He is sure to be very
sensitive on the point, and would doubtless resent it very much."

"He ought to be made to sleep in another part of the train, or in a
carriage by himself," grumbled Dick, scrambling back to his berth just
in time to meet Fidge, who was trying to get down at the risk of
breaking his neck.

"Oh! Dick!" he cried, pointing to the further corner of the berth,
"Look! Look! A snake!"

"What?" cried Marjorie, from below, with a little scream.

"A snake!" repeated Fidge. "Look, look, Dick!" he cried, pointing.

Dick looked in the direction indicated, and was horrified to see what he
took to be a huge snake, slowly crawling over the partition which
divided their berth from the next.

"Give me something to hit it with, quick!" he shouted, excitedly. And
Marjorie, with another little frightened scream, handed him the
Prehistoric Doctor's umbrella, which was lying on the floor outside her
berth.

Dick seized the umbrella, and, grasping it with both hands, aimed a
mighty blow at what he took to be the snake.

An agonized scream from the next berth, and a hasty withdrawal of the
_snake_, was followed by the appearance of the Palaeotherium's head over
the top of the partition.

"Who did that?" he demanded, with tears in his eyes.

"It was a snake!" cried Dick, excitedly, "and I was trying to kill it."

"Snake, indeed!" said the Palaeotherium, wrathfully. "It was my tail."

"Oh! I'm _so_ sorry," exclaimed Dick, "I really _thought_ it was a
snake, you know. I beg your pardon. I _do_ hope I haven't hurt you very
much."

"H'm! Well, I can't say that it was very pleasant," said the
Palaeotherium, "but if you are really sorry I'll forgive you--only you
mustn't let it happen again."

"Shouldn't have a tail like a snake," said Fidge, half crying, "and
shouldn't let it come over in our bed."

The Palaeotherium muttered something that neither of the children could
understand, and retired, and, except for the Prehistoric Doctor's
snoring, all was quiet again.

This time the children really did get to sleep, and when they awoke the
carriage was quite light, and Dick, looking out through the little
window at the side of his berth, could see that they were traveling
through some very delightful country.

"Wake up! Wake up, Marjorie," he cried, "it's morning."

"I'm velly hungry," announced Fidge, sitting up and rubbing his eyes
sleepily.

"Yes, so am I," admitted Dick; "we must see what we can do to ge