CHAPTER XIV.
IN A PERILOUS POSITION.
As Jack Howard beheld the hideous, crablike monster dragging Joe acrossthe floor of the cave, an exclamation of horror left his lips.
The poor boy, who was placed in such a perilous position, must havefainted, for beyond the single shriek he had uttered he remainedperfectly silent.
Of all the horrible-looking creatures Jack had ever heard of, this onewas the worst.
In shape it was as near like a crab as anything it could be compared to,while in size it was fully as large as a mammoth sea turtle.
Its claws were something awful to look upon, and Jack shuddered when hesaw that one of them clasped Joe firmly by the shoulder.
Just then the match went out, and the sight was lost to his gaze.
This served to bring Jack to his senses.
Quick as a flash he had lighted another and drawn his revolver.
The monster was making very slow progress with its intended victim, and,regardless of himself being seized by it, Jack rushed up and leveled hisweapon at one of its glittering eyes.
Crack!
As the report rang out Jack seized Joe and pulled him away.
A cry of joy escaped his lips.
The unconscious boy was free from the monster.
But at the same time the report of the revolver had extinguished thematch, and Jack did not know whether he had killed the creature or not.
A furious thrashing on the ground told him he had not, although hejudged that it was in the throes of death.
Lighting another match, he started forward to find a place of safety.
A few steps and he discovered a huge rock, which was flat on top.
Exerting all his strength, he lifted Joe upon it and then clambered uphimself.
It was no easy task for him to do so, as the top of the rock was oversix feet high.
But fear lent him strength, and he succeeded in getting up in a hurry.
Before he arose to his feet, after reaching the top of the rock, Jackstruck another match.
He found that he was safe for the present, for it was not at all likelythat the monster could get up there.
He concluded to endeavor to bring Joe to consciousness.
He threw the match down at his feet, and then started to stoop over theboy.
But before he could reach him, a bright flame shot up from the spotwhere the match had fallen.
"Great Scott!" exclaimed the young Englishman, "I have set the rock onfire."
Leaving Joe for an instant, he proceeded to see what it was that hadbecome ignited. The flame, which was still burning with a steady light,made it easy for him to see.
The spot where the match had fallen was near the center of the rock,which appeared to be filled with a mixture of coal dust and pitch, asJack afterward put it.
The pithy substance seemed to extend clear through the rock, and as soonas Jack saw what it was that was burning, he concluded to let it go, asit furnished him a very good light to see what was going on around him.He now could hear a sharp, clicking noise all around the rock, and aglance showed the place to be alive with monsters like the one which hadstarted to carry off Joe.
Their huge claws, opening and shutting, caused the noise.
Just as Jack was about to turn to Joe again, the boy opened his eyes.
"Where am I?" he gasped, struggling to a sitting posture.
"You are all right now, old fellow," returned Jack, in a voice that wasmeant to be cheerful, though it hardly expressed it.
"Oh, I remember"--and a shudder passed over the boy's frame--"somehorrible creature was dragging me away, and I--I fainted."
"That is what you did, Joe. Why is it you faint away so often? You putme in mind of a girl sometimes."
"Do I?"--and the face of Joe turned a deep crimson. "I suppose it is myweak nature that makes me swoon every time something awful frightens me;but I won't do it any more, for it might be the means of us both losingour lives."
"Well, never mind, Joe," said Jack, in a kindly tone. "You are a bravelittle fellow in times of danger, and I can't blame you for faintingwhen such a thing as those down there gets a hold of you."
"Are there any more of them around, then?"
And the boy shifted his position so as to get a view of the hideouscreatures that surrounded the rock.
"Well," said he, after a pause, "I am not afraid of them now. If we eachhad a good club, we could jump down there and kill the whole lot of themin a very few minutes. They are nothing but land crabs, though muchlarger than any I have ever seen before. A sharp blow will crush theshell upon them, and then they are helpless."
"Is that so?" asked Jack, becoming interested. "But they are dangerous,all the same, are they not?"
"Oh, yes; I suppose they could tear you all to pieces with their bigclaws."
"Suppose we begin shooting at them?"
"All right."
The next minute the two were blazing away at the crablike creatures.
Jack noticed that every time a bullet hit one of their claws it wouldimmediately drop from the creature's body. The fire, which was stillsteadily burning, made sufficient light for them to see within theradius of a dozen yards.
When the two had either killed or disabled all the land crabs they couldsee, they turned their gaze about to see if there was any avenue openfor them to leave the place.
Presently they observed a narrow passage to the left of them, whichseemed to run through a solid wall of black rock.
Jack was just going to suggest that they get down from their perch andinvestigate, when an animal as large as a half-grown ox suddenly emergedfrom the passage.
In looks it resembled a rhinoceros, though both Jack and Joe could seethat its back was covered with a shell.
A sharp horn projected from its mouth, and its gleaming eyes flashedlike balls of fire.
With an ugly snort the queer creature started for the rock upon whichthe pair stood.
"I guess I had better shoot him," said Jack. "He might be able to jumpup here."
Leveling his rifle at one of the animal's eyes, he pulled the trigger.
The bullet was true to its mark, and the next instant the beast wasrolling upon the ground in the throes of death.
"That was a good shot," observed Joe, in an admiring tone. "But, look!there comes another!"
Sure enough, another of the beasts emerged from the passage; but thatwas not all. Another, and still another followed.
It was at this state of affairs that the two heard the muttered sound ofa pistol shot.
"Our friends are coming to our rescue," exclaimed Jack. "Now, then, wehave got to kill off these things at once, so they will not be attackedby them before they reach us."
They began firing, and in a few minutes the three beasts had met thesame fate as the first one.
But now a new danger threatened them. The smell of blood from the slainanimals was drawing a multitude of land crabs to the spot.
As the two looked upon the ground, they saw that it was literallycovered with the monsters, many of them had already seized upon thecarcasses and were tearing them to pieces.
Again a pistol shot rang out, this time close at hand.
Then a voice called out Jack's name.
Jack quickly answered, as was recorded at the conclusion of the lastchapter, and half a minute later Van Vincent and his companions emergedfrom the passage and appeared on the scene.