Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-16

back OF some passing monster. Once
upon a yellow sand bank ! saw a crea-
ture like a huge swan. with a clumsy
body and a high. flexible neck, shutting
about upon the margin. Presently ii
plunged in. and for some time l could
see the arched neck and darting head
undulating over the water Then it
lived. and l saw it no more
My attention was soon drawn away
from these distant sights and brought
back 10 what was going on at my very
feet. Two creatures like large arma-
diIlos had come down 10 the drinking
place and We're squatting at the edge
OF the water, their long. flexible
tongues, like red ribbons, shooting in
and out as they Tapped. a huge deer,
with branching horns, a magnificent
creature. which carried itself like a
king. came down with its doe and two
fawns and drank beside the armada
los. No such deer exist anywhere else
upon earth, for the moose or elks
which | have seen would hardly have
reached its shoulders. Presently II
gave a warning snort and was off
with its family among the reeds, while
the armadiIos also scuttled for shell
ter \ newcomer. n most monstrous
animal. was coming down the path.
For a moment ! wondered where
could have seen that ungainIy shape
that arched back with triangular
fringes along il, that strange, birdlike
head held close to the ground. Then
il came back 10 me. 1t was the stego
Saurus-the very creature which Maple
White had preserved IN his sketch
book and which had been the first OBJ
icct which arrested the attention Of
challenger. There he WAS. perhaps
the very specimen which the American
artist had encountered. The ground
shook beneath his tremendous weight,
and his guIpings Of water resounded
through the still night For five min
utes he was so close to my rock that
by stretching out my hand / could
have touched the hideOus waving
hackles upon his back Then he lum-
bered away and was lost among the
powders.
Looking at my watch, I saw that II
was half past > O'Clock and high time,
therefore. that I started upon my
homeward journey There was no diff
fcuItv about the direction I'm which 7
should return. for all along I had kept
the u:tle brook upon my left. and It
opened into the central lake within
stones throw Of the bowlder upon
which I had been lying. [ set off,
therefore in high spirits. for ! felt
that 7 had done good work and was
e for
nv companions.
I was plodding up the slope, turning
these thoughts over in my mind, and
had reached point which may have
been halfway home when my mind
was brought back to my own position
by strange noise behind me. 1t was
something between n snore and
growl. low. deep and exceedingly mon
acing. Some strange creature was evi-
IDENTIFY near me, but nothing could he
seen. so 7 hastened more rapidly upon
nv way / had traversed half q mile
or SO when suddenly the sound was re
peated. still behind me. but louder and
more n1enacing than before. My hRart
stood still within me as II flashed
across me that the beast whatever tt
was. must surely he after me. ] was
pctrified with terror
7 stood like a man paralyzed. still
staring at the ground which I had
traversed. Then suddenly | saw IT.
There was movement among the bush
os m the far end Of the clearing which
7 had lust traverscd A great dark
shadow disengaged itself and hoped
out into the clear moonlight. | say
"hOpped" advisedly, for the beast
moved like q kangaroo. springing along
i'm an erect position upon its powerful
hind legs. while its front ones were
held bent in front Of il. It was Of
enormous size and power, Ike an erect
elephant. but its movements. in spite
Of its bulk. were exceedingly alert
For n moment. as l saw its shape, l
hoped that ID was an iguanodon, which
I knew to be harmless, but ignorant
as I was. I soon saw that this was
very different creature. Instead or
the gentle. deer shaped head Of the
great three toed, leaf eater, this beast
had n broad, squat, toadlike face Ike
that which had alarmed US in our
camp. His ferocious cry and the horrl-
BILE energy Of his pursuit both assure1
me- that this was surely one Of the
Great flesh eating dinosaurs. the most
terrible beasts which have ever walk
cd this earth.
Even now when ! think Of that night
mare the sweat breaks out upon my
brow. What could ! do? My useless
towing piece was in my hand what
help could I get from thatf ] looked
desperately round for some rock or
free. but 7 was in q bushy jungle with
nothing higher than sapling WITHIN
sight. while | knew that the creature
behind me could tear down an ordl-
nary Tree as though il were reed- Ay
2uly possible chance lay in night.
could not move swiftly over the fough,
broken ground, but as l looked rouhu
me III despair / saw q well marker
hard beaten path which ran across ia