A Journey in Other Worlds | Page 5

times the mass--i. e., it would weigh but three hundred times as much. Further,
although a cubic foot of water or anything else weighs 2.5 as much as on earth, objects
near the equator, on account of Jupiter's rapid rotation, weigh one fifth less than they do
at the poles, by reason of the centrifugal force. Influenced by this fact, and also because
they were 483,000,000 miles from the sun, instead of 92,000,000 as on earth, they had
steered for the northern limit of Jupiter's tropics. And, in addition to this, they could
easily apply the apergetic power in any degree to themselves when beyond the limits of
the Callisto, and so be attracted to any extent, from twice the pull they receive from
gravitation on earth to almost nothing.
Bearwarden and Ayrault shouldered their rifles, while Dr. Cortlandt took a repeating
shot-gun with No. 4 shot, and, having also some hunting-knives and a sextant, all three
set out in a northwesterly direction. The ground was rather soft, and a warm vapor

seemed to rise from it. To the east the sky was veiled by dense clouds of smoke from the
towering volcanoes, while on their left the forest seemed to extend without limit. Clumps
of huge ferns were scattered about, and the ground was covered with curious tracks.
"Jupiter is evidently passing through a Carboniferous or Devonian period such as existed
on earth, though, if consistent with its size, it should be on a vastly larger scale," said the
doctor. "I never believed in the theory," he continued, "that the larger the planet the
smaller should be its inhabitants, and always considered it a makeshift, put forward in the
absence of definite knowledge, the idea being apparently that the weight of very large
creatures would be too great for their strength. Of the fact that mastodons and creatures
far larger than any now living on earth existed there, we have absolute proof, though
gravitation must have been practically the same then as now."
Just here they came upon a number of huge bones, evidently the remains of some saurian,
and many times the size of a grown crocodile. On passing a growth of most luxuriant
vegetation, they saw a half-dozen sacklike objects, and drawing nearer noticed that the
tops began to swell, and at the same time became lighter in colour. Just as the doctor was
about to investigate one of them with his duck-shot, the enormously inflated tops of the
creatures collapsed with a loud report, and the entire group soared away. When about to
alight, forty yards off, they distended membranous folds in the manner of wings, which
checked their descent, and on touching the ground remained where they were without
rebound.
"We expected to find all kinds of reptiles and birds," exclaimed the doctor. "But I do not
know how we should class those creatures. They seem to have pneumatic feet and legs,
for their motion was certainly not produced like that of frogs."
When the party came up with them the heads again began to swell.
"I will perforate the air-chamber of one," said Col. Bearwarden, withdrawing the
explosive cartridge from the barrel of his rifle and substituting one with a solid ball. "This
will doubtless disable one so that we can examine it."
Just as they were about to rise, he shot the largest through the neck. All but the wounded
one, soared off, while Bearwarden, Ayrault, and Cortlandt approached to examine it more
closely.
"You see," said Cortlandt, "this vertebrate--for that is as definitely as we can yet describe
it--forces a great pressure of air into its head and neck, which, by the action of valves, it
must allow to rush into its very rudimentary lower extremities, distending them with such
violence that the body is shot upward and forward. You may have noticed the tightly
inflated portion underneath as they left the ground."
While speaking he had moved rather near, when suddenly a partially concealed mouth
opened, showing the unmistakable tongue and fangs of a serpent. It emitted a hissing
sound, and the small eyes gleamed maliciously.
"Do you believe it is a poisonous species?" asked Ayrault.

"I suspect it is," replied the doctor; "for, though it is doubtless able to leap with great
accuracy upon its prey, we saw it took some time to recharge the upper air-chamber, so
that, were it not armed with poison glands, it would fall an easy victim to its more
powerful and swifter contemporaries, and would soon become extinct."
"As it will be unable to spring for some time," said Bearwarden, "we might as well save it
the disappointment of trying," and, snapping the used shell from his rifle, he fired an
explosive ball into the reptile, whereupon about half the body disappeared, while a
sickening odour