The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-15
tContinusdl

(Conttnued.l
 We staggered through the brush wood and even as we reached the trees the harpies were on us again. Sum merlee was knocked down, but we took him, up and rushed among the trunks Once there we were safe, for those huge wings had no space for their sweep beneath the branches. As we nmped homeward, sadly mau16d and ndiscomfted, we saw them for a long stime flying at a great height against Fthe deep blue sky above our heads, soaring round and round, no bigger than wood pigeons, with their eyes no doubt still following our progress. At last, however. as we reached the thick ,er woods they gave up the chase, and we saw them no more
 IA most interesting and convecing experience,v said Challenger as we halted beside the brook and he bathed a swollen knee. We are exception ally well informed, SummerIee, as to the habits of the enraged pterodactyl.' 7
 Summeriee was wiping the blood from q cut In his forehead, while was tying up a nasty stab in the muscle of the neck. Lord John had the shoulder of hist coat torn away, but the crea- ture7s teeth had only graze6 the flesh. Tt is wofth noting Challenger con- tinued, that our young friend has re- ceiVed an undoubted stab, while Lord Johns coat could only have been torn by bite In my own case, I was beaten about the head by their wings, so we have had remarkable exhibi- ton of their various methods of of fense-"
 @It. has been touch and go for our livess'i said Lord John gravely, land could not think of more rotten sort of death than to be outed by such filthy vermin. was sorry to fire my T1ne, but. by love, theSe was no great choiceF'
 ~we should not be here if you hadn't" said I, with conviction.
 .sItl may do no harm,s said he. sAna6ng these woods there must be many loud cracks from splitting or fa1lfng trees which would be just like the sound of gun But now, if you are of my opinion, we have had thrills enough for one day and had best get back to the surgical box at the camp for some carbolic. Who knows what venom these beasts may have in their hideous 1aws7"
 That night tour third in Maple White LandD we had an experience which left a fearful impression upon our minds and made us thankful that Lord John had worked so hard in making our retreat impregnable. We were all sleeping round our dying fire when we weee aroused, or, rather, I should say, shot out of our slumbeTs, by a success fun nf most frtghfcuI cries and Screams 10 which have ever listened. I know no sound to which could compare this amazing tumu1t, which seemed to come from some spot within a few hundred yards of OUT camp. It was as ear splitting as any whistle of a railway engine, but where as the whistle is a clear, mechanical, sharp edged sound this was far deep CT in volume and vibrant with the ut fermost strain of agony and horror. We cIapped our hands to our ears to shut out that nerve shaking appeal. A cold sweat broke out over my body, and my heart turned sick at the misery of it. All the woes of tortured life, all its stupendous indictment of high heaven, it's innumerab1e sorrows, seem ed to be centered and condensed into that one dreadful, agonized cry And then under this high pitched, ringing sound there was another, more inter mittent, a low, deep chested laugh, a growing, throaty gurgle of merriment which formed grotesque accempani- rent to. the shriek with which 1t was blended For three or four minutes son end the fearsome duet continued, swhflc all the foliage rustled with the rising of startled birds. Then it shut OF as suddenly as it began. For a long time we sat in mortified silence Then Ford John threw a bundle of twfgs upon the ire, and their red glare lit ES the intent faces of my companions and fickered over the great boughs above our heads.
 se What was it?'' T whispered.
 e we shall know in the morning, ; said Lo.d John. sIt was close to us -hot farther than the glade.''
 We have been privileged to over hear a prehistoric tragedy, the sort of drama which occurred among the reeds upon the border of some jurassic lagoon, when the greater dragon pin ned the lesser among the slime said Challenger. with more solemnity than I had ever heard in his voice. "It was surely well for man that he came late in the order of creation. There were powers abroad in earlier days which no courage and no mechanism of his could have met. What could his sling his throwing stick or his arrow avail him against such forces as have been loose tonight? Even with a modern rife it would be all odds on the mon stex.~