s, bearing them down, smothering, engulfing them in
an avalanche of screaming and monstrous bulks. The bulls, meanwhile,
were rending, tearing, stabbing, on flank and rear. The two Dinosaurs
disappeared from view. The dreadful mountain of writhing, gigantic
shapes heaved convulsively for some minutes. Then the great columns
that were the Dinosaurs' legs seemed to crumble beneath the weight.
The awful, battling heap sagged, fell apart, and let in the glare of
the sunlight upon what had been the two colossal monarchs of the early
world. The dreadful, unrecognizable things still moved, still heaved
and twisted ponderously among the bodies of their slain, but it was
mere aimless paroxysm, the blind life struggling to resist its final
expulsion and dissipation. The wounded Dinoceras drew away, to die or
recover as curious Nature might decree. The surviving cows returned to
assure themselves that their young had come to no hurt. And the great
black bulls who had escaped serious injury in the struggle stood about
in a ring, thrusting and ripping at the unresponsive mountains of
flesh. As they satisfied themselves, one after another, that the
victory was complete, and that there was nothing more to battle
against, they fell to devouring their prey. Ordinarily feeders on
herbage and roots, they were like pigs and rats and men, more or less
without prejudice in their diet, and they seemed to think that
dinosaur went very well with grass.

At a distance of not more than fifty paces from these destroying
hosts, the man-creature stood carelessly, and stared and considered.
He had no fear of them. He knew he could avoid them with ease. So
insignificant that in their excitement they hardly noticed him, so
small that in bulk he was no greater than the least of their calves,
he nevertheless despised the gigantic beasts and felt himself their
lord. He had played with the two monarchs of all the early world, led
them into his trap, and taken such dreadful vengeance upon them that
his grief was almost assuaged by the fullness of it. The black herds
of the Dinoceras he had used as the tools of his vengeance. No doubt,
if necessary, he could use them again in some such fashion.

He turned his back upon them, knowing that his fine ear would inform
him at once if any should take it into their heads to pursue him, and
stalked away with deliberation towards the wooded ground. But he
avoided his tree. He would never more go near that empty home.