Part 42 (1/2)
”Do you remember,” I asked by way of answer, ”a treatise of Aristotle concerning which we had a discussion one day? Its subject was the hypnotic power possessed by the eyes of certain reptiles I laughed the idea to scorn; you ree with you; and I'd like to have about a dozen of our modern skeptical scientists in this cave with me for about five minutes”
”But what is it? A reptile!” Harry exclai as a house!”
”Well, and why not? I should guess that it is about thirty feet in height and forty or fifty in length There have been species, now extinct, several tie”
”Then you think it is just--just an animal?” put in Desiree
”What did you think it was?” I nearly smiled ”An infernal machine?”
”I don't know Only I have never before knohat it was to fear”
A discussion which led us nowhere, but at least gave us the sound of one another's voices
We passed many hours in that manner Utterly blank and wearisoe tenacity hich we clung to life in conditions that made of it a burden almost insupportable; and hat chance of relief?
The instinct of self-preservation, it is called by the learned, but it needs a stronger name It is more than an instinct It is the very essence of life itself
But soon ere i besides the desire to escape froer It had been many hours since we had eaten; I think we had fasted not less than three or four days
Desiree began to complain of a dizziness in her temples, and to weaken with every hour that passed My own strength did not increase, and I saw that it would not unless I could obtain nourishment Harry did not complain, but only because he would not
”It is useless to wait longer,” I declared finally ”I groeaker instead of stronger”
We had little enough hich to burden ourselves There were three spears, two of which Harry had brought, and ar
Desiree's single garment, irdle of the samein a tangled mass over her shoulders and down her back None of us had any covering for our feet
We crossed the strea across thethe wall Harry urged us on, saying that he had already searched carefully for an exit on that side, but ent slowly, feeling for a break in the wall It was absolutely smooth, which led me to believe that the cavern had at one time been filled ater
We reached the farther wall and, turning to the right, were about to follow it
”This is senseless,” said Harry impatiently ”I tell you I have examined this side, too; every inch of it”
”And the one ahead of us, at right angles to this?” I asked
”That too,” he answered
”And the other--the one to the right of the streao there”
”Why didn't you say so?” I demanded
”Because I didn't want to,” he returned sullenly ”You can go there if you care to; I don't It was from there that--it came”