CHAPTER XI
THE SWAMP MONSTER
A few joms after, I was informed by the Kohen that there was to beanother sacred hunt. At first I felt inclined to refuse, but onlearning that Almah was going, I resolved to go also; for Almah,though generally mistress of her actions, had nevertheless certainduties to perform, and among these was the necessity of accompanyinghunting-parties. I did not yet understand her position here, nor had Iheard from her yet how it was that she was so different from the restof them. That was all to be learned at a future time. For the presentI had to be satisfied with knowing that she belonged to a differentnation, who spoke a different language, and that all her thoughts andfeelings were totally different from those of the people among whomshe was living. She loved the light, she feared death, and she hadnever been able in the slightest degree to reconcile herself to thehabits of these people. This I could readily understand, for to me itseemed as though they lived in opposition to nature itself.
We went out into the daylight, and then I saw a sight which filled mewith amazement. I saw a flock of birds larger than even the opkuks.They were called "opmahera." They seemed as tall as giraffes, andtheir long legs indicated great powers of running. Their wings werevery short, and not adapted for flight. They were very tractable, andwere harnessed for riding in a peculiar way; lines like reins werefastened to the wings, and the driver, who sat close by the neck,guided the bird in this way. Each bird carried two men, but for Almahand me there was a bird apiece. An iron prod was also taken by eachdriver as a spur. I did not find out until afterward how to drive. Atthat time the prospect of so novel a ride was such an exciting onethat I forgot everything else. The birds seemed quiet and docile. Itook it for granted that mine was well trained, and would go with theothers of his own accord. We all mounted by means of a stone platformwhich stood by the pyramid, and soon were on our way.
The speed was amazing; the fastest race-horse at home is slow comparedwith this. It was as swift as an ordinary railway train, if not moreso. For some minutes the novelty of my situation took away all otherthoughts, and I held the reins in my hands without knowing how to usethem. But this mattered not, for the well-trained bird kept on afterthe others, while Almah on her bird was close behind me. The pace, asI said, was tremendous, yet no easier motion can be imagined. The birdbounded along with immense leaps, with wings outstretched, but itsfeet touched the ground so lightly that the motion seemed almost equalto flying. We did not confine ourselves to the roads, for the birdswere capable of going over any kind of country in a straight line. Onthis occasion we passed over wide fields and rocky mountain ridgesand deep swamps and sand wastes at the same speed, until at lengthwe reached a vast forest of dense tree-ferns, where the whole bandstopped for a short time, after which we took up a new direction,moving on more slowly. The forest grew up out of a swamp, whichextended as far as the eye could reach from the sea to the mountains.Along the edge of this forest we went for some time, until at lengththere came a rushing, crackling sound, as of something moving thereamong the trees, crushing down everything in its progress. We halted,and did not have to wait long; for soon, not far away, there emergedfrom the thick forest a figure of incredible size and most hideousaspect.
It looked like one of those fabled dragons such as may be seen inpictures, but without wings. It was nearly a hundred feet in length,with a stout body and a long tail, covered all over with impenetrablescales. It hind-legs were rather longer than its fore-legs, and itmoved its huge body with ease and rapidity. Its feet were armed withformidable claws. But its head was most terrific. It was a vast massof bone, with enormous eyes that glared like fire; its jaws opened tothe width of six or eight feet, and were furnished with rows of sharpteeth, while at the extremity of its nose there was a tusk severalfeet long, like the horn of a rhinoceros, curving backward. All thisI took in at the first glance, and the next instant the whole bandof hunters, with their usual recklessness, flung themselves upon themonster.
For a short time all was the wildest confusion--an intermingling ofbirds and men, with the writhing and roaring beast. With his hugeclaws and his curved horn and his wide jaws he dealt death anddestruction all around; yet still the assailants kept at their work.Many leaped down to the ground and rushed close up to the monster,thrusting their lances into the softer and more unprotected partsof his body; while others, guiding their birds with marvellousdexterity, assailed him on all sides. The birds, too, were kept wellto their work; nor did they exhibit any fear. It was not until theywere wounded that they sought to fly. Still, the contest seemed toounequal. The sacrifice of life was horrible. I saw men and birdsliterally torn to pieces before my eyes. Nevertheless, the utterfearlessness of the assailants confounded me. In spite of theslaughter, fresh crowds rushed on. They clambered over his back, andstrove to drive their lances under his bony cuirass. In the midst ofthem I saw the Kohen. By some means he had reached the animal's back,and was crawling along, holding by the coarse shaggy mane. At lengthhe stopped, and with a sudden effort thrust his lance into themonster's eye. The vast beast gave a low and terrible howl; hisimmense tail went flying all about; in his pain he rolled over andover, crushing underneath him in his awful struggles all who werenearest. I could no longer be inactive. I raised my rifle, and as thebeast in his writhings exposed his belly I took aim at the soft fleshjust inside his left fore-leg, and fired both barrels.
At that instant my bird gave a wild, shrill scream and a vast boundinto the air, and then away it went like the wind--away, I know notwhere. That first bound had nearly jerked me off; but I managed toavoid this and now instinctively clung with all my might to the bird'sneck, still holding my rifle. The speed of the bird was twice as greatas it had been before--as the speed of a runaway horse surpassesthat of the same horse when trotting at his ordinary rate and undercontrol. I could scarcely make out where I was going. Rocks, hills,swamps, fields, trees, sand, and sea all seemed to flash past in oneconfused assemblage, and the only thought in my mind was that I wasbeing carried to some remote wilderness, to be flung there bruised andmaimed among the rocks, to perish helplessly. Every moment I expectedto be thrown, for the progress of the bird was not only inconceivablyswift, but it also gave immense leaps into the air; and it was onlyits easy mode of lighting on the ground after each leap that saved mefrom being hurled off. As it was, however, I clung instinctively tothe bird's neck, until at last it came to a stop so suddenly that myhands slipped, and I fell to the ground.
I was senseless for I know not how long. When at last I revived Ifound myself propped up against a bank, and Almah bathing my head withcold water. Fortunately, I had received no hurt. In falling I hadstruck on my head, but it was against the soft turf, and though Iwas stunned, yet on regaining my senses no further inconvenience wasexperienced. The presence of Almah was soon explained. The report ofthe rifle had startled her bird also, which had bounded away in terrorlike mine; but Almah understood how to guide him, and managed to keephim after me, so as to be of assistance in case of need. She had beenclose behind all the time, and had stopped when I fell, and come tomy assistance.
The place was a slope looking out upon an arm of the sea, andapparently remote from human abode. The scenery was exquisitelybeautiful. A little distance off we saw the edge of the forest; theopen country was dotted with clumps of trees; on the other side of thearm of the sea was an easy declivity covered with trees of luxuriantfoliage and vast dimensions; farther away on one side rose the icysummits of impassable mountains; on the other side there extendedthe blue expanse of the boundless sea. The spot where I lay wasover-shadowed by the dense foliage of a tree which was unlike anythingthat I had ever seen, and seemed like some exaggerated grass; at ourfeet a brook ran murmuring to the shore; in the air and all aroundwere innumerable birds.
The situation in which I found myself seemed inexpressibly sweet, andall the more so from the gentle face of Almah. Would it not be well,I thought, to remain here? Why should Almah go back to her repulsiveduties? Why should we return to those chi
ldren of blood, who loveddeath and darkness? Here we might pass our days together unmolested.The genial climate would afford us warmth; we needed no shelter exceptthe trees, and as for food, there were the birds of the air ininnumerable flocks.
I proposed this to her; she smiled sadly. "You forget," said she,"this season of light will not last much longer. In a few more jomsthe dark season will begin, and then we should perish in a place likethis."
"Are there no caverns here?"
"Oh no. This country has no inhabitants. It is full of fierce wildbeasts. We should be destroyed before one jom."
"But must we go back?" said I. "You have a country. Where is it? See,here are these birds. They are swift. They can carry us anywhere.Come, let us fly, and you can return to your own country."
Almah shook her head. "These birds," said she, "cannot go over thesea, or through these endless forests. My country can only be reachedby sea."
"Can we not hurry back, seize a boat, and go? I know how to sail overthe water without oars."
"We certainly might leave the country; but there is anotherdifficulty. The dark season is coming, and we should never be ableto find our way. Besides, the sea is full of monsters, and you andI would perish."
"At any rate, let us try. I have my sepet-ram."
"We could never find our way."
"Only tell me," said I, "where it lies, and I will go by the stars."
"The trouble is," said she, "that even if we did succeed in reachingmy land, I should be sent back again; for I was sent here as a sacredhostage, and I have been here four seasons."
But in the midst of this conversation a sound arrested ourattention--heavy, puffing, snorting sound, as of some living thing.Hastily I started up, rifle in hand, and looked; and as I looked Ifelt my nerves thrill with horror. There, close by the shore, I saw avast form--a living thing--full sixty feet in length. It had a bodylike that of an elephant, the head of a crocodile, and enormousglaring eyes. Its immense body was covered with impenetrable armor,and was supported on legs long enough to allow it to run with greatspeed. It differed in many respects from the monster of the swamp--thelegs being longer, the tail shorter and thinner, and its head and jawslarger and longer. I shrank back, thinking of seizing Almah andhiding. But I saw that she had already taken the alarm, and with morepresence of mind than I had she had hurried to the birds, who werestanding near, and had made them lie down. As I turned, she beckonedto me without a word. I hurried to her. She told me to mount. I did soat once; she did the same. Scarce had we mounted than the monsterperceived us, and with a terrible bellow came rushing toward us. Almahdrove her goad deep into her bird, which at once rose and went offlike the wind, and mine started to follow. The vast monster came on.His roar sounded close behind, and I heard the clash of his tremendousjaws; but the swift bird with a bound snatched me from his grasp, andbore me far away out of his reach. Away I went like the wind. Almahwas ahead, looking back from time to time, and waving her handjoyously. So we went on, returning on our course at a speed almost asgreat as that with which we had come. By this time the novelty had inpart worn away, and the easy motion gave me confidence. I noticed thatwe were travelling a wild, uninhabited, and rocky district by thesea-side. Before me the country spread far away, interspersed withgroves, terminating in forests, and bounded in the far distance bymountains. The country here was so rough that it seemed as if nothingcould pass over it except such creatures as these--the opmaheras.
At length we arrived at the spot which we had left--the scene of thehunt. We could see it from afar, for the opmaheras stood quietlyaround, and the men were busy elsewhere. As we drew nearer I saw thevast body of the monster. They had succeeded in killing it, yet--ohheavens, at what a cost! One half of all the party lay dead. The restwere unharmed, and among these was the Kohen. He greeted me with amelancholy smile. That melancholy smile, however, was not caused bythe sad fate of his brave companions, but, as I afterward learned,simply and solely because he himself had not gained his death. When Isaw that there were no wounded, a dark suspicion came over me that thewounded had again been put to death. I did not care to ask. The truthwas too terrible to hear, and I felt glad that accident had drawn meaway. It was all a dark and dreadful mystery. These people were themost gentle, the most self-sacrificing, and the most generous in theworld; yet their strange and unnatural love of death made them capableof endless atrocities. Life and light seemed to them as actual evils,and death and darkness the only things worthy of regard.
Almah told me that they were going to bring the monster home, and hadsent for opkuks to drag it along. The dead were also to be fetchedback. There was no further necessity for us to remain, and so wereturned at once.
On the way, Almah said, "Do not use the sepet-ram again. You can dono good with it. You must not make it common. Keep it. The time maycome when you will need it: you are not fond of death."
I shuddered.
"Never forget," she said, "that here death is considered the chiefblessing. It is useless for you to interfere in their ways. You cannotchange them."
Some more joms passed. The bodies were embalmed, and Almah had morevictims to crown with garlands in the horrible cheder nebilin.