ith a gun at short range, immediately
raised his twelve-bore and fired both barrels at the monster; but the
double-B shots had no more disabling effect than if they had been
number eights. They, however, excited the creature's ire; for,
sweeping around quickly, it made straight for Cortlandt, breathing at
him when near, and almost overpowering the three men with the
malodorous, poisonous cloud it exhaled. Instantly Bearwarden fired
several revolver bullets down its throat, while Ayrault pulled both
barrels almost simultaneously, with the muzzles but a few inches from
its side. In this case the initial velocity of the heavy buckshot was
so great, and they were still so close together, that they penetrated
the leathery hide, tearing a large hole. With a roar the wounded
monster beat a retreat, first almost prostrating them with another
blast of its awful breath.

"It would take a stronger light than we get here," said Bearwarden, "to
impress a negative through that haze. I think," he continued, "I know
a trick that will do the business, if we see any more of these
dragons." Saying which, he withdrew the cartridges from his gun, and
with his hunting-knife cut the tough paper shell nearly through between
the wads separating the powder from the shot, drawing his knife
entirely around.

"Now," said he, "when I fire those, the entire forward end of the
cartridge will go out, keeping the fifteen buckshot together like a
slug, and with such penetration that it will go through a two-inch
plank. It is a trick I learned from hunters, and, unless your guns are
choke-bore, in which case it might burst the barrel, I advise you to
follow suit."

Finding they had brought straight-bored guns, they arranged their
cartridges similarly, and set out in the direction in which the winged
lizards or dragons had gone.

CHAPTER IV.

A PROVIDENTIAL INTERVENTION.

The valley narrowed as they advanced, the banks rising gently on both
sides. Both dragons had flown straight to a grove of tall, spreading
trees. On coming near to this, they noticed a faint smell like that of
the dragon, and also like the trace they found in the air on leaving
the Callisto the day before, after they had sought safety within it.
Soon it almost knocked them down.

"We must get to windward," said Cortlandt. "I already feel faint, and
believe those dragons could kill a man by breathing on him."

Accordingl