y crept close as
possible to the mine opening, and saw the big Portuguese standing
there in silence, listening carefully. Any sounds the two might have
made were drowned in the great bellowing from within the cavern.

These noises, so like the croak of bullfrogs but magnified a thousand
times, were terrifying to the heart.

The sweep of wings sounded on the night air, and Espinosa drew back
and squatted close to the ground, as immense green creatures, flying
on dusty wings, issued from the mine.

"God, those are moths," breathed Maget.

Yes, unmistakably, they were moths, as large as condors. The green
ones, but for their size, were lunar moths, familiar enough to the two
tramps. More bats came, disturbed by the entrance of the two Gurlones.

Durkin broke, then. "I'm--I'm--I guess you're right, Maget," he
whispered, in a terrified voice. "We should have never come. If my
foot wasn't hurt, I'd start for the river now. Curse it, what a
place!"

The booming, vast croaks filled the whole valley, reverberating
through 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, though
it 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 the
bellows came the sounds of the big rifles, the echoes booming through
the 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 towards
the shelter of their houses. Espinosa joined them, going swiftly in
spite of his blind eyes.

The croaking made Maget's brain scream with the immensity of the
sound. Luminous, white disks, three feet in diameter, glared at him,
and the creature, which progressed with jerky leaps toward him, almost
filled the mouth of the mine.

It was hot in pursuit of the fleeing Gurlones. It squatted and then
jumped, and presently it was out in the night air.

Its form was that of a gigantic frog, but it stood some tw