At the mountains of madness
through a jagged aperture perhaps five feet across and three feet
thick, there yawned before the avid searchers a section of shallow
limestone hollowing worn more than fifty million years ago by the
trickling ground waters of a bygone tropic world.
The hollowed layer was not more than seven or eight feet deep, but
extended off indefinitely in all directions and had a fresh, slightly
moving air which suggested its membership in an extensive subterranean
system. Its roof and floor were abundantly equipped with large
stalactites and stalagmites, some of which met in columnar form.
But important above all else was the vast deposit of shells and bones,
which in places nearly choked the passage. Washed down from unknown
jungles of Mesozoic tree ferns and fungi, and forests of Tertiary
cycads, fan palms, and primitive angiosperms, this osseous medley
contained representatives of more Cretaceous, Eocene, and other
animal species than the greatest palæontologist could have counted or
classified in a year. Mollusks, crustacean armor, fishes, amphibians,
reptiles, birds, and early mammals--great and small, known and unknown.
No wonder Gedney ran back to the camp shouting, and no wonder every one
else dropped work and rushed headlong through the biting cold to where
the tall derrick marked a new-found gateway to secrets of inner earth
and vanished æons.
When Lake had satisfied the first keen edge of his curiosity he
scribbled a message in his notebook and had young Moulton run back to
the camp to dispatch it by wireless.
This was my first word of the discovery, and it told of the
identification of early shells, bones of ganoids and placoderms,
remnants of labyrinthodonta and thecoiidea, great mosasaur skull
fragments, dinosaur vertebræ and armor plates, pterodactyl teeth and
wing bones, Archaeopteryx débris, Miocene sharks' teeth, primitive
bird skulls, and other bones of archaic mammals such as Palæotheres,
Xiphodons, Eohippi, Oreodons, and Titanotheriidæ.
There was nothing as recent as a mastodon, elephant, true camel, deer,
or bovine animal; hence Lake concluded that the last deposits had
occurred during the Oligocene Age, and that the hollowed stratum had
lain in its present dried, dead, and inaccessible state for at least
thirty million years.
On the other hand, the prevalence of very early life forms was singular
in the highest degree. Though the limestone formation was, on the
evidence of such typical imbedded fossils as ventriculites, positively
and unmistakably Comanchean and not a particle earlier; the free
fragments in the hollow space included a surprising proportion from
organisms hitherto considered as peculiar to far older periods--even
rudimentary fishes, mollusks, and corals as remote as the Silurian or
Ordovician.
The inevitable inference was that in this part of the world there had
been a remarkable and unique degree of continuity between the life of
over three hundred million years ago and that of only thirty million
years ago. How far this continuity had extended beyond the Oligocene
Age when the cavern was closed was of course past all speculation.
In any event, the coming of the frightful ice in the Pleistocene some
five hundred thousand years ago--a mere yesterday as compared with the
age of this cavity--must have put an end to any of the primal forms
which had locally managed to outlive their common terms.
* * * * *
Lake was not content to let his first message stand, but had another
bulletin written and dispatched across the snow to the camp before
Moulton could get back. After that Moulton stayed at the wireless in
one of the planes, transmitting to me--and to the _Arkham_ for relaying
to the outside world--the frequent postscripts which Lake sent him by a
succession of messengers.
Those who followed the newspapers will remember the excitement created
among men of science by that afternoon's reports--reports which have
finally led, after all these years, to the organization of that very
Starkweather-Moore Expedition which I am so anxious to dissuade from
its purposes. I had better give the messages literally as Lake sent
them, and as our base operator McTighe translated them from his pencil
shorthand:
Fowler makes discovery of highest importance in sandstone and
limestone fragments from blasts. Several distinct triangular
striated prints like those in archæan slate, proving that source
survived from over six hundred million years ago to Comanchean
times without more than moderate morphological changes and decrease
in average size. Comanchean prints apparently more primitive or
decadent, if anything, than older ones. Emphasize importance of
discovery in press. Will mean to biology what Einstein has meant
to mathematics and physics. Joins up with my previous work and
amplifies conclusions.
Appears to indicate, as I suspected, that earth has seen whole cycle
or cycles of organic life before known one that begins with
Archæozoic cells. Was evolved and specialized not later than a
thousand million years ago, when planet was young and recently
uninhabitable for any life forms of normal protoplasmic structure.
Question arises when, where, and how development took place.
* * * * *
Later. Examining certain skeletal fragments of large land and marine
saurians and primitive mammals, find singular local wounds or
injuries to bony structure not attributable to any known predatory
or carnivorous animal of any period. Of two sorts--straight,
penetrant bores, and apparently hacking incisions. One or two
cases of cleanly severed bones. Not many specimens affected. Am
sending to camp for electric torches. Will extend search area
underground by hacking away stalactites.
* * * * *
Still later. Have found peculiar soapstone fragment about six inches
across and an inch and a half thick, wholly unlike any visible local
formation--greenish, but no evidences to place its period. Has
curious smoothness and regularity. Shaped like five-pointed star
with tips broken off, and signs of other cleavage at inward angles
and in center of surface. Small, smooth depression in center of
unbroken surface. Arouses much curiosity as to source and
weathering. Probably some freak of water action. Carroll, with
magnifier, thinks he can make out additional markings of geologic
significance. Groups of tiny dots in regular patterns. Dogs growing
uneasy as we work, and seem to hate this soapstone. Must see if it
has any peculiar odor. Will report again when Mills gets back with
light and we start on underground area.
* * * * *
10:15 p.m. Important discovery. Orrendorf and Watkins, working
underground at 9:45 with light, found monstrous barrel-shaped fossil
of wholly unknown nature; probably vegetable unless overgrown
specimen of unknown marine radiata. Tissue evidently preserved by
mineral salts. Tough as leather, but astonishing flexibility
retained in places. Marks of broken-off parts at ends and around
sides. Six feet end to end, three and five tenths feet central
diameter, tapering to one foot at each end. Like a barrel with five
bulging ridges in place of staves. Lateral breakages, as of
thinnish stalks, are at equator in middle of these ridges. In
furrows between ridges are curious growths--combs or wings that
fold up and spread out like fans. All greatly damaged but one,
which gives almost seven-foot wing spread. Arrangement reminds one
of certain monsters of primal myth, especially fabled Elder Things
in _Necronomicon_.
These wings seem to be membranous, stretched on framework of
glandular tubing. Apparent minute orifices in frame tubing at wing
tips. Ends of body shriveled, giving no clue to interior or to what
has been broken off there. Must dissect when we get back to camp.
Can't decide whether vegetable or animal. Many features obviously
of almost incredible primitiveness. Have set all hands cutting
stalactites and looking for further specimens. Additional scarred
bones found, but these must wait. Having trouble with dogs. They
can't endure the new specimen, and would probably tear it to pieces
if we didn't keep it at a distance from them.
* * * * *
11:30 p.m. Attention, Dyer, Pabodie, Douglas. Matter of highest--I
might say transcendent--importance. _Arkham_ must relay to Kingsport
Head Station at once. Strange barrel growth is the archæan thing
that left prints in rocks. Mills, Boudreau, and Fowler discover
cluster of thirteen more at underground point forty feet from
aperture. Mixed with curiously rounded and configured soapstone
fragments smaller than one previously found--star-shaped, but no
marks of breakage except at some of the points.
Of organic specimens, eight apparently perfect, with all appendages.
Have brought all to surface, leading off dogs to distance. They
cannot stand the things. Give close attention to description and
repeat back for accuracy. Papers must get this right.
Objects are eight feet long all over. Six-foot, five-ridged barrel
torso three and five tenths feet central diameter, one foot end
diameters. Dark gray, flexible, and infinitely tough. Seven-foot
membranous wings of same color, found folded, spread out of furrows
between ridges. Wing framework tubular or glandular, or lighter
gray, with orifices at wing tips. Spread wings have serrated edge.
Around equator, one at central apex of each of the five vertical,
stavelike ridges, are five systems of light-gray flexible arms or
tentacles found tightly folded to torso but expansible to maximum
length of over three feet. Like arms of primitive crinoid. Single
stalks three inches diameter branch after six inches into five
substalks, each of which branches after eight inches into five
small, tapering tentacles or tendrils, giving each stalk a total
of twenty-five tentacles.
At top of torso blunt, bulbous neck of lighter gray, with gill-like
suggestions, holds yellowish five-pointed starfish-shaped apparent
head covered with three-inch wiry cilia of various prismatic colors.
Head thick and puffy, about two feet point to point, with three-inch
flexible yellowish tubes projecting from each point. Slit in exact
center of top probably breathing aperture. At end of each tube is
spherical expansion where yellowish membrane rolls back on handling
to reveal glassy, red-irised globe, evidently an eye.
Five slightly longer reddish tubes start from inner angles of
starfish-shaped head and end in saclike swellings of same color
which, upon pressure, open to bell-shaped orifices two inches
maximum diameter and lined with sharp, white tooth-like
projections--probable mouths. All these tubes, cilia, and points
of starfish head, found folded tightly down; tubes and points
clinging to bulbous neck and torso. Flexibility surprising despite
vast toughness.
At bottom of torso, rough but dissimilarly functioning counterparts
of head arrangements exist. Bulbous light-gray pseudoneck, without
gill suggestions, holds greenish five-pointed starfish arrangement.
Tough, muscular arms four feet long and tapering from seven inches
diameter at base to about two and five tenths at point. To each
point is attached small end of a greenish five-veined membranous