osite;
but hardly had the monsters been out of sight two minutes when they
reappeared, even more precipitately than before, and fled up the valley
in the same direction as the tortoise.

"The animals here," said Bearwarden, "behave as though they were going
to catch a train; only our friend beneath us seems superior to haste."

"I would give a good deal to know," said Cortlandt, "what is pursuing
those giants, and whether it is identical or similar to the mutilator
of the mastodon. Nothing but abject terror could make them run like
that."

"I have a well-formed idea," said Bearwarden, "that a hunt is going on,
with no doubt two parties, one in the woods on either side, and that
the hunters may be on a scale commensurate with that of their victims."

"If the excitement is caused by men," replied Cortlandt, "our
exploration may turn out to be a far more difficult undertaking than we
anticipated. But why, if there are men in those woods, do they not
show themselves?--for they could certainly keep pace with the game more
easily in the open than among the trees."

"Because," replied Bearwarden, "the men in the woods are doubtless the
beaters, whose duty it is to drive the game into and up the valley, at
the end of which the killing will be done."

"We may have a chance to see it," said Ayrault, "or to take a hand, for
we are travelling straight in that direction, and shall be able to give
a good account ourselves if our rights are challenged."

"Why," asked Cortlandt, "if the hunting parties that have been in our
vicinity were only beaters, should they have mutilated the mastodon in
such it way that he could not walk? And how were they able to take
themselves off so quickly--for man in his natural state has never been
a fast mover? I repeat, it will upset my theories if we find men."

It was obvious to them that tortoises were not much troubled by the
apparently general foe, for the specimen in which they were just then
interested continued his course entirely unconcerned. Soon, however,
he seemed to feel fatigue, for he drew his feet and head within his
shell, which he tightly closed, and after that no poking or prodding
had the desired effect.

"I suspect we must depend on shank's mares for a time," said
Bearwarden, cheerfully, as they scrambled down.

"We can now see," said Cortlandt, "why our friend was so unconcerned,
since he has but to draw himself within himself to become invulnerable
to anything sho