CHAPTER XV "Our Eyes have seen Great Wonders"

rlives,withnospecialbraincenterbutscatteredthroughouttheirspinalcords,couldnotbetappedbyanymodernweapons.Themostthatwecoulddowastochecktheirprogressbydistractingtheirattentionwiththeflashandroarofourguns,andsotogiveboththenativesandourselvestimetoreachthestepswhichledtosafety.Butwheretheconicalexplosivebulletsofthetwentiethcenturywereofnoavail,thepoisonedarrowsofthenatives,dippedinthejuiceofstrophanthusandsteepedafterwardsindecayedcarrion,couldsucceed.Sucharrowswereoflittleavailtothehunterwhoattackedthebeast,becausetheiractioninthattorpidcirculationwasslow,andbeforeitspowersfaileditcouldcertainlyovertakeandslayitsassailant.Butnow,asthetwomonstershoundedustotheveryfootofthestairs,adriftofdartscamewhistlingfromeverychinkinthecliffabovethem.Inaminutetheywerefeatheredwiththem,andyetwithnosignofpaintheyclawedandslobberedwithimpotentrageatthestepswhichwouldleadthemtotheirvictims,mountingclumsilyupforafewyardsandthenslidingdownagaintotheground.Butatlastthepoisonworked.Oneofthemgaveadeeprumblinggroananddroppedhishugesquatheadontotheearth.Theotherboundedroundinaneccentriccirclewithshrill,wailingcries,andthenlyingdownwrithedinagonyforsomeminutesbeforeitalsostiffenedandlaystill.WithyellsoftriumphtheIndianscameflockingdownfromtheircavesanddancedafrenzieddanceofvictoryroundthedeadbodies,inmadjoythattwomoreofthemostdangerousofalltheirenemieshadbeenslain.Thatnighttheycutupandremovedthebodies,nottoeat—forthepoisonwasstillactive—butlesttheyshouldbreedapestilence.Thegreatreptilianhearts,however,eachaslargeasacushion,stilllaythere,beatingslowlyandsteadily,withagentleriseandfall,inhorribleindependentlife.Itwasonlyuponthethirddaythatthegangliarandownandthedreadfulthingswerestill. Someday,whenIhaveabetterdeskthanameat-tinandmorehelpfultoolsthanawornstubofpencilandalast,tatterednote-book,IwillwritesomefulleraccountoftheAccalaIndians—ofourlifeamongstthem,andoftheglimpseswhichwehadofthestrangeconditionsofwondrousMapleWhiteLand.Memory,atleast,willneverfailme,forsolongasthebreathoflifeisinme,everyhourandeveryactionofthatperiodwillstandoutashardandclearasdothefirststrangehappeningsofourchildhood.Nonewimpressionscouldeffacethosewhicharesodeeplycut.WhenthetimecomesIwilldescribethatwondrousmoonlitnightuponthegreatlakewhenayoungichthyosaurus—astrangecreature,halfseal,halffish,tolookat,withbone-coveredeyesoneachsideofhissnout,andathirdeyefixeduponthetopofhishead—wasentangledinanIndiannet,andnearlyupsetourcanoebeforewetoweditashorethesamenightthatagreenwater-snakeshotoutfromtherushesandcarriedoffinitscoilsthesteersmanofChallenger'scanoe.Iwilltell,too,ofthegreatnocturnalwhitething—tothisdaywedonotknowwhetheritwasbeastorreptile—whichlivedinavileswamptotheeastofthelake,andflittedaboutwithafaintphosphorescentglimmerinthedarkness.TheIndiansweresoterrifiedatitthattheywouldnotgoneartheplace,and,thoughwetwicemadeexpeditionsandsawiteachtime,wecouldnotmakeourwaythroughthedeepmarshinwhichitlived.Icanonlysaythatitseemedtobelargerthanacowandhadthestrangestmuskyodor.IwilltellalsoofthehugebirdwhichchasedChallengertotheshelteroftherocksoneday—agreatrunningbird,fartallerthananostrich,withavulture-likeneckandcruelheadwhichmadeitawalkingdeath.AsChallengerclimbedtosafetyonedartofthatsavagecurvingbeakshoreofftheheelofhisbootasifithadbeencutwithachisel.Thistimeatleastmodernweaponsprevailedandthegreatcreature,twelvefeetfromheadtofoot—phororachusitsname,accordingtoourpantingbutexultantProfessor—wentdownbeforeLordRoxton'srifleinaflurryofwavingfeathersandkickinglimbs,withtworemorselessyelloweyesglaringupfromthemidstofit.MayIlivetoseethatflattenedviciousskullinitsownnicheamidthetrophiesoftheAlbany.Finally,Iwillassuredlygivesomeaccountofthetoxodon,thegiantten-footguineapig,withprojectingchiselteeth,whichwekilledasitdrankinthegrayofthemorningbythesideofthelake. AllthisIshallsomedaywriteatfullerlength,andamidstthesemorestirringdaysIwouldtenderlysketchintheselovelysummerevenings,whenwiththedeepblueskyaboveuswelayingoodcomradeshipamongthelonggrassesbythewoodandmarveledatthestrangefowlthatsweptoverusandthequaintnewcreatureswhichcreptfromtheirburrowstowatchus,whileaboveustheboughsofthebusheswereheavywithlusciousfruit,andbelowusstrangeandlovelyflowerspeepedatusfromamongtheherbageorthoselongmoonlitnightswhenwelayoutupontheshimmeringsurfaceofthegreatlakeandwatchedwithwonderandawethehugecirclesripplingoutfromthesuddensplashofsomefantasticmonsterorthegreenishgleam,fardowninthedeepwater,ofsomestrangecreatureupontheconfinesofdarkness.Thesearethesceneswhichmymindandmypenwilldwelluponineverydetailatsomefutureday. But,youwillask,whytheseexperiencesandwhythisdelay,whenyouandyourcomradesshouldhavebeenoccupieddayandnightinthedevisingofsomemeansbywhichyoucouldreturntotheouterworld?Myansweris,thattherewasnotoneofuswhowasnotworkingforthisend,butthatourworkhadbeeninvain.Onefactwehadveryspeedilydiscovered:TheIndianswoulddonothingtohelpus.Ineveryotherwaytheywereourfriends—onemightalmostsayourdevotedslaves—butwhenitwassuggestedthattheyshouldhelpustomakeandcarryaplankwhichwouldbridgethechasm,orwhenwewishedtogetfromthemthongsofleatherorlianatoweaveropeswhichmighthelpus,weweremetbyagood-humored,butaninvincible,refusal.Theywouldsmile,twinkletheireyes,shaketheirheads,andtherewastheendofit.Eventheoldchiefmetuswiththesameobstinatedenial,anditwasonlyMaretas,theyoungsterwhomwehadsaved,wholookedwistfullyatusandtoldusby