thsmoothgraywallsdecoratedwithmanyexcellentpicturesdonewithcharredsticksandrepresentingthevariousanimalsoftheplateau.Ifeverylivingthingweresweptfromthecountrythefutureexplorerwouldfinduponthewallsofthesecavesampleevidenceofthestrangefauna—thedinosaurs,iguanodons,andfishlizards—whichhadlivedsorecentlyuponearth.
Sincewehadlearnedthatthehugeiguanodonswerekeptastameherdsbytheirowners,andweresimplywalkingmeat-stores,wehadconceivedthatman,evenwithhisprimitiveweapons,hadestablishedhisascendancyupontheplateau.Weweresoontodiscoverthatitwasnotso,andthathewasstillthereupontolerance.
ItwasonthethirddayafterourformingourcampneartheIndiancavesthatthetragedyoccurred.ChallengerandSummerleehadgoneofftogetherthatdaytothelakewheresomeofthenatives,undertheirdirection,wereengagedinharpooningspecimensofthegreatlizards.LordJohnandIhadremainedinourcamp,whileanumberoftheIndianswerescatteredaboutuponthegrassyslopeinfrontofthecavesengagedindifferentways.Suddenlytherewasashrillcryofalarm,withtheword"Stoa"resoundingfromahundredtongues.Fromeverysidemen,women,andchildrenwererushingwildlyforshelter,swarmingupthestaircasesandintothecavesinamadstampede.
Lookingup,wecouldseethemwavingtheirarmsfromtherocksaboveandbeckoningtoustojointhemintheirrefuge.Wehadbothseizedourmagazineriflesandranouttoseewhatthedangercouldbe.SuddenlyfromthenearbeltoftreestherebrokeforthagroupoftwelveorfifteenIndians,runningfortheirlives,andattheirveryheelstwoofthosefrightfulmonsterswhichhaddisturbedourcampandpursuedmeuponmysolitaryjourney.Inshapetheywerelikehorribletoads,andmovedinasuccessionofsprings,butinsizetheywereofanincrediblebulk,largerthanthelargestelephant.Wehadneverbeforeseenthemsaveatnight,andindeedtheyarenocturnalanimalssavewhendisturbedintheirlairs,asthesehadbeen.Wenowstoodamazedatthesight,fortheirblotchedandwartyskinswereofacuriousfish-likeiridescence,andthesunlightstruckthemwithanever-varyingrainbowbloomastheymoved.
Wehadlittletimetowatchthem,however,forinaninstanttheyhadovertakenthefugitivesandweremakingadireslaughteramongthem.Theirmethodwastofallforwardwiththeirfullweightuponeachinturn,leavinghimcrushedandmangled,toboundonaftertheothers.ThewretchedIndiansscreamedwithterror,butwerehelpless,runastheywould,beforetherelentlesspurposeandhorribleactivityofthesemonstrouscreatures.Oneafteranothertheywentdown,andtherewerenothalf-a-dozensurvivingbythetimemycompanionandIcouldcometotheirhelp.Butouraidwasoflittleavailandonlyinvolvedusinthesameperil.Attherangeofacoupleofhundredyardsweemptiedourmagazines,firingbulletafterbulletintothebeasts,butwithnomoreeffectthanifwewerepeltingthemwithpelletsofpaper.Theirslowreptiliannaturescarednothingforwounds,andthespringsoftheir