hideous final struggle, and from time to time one or another would
drop perpendicularly downward to stab the crown or the face of one of
the preoccupied fish-beasts with his trenchant beak. Such of the
fish-beasts as were thus disabled were promptly torn to pieces and
devoured by their companions.

Some fifty feet away, nearer shore, the harmless-looking head which
had been the source and inspirer of all this bloody turmoil lay
watching the scene with discontent in its round, wondering eyes.
Slowly it reared itself once more to a height of eight or ten feet
above the water, as if for better inspection of the combat. Then, as
if not relishing the neighborhood of the fish-beasts, it slowly sank
again and disappeared.

Immediately a heavy swirling, a disturbance that stretched over a
distance of nearly a hundred feet, began to travel shoreward. It
grew heavier and heavier as the water grew shallower. Then a
leather-colored mountain of a back heaved itself up through the
smother and a colossal form, that would make the hugest elephant a
pigmy, came ponderously forth upon the beach.

The body of this amazing being was thrice or four times the bulk of
the mightiest elephant. It stood highest--a good thirteen feet--over
the haunches (which were supported on legs like columns), and sloped
abruptly to the lower and lighter-built fore-shoulders. The neck was
like a giraffe's, but over twenty feet in length to its juncture with
the mild little head, which looked as if Nature had set it there as a
pleasantry at the expense of the titanic body. The tail, enormous at
the base and tapering gradually to a whip-lash, trailed out to a
distance of nearly fifty feet. As its owner came ashore, this
tremendous tail was gathered and curled in a semi-circle at his
side--perhaps lest the delicate tip, if left too distant, might fall a
prey to some significant but agile marauder.

For some minutes the colossus (he was one of the Dinosaurs, or
Terrible Lizards, and known as a Diplodocus) remained on all-fours,
darting his sinuous neck inquiringly in all directions, and
snatching here and there a mouthful of the rank tender herbage which
grew among the trunks of fern and palm. Apparently the spot was to
his liking. Here was a wide beach, sunlit and ample, whereon to bask
at leisure. There were the warm and weed-choked shallows wherein to
pasture, to wallow at will, to hide his giant bulk from his enemies if
there should be found any formida