The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-03-25

| For a moment L wondered where
could have seen that ungainly
shape that arched back with tri-
angular fringes along it, that
strange bird-like head held close to
the ground. Then it came back to
me. 1t was the stegosaurus-t
very creature which Maple White
had preserved in his sketchbook, and
which had been the first object
which arrested the attention of
| Challenger! There he was-perhaps
the very specimen which the Ameri-
can artist had encountered. The
ground shook beneath his tremend-
Gus weight, and his gulpings Of wa
ter resounded through tho still night.
For five minutes he was so close to
my rock that by stretching out my
hand I could have touched the hid
eous waving haclkles upon his back
Then he numbered away and was
lost among the powders.
Looking at my watch, saw that
1t was half-past two o'clock, and
high time, therefore, that started
upon my homeward journey. There
In which I should return, for all
along I had kept the little brook
upon my left, and it opened into the
central lake within ? stones throw
of the bowlder upon which had
been lying. / set off, therefore, in
high spirits, for I felt that I had
done good work ard was bringing
back fine budget CT news for my
companions. Foremost of all, of
course, were the sight OF the fiery
caves and the certainty that some
troglodytic race inhabited them.
was Flooding up the slope, turn
ing these thoughts over in my mind,
and had reached a point which may
have been halfway to home, when
my mind was brought back to my
own position by a strange noise be-
hind me. 1t was something between
snore and a growl. low, deep, and
exceedingly menacing. Some strange
creature was evidently near me, but
nothing could be soon, so I
fastened more rapidly upon my
way had traversed half mile
or so when suddenly the sound was
repeated, still behind me, but louder
and more menacing than before. My
heart stood still within, me as 1t
flashed across me that the beast,
whatever it was, must surely be
after me. My skin grew cold and
my hair rose at the thought. With
my knees shaking beneath me. I
stood and glared with starting eyes
down the moonlit path which lay
behind me. All was quiet as in
dream landscape. Silver clearings
and the black patches of the bushes
nothing else could see. Then
from out of the silence, imminent
and threatening there. came once
more that low, throaty croaldng,
far louder and closer than before
There could no longer be a doubt.
Something was on my trail, and
was closing in upon me every min
ute.
l stood like a man paralyzed, still
staring at the ground which 1 had
traversed. Then suddenly I saw II.
/ There was movement among the
bushes at the far end Of the clear
ing which 1 had just traversed. A
great dark shadow disengaged itself
and hoped out into the clear moon
light. / say hoped" Hdvisedly, for
the beast moved like a kangaroo,
springing along in an erect position
upon its powerful hind-legs, while
it's front ones were held bent in
front of 1t. It was Of enormous size
and power. like an erect elephant,
but its movements, in spite OF its
bulk. were exceedingly alert.
This beast had a broad, squat,
toad-like face like that which had
alarmed us in our camp. His
ferocious cry and the horrible
energy Of his pursuit both assured
me that this was surely one OF the
great flesh-eating dinosaurs, the
most terrible beasts which have
ever walked this earth. AS the huge
brute loped ilong it dropped for.
ward upon it's fore-paws and
brought its nose to the ground
every twenty yards or so. 1t was
smelling out my trail. Some times,
for an instant, it was at fault. Then
1t would catch 1t up again and
come bounding swiftly along the
path had taken.
Even now when I think Of that
nightmare the sweat breaks out up
on my brow. What could do?
My useless fowling piece was in my
hand. What help could get from
that? I looked desperately round
for some rock or tree. but I was in
a bushy jungle with nothing
higher than a sapling within sight,
while knew that the creature be-
hind me could tear down as ordin-
airy tree as though 1t were a weed.
My only possible chance lay in
fight. could not move swiftly
over the rough, broken ground, but
as looked around me in despair
saw well-marked, hard-beaten
path which ran across in front of
me. We had seen several of the
Fsort, the runs of various wild beasts,
during our expeditions. Along this
I could perhaps hold my own, for
I was fast runner, and in ex-
cellent condition. F'linging away
MY useless gun. set myself to do
such half-mile as 1 have never
done before or sonce. My limbs
ached, my chest heaved, I felt that
my throat would burst for want of
air and yet with that horror behind
me ran and ran and ran. At
last I paused, hardly able to move.
For moment thought that had
thrown him off. The path lay still
behind me. And then suddenly,