a journey in other worlds-第30部分

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ashore；　they　stepped　off　on　the　sand；　and；　warming　up　the　remains
of　the　mastodon's　heart；　ate　a　substantial　breakfast。
　　　
While　washing　their　knives　in　the　stream　preparatory　to　leaving
itfor　they　wished　to　return　to　the　Callisto　by　completing　the
circle　they　had　begunthey　noticed　a　huge　flat　jelly…fish　in
shallow　water。　　It　was　so　transparent　that　they　could　see　the
sandy　bottom　through　it。　　As　it　seemed　to　be　asleep；　Bearwarden
stirred　up　the　water　around　it　and　poked　it　with　a　stick。　　The
jelly…　fish　first　drew　itself　together　till　it　touched　the
surface　of　the　water；　being　nearly　round；　then　it　slowly　left　the
stream　and　rose　till　it　was　wholly　in　the　air；　and；
notwithstanding　the　sunlight；　it　emitted　a　faint　glow。
　　　
〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Bearwarden；　〃here　we　have　one　of　our
Jack…o'…lanterns。　　Let　us　see　what　it　is　going　to　do。〃
　　　
〃It　is　incomprehensible　to　me；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃how　it　maintains
itself；　for　it　has　neither　wings　nor　visible　means　of　support；
yet；　as　it　was　able　to　immerse　itself　in　the　stream；　thereby
displacing　a　volume　of　liquid　equivalent　to　its　bulk；　it　must　be
at　least　as　heavy　as　water。〃
　　　
The　jelly…fish　remained　poised　in　the　air　until　directly　above
them；　when　it　began　to　descend。
　　　
〃Stand　from　under！〃　cried　Bearwarden；　stepping　back。　〃I；　for　one；
should　not　care　to　be　touched。〃
　　　
The　great　soft　mass　came　directly　over　the　spot　on　which　they　had
been　standing；　and　stopped　its　descent　about　three　feet　from　the
ground；　parallel　to　which　it　was　slowly　carried　by　the　wind。　　A
few　yards　off；　in　the　direction　in　which　it　was　moving；　lay　a
long　black　snake　asleep　on　the　sand。　　When　directly　over　its
victim　the　jelly　globule　again　sank　till　it　touched　the　middle　of
the　reptile's　back。　　The　serpent　immediately　coiled　itself　in　a
knot；　but　was　already　dead。　　The　jellyfish　did　not　swallow；　but
completely　surrounded　its　prey；　and　again　rose　in　the　air；　with
the　snake's　black　body　clearly　visible　within　it。
　　　
〃Our　Will…o'…the…wisp　is　prettier　by　night　than　by　day；〃　said
Bearwarden。　　〃I　suggest　that　we　investigate　this　further。〃
　　　
〃How？〃　asked　Cortlandt。
　　　
〃By　destroying　its　life；〃　replied　Bearwarden。　　〃Give　it　one
barrel　from　your　gun；　doctor；　and　see　if　it　can　then　defy
gravitation。〃
　　　
Accordingly　Cortlandt　took　careful　aim　at　the　object；　about
twenty…yards　away；　and　fired。　　The　main　portion　of　the　jellyfish；
with　the　snake　still　in　its　embrace；　sailed　away；　but　many　pounds
of　jelly　fell　to　the　ground。　　Most　of　this　remained　where　it　had
fallen；　but　a　few　of　the　larger　pieces　showed　a　faint　luminosity
and　rose　again。
　　　
〃You　cannot　kill　that　which　is　simply　a　mass　of　protoplasm；〃　said
Cortlandt。　　〃Doubtless　each　of　those　pieces　will　form　a　new
organism。　　This　proves　that　there　are　ramifications　and
developments　of　life　which　we　never　dreamed　of。〃


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　VII。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AN　UNSEEN　HUNTER。

They　calculated　that　they　had　come　ten　or　twelve　miles　from　the
place　at　which　they　built　the　raft；　while　the　damp　salt　breeze
blowing　from　the　south　showed　them　they　were　near　the　ocean。　
Concluding　that　large　bodies　of　water　must　be　very　much　alike　on
all　planets；　they　decided　to　make　for　a　range　of　hills　due　north
and　a　few　miles　off；　and　to　complete　the　circuit　of　the　square　in
returning　to　the　Callisto。　　The　soft　wet　sand　was　covered　with
huge　and　curious　tracks；　doubtless　made　by　creatures　that　had
come　to　the　stream　during　the　night　to　drink；　and　they　noticed
with　satisfaction　as　they　set　out　that　the　fresher　ones　led　off
in　the　direction　in　which　they　were　going。　　For　practice；　they
blew　off　the　heads　of　the　boa…constrictors　as　they　hung　from　the
trees；　and　of　the　other　huge　snakes　that　moved　along　the　ground；
with　explosive　bullets；　in　every　thicket　through　which　they
passed；　knowing　that　the　game；　never　having　been　shot　at；　would
not　take　fright　at　the　noise。　　Sometimes　they　came　upon　great
masses　of　snakes；　intertwined　and　coiled　like　worms；　in　these
cases　Cortlandt　brought　his　gun　into　play；　raking　them　with
duck…shot　to　his　heart's　content。　　〃As　the　function　of　these
reptiles；〃　he　explained；　〃is　to　form　a　soil　on　which　higher　life
may　grow；　we　may　as　well　help　along　their　metamorphosis　by
artificial　means。〃　　They　were　impressed　by　the　tremendous
cannon…like　reports　of　their　firearms；　which　they　perceived　at
once　resulted　from　the　great　density　of　the　Jovian　atmosphere。　
And　this　was　also　a　considerable　aid　to　them　in　making　muscular
exertion；　for　it　had　just　the　reverse　effect　of　rarefied　mountain
air；　and　they　seldom　had　to　expand　their　lungs　fully　in　order　to
breathe。
　　　
The　ground　continued　to　be　marked　with　very　large　footprints。　
Often　the　impressions　were　those　of　a　biped　like　some　huge　bird；
except　that　occasionally　the　creature　had　put　down　one　or　both
forefeet；　and　a　thick　tail　had　evidently　dragged　nearly　all　the
time　it　walked　erect。　　Presently；　coming　to　something　they　had
taken　for　a　large　flat　rock；　they　were　surprised　to　see　it　move。　
It　was　about　twelve　feet　wide　by　eighteen　feet　long；　while　its
shell　seemed　at　least　a　foot　thick；　and　it　was　of　course　the
largest　turtle　they　had　ever　seen。
　　　
〃Twenty…four　people　could　dine　at　a　table　of　this　size　with
ease；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃while　it　would　make　soup　for　a　regiment。　
I　wonder　if　it　belongs　to　the　snapping　or　diamond…backed
species。〃
　　　
At　this　juncture　the　monster　again　moved。
　　　
〃As　it　is　heading　in　our　direction；〃　resumed　Bearwarden；　〃I　vote
we　strike　for　a　free　pass；〃　and；　taking　a　run；　he　sprang　with　his
spiked　boots　upon　the　turtle's　shell　and　clambered　upon　the　flat
top；　which　was　about　six　feet　from　the　ground。　　He　was　quickly
followed　by　Ayrault；　who　was　not　much　ahead　of　Cortlandt；　for；
notwithstanding　his　fifty　years；　the　professor　was　very　spry。　
The　tortoise　was　almost　the　exact　counterpart　of　the　Glyptodon
asper　that　formerly　existed　on　earth；　and　shambled　along　at　a
jerky　gait；　about　half　as　fast　again　as　they　could　walk；　and
while　it　continued　to　go　in　their　direction　they　were　greatly
pleased。　　They　soon　found　that　by　dropping　the　butts　of　their
rifles　sharply　and　simultaneously　on　either　side；　just　back　of
the　head；　they　could　direct　their　course；　by　making　their　steed
swerve　away　from　the　stamping。
　　　
〃It　is　strange；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃that；　with　the
exception　of　the　mastodon　and　this　tortoise；　we　have　seen
none　of　the　monsters　that　seem　to　appear　at　the　close　of
Carboniferous　periods；　although　the　ground　is　covered
with　their　tracks。〃
　　　
〃Probably　we　did　not　reach　the　grounds　at　the　right　time　of　day；〃
replied　Bearwarden。　　〃The　large　game　doubtless　stays　in　the　woods
and　jungles　till　night。〃
　　　
〃I　fancy；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃we　shall　find　representatives　of　all
the　species　that　once　lived　upon　the　earth。　　In　the　case　of　the
singing　flowers　and　the　Jack…o'…lantern　jelly…fish；　we　have；　in
addition；　seen　developments　the　existence　of　which　no　scientist
has　ever　before　even　suspected。〃
　　　
Occasionally　the　tortoise　stopped；　whereupon　they　poked　it　from
behind　with　their　knives。　　It　was　a　vicious…looking　brute；　and
had　a　huge　horny　beak；　w