Even if gas-masks were worn, it would be most difficult to
destroy the machine as it descended, for it travels with incredible
speed in its descent and, moreover, the terrible creatures who man the
thing would see that enemies lurked near and would find some means of
destroying them, or by the mysterious magnet force they control, would
draw even the heaviest cannon to the machine as an ordinary magnet draws
needles or iron filings. So if the thing is to be destroyed, it must be
done as the machine emerges from the crater. Would to God that I could
tell where the crater is, but beyond feeling sure it is at the summit of
an Andean peak, I have no means of locating it. “But I was telling of what occurred on that tenth day when the spherical
airship was projected from my sight by the blast of steam. As the
machine vanished, the women who had watched its departure, returned to
their city, and I swept the landscape with my glasses, wondering at the
bleak, terrible scenery and bizarre colors. *       *       *       *       *

“As I focussed the binoculars upon a level plateau, perhaps a mile from
where the _Chiriqui_ rested, I gasped in surprise. Clearly defined, lay
the remnants of what had once been a steamship! Had I given the matter
thought, I might have known that the _Chiriqui_ was not the first vessel
to have fallen a victim to these awful beings; but the sight of another
ship’s skeleton came to me as a terrific shock. As nearly as I could
judge, the vessel had been dismantled, for only the great steel frame
remained, with the mighty boilers and other portions of the ship
scattered about, and gruesomely like some mammoth creature lying
disemboweled upon the earth. “I was consumed with a mad desire to visit that pathetic wreck, but I
knew not to what dangers I would be exposed, once I left the security of
my ship. Not a being was in sight, however, and carefully I studied the
land, visually measuring the relative distances between myself and the
wreck, and between the city and the route I must traverse. Having
already observed that the giantesses moved slowly and cumbrously on
foot, I at last decided that even if they attempted to intercept me I
could regain the _Chiriqui_ before I was overtaken, so I threw caution
to the winds and prepared to undertake my hazardous journey. Slinging
the loaded rifle on my back, with the revolver at my belt, and still
further arming myself with a keen-edged fireaxe, I hunted up the pilot’s
ladder, lowered it over the lowest side of the ship,--which was also the
side farthest from the city,--and clambering down the _Chiriqui’s_ lofty
sides, leaped down upon the ground. To my amazement, I landed in a dense
jungle of dry, tough vegetation which rose to my shoulders. From the
deck, looking directly downwards, I had thought this dull-green growth a
short, wiry grass, and, of course, in its relative proportion to the
gigantic women, it was no higher than ordinary grass to a normal human
being. It was a wonderful example of the theory of relativity, but my
mind was not interested in scientific matters at the time, and I merely
gave thanks that the miniature jungle,--which I saw was composed of
giant lichens--would afford me cover through which I might sneak in
safety, and with little chance of detection. “Without much difficulty I made my way to the other vessel, and found
her even more dissected than I had supposed. Why the denizens of the
place had torn her to bits I did not then know, but certain portions of
her machinery and fittings had been left intact, and, as I examined
these, I made another and most astounding discovery. Deeply engraved
upon a brass plate was the ship’s name ‘_U. S. S. Cyclops!_’ For a space
I stood staring, scarcely able to believe my eyes. Here then was the
solution to that mystery of the sea, the disappearance of the collier,
as laden with manganese, she vanished without word or trace when off the
Barbados during the World War. No doubt, I thought, many a mystery of
the sea had been caused by the damnable work of these beings with their
infernal machine. But why, for what reason, did they capture ships? Why
did they carry off the unconscious persons upon the vessels? And why did
they tear the vessels apart? It was all a mystery which, in all its
horrible, gruesome, ghoulish details I was soon to solve. “There was nothing more to be learned from the remains of the _Cyclops_,
and in safety I returned to the _Chiriqui_ to find, to my surprise and
terror, that a gang of the monstrous females had boarded the ship in my
absence and were stripping her of everything. But as they caught sight
of me, all threw down whatever they had and fled precipitately, leaving
me once more in undisputed possession of the ship. I was relieved at
this, for it was obvious that I had no need to fear the creatures. By
now, too, I had formulated a theory to account for this strange dread of
a being who was a puny, miserable thing compared to them. Unquestionably
my gas-mask rendered me a most grotesque and unknown creature in their
eyes. My remaining alive and active while all others upon the ship had
succumbed to the noxious gas had probably caused them to think that I
was a supernatural being. The fact that I could go about and breathe the
sulphur-laden air would cause them to regard me with even greater wonder
and superstition, and, as I found later, the fact that I was never seen
to eat, confirmed their belief that I was some mysterious being against
whom their gases and their deviltries were of no avail. “I had not much time to devote to such matters, however. Soon after
regaining the _Chiriqui_ I heard excited cries from the land, and
looking over the ship’s rails, I found an immense crowd had gathered
near the empty cradle of the airship, and that all were gazing upward. Following their example, I stared into the greenish void and instantly
understood. Descending rapidly towards the plain, came the great sphere,
and, suspended below it, was the hull of another captive ship. And as I
focussed my glasses upon this, I rubbed my eyes and gaped. The dull gray
color, the lines, the raking funnels, the barbettes and gun muzzles left
no room for doubt. Incredible as it seemed, the captive vessel was a
warship! What hope then had my fellow men upon earth? What chance was
there if these giant creatures could send forth their flaming machine,
and by it, capture the fastest, most powerful war-vessels--all within
the space of a few hours? “Rapidly the machine and its burden approached, and presently descended
gently dropping the war vessel close to the _Chiriqui_. My worst fears
were confirmed. The vessel was an American destroyer, the _McCracken_,
and I knew that scores of my countrymen must lie unconscious upon her,
and in a few moments would be carried off to some unknown horrible fate. What that fate was I had already surmised.