spear or arrows; my left hand could find +my bow over my right shoulder, while a veritable contortionist-act +was necessary to place my shield in front of me and upon my left +arm. The shield, long and oval, is utilized more as back-armor than +as a defense against frontal attack, for the close-set armlets of +gold upon the left forearm are principally depended upon to ward +off knife, spear, hatchet, or arrow from in front; but against the +greater carnivora and the attacks of several human antagonists, +the shield is utilized to its best advantage and carried by loops +upon the left arm. + +Fully equipped, except for a blanket, I followed Chal-az from his +domicile into the dark and deserted alleys of Kro-lu. Silently +we crept along, Nobs silent at heel, toward the nearest portion of +the palisade. Here Chal-az bade me farewell, telling me that he +hoped to see me soon among the Galus, as he felt that "the call +soon would come" to him. I thanked him for his loyal assistance and +promised that whether I reached the Galu country or not, I should +always stand ready to repay his kindness to me, and that he could +count on me in the revolution against Al-tan. + + + + + +Chapter 7 + + + + +To run up the inclined surface of the palisade and drop to the +ground outside was the work of but a moment, or would have been but +for Nobs. I had to put my rope about him after we reached the top, +lift him over the sharpened stakes and lower him upon the outside. +To find Ajor in the unknown country to the north seemed rather +hopeless; yet I could do no less than try, praying in the meanwhile +that she would come through unscathed and in safety to her father. + +As Nobs and I swung along in the growing light of the coming day, +I was impressed by the lessening numbers of savage beasts the +farther north I traveled. With the decrease among the carnivora, +the herbivora increased in quantity, though anywhere in Caspak they +are sufficiently plentiful to furnish ample food for the meateaters +of each locality. The wild cattle, antelope, deer, and horses +I passed showed changes in evolution from their cousins farther +south. The kine were smaller and less shaggy, the horses larger. +North of the Kro-lu village I saw a small band of the latter +of about the size of those of our old Western plains--such as the +Indians bred in former days and to a lesser extent even now. They +were fat and sleek, and I looked upon them with covetous eyes and +with thoughts that any old cow-puncher may well imagine I might +entertain after having hoofed it for weeks; but they were wary, +scarce permitting me to approach within bow-and-arrow range, much +less within roping-distance; yet I still had hopes which I never +discarded. + +Twice before noon we were stalked and charged by man-eaters; but +even though I was without firearms, I still had ample protection in +Nobs, who evidently had learned something of Caspakian hunt rules +under the tutelage of Du-seen or some other Galu, and of course +a great deal more by experience. He always was on the alert for +dangerous foes, invariably warning me by low growls of the approach +of a large carnivorous animal long before I could either see or +hear it, and then when the thing appeared, he would run snapping +at its heels, drawing the charge away from me until I found safety +in some tree; yet never did the wily Nobs take an unnecessary chance +of a mauling. He would dart in and away so quickly that not even +the lightning-like movements of the great cats could reach him. +I have seen him tantalize them thus until they fairly screamed in +rage. + +The greatest inconvenience the hunters caused me was the delay, +for they have a nasty habit of keeping one treed for an hour or +more if balked in their designs; but at last we came in sight of +a line of cliffs running east and west across our path as far as +the eye could see in either direction, and I knew that we reached +the natural boundary which marks the line between the Kro-lu and +Galu countries. The southern face of these cliffs loomed high and +forbidding, rising to an altitude of some two hundred feet, sheer +and precipitous, without a break that the eye could perceive. How +I was to find a crossing I could not guess. Whether to search to +the east toward the still loftier barrier-cliffs fronting upon the +ocean, or westward in the direction of the inland sea was a question +which baffled me. Were there many passes or only one? I had no +way of knowing. I could but trust to chance. It never occurred +to me that Nobs had made the crossing at least once, possibly +a greater number of times, and that he might lead me to the pass; +and so it was with no idea of assistance that I appealed to him as +a man alone with a dumb brute so often does. + +"Nobs," I said, "how the devil are we going to cross those cliffs?" + +I do not say that he understood me, even though I realize that an +Airedale is a mighty intelligent dog; but I do swear that he seemed +to understand me, for he wheeled about, barking joyously and trotted +off toward the west; and when I didn't follow him, he ran back to +me barking furiously, and at last taking hold of the calf of my leg +in an effort to pull me along in the direction he wished me to go. +Now, as my legs were naked and Nobs' jaws are much more powerful +than he realizes, I gave in and followed him, for I knew that +I might as well go west as east, as far as any knowledge I had of +the correct direction went. + +We followed the base of the cliffs for a considerable distance. +The ground was rolling and tree-dotted and covered with grazing +animals, alone, in pairs and in herds--a motley aggregation of the +modern and extinct herbivore of the world. A huge woolly mastodon +stood swaying to and fro in the shade of a giant fern--a mighty +bull with enormous upcurving tusks. Near him grazed an aurochs +bull with a cow and a calf, close beside a lone rhinoceros asleep +in a dust-hole. Deer, antelope, bison, horses, sheep, and goats +were all in sight at the same time, and at a little distance a +great megatherium reared up on its huge tail and massive hind feet +to tear the leaves from a tall tree. The forgotten past rubbed +flanks with the present--while Tom Billings, modern of the moderns, +passed in the garb of pre-Glacial man, and before him trotted a +creature of a breed scarce sixty years old. Nobs was a parvenu; +but it failed to worry him. + +As we neared the inland sea we saw more flying reptiles and several +great amphibians, but none of them attacked us. As we were topping +a rise in the middle of the afternoon, I saw something that brought +me to a sudden stop. Calling Nobs in a whisper, I cautioned him to +silence and kept him at heel while I threw myself flat and watched, +from behind a sheltering shrub, a body of warriors approaching +the cliff from the south. I could see that they were Galus, and I +guessed that Du-seen led them. They had taken a shorter route to +the pass and so had overhauled me. I could see them plainly, for +they were no great distance away, and saw with relief that Ajor +was not with them. + +The cliffs before them were broken and ragged, those coming from +the east overlapping the cliffs from the west. Into the defile +formed by this overlapping the party filed. I could see them +climbing upward for a few minutes, and then they disappeared from +view. When the last of them had passed from sight, I rose and bent +my steps in the direction of the pass--the same pass toward which +Nobs had evidently been leading me. I went warily as I approached +it, for fear the party might have halted to rest. If they hadn't +halted, I had no fear of being discovered, for I had seen that +the Galus marched without point, flankers or rear guard; and when +I reached the pass and saw a narrow, one-man trail leading upward +at a stiff angle, I wished that I were chief of the Galus for a +few weeks. A dozen men could hold off forever in that narrow pass +all the hordes which might be brought up from the south; yet there +it lay entirely unguarded. + +The Galus might be a great people in Caspak; but they were pitifully +inefficient in even the simpler forms of military tactics. I was +surprised that even a man of the Stone Age should be so lacking +in military perspicacity. Du-seen dropped far below par in my +estimation as I saw the slovenly formation of his troop as it passed +through an enemy country and entered the domain of the chief against +whom he had risen in revolt; but Du-seen must have known Jor the +chief and known that Jor would not be waiting for him at the pass. +Nevertheless he took unwarranted chances. With one squad of a +home-guard company I could have conquered Caspak. + +Nobs and I followed to the summit of the pass, and there we saw the +party defiling into the Galu country, the level of which was not, +on an average, over fifty feet below the summit of the cliffs and +about a hundred and fifty feet above the adjacent Kro-lu domain. +Immediately the landscape changed. The trees, the flowers and the +shrubs were of a hardier type, and I realized that at night the +Galu blanket might be almost a necessity. Acacia and eucalyptus +predominated among the trees; yet there were ash and oak and even +pine and fir and hemlock. The tree-life was riotous. The forests +were dense and peopled by enormous trees. From the summit of the +cliff I could see forests rising hundreds of feet above the level +upon which I stood, and even at the distance they were from me I +realized that the boles were of gigantic size. + +At last I had come to the Galu country. Though not conceived in +Caspak, I had indeed come up cor-sva jo--from the beginning I had +come up through the hideous horrors of the lower Caspakian spheres +of evolution, and I could not but feel something of the elation and +pride which had filled To-mar and So-al when they realized that the +call had come to them and they were about to rise from the estate +of Band-lus to that of Kro-lus. I was glad that I was not batu. + +But where was Ajor? Though my eyes searched the wide landscape +before me, I saw nothing other than the warriors of Du-seen and +the beasts of the fields and the forests. Surrounded by forests, +I could see wide plains dotting the country as far as the eye could +reach; but nowhere was a sign of a small Galu she--the beloved she +whom I would have given my right hand to see. + +Nobs and I were hungry; we had not eaten since the preceding night, +and below us was game-deer, sheep, anything that a hungry hunter +might crave; so down the steep trail we made our way, and then +upon my belly with Nobs crouching low behind me, I crawled toward a +small herd of red deer feeding at the edge of a plain close beside +a forest. There was ample cover, what with solitary trees and +dotting bushes so that I found no difficulty in stalking up wind +to within fifty feet of my quarry--a large, sleek doe unaccompanied +by a fawn. Greatly then did I regret my rifle. Never in my life +had I shot an arrow, but I knew how it was done, and fitting the +shaft to my string, I aimed carefully and let drive. At the same +instant I called to Nobs and leaped to me feet. + +The arrow caught the doe full in the side, and in the same moment +Nobs was after her. She turned to flee with the two of us pursuing +her, Nobs with his great fangs bared and I with my short spear +poised for a cast. The balance of the herd sprang quickly away; +but the hurt doe lagged, and in a moment Nobs was beside her and +had leaped at her throat. He had her down when I came up, and I +finished her with my spear. It didn't take me long to have a fire +going and a steak broiling, and while I was preparing for my own +feast, Nobs was filling himself with raw venison. Never have I +enjoyed a meal so heartily. + +For two days I searched fruitlessly back and forth from the inland +sea almost to the barrier cliffs for some trace of Ajor, and always +I trended northward; but I saw no sign of any human being, not even +the band of Galu warriors under Du-seen; and then I commenced to +have misgivings. Had Chal-az spoken the truth to me when he said +that Ajor had quit the village of the Kro-lu? Might he not have +been acting upon the orders of Al-tan, in whose savage bosom might +have lurked some small spark of shame that he had attempted to do +to death one who had befriended a Kro-lu warrior--a guest who had +brought no harm upon the Kro-lu race--and thus have sent me out +upon a fruitless mission in the hope that the wild beasts would do +what Al-tan hesitated to do? I did not know; but the more I thought +upon it, the more convinced I became that Ajor had not quitted the +Kro-lu village; but if not, what had brought Du-seen forth without +her? There was a puzzler, and once again I was all at sea. + +On the second day of my experience of the Galu country I came upon a +bunch of as magnificent horses as it has ever been my lot to see. +They were dark bays with blazed faces and perfect surcingles of +white about their barrels. Their forelegs were white to the knees. +In height they stood almost sixteen hands, the mares being a trifle +smaller than the stallions, of which there were three or four in +this band of a hundred, which comprised many colts and half-grown +horses. Their markings were almost identical, indicating a purity +of strain that might have persisted since long ages ago. If I had +coveted one of the little ponies of the Kro-lu country, imagine +my state of mind when I came upon these magnificent creatures! No +sooner had I espied them than I determined to possess one of them; +nor did it take me long to select a beautiful young stallion--a +four-year-old, I guessed him. + +The horses were grazing close to the edge of the forest in which +Nobs and I were concealed, while the ground between us and them +was dotted with clumps of flowering brush which offered perfect +concealment. The stallion of my choice grazed with a filly and two +yearlings a little apart from the balance of the herd and nearest +to the forest and to me. At my whispered "Charge!" Nobs flattened +himself to the ground, and I knew that he would not again move until +I called him, unless danger threatened me from the rear. Carefully +I crept forward toward my unsuspecting quarry, coming undetected +to the concealment of a bush not more than twenty feet from him. +Here I quietly arranged my noose, spreading it flat and open upon +the ground. + +To step to one side of the bush and throw directly from the ground, +which is the style I am best in, would take but an instant, and +in that instant the stallion would doubtless be under way at top +speed in the opposite direction. Then he would have to wheel about +when I surprised him, and in doing so, he would most certainly +rise slightly upon his hind feet and throw up his head, presenting +a perfect target for my noose as he pivoted. + +Yes, I had it beautifully worked out, and I waited until he should +turn in my direction. At last it became evident that he was doing +so, when apparently without cause, the filly raised her head, neighed +and started off at a trot in the opposite direction, immediately +followed, of course, by the colts and my stallion. It looked for +a moment as though my last hope was blasted; but presently their +fright, if fright it was, passed, and they resumed grazing again +a hundred yards farther on. This time there was no bush within +fifty feet of them, and I was at a loss as to how to get within +safe roping-distance. Anywhere under forty feet I am an excellent +roper, at fifty feet I am fair; but over that I knew it would +be a matter of luck if I succeeded in getting my noose about that +beautiful arched neck. + +As I stood debating the question in my mind, I was almost upon the +point of making the attempt at the long throw. I had plenty of +rope, this Galu weapon being fully sixty feet long. How I wished +for the collies from the ranch! At a word they would have circled +this little bunch and driven it straight down to me; and then it +flashed into my mind that Nobs had run with those collies all one +summer, that he had gone down to the pasture with them after the +cows every evening and done his part in driving them back to the +milking-barn, and had done it intelligently; but Nobs had never +done the thing alone, and it had been a year since he had done it +at all. However, the chances were more in favor of my foozling +the long throw than that Nobs would fall down in his part if I gave +him the chance. + +Having come to a decision, I had to creep back to Nobs and get him, +and then with him at my heels return to a large bush near the four +horses. Here we could see directly through the bush, and pointing +the animals out to Nobs I whispered: "Fetch 'em, boy!" + +In an instant he was gone, circling wide toward the rear of the +quarry. They caught sight of him almost immediately and broke +into a trot away from him; but when they saw that he was apparently +giving them a wide berth they stopped again, though they stood +watching him, with high-held heads and quivering nostrils. It was +a beautiful sight. And then Nobs turned in behind them and trotted +slowly back toward me. He did not bark, nor come rushing down upon +them, and when he had come closer to them, he proceeded at a walk. +The splendid creatures seemed more curious than fearful, making +no effort to escape until Nobs was quite close to them; then they +trotted slowly away, but at right angles. + +And now the fun and trouble commenced. Nobs, of course, attempted +to turn them, and he seemed to have selected the stallion to work +upon, for he paid no attention to the others, having intelligence +enough to know that a lone dog could run his legs off before he +could round up four horses that didn't wish to be rounded up. The +stallion, however, had notions of his own about being headed, and +the result was as pretty a race as one would care to see. Gad, how +that horse could run! He seemed to flatten out and shoot through +the air with the very minimum of exertion, and at his forefoot ran +Nobs, doing his best to turn him. He was barking now, and twice he +leaped high against the stallion's flank; but this cost too much +effort and always lost him ground, as each time he was hurled heels +over head by the impact; yet before they disappeared over a rise +in the ground I was sure that Nob's persistence was bearing fruit; +it seemed to me that the horse was giving way a trifle to the right. +Nobs was between him and the main herd, to which the yearling and +filly had already fled. + +As I stood waiting for Nobs' return, I could not but speculate +upon my chances should I be attacked by some formidable beast. I +was some distance from the forest and armed with weapons in the use +of which I was quite untrained, though I had practiced some with +the spear since leaving the Kro-lu country. I must admit that my +thoughts were not pleasant ones, verging almost upon cowardice, +until I chanced to think of little Ajor alone in this same land +and armed only with a knife! I was immediately filled with shame; +but in thinking the matter over since, I have come to the conclusion +that my state of mind was influenced largely by my approximate +nakedness. If you have never wandered about in broad daylight +garbed in a bit of red-deer skin in inadequate length, you can have +no conception of the sensation of futility that overwhelms one. +Clothes, to a man accustomed to wearing clothes, impart a certain +self-confidence; lack of them induces panic. + +But no beast attacked me, though I saw several menacing forms +passing through the dark aisles of the forest. At last I commenced +to worry over Nobs' protracted absence and to fear that something +had befallen him. I was coiling my rope to start out in search +of him, when I saw the stallion leap into view at almost the same +spot behind which he had disappeared, and at his heels ran Nobs. +Neither was running so fast or furiously as when last I had seen +them. + +The horse, as he approached me, I could see was laboring hard; yet +he kept gamely to his task, and Nobs, too. The splendid fellow was +driving the quarry straight toward me. I crouched behind my bush +and laid my noose in readiness to throw. As the two approached my +hiding-place, Nobs reduced his speed, and the stallion, evidently +only too glad of the respite, dropped into a trot. It was at this +gait that he passed me; my rope-hand flew forward; the honda, well +down, held the noose open, and the beautiful bay fairly ran his +head into it. + +Instantly he wheeled to dash off at right angles. I braced myself +with the rope around my hip and brought him to a sudden stand. +Rearing and struggling, he fought for his liberty while Nobs, +panting and with lolling tongue, came and threw himself down near +me. He seemed to know that his work was done and that he had +earned his rest. The stallion was pretty well spent, and after a +few minutes of struggling he stood with feet far spread, nostrils +dilated and eyes wide, watching me as I edged toward him, taking +in the slack of the rope as I advanced. A dozen times he reared +and tried to break away; but always I spoke soothingly to him and +after an hour of effort I succeeded in reaching his head and stroking +his muzzle. Then I gathered a handful of grass and offered it to +him, and always I talked to him in a quiet and reassuring voice. + +I had expected a battle royal; but on the contrary I found his +taming a matter of comparative ease. Though wild, he was gentle +to a degree, and of such remarkable intelligence that he soon +discovered that I had no intention of harming him. After that, +all was easy. Before that day was done, I had taught him to lead +and to stand while I stroked his head and flanks, and to eat from +my hand, and had the satisfaction of seeing the light of fear die +in his large, intelligent eyes. + +The following day I fashioned a hackamore from a piece which I cut +from the end of my long Galu rope, and then I mounted him fully +prepared for a struggle of titanic proportions in which I was none +too sure that he would not come off victor; but he never made the +slightest effort to unseat me, and from then on his education was +rapid. No horse ever learned more quickly the meaning of the rein +and the pressure of the knees. I think he soon learned to love +me, and I know that I loved him; while he and Nobs were the best +of pals. I called him Ace. I had a friend who was once in the +French flying-corps, and when Ace let himself out, he certainly +flew. + +I cannot explain to you, nor can you understand, unless you too are +a horseman, the exhilarating feeling of well-being which pervaded +me from the moment that I commenced riding Ace. I was a new man, +imbued with a sense of superiority that led me to feel that I could +go forth and conquer all Caspak single-handed. Now, when I needed +meat, I ran it down on Ace and roped it, and when some great beast +with which we could not cope threatened us, we galloped away to +safety; but for the most part the creatures we met looked upon us +in terror, for Ace and I in combination presented a new and unusual +beast beyond their experience and ken. + +For five days I rode back and forth across the southern end of the +Galu country without seeing a human being; yet all the time I was +working slowly toward the north, for I had determined to comb the +territory thoroughly in search of Ajor; but on the fifth day as +I emerged from a forest, I saw some distance ahead of me a single +small figure pursued by many others. Instantly I recognized the +quarry as Ajor. The entire party was fully a mile away from me, +and they were crossing my path at right angles. Ajor a few hundred +yards in advance of those who followed her. One of her pursuers +was far in advance of the others, and was gaining upon her rapidly. +With a word and a pressure of the knees I sent Ace leaping out into +the open, and with Nobs running close alongside, we raced toward +her. + +At first none of them saw us; but as we neared Ajor, the pack +behind the foremost pursuer discovered us and set up such a howl +as I never before have heard. They were all Galus, and I soon +recognized the foremost as Du-seen. He was almost upon Ajor now, +and with a sense of terror such as I had never before experienced, +I saw that he ran with his knife in his hand, and that his intention +was to slay rather than capture. I could not understand it, but +I could only urge Ace to greater speed, and most nobly did the +wondrous creature respond to my demands. If ever a four-footed +creature approximated flying, it was Ace that day. + +Du-seen, intent upon his brutal design, had as yet not noticed us. +He was within a pace of Ajor when Ace and I dashed between them, +and I, leaning down to the left, swept my little barbarian into +the hollow of an arm and up on the withers of my glorious Ace. We +had snatched her from the very clutches of Du-seen, who halted, +mystified and raging. Ajor, too, was mystified, as we had come +up from diagonally behind her so that she had no idea that we were +near until she was swung to Ace's back. The little savage turned +with drawn knife to stab me, thinking that I was some new enemy, +when her eyes found my face and she recognized me. With a little +sob she threw her arms about my neck, gasping: "My Tom! My Tom!" + +And then Ace sank suddenly into thick mud to his belly, and Ajor +and I were thrown far over his head. He had run into one of those +numerous springs which cover Caspak. Sometimes they are little +lakes, again but tiny pools, and often mere quagmires of mud, as +was this one overgrown with lush grasses which effectually hid its +treacherous identity. It is a wonder that Ace did not break a leg, +so fast he was going when he fell; but he didn't, though with four +good legs he was unable to wallow from the mire. Ajor and I had +sprawled face down in the covering grasses and so had not sunk +deeply; but when we tried to rise, we found that there was not +footing, and presently we saw that Du-seen and his followers were +coming down upon us. There was no escape. It was evident that we +were doomed. + +"Slay me!" begged Ajor. "Let me die at thy loved hands rather than +beneath the knife of this hateful thing, for he will kill me. He +has sworn to kill me. Last night he captured me, and when later +he would have his way with me, I struck him with my fists and with +my knife I stabbed him, and then I escaped, leaving him raging in +pain and thwarted desire. Today they searched for me and found +me; and as I fled, Du-seen ran after me crying that he would slay +me. Kill me, my Tom, and then fall upon thine own spear, for they +will kill you horribly if they take you alive." + +I couldn't kill her--not at least until the last moment; and I told +her so, and that I loved her, and that until death came, I would +live and fight for her. + +Nobs had followed us into the bog and had done fairly well at +first, but when he neared us he too sank to his belly and could +only flounder about. We were in this predicament when Du-seen and +his followers approached the edge of the horrible swamp. I saw that +Al-tan was with him and many other Kro-lu warriors. The alliance +against Jor the chief had, therefore, been consummated, and this +horde was already marching upon the Galu city. I sighed as I +thought how close I had been to saving not only Ajor but her father +and his people from defeat and death. + +Beyond the swamp was a dense wood. Could we have reached this, +we would have been safe; but it might as well have been a hundred +miles away as a hundred yards across that hidden lake of sticky mud. +Upon the edge of the swamp Du-seen and his horde halted to revile +us. They could not reach us with their hands; but at a command from +Du-seen they fitted arrows to their bows, and I saw that the end +had come. Ajor huddled close to me, and I took her in my arms. "I +love you, Tom," she said, "only you." Tears came to my eyes then, +not tears of self-pity for my predicament, but tears from a heart +filled with a great love--a heart that sees the sun of its life +and its love setting even as it rises. + +The renegade Galus and their Kro-lu allies stood waiting for the +word from Du-seen that would launch that barbed avalanche of death +upon us, when there broke from the wood beyond the swamp the sweetest +music that ever fell upon the ears of man--the sharp staccato of at +least two score rifles fired rapidly at will. Down went the Galu +and Kro-lu warriors like tenpins before that deadly fusillade. + +What could it mean? To me it meant but one thing, and that was +that Hollis and Short and the others had scaled the cliffs and made +their way north to the Galu country upon the opposite side of the +island in time to save Ajor and me from almost certain death. I +didn't have to have an introduction to them to know that the men +who held those rifles were the men of my own party; and when, a +few minutes later, they came forth from their concealment, my eyes +verified my hopes. There they were, every man-jack of them; and +with them were a thousand straight, sleek warriors of the Galu +race; and ahead of the others came two men in the garb of Galus. +Each was tall and straight and wonderfully muscled; yet they differed +as Ace might differ from a perfect specimen of another species. +As they approached the mire, Ajor held forth her arms and cried, +"Jor, my chief! My father!" and the elder of the two rushed in +knee-deep to rescue her, and then the other came close and looked +into my face, and his eyes went wide, and mine too, and I cried: +"Bowen! For heaven's sake, Bowen Tyler!" + +It was he. My search was ended. Around me were all my company +and the man we had searched a new world to find. They cut saplings +from the forest and laid a road into the swamp before they could +get us all out, and then we marched back to the city of Jor the +Galu chief, and there was great rejoicing when Ajor came home again +mounted upon the glossy back of the stallion Ace. + +Tyler and Hollis and Short and all the rest of us Americans nearly +worked our jaws loose on the march back to the village, and for +days afterward we kept it up. They told me how they had crossed +the barrier cliffs in five days, working twenty-four hours a day in +three eight-hour shifts with two reliefs to each shift alternating +half-hourly. Two men with electric drills driven from the dynamos +aboard the Toreador drilled two holes four feet apart in the face +of the cliff and in the same horizontal planes. The holes slanted +slightly downward. Into these holes the iron rods brought as +a part of our equipment and for just this purpose were inserted, +extending about a foot beyond the face of the rock, across these +two rods a plank was laid, and then the next shift, mounting to the +new level, bored two more holes five feet above the new platform, +and so on. + +During the nights the searchlights from the Toreador were kept +playing upon the cliff at the point where the drills were working, +and at the rate of ten feet an hour the summit was reached upon +the fifth day. Ropes were lowered, blocks lashed to trees at the +top, and crude elevators rigged, so that by the night of the fifth +day the entire party, with the exception of the few men needed to +man the Toreador, were within Caspak with an abundance of arms, +ammunition and equipment. + +From then on, they fought their way north in search of me, after +a vain and perilous effort to enter the hideous reptile-infested +country to the south. Owing to the number of guns among them, +they had not lost a man; but their path was strewn with the dead +creatures they had been forced to slay to win their way to the +north end of the island, where they had found Bowen and his bride +among the Galus of Jor. + +The reunion between Bowen and Nobs was marked by a frantic display +upon Nobs' part, which almost stripped Bowen of the scanty attire +that the Galu custom had vouchsafed him. When we arrived at the +Galu city, Lys La Rue was waiting to welcome us. She was Mrs. +Tyler now, as the master of the Toreador had married them the very +day that the search-party had found them, though neither Lys nor +Bowen would admit that any civil or religious ceremony could have +rendered more sacred the bonds with which God had united them. + +Neither Bowen nor the party from the Toreador had seen any sign +of Bradley and his party. They had been so long lost now that any +hopes for them must be definitely abandoned. The Galus had heard +rumors of them, as had the Western Kro-lu and Band-lu; but none had +seen aught of them since they had left Fort Dinosaur months since. + +We rested in Jor's village for a fortnight while we prepared for +the southward journey to the point where the Toreador was to lie +off shore in wait for us. During these two weeks Chal-az came up +from the Krolu country, now a full-fledged Galu. He told us that +the remnants of Al-tan's party had been slain when they attempted +to re-enter Kro-lu. Chal-az had been made chief, and when he rose, +had left the tribe under a new leader whom all respected. + +Nobs stuck close to Bowen; but Ace and Ajor and I went out upon +many long rides through the beautiful north Galu country. Chal-az +had brought my arms and ammunition up from Kro-lu with him; but my +clothes were gone; nor did I miss them once I became accustomed to +the free attire of the Galu. + +At last came the time for our departure; upon the following morning +we were to set out toward the south and the Toreador and dear old +California. I had asked Ajor to go with us; but Jor her father +had refused to listen to the suggestion. No pleas could swerve him +from his decision: Ajor, the cos-ata-lo, from whom might spring a +new and greater Caspakian race, could not be spared. I might have +any other she among the Galus; but Ajor--no! + +The poor child was heartbroken; and as for me, I was slowly realizing +the hold that Ajor had upon my heart and wondered how I should get +along without her. As I held her in my arms that last night, I +tried to imagine what life would be like without her, for at last +there had come to me the realization that I loved her--loved my +little barbarian; and as I finally tore myself away and went to +my own hut to snatch a few hours' sleep before we set off upon our +long journey on the morrow, I consoled myself with the thought that +time would heal the wound and that back in my native land I should +find a mate who would be all and more to me than little Ajor could +ever be--a woman of my own race and my own culture. + +Morning came more quickly than I could have wished. I rose and +breakfasted, but saw nothing of Ajor. It was best, I thought, that +I go thus without the harrowing pangs of a last farewell. The +party formed for the march, an escort of Galu warriors ready to +accompany us. I could not even bear to go to Ace's corral and bid +him farewell. The night before, I had given him to Ajor, and now +in my mind the two seemed inseparable. + +And so we marched away, down the street flanked with its stone +houses and out through the wide gateway in the stone wall which +surrounds the city and on across the clearing toward the forest +through which we must pass to reach the northern boundary of Galu, +beyond which we would turn south. At the edge of the forest I cast +a backward glance at the city which held my heart, and beside the +massive gateway I saw that which brought me to a sudden halt. It +was a little figure leaning against one of the great upright posts +upon which the gates swing--a crumpled little figure; and even +at this distance I could see its shoulders heave to the sobs that +racked it. It was the last straw. + +Bowen was near me. "Good-bye old man," I said. "I'm going back." + +He looked at me in surprise. "Good-bye, old man," he said, and +grasped my hand. "I thought you'd do it in the end." + +And then I went back and took Ajor in my arms and kissed the tears +from her eyes and a smile to her lips while together we watched +the last of the Americans disappear into the forest. + + + + + +I have made the following changes to the text: + +PAGE LINE ORIGINAL CHANGED TO + + 75 15 later latter + 108 14 in is + 123 24 the he + 131 13 plans planes + 131 28 new few + 132 24 Donosaur Dinosaur + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of People Out Of Time +by Edgar Rice Burroughs + |