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and then she hurled the stick at the diminutive head. With a cry that sounded
not unlike the bleat of a sheep, the colossal creature shuffled into the water and
was soon submerged.
As I slowly recalled my collegiate studies and paleontological readings in Bowen's
textbooks, I realized that I had looked upon nothing less than a diplodocus of the
Upper Jurassic; but how infinitely different was the true, live thing from the
crude restorations of Hatcher and Holland! I had had the idea that the
diplodocus was a land-animal, but evidently it is partially amphibious. I have
seen several since my first encounter, and in each case the creature took to the
sea for concealment as soon as it was disturbed. With the exception of its
gigantic tail, it has no weapon of defense; but with this appendage it can lash so
terrific a blow as to lay low even a giant cave-bear, stunned and broken. It is a
stupid, simple, gentle beast--one of the few within Caspak which such a
description might even remotely fit.
For three nights we slept in trees, finding no caves or other places of
concealment. Here we were free from the attacks of the large land carnivora; but
the smaller flying reptiles, the snakes, leopards, and panthers were a constant
menace, though by no means as much to be feared as the huge beasts that
roamed the surface of the earth.
At the close of the third day Ajor and I were able to converse with considerable
fluency, and it was a great relief to both of us, especially to Ajor. She now did
nothing but ask questions whenever I would let her, which could not be all the
time, as our preservation depended largely upon the rapidity with which I could
gain knowledge of the geography and customs of Caspak, and accordingly I had
to ask numerous questions myself.
I enjoyed immensely hearing and answering her, so naive were many of her
queries and so filled with wonder was she at the things I told her of the world
beyond the lofty barriers of Caspak; not once did she seem to doubt me, however
marvelous my statements must have seemed; and doubtless they were the cause
of marvel to Ajor, who before had never dreamed that any life existed beyond
Caspak and the life she knew.
Artless though many of her questions were, they evidenced a keen intellect and a
shrewdness which seemed far beyond her years of her experience. Altogether I
was finding my little savage a mighty interesting and companionable person, and
I often thanked the kind fate that directed the crossing of our paths. From her I
learned much of Caspak, but there still remained the mystery that had proved so
baffling to Bowen Tyler--the total absence of young among the ape, the
semihuman and the human races with which both he and I had come in contact
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