Doc Ardan and The Abominable Snowman
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* 1192: Assiégés par des lions [Besieged by Lions] (Jacques Diamant) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1192: L’Homme du Volcan [The Man from the Volcano] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1193: Un Voyage au Spitzberg en 1743 [A Journey to Spitzberg in 1743] (Jacques Diamant) (Historical)
* 1193: A Bride abattue dans le désert [Wild Ride in the Desert] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1195: La Vengeance du Targui [The Targui’s Revenge] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1196: Les Deux gardiens de phare [The Two Lighthouse Keepers] (Jacques Diamant) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1197: Duel sur une baleine morte [Duel on a Dead Whale] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1198: Une Exploration à Madagascar en 1607 [An Exploration of Madagascar in 1607] (Jacques Diamant) (Historical)
* 1199: Une Evasion de Juchereau de Saint-Denis [An Escape by Juchereau de Saint-Denis] (Guy d’Armen) (Historical)
* 1200: Le Plongeon du Lt. Bartex [Lt. Bartex’s Dive] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1202: Dans le Bahr-el-ghazal [In Bahr-el-Gazal] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1202: Une Aventure au Kanem [An Adventure in Kanem] (Jacques Diamant) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1203: Un Voyage à Mexico en 1795 [A Journey to Mexico in 1795] (Jacques Diamant) (Historical)
* 1204: La Termitière [The Termite Mound] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1204: Le Revenant du Haut Yukon [A Revenant in Upper Yukon] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1206: Emilio l’alcoolique [Emilio the Drunk] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1207: L’Aventure de Robert Lenoncier [Robert Lenoncier’s Adventure] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1209: Cerné par des Buffles [Cornered by Buffalos] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1212: L’Enlisé [Trapped in Quicksand] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1213: Le Médecin noir [The Black Doctor] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1214: Le Voyage de Cornelius Houteman [Cornelius Houteman’s Journey] (Francis Annemary) (Historical)
* 1215: Le Sauvetage [The Rescue] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1217: La Fête du Ram-Lila [The Feast of Ram-Lila] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1219: Au-dessus du précipice [Above the Abyss] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
1934 (incomplete listing): L’Intrépide Nos. 1220-1271
* 1235-1259: LE MYSTÈRE DES PERLES NOIRES [The Mystery of the Black Pearls] (25 chapters) (Francis Annemary)
* 1236-1304: GOULVEN LE GALÉRIEN [The Cabin Boy of the Medusa] (69 chapters) (Francis Annemary) (illustrated historical novel)
* 1268: Le Secret de Bora-Bora [The Secret of Bora-Bora] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
1935: L’Intrépide Nos. 1272-1323
* 1272: Le Vampire de la Hamada [The Vampire of the Hamada] (Jacques Diamant) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1274: Une Aventure en Tasmanie [A Tasmanian Adventure] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1274: Dans la vallée de la Betsiboksa [In the Betsiboka Valley] (Jacques Diamant) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1276: L’Enlèvement du Mousse [The Cabin-Boy’s Kidnapping] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1276: Aux prises avec le poisson-diable [Tackling the Devil Fish] (Jacques Diamant) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1277: En Afrique Equatoriale [In Equatorial Africa] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1279 L’Armoire [The Cupboard] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1280: Distraction de Mandarin [A Mandarin’s Distraction] (Jacques Diamant) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1280: Dans les Marais Africains [In the African Swamps] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1281: Aux prises avec un lion [Tackling a Lion] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1281: Le Voyage d’un volontaire canadien [The Journey of a Canadian Volunteer] (Jacques Diamant) (Historical)
* 1284: Dans Khiva la mystérieuse [Inside Mysterious Khiva] (Jacques Diamant) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1284: Une Pêche mouvementée [An Event-Filled Fishing Party] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1285: Le Voyageur attardé [The Delayed Traveler] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1286: Au-dessus de l’abîme [Above the Abyss] (Jacques Diamant) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1288-1312: LA FIN D’INRAMONDA [The Fall of Inramonda] (25 chapters) (Jacques Diamant)
* 1290: Vengeance d’Indien [A Hindu’s Revenge] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1291: Le Voleur [The Thief] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1294: Massacre et vengeance [Massacre and Revenge] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1295: Dans les Jardins du Cachemire [In the Gardens of Kashmir] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1295: Voyage du Hunter aux Iles Viti [The Journey of the Hunter to the Viti Islands] (Francis Annemary) (Historical)
* 1298: La Dernière Aventure de Magellan [Magellan’s Last Adventure] (Jacques Diamant) (Historical)
* 1300: Une Aventure à Marrakech [An Adventure in Marrakesh] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1304: Singulier réveil [Strange Awakening] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1305: Chasse à courre [The Hunting Party] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1307: Un Passage encombrant [A Bothersome Passenger] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1310: Chez les Dincas [Amongst the Dincas] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1312: Dans la Brousse [In the Brush] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1313: L’Inondation [The Flood] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1315: Un Bandit [A Bandit] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1317-1318: L’Indienne reconnaissante [A Grateful Hindu Woman] (Guy d’Armen) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1317: Une Chasse inattendue [An Unexpected Hunt] (Jacques Diamant) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1320: L’Arbre providentiel [A Providential Tree] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1321-1322: Dans les Montagnes rocheuses [In the Rocky Mountains] (Jacques Diamant) (Explorer’s Tale)
* 1322: Dans la Jungle Hindoue [In the Indian Jungle] (Francis Annemary) (Explorer’s Tale)
Guy d’Armen: From the Archives of the Société Secrète des Aventuriers
These are tales told by Doc Ardan to other members of the Société Secrète des Aventuriers and consigned in its Archives, which have just started to be released.
1. The Abominable Snowman
That evening, we had been discussing the various legends surrounding the intermediate stages of man from the apes to Homo Sapiens.
“So, you essentially believe that we’re all descended from the apes?” asked Léo Saint-Clair, one of the oldest regulars of the Société Secrète des Aventuriers.
“Whether you like it or not, the intermediate stages of man between them and us existed,” I retorted. “I think you’ll change your mind when I tell you about my own experience with the subject.”
Everyone present immediately demanded the story. I didn’t need to be asked twice and began:
“You may remember that three years ago, I was traveling around in Tibet. Unfortunately, I was not able to reach Lhasa as I’d hoped. To be honest, you can’t say you know the Roof of the World if you haven’t seen the Potala, which is the Dalai Lama’s palace. Nevertheless, I managed to get to within twenty miles of the Holy City.
“My team was made up of a dozen men. Eight of them were from the Sikkim Valley and the two others were Tibetan monks.
“Perhaps you’re surprised that Tibetan monks were so willing to help me enter a country which is off-limits to Europeans? I should add, so that you better understand, that monks abound in every village in Tibet, and are always looking for any occasion to earn a bit of money. Usually they live on handouts that they receive fro
m the peasants; and they’re always ready to pressure them when their generosity is lacking. In short, they’re veritable leeches who will never disappear from that strange country!
“The two monks were Kampa-Dzongkha and Tsong-Kaba, names that were understandable to Western ears. And, to be fair, the two men were very helpful to me, as they were both quite intelligent. Also, their influence as religious figures did much to expedite my mission. However, this came at a high price, and more than once, the two of them held me to ransom. Since I was completely at their mercy, and there were no other options, I had no choice but to pay.
“To cut to the chase, in the dead of winter we arrived on the Tibetan high plateau, approximately 5600 meters above sea level. I don’t know if you ever climbed that high, but you must realize that, at such an altitude, the least amount of effort is exhausting. When I walked, my lungs burned due to the lack of oxygen.
“My companions were much better trained for such an activity than I. Because they mostly lived in areas with similar altitudes, they were hardened to its effects.
“This first stage of our trip had taken ten days. Therefore, I decided that we should rest for awhile before continuing on our way. I wasn’t particularly sorry, as I hoped we’d have a sunny day so that I could experience the amazing view which the two monks had told me about.
“We had to wait for several days, because at that time of year, the mountain peaks are usually hidden in heavy cloud. However, one morning, the ice shards seemed to burst into flame in the rays of the rising sun. I could barely tear my eyes away from the beauty of that spectacular vision, which also seemed to me a good omen for the success of our endeavor. I think I would have spent the entire day, sitting there entranced, if Tsong-Kaba hadn’t suddenly come running towards me in abject terror.
“I leapt up at the sound of his cries and asked, ‘What’s happened, Tsong-Kaba?’
“He answered, ‘We are doomed, sir! There is a Mi-Go—an abominable snowman here!’
“ ‘An abominable snowman?’ I repeated, ‘What on Earth is that?’
“ ‘They are demons who have been chased from the lowlands by the Tibetans,’ he replied. ‘They had no choice but to take refuge in the regions that were all but inaccessible, where the snow is permanent and people rarely venture.’
“ ‘What do these creatures look like?’
“ ‘They’re over seven feet tall and covered in hair. They possess inhuman strength, and it is said that they can break a man in half as if he is a piece of kindling!’
“I must admit that Tsong-Kaba’s words gave me pause. But I thought that this was probably just one of those legends that exist in every culture. I questioned my companions further. One man said a relative of his was eaten by an abominable snowman, while another said that shepherds had disappeared without a trace, which he blamed on the revenge of an abominable snowman, in short, it was impossible to determine what was fact and what was fiction in their stories.
“I decided that I must see this abominable snowman described by Tsong-Kaba for myself. I took my rifle, and despite the pleas of my comrades, I set out to find the strange creature.
“It was not the least bit difficult to follow the beast’s tracks. They resembled those all plantigrades usually left on the snow. I think if I hadn’t been told that the plateau was usually uninhabited, I would have assumed the footprints were merely those of other men. The snow does not show the same details of footprints as one would find in damp ground.
“Now and again, for a bit of courage as well as to combat my fatigue, I would take a small sip of rum from my flask.
“All around me was total solitude, which had the effect of making me feel anxious and unnerved, finally becoming almost unbearable.
“I was soon overtaken by a disturbing thought. I struggled to remember everything I had read about Tibet. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced, while being in an extremely diminished physical state, desperately making an effort to remember something? I can tell you that, for me, it was so physically painful that I soon had a blinding headache.
“Suddenly, I cried out.
“A hundred meters ahead of me, I saw a tall creature, covered in black hair. I remembered that I had read in one of Rockbill’s works that the wild men of Tibet were nothing more than bears. I tried to determine to which species the being in front of me belonged. Man? It didn’t seem to me to resemble a man as much as an orangutan. Ape? Perhaps. Although the creature was holding a club that he might have picked up in the nearby forest.
“The idea of shooting the thing never even entered my head; my thoughts were totally dominated by scientific interests. I needed answers at any cost.
“And, the abominable snowman seemed as interested in me as I was in him. He watched me closely, but without appearing to be frightened by my presence. I called out:
“ ‘What are you doing here?’
“You realize that I didn’t expect him to understand me; I just wanted to see if he had a language like men.
“But the strange creature made no sound at all. That convinced me that the snowman was nothing more than an ape, and of an inferior intelligence.
“A fortuitous circumstance revealed to me another fact about the animal. I removed my rifle from my right shoulder and realized that the snowman made the exact same gesture. Apes have the ability to mimic, but no other creature is known to possess the same aptitude. I performed a certain number of gestures and the snowman repeated each of them. I felt I had sufficiently documented what I had seen and wanted to return to camp, but the snowman began to follow me and slavishly mimicked each of my movements.
“I cogitated, all the while increasing my speed. I realized that if the accursed beast followed me as far as the camp, my companions would take it as a sign that our expedition was doomed to failure. I decided my only recourse was to chase the creature away, and waved my rifle at it, but he only echoed my movement with his club. Looking back, this might seem comical, but I assure you that it wasn’t the least bit amusing at the time.
“I finally shot at the poor beast, hitting it in the shoulder. Wounded, it fell to the show-covered ground.
“He got up almost immediately, with a raucous cry. I saw his face was twisted in anger and decided that I needed to flee as quickly as possible.
“Even though I ran at top speed, I took time to occasionally glance behind me. Despite his wound, the snowman was catching up to me rapidly. He was not only in better shape than I, he also knew the terrain far better.
“Gentlemen, I don’t know if any one of you has ever been pursued by a giant ape in Borneo or elsewhere, but I can tell you what it feels like to have an animal who is almost a man, running on two legs, breathing down your neck; it’s out and out terrifying! I know that, for me, despite the penetrating cold, I was quickly in the grip of the cold sweat of fear.
“And yet, I needed this fantastic pursuit to be over before I arrived at my camp, as I’ve already said. That is why I decided that the only thing to do was to stop, turn around and fire a second round.
“Unfortunately, to my horror, I discovered that the trigger of my rifle was hopelessly broken. I found myself standing, unarmed, face-to-face with my enemy.
“Unarmed? That wasn’t entirely true, as I could still use my rifle like a club. Although it was clearly less impressive than the one held by the abominable snowman!
“The latter approached me, brandishing his weapon. I didn’t hesitate as I took my rifle by the barrel and used the stock to bash him on the head. There was a dull thump and a trickle of blood appeared. The beast again fell and the snow around him was stained with his blood.
“As he fell, the creature managed to grab hold of my right arm. I cried out as his fist tightened; sure that I was about to die.
“I tried to break free from the monster’s grip, but it was impossible, and I lost consciousness from the horrible pain in my arm.
“When I reopened my eyes, I realized that I was inside one of our tents. Tsong-Kab
a and Kampa-Dzong were both by my side. They explained that they heard me cry out and immediately came running to assist me. Tsong-Kaba had plunged his knife into the beast’s neck and had freed me.
“I asked him if he hadn’t been afraid to approach the demon that closely. He replied that when he had seen the blood flowing from the creature’s skull, he had realized that it was vulnerable.
“And that, gentlemen, is how the two monks acquired the certainty that the abominable snowman was nothing more than an ape—albeit one still unknown to science.”
2. The Giant Bat
“In those days,” began Ardan, “I was sailing around the Sunda Islands. I was in my early 20ies, and was quite naturally excited by the region, which I consider to be one of the most spectacular in the world. That explains why I sought to spend two weeks on Bali and Lombok, which made up two links in the chain of that archipelago.
“I didn’t tire of wandering in the forest that was as magnificent as all of those in the Malaysian Archipelago. Naturally I hunted, since I had guns that I had brought with me from France.
“One beautiful day, I was chasing some wild pigeons, when I found myself in the midst of luxuriant vegetation that was so dense that I had difficulty in finding my way out. It was while I was cutting through the vines and brush that surrounded me that I saw a strangely shaped rock, from which I startled a multitude of brilliantly colored birds that deafened me with their shrieking. These birds were in all different sizes, and for a few minutes I watched them flying above my head. I felt I had disturbed their tranquility and realized I must be the first human they’d seen in a long time.
“I thought I would search in the clefts of the rock to see if I couldn’t find some of their eggs, as I was fiercely hungry and hadn’t thought to bring along any food, thinking I would return to the hut that a kindly Malaysian had offered me, with the typical hospitality of those generous and friendly people.