CHAPTER XIII "A Sight which I shall Never Forget"

tifIlivetositoncemoreonaloungeintheSavageClubandlookoutonthedrabsolidityoftheEmbankment.Iknowthatitwillseemthentobesomewildnightmare,somedeliriumoffever.YetIwillsetitdownnow,whileitisstillfreshinmymemory,andoneatleast,themanwholayinthedampgrassesbymyside,willknowifIhavelied. Awide,openspacelaybeforeus—somehundredsofyardsacross—allgreenturfandlowbrackengrowingtotheveryedgeofthecliff.Roundthisclearingtherewasasemi-circleoftreeswithcurioushutsbuiltoffoliagepiledoneabovetheotheramongthebranches.Arookery,witheverynestalittlehouse,wouldbestconveytheidea.Theopeningsofthesehutsandthebranchesofthetreeswerethrongedwithadensemobofape-people,whomfromtheirsizeItooktobethefemalesandinfantsofthetribe.Theyformedthebackgroundofthepicture,andwerealllookingoutwitheagerinterestatthesamescenewhichfascinatedandbewilderedus. Intheopen,andneartheedgeofthecliff,therehadassembledacrowdofsomehundredoftheseshaggy,red-hairedcreatures,manyofthemofimmensesize,andallofthemhorribletolookupon.Therewasacertaindisciplineamongthem,fornoneofthemattemptedtobreakthelinewhichhadbeenformed.InfronttherestoodasmallgroupofIndians—little,clean-limbed,redfellows,whoseskinsglowedlikepolishedbronzeinthestrongsunlight.Atall,thinwhitemanwasstandingbesidethem,hisheadbowed,hisarmsfolded,hiswholeattitudeexpressiveofhishorroranddejection.TherewasnomistakingtheangularformofProfessorSummerlee. Infrontofandaroundthisdejectedgroupofprisonerswereseveralape-men,whowatchedthemcloselyandmadeallescapeimpossible.Then,rightoutfromalltheothersandclosetotheedgeofthecliff,weretwofigures,sostrange,andunderothercircumstancessoludicrous,thattheyabsorbedmyattention.Theonewasourcomrade,ProfessorChallenger.Theremainsofhiscoatstillhunginstripsfromhisshoulders,buthisshirthadbeenalltornout,andhisgreatbeardmergeditselfintheblacktanglewhichcoveredhismightychest.Hehadlosthishat,andhishair,whichhadgrownlonginourwanderings,wasflyinginwilddisorder.AsingledayseemedtohavechangedhimfromthehighestproductofmoderncivilizationtothemostdesperatesavageinSouthAmerica.Besidehimstoodhismaster,thekingoftheape-men.Inallthingshewas,asLordJohnhadsaid,theveryimageofourProfessor,savethathiscoloringwasredinsteadofblack.Thesameshort,broadfigure,thesameheavyshoulders,thesameforwardhangofthearms,thesamebristlingbeardmergingitselfinthehairychest.Onlyabovetheeyebrows,wheretheslopingforeheadandlow,curvedskulloftheape-manwereinsharpcontrasttothebroadbrowandmagnificentcraniumoftheEuropean,couldoneseeanymarkeddifference.AteveryotherpointthekingwasanabsurdparodyoftheProfessor. Allthis,whichtakesmesolongtodescribe,impresseditselfuponmeinafewseconds.Thenwehadverydifferentthingstothinkof,foranactivedramawasinprogress.Twooftheape-menhadseizedoneoftheIndiansoutofthegroupanddraggedhimforwardtotheedgeofthecliff.Thekingraisedhishandasasignal.Theycaughtthemanbyhislegandarm,andswunghimthreetimesbackwardsandforwardswithtremendousviolence.Then,withafrightfulheavetheyshotthepoorwretchovertheprecipice.Withsuchforcedidtheythrowhimthathecurvedhighintheairbeforebeginningtodrop.Ashevanishedfromsight,thewholeassembly,excepttheguards,rushedforwardtotheedgeoftheprecipice,andtherewasalongpauseofabsolutesilence,brokenbyamadyellofdelight.Theysprangabout,tossingtheirlong,hairyarmsintheairandhowlingwithexultation.Thentheyfellbackfromtheedge,formedthemselvesagainintoline,andwaitedforthenextvictim. ThistimeitwasSummerlee.Twoofhisguardscaughthimbythewristsandpulledhimbrutallytothefront.Histhinfigureandlonglimbsstruggledandflutteredlikeachickenbeingdraggedfromacoop.Challengerhadturnedtothekingandwavedhishandsfranticallybeforehim.Hewasbegging,pleading,imploringforhiscomrade'slife.Theape-manpushedhimroughlyasideandshookhishead.Itwasthelastconsciousmovementhewastomakeuponearth.LordJohn'sriflecracked,andthekingsankdown,atangledredsprawlingthing,upontheground. "Shootintothethickofthem!Shoot!sonny,shoot!"criedmycompanion. Therearestrangereddepthsinthesoulofthemostcommonplaceman.Iamtenderheartedbynature,andhavefoundmyeyesmoistmanyatimeoverthescreamofawoundedhare.Yetthebloodlustwasonmenow.Ifoundmyselfonmyfeetemptyingonemagazine,thentheother,clickingopenthebreechtore-load,snappingittoagain,whilecheeringandyellingwithpureferocityandjoyofslaughterasIdidso.Withourfourgunsthetwoofusmadeahorriblehavoc.BoththeguardswhoheldSummerleeweredown,andhewasstaggeringaboutlikeadrunkenmaninhisamazement,unabletorealizethathewasafreeman.Thedensemobofape-menranaboutinbewilderment,marvelingwhencethisstormofdeathwascomingorwhatitmightmean.Theywaved,gesticulated,screamed,andtrippedupoverthosewhohadfallen.Then,withasuddenimpulse,theyallrushedinahowlingcrowdtothetreesforshelter,leavingthegroundbehindthemspottedwiththeirstrickencomrades.Theprisonerswereleftforthemomentstandingaloneinthemiddleoftheclearing. Challenger'squickbrainhadgraspedthesituation.Heseiz