ns nearing the horizon in
the west, seemed connected by the huge bow of light. The snow on the
dark evergreens produced a contrast of colour, while the other trees
raised their almost bare and whitened branches against the sky, as
though in supplication to the mysterious rings, which cast their light
upon them and on the ground. As they gazed, however, the rings became
grey, the moons disappeared, and another day began. Feeling sure the
snow must have cleared the air of any deleterious substances it
contained the day before, they descended into the neighbouring valley,
which, having a southerly exposure, was warm in comparison with the
hills. As they walked they disturbed a number of small rodents, which
quickly ran away and disappeared in their holes.

"Though we have seen none of the huge creatures here," said Cortlandt,
"that were so plentiful on Jupiter, these burrowers belong to a
distinctly higher scale than those we found there, from which I take it
we may infer that the evolution of the animal kingdom has advanced
further on this planet than on Jupiter, which is just what we have a
right to expect; for Saturn, in addition to being the smaller and
therefore more matured of the two, has doubtless had a longer
individual existence, being the farther from the sun."

Notwithstanding the cold of the night, the flowers, especially the
lilies, were as beautiful as ever, which surprised them not a little,
until, on examining them closely, they found that the stems and veins
in the leaves were fluted, and therefore elastic, so that, should the
sap freeze, it could expand without bursting the cells, thereby
enabling the flowers to withstand a short frost. They noticed that
many of the curiously shaped birds they saw at a distance from time to
time were able to move with great rapidity along the ground, and had
about concluded that they must have four legs, being similar to winged
squirrels, when a long, low quadruped, about twenty-five feet from
nostrils to tail, which they were endeavouring to stalk, suddenly
spread two pairs of wings, flapping the four at once, and then soared
off at great speed.

"I hope we can get one of those, or at least his photograph," said
Cortlandt.

"If they go in pairs," said Bearwarden, "we may find the companion
near."

At that moment another great winged lizard, considerably larger than
the first, rose with a snort, not twenty yards on their left.
Cortlandt, who was a good shot w