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enlarged insect, with all the inherent ferocity and strength. It is almost the
exact counterpart of an African soldier-ant magnified many hundred thousand
times. I wonder," he continued thoughtfully, "if our latter-day insects may
not be the deteriorated (in point of size) descendants of the monsters of
mythology and geology, for nothing could be a more terrible or ferocious
antagonist than many of our well-known insects, if sufficiently enlarged. No
animal now alive has more than a small fraction of the strength, in proportion
to its size, of the minutest spider or flea. It may be that through lack of
food, difficulties imposed by changing climate, and the necessity
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of burrowing in winter, or through some other conditions changed from what
they were accustomed to, their size has been reduced, and that the fire-flies,
huge as they seemed, are a step in advance of this specimen in the march of
deterioration or involution, which will end by making them as insignificant as
those on earth. These ants have probably come into the woods to lay their
eggs, for, from the behaviour of the animals we watched from the turtle, there
must have been several; or perhaps a war is in progress between those of a
different colour, as on earth, in which case the woods may be full of them.
Doubtless
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A Journey in Other Worlds the reason the turtle seemed so unconcerned at the
general uneasiness of the animals was because he knew he could make himself
invulnerable to the marauder by simply closing his shell, and we were
unmolested because it did not occur to the ant that any soft-shelled creatures
could be on the turtle's back."
"I think," said Bearwarden, "it will be the part of wisdom to return to the
Callisto, and do the rest of our exploring on Jupiter from a safe height; for,
though we succeeded in disabling this beauty, it was largely through luck, and
had we not done so we
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should probably have provided a bon bouche for our deceased friend, instead of
standing at his grave."
Accordingly they proceeded, and were delighted, a few minutes later, to see
the sunlight reflected from the projectile's polished roof.
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Chapter 2.10
CHANGING LANDSCAPES.
On reaching the Callisto, Ayrault worked the lock he had had placed on the
lower door, which, to avoid carrying a key, was opened by a combination. The
car's interior was exactly as they had left it, and they were glad to be in it
again.
"Now," said Bearwarden, "we can have a sound and undisturbed sleep, which is
what I want more than anything else. No prowlers can trouble us here, and we
shall not need the protection-wires."
They then opened a window in each side -- for the large glass plates,
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admitting the sun when closed, made the Callisto rather warm -- and placed a
stout wire netting within them to keep out birds and bats, and then, though it
was but little past noon, got into their comfortable beds and slept nine hours
at a stretch. Their strong metal house was securely at
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A Journey in Other Worlds
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rest, receiving the sunlight and shedding the rain and dew as it might have
done on earth. No winds or storms, lightnings or floods, could trouble it,
while the multiformed monsters of antiquity and mythology restored in life,
with which the terrestrials had been thrown into such close contact, roamed
about its polished walls. Not even the fiercest could affect them, and they
would but see themselves reflected in any vain assaults. The domed symmetrical
cylinder stood there as a monument to human ingenuity and skill, and the
travellers' last thought as they fell asleep was, "Man is really lord of
creation."
The following day at about noon they awoke, and had a bath in the warm pool.
They saw the armoured mass of the great ant evidently undisturbed, while the
bodies of its victims were already shining skeletons, and raised a small cairn
of stones in memory of the struggle they had had there.
"We should name this place Kentucky," said Bearwarden, "for it is indeed a
dark and bloody ground,"
and, seeing the aptness of the appellation, they entered it so on their
charts. While Ayrault got the batteries in shape for resuming work. Bearwarden
prepared a substantial breakfast. This consisted
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of oatmeal and cream kept hermetically sealed in glass, a dish of roast
grouse, coffee, pilot bread, a bottle of Sauterne, and another of Rhine wine.
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