A Journey in Other Worlds [55]
the monster was down again, just
missing Ayrault's head as he stepped back, and Bearwarden's rifle
poured a stream of explosive balls against its side, rending and
blowing away the heavy scales. Having drawn the dinosaur's
attention to himself, he retreated, while Ayrault renewed the
attack. Cortlandt, seeing that the original plan had miscarried,
poured showers of small shot against the huge beast's face.
Finally, one of Ayrault's balls exploded in the brain, and all
was over.
"We have killed it at last," said Bearwarden "but the first
attack, though artistic, had not the brilliant results we
expected. These creatures' mode of fighting is doubtless
somewhat similar to that of the kangaroo, which it is said puts
its forepaws gently, almost lovingly, on a man's shoulders, and
then disembowels him by the rapid movement of a hind leg. But we
shall get used to their method, and can do better next time."
They then reloaded their weapons and, while Cortlandt examined
their victim from a naturalist's point of view, Bearwarden and
Ayrault secured the heart, which they thought would be the most
edible part, the operation being rendered possible by the amount
of armour the explosive balls had stripped off.
"To-morrow," said Bearwarden, "we must make it a point to get
some well-fed birds; for I can roast, broil, or fricassee them to
a turn. Life is too short to live on this meat in such a
sportsman's paradise. In any case there can be no end of
mastodons, mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, moa birds, and all such
shooting."
As the sun was already near the horizon, they chose a dry, sandy
place, to secure as much immunity as possible from nocturnal
visits, and, after procuring a supply of water from a pool,
proceeded to arrange their camp for the night. They first laid
out the protection- wires, setting them while the sun still
shone. Next they built a fire and prepared their evening meal.
While they ate it, twilight became night, and the fire-flies,
twinkling in legions in the neighbouring valley, seemed like the
lamps of a great city.
"Their lights," said Bearwarden, pointing to them, "are not as
fine as the jelly-fish Will-o'-the wisps were last night, but
they are not so dangerous. No gymnotus or electric eel that I
have ever seen compared with them, and I am convinced that any
one of us they might have touched would have been in kingdom
come."
The balmy air soothed the travellers' brows as they reclined
against mounds of sand, while the flowers in the valley sent up
their dying notes. One by one the moons arose, till four--among
them the Lilliputian, discovered by Prof. Barnard in 1893--were
in the sky, flooding the landscape with their silvery light, and
something in the surroundings touched a sympathetic cord in the
men.
"Oh that I were young again," said Cortlandt, "and had life
before me! I should like to remain here and grow up with this
planet, in which we already perceive the next New World. The
beauties of earth are barren compared with the scenes we have
here."
"You remember," replied Bearwarden, "how Cicero defends old age
in his De Senectute, and shows that while it has almost
everything that youth has, it has also a sense of calm and many
things besides."
"Yes," answered Cortlandt, "but, while plausible, it does not
convince. The pleasures of age are largely negative, the old
being happy when free from pain."
"Since the highest joy of life," said Ayrault, "is coming to know
our Creator, I should say the old, being further advanced, would
be the happier of the two. I should never regard this material
life as greatly to be prized for itself. You remember the old
song:
"'O Youth! When we come to consider
The pain, the toil, and the strife,
The happiest man of all is
The one who has finished his life.'
"I suspect," continued Ayrault, "that the man who reaches even
the lowest plane in paradise will find far more beautiful visions
missing Ayrault's head as he stepped back, and Bearwarden's rifle
poured a stream of explosive balls against its side, rending and
blowing away the heavy scales. Having drawn the dinosaur's
attention to himself, he retreated, while Ayrault renewed the
attack. Cortlandt, seeing that the original plan had miscarried,
poured showers of small shot against the huge beast's face.
Finally, one of Ayrault's balls exploded in the brain, and all
was over.
"We have killed it at last," said Bearwarden "but the first
attack, though artistic, had not the brilliant results we
expected. These creatures' mode of fighting is doubtless
somewhat similar to that of the kangaroo, which it is said puts
its forepaws gently, almost lovingly, on a man's shoulders, and
then disembowels him by the rapid movement of a hind leg. But we
shall get used to their method, and can do better next time."
They then reloaded their weapons and, while Cortlandt examined
their victim from a naturalist's point of view, Bearwarden and
Ayrault secured the heart, which they thought would be the most
edible part, the operation being rendered possible by the amount
of armour the explosive balls had stripped off.
"To-morrow," said Bearwarden, "we must make it a point to get
some well-fed birds; for I can roast, broil, or fricassee them to
a turn. Life is too short to live on this meat in such a
sportsman's paradise. In any case there can be no end of
mastodons, mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, moa birds, and all such
shooting."
As the sun was already near the horizon, they chose a dry, sandy
place, to secure as much immunity as possible from nocturnal
visits, and, after procuring a supply of water from a pool,
proceeded to arrange their camp for the night. They first laid
out the protection- wires, setting them while the sun still
shone. Next they built a fire and prepared their evening meal.
While they ate it, twilight became night, and the fire-flies,
twinkling in legions in the neighbouring valley, seemed like the
lamps of a great city.
"Their lights," said Bearwarden, pointing to them, "are not as
fine as the jelly-fish Will-o'-the wisps were last night, but
they are not so dangerous. No gymnotus or electric eel that I
have ever seen compared with them, and I am convinced that any
one of us they might have touched would have been in kingdom
come."
The balmy air soothed the travellers' brows as they reclined
against mounds of sand, while the flowers in the valley sent up
their dying notes. One by one the moons arose, till four--among
them the Lilliputian, discovered by Prof. Barnard in 1893--were
in the sky, flooding the landscape with their silvery light, and
something in the surroundings touched a sympathetic cord in the
men.
"Oh that I were young again," said Cortlandt, "and had life
before me! I should like to remain here and grow up with this
planet, in which we already perceive the next New World. The
beauties of earth are barren compared with the scenes we have
here."
"You remember," replied Bearwarden, "how Cicero defends old age
in his De Senectute, and shows that while it has almost
everything that youth has, it has also a sense of calm and many
things besides."
"Yes," answered Cortlandt, "but, while plausible, it does not
convince. The pleasures of age are largely negative, the old
being happy when free from pain."
"Since the highest joy of life," said Ayrault, "is coming to know
our Creator, I should say the old, being further advanced, would
be the happier of the two. I should never regard this material
life as greatly to be prized for itself. You remember the old
song:
"'O Youth! When we come to consider
The pain, the toil, and the strife,
The happiest man of all is
The one who has finished his life.'
"I suspect," continued Ayrault, "that the man who reaches even
the lowest plane in paradise will find far more beautiful visions