Giants of the Ray
_By Tom Curry_
]
[Sidenote: Madly the three raced for their lives up the shaft of theradium mine, for behind them poured a stream of hideousmonsters--giants of the ray!]
"I tell you I'm not crazy," insisted the tall man. "Durkin, they got abig mine."
Bill Durkin laughed roughly, and sneered openly at his partner, FrankMaget. "G'wan, you're drunk."
"Well, I was last night," admitted Maget. "But I'd slept it off thismorning. I was lying under that table in the Portuguee's, and when Iopened my eyes, there were these three birds sitting near me. Theyhadn't spotted me. I heard 'em talking of wealth, how their mine wasof unbelievable richness and greater than any other deposit in theworld. Well, that means something, don't it?"
"That's all right," said Durkin. "But whoever saw a cricket fifteeninches long?"
Its form was that of a gigantic frog, and from itsthroat sounded the terrific bellowing which rivaled thunder.]
"Listen. There were three of these guys. One was a hell of a lookingfellow: his face was piebald, with purple spots. His skin was bleachedand withered, and one eye looked like a pearl collar button! Theycalled him Professor, too, Professor Gurlone. Well, he takes out thisdamn cricket thing and it was sort of reddish purple but alive, and aslong as your forearm. This professor guy says his son had taken anordinary cricket and made it grow into the one he had. But the minewas what interested me. I kept my mouth shut and my ears open, andit's in the Matto Grosso. May be emeralds, diamonds, or gold. Boy, I'mheading for it, right now. The old guy's going back to-morrow, getme?"
"It's a lot of bunk," growled Durkin, who was stout and red ofcountenance.
"Yeh? Well, Otto Ulrich don't put fifty thousand into bunk."
Durkin whistled. "You mean the German loosened up that much?" heasked, and his eyes showed interest.
"Sure. He paid this Gurlone fifty thousand dollars--credit, ofcourse."
"Well--maybe there's something in the mine story. But boy, you weredrunk when you saw that cricket. No cricket ever grew that big. Youalways see things when you get too much rum in you."
"The hell you say," cried Maget. "I saw it, I tell you!"
* * * * *
Durkin feigned elaborate politeness. "Oh, all right, Frank. Have ityour own way. You saw a cricket that big and this Gurlone feller tooka couple of pink elephants out of his pocket to pay the check. Sure, Ibelieve you."
But money never failed to attract the two tropical tramps. They werelooking for trouble, not work, and the idea of a raid on a rich minein the Matto Grosso was just what they would enjoy.
An hour later, they had cornered a small, inoffensive peon named Juan.Juan, Maget and Durkin had discovered, had come out of the wildernesswith Professor Gurlone, the strange looking gentleman who spoke of afabulously wealthy mine and commanded checks for fifty thousanddollars from a reputable banking firm. Such a man was worth watching.
The two rascals were expert at pumping the little half-breed. Theyknew peons, and the first thing that happened was that Durkin hadslipped Juan several dollars and had pressed a large glass of whiskeyon the little man.
The conversation was in broken English and Spanish.
"Quien sabe?"
Durkin and Maget had this phrase flung at them often during the courseof the talk with Juan, and there were many elaborate shrugs.
There was a mine, way back in the Matto Grosso, said Juan. He thoughtit might contain silver: there had been the shaft of an old minethere. But now they were deep down in the ground, digging out reddishbrown ore, and the cavern smoked and smelled so badly a man could workbut an hour or two before being relieved. But the pay was very high.Also, Juan, in his rambling way, spoke of grotesque animals. What werethese creatures like? asked Durkin. Then came a shrug, and Juan saidthey were like nothing else on earth.
* * * * *
Durkin discounted the part of the story having to do with the strangeanimals. He thought it was peon superstition. But now he was surethere was a rich mine to be raided.
"It's a tough part of the Grosso," he said, turning to Maget.
"Sure. Hard to carry enough water and supplies to make it. Say, Juan,who was that big Portuguee with Professor Gurlone? He's blind, ain'the? His eyes were white as milk, and his face tanned black as rivermud. Surely is a great big guy, and tough looking, too."
Durkin drummed on the table, considering the matter, while Juan spokeof the big Portuguese. The swarthy man with the colorless blind eyeswas Espinosa, former owner of the mine. He had sold part of his claimto the Gurlones, but had remained with them as an assistant. Thoughblind, he knew the depths of the mine and could feel his way about,and direct the peons in their labors.
"I've got it," said Durkin, turning back to Juan and Maget. "Juan,it's up to you. You've got to blaze the trail so we can follow you in.And you can steal food and cache it for use on the way, see? We'llcome along a day or so after the Gurlones."
It took some persuading to make Juan consent to their plot, but thepeon yielded at last to money and the promise of part of the spoils."Maybe you can steal Gurlone's samples and they'll give us a line onwhat he's up to out there. Whether it's emeralds or diamonds or goldthat they're taking out of the mine."
Juan was stupid and superstitious, like most of his fellows. He hadobeyed orders, digging out the red ore, and that was all he knew. Butprompted by the two tramps, he was ready for trouble, too.
Juan told them that Professor Gurlone carried a small lead case whichhe seemed to prize greatly.
"Get it, then," ordered Durkin.
The two tramps saw Gurlone's party start on the morrow. There weremany cases of supplies loaded into launches, some marked Glass, Acids,and so on. Then there were boxes of food and various things needed ina jungle camp.
* * * * *
Juan, their tool, was working with the other peons, and at ten o'clockin the morning the launches set out, pushing into the current of theMadeira.
Old Gurlone, of the livid face, was in charge of one boat, and thegigantic Portuguese, with his colorless eyes and burned complexion,sat beside him.
That night, the two tropical tramps stole a small boat with aone-cylinder motor, and started up the river.
It was a hard journey, but they were used to river and jungle work,and the object they had in view was enough to make them discounttrouble. They speculated upon what manner of treasure it was theywould find in the cavern of the Matto Grosso mine. It might beprecious stones, it might be gold. Certainly it was something veryvaluable.
They carried little supplies, but they were heavily armed. For food,they might hunt and also depend on the caches left by their friend,Juan the peon.
Three hundred miles from Manaos, they came to the landing where oldGurlone had unloaded his boats. The two tramps drew their own craft upon shore a quarter of a mile away, keeping out of sight, and hid theboat in dense brush. Then they crept up the river bank, keeping out ofsight of the boatmen, who were preparing for the return voyage, andcut into the jungle so as to strike the trail of the caravan ahead.
For several hours they followed the path easily. They found palm treesblazed with new marks, and these they were sure their friend Juan hadleft for them. But the trail was easy to keep without these. Thesupplies had been loaded on burros, which had been awaiting theboats.
That night, they camped beside a small stream. They were buttwenty-four hours behind Professor Gurlone and his party, and the foodJuan had cached for them was in good condition.
* * * * *
They were up at daybreak, and pressed on, armed to the teeth and readyfor a fight.
"What's that?" said Durkin, stopping so suddenly that Maget ran intohim.
They had been walking at a swift pace along the jungle path, the gianttrees forming a canopy overhead. Monkeys screamed at them, birdsflitted a hundred feet above them in t
he roof of the forest.
The sun beat on the jungle top, but few rays lightened the gloombeneath.
From up ahead sounded a frightful scream, followed by a long drawn outwailing. Maget glanced at Durkin, and the latter shrugged, and pressedon. But he gripped his rifle tightly, for the cries were eery.
From time to time the two stopped to catch better the direction of thewails. At last, they located the spot where the injured person lay.
It was under a great bombax tree, and on the shaded ground writhed aman. The two stopped, horrified at the squirming figure. The man wastearing at his face with his nails, and his countenance was bloodywith long scratches.
He cursed and moaned in Spanish, and Durkin, approaching closer,recognized Juan the peon.
"Hey, Juan, what the hell's the matter? A snake bite you?"
The bronzed face of the sturdy little peon writhed in agony. Hescreamed in answer, he could not talk coherently. He mumbled, hegroaned, but they could not catch his words.
At his side lay a small lead container, and closer, as though he haddropped it after extracting it from its case, lay a tube some sixinches in length. It was a queer tube, for it seemed to be filledwith smoky, pallid worms of light that writhed even as Juan writhed.
"What's the trouble?" asked Durkin gruffly, for he was alarmed at thebehavior of the peon. It seemed to both tramps that the man must havegone mad.
* * * * *
They kept back from him, with ready guns. Juan shrieked, and itsounded as though he said he was burning up, in a great fire.
Suddenly the peon staggered to his feet; as he pushed himself up, hishands gripped the tube, and he clawed at his face.
Perplexity and horror were writ on the faces of the two tramps. Magetwas struck with pity for the unfortunate peon, who seemed to besuffering the tortures of the damned. He was not a bad man, was Maget,but rather a weakling who had a run of bad luck and was under thethumb of Durkin, a really hard character. Durkin, while astounded atthe actions of Juan, showed no pity.
Maget stepped forward, to try and comfort Juan; the peon struck out athim, and whirled around. But a few yards away was the bank of thestream, and Juan crashed into a black palm set with spines, caromedoff it, and fell face downward into the water. The glass tube wassmashed and the pieces fell into the stream.
"God, he must be blind," groaned Maget. "Poor guy, I've got to savehim."
"The hell with him," growled Durkin. He grasped his partner's arm andstared curiously down at the dying peon.
"Let go, I'll pull him out," said Maget, trying to wrench away fromDurkin.
"He's done for. Why worry about a peon?" said Durkin. "Look at thosefish!"
The muddy waters of the stream had parted, and dead fish were risingabout the body of Juan. But not about the dying man so much as closeto the spot where the broken tube had fallen. White bellies up, thefish died as though by magic.
"Let's--let's get the hell back to Manoas, Bill," said Maget in asickly voice. "This--this is too much for me."
* * * * *
A nameless fear, which had been with Maget ever since the beginning ofthe venture, was growing more insistent.
"What?" cried Durkin. "Turn back now? The hell you say! That damn peongot into a fight with somebody and maybe got bit by a snake later.We'll go on and get that treasure."
"But--but what made those fish come up that way?" said Maget, hisbrows creased in perplexity.
Durkin shrugged. "What's the difference? We're O. K., ain't we?"
In spite of the stout man's bravado, it was evident that he, too, wasdisturbed at the strange happenings. He kept voicing aloud thequestion in his mind; what was in the queer tube?
But he forced Maget to go on. Without Juan, the peon, to leave themcaches of food on the trail, they would have a difficult time gettingprovender, but both were trained jungle travelers and could find fruitand shoot enough game to keep them going.
Day after day they marched on, not far from the rear of the partybefore them. They took care to keep off Gurlone's heels, for they didnot wish their presence to be discovered.
When they had been on the journey, which led them east, for four days,the two rascals came to a waterless plateau, which stretched beforethem in dry perspective. Before they came to the end of this, theyknew what real thirst was, and their tongues were black in theirmouths before they caught the curling smoke of fires in the valleywhere they knew the mine must be.
"That's the mine," gasped Durkin, pointing to the smoke.
* * * * *
The sun was setting in golden splendor at their backs; they creptforward, using great boulders and piles of reddish earth, strange tothem, for cover. Finally they reached the trail which led to the hillsoverlooking the valley, and a panorama spread before them which amazedthem because of its elaborateness.
It seemed more like a stage scene than a wilderness picture. Straightahead of them, as they lay flat on their stomachs and peered at thebig camp, yawned the black mouth of a large cavern. This, they weresure, was the mine itself. Close by this mouth stood a stone hut. Itwas clear that this building had something to do with the ore, perhapsa refining plant, Durkin suggested.
There were long barracks for the peons, inside a barbed wireenclosure, and they could see the little men lounging now aboutcampfires, where frying food was being prepared. Also, there was along, low building with many windows in it, and houses for suppliesand for the use of the owners of the camp.
"Looks like they were ready in case of a fight," said Durkin at last."That fence around the peons looks like they might be havin' trouble."
"Some camp," breathed Maget.
"We got to find somethin' to drink," said Durkin. "Come on."
They worked their way about the rim of the valley, and in doing socaught glimpses of Professor Gurlone, the elderly man they had spottedin Manaos, and also saw the big Portuguese with his sightless eyes.
At the other side of the valley, they came on a spring which flowed tothe east and disappeared under ground farther down.
"Funny water, ain't it?" said Durkin, lying down on his stomach tosuck up the milky water.
But they were not in any mood to be particular about the fluids theydrank. The long dry march across the arid lands separating the campfrom the rest of the world had taken all moisture from their throats.
* * * * *
Maget, drinking beside his partner, saw that the water glinted andsparkled, though the sun was below the opposite rim of the valley. Itseemed that greenish, silvery specks danced in the milky fluid.
"Boy, that's good," Durkin finally found time to say, "I feel like Icould fight a wildcat."
The water did, indeed, impart a feeling of exhilaration to the twotramps. They crept up close to the roof of the parallel shaft whichthey had seen from the other side of the valley, and looked down intothe camp again.
Professor Gurlone of the livid face and Espinosa the blind Portuguese,were talking to a big man whose golden beard shone in the last rays ofthe sun.
"That's the old bird's son," said Durkin, "that Juan told us about.Young Gurlone."
A rumbling, pleasant laugh floated on the breeze, issuing from the bigyouth's throat. The wind was their way, now, and the valley breathedforth an unpleasant odor of chemicals and tainted meat.
"Funny place," said Maget. "Say, I got a hell of a headache, Bill."
"So've I," grunted Durkin. "Maybe that water ain't as good as itseemed at first."
* * * * *
They lay in a small hollow, watching the activity of the camp. Thepeons were in their pen, and it was evident that they were beingwatched by the owners of the camp.
As purple twilight fell across the strange land, the two tramps beganto notice the dull sounds which came to their ears from time to time.
"That's funny thunder," said Maget nervously. "If I didn't know it was
thunder, I'd swear some big frogs were around here."
"Oh, hell. Maybe it's an earthquake," said Durkin irritatedly. "ForGod's sake, quit your bellyachin'. You've done nothin' but whine eversince we left Juan."
"Well, who could blame me--" began Maget. He broke off suddenly, thepique in his voice turned to a quiver of fear, as he grasped Durkin'sarm. "Oh, look," he gasped.
Durkin, seeing his partner's eyes staring at a point directly behindhim, leaped up and scrambled away, thinking that a snake must be aboutto strike him.
He turned round when he felt he was far enough away, and saw that theground was moving near the spot where he had been lying.
The earth was heaving, as though ploughed by a giant share; a blunt,purplish head, which seemed too fearful to be really alive, showedthrough the broken ground, and a worm began to draw its purple lengthfrom the depths. It was no snake, but a gigantic angleworm, and as itcame forth, foot after foot, the two watched with glazed eyes.
Maget swallowed. "I've seen 'em two feet long," he said. "But neverlike that."
Durkin, however, when he realized that the loathsome creature couldnot see them and was creeping blindly towards them with its ugly, fatbody creasing and elongating, picked up rocks and began to destroy themonstrous worm. He cursed as he worked.
Dull red blood spattered them, and a fetid odor from the gashes causedthem to retch, but they finally cut the thing in two, and then theymoved away from there.
* * * * *
The dull rumblings beneath them frightened Maget, and Durkin too,though the latter tried to brazen it out.
"Come on, it's gettin' dark. We can take a look in their mine now."
Maget, whimpering, followed. The booming sounds were increasing.
But Durkin slipped down the hillside, and Maget followed into thevalley. They crept past the stone shack, which they noticed waspadlocked heavily.
Durkin stopped suddenly, and cursed. "I've cut my foot," he said."These damn shoes are gone, all right, from that march. But come on,never mind."
They crept to the mouth of the cavern and peered in. "Ugh," saidMaget.
He drew back with a shudder. The floor of the mine was covered with agrey slush, in which were seething white masses of slugs weaving inthe slime. A powerful, rotten odor breathed in their faces, as thoughthey stood in the mouth of a great giant.
"Ah!" yelled Durkin, throwing his arms across his face.
The greenish, ghostly light which emanated from the slime was weakerthan moonlight, just enough to see by; a vast shadow hovered abovetheir heads, as though a gigantic bat flew there. The sweep and beatof great wings drove them back, and they fled in terror from suchawful corruption.
But the flying monster, with a wing spread of eight feet, dashed pastthem, and silhouetted against the rising moon like a goblin. Then cameanother, and finally a flock of the big birds.
Durkin and Maget ran away, passing the stone house which stood nearthe cavern's mouth. The booming sounds from the bowels of the earthfilled their ears now, and it was not thunder; no, it issued from thedepths of the mine.
"We--we got to get somethin' to eat," said Durkin, as they paused nearone of the shacks, in which shone a light.
* * * * *
Sounds of voices came from the interior. They crept closer, andlistened outside the window. Inside, they could see Espinosa, Gurlonesenior, and the big youth with the golden beard, Gurlone junior.
"Yes, father," the young man was saying. "I believe we had betterleave, at once. It's getting dangerous. I've reached the five millionmark now, with the new process, and it is ready to work with or sell,just as we wish."
"Hear that?" whispered Durkin triumphantly. "Five million!"
"It's all ready, in the stone house," said young Gurlone.
"Why should we leave now?" said old Gurlone, his livid face working."Now, when we are just at the point of success in our greatexperiments? So far, while we have struck many creatures of abnormalgrowth, still, we have overcome them."
"Well, father, there is something in the mine now which makes it toodangerous to work. That is, until they are put out of the way. You canhear them now."
The three inside the shack listened, and so did Durkin and Maget. Thebooming sounds swelled louder and the earth of the valley shook.
"I t'ink we better go," said Espinosa gruffly. "I agree with your son,Professor."
"No, no. We can conquer this, what ever it is."
"You see, father, while you were away, we broke through into a naturalcavern, an underground river. It was then that the trouble started.You know the effect of the stuff on the insects and birds. It enlargeda cricket one hundred times. You saw that yourself. Six of the peonshave disappeared--they didn't run away, either. They went down theshaft and never came back."
"Oh, they probably fell into the water and drowned," said old Gurloneimpatiently. "Even if they did not, we can kill anything with theselarge bore rifles."
"We'd better pull out and let it alone for a while," said youngGurlone gravely. "The peons have been trying to bolt for several days.They'd be gone now if I hadn't penned them in and electrified thefence."
* * * * *
Maget put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm starving," hewhispered.
Durkin nodded, and they turned away, toward what they had marked as asupply shack. They heard a low murmur from the peons' pen, as theybegan to break off the hasps of the lock which held the door of thestorehouse.
They got inside with little trouble, and began to feel about in thedark for food. They located biscuits and canned goods which they splitopen, and these they wolfed hungrily, listening carefully for soundsfrom outside.
"Here they come," said Maget, gripping Durkin's arm.
They looked out the window of the supply shack, and saw old Gurloneissue from the building outside which the two tramps had beenlistening. In one hand, the old Professor, brave as a lion, carried anold fashioned double-barreled elephant gun, and the rays from apowerful electric torch shone across the barrel.
At least, they thought the bizarre figure was old Gurlone, from thesize. For the man was clad in a black, shiny suit, and over his headwas a flapping hood of the same material in which were large eyeholesof green glass. Behind this strange form came a larger one, armed alsowith a big bore rifle and with another powerful flashlight.
The blind Portuguese was armed, too, but he was not clad in the blacksuit. He took his stand beside the mouth of the cavern, and waitedwhile the two Gurlones entered the mine.
"My foot hurts," said Durkin suddenly, breaking the silence.
"I'm going out and see what happens," said Maget.
* * * * *
Durkin limped after Maget, who now took the lead. They crept close aspossible to the mine opening, and saw the big Portuguese standingthere in silence, listening carefully. Any sounds the two might havemade were drowned in the great bellowing from within the cavern.
These noises, so like the croak of bullfrogs but magnified a thousandtimes, were terrifying to the heart.
The sweep of wings sounded on the night air, and Espinosa drew backand squatted close to the ground, as immense green creatures, flyingon dusty wings, issued from the mine.
"God, those are moths," breathed Maget.
Yes, unmistakably, they were moths, as large as condors. The greenones, but for their size, were lunar moths, familiar enough to the twotramps. More bats came, disturbed by the entrance of the two Gurlones.
Durkin broke, then. "I'm--I'm--I guess you're right, Maget," hewhispered, in a terrified voice. "We should have never come. If myfoot wasn't hurt, I'd start for the river now. Curse it, what aplace!"
The booming, vast croaks filled the whole valley, reverberatingthrough the hills. Wails sounded from the peon camp.
The big Portuguese was shouting to the Gurlones. "Come out, come out!"
Maget gripped his own rifle, and
stood up, bravely. His fear, thoughit was great, seemed to have brought out the better side of the man,while Durkin, so brave at first, had cracked under the strain.
"Look out, they'll see you," whimpered Durkin.
Maget strode forward. A blast of fetid, stinking air struck his face,and he choked. The noises were now ear-splitting, but above thebellows came the sounds of the big rifles, the echoes booming throughthe recesses of the cavern.
Then the two Gurlones, running madly, burst from the mine entrance.
"Run," they screamed. "Run for your life, Espinosa!"
"I'll help you," cried Maget, and Durkin could detain him no longer.
* * * * *
The Gurlones hardly noticed the newcomer, as they ran madly towardsthe shelter of their houses. Espinosa joined them, going swiftly inspite of his blind eyes.
The croaking made Maget's brain scream with the immensity of thesound. Luminous, white disks, three feet in diameter, glared at him,and the creature, which progressed with jerky leaps toward him, almostfilled the mouth of the mine.
It was hot in pursuit of the fleeing Gurlones. It squatted and thenjumped, and presently it was out in the night air.
Its form was that of a gigantic frog, but it stood some twenty feet inheight, and from its throat sounded the terrific bellowing whichrivalled the thunder.
Maget bravely stepped forward, and began to fire into the huge, softbody. The great mouth opened, and as the dum-dum bullets tore gashesin the blackish green batrachian, the thunderous croaks took on a noteof pain.
The odor of the creature was horrible. Maget could scarcely draw hisbreath as he fired the contents of the magazine into the big animal.Two more jumps brought the frog almost to Maget's feet, and thetropical tramp felt a whiskerlike tentacle touch his face, and badsmelling slime covered him.
The frog was blind, without doubt, from its underground life, but thetentacles seemed to be the way it finally located its prey, for itturned on Maget and made a final snap at him. The great jaws closedlike the flap of hell, and Maget leaped back with a cry of triumphantterror.
* * * * *
The bullets had finally stopped the big frog, but at its heels came astrange, jellylike creature, not quite as bulky as the frog, butpushing along on its legs and with a tail some eight feet thick andfifteen feet in length. This, too, evidently a polywog, was blind,with whitened discs for eyes, but it slid along at a rapid ratebecause of its size. Maget's gun was empty; he turned so flee, but thepolywog stopped and sniffed at the thick blood of its fellow. Then, toMaget's relief, it began to hungrily devour its companion.
Utterly filthy, and ferocious, the polywog in silence snapped greatchunks from the dead giant frog.
"Hello. Who are you?"
Maget turned, having forgotten the amenities of life in theexcitement. Professor Gurlone and his son, still clad in their blacksuits, but with their helmets off, were standing beside him, clutchingtheir guns and lights.
The big Portuguese, Espinosa, appeared, and Durkin was beside him.
"Why," said Maget, between gasps, "we just happened to be outexploring, and we saw your camp. We were on our way in when we heardthe noises and came to investigate."
"I see," said old Gurlone. "What made you head in this direction, andwhere's your outfit?"
"Oh, we cached most of it back there," said Maget. "My partner's hurthis foot, so he can't walk well. Isn't that so, Durkin?"
"Yeh," growled Durkin. "I got a sore foot, all right."
* * * * *
Old Gurlone was suspicious of the vague story which Maget and Durkinconcocted as the explanation of their presence in the valley. Butevidently the Professor was too worried about the situation in whichhe and his friends were, to question the two tramps very closely. Infact, he seemed rather glad that he had two more pairs of hands to aidhim and he thanked Maget for his bravery.
They dispatched the great polywog as it tore its parent to bits, andthen the five men, the two Gurlones, Espinoza, Maget, and the limping,cursing Durkin, retired to one of the shacks.
The living quarters of the Gurlones was quite elaborate. There weremany books on rough shelves, and there was a small bench filled withglass phials and chemicals, though the main laboratory was in one ofthe long buildings.
Professor Gurlone poured drinks for the five, and welcomed Durkin andMaget as allies.
"We'll need every man we can get, if we are to cope with these greatcreatures," said old Gurlone. "The peons are too frightened to be ofuse. Luckily, it was a frog we came upon on the banks of thesubterranean river. There is no telling how many more creatures of thesame or greater size may be down there. We will have to destroy them,every one."
Maget and Durkin shuddered. "Say," blurted Durkin, his face workingnervously, "how the hell did that frog get so big? I thought I wasseein' things, Professor."
"No, no," said Professor Gurlone. "You see, the ore in the minecontains radium, that is, salts of radium. It is a pitchblendedeposit, and it happens to be so rich in radium content thatthroughout the ages it has affected all the life in the cavern. Thearid land surrounding the ore--this has been, generally, one of thecharacteristics of radium deposits--has kept most of the junglecreatures away, but underground beings such as reptiles, worms andfrogs, have gradually become immune to the effects of the ore and havegrown prodigiously and abnormally under the stimulation of the raysgiven off by the radium.
"Now, this is nothing strange in itself, but never before has such arich deposit been discovered, so that the amounts of radium availablehave been too small to really check its effect on growth in animals.That is our chief scientific object in coming here: we realized, fromSenor Espinosa's description of the played-out silver mine he had, andfrom his loss of sight, that he had stumbled upon a valuable depositof radium. It usually occurs with silver, that is, the uranium motherore does, through the disintegration of which radium is formed. Thecontent of radium per ton in this ore proved unbelievably rich: wewere delighted. I have always suspected that the animal cell might bestimulated into abnormal growth by exposure to radium salts, for sucha thing already has been hinted at in the scientific world. Not tillour chance came here, however, has enough radium been available forthe experiments."
* * * * *
Maget and Durkin listened with open mouths. Radium meant but vaguethings to them. They had heard of radium paint which shone in the darkon the dials of watches and clothes, but of the properties of themetal and its salts they were utterly ignorant.
"That radium stuff is what makes the funny light in that mine, then?"asked Maget.
"Exactly. The radio-activity of the elements in the ore give off thelight. There are three rays, the alpha, beta and gamma, and--"
The professor forgot himself in a lecture on the properties of radium.
Durkin, breaking in, asked, slyly. "Is this radium worth as much assilver?"
Young Kenneth Gurlone laughed, and even old Professor Gurlone smiled."Radium is worth more than gold or diamonds or platinum. Its value isfabulous. We have five million dollars worth already, in the form ofthe chloride."
"Whew," whistled Durkin.
He glanced sidewise at Maget.
"Yes," said Professor Gurlone, "five million dollars worth of it!Those great monsters who have been developed throughout the ages bythe action of the radium rays on their bodies, causing them to grow soprodigiously, are but incidents. We must destroy them, so that ourwork cannot be interfered with. We must use dynamite, blow them tobits. They are powerful enough to crush the stone bank by the minemouth and ruin the labors of the past two years, gentlemen."
Armed, and once more fortified with whiskey, the five made their wayoutside. The moon was darkened by an immense shadow, as one of thegiant bats winged its way over their heads. But there were no moremonster frogs. The ugly, bulky shapes of the dead polywog and itsparent lay before them.
"We are s
afe for the moment," said Professor Gurlone. "Go and quietthe peons, Espinosa: they will listen to you."
* * * * *
The peons still wailed in terror; the blind Espinosa slipped silentlyaway.
"Come," said Professor Gurlone, to his son and to Maget and Durkin. "Iwill show you the laboratory, so that you can understand better theeffects of radium on growth."
The professor led them to the long, low, many-windowed buildingnearby, and flooded it with light. It contained cage after cage inwhich were monkeys, pumas, and various jungle folk. These creaturesset up a chattering and howling at the light and intruders.
Maget glanced curiously about him. He saw shining vials and glasswareof queer shapes on long black tables, and tubes of chemicals. Therewere immense screens of dull lead. "Those are for protection," saidProfessor Gurlone, "as are the lead-cloth suits we wear. Otherwise wewould be burned by radium rays."
Maget looked about, to see if his partner was listening, but he hadgone away.
However, Maget was intensely interested. He went from cage to cage asProfessor Gurlone, rather in the manner of a man giving a lecture tostudents, pointed out animal after animal that had been treated by theradium.
"This," said the professor, "is a monkey which usually attains aheight of two feet. You can see for yourself that it is now largerthan a gorilla."
* * * * *
The horrible, malformed creature bared its teeth and shook its bars inrage, but it was weak, evidently, from the treatment accorded it. Itshair was burned off in spots, and its eyes were almost white.
There was a jaguar, and this beast seemed to have burst its skin inits effort to grow as large as three of its kind.
"You see, we have not so much time as nature," said Professor Gurlone."These beasts cannot be enlarged too rapidly, or they would die. Theymust be protected from the direct rays of the radium, which isrefined. In the ore, the action is more gradual and gentle, since itis less concentrated. But the metal itself would burn the vital organsout of these creatures, cause them to be struck blind, shrivel them upinside and kill them in a few minutes in the quantity we have. Weexpose them bit by bit, allowing more and more time as they begin togrow immune to the rays. Here, you see, are smaller creatures whichhave grown some eight or ten times beyond normal size."
All the animals seemed the worse for wear. Maget, his brain reeling,yet was beginning to grasp what radium did to one. It was not goldthat you could pick up and carry away.
"If a man touched that radium," he asked, "what would happen to him?"
"Just what I said would happen to the animals if we did not give it tothem gradually," said Gurlone, with a wave of his hand. "It would killhim, strike him down as though by invisible poison gas. His heart andlungs would cease to function, pernicious anemia would set in, as thered corpuscles in his blood perished by millions. He would be struckblind, fall down and die in agony."
To Maget came the picture of the unfortunate Juan. As though answeringhis unasked question, Professor Gurlone went on. "We had a peon comingup with us," he said. "His name was Juan. He stole my sample-case,which contained an ounce of radium chloride, and ran off with it. Ifhe opens it, it will kill him in just that way."
* * * * *
Maget shivered. "But--but didn't it hurt you to carry it?" he asked.
"No. For it was incased in a lead container some two inches inthickness, and the rays cannot penetrate such a depth of lead. Theyare trapped in the metal."
"Father, father, you're wasting time," broke in Kenneth Gurlone,shaking his yellow head. "We must act at once. The peons are almostmad with fear. Even Espinosa cannot quiet them. And every moment isprecious, for the monsters may break forth."
But Maget was looking nervously about for Durkin. Where was he? Durkinhad his mind on the treasure, and--
As they turned toward the door, the professor saying. "The rays fromthe ore, which is not so concentrated as the purified metal, do notkill--" Durkin suddenly appeared.
He carried his rifle at his hip, and he limped and cursed angrily."Come across," shouted Durkin. "Give me the key to that stone house.Snap into it, and no argument."
"The key--to the stone bank?" repeated old Gurlone.
"Yes. I'll give you five counts to throw it over--then I'll shoot youand take it," snarled Durkin savagely. "I want that treasure, whateverit is, and I'll have it. One ... two ... three...." The tramp sent ashot over their heads as a warning.
"Hey, Bill, easy, easy," pleaded Maget. "That stuff is radium. It'llruin you, boy!"
"Shut up, you yeller-bellied bum," snarled Durkin. "Four...."
A tinkle of metal came on the stone floor of the laboratory, as oldGurlone tossed his keys to Durkin.
"Don't go in that shack," cried young Gurlone. "It'll be your death,man--"
"Liars," yelled Durkin, and backed out the door.
"H'm," said old Gurlone, turning to Maget. "So you came to rob us,eh?"
* * * * *
But Maget thought of Juan, and then he knew he did not want Durkin, inspite of his failings, to perish so. He ran for the door, and acrossthe clearing.
"Durkin--Bill--wait, it's Frank--"
Great bellowings sounded from the bowels of the earth, but Magetignored these in his effort to save his partner. Durkin had thepadlock off the stone shack, and pulled back the door.
As the door disclosed the interior, Maget could see that a greenishhaze filled the entire building. Wan liquid light streamed forth likeheavy fluid.
Bravely, to save his pal from death, Maget ran forward. But Durkin hadentered the stone shack.
Maget went to the very door of the building. Durkin was inside, andMaget could see his partner's thick form as a black object in thestrange, thick air.
An eery scream came suddenly from Durkin's lips; Maget wrung his handsand called for help.
"Come out, Bill, come out," he cried.
Durkin evidently tried to obey, for he turned toward the door. But hisknees seemed to give way beneath him, he threw his arm across his eyesas he sank to the ground, crying in agony, incoherent sounds issuingfrom his lips.
Shriek after shriek the unfortunate man uttered. As Maget made a dashforward to take a chance with death and rescue his friend, ProfessorGurlone and his son Kenneth ran up and threw a black cloak over thetramp.
The three entered the shack of death. Maget, not entirely covered,felt his heart give a terrific jump, and he gasped for breath. Durkinwas quivering on the floor which was lined with lead.
* * * * *
Round vials stood about the room like a battery of search-lights, andfrom these emanated the deadly green haze.
But almost before Maget touched his pal, Durkin was dead. Curled up asthough sewed together by heavy cords. Durkin lay in a ball, a shakingmass of burned flesh.
The two Gurlones pushed out ahead of them, and raised their hands.They had on their black suits and their helmets.
"It is too late to do anything for him now," said Kenneth Gurlonesadly. "He was headstrong. You can see for yourself that the fivemillion dollars takes care of itself. Certain death goes with it ifyou are unprotected. These lead-cloth suits will keep off the rays fora short time. We always wear them when we are working with the metal,even when we have a lead screen."
"Poor Bill," sobbed Maget. "It's terrible!"
Professor Gurlone shrugged. "It was his own fault. He was a thief andhe would not let us stop him. I hope it's been a lesson to you,Maget."
"Yes, I want to help you," said Maget. "If you'll keep me with you,I'll work for you and be straight. Give me a chance."
"Good. Then shake hands on it," said Kenneth, and they clasped handsfirmly.
Espinosa appeared from the darkness. "The peons are mad with terror,"he said morosely. "They cannot be held much longer. They will revolt."
"Well, we must kill the creatures in the cavern
: that will quiet themmore than anything else," said Professor Gurlone.
"Better close the stone shack," said Kenneth.
But as he spoke, a vast shape, another giant frog, appeared in theentrance of the shaft.
"Get some dynamite and fuses," ordered Professor Gurlone quietly."Come on Kenneth, and you, Maget, if you care to risk your life. Youneed not do so unless you wish to."
Bravely, the older man led the way towards the croaking monster. Theground shook at its approach. It was heading for the bodies of thedead frog and polywog, bent on a search for food. Evidently these vastcreatures were forced to prey upon one another for sustenance.
* * * * *
The rifles spoke, and Maget and the professor, in their black suits,protected by the lead-cloth and helmets from the rays, advanced. Theypoured bullet after bullet into the frog.
Kenneth came running to join them, and Espinosa stood by. Kenneth haddynamite bombs with fuses ready for lighting and throwing. He alsobrought more ammunition, and the three armed themselves to the teeth.
It was well after midnight when they started into the mine. They knewthey must act quickly or retreat, for the bellowing sounded nearer andnearer the surface of the earth.
Each man carried big, powerful flashlights, and the three entered themine shaft and walked across the seething slugs into the bowels of theearth.
"Stay close together," ordered old Gurlone.
The mine was easy to descend for the first hundred yards. It led in agentle slope downward. The way, save for a few giant bats and moths,and the big maggots, was clear. The greenish haze, not so bright asthat in the death shack, enveloped them, but they needed their flashesto see clearly.
"Slowly, take it easy," counseled old Gurlone.
The mine spread out now, and began a steeper descent. The air waspoor, and it was hard to breathe through the mask. Maget, his heartthumping mightily, listened to the roaring within the depths of themine.
Now the ground seemed to drop away before them. Maget could hear therunning of water, the underground river, and every now and then therecame an immense splash, as if some great whale had thrown itself aboutin the water.
A terrifically loud hissing filled their ears, and suddenly, beforethem, showed an utterly white snake with a head as big as a barrel.Its white eyes glared sightlessly, but its tongue stuck forth forseveral feet.
Kenneth Gurlone coolly tossed a lighted bomb at the creature: theexplosion shattered their ear-drums, but it also smashed the serpent.
* * * * *
The writhing, wriggling coils, bigger than the body of a horse,slashed about, dangerously near. They picked themselves up, and pushedon, keeping close to the right wall.
A great bat smashed against Maget, and knocked the light out of hishand, but the blow was a glancing one, and he was able to retrieve hislight and hurry on.
They were far from the entrance now. The hole which had been brokenthrough by the peons showed before them, and they could see milkywater dashing over black rocks.
Pallid eyes looked at them, and they knew they gazed upon another ofthe giant frogs. They tossed a bomb at the creature, and blew a jaggedhole in his back. No sooner had he begun to die than there came asudden rush of other monsters and a feast began.
"Throw, all together," yelled Kenneth Gurlone.
Into the vast mass of creatures, who crowded one another in the riverfor their share of the spoils, they threw bomb after bomb. Thedynamite deafened them, and acrid fumes choked them, but they firedtheir rifles at the prodigious animals and there, in the big rivercavern, was a seething mass of horrible life, dying in agony.
The bellowings and hissings sounded louder, so loud that the earthshook as if actuated by a mighty earthquake.
Maget gripped Kenneth Gurlone's arm. "My bombs are gone," he shouted.
He had but a few rounds of ammunition left, and still more of thegiant reptiles appeared. A centipede with its creeping, horrible legstopped the mass of squirming matter; they could see the terrific stingof the creature, so deadly when but a fraction of an inch long, andwhich was now at least a foot, armed with poison.
There came the rush of more bats and moths, a rush that threw thethree men off their feet.
"We must have opened the hole more with our bombs," shrieked oldGurlone. "The dead bodies attract the other creatures, more and moreof them are coming. It is impossible; we cannot deal with them all."
* * * * *
The vast gobbling of the great animals in the river below them was soprodigious they could not grasp it. It seemed it must be opticalillusion. In a few moments, the dead had been eaten, swallowed whole,and fights were progressing between the victors.
They tossed the rest of their bombs, fired the remaining ammunition,and as they prepared to retreat, several of the big creatures sloppedover and started up the river bank into the mine shaft.
They ran for their lives, the three. Madly, with the earth shakingbehind them as they were pursued by a hopping monster of a beetle withimmense mandibles reaching out at them, they dashed for the open air.
Giant moths and bats struck at them, and Maget fell down several timesbefore he reached the outside, and he was bruised and out of breath.
"Come on, there are too many to fight," gasped old Gurlone, throwingoff the lead suit.
But there was no need to talk. The creatures, disturbed by the bombs,had collected in one spot and, shown the way out by one of theirnumber, were coming.
Espinosa, with Kenneth Gurlone holding his hand, ran swiftly for thehills surrounding the valley. Maget helped old Professor Gurlone, whowas so out of breath that he could scarcely move.
The great beetle which had been pursuing them was the first to breakforth into the valley. Turning back for a look over his shoulder,Maget saw the thing pause, but the cavern belched forth a vast arrayof monsters, the beasts roaring, hissing, bellowing, in an increasingmass of sound.
They swarmed over the ground, and giant bats and moths winged theirway about the heads of the monsters.
At the rim of the valley, the four men paused.
"God help the peons," said Kenneth Gurlone.
* * * * *
Now the horde of monsters swelled more and more; the bats and mothswinged in mad frenzy about the open door of the radium shack. Therewere great beetles, centipedes, ants, crickets, hopping, crawlingthings, and grotesquely immense in size. Fights progressed here andthere, but the majority of them were carried along in the sweep of themultitude.
"See, the radium kills those who get too close," said ProfessorGurlone, in a hushed voice.
The giant moths and bats were unable to withstand the lure of thegreen light. They flew with mad beatings of wings straight for theopen door of the death house, and many of the great creatures,attracted by the light and urged on by an unexplainable force whichsent them to death like gnats and moths in a flame, crowded near tothe death-dealing radium.
Not until the whole shack was covered with quivering forms of thedead, did the other creatures veer off and with hops, creepings andmyriad giant legs, begin to cover the whole valley.
The stone walls of the death shack had crumpled in with the weight;the other buildings, more lightly built, gave at once, with crackingsand crashings.
The four men were powerless to assist the unfortunate peons, who weretrapped in their barracks. The charged wires stopped many of the bigbeasts, but soon the electric light was short-circuited, and thevalley, in the moonlight, was a seething mass of fighting, dying,feasting monsters.
* * * * *
Other sounds, besides those made by the big creatures, came to theears of the stricken men on the hillside. The breaking of glass, thecries of the jungle animals trapped in their cages, the shrieks ofdying peons who were eaten at a gulp by the big frogs or stung todeath, impaled on the mandibles of some great stinging centipede.
&nb
sp; In the spot where the radium death shack had been, was a pulpy mass oflivid, smoky light.
Now the bowl of the valley was filled as by some vast jelly. Thecreatures were slopping over the walls, and battling together.
The shambles was not yet over, but the four could remain no longer.They made their way down the hillside and struck out across the aridlands.
Maget, the tramp, became the leader. He was a trained jungle man, andit was he who finally brought them safely to the Madeira.
He was their strong man, the one who found the trail and located rootsand fruit for the party to subsist on. They nearly perished in thetrip for lack of water, but again, Maget was able to supply them withroots which kept them from dying in agony.
* * * * *
They lay upon the river bank now, exhausted but alive. Maget hadassisted old Gurlone, acted as his staff, half carried him the lastmiles of the trip.
Their clothes were almost gone, they were burned to crisps by thetropic sun. Flies and other insects had taken their toll. But Magethad brought them through.
The tall, thin fellow's hair had turned utterly white. But so had hissoul.
"You're a good man, Maget," said Professor Gurlone. "You have savedus, and you have been brave as a lion."
Maget shook his head. "Professor," he said. "I came into the jungle torob you. Durkin and I bribed Juan to steal that radium, and I feelresponsible for his death. We thought you had diamonds or gold in theMatto Grosso, and we were after it. That's why I am here."
"You have repaid your debt to us, more than fully," said Kenneth,holding out his hand.
"Yes," said Espinosa.
"Will you keep me with you, then?" asked Maget anxiously. "Are--willyou go back there?"
* * * * *
Professor Gurlone stared at him, and then said, in a surprised tone,"Why, of course!"
"But the monsters?" asked Maget.
"Many of them will die in the outer air," said Gurlone. "The survivorsof the battles will start eating the dead. They will finally clearaway the debris of dead creatures about the radium shack. As each isexposed to the rays of the concentrated metal, it will die. The otherswill eat it, and be killed in turn. Thus, they will be destroyed. Ifthere are any survivors after this evident turn of events, then wewill cope with them when we return, reinforced. Dynamite, enough ofit, will finish them off. And, Maget, in your next pursuit afterknowledge of strange things, you may get a few earthly riches. Theradium is still there, and you will share in it."
"Thank you," said Maget humbly. "I'm with you to the end."
"You must keep quiet about this," cautioned Kenneth Gurlone. "We donot want the world to know too much of our vast store of radium. Itwould attract adventurers and we would be annoyed by ignorant men. Butwe're thankful you lay drunk in that saloon when my father spoke ofthe millions, Maget."
In Manzos, Maget found himself a changed man. To his surprise, inspite of his white hair, brought on by the horror of what he had seen,he found that he had gained two inches in height, and that he waslarger of girth. This, Professor Gurlone told him, was the effect ofthe radium rays.
Never again did Maget lie drunk on the floor of a saloon. The eventsthrough which he had gone had seared the tramp's soul, and he keptclose to his new master, Professor Gurlone.