oon as she saw that he understood, and was
coming, she swung herself lightly up into the branches. He ran to the
tree, climbed after her, and followed her to the very top, where she
awaited him. The tree was taller than any of its neighbors, and
commanded a clear view of the meadow-lands that lay a half mile back
from the lagoon. His mate was pointing eagerly to these meadows. He
saw that they were dotted and spotted with groups of great black,
horned and tusked beasts like the one whose destruction he had just
witnessed. These were the migrant herds of the Dinoceras, just arrived
at their new pasturage. The man eyed them with discontent. He had seen
a specimen of their temper; and he congratulated himself that he and
his mate knew how to live in trees.

The man-creature himself was a new-comer to the shores of the great
lagoon. The place suited him admirably by reason of the abundance of
its fruits. Along the banks of the lagoon were innumerable little
groves of plantain, the rich sustaining fruit of which was of all
foods his favorite. And he had found no trace whatever of his most
dangerous enemies, the gigantic and implacable black lion of the
caves, the red bear and the saber-tooth.

Such an irresistible giant as the King of the Triple Horn he might
wonder at, and hate, but he thought he had little cause to fear him.
It is easy enough, if one is prudent, to avoid a mountain.

Having found the place good, and resolved to stay, the man had built a
refuge for himself and his family in this tall watch-tower of a tree.
With interwoven branches he had made a rude but substantial platform,
and carpeted it to something like softness with smaller branches and
twigs. A similar but lighter platform overhead made him a roof that
was anything but waterproof, and a few bushy branches served for
walls. Such as it was, it was at least the beginning of a home. He
loved it; and in defense of the little hairy brown mate and downy
brown baby who shared it with him he would have fought both Dinosaur
and Dinoceras with his naked hands.

For some days nothing more was seen of the two Dinosaurs, the King
being probably occupied, in the depths of the jungle, with the nursing
of his wrath and his hurts. The herds of the Dinoceras, meanwhile,
kept to their meadows, having better drinking-water in a slow stream
which traversed the pastures than in the brackish tide of the lagoon.

Then came a morning when the brown mother, babe on arm, w