Page:Amazing Stories Volume 02 Number 06.pdf/86

Rh displayed the mutilation that had been caused by the creature's serrated teeth.

"Megalosaurus?" I ventured, looking at Prof. Munster.

"Very good, Jameson," he commended, "but I should rather say it was an Allosaurus. The Megalosaurus, also, a carnivorous Dinosaur, as you likely remember, had its habitat in Europe, as far as we have been able to ascertain. It was distinctive from the North American Allosaurus, in that, like the Stegosaurus, its big cousin, it had an external fin-like bony ridge running from head to tail. A fossilized Megalosaurus had not as yet been discovered in North America. Let me ask you a question, Jarvis," continued Prof. Munster, "had Prof. Schlecting disappeared at the time you were attacked?"

"I am quite certain that he had," answered Jarvis, "I remember having made an outcry, when I felt my leg being held. If the Professor had heard it, he would have tried to give me assistance."

"You saw no trace of him when you regained consciousness?"

"None whatever, the thing had probably disposed of the Professor, before he attacked me."

The reply was so matter-of-fact, that Prof. Munster glanced up quickly and regarded Jarvis keenly through the thick lenses of his glasses. He was a man who weighed things well before deciding. I could see now he was weighing the story in his mind. The story was so fantastic that any man of science would hesitate to give it credence. True or false, it was interesting and certainly should be heard to the end.

"No, Jarvis," said Prof. Munster, deciding negatively on the theory advanced. "As huge as the Allosaurus was, owing to its inadequate neck it could not have bolted so large an object as the body of a man. I am of the opinion that the mate to the creature that attacked you had also ranged up the lake bank in search of prey. This was the one that discovered the sleeping form of our colleague, who was likely killed by one crunch of its powerful jaws. It then carried its victim to the lake where it rended the flesh in sections that were favorable for its gustatory process. Continue, Jarvis, please."

"I was weak from the loss of blood, and ill," continued Jarvis. "When I finally regained my feet, I found that my stiffened leg would scarcely bear my weight. I wondered if I could expect aid from the Indians. It was better, I decided, to throw myself on their mercy than to remain there to be devoured by the water-beasts. Out on the lake, somewhere in the heavy mist, I could hear a violent splashing and wondered if it was caused by the agonized struggles of the creature I had wounded and wavelets breaking along shore gave evidence of the commotion. Fear spurred me on as I climbed the side of the crater and went hobbling across the path in the direction of the plateau. As I gained the plateau, Indians came down to meet me. They carried their long bows but did not unsling them from their shoulders. The Indian who had met us at Lake Minto, was in advance; he was a Chief and was named Jovo. He raised three fingers of his right hand, pointed towards the great fire, then he raised one finger. I knew that he was asking if one of my companions had lost his life in that manner. I nodded. Then he raised two fingers, pointed toward the lake and made a sweeping gesture with his hands to indicate the size of the great beasts of the water and then, one finger. I nodded again. Again he described with a motion of his hands, the size of the beasts and pointed at my injured leg. I again nodded and tapped my rifle. He said 'Jorman' and addressed a few words to his companions. It was evident that they were ignorant of the use of fire-arms for they looked curiously at my rifle, as if wondering how so tiny an object could repel so mighty a beast."

"Wait," commanded Prof. Münster, who was a philologist of note, "did you say that the Indians designated the Allosaurus as a Jorman?"

"Yes," replied Jarvis, "that was their name for it. Often later I heard them speak of them as Jormen."

"That’s most interesting," remarked our Curator, "the name would seem to have been derived from Sjoorman, a mythical serpent of the lore of ancient Norway. I am convinced that these white Indians are descendants of survivors of some Norwegian vessel that had been wrecked, many years ago, on the shores of northern Ungava. They likely fell in with an Indian tribe, or possibly some Eskimos, with whom they intermarried, and the white strain, persisting throughout the ages finally obliterated the aboriginal strain. They likely became nomads and in their wanderings, happened on this canyon, and recognizing its advantages for easy living, remained there, segregated from other tribes. Thus we can account for the admixture of Norwegian words in their language. Excuse the interruption, Jarvis, and pray proceed."

"There is little more necessary to be told at this time," said Jarvis wearily. "I have been traveling months to get here and have had little rest. I wrote from Cochrane the day I arrived and the day following I left for the States."

"But tell us my dear Jarvis," said Prof. Münster, persuasively, "how have you passed the time that has intervened and how does it happen that you have permitted twenty years to elapse without attempting to communicate with us?"

"As you have likely guessed," replied Jarvis, "the Indians took me in. I had blood poisoning following my injury and was gravely ill. An old crone of the tribe applied unguents to my injured leg and fed me soothing potions of herbs she collected and brewed.

When I had recovered sufficiently to be about I was seized and bound for sacrifice to the Feu Perpetuel, which, according to a tradition of the tribe, none but a member of the tribe could behold and live. Jovo, who had conducted me to the caves, was an under-Chief and he succeeded in saving me, by having me adopted into the tribe. Later I married his sister. The women of the tribe were beautiful and Jalo was the most beautiful of them all.” A look of sadness crept over the face of Jarvis and this was noted by our Curator.

"You loved this native woman you had taken for wife?" he asked.