Chapter II: More Than One Kind of Surprise

Sure-dart plunged on into the little cave till he came to the end. The distance was not more than twenty feet, and none too far to seem clear of the pursuing horror. It is to be remembered that the monster had a long, lizard neck, with a range from the body of several feet.

The boy leaned against the wall for an instant, getting back his breath and steadying his shaken senses. He had no hope whatever for Hop-foot, for he felt sure that the giant beast had overtaken him, and this could mean but one thing. The monster, clumsy in a certain way, was still unlikely to miss such a plain target, and therefore Hop-foot was now no more than a shapeless welter of blood, flesh, and bones. One lurch of the great mass upon the little squirming body would make it well-nigh as if it had never been.

But now the moment of weakness and helplessness had passed, and the hardy barbarian turned from the wall, and looked toward the mouth of the hole. His ears, like his eyes, were again in full action.

The opening was half blocked up, and the light inside was reduced to dusk. There was no need to ask why. A fishy and musky smell drifted in, and something that looked at first glance like a huge hammer, with a very long, crooked handle, was at the moment swaying up and down in the dimmed light. Not to be mysterious, the death-beast was crowding up close to the mouth of the hole, and just at this moment was thrusting his head inside.

Sure-dart took a second look, and noted the distance to the swaying head. His eyes took on a hard gleam; he slipped a hairy arm to the case at his side, and drew out one of the little spears. Without hesitation he walked forward a few steps and raised the dart. The beaked head stopped its swaying, and the mouth opened redly and shut again. The monster certainly perceived him now, if he had not before, and was preparing to make an effort--who could guess the measure of it?--to reach him. Sure-dart took one more step, stopped, and brought his right arm still farther back.

The light almost vanished, for the monster had crouched, bringing his body more exactly against the hole, and was beginning to use his mighty claws. He was trying to enlarge the opening.

The boy’s eyes steadied, he swung forward a bit, and then back, and with another forward swing the dart left his hand. It was cast with a skill that came of long practice, and with a force far beyond the seeming power of his arm.

He had aimed for a bend of the long neck at a point perhaps two feet behind the head. The skin was not extremely thick here, and the outside scales not firm enough to resist the strong impulse of the dart. But in fact, the boy had cast the weapon with such force for another reason than merely to pierce the skin and scales; he wanted to reach with the poison as many blood-vessels as he could. He knew that these cold-blooded reptiles were hard to kill, and that even the strong poison on the dart would not take effect at once. Indeed, cases had been known where the smitten creatures had held out long enough to starve the cave-hider into coming forth, and then had killed him. Sure-dart could not count on help from friends; the greater number of the able-bodied men of the caves were still out on their expedition, and the few that were left with the boys, women, and small children could not be counted on to meet such enemies as these. Besides, the boy knew that he and Hop-foot were in a sense to blame for the present situation. They had stolen away to look up the fate of the poisoned monster, when prudence required them to wait longer, and take no such chance. Even if the other monsters made a descent on the dwelling-caves (which was unlikely, for the creatures, thick-headed as they were, had learned better than that), then retreat to safety was easy. The dwelling-caves were relatively large, and were provided with food and drink sufficient for a short siege of any kind. The Rock-people, as they called themselves, had learned this piece of precaution by deadly experience. So Sure-dart felt that he must get himself out of the scrape if he could, and must not bring destruction on his friends in an effort to help him.

As he let the dart go he bent forward eagerly and watched the result. At the very moment that the dart left his fingers the creature slightly turned its head, and the end of the long snout stuck out into the track of the dart. The little missile glanced from the horn-like beak, and fell harmless to the ground.

Sure-dart, trained though he was to bear disappointment, scowled, and fetched a little sharp breath. One of his three chances was gone.

The great lizard was perhaps annoyed by the little rap on its nose, or it might have been excited to new exertions by the nearness of its prey, for here it made still greater exertions to enlarge the hole. It pushed against the rocks, wriggled, and dug sideways with its claws. Some of the smaller rocks gave way and let a little more of the straining body through, but the rest held. The greater part of the beginning of the cave had been dug through the solid rock, and even the mighty strength of the great reptile could not start it. The Rock-people had guarded against just such enemies, and by dint of great labor had hewed and dug away with their flint tools till they had made a safe gate-way. They had one thing in their favor, which was that the rock was of a lime formation and so was not the hardest kind to work.

Sure-dart watched the labors of the monster with a derisive sneer. He was not at all worried about the outcome. The danger for him lay in quite another direction.

For a few minutes longer the giant reptile kept up its wriggling, digging, and clawing. It had the dull perseverance of creatures of this kind, and its wind and endurance seemed to have hardly a limit. But at last it relaxed a little, and again began to reach out its head, its mouth angrily opening and shutting.

Sure-dart saw that another chance had come. The target was once more a fair one. He stepped forward, poised a dart, and again put wonderful force and deftness into its flight.

This time there was no armored snout in the track. The dart struck half-way down the uplifted neck and sank its whole head in the flesh.

The boy gave a little snarl of triumph (his expressions of this kind were little better than animal noises), and flashed out his splendid teeth in a grin. Coolly he drew the remaining dart and waited for another chance.

Though the monster’s nervous organization was of a dull kind, so that the pain of the wound could not have been great, it was still sufficient to give him a little surprise and add considerably to his irritation. He drew his head back, broke out in a queer kind of hiss, and then made a new and stronger effort to reach his tormentor.

It was still in vain, but this time the effort was so mighty that one loose piece of rock that weighed tons was lifted from its place, and the creature raised itself under it, and actually stood with the enormous weight on its back.

It was only for an instant, and then the giant settled back under the load, and half sprawled out, as before. There had been little real danger, for it was out of the question for the creature to advance while sustaining such a load, and even if he had, he must have brought up against the solid rock of the two sides of the opening. Nevertheless, what he did was sufficient to give the boy a decided start, and take the confident look out of his face.

What next? Sure-dart had no doubt that he had given the monster its death-wound, and so it seemed unwise to give him the remaining dart; he might need that for one of the other beasts. On the other hand, the present enemy might last for hours, or even till the next day, and after that he might settle down where he was and die, and then how was Sure-dart to get out? He had lost his little flint-headed axe in his flight, and there was nothing left with which he could cut through the huge carcass. The war-party that was abroad might be gone two or three days, and in case the other monsters should linger, no party that could be raised from the cave settlement would be strong enough for a rescue. It was true, as a further matter for consideration, that the death-beasts had sometimes been so galled and intimidated by a few poisoned darts that they had lost their courage and beat a retreat.

Sure-dart had been trained to make quick decisions, and he made one now. He was resolved to take his chances on trying to finish his present enemy.

Without hesitation he advanced to within two paces of the outreached head. Here were some small pieces of loose stone, and he threw several at the extended snout. This irritated the creature, and he broke out again in his sputtering sort of hiss. As before, he finished with flashing open his red mouth. Before he could close it the arm of his pygmy foe went up and jerked forward, and a dart shot fairly between the open jaws, and lodged somewhere in the gaping throat.

Then, to be sure, there was a twisting and smashing. The armored head swung this way and that, the fore feet struck out, and the writhing of the enormous body again made the overhead mass of rock start.

Sure-dart laughed, and cut a caper.

“That time I did it.”

He turned around, walked back a few steps, and calmly sat down. He was prepared to await developments. It was with the patience that went with his savage training.

The time of waiting proved to be short. The monster, stung at last, and bothered by the shaft of the dart, began to retreat. It backed till it was clear of the cave; then it lay down and began to paw at its mouth. Sure-dart now had a chance to see the other immediate surroundings, and found that at least one of the other monsters was still there. This creature, smaller than the one that had been besieging him, had been standing behind the other, and seemed to be awaiting his turn. As the big beast backed away and cleared the opening, the smaller one walked up and poked his head in at the hole.

Sure-dart did not stir, but simply looked at the beast. He believed that it was his wisest way to remain quiet and excite the creature as little as possible. If his first foe should go away, the others--unless they were angered--would probably follow.

Perhaps five minutes went by. The wounded beast was still pawing at his mouth, trying to get out the dart, and the other nosed around the entrance, but made no effort, as the first had done, to force his way in. But at the end of this time Sure-dart heard a new sound. It was one that made him start, and in a moment leap excitedly to his feet. The noise was that of human voices.

He listened, and the sounds came nearer. He clapped his hands to his mouth, and sent out a high-pitched, peculiar cry.

Almost like an echo, a similar cry came back. At that the nosing monster, showing uneasiness, backed away, and left the mouth of the hole entirely open. Sure-dart, his eyes shining with hope, boldly ran forward. He continued to within two paces of the entrance, and from there glanced out, and down the hill.

Marching up from the bottom were over twenty men, their ranks bristling with spears. At their sides were likewise cases of darts, and rough flint axes and knives, and the greater number carried canoe-shaped shields. Other than the difference in weapons, they looked like Sure-dart and Hop-foot on a larger scale. In a word, it was the war-party that had gone out three days before, and now, for some reason, early returned.

But Sure-dart knew that he could not look for deliverance just yet. The fighting party, strong as it was, would not march directly on the three monsters. Experience had taught them quite another way. In a moment the lines fanned out, and the party divided, one division going to the right, and the other to the left. Here Sure-dart lost sight of them, but he could still follow them in his mind. He knew that they would scatter still more, till each seemed to be acting independently. But this would not be really the case. Every little group would pick out a safety-hole, and all the others would take notice; then the men nearest the monsters would close in, and all would suddenly let go a flight of darts. After this there would be a general scattering for the holes. By arranging in advance the parties would be divided among a good many holes, so that it would be out of the question for the monsters to besiege them all. As soon as the creatures had made a rush (which was their way), those men in the holes not watched would come out, and as soon as near enough, would let go a shower of darts. Of course the end, after this, would be merely a question of time. Nor could the monsters, even if they were a long time in yielding to the poison, starve out the men. Some holes would still be unwatched, and those in them (this was done where the attacking party was smaller than at present) could steal out and go after reënforcements, and thus any hole where the men had been long cut off from food could be relieved. The stupid giants always wheeled, on an attack in the rear, and gave chase to the new enemies.

Yet after all, Sure-dart was agreeably disappointed. The first monster had begun to feel the working of the poison, and in a few minutes he wheeled, and slowly shuffled off. The other two hesitated, but then followed, and in another three minutes the hindmost had disappeared over the first of the southerly ridges.

Stoical as the boy was, as he peeped out and saw the last great rump sinking out of sight behind the ridge, he gave a yell of triumph and delight, and leaped out into the open. The men, who were not very far away, came running forward, and there was a din of cries and eager talk.

The speech of the day was confined to a very small vocabulary, but there was a good range of grunts and clicking cries, and on this occasion all seemed to make the most of them.

But above the noise one man quickly made himself heard. He was over six feet high, and so almost gigantic for one of that day, and his figure was relatively well proportioned, and showed signs of great strength. His face was rather attractive, and his look was bold and keen. He was perhaps forty-five, and there were a few gray hairs in his long locks and in his short, spiky beard. He carried, besides spear and shield, a long and very broad-bladed axe. This was slung over his massive shoulders. About his forehead was tied a string of white objects that, on near inspection, could be seen to be human teeth. This man not only raised his voice above the others, quickly silencing them, but spoke directly to Sure-dart.

“Where is Hop-foot? Was he not in the hole with you?”

The joy and relief faded out of Sure-dart’s face. Where, indeed, was his friend? This was Hop-foot’s father who was asking. In the suddenness and tremendous relief of the deliverance, Sure-dart had for the instant forgotten the terrible disaster.

As Big-axe spoke, Sure-dart glanced once sick-heartedly around. To be sure, the crushed body was not immediately in sight, but it could not be far off. A little to the left of the hole, and where Hop-foot had probably been overtaken, was a low mound, with a hollow on the farther side, and with some trampled-down bushes partly over both; here doubtless was the place. Without answering Big-axe, Sure-dart stepped that way. He parted the bushes at the top of the mound, and jumped back with a cry.

His eyes stared like a crazy person’s. Then he whirled, and leaped bodily over the mound, sputtering out something unintelligible as he did so.