Other Sagoths were darting6 hither and thither7 in search of other slaves, and the moment that we appeared we were pounced8 upon and hustled9 into the line of marching humans.
What the purpose or nature of the general exodus10 we did not know, but presently through the line of captives ran the rumor11 that two escaped slaves had been recaptured—a man and a woman—and that we were marching to witness their punishment, for the man had killed a Sagoth of the detachment that had pursued and overtaken them.
At the intelligence my heart sprang to my throat, for I was sure that the two were of those who escaped in the dark grotto12 with Hooja the Sly One, and that Dian must be the woman. Ghak thought so too, as did Perry.
"Naught," he replied.
Along the crowded avenue we marched, the guards showing unusual cruelty toward us, as though we, too, had been implicated14 in the murder of their fellow. The occasion was to serve as an object-lesson to all other slaves of the danger and futility15 of attempted escape, and the fatal consequences of taking the life of a superior being, and so I imagine that Sagoths felt amply justified16 in making the entire proceeding17 as uncomfortable and painful to us as possible.
They jabbed us with their spears and struck at us with the hatchets18 at the least provocation19, and at no provocation at all. It was a most uncomfortable half-hour that we spent before we were finally herded21 through a low entrance into a huge building the center of which was given up to a good-sized arena22. Benches surrounded this open space upon three sides, and along the fourth were heaped huge bowlders which rose in receding23 tiers toward the roof.
At first I couldn't make out the purpose of this mighty24 pile of rock, unless it were intended as a rough and picturesque25 background for the scenes which were enacted26 in the arena before it, but presently, after the wooden benches had been pretty well filled by slaves and Sagoths, I discovered the purpose of the bowlders, for then the Mahars began to file into the enclosure.
They marched directly across the arena toward the rocks upon the opposite side, where, spreading their bat-like wings, they rose above the high wall of the pit, settling down upon the bowlders above. These were the reserved seats, the boxes of the elect.
Reptiles27 that they are, the rough surface of a great stone is to them as plush as upholstery to us. Here they lolled, blinking their hideous28 eyes, and doubtless conversing29 with one another in their sixth-sense-fourth-dimension language.
For the first time I beheld30 their queen. She differed from the others in no feature that was appreciable31 to my earthly eyes, in fact all Mahars look alike to me: but when she crossed the arena after the balance of her female subjects had found their bowlders, she was preceded by a score of huge Sagoths, the largest I ever had seen, and on either side of her waddled32 a huge thipdar, while behind came another score of Sagoth guardsmen.
At the barrier the Sagoths clambered up the steep side with truly apelike agility33, while behind them the haughty34 queen rose upon her wings with her two frightful35 dragons close beside her, and settled down upon the largest bowlder of them all in the exact center of that side of the amphitheater which is reserved for the dominant36 race. Here she squatted37, a most repulsive38 and uninteresting queen; though doubtless quite as well assured of her beauty and divine right to rule as the proudest monarch39 of the outer world.
And then the music started—music without sound! The Mahars cannot hear, so the drums and fifes and horns of earthly bands are unknown among them. The "band" consists of a score or more Mahars. It filed out in the center of the arena where the creatures upon the rocks might see it, and there it performed for fifteen or twenty minutes.
Their technic consisted in waving their tails and moving their heads in a regular succession of measured movements resulting in a cadence40 which evidently pleased the eye of the Mahar as the cadence of our own instrumental music pleases our ears. Sometimes the band took measured steps in unison41 to one side or the other, or backward and again forward—it all seemed very silly and meaningless to me, but at the end of the first piece the Mahars upon the rocks showed the first indications of enthusiasm that I had seen displayed by the dominant race of Pellucidar. They beat their great wings up and down, and smote42 their rocky perches43 with their mighty tails until the ground shook. Then the band started another piece, and all was again as silent as the grave. That was one great beauty about Mahar music—if you didn't happen to like a piece that was being played all you had to do was shut your eyes.
When the band had exhausted44 its repertory it took wing and settled upon the rocks above and behind the queen. Then the business of the day was on. A man and woman were pushed into the arena by a couple of Sagoth guardsmen. I leaned forward in my seat to scrutinize45 the female—hoping against hope that she might prove to be another than Dian the Beautiful. Her back was toward me for a while, and the sight of the great mass of raven46 hair piled high upon her head filled me with alarm.
Presently a door in one side of the arena wall was opened to admit a huge, shaggy, bull-like creature.
"A Bos," whispered Perry, excitedly. "His kind roamed the outer crust with the cave bear and the mammoth47 ages and ages ago. We have been carried back a million years, David, to the childhood of a planet—is it not wondrous48?"
But I saw only the raven hair of a half-naked girl, and my heart stood still in dumb misery49 at the sight of her, nor had I any eyes for the wonders of natural history. But for Perry and Ghak I should have leaped to the floor of the arena and shared whatever fate lay in store for this priceless treasure of the Stone Age.
With the advent50 of the Bos—they call the thing a thag within Pellucidar—two spears were tossed into the arena at the feet of the prisoners. It seemed to me that a bean shooter would have been as effective against the mighty monster as these pitiful weapons.
As the animal approached the two, bellowing51 and pawing the ground with the strength of many earthly bulls, another door directly beneath us was opened, and from it issued the most terrific roar that ever had fallen upon my outraged52 ears. I could not at first see the beast from which emanated53 this fearsome challenge, but the sound had the effect of bringing the two victims around with a sudden start, and then I saw the girl's face—she was not Dian! I could have wept for relief.
And now, as the two stood frozen in terror, I saw the author of that fearsome sound creeping stealthily into view. It was a huge tiger—such as hunted the great Bos through the jungles primeval when the world was young. In contour and markings it was not unlike the noblest of the Bengals of our own world, but as its dimensions were exaggerated to colossal54 proportions so too were its colorings exaggerated. Its vivid yellows fairly screamed aloud; its whites were as eider down; its blacks glossy55 as the finest anthracite coal, and its coat long and shaggy as a mountain goat. That it is a beautiful animal there is no gainsaying56, but if its size and colors are magnified here within Pellucidar, so is the ferocity of its disposition57. It is not the occasional member of its species that is a man hunter—all are man hunters; but they do not confine their foraging58 to man alone, for there is no flesh or fish within Pellucidar that they will not eat with relish59 in the constant efforts which they make to furnish their huge carcasses with sufficient sustenance60 to maintain their mighty thews.
Upon one side of the doomed pair the thag bellowed61 and advanced, and upon the other tarag, the frightful, crept toward them with gaping62 mouth and dripping fangs63.
The man seized the spears, handing one of them to the woman. At the sound of the roaring of the tiger the bull's bellowing became a veritable frenzy64 of rageful noise. Never in my life had I heard such an infernal din1 as the two brutes65 made, and to think it was all lost upon the hideous reptiles for whom the show was staged!
The thag was charging now from one side, and the tarag from the other. The two puny66 things standing67 between them seemed already lost, but at the very moment that the beasts were upon them the man grasped his companion by the arm and together they leaped to one side, while the frenzied68 creatures came together like locomotives in collision.
There ensued a battle royal which for sustained and frightful ferocity transcends69 the power of imagination or description. Time and again the colossal bull tossed the enormous tiger high into the air, but each time that the huge cat touched the ground he returned to the encounter with apparently70 undiminished strength, and seemingly increased ire.
For a while the man and woman busied themselves only with keeping out of the way of the two creatures, but finally I saw them separate and each creep stealthily toward one of the combatants. The tiger was now upon the bull's broad back, clinging to the huge neck with powerful fangs while its long, strong talons71 ripped the heavy hide into shreds72 and ribbons.
For a moment the bull stood bellowing and quivering with pain and rage, its cloven hoofs73 widespread, its tail lashing74 viciously from side to side, and then, in a mad orgy of bucking75 it went careening about the arena in frenzied attempt to unseat its rending76 rider. It was with difficulty that the girl avoided the first mad rush of the wounded animal.
All its efforts to rid itself of the tiger seemed futile77, until in desperation it threw itself upon the ground, rolling over and over. A little of this so disconcerted the tiger, knocking its breath from it I imagine, that it lost its hold and then, quick as a cat, the great thag was up again and had buried those mighty horns deep in the tarag's abdomen78, pinning him to the floor of the arena.
The great cat clawed at the shaggy head until eyes and ears were gone, and naught but a few strips of ragged79, bloody80 flesh remained upon the skull81. Yet through all the agony of that fearful punishment the thag still stood motionless pinning down his adversary82, and then the man leaped in, seeing that the blind bull would be the least formidable enemy, and ran his spear through the tarag's heart.
As the animal's fierce clawing ceased, the bull raised his gory83, sightless head, and with a horrid84 roar ran headlong across the arena. With great leaps and bounds he came, straight toward the arena wall directly beneath where we sat, and then accident carried him, in one of his mighty springs, completely over the barrier into the midst of the slaves and Sagoths just in front of us. Swinging his bloody horns from side to side the beast cut a wide swath before him straight upward toward our seats. Before him slaves and gorilla-men fought in mad stampede to escape the menace of the creature's death agonies, for such only could that frightful charge have been.
Forgetful of us, our guards joined in the general rush for the exits, many of which pierced the wall of the amphitheater behind us. Perry, Ghak, and I became separated in the chaos85 which reigned86 for a few moments after the beast cleared the wall of the arena, each intent upon saving his own hide.
I ran to the right, passing several exits choked with the fear mad mob that were battling to escape. One would have thought that an entire herd20 of thags was loose behind them, rather than a single blinded, dying beast; but such is the effect of panic upon a crowd.
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1
din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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7
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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pounced
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| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
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hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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10
exodus
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| v.大批离去，成群外出 | |
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rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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grotto
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| n.洞穴 | |
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naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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implicated
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| adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的 | |
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15
futility
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| n.无用 | |
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16
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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18
hatchets
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| n.短柄小斧( hatchet的名词复数 )；恶毒攻击；诽谤；休战 | |
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19
provocation
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| n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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herded
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| 群集，纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 )； 放牧； （使）向…移动 | |
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22
arena
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| n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台 | |
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23
receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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24
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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28
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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29
conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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30
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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31
appreciable
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| adj.明显的，可见的，可估量的，可觉察的 | |
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32
waddled
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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34
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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35
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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36
dominant
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| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
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37
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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39
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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40
cadence
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| n.（说话声调的）抑扬顿挫 | |
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41
unison
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| n.步调一致，行动一致 | |
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42
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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43
perches
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| 栖息处( perch的名词复数 )； 栖枝； 高处； 鲈鱼 | |
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44
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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45
scrutinize
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| n.详细检查，细读 | |
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46
raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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47
mammoth
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| n.长毛象；adj.长毛象似的，巨大的 | |
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48
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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49
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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50
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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51
bellowing
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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52
outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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53
emanated
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| v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的过去式和过去分词 )；产生，表现，显示 | |
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54
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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56
gainsaying
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| v.否认，反驳( gainsay的现在分词 ) | |
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57
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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58
foraging
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| v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的现在分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西） | |
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relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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sustenance
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| n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计 | |
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bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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62
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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63
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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frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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frenzied
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| a.激怒的；疯狂的 | |
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69
transcends
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| 超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的第三人称单数 )； 优于或胜过… | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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talons
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| n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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73
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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74
lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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75
bucking
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| v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的现在分词 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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76
rending
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| v.撕碎( rend的现在分词 )；分裂；（因愤怒、痛苦等而）揪扯（衣服或头发等）；（声音等）刺破 | |
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77
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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78
abdomen
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| n.腹，下腹(胸部到腿部的部分) | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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81
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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82
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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83
gory
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| adj.流血的；残酷的 | |
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84
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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85
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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86
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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