I stooped and peered over his shoulder through the gap. Yes, I couldsee it, too. In the deep shadow of the tree there was a deeper shadowyet, black, inchoate, vague--a crouching form full of savage vigor andmenace. It was no higher than a horse, but the dim outline suggestedvast bulk and strength. That hissing pant, as regular and full-volumedas the exhaust of an engine, spoke of a monstrous organism. Once, asit moved, I thought I saw the glint of two terrible, greenish eyes.There was an uneasy rustling, as if it were crawling slowly forward.
"I believe it is going to spring!" said I, cocking my rifle.
"Don't fire! Don't fire!" whispered Lord John. "The crash of a gun inthis silent night would be heard for miles. Keep it as a last card."
"If it gets over the hedge we're done," said Summerlee, and his voicecrackled into a nervous laugh as he spoke.
"No, it must not get over," cried Lord John; "but hold your fire to thelast. Perhaps I can make something of the fellow. I'll chance it,anyhow."
It was as brave an act as ever I saw a man do. He stooped to the fire,picked up a blazing branch, and slipped in an instant through asallyport which he had made in our gateway. The thing moved forwardwith a dreadful snarl. Lord John never hesitated, but, running towardsit with a quick, light step, he dashed the flaming wood into thebrute's face. For one moment I had a vision of a horrible mask like agiant toad's, of a warty, leprous skin, and of a loose mouth allbeslobbered with fresh blood. The next, there was a crash in theunderwood and our dreadful visitor was gone.
"I thought he wouldn't face the fire," said Lord John, laughing, as hecame back and threw his branch among the faggots.
"You should not have taken such a risk!" we all cried.
"There was nothin' else to be done. If he had got among us we shouldhave shot each other in tryin' to down him. On the other hand, if wehad fired through the hedge and wounded him he would soon have been onthe top of us--to say nothin' of giving ourselves away. On the whole,I think that we are jolly well out of it. What was he, then?"
Our learned men looked at each other with some hesitation.
"Personally, I am unable to classify the creature with any certainty,"said Summerlee, lighting his pipe from the fire.
"In refusing to commit yourself you are but showing a proper scientificreserve," said Challenger, with massive condescension. "I am notmyself prepared to go farther than to say in general terms that we havealmost certainly been in contact to-night with some form of carnivorousdinosaur. I have already expressed my anticipation that something ofthe sort might exist upon this plateau."
"We have to bear in mind," remarked Summerlee, "that there are manyprehistoric forms which have never come down to us. It would be rashto suppose that we can give a name to all that we are likely to meet."
"Exactly. A rough classification may be the best that we can attempt.To-morrow some further evidence may help us to an identification.Meantime we can only renew our interrupted slumbers."
"But not without a sentinel," said Lord John, with decision. "We can'tafford to take chances in a country like this. Two-hour spells in thefuture, for each of us."
"Then I'll just finish my pipe in starting the first one," saidProfessor Summerlee; and from that time onwards we never trustedourselves again without a watchman.
In the morning it was not long before we discovered the source of thehideous uproar which had aroused us in the night. The iguanodon gladewas the scene of a horrible butchery. From the pools of blood and theenormous lumps of flesh scattered in every direction over the greensward we imagined at first that a number of animals had been killed,but on examining the remains more closely we discovered that
all thiscarnage came from one of these unwieldy monsters, which had beenliterally torn to pieces by some creature not larger, perhaps, but farmore ferocious, than itself.
Our two professors sat in absorbed argument, examining piece afterpiece, which showed the marks of savage teeth and of enormous claws.
"Our judgment must still be in abeyance," said Professor Challenger,with a huge slab of whitish-colored flesh across his knee. "Theindications would be consistent with the presence of a saber-toothedtiger, such as are still found among the breccia of our caverns; butthe creature actually seen was undoubtedly of a larger and morereptilian character. Personally, I should pronounce for allosaurus."
"Or megalosaurus," said Summerlee.
"Exactly. Any one of the larger carnivorous dinosaurs would meet thecase. Among them are to be found all the most terrible types of animallife that have ever cursed the earth or blessed a museum." He laughedsonorously at his own conceit, for, though he had little sense ofhumor, the crudest pleasantry from his own lips moved him always toroars of appreciation.
"The less noise the better," said Lord Roxton, curtly. "We don't knowwho or what may be near us. If this fellah comes back for hisbreakfast and catches us here we won't have so much to laugh at. Bythe way, what is this mark upon the iguanodon's hide?"
On the dull, scaly, slate-colored skin somewhere above the shoulder,there was a singular black circle of some substance which looked likeasphalt. None of us could suggest what it meant, though Summerlee wasof opinion that he had seen something similar upon one of the youngones two days before. Challenger said nothing, but looked pompous andpuffy, as if he could if he would, so that finally Lord John asked hisopinion direct.
"If your lordship will graciously permit me to open my mouth, I shallbe happy to express my sentiments," said he, with elaborate sarcasm."I am not in the habit of being taken to task in the fashion whichseems to be customary with your lordship. I was not aware that it wasnecessary to ask your permission before smiling at a harmlesspleasantry."
It was not until he had received his apology that our touchy friendwould suffer himself to be appeased. When at last his ruffled feelingswere at ease, he addressed us at some length from his seat upon afallen tree, speaking, as his habit was, as if he were imparting mostprecious information to a class of a thousand.
"With regard to the marking," said he, "I am inclined to agree with myfriend and colleague, Professor Summerlee, that the stains are fromasphalt. As this plateau is, in its very nature, highly volcanic, andas asphalt is a substance which one associates with Plutonic forces, Icannot doubt that it exists in the free liquid state, and that thecreatures may have come in contact with it. A much more importantproblem is the question as to the existence of the carnivorous monsterwhich has left its traces in this glade. We know roughly that thisplateau is not larger than an average English county. Within thisconfined space a certain number of creatures, mostly types which havepassed away in the world below, have lived together for innumerableyears. Now, it is very clear to me that in so long a period one wouldhave expected that the carnivorous creatures, multiplying unchecked,would have exhausted their food supply and have been compelled toeither modify their flesh-eating habits or die of hunger. This we seehas not been so. We can only imagine, therefore, that the balance ofNature is preserved by some check which limits the numbers of theseferocious creatures. One of the many interesting problems, therefore,which await our solution is to discover what that check may be and howit operates. I venture to trust that we may have some futureopportunity for the closer study of the carnivorous dinosaurs."
"And I venture to trust we may not," I observed.
The Professor only raised his great eyebrows, as the schoolmaster meetsthe irrelevant observation of the naughty boy.
"Perhaps Professor Summerlee may have an observation to make," he said,and the two savants ascended together into some rarefied scientificatmosphere, where the possibilities of a modification of the birth-ratewere weighed against the decline of the food supply as a check in thestruggle for existence.