"hepanted."Ithinkwearesafehere.They'llmakeforthecampassureasfate.Itwillbetheirfirstidea.Butthisshouldpuzzle'em."
"Whatisitall?"Iasked,whenIhadgotmybreath."Wherearetheprofessors?Andwhoisitthatisafterus?"
"Theape-men,"hecried."MyGod,whatbrutes!Don'traiseyourvoice,fortheyhavelongears—sharpeyes,too,butnopowerofscent,sofarasIcouldjudge,soIdon'tthinktheycansniffusout.Wherehaveyoubeen,youngfellah?Youwerewelloutofit."
InafewsentencesIwhisperedwhatIhaddone.
"Prettybad,"saidhe,whenhehadheardofthedinosaurandthepit."Itisn'tquitetheplaceforarestcure.What?ButIhadnoideawhatitspossibilitieswereuntilthosedevilsgotholdofus.Theman-eatin'Papuanshadmeonce,buttheyareChesterfieldscomparedtothiscrowd."
"Howdidithappen?"Iasked.
"Itwasintheearlymornin'.Ourlearnedfriendswerejuststirrin'.Hadn'tevenbeguntoargueyet.Suddenlyitrainedapes.Theycamedownasthickasapplesoutofatree.Theyhadbeenassemblin'inthedark,Isuppose,untilthatgreattreeoverourheadswasheavywiththem.Ishotoneofthemthroughthebelly,butbeforeweknewwhereweweretheyhadusspread-eagledonourbacks.Icallthemapes,buttheycarriedsticksandstonesintheirhandsandjabberedtalktoeachother,andendedupbytyin'ourhandswithcreepers,sotheyareaheadofanybeastthatIhaveseeninmywanderin's.Ape-men—that'swhattheyare—Missin'Links,andIwishtheyhadstayedmissin'.Theycarriedofftheirwoundedcomrade—hewasbleedin'likeapig—andthentheysataroundus,andifeverIsawfrozenmurderitwasintheirfaces.Theywerebigfellows,asbigasamanandadealstronger.Curiousglassygrayeyestheyhave,underredtufts,andtheyjustsatandgloatedandgloated.Challengerisnochicken,butevenhewascowed.Hemanagedtostruggletohisfeet,andyelledoutatthemtohavedonewithitandgetitover.Ithinkhehadgoneabitoffhisheadatthesuddennessofit,forheragedandcursedatthemlikealunatic.IftheyhadbeenarowofhisfavoritePressmenhecouldnothaveslangedthemworse."
"Well,whatdidtheydo?"Iwasenthralledbythestrangestorywhichmycompanionwaswhisperingintomyear,whileallthetimehiskeeneyeswereshootingineverydirectionandhishandgraspinghiscockedrifle.
"Ithoughtitwastheendofus,butinsteadofthatitstartedthemonanewline.Theyalljabberedandchatteredtogether.ThenoneofthemstoodoutbesideChallenger.You'llsmile,youngfellah,but'ponmywordtheymighthavebeenkinsmen.Icouldn'thavebelieveditifIhadn'tseenitwithmyowneyes.Thisoldape-man—hewastheirchief—wasasortofredChallenger,witheveryoneofourfriend'sbeautypoints,onlyjustatriflemoreso.Hehadtheshortbody,thebigshoulders