their base.

The openings were about eighty feet above the ground, and were led up
to by long stone stairs, so narrow and steep that no large animal could
mount them. Inside they were warm and dry, running in straight
passages of varying length into the side of the hill, with smooth gray
walls decorated with many excellent pictures done with charred sticks
and representing the various animals of the plateau. If every living
thing were swept from the country the future explorer would find upon
the walls of these caves ample evidence of the strange fauna--the
dinosaurs, iguanodons, and fish lizards--which had lived so recently
upon earth.

Since we had learned that the huge iguanodons were kept as tame herds
by their owners, and were simply walking meat-stores, we had conceived
that man, even with his primitive weapons, had established his
ascendancy upon the plateau. We were soon to discover that it was not
so, and that he was still there upon tolerance.

It was on the third day after our forming our camp near the Indian
caves that the tragedy occurred. Challenger and Summerlee had gone off
together that day to the lake where some of the natives, under their
direction, were engaged in harpooning specimens of the great lizards.
Lord John and I had remained in our camp, while a number of the Indians
were scattered about upon the grassy slope in front of the caves
engaged in different ways. Suddenly there was a shrill cry of alarm,
with the word "Stoa" resounding from a hundred tongues. From every
side men, women, and children were rushing wildly for shelter, swarming
up the staircases and into the caves in a mad stampede.

Looking up, we could see them waving their arms from the rocks above
and beckoning to us to join them in their refuge. We had both seized
our magazine rifles and ran out to see what the danger could be.
Suddenly from the near belt of trees there broke forth a group of
twelve or fifteen Indians, running for their lives, and at their very
heels two of those frightful monsters which had disturbed our camp and
pursued me upon my solitary journey. In shape they were like horrible
toads, and moved in a succession of springs, but in size they were of
an incredible bulk, larger than the largest elephant. We had never
before seen them save at night, and indeed they are nocturnal animals
save when disturbed in their lairs, as these had been. We now stood
amazed at the sight, for their blotched and w