A Journey in Other Worlds [47]
in the water, whose bills
were provided with teeth.
"We might almost think we were on earth," said Ayrault, "from the
looks of those storks standing on one leg, with the other drawn
up, were it not for their size."
"How do you suppose they defend themselves," asked Bearwarden,
"from the snakes with which the water is filled?"
"I suspect they can give a pretty good account of themselves,"
replied Cortlandt, "with those teeth. Besides, with only one leg
exposed, there is but a very small object for a snake to strike
at. For their number and size, I should say their struggle for
existence was comparatively mild. Doubtless non-poisonous, or,
for that matter, poisonous snakes, form a great part of their
diet."
On passing the bend in the lake they noticed that the banks were
slightly higher, while palms, pine-trees, and rubber plants
succeeded the ferns. In the distance they now heard a tremendous
crashing, which grew louder as the seconds passed. It finally
sounded like an earthquake. Involuntarily they held their breath
and grasped their weapons. Finally, at some distance in the
woods they saw a dark mass moving rapidly and approaching the
river obliquely. Palms and pine-trees went down before it like
straws, while its head was continually among the upper branches.
As the monster neared the lake, the water at the edges quivered,
showing how its weight shook the banks at each stride, while
stumps and tree-trunks on which it stepped were pressed out of
sight in the ground. A general exodus of the other inhabitants
from his line of march began; the moccasins slid into the water
with a low splash, while the boa-constrictors and the tree-snakes
moved off along the ground when they felt it tremble, and a
number of night birds retreated into the denser woods with loud
cries at being so rudely disturbed. The huge beast did not stop
till he reached the bank, where lie switched his tail, raised his
proboscis, and sniffed the air uneasily, his height being fully
thirty feet and his length about fifty. On seeing the raft and
its occupants, he looked at them stupidly and threw back his
head.
"He seems to be turning up his nose at us," said Bearwarden.
"All the same, he will do well for breakfast."
As the creature moved, his chest struck a huge overhanging palm,
tearing it off as though it had been a reed. Brushing it aside
with his trunk, he was about to continue his march, when two
rifle reports rang out together, rousing the echoes and a number
of birds that screeched loudly.
CHAPTER VI.
MASTODON AND WILL-O'-THE WISPS.
Bearwarden's bullet struck the mammoth in the shoulder, while
Ayrault's aim was farther back. As the balls exploded, a
half-barrelful of flesh and hide was shot from each, leaving two
gaping holes. Instantly he rushed among the trees, making his
course known for some time by his roars. As he turned,
Bearwarden fired again, but the hall flew over him, blowing off
the top of a tree.
"Now for the chase!" said Ayrault. "There would be no excuse for
losing him."
Quickly pushing their raft to shore and securing it to the bank,
the three jumped off. Thanks to their rubber boots and galvanic
outfits which automatically kept them charged, they were as spry
as they would have been on earth. The ground all about them, and
in a strip twelve feet wide where the mammoth had gone, was torn
up, and the vegetation trodden down. Following this trail, they
struck back into the woods, where in places the gloom cast by the
thick foliage was so dense that there was a mere twilight,
startling as they went numbers of birds of grey and sombre
plumage, whose necks and heads, and the sounds they uttered, were
so reptilian that the three terrestrials believed they must also
possess poison fangs.
"The most highly developed things we have seen here," said
Bearwarden, "are the flowers and fireflies, most of the birds and
amphibians being simply loathsome."
As
were provided with teeth.
"We might almost think we were on earth," said Ayrault, "from the
looks of those storks standing on one leg, with the other drawn
up, were it not for their size."
"How do you suppose they defend themselves," asked Bearwarden,
"from the snakes with which the water is filled?"
"I suspect they can give a pretty good account of themselves,"
replied Cortlandt, "with those teeth. Besides, with only one leg
exposed, there is but a very small object for a snake to strike
at. For their number and size, I should say their struggle for
existence was comparatively mild. Doubtless non-poisonous, or,
for that matter, poisonous snakes, form a great part of their
diet."
On passing the bend in the lake they noticed that the banks were
slightly higher, while palms, pine-trees, and rubber plants
succeeded the ferns. In the distance they now heard a tremendous
crashing, which grew louder as the seconds passed. It finally
sounded like an earthquake. Involuntarily they held their breath
and grasped their weapons. Finally, at some distance in the
woods they saw a dark mass moving rapidly and approaching the
river obliquely. Palms and pine-trees went down before it like
straws, while its head was continually among the upper branches.
As the monster neared the lake, the water at the edges quivered,
showing how its weight shook the banks at each stride, while
stumps and tree-trunks on which it stepped were pressed out of
sight in the ground. A general exodus of the other inhabitants
from his line of march began; the moccasins slid into the water
with a low splash, while the boa-constrictors and the tree-snakes
moved off along the ground when they felt it tremble, and a
number of night birds retreated into the denser woods with loud
cries at being so rudely disturbed. The huge beast did not stop
till he reached the bank, where lie switched his tail, raised his
proboscis, and sniffed the air uneasily, his height being fully
thirty feet and his length about fifty. On seeing the raft and
its occupants, he looked at them stupidly and threw back his
head.
"He seems to be turning up his nose at us," said Bearwarden.
"All the same, he will do well for breakfast."
As the creature moved, his chest struck a huge overhanging palm,
tearing it off as though it had been a reed. Brushing it aside
with his trunk, he was about to continue his march, when two
rifle reports rang out together, rousing the echoes and a number
of birds that screeched loudly.
CHAPTER VI.
MASTODON AND WILL-O'-THE WISPS.
Bearwarden's bullet struck the mammoth in the shoulder, while
Ayrault's aim was farther back. As the balls exploded, a
half-barrelful of flesh and hide was shot from each, leaving two
gaping holes. Instantly he rushed among the trees, making his
course known for some time by his roars. As he turned,
Bearwarden fired again, but the hall flew over him, blowing off
the top of a tree.
"Now for the chase!" said Ayrault. "There would be no excuse for
losing him."
Quickly pushing their raft to shore and securing it to the bank,
the three jumped off. Thanks to their rubber boots and galvanic
outfits which automatically kept them charged, they were as spry
as they would have been on earth. The ground all about them, and
in a strip twelve feet wide where the mammoth had gone, was torn
up, and the vegetation trodden down. Following this trail, they
struck back into the woods, where in places the gloom cast by the
thick foliage was so dense that there was a mere twilight,
startling as they went numbers of birds of grey and sombre
plumage, whose necks and heads, and the sounds they uttered, were
so reptilian that the three terrestrials believed they must also
possess poison fangs.
"The most highly developed things we have seen here," said
Bearwarden, "are the flowers and fireflies, most of the birds and
amphibians being simply loathsome."
As