CHAPTER V
The Ogrum
"Exploring parties ashore," Captain Higgins ordered.
"With your permission," Craig said, "I should like to be a member of oneof those parties."
"Certainly," the captain said. "I'll do even better than that--I'll putyou in charge of one of them."
"Thank you, sir," Craig said. In accordance with the best navaltradition, he kept his voice emotionless, but his heart leaped at thethought. He was going to lead a squad of blue-jackets ashore!
He was assembling his group when Michaelson, wildly excited, camedashing up. "I understand you are taking a squad ashore!" the scientistexcitedly panted.
"That's right," Craig answered.
"I want to go along."
"You want to go along?" Craig glanced toward the nearby shore. Abovethe swamps bordering the river one of the lizard-birds was flapping. Itwas carrying in its taloned claws something that looked like a smallmonkey. Now and then coughing grunts came from the swamp, evidence ofthe beasts lurking there. "You want to go into _that_?" Craigquestioned.
"Certainly," the scientist vigorously answered. "This is the opportunityof a life-time. We shall have a perfect chance to observe the flora andfauna of this time. We shall see them alive. No other scientist ever hada chance like this."
"You mean you will have a fine chance to be gobbled up," Craig saidgrimly, nodding toward the shore. "That's jungle country."
"You are taking these men into it," Michaelson protested.
"They volunteered," Craig answered.
"So do I volunteer," Michaelson said.
"All right," Craig said, grinning in spite of himself at the impetuousway this scientist flung himself into what at best could only be a nastysituation. "Get yourself a gun and come along--" He broke off to stareat the second person who was approaching him.
It was Margy Sharp. She went directly to the point. "How about mevolunteering too?" she asked.
"Well, I'm damned," Craig said.
"Does that mean I can go?"
"It does not!" Craig said emphatically. "It means I'm astonished thatyou should have taken such sudden leave of your senses."
"Why can't I go?" she challenged.
"Because you're a girl," he answered. "And because you would be in theway. No sale, Margy. Not today and not any other day if I have anythingto say about it. You stay here where you belong."
"You damned men have _all_ the fun," the girl said bitterly, turning onher heel. Craig watched her walk directly to Captain Higgins and makethe same request and he observed the astonishment of that naval officer.But in spite of his astonishment, the captain was quite able to say"No."
The last he saw of her, she was leaning over the rail watching the smallboat put out for shore. He waved at her. She thumbed her nose in reply.
Looking back as they neared the shore, Craig saw she was still standingat the rail. He also heard the boom of the ship's catapult and saw aplane launched into the air. Captain Higgins was sending out a plane toscout the surrounding area. Craig knew what the captain was worriedabout--the place from which those cursed silent airplanes came.
High in the sky, he could see one of the silent floaters keeping itsvigil over the Idaho.
"We'll cross the swamp and reach the hills," Craig directed.
* * * * *
Shots roared in the distance as they forced the boat through the poolsof stagnant water. Apparently the shots came from the other exploringparties shooting flying lizards or other creatures. Once a flying lizardswooped over their boat but it changed its mind and went on to attacksomething else. And, as they forced the boat through a clump of reedsand into a clear channel, something monstrous snorted near them. Loudcrashes sounded in the swamp tangle.
"It looks as big as an elephant," Craig shouted. "Get your guns ready."
He could see the movement of the reeds as the beast crashed toward them.Small trees were shaking, marking its passage, then it thrust its headout of the tangle not fifty feet from them.
"It's a dinosaur!" Michaelson shouted. The scientist was wildlyexcited. "It's a live dinosaur."
"It's going to be a dead one if it comes any closer," Craig said grimly.
"No, don't shoot," the scientist said. "It's one of the herbivorousdinosaurs, a vegetation eater. It won't harm us."
The sailors in the boat were nervously fingering their tommy-guns andstaring at the mountain of flesh that was half-hidden by the junglegrowth. It, in turn, stared at them. It was bigger than any elephantthat ever walked the earth, and Craig, as he estimated the size of thebeast, was wondering whether the tommy-guns would stop it if it chose toattack.
"If we have to shoot, aim at the head," he whispered.
In comparison to the rest of the body, the head was small. It wouldpresent a difficult target but a hit in the head might stop the beastwhereas a hit in the huge body would pass unnoticed. The dinosaur staredat them. Seconds ticked into minutes. It moved its head in a circle,sniffing the air. Michaelson wanted to get out of the boat and swim toshore so he could examine it closely.
"You stay in this boat," Craig said vigorously. "You will probably get achance to examine all the dinosaurs you want."
Muttering to himself, the scientist subsided.
Slowly, as though it had seen all it wanted to, the dinosaur turned andwent back into the swamp. The shaking of the shrubs marked the directionit had taken. Craig breathed a sigh of relief.
"I told you it wasn't dangerous," Michaelson said bitterly. "You shouldhave let me examine it."
"Never mind," Craig said soothingly. "After we get ourselves settledhere, you can have a dinosaur for a pet. Push on, men," he said to thecrew. "I want to climb one of those hills and take a look around."
* * * * *
Reaching the spot where the boat could pass no farther, they left twomen to guard it and pushed ahead on foot. The swamp gave way to rising,rocky ground covered with a thin growth of huge trees. There was awhistle in the air. Looking quickly up, Craig saw a flying lizard swoopthrough an opening in the trees and dive head-long at something hiddenin the rocks ahead.
A scream sounded as the dragon bird dived to the attack.
There was a human element in the scream.
"That bird is after somebody!" Craig shouted. "Come on."
If he had not known it was impossible, he would have been certain thatthe scream he had heard had come from the throat of a woman. But therewere no women here in this mad world. Dashing forward he climbed to thetop of a huge rock--and looked down at an incredible scene.
He was on the lip of a rocky ravine. Across on the other side of theravine was a hole in the rock, a shallow cave. Crouching in the back ofthe shallow depression was a woman. She was shielding something with herbody.
In front of the shallow cave was--a man. He was not the type of man tograce the pages of a fashion magazine, but in spite of bulging musclesand heavy, uncombed hair, there was a lithe alertness about him that wasappealing.
There was something else that was more appealing.
The way he was facing the dragon.
The lizard bird, all claws and fanged mouth and hooked wings, was tryingto knock the man down. He was fighting it desperately. His only weaponwas a heavy club. He struck heavily with the club, leaped back out ofdanger. The bird lunged at him. He hit it across the head and knocked itbackward. The bird was on the ground. It lunged again, screamingshrilly. The man struck at it, dodged to one side, hit it again. Thebird came back to the attack.
No matter how valiant the defense, there could be only one ending. Thedragon was too big, too fierce, too impervious to pain, too hard tokill, to be stopped by a man with a club. It lunged again. The manstruck at it, slipped, fell. Hissing with triumph, leathery wingsflapping, the lizard bird leaped at him.
The dragon was too big, too hard, to be killed by a manwith a club ... there could be but one ending]
_Rat-tat-tat-tat_--Craig let go with
his tommy-gun.
_Rat-tat-tat-tat_--The other men joined in, pouring a murderous fury ofcross-fire down into the ravine. The bird was almost as big as a horse.It was a fierce fighter. It would relinquish a meal when it was dead andnot before. One slug would not stop it. Dozens of slugs poured into it,smashed it to a bloody pulp. Even as it died it still tried to reach theman it had attacked.
As suddenly as it had started, the shooting stopped. Craig took thesmoking gun from his shoulder. The dragon gave one last convulsive heaveand lay still.
The man had scrambled to his feet. The sudden, blasting fury of thegun-fire must have shocked him out of his wits. He had been facingdeath, bravely; and suddenly death had struck down the creature that wasattacking him. He stood without moving. In the cave behind him the womanleft off her whimpering.
The man was darting glances out of the corners of his eyes, seeking thesource from which his sudden deliverance had come. Slowly he turned hishead. He saw the sailors on the lip of the ravine across from him.
A look of almost stupefying fear crossed his face. He had faced thedragon with no show of cowardice. Now, seeing his benefactors for thefirst time, he looked terrified. In the cave behind him the woman hadalso located the humans. Without moving a muscle, she crouched againstthe rock wall. Craig had seen wild animals, frightened by the suddenappearance of a beast of prey, act like this. A rabbit, aware of theswoop of a hawk, would be too terrified to move. A lamb, knowing thewolf was near, would crouch trembling waiting for the final snarlingleap.
"He's scared of us," Craig whispered. "Don't make any sudden moves."
The man looked up at them.
"Ogrum!" he whispered. "Ogrum--"
* * * * *
Very slowly he laid the club on the ground beside him. Then he stretchedhimself face downward beside it in a gesture of obeisance older thanhuman history. Subject races welcomed their conqueror in a manner suchas this, slaves knelt before their master in this manner--in the daysbefore men ceased being slaves.
"He must think we're gods," Craig whispered. It was a logicalexplanation of the man's actions yet it did not completely satisfy him.
"He thinks we are something else," Michaelson said. "He is acting like aperson who recognizes a strong enemy. He is mistaking us for somebodyelse. Come on. I'm going down there."
The scientist was already scrambling down the side of the ravine. Craigfollowed him. He recognized the correctness of Michaelson's deductions.The man had whispered "Ogrum." Then he had knelt. There could only beone explanation: he thought they were somebody else. The thought raiseda question in Craig's mind: What could inspire such terrifying fear inthis man? What horror walked through these jungles that a man would fearmore than he feared a dragon?
Craig looked up at his squad on the bank of the ravine. "Be on yourguard," he said.
"Aye, aye, sir," the answer came floating down. It was an order thesailors would not be likely to need. They would be on the alert.
Michaelson was so eager to reach the man that he dashed ahead. WhenCraig reached him, he was bending over the man. The scientist was wildlyexcited. "He is human," Michaelson was babbling. "Look for yourself ifyou don't believe me. See, he has all the characteristics of true man."
The scientist was acting as if he expected Craig to argue the point. Thebig man didn't. "Of course he's human," he said. "What's so strangeabout that?"
"You do not understand," Michaelson explained. "He is the dawn man. Hebelongs to the first race of true humans ever to appear on earth. Wehave found a dawn man. That is of great scientific importance. See!" Thescientist pointed to the club. "He has begun to use tools but he has notyet learned to chip flint. He is pre-stone age, definitely pre-stoneage, but he is also definitely human, with the capacity to learn, as isshown by his use of the club. He has already made one of the first greatinventions, a club. He has not yet made the second invention, fire, orthe third great discovery, how to shape stone. I cannot begin to tellyou how important this is."
The scientist was beside himself with excitement. Craig grinned. Sciencehad its thrills as well as adventure. Michaelson was apparentlyexperiencing one of science's great thrills--discovery.
The scientist promptly began to try to communicate with the man. Butfirst he had to win the man's confidence. This he did by talking softlyand gently. The man sat up to stare in dazed wonder at the scientist.Back in the shallow cave the woman crouched without moving. Craig sawwhat she was protecting, a child. This was a family they had saved fromthe dragon. From fearful eyes the woman watched her lord and master talkto the strangers.
* * * * *
"His name is Guru," Michaelson said, indicating the dawn man. "I am ableto understand a little of what he says. His language is as yetundifferentiated into complex grammatical forms, hence I can follow hismeaning without too much difficulty. He says he has lived here all hislife and that many more of his people live near here. He says they livein families. Do you know what that means?" the scientist excitedlychallenged Craig.
Craig, unable to get Michaelson to leave the dawn man, had left two mento guard the scientist and had taken the others on a wide scouting trip.He had just returned.
"No, I don't know what that means," he answered.
"It means that Guru and his people have not yet reached the tribal stagein their existence!" the scientist triumphantly pronounced. "They arestill in the family stage but they have not yet learned to live togetherin tribes."
Michaelson sounded as if he thought this discovery was of the utmostimportance. Scientifically, it probably was important. But Craig hadother things on his mind.
"Ask him who he thought we were when he first saw us," he said. "Ask himwhy he was so badly scared of us. Ask him who the Ogrum are."
Craig was talking to the scientist but he was watching Guru. When hementioned the Ogrum, the dawn man flinched. Fright appeared in his eyes.Michaelson spoke to him, consulting a notebook in which he had alreadyjotted down words that he had learned, and listened carefully to hisreply. The scientist turned to Craig.
"Guru says the Ogrum are very bad," he said. "He says they are muchfiercer than the _death-that-flies_, by which he means the bird that wasattacking him when we came up. He says the Ogrum fly too, and that theyare like us, only different. He says he thought we were Ogrum when hefirst saw us. He says the Ogrum hunt down his people, and capture them,and take them to their city, and there feed them to the monster thateats forever."
"The monster that eats forever!" Craig whistled thoughtfully. "What thedevil is that?"
Michaelson repeated Craig's question to Guru. The answer came haltingly,slowly. The scientist turned to Craig. "I am not at all certain what hemeans. Another definition would be the bright beast that is alwayshungry. But I do not know what this beast is, and Guru seems unable totell me. He has never seen it, he says, only heard about it. He is muchafraid of the Ogrum."
"I don't blame him," Craig said. "But what are they?"
Guru seemed unable to grasp the meaning of this question. He showed astrange disinclination to discuss the subject. He was so much afraid ofthe Ogrum that he did not even want to talk about them. And yet--thisfact put a worried frown on Craig's forehead--Guru was no coward. Theyhad seen him fearlessly face the flying dragon, the death-that-flew.What was there about the Ogrum that made Guru so terribly afraid ofthem?
Guru seemed nervous and uneasy. He looked all around the ravine asthough he sensed the presence of hidden danger. Suddenly he looked up. Asingle word fell from his lips.
"_Ogrum!_" he whispered. "_Ogrum!_"
Craig looked skyward. A single wedge-shaped plane was diving on silentwings through the air. His first thought was that it was diving at them.Then he saw it was passing above them, aiming at some other target. Asecond plane was following the first, a third was following the second.There was a whole line of them, diving silently on some secret target.
* * * * *
&
nbsp; The second he saw the planes, all question of the identity of the Ogrumpassed from Craig's mind. It was the Ogrum who flew those silent ships,it was the Ogrum who had attacked the Idaho, who had sprayed the strangeacid on the sea that had damaged the ship. It was the Ogrum who now werepassing overhead intent on some other attack.
"Out of sight, everybody!" Craig shouted. The sailors slipped hastily tocover. Craig joined them. Guru had already leaped back into the mouth ofhis cave.
"What are those devils after this time?" Michaelson asked.
A second later, they had the answer.
Rolling across the swamps came the sound of a thunderous anti-aircraftbarrage from the Idaho.
The Ogrum were moving in to attack the warship, to deliver the lastsmashing blow against the stranded battle wagon! Like vultures circlinga dying animal, they wheeled over the Idaho.
"Come on!" Craig said. "I don't know what we can do to help but we willgo and see."
As he hurried out of the ravine he saw Guru hastily helping his matecarry the child to a higher, safer cave. Guru was hiding. The dawn manmight face a flying dragon, but the Ogrum were too much for him. Craigdid not blame him for hiding. He led his group hastily toward his boat.
Before they reached the place where they had left the small boat a crashsounded behind them. Turning, they jerked up their guns. In this junglewilderness, anything might be attacking them. When they saw what wasfollowing them, they dropped the muzzles of the weapons.
It was Guru. Waving his club, he had come to join them. He waschattering excitedly.
"He says he has put his wife and little one where they will be safe,"Michaelson translated. "He wants to know if we are going to fight theOgrum."
"Tell him yes," Craig answered.
"Then he says he wants to go along," the scientist interpreted.
For an instant Craig stared at the dawn man. Guru was scared. His frightwas obvious. Even thinking about the Ogrum scared him. But if hisnew-found friends were going to fight the devils of the jungle, he wasgoing with them!
"There," said Craig appreciatively, "beats a fighting heart. Come on,dawn man, you've got what it takes."
With Guru to lead them and point out passages through the swamp, theymade speedy time in the boat. Meanwhile, clearly audible but out ofsight, the sky was filled with the thunder of guns.
"The ack-ack will knock those planes out of the sky," one of the sailorssaid.
"I wish I thought so," Craig answered.
"What do you mean?" Michaelson questioned.
"The Ogrum must know we have anti-aircraft defenses," the big man saiduneasily. "We shot one of their planes down when they attacked ourscouting flier. They know we can and will fight. If they attack us underthose circumstances, it means one of two things--either they're crazy orthey think they can take us in spite of our ack-ack. For all I know,they may be crazy, but I'm betting they think they can take us. Sh--"Craig listened.
The anti-aircraft barrage was thinning out. The guns were not firing asfuriously as they had at first. Uneasiness showing on their faces, thesailors listened.
"Something's going wrong," one of them muttered.
"Get moving!" Craig barked. He knew too well that something was goingwrong. And, as they shoved the boat through the swamp, the guns from theship began to sound slower and slower until at last only occasionalblasts showed they were still being manned.
Then the gun-fire ceased altogether.
"Perhaps we have driven them off," Michaelson suggested.
"Perhaps we haven't!" Craig answered bitterly. "Look."
They were nearing the river. Through open spaces, the harbor wasvisible. They caught a glimpse of the Idaho.
The planes of the Ogrum were still circling above it.
The Ogrum had not been driven off.
They had won a victory!
The Lost Warship Page 5