A LUNAR STORM
Shortly after we arrived at the village, they took away our watches, our
pocket-knives, and everything that we possessed of a similar nature, and
which they considered as curiosities. The chief wore Orthis’ wristwatch
above one fore-paw and mine above the other, but as he did not know how
to wind them, nor the purpose for which they were intended, they did him
or us no good. The result was, however, that it was now entirely
impossible for us to measure time in any way, and I do not know, even to
this day, how long we were in this strange village. We ate when we were
hungry, and slept when we were tired. It was always daylight; and it
seemed that there were always raiding parties going out or returning, so
that flesh was plentiful, and we became rather reconciled to our fate,
in so far as the immediate danger of being eaten was concerned, but why
they kept us alive, as we had slain so many of their fellows, I could
not understand.
It must have been immediately after we arrived that they made an attempt
to teach us their language. Two females were detailed for this duty. We
were given unlimited freedom within certain bounds, which were well
indicated by the several sentries which constantly watched from the
summit of hills surrounding the village. Past these we could not go, nor
do I know that we had any particular desire to do so, since we realized
only too well that there would be little chance of our regaining the
ship should we escape the village, inasmuch as we had not the remotest
idea in what direction it lay.
Our one hope lay in learning their language, and then utilizing our
knowledge in acquiring some definite information as to the surrounding
country and the location of _The Barsoom_.
It did not seem to take us very long to learn their tongue, though, of
course, I realize that it may really have been months. Almost before we
knew it, we were conversing freely with our captors. When I say freely,
it is possible that I exaggerate a trifle, for though we could
understand them fairly well, it was with difficulty that we made
ourselves understood, yet we managed it some way, handicapped as we were
by the peculiarities of the most remarkable language of which I have any
knowledge.
It is a very difficult language to speak, and as a written language,
would be practically impossible. For example, there is their word
_gu-e-ho_, for which Orthis and I discovered twenty-seven separate and
distinct meanings, and that there are others I have little or no doubt.
Their speech is more aptly described as song, the meaning of each
syllable being governed by the note in which it is sung. They speak in
five notes, which we may describe as A, B, C, D and E. _Gu_ sung in A
means something radically different from _gu_ sung in E, and again if
_gu_ is sung in A, followed by _e_ in G, it means something other than
if _gu_ had been sung in D followed by _e_ in A.
Fortunately for us, there are no words of over three syllables, and most
of them consist of only one or two, or we should have been entirely
lost. The resulting speech, however, is extremely beautiful, and Orthis
used to say that if he closed his eyes, he could imagine himself living
constantly in grand opera.
The chief’s name, as we learned, was Ga-va-go; the name of the tribe or
village was No-vans, while the race to which they belonged was known as
Va-gas.
When I felt that I had mastered the language sufficiently well to make
myself at least partially understood, I asked to speak to Ga-va-go, and
shortly thereafter, I was taken to him.
“You have learned our speech?” he asked.
I nodded in the affirmative. “I have,” I said, “and I have come to ask
why we are held captives and what you intend to do with us. We did not
come to seek a quarrel with you. We wish only to be friends, and to be
allowed to go our way in peace.”
“What manner of creature are you,” he asked, “and where do you come
from?”
I asked him if he had ever heard of the Sun or the stars or the other
planets or any worlds outside his own, and he replied that he had not,
and that there were no such things.
“But there are, Ga-va-go,” I said, “and I and my companion are from
another world, far, far outside your own. An accident brought us here.
Give us back our weapons, and let us go.”
He shook his head negatively.
“Where you come from, do you eat one another?” he asked.
“No,” I replied, “we do not.”
“Why?” he asked, and I saw his eyes narrow as he awaited my reply.
Was it mental telepathy or just luck that put the right answer in my
mouth, for somehow, intuitively, I seemed to grasp what was in the
creature’s mind.
“Our flesh is poison,” I said, “those who eat it die.”
He looked at me then for a long time, with an expression upon his face
which I could not interpret. It may have been that he doubted my word,
or again, it may have been that my reply confirmed his suspicion, I do
not know; but presently he asked me another question.
“Are there many like you in the land where you live?”
“Millions upon millions,” I replied.
“And what do they eat?”
“They eat fruits and vegetables and the flesh of animals,” I answered.
“What animals?” he asked.
“I have seen no animals here like them,” I replied, “but there are many
kinds unlike us, so that we do not have to eat flesh of our own race.”
“Then you have all the flesh that you want?”
“All that we can eat,” I replied. “We raise these animals for their
flesh.”
“Where is your country?” he demanded. “Take me to it.”
I smiled. “I cannot take you to it,” I said. “It is upon another world.”
It was quite evident that he did not believe me, for he scowled at me
ferociously.
“Do you wish to die?” he demanded.
I told him that I had no such longing.
“Then you will lead me to your country,” he said, “where there is plenty
of flesh for everyone. You may think about it until I send for you
again. Go!” And thus he dismissed me. Then he sent for Orthis, but what
Orthis told him, I never knew exactly, for he would not tell me, and as
our relations, even in our captivity, were far from friendly, I did not
urge him to any confidences. I had occasion to notice, however, that
from that time Ga-va-go indicated a marked preference for Orthis, and
the latter was often called to his hut.
I was momentarily expecting to be summoned in to Ga-va-go’s presence,
and learn my fate, when he discovered that I could not lead him to my
country, where flesh was so plentiful. But at about this time we broke
camp, and in the press of other matters, he evidently neglected to take
any further immediate action in my case, or at least, so I thought,
until I later had reason to suspect that he felt that he need no longer
depend upon me to lead him to this land of milk and honey.
The Va-gas are a nomadic race, moving hither and thither, either as they
are pressed by some foes, or till their victories have frightened away
the other tribes from their vicinity, in either of which events, they
march in search of fresh territory. The move that we made now was
necessitated by the fact that all the other tribes nearby had fled
before the ferocity of the No-vans, whose repeated and successful raids
had depleted the villages of their neighbors and filled them with
terror.
The breaking of camp was a wonderfully simple operation. All their few
belongings, consisting of extra clothing, trappings, weapons, and their
treasured skulls and bones of victims, were strapped to the backs of the
women. Orthis and I each bestrode a warrior detailed by Ga-va-go for the
purpose of transporting us, and we filed out of the village, leaving the
huts behind.
Ga-va-go, with a half-dozen warriors, galloped far ahead. Then came a
strong detachment of warriors, with the women folks behind them, another
detachment of warriors following in the rear of the women and children,
while others rode upon either flank. A mile or so in the rear, came
three warriors, and there were two or three scattered far out on either
flank. Thus we moved, thoroughly protected against surprise, regulating
our speed by that of the point with which Ga-va-go traveled.
Because of the women and the children, we moved more slowly than
warriors do when on the march alone, when they seldom, if ever, travel
slower than a trot, and more generally, at a fast gallop. We moved along
a well-worn trail, passing several deserted villages, from which the
prey of the No-vans had fled. We crossed many rivers, for the lunar
world is well watered. We skirted several lakes, and at one point of
high ground, I saw, far at our left, the waters of what appeared to be a
great ocean.
There was never a time when Orthis and I were not plentifully supplied
with food, for there is an abundance of it growing throughout all the
territory we crossed, but the No-vans had been without flesh for several
days and were, in consequence, mad with hunger, as the fruits and
vegetables which they ate seemed not to satisfy them at all.
We were moving along at a brisk trot when, without warning, we were
struck by a sudden gust of wind that swept, cold and refreshing, down
from some icy mountain fastness. The effect upon the No-vans was
electrical. I would not have had to understand their language to realize
that they were terrified. They looked apprehensively about and increased
their speed as though endeavoring to overtake Ga-va-go, who was now far
ahead with the point. A moment later a dash of rain struck us, and then
it was every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost, as they
broke into a wild stampede to place themselves close to their chief.
Their hysterical flight was like the terrorized rush of wild cattle.
They jostled and tripped one another, and stumbled and fell and were
trampled upon, in their haste to escape.
Old Ga-va-go had stopped with his point, and was waiting for us. Those
who accompanied him seemed equally terrified with the rest, but
evidently they did not dare run until Ga-va-go gave the word. I think,
however, that they all felt safer when they were close to him, for they
had a great deal of confidence in him, yet they were still pretty badly
frightened, and it would not have taken much to have set them off again
into another rout. Ga-va-go waited until the last of the rearguard
straggled in, and then he set off directly toward the mountains, the
entire tribe moving in a compact mass, though they might have fallen
easy prey to an ambush or any sudden attack. They knew, however, what I
half guessed, that knowing that their enemies were as terrified of the
storm as they, there was little danger of their being attacked—none
whatever, in fact.
We came at last to a hillside covered with great trees which offered
some protection from both the wind and the rain, which had now arisen to
the proportion of a hurricane.
As we came to a halt, I slipped from the back of the warrior who had
been carrying me, and found myself beside one of the women who had
taught Orthis and me the language of the Va-gas.
“Why is everyone so terrified?” I asked her.
“It is Zo-al,” she whispered, fearfully. “He is angry.”
“Who is Zo-al?” I asked.
She looked at me in wide-eyed astonishment. “Who is Zo-al!” she
repeated. “They told me that you said that you came from another world,
and I can well believe it, when you ask, who is Zo-al?”
“Well, who is he?” I insisted.
“He is a great beast,” she whispered. “He is everywhere. He lives in all
the great holes in the ground, and when he is angry, he comes forth and
makes the water fall and the air run away. We know that there is no
water up there,” and she pointed toward the sky. “But when Zo-al is
angry, he makes water fall from where there is no water, so mighty is
Zo-al, and he makes the air to run away so that the trees fall before it
as it rushes past, and huts are knocked flat or carried high above the
ground. And then, O terror of terrors, he makes a great noise, before
which mighty warriors fall upon the ground and cover up their ears. We
have angered Zo-al, and he is punishing us, and I do not dare to ask him
not to send the big noise.”
It was at that instant that there broke upon my ears the most terrific
detonation that I have ever heard. So terrific was it that I thought my
ear drums had burst, and simultaneously, a great ball of fire seemed to
come rolling down from the mountain heights above us.
The woman, covering her ears, shuddered, and when she saw the ball of
fire, she voiced a piercing shriek.
“The light that devours!” she cried. “When that comes too, it is the
end, for then is Zo-al mad with rage.”
The ground shook to the terrifying noise, and though the ball of fire
did not pass close to us, still could I feel the heat of it even as it
went by at a distance, leaving a trail of blackened and smoking
vegetation in its rear. What flames there were, the torrential rain
extinguished almost immediately. It must have traveled about ten miles,
down toward the sea, across rolling hills and level valleys, when
suddenly it burst, the explosion being followed by a report infinitely
louder than that which I had first heard. An earthquake could scarce
have agitated the ground more terrifyingly than did this peal of lunar
thunder.
I had witnessed my first lunar electrical storm, and I did not wonder
that the inhabitants of this strange world were terrified by it. They
attribute these storms, as they do all their troubles, to Zo-al, a great
beast, which is supposed to dwell in the depth of the lunar craters, the
lower ends of which open into the interior lunar world. As we cowered
there among the trees, I wondered if they were not afraid that the wind
would blow the forest down and crush them, and I asked the woman who
stood beside me.
“Yes,” she said, “that often happens, but more often does it happen that
if one is caught in a clearing, the air that runs away picks him up and
carries him along to drop him from a great height upon the hard ground.
The trees bend before they break, and those who watch are warned, and
they escape destruction if they are quick. When the wind that runs
seizes one, there is no escape.”
“It seems to me,” I said, “that it would have been safer if Ga-va-go had
led us into one of those sheltered ravines,” and I indicated a gorge in
the hillside at our right.
“No,” she said, “Ga-va-go is wise. He led us to the safest spot. We are
sheltered from the air that runs away, and perhaps a little from the
light that devours, nor can the waters that drown, reach us here, for
presently they will fill that ravine full.”
Nor was she wrong. Rushing down from the hillside, the water poured in
torrents into the ravine, and presently, though it must have been twenty
or thirty feet deep, it was filled almost to overflowing. Whoever had
sought refuge there, would have been drowned and washed away to the big
ocean far below. It was evident that Ga-va-go had not been actuated
solely by blind terror, though I came to know that he must have felt
terror, for these terrible electrical storms alone can engender it in
the breasts of these fearless and ferocious people.
The storm must have lasted for a considerable time; how long, of course,
I do not know, but some idea of its duration may be gained by the fact
that I became hungry and ate of the fruit of the trees, which sheltered
us, at least six times, and slept twice. We were soaked to the skin and
very cold, for the rain evidently came from a great altitude. During the
entire storm, the No-vans scarcely moved from their positions beneath
the trees, with their backs toward the storm, where they stood with
lowered heads like cattle. We experienced twelve detonations of the
ground-shaking thunder, and witnessed six manifestations of the light
that devours. Trees had fallen all about us, and as far as we could see,
the grasses lay flat and matted upon the ground. They told me that
storms of the severity of this were infrequent, though rain and wind,
accompanied by electrical manifestations, might be expected at any
season of the year—I use that expression from habit, for one can
scarcely say that there are any well-marked seasonal changes within the
Moon that could indicate corresponding divisions of time as upon the
Earth. From what I was able to gather from observation and from
questioning the Va-gas, lunar vegetation reproduces itself entirely
independent of any seasonal restrictions, the frequency and temperature
of the rains having, seemingly, the greatest influence in the matter. A
period of drought and cold rains retards growth and germination, while
frequent warm rains have an opposite effect, the result being that you
find vegetation of the same variety in all stages of development,
growing side by side—blossoms upon one tree, fruit upon another, and
the dry seed-pods upon a third. Not even, therefore, by the growth of
plant life, might one measure time within the Moon, and the period of
gestation among the Va-gas is similarly irregular, being affected by the
physical condition of the female as well as by climatic conditions, I
imagine. When the tribe is well-fed, and the weather warm, the warriors
victorious, and the minds of the women at peace, they bring forth their
young in an incredibly short period. On the other hand, a period of
cold, or of hunger, and of long marches, following defeat, induces an
opposite result. It seems to me that the females nurse their young for a
very short period of time, for they grow rapidly, and as soon as their
molars are through, and they can commence eating meat, they are weaned.
They are devilish little rascals, their youthful exuberance finding its
outlet in acts of fiendish cruelty. As they are not strong enough to
inflict their tortures on adults they perpetrate them upon one another,
with the result that the weaker are often killed, after they are weaned
and have left the protection of their savage mothers. Of course, they
tried to play some of their fiendish tricks on Orthis and myself, but
after we had knocked a few of them down, they left us severely alone.
During the storm, they huddled, shivering and cold, against the adults.
Possibly I should be ashamed to say it, but I felt no pity for them, and
rather prayed that they would all be chilled to death, so hateful and
wantonly cruel were they. As they become adults, they are less wanton in
their atrocities, though no less cruel, their energies, however, being
intelligently directed upon the two vital interests of their
lives—procuring flesh and women.
Shortly after the rain ceased, the wind began to abate, and as I was
cold, cramped and uncomfortable, I walked out into the open, in search
of exercise that would stimulate my circulation and warm me again. As I
walked briskly to and fro, looking here and there at the evidences of
the recent storm, my glance chanced to rise toward the sky, and there I
saw what appeared at first to be a huge bird, a few hundred feet above
the forest in which we had sought shelter. It was flapping its great
wings weakly and seemed to be almost upon the verge of exhaustion, and
though I could see that it was attempting to fly back in the direction
of the mountains, the force of the wind was steadily carrying it in the
direction of the lowlands and the sea. Presently it would be directly
above me, and as it drew nearer, I knit my brows in puzzlement, for
except for its wings, and what appeared to be a large hump upon its
back, its form bore a striking resemblance to that of a human being.
Some of the No-vans evidently saw me looking upwards thus interestedly,
and prompted by curiosity, joined me. When they saw the creature flying
weakly overhead, they set up a great noise, until presently all the
tribe had run into the open and were looking up at the thing above us.
The wind was lessening rapidly, but it still was strong enough to carry
the creature gently toward us, and at the same time I perceived that
whatever it was, it was falling slowly to the ground, or more correctly,
sinking slowly.
“What is it?” I asked of the warrior standing beside me.
“It is a U-ga,” he replied. “Now shall we eat.”
I had seen no birds in the lunar world, and as I knew they would not eat
the flying reptiles, I guessed that this must be some species of bird
life, but as it dropped closer, I became more and more convinced that it
was a winged human being, or at least a winged creature with human form.
As it fluttered toward the ground, the No-vans ran along to meet it,
waiting for it to fall within reach. As they did so, Ga-va-go called to
them to bring the creature to him alive and unharmed.
I was about a hundred yards from the spot, when the poor thing finally
fell into their clutches. They dragged it to the ground roughly, and a
moment later I was horrified to see them tear its wings from it and the
hump from its back. There was a great deal of grumbling at Ga-va-go’s
order, as following the storm and their long fast, the tribe was
ravenously hungry.
“Flesh, flesh!” they growled. “We are hungry. Give us flesh!” But
Ga-va-go paid no attention to them, standing to one side beneath a tree,
awaiting the prisoner that they were bringing toward him.