ythroughthemembranouswings,anditlookedlikeaflyingskeletonagainstthewhite,tropicalradiance.Icrouchedlowamongthebushes,forIknewfrompastexperiencethatwithasinglecrythecreaturecouldbringahundredofitsloathsomematesaboutmyears.ItwasnotuntilithadsettledagainthatIdaredtostealonwardsuponmyjourney.
Thenighthadbeenexceedinglystill,butasIadvancedIbecameconsciousofalow,rumblingsound,acontinuousmurmur,somewhereinfrontofme.ThisgrewlouderasIproceeded,untilatlastitwasclearlyquiteclosetome.WhenIstoodstillthesoundwasconstant,sothatitseemedtocomefromsomestationarycause.Itwaslikeaboilingkettleorthebubblingofsomegreatpot.SoonIcameuponthesourceofit,forinthecenterofasmallclearingIfoundalake—orapool,rather,foritwasnotlargerthanthebasinoftheTrafalgarSquarefountain—ofsomeblack,pitch-likestuff,thesurfaceofwhichroseandfellingreatblistersofburstinggas.Theairaboveitwasshimmeringwithheat,andthegroundroundwassohotthatIcouldhardlybeartolaymyhandonit.Itwasclearthatthegreatvolcanicoutburstwhichhadraisedthisstrangeplateausomanyyearsagohadnotyetentirelyspentitsforces.BlackenedrocksandmoundsoflavaIhadalreadyseeneverywherepeepingoutfromamidtheluxuriantvegetationwhichdrapedthem,butthisasphaltpoolinthejunglewasthefirstsignthatwehadofactualexistingactivityontheslopesoftheancientcrater.IhadnotimetoexamineitfurtherforIhadneedtohurryifIweretobebackincampinthemorning.
Itwasafearsomewalk,andonewhichwillbewithmesolongasmemoryholds.InthegreatmoonlightclearingsIslunkalongamongtheshadowsonthemargin.InthejungleIcreptforward,stoppingwithabeatingheartwheneverIheard,asIoftendid,thecrashofbreakingbranchesassomewildbeastwentpast.Nowandthengreatshadowsloomedupforaninstantandweregone—great,silentshadowswhichseemedtoprowluponpaddedfeet.HowoftenIstoppedwiththeintentionofreturning,andyeteverytimemyprideconqueredmyfear,andsentmeonagainuntilmyobjectshouldbeattained.
Atlast(mywatchshowedthatitwasoneinthemorning)Isawthegleamofwateramidtheopeningsofthejungle,andtenminuteslaterIwasamongthereedsuponthebordersofthecentrallake.Iwasexceedinglydry,soIlaydownandtookalongdraughtofitswaters,whichwerefreshandcold.TherewasabroadpathwaywithmanytracksuponitatthespotwhichIhadfound,sothatitwasclearlyoneofthedrinking-placesoftheanimals.Closetothewater'sedgetherewasahugeisolatedblockoflava.UpthisIclimbed,and,lyingonthetop,Ihadanexcellentviewineverydirection.
ThefirstthingwhichIsawfilledmewithamazement.WhenIdescribedtheviewfromthesummitofthegreattree,IsaidthatonthefarthercliffIcouldseeanumberofdarkspots,whichappearedtobethemouthsof