Chapter 8

It was a sad leave-taking as in silence I shook hands with each

of the three remaining men. Even poor Nobs appeared dejected as

we quit the compound and set out upon the well-marked spoor of

the abductor. Not once did I turn my eyes backward toward

Fort Dinosaur. I have not looked upon it since--nor in all

likelihood shall I ever look upon it again. The trail led

northwest until it reached the western end of the sandstone

cliffs to the north of the fort; there it ran into a well-defined

path which wound northward into a country we had not as yet

explored.

It was a beautiful, gently rolling country, broken by occasional

outcroppings of sandstone and by patches of dense forest relieved

by open, park-like stretches and broad meadows whereon grazed

countless herbivorous animals--red deer, aurochs, and infinite

variety of antelope and at least three distinct species of horse,

the latter ranging in size from a creature about as large as

Nobs to a magnificent animal fourteen to sixteen hands high.

These creatures fed together in perfect amity; nor did they show

any great indications of terror when Nobs and I approached.

They moved out of our way and kept their eyes upon us until we

had passed; then they resumed their feeding.

The path led straight across the clearing into another forest,

lying upon the verge of which I saw a bit of white. It appeared

to stand out in marked contrast and incongruity to all its

surroundings, and when I stopped to examine it, I found that

it was a small strip of muslin--part of the hem of a garment.

At once I was all excitement, for I knew that it was a sign left

by Lys that she had been carried this way; it was a tiny bit torn

from the hem of the undergarment that she wore in lieu of the

night-robes she had lost with the sinking of the liner.

Crushing the bit of fabric to my lips, I pressed on even more

rapidly than before, because I now knew that I was upon the right

trail and that up to this, point at least, Lys still had lived.

I made over twenty miles that day, for I was now hardened to

fatigue and accustomed to long hikes, having spent considerable

time hunting and exploring in the immediate vicinity of camp.