"Ssh ! " suddenly; "what's that ? "

We listened At first an indistinct murmur, and then one picked out the clang of gong " think mooncalves," said I, " frightened "

"They're coming along that passage, said Cavor

" "

"They'll not think cleft They'll go past "

I listened again for space " ," I whispered, "they're likely some sort of weapon "

Then suddenly I sprang to my feet "Good heavens, Cavor ! " I cried "But ! They'll see the fungi pitching down They'll - "

I didn't finish my sentence I turned about and made leap over the fungus tops towards the upper end cavity space turned upward and became draughty cleft again, ascending to impenetrable darkness about to clamber up , and then with happy inspiration turned back

" you doing ? " asked Cavor

"Go on ! said I, and went back and got two shining fungi, and putting one breast pocket flannel jacket, so stuck out to light our climbing, went back other for Cavor The noise Selenites was now so loud seemed already beneath the cleft But it difficulty in clambering in , or might hesitate to ascend it against our possible resistance At any rate, we had now the comforting knowledge enormous muscular superiority our birth in another planet In other minute clambering with gigantic vigour after Cavor's blue-lit heels

Chapter 17

The Fight Cave Moon Butchers

know how far we clambered before we came grating It we ascended only few hundred feet, but it seemed hauled and jammed and hopped and wedged ourselves through mile or more of vertical ascent Whenever I recall ,,there comes into my head the heavy clank golden chains that followed every movement my knuckles and knees were raw, and I had bruise on one cheek After time the first violence efforts diminished, movements became more deliberate and less painful The noise pursuing Selenites had died away altogether It seemed almost they traced us up the crack after all, tell-tale heap of broken fungi have lain beneath it At times the cleft narrowed that scarce squeeze up it; at others it expanded into great drusy cavities, studded with prickly crystals or thickly beset with dull, shining fungoid pimples Sometimes it twisted spirally, and at other times slanted down nearly horizontal direction Ever and again the intermittent drip and trickle of water it seemed that small living things had rustled out reach, but what they were we never saw venomous beasts for all , but us no harm, and we were now tuned to pitch when weird creeping thing more or less mattered little And at last, far above, came the familiar bluish light again, and then we saw filtered through grating that barred our way

We whispered pointed this out to one another, and became more and more cautious ascent Presently we were close under the grating, and by pressing my face against its bars I limited portion cavern beyond clearly large space, and lit by some rivulet same blue light that we had seen flow beating machinery An intermittent trickle of water dropped ever and again bars near my face

My first endeavour was naturally what floor cavern, but our grating lay in depression whose rim hid all this eyes Our foiled attention then fell back suggestion various sounds we heard, and presently my eye caught number of faint shadows that played across the dim roof far overhead

Indisputably there were several Selenites, perhaps considerable number, space, for hear the noises intercourse, and faint sounds that I identified as their footfalls also succession of regularly repeated sounds - chid, chid, chid - which began and ceased, suggestive of knife or spade hacking at some soft substance Then came clank of chains, whistle and rumble as of truck running over hollowed place, and then again that chid, chid, chid resumed The shadows told of shapes that moved quickly and rhythmically, in agreement regular sound, and rested when it ceased

We put our heads close together, and began to discuss these things in noiseless whispers

" occupied," , " occupied in some way "

"Yes "

"They're not seeking us, or thinking of us "

"Perhaps not heard of us "

"Those others are hunting about below If suddenly we appeared here - "

We looked at one another

" chance to parley," said Cavor

"No," "Not "

For space we remained, each occupied by his own thoughts

Chid, chid, chid went the chopping, shadows moved to and fro

I looked grating "It's flimsy," " bend two bars and crawl through "

We wasted little time in vague discussion Then bars in both hands, and got my feet up against the rock until they were almost on level with my head, and so thrust against the bar It bent so suddenly that I almost slipped I clambered about and bent the adjacent bar opposite direction, and then took the luminous fungus from my pocket and dropped it down the fissure

"Don't do anything hastily," whispered Cavor, as I twisted myself up opening I had enlarged I had glimpse of busy figures as grating, and immediately bent down, so rim depression grating lay hid me from their eyes, and so lay flat, signalling advice to Cavor as he also prepared through Presently we were side by side depression, peering over the edge cavern and its occupants

much larger cavern than we had supposed first glimpse of it, and we looked up lowest portion sloping floor It widened out as it receded , and its roof came down and hid the remoter portion altogether And lying in line along its length, vanishing at last far away tremendous perspective, were number of huge shapes, huge pallid hulls, the Selenites were busy At first they seemed big white cylinders of vague import Then I noted the heads upon them lying towards us, eyeless and skinless like the heads of sheep at butcher's, and perceived they were the carcasses of mooncalves being cut up, much crew of whaler might cut up moored whale They were cutting off the flesh in strips, and on farther trunks the white ribs were showing It sound hatchets that made that chid, chid Some way away thing like trolley cable, drawn and loaded with chunks of lax meat, was running up the slope cavern floor This enormous long avenue of hulls that were destined food, sense vast populousness moon world second only effect first glimpse down the shaft

It seemed at first Selenites standing on trestle-supported planks, and then planks and supports and their hatchets were really same leaden hue as my fetters had seemed - before white light came to bear on them number of very thick-looking crowbars lay floor, and had apparently assisted the dead mooncalf over on its side They were perhaps six feet long, with shaped handles, very tempting-looking weapons The whole place was lit by three transverse streams blue fluid

[ remember seeing any wooden things moon; doors tables, everything corresponding to our terrestrial joinery of metal, and I believe most part of gold, which as metal would, , naturally recommend itself - other things being equal - on account ease in working it, and its toughness and durability ]

We lay noting all these things in silence "Well ? " said Cavor at last

I crouched over and turned to him I had come upon brilliant idea "Unless they lowered those bodies by crane," , " nearer the surface than "

"Why ? "

"The mooncalf doesn't hop, and it hasn't got wings "

He peered over the edge hollow again "I wonder now . " he began "After all, never gone far surface - "

I stopped him by grip arm I had heard noise cleft below us !

We twisted ourselves about, and lay as still as death, with every sense alert In little while doubt that something was quietly ascending the cleft Very slowly and quite noiselessly I assured myself of good grip on my chain, and waited something to appear

"Just look at those chaps hatchets again,"

"They're all right," said Cavor