As Nobs and I swung along in the growing light of the coming day, I was impressed by the lessening2 numbers of savage3 beasts the farther north I traveled. With the decrease among the carnivora, the herbivora increased in quantity, though anywhere in Caspak they are sufficiently4 plentiful5 to furnish ample food for the meateaters of each locality. The wild cattle, antelope6, deer, and horses I passed showed changes in evolution from their cousins farther south. The kine were smaller and less shaggy, the horses larger. North of the Kro-lu village I saw a small band of the latter of about the size of those of our old Western plains—such as the Indians bred in former days and to a lesser7 extent even now. They were fat and sleek8, and I looked upon them with covetous9 eyes and with thoughts that any old cow-puncher may well imagine I might entertain after having hoofed10 it for weeks; but they were wary11, scarce permitting me to approach within bow-and-arrow range, much less within roping-distance; yet I still had hopes which I never discarded.
Twice before noon we were stalked and charged by man-eaters; but even though I was without firearms, I still had ample protection in Nobs, who evidently had learned something of Caspakian hunt rules under the tutelage of Du-seen or some other Galu, and of course a great deal more by experience. He always was on the alert for dangerous foes12, invariably warning me by low growls13 of the approach of a large carnivorous animal long before I could either see or hear it, and then when the thing appeared, he would run snapping at its heels, drawing the charge away from me until I found safety in some tree; yet never did the wily Nobs take an unnecessary chance of a mauling. He would dart14 in and away so quickly that not even the lightning-like movements of the great cats could reach him. I have seen him tantalize15 them thus until they fairly screamed in rage.
The greatest inconvenience the hunters caused me was the delay, for they have a nasty habit of keeping one treed for an hour or more if balked16 in their designs; but at last we came in sight of a line of cliffs running east and west across our path as far as the eye could see in either direction, and I knew that we reached the natural boundary which marks the line between the Kro-lu and Galu countries. The southern face of these cliffs loomed17 high and forbidding, rising to an altitude of some two hundred feet, sheer and precipitous, without a break that the eye could perceive. How I was to find a crossing I could not guess. Whether to search to the east toward the still loftier barrier-cliffs fronting upon the ocean, or westward18 in the direction of the inland sea was a question which baffled me. Were there many passes or only one? I had no way of knowing. I could but trust to chance. It never occurred to me that Nobs had made the crossing at least once, possibly a greater number of times, and that he might lead me to the pass; and so it was with no idea of assistance that I appealed to him as a man alone with a dumb brute20 so often does.
"Nobs," I said, "how the devil are we going to cross those cliffs?"
I do not say that he understood me, even though I realize that an Airedale is a mighty21 intelligent dog; but I do swear that he seemed to understand me, for he wheeled about, barking joyously22 and trotted23 off toward the west; and when I didn't follow him, he ran back to me barking furiously, and at last taking hold of the calf25 of my leg in an effort to pull me along in the direction he wished me to go. Now, as my legs were naked and Nobs' jaws26 are much more powerful than he realizes, I gave in and followed him, for I knew that I might as well go west as east, as far as any knowledge I had of the correct direction went.
We followed the base of the cliffs for a considerable distance. The ground was rolling and tree-dotted and covered with grazing animals, alone, in pairs and in herds—a motley aggregation28 of the modern and extinct herbivora of the world. A huge woolly mastodon stood swaying to and fro in the shade of a giant fern—a mighty bull with enormous upcurving tusks29. Near him grazed an aurochs bull with a cow and a calf, close beside a lone19 rhinoceros30 asleep in a dust-hole. Deer, antelope, bison, horses, sheep, and goats were all in sight at the same time, and at a little distance a great megatherium reared up on its huge tail and massive hind31 feet to tear the leaves from a tall tree. The forgotten past rubbed flanks with the present—while Tom Billings, modern of the moderns, passed in the garb32 of pre-Glacial man, and before him trotted a creature of a breed scarce sixty years old. Nobs was a parvenu34; but it failed to worry him.
As we neared the inland sea we saw more flying reptiles35 and several great amphibians36, but none of them attacked us. As we were topping a rise in the middle of the afternoon, I saw something that brought me to a sudden stop. Calling Nobs in a whisper, I cautioned him to silence and kept him at heel while I threw myself flat and watched, from behind a sheltering shrub37, a body of warriors38 approaching the cliff from the south. I could see that they were Galus, and I guessed that Du-seen led them. They had taken a shorter route to the pass and so had overhauled40 me. I could see them plainly, for they were no great distance away, and saw with relief that Ajor was not with them.
The cliffs before them were broken and ragged41, those coming from the east overlapping42 the cliffs from the west. Into the defile43 formed by this overlapping the party filed. I could see them climbing upward for a few minutes, and then they disappeared from view. When the last of them had passed from sight, I rose and bent44 my steps in the direction of the pass—the same pass toward which Nobs had evidently been leading me. I went warily45 as I approached it, for fear the party might have halted to rest. If they hadn't halted, I had no fear of being discovered, for I had seen that the Galus marched without point, flankers or rear guard; and when I reached the pass and saw a narrow, one-man trail leading upward at a stiff angle, I wished that I were chief of the Galus for a few weeks. A dozen men could hold off forever in that narrow pass all the hordes46 which might be brought up from the south; yet there it lay entirely48 unguarded.
The Galus might be a great people in Caspak; but they were pitifully inefficient50 in even the simpler forms of military tactics. I was surprised that even a man of the Stone Age should be so lacking in military perspicacity51. Du-seen dropped far below par33 in my estimation as I saw the slovenly52 formation of his troop as it passed through an enemy country and entered the domain53 of the chief against whom he had risen in revolt; but Du-seen must have known Jor the chief and known that Jor would not be waiting for him at the pass. Nevertheless he took unwarranted chances. With one squad54 of a home-guard company I could have conquered Caspak.
Nobs and I followed to the summit of the pass, and there we saw the party defiling55 into the Galu country, the level of which was not, on an average, over fifty feet below the summit of the cliffs and about a hundred and fifty feet above the adjacent Kro-lu domain. Immediately the landscape changed. The trees, the flowers and the shrubs56 were of a hardier57 type, and I realized that at night the Galu blanket might be almost a necessity. Acacia and eucalyptus58 predominated among the trees; yet there were ash and oak and even pine and fir and hemlock59. The tree-life was riotous60. The forests were dense61 and peopled by enormous trees. From the summit of the cliff I could see forests rising hundreds of feet above the level upon which I stood, and even at the distance they were from me I realized that the boles were of gigantic size.
At last I had come to the Galu country. Though not conceived in Caspak, I had indeed come up cor-sva-jo—from the beginning I had come up through the hideous62 horrors of the lower Caspakian spheres of evolution, and I could not but feel something of the elation63 and pride which had filled To-mar and So-al when they realized that the call had come to them and they were about to rise from the estate of Band-lus to that of Kro-lus. I was glad that I was not batu.
But where was Ajor? Though my eyes searched the wide landscape before me, I saw nothing other than the warriors of Du-seen and the beasts of the fields and the forests. Surrounded by forests, I could see wide plains dotting the country as far as the eye could reach; but nowhere was a sign of a small Galu she—the beloved she whom I would have given my right hand to see.
Nobs and I were hungry; we had not eaten since the preceding night, and below us was game—deer, sheep, anything that a hungry hunter might crave64; so down the steep trail we made our way, and then upon my belly65 with Nobs crouching66 low behind me, I crawled toward a small herd27 of red deer feeding at the edge of a plain close beside a forest. There was ample cover, what with solitary67 trees and dotting bushes so that I found no difficulty in stalking up wind to within fifty feet of my quarry68—a large, sleek doe unaccompanied by a fawn69. Greatly then did I regret my rifle. Never in my life had I shot an arrow, but I knew how it was done, and fitting the shaft70 to my string, I aimed carefully and let drive. At the same instant I called to Nobs and leaped to my feet.
The arrow caught the doe full in the side, and in the same moment Nobs was after her. She turned to flee with the two of us pursuing her, Nobs with his great fangs71 bared and I with my short spear poised72 for a cast. The balance of the herd sprang quickly away; but the hurt doe lagged, and in a moment Nobs was beside her and had leaped at her throat. He had her down when I came up, and I finished her with my spear. It didn't take me long to have a fire going and a steak broiling73, and while I was preparing for my own feast, Nobs was filling himself with raw venison. Never have I enjoyed a meal so heartily74.
For two days I searched fruitlessly back and forth75 from the inland sea almost to the barrier cliffs for some trace of Ajor, and always I trended northward76; but I saw no sign of any human being, not even the band of Galu warriors under Du-seen; and then I commenced to have misgivings77. Had Chal-az spoken the truth to me when he said that Ajor had quit the village of the Kro-lu? Might he not have been acting79 upon the orders of Al-tan, in whose savage bosom80 might have lurked81 some small spark of shame that he had attempted to do to death one who had befriended a Kro-lu warrior—a guest who had brought no harm upon the Kro-lu race—and thus have sent me out upon a fruitless mission in the hope that the wild beasts would do what Al-tan hesitated to do? I did not know; but the more I thought upon it, the more convinced I became that Ajor had not quitted the Kro-lu village; but if not, what had brought Du-seen forth without her? There was a puzzler, and once again I was all at sea.
On the second day of my experience of the Galu country I came upon a bunch of as magnificent horses as it has ever been my lot to see. They were dark bays with blazed faces and perfect surcingles of white about their barrels. Their forelegs were white to the knees. In height they stood almost sixteen hands, the mares being a trifle smaller than the stallions, of which there were three or four in this band of a hundred, which comprised many colts and half-grown horses. Their markings were almost identical, indicating a purity of strain that might have persisted since long ages ago. If I had coveted82 one of the little ponies83 of the Kro-lu country, imagine my state of mind when I came upon these magnificent creatures! No sooner had I espied84 them than I determined85 to possess one of them; nor did it take me long to select a beautiful young stallion—a four-year-old, I guessed him.
The horses were grazing close to the edge of the forest in which Nobs and I were concealed86, while the ground between us and them was dotted with clumps87 of flowering brush which offered perfect concealment88. The stallion of my choice grazed with a filly and two yearlings a little apart from the balance of the herd and nearest to the forest and to me. At my whispered "Charge!" Nobs flattened89 himself to the ground, and I knew that he would not again move until I called him, unless danger threatened me from the rear. Carefully I crept forward toward my unsuspecting quarry, coming undetected to the concealment of a bush not more than twenty feet from him. Here I quietly arranged my noose91, spreading it flat and open upon the ground.
To step to one side of the bush and throw directly from the ground, which is the style I am best in, would take but an instant, and in that instant the stallion would doubtless be under way at top speed in the opposite direction. Then he would have to wheel about when I surprised him, and in doing so, he would most certainly rise slightly upon his hind feet and throw up his head, presenting a perfect target for my noose as he pivoted92.
Yes, I had it beautifully worked out, and I waited until he should turn in my direction. At last it became evident that he was doing so, when apparently93 without cause, the filly raised her head, neighed and started off at a trot24 in the opposite direction, immediately followed, of course, by the colts and my stallion. It looked for a moment as though my last hope was blasted; but presently their fright, if fright it was, passed, and they resumed grazing again a hundred yards farther on. This time there was no bush within fifty feet of them, and I was at a loss as to how to get within safe roping-distance. Anywhere under forty feet I am an excellent roper, at fifty feet I am fair; but over that I knew it would be a matter of luck if I succeeded in getting my noose about that beautiful arched neck.
As I stood debating the question in my mind, I was almost upon the point of making the attempt at the long throw. I had plenty of rope, this Galu weapon being fully49 sixty feet long. How I wished for the collies from the ranch94! At a word they would have circled this little bunch and driven it straight down to me; and then it flashed into my mind that Nobs had run with those collies all one summer, that he had gone down to the pasture with them after the cows every evening and done his part in driving them back to the milking-barn, and had done it intelligently; but Nobs had never done the thing alone, and it had been a year since he had done it at all. However, the chances were more in favor of my foozling the long throw than that Nobs would fall down in his part if I gave him the chance.
Having come to a decision, I had to creep back to Nobs and get him, and then with him at my heels return to a large bush near the four horses. Here we could see directly through the bush, and pointing the animals out to Nobs I whispered: "Fetch 'em, boy!"
In an instant he was gone, circling wide toward the rear of the quarry. They caught sight of him almost immediately and broke into a trot away from him; but when they saw that he was apparently giving them a wide berth96 they stopped again, though they stood watching him, with high-held heads and quivering nostrils97. It was a beautiful sight. And then Nobs turned in behind them and trotted slowly back toward me. He did not bark, nor come rushing down upon them, and when he had come closer to them, he proceeded at a walk. The splendid creatures seemed more curious than fearful, making no effort to escape until Nobs was quite close to them; then they trotted slowly away, but at right angles.
And now the fun and trouble commenced. Nobs, of course, attempted to turn them, and he seemed to have selected the stallion to work upon, for he paid no attention to the others, having intelligence enough to know that a lone dog could run his legs off before he could round up four horses that didn't wish to be rounded up. The stallion, however, had notions of his own about being headed, and the result was as pretty a race as one would care to see. Gad98, how that horse could run! He seemed to flatten90 out and shoot through the air with the very minimum of exertion99, and at his forefoot ran Nobs, doing his best to turn him. He was barking now, and twice he leaped high against the stallion's flank; but this cost too much effort and always lost him ground, as each time he was hurled100 heels over head by the impact; yet before they disappeared over a rise in the ground I was sure that Nobs' persistence101 was bearing fruit; it seemed to me that the horse was giving way a trifle to the right. Nobs was between him and the main herd, to which the yearling and filly had already fled.
As I stood waiting for Nobs' return, I could not but speculate upon my chances should I be attacked by some formidable beast. I was some distance from the forest and armed with weapons in the use of which I was quite untrained, though I had practiced some with the spear since leaving the Kro-lu country. I must admit that my thoughts were not pleasant ones, verging102 almost upon cowardice103, until I chanced to think of little Ajor alone in this same land and armed only with a knife! I was immediately filled with shame; but in thinking the matter over since, I have come to the conclusion that my state of mind was influenced largely by my approximate nakedness. If you have never wandered about in broad daylight garbed104 in a bit of red-deer skin in inadequate105 length, you can have no conception of the sensation of futility106 that overwhelms one. Clothes, to a man accustomed to wearing clothes, impart a certain self-confidence; lack of them induces panic.
But no beast attacked me, though I saw several menacing forms passing through the dark aisles107 of the forest. At last I commenced to worry over Nobs' protracted108 absence and to fear that something had befallen him. I was coiling my rope to start out in search of him, when I saw the stallion leap into view at almost the same spot behind which he had disappeared, and at his heels ran Nobs. Neither was running so fast or furiously as when last I had seen them.
The horse, as he approached me, I could see was laboring109 hard; yet he kept gamely to his task, and Nobs, too. The splendid fellow was driving the quarry straight toward me. I crouched110 behind my bush and laid my noose in readiness to throw. As the two approached my hiding-place, Nobs reduced his speed, and the stallion, evidently only too glad of the respite111, dropped into a trot. It was at this gait that he passed me; my rope-hand flew forward; the honda, well down, held the noose open, and the beautiful bay fairly ran his head into it.
Instantly he wheeled to dash off at right angles. I braced112 myself with the rope around my hip113 and brought him to a sudden stand. Rearing and struggling, he fought for his liberty while Nobs, panting and with lolling tongue, came and threw himself down near me. He seemed to know that his work was done and that he had earned his rest. The stallion was pretty well spent, and after a few minutes of struggling he stood with feet far spread, nostrils dilated114 and eyes wide, watching me as I edged toward him, taking in the slack of the rope as I advanced. A dozen times he reared and tried to break away; but always I spoke78 soothingly115 to him and after an hour of effort I succeeded in reaching his head and stroking his muzzle116. Then I gathered a handful of grass and offered it to him, and always I talked to him in a quiet and reassuring117 voice.
I had expected a battle royal; but on the contrary I found his taming a matter of comparative ease. Though wild, he was gentle to a degree, and of such remarkable118 intelligence that he soon discovered that I had no intention of harming him. After that, all was easy. Before that day was done, I had taught him to lead and to stand while I stroked his head and flanks, and to eat from my hand, and had the satisfaction of seeing the light of fear die in his large, intelligent eyes.
The following day I fashioned a hackamore from a piece which I cut from the end of my long Galu rope, and then I mounted him fully prepared for a struggle of titanic119 proportions in which I was none too sure that he would not come off victor; but he never made the slightest effort to unseat me, and from then on his education was rapid. No horse ever learned more quickly the meaning of the rein120 and the pressure of the knees. I think he soon learned to love me, and I know that I loved him; while he and Nobs were the best of pals121. I called him Ace1. I had a friend who was once in the French flying-corps, and when Ace let himself out, he certainly flew.
I cannot explain to you, nor can you understand, unless you too are a horseman, the exhilarating feeling of well-being122 which pervaded123 me from the moment that I commenced riding Ace. I was a new man, imbued124 with a sense of superiority that led me to feel that I could go forth and conquer all Caspak single-handed. Now, when I needed meat, I ran it down on Ace and roped it, and when some great beast with which we could not cope threatened us, we galloped125 away to safety; but for the most part the creatures we met looked upon us in terror, for Ace and I in combination presented a new and unusual beast beyond their experience and ken39.
For five days I rode back and forth across the southern end of the Galu country without seeing a human being; yet all the time I was working slowly toward the north, for I had determined to comb the territory thoroughly126 in search of Ajor; but on the fifth day as I emerged from a forest, I saw some distance ahead of me a single small figure pursued by many others. Instantly I recognized the quarry as Ajor. The entire party was fully a mile away from me, and they were crossing my path at right angles, Ajor a few hundred yards in advance of those who followed her. One of her pursuers was far in advance of the others, and was gaining upon her rapidly. With a word and a pressure of the knees I sent Ace leaping out into the open, and with Nobs running close alongside, we raced toward her.
At first none of them saw us; but as we neared Ajor, the pack behind the foremost pursuer discovered us and set up such a howl as I never before have heard. They were all Galus, and I soon recognized the foremost as Du-seen. He was almost upon Ajor now, and with a sense of terror such as I had never before experienced, I saw that he ran with his knife in his hand, and that his intention was to slay127 rather than capture. I could not understand it, but I could only urge Ace to greater speed, and most nobly did the wondrous128 creature respond to my demands. If ever a four-footed creature approximated flying, it was Ace that day.
Du-seen, intent upon his brutal129 design, had as yet not noticed us. He was within a pace of Ajor when Ace and I dashed between them, and I, leaning down to the left, swept my little barbarian130 into the hollow of an arm and up on the withers131 of my glorious Ace. We had snatched her from the very clutches of Du-seen, who halted, mystified and raging. Ajor, too, was mystified, as we had come up from diagonally behind her so that she had no idea that we were near until she was swung to Ace's back. The little savage turned with drawn132 knife to stab me, thinking that I was some new enemy, when her eyes found my face and she recognized me. With a little sob133 she threw her arms about my neck, gasping134: "My Tom! My Tom!"
And then Ace sank suddenly into thick mud to his belly, and Ajor and I were thrown far over his head. He had run into one of those numerous springs which cover Caspak. Sometimes they are little lakes, again but tiny pools, and often mere135 quagmires136 of mud, as was this one overgrown with lush grasses which effectually hid its treacherous138 identity. It is a wonder that Ace did not break a leg, so fast he was going when he fell; but he didn't, though with four good legs he was unable to wallow from the mire137. Ajor and I had sprawled139 face down in the covering grasses and so had not sunk deeply; but when we tried to rise, we found that there was not footing, and presently we saw that Du-seen and his followers140 were coming down upon us. There was no escape. It was evident that we were doomed141.
"Slay me!" begged Ajor. "Let me die at thy loved hands rather than beneath the knife of this hateful thing, for he will kill me. He has sworn to kill me. Last night he captured me, and when later he would have his way with me, I struck him with my fists and with my knife I stabbed him, and then I escaped, leaving him raging in pain and thwarted142 desire. Today they searched for me and found me; and as I fled, Du-seen ran after me crying that he would slay me. Kill me, my Tom, and then fall upon thine own spear, for they will kill you horribly if they take you alive."
I couldn't kill her—not at least until the last moment; and I told her so, and that I loved her, and that until death came, I would live and fight for her.
Nobs had followed us into the bog143 and had done fairly well at first, but when he neared us he too sank to his belly and could only flounder about. We were in this predicament when Du-seen and his followers approached the edge of the horrible swamp. I saw that Al-tan was with him and many other Kro-lu warriors. The alliance against Jor the chief had, therefore, been consummated144, and this horde47 was already marching upon the Galu city. I sighed as I thought how close I had been to saving not only Ajor but her father and his people from defeat and death.
Beyond the swamp was a dense wood. Could we have reached this, we would have been safe; but it might as well have been a hundred miles away as a hundred yards across that hidden lake of sticky mud. Upon the edge of the swamp Du-seen and his horde halted to revile145 us. They could not reach us with their hands; but at a command from Du-seen they fitted arrows to their bows, and I saw that the end had come. Ajor huddled146 close to me, and I took her in my arms. "I love you, Tom," she said, "only you." Tears came to my eyes then, not tears of self-pity for my predicament, but tears from a heart filled with a great love—a heart that sees the sun of its life and its love setting even as it rises.
The renegade Galus and their Kro-lu allies stood waiting for the word from Du-seen that would launch that barbed avalanche147 of death upon us, when there broke from the wood beyond the swamp the sweetest music that ever fell upon the ears of man—the sharp staccato of at least two score rifles fired rapidly at will. Down went the Galu and Kro-lu warriors like tenpins before that deadly fusillade.
What could it mean? To me it meant but one thing, and that was that Hollis and Short and the others had scaled the cliffs and made their way north to the Galu country upon the opposite side of the island in time to save Ajor and me from almost certain death. I didn't have to have an introduction to them to know that the men who held those rifles were the men of my own party; and when, a few minutes later, they came forth from their concealment, my eyes verified my hopes. There they were, every man-jack of them; and with them were a thousand straight, sleek warriors of the Galu race; and ahead of the others came two men in the garb of Galus. Each was tall and straight and wonderfully muscled; yet they differed as Ace might differ from a perfect specimen148 of another species. As they approached the mire, Ajor held forth her arms and cried, "Jor, my chief! My father!" and the elder of the two rushed in knee-deep to rescue her, and then the other came close and looked into my face, and his eyes went wide, and mine too, and I cried: "Bowen! For heaven's sake, Bowen Tyler!"
It was he. My search was ended. Around me were all my company and the man we had searched a new world to find. They cut saplings from the forest and laid a road into the swamp before they could get us all out, and then we marched back to the city of Jor the Galu chief, and there was great rejoicing when Ajor came home again mounted upon the glossy149 back of the stallion Ace.
Tyler and Hollis and Short and all the rest of us Americans nearly worked our jaws loose on the march back to the village, and for days afterward150 we kept it up. They told me how they had crossed the barrier cliffs in five days, working twenty-four hours a day in three eight-hour shifts with two reliefs to each shift alternating half-hourly. Two men with electric drills driven from the dynamos aboard the Toreador drilled two holes four feet apart in the face of the cliff and in the same horizontal planes. The holes slanted151 slightly downward. Into these holes the iron rods brought as a part of our equipment and for just this purpose were inserted, extending about a foot beyond the face of the rock, across these two rods a plank152 was laid, and then the next shift, mounting to the new level, bored two more holes five feet above the new platform, and so on.
During the nights the searchlights from the Toreador were kept playing upon the cliff at the point where the drills were working, and at the rate of ten feet an hour the summit was reached upon the fifth day. Ropes were lowered, blocks lashed95 to trees at the top, and crude elevators rigged, so that by the night of the fifth day the entire party, with the exception of the few men needed to man the Toreador, were within Caspak with an abundance of arms, ammunition153 and equipment.
From then on, they fought their way north in search of me, after a vain and perilous154 effort to enter the hideous reptile-infested country to the south. Owing to the number of guns among them, they had not lost a man; but their path was strewn with the dead creatures they had been forced to slay to win their way to the north end of the island, where they had found Bowen and his bride among the Galus of Jor.
The reunion between Bowen and Nobs was marked by a frantic155 display upon Nobs' part, which almost stripped Bowen of the scanty156 attire157 that the Galu custom had vouchsafed158 him. When we arrived at the Galu city, Lys La Rue159 was waiting to welcome us. She was Mrs. Tyler now, as the master of the Toreador had married them the very day that the search-party had found them, though neither Lys nor Bowen would admit that any civil or religious ceremony could have rendered more sacred the bonds with which God had united them.
Neither Bowen nor the party from the Toreador had seen any sign of Bradley and his party. They had been so long lost now that any hopes for them must be definitely abandoned. The Galus had heard rumors160 of them, as had the Western Kro-lu and Band-lu; but none had seen aught of them since they had left Fort Dinosaur161 months since.
We rested in Jor's village for a fortnight while we prepared for the southward journey to the point where the Toreador was to lie off shore in wait for us. During these two weeks Chal-az came up from the Kro-lu country, now a full-fledged Galu. He told us that the remnants of Al-tan's party had been slain162 when they attempted to re-enter Kro-lu. Chal-az had been made chief, and when he rose, had left the tribe under a new leader whom all respected.
Nobs stuck close to Bowen; but Ace and Ajor and I went out upon many long rides through the beautiful north Galu country. Chal-az had brought my arms and ammunition up from Kro-lu with him; but my clothes were gone; nor did I miss them once I became accustomed to the free attire of the Galu.
At last came the time for our departure; upon the following morning we were to set out toward the south and the Toreador and dear old California. I had asked Ajor to go with us; but Jor her father had refused to listen to the suggestion. No pleas could swerve163 him from his decision: Ajor, the cos-ata-lo, from whom might spring a new and greater Caspakian race, could not be spared. I might have any other she among the Galus; but Ajor—no!
The poor child was heartbroken; and as for me, I was slowly realizing the hold that Ajor had upon my heart and wondered how I should get along without her. As I held her in my arms that last night, I tried to imagine what life would be like without her, for at last there had come to me the realization164 that I loved her—loved my little barbarian; and as I finally tore myself away and went to my own hut to snatch a few hours' sleep before we set off upon our long journey on the morrow, I consoled myself with the thought that time would heal the wound and that back in my native land I should find a mate who would be all and more to me than little Ajor could ever be—a woman of my own race and my own culture.
Morning came more quickly than I could have wished. I rose and breakfasted, but saw nothing of Ajor. It was best, I thought, that I go thus without the harrowing pangs165 of a last farewell. The party formed for the march, an escort of Galu warriors ready to accompany us. I could not even bear to go to Ace's corral and bid him farewell. The night before, I had given him to Ajor, and now in my mind the two seemed inseparable.
And so we marched away, down the street flanked with its stone houses and out through the wide gateway166 in the stone wall which surrounds the city and on across the clearing toward the forest through which we must pass to reach the northern boundary of Galu, beyond which we would turn south. At the edge of the forest I cast a backward glance at the city which held my heart, and beside the massive gateway I saw that which brought me to a sudden halt. It was a little figure leaning against one of the great upright posts upon which the gates swing—a crumpled167 little figure; and even at this distance I could see its shoulders heave to the sobs168 that racked it. It was the last straw.
Bowen was near me. "Good-bye old man," I said. "I'm going back."
He looked at me in surprise. "Good-bye, old man," he said, and grasped my hand. "I thought you'd do it in the end."
And then I went back and took Ajor in my arms and kissed the tears from her eyes and a smile to her lips while together we watched the last of the Americans disappear into the forest.
[Transcriber's note: I have made the following changes to the text:
PAGE LINE ORIGINAL CHANGED TO
75 15 later latter
108 14 in is
123 24 the he
131 13 plans planes<
131 28 new few
132 24 Donosaur Dinosaur]
The End
The End
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1
ace
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| n.A牌；发球得分；佼佼者；adj.杰出的 | |
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2
lessening
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| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
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3
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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4
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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covetous
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| adj.贪婪的，贪心的 | |
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10
hoofed
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| adj.有蹄的，蹄形状的，装蹄的v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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12
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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13
growls
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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14
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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15
tantalize
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| vt.使干着急，逗弄 | |
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16
balked
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| v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的过去式和过去分词 )；（指马）不肯跑 | |
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17
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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18
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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19
lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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20
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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22
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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23
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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24
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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25
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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26
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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27
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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28
aggregation
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| n.聚合，组合；凝聚 | |
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29
tusks
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| n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头 | |
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30
rhinoceros
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| n.犀牛 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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33
par
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| n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的 | |
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34
parvenu
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| n.暴发户，新贵 | |
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35
reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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36
amphibians
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| 两栖动物( amphibian的名词复数 )； 水陆两用车； 水旱两生植物； 水陆两用飞行器 | |
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37
shrub
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| n.灌木，灌木丛 | |
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38
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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39
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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40
overhauled
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| v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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41
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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42
overlapping
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| adj./n.交迭（的） | |
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43
defile
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| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
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44
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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45
warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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46
hordes
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| n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 )；部落 | |
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47
horde
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| n.群众，一大群 | |
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48
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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49
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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50
inefficient
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| adj.效率低的，无效的 | |
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51
perspicacity
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| n. 敏锐, 聪明, 洞察力 | |
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52
slovenly
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| adj.懒散的，不整齐的，邋遢的 | |
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53
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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54
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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55
defiling
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| v.玷污( defile的现在分词 )；污染；弄脏；纵列行进 | |
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56
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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57
hardier
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| 能吃苦耐劳的，坚强的( hardy的比较级 )； （植物等）耐寒的 | |
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58
eucalyptus
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| n.桉树，桉属植物 | |
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59
hemlock
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| n.毒胡萝卜，铁杉 | |
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60
riotous
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| adj.骚乱的；狂欢的 | |
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61
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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62
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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63
elation
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| n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意 | |
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64
crave
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| vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求 | |
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65
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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66
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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67
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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68
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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69
fawn
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| n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承 | |
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70
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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71
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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72
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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73
broiling
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| adj.酷热的，炽热的，似烧的v.（用火）烤（焙、炙等）( broil的现在分词 )；使卷入争吵；使混乱；被烤（或炙） | |
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74
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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75
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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76
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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77
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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78
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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79
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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80
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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81
lurked
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| vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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82
coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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83
ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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84
espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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85
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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86
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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87
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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88
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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89
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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90
flatten
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| v.把．．．弄平，使倒伏；使(漆等)失去光泽 | |
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91
noose
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| n.绳套，绞索（刑）；v.用套索捉；使落入圈套；处以绞刑 | |
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92
pivoted
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| adj.转动的，回转的，装在枢轴上的v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的过去式和过去分词 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开 | |
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93
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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94
ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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95
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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96
berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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97
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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98
gad
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| n.闲逛；v.闲逛 | |
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99
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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100
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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101
persistence
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| n.坚持，持续，存留 | |
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102
verging
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| 接近，逼近（verge的现在分词形式） | |
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103
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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104
garbed
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| v.（尤指某类人穿的特定）服装，衣服，制服( garb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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105
inadequate
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| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
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106
futility
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| n.无用 | |
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107
aisles
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| n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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108
protracted
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| adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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109
laboring
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| n.劳动，操劳v.努力争取(for)( labor的现在分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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110
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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111
respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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112
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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113
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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114
dilated
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| adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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115
soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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116
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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117
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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118
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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119
titanic
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| adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的 | |
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120
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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121
pals
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| n.朋友( pal的名词复数 )；老兄；小子；（对男子的不友好的称呼）家伙 | |
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122
well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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123
pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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124
imbued
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| v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等） | |
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125
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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126
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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127
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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128
wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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129
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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130
barbarian
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| n.野蛮人；adj.野蛮(人)的；未开化的 | |
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131
withers
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| 马肩隆 | |
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132
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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133
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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134
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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135
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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136
quagmires
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| n.沼泽地，泥潭( quagmire的名词复数 ) | |
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mire
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| n.泥沼，泥泞；v.使...陷于泥泞，使...陷入困境 | |
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138
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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139
sprawled
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| v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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140
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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141
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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142
thwarted
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| 阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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143
bog
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| n.沼泽；室...陷入泥淖 | |
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144
consummated
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| v.使结束( consummate的过去式和过去分词 )；使完美；完婚；（婚礼后的）圆房 | |
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145
revile
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| v.辱骂，谩骂 | |
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146
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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147
avalanche
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| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
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148
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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149
glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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150
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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151
slanted
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| 有偏见的； 倾斜的 | |
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152
plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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153
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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154
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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155
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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156
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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158
vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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159
rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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160
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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161
dinosaur
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| n.恐龙 | |
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162
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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163
swerve
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| v.突然转向，背离；n．转向，弯曲，背离 | |
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164
realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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165
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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166
gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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167
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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168
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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