uminous in the darkness of the cave's interior, and
at last I knew that those eyes were directed upon me, for the Wieroo
can see in the darkness better than even the lion or the tiger. But a
few feet separated us when I sprang to my feet and dashed madly toward
my menacer in a vain effort to dodge past him and reach the outside
world. It was madness of course, for even had I succeeded temporarily,
the Wieroo would have but followed and swooped down upon me from above.
As it was, he reached forth and seized me, and though I struggled, he
overpowered me. In the duel his long, white robe was nearly torn from
him, and he became very angry, so that he trembled and beat his wings
together in his rage.

"He asked me my name; but I would not answer him, and that angered him
still more. At last he dragged me to the entrance of the cave, lifted
me in his arms, spread his great wings and leaping into the air,
flapped dismally through the night. I saw the moonlit landscape
sliding away beneath me, and then we were out above the sea and on our
way to Oo-oh, the country of the Wieroo.

"The dim outlines of Oo-oh were unfolding below us when there came from
above a loud whirring of giant wings. The Wieroo and I glanced up
simultaneously, to see a pair of huge jo-oos" (flying
reptiles--pterodactyls) "swooping down upon us. The Wieroo wheeled and
dropped almost to sea-level, and then raced southward in an effort to
outdistance our pursuers. The great creatures, notwithstanding their
enormous weight, are swift on their wings; but the Wieroo are swifter.
Even with my added weight, the creature that bore me maintained his
lead, though he could not increase it. Faster than the fastest wind we
raced through the night, southward along the coast. Sometimes we rose
to great heights, where the air was chill and the world below but a
blur of dim outlines; but always the jo-oos stuck behind us.

"I knew that we had covered a great distance, for the rush of the wind
by my face attested the speed of our progress, but I had no idea where
we were when at last I realized that the Wieroo was weakening. One of
the jo-oos gained on us and succeeded in heading us, so that my captor
had to turn in toward the coast. Further and further they forced him
to the left; lower and lower he sank. More labored was his breathing,
and weaker the stroke of his once powerful wings. We were not ten feet
above the ground when they overtook us, and at the ed