been found mired in the
mud, and in an entirely helpless condition. All the bones which had
not been burned by the fire had kept their original position, standing
upright and apparently quite undisturbed in the clay, whereas those
portions which had been extended above the surface had been partially
consumed by the fire, and the surface of the clay was covered, as far
as fire had extended, by a layer of wood ashes, mingled with larger
or smaller pieces of charred wood and burnt bones, together with bones
belonging to the spine, ribs, and other parts of the body, which had
been more or less injured by the fire. It seemed that the burning of the
victim and the hurling of rocks at it had not satisfied the destroyers,
for I found also, among the ashes, bones, and rocks, several
arrow-heads, a stone spear-head, and some stone axes."

Such is Dr. Koch's very interesting statement of this find. "It was
received by the scientific world," says Foster, "with a sneer of
contempt," and, it seems to us, for very insufficient reasons. It is
admitted that his knowledge of geology was not as accurate as it should
have been. He made some mistakes of this nature, which have been clearly
shown.<35> Still, he is known to have been a diligent collector, and we
are told "no one who knew him will question but that he was a competent
observer."<36> It seems to us useless to deny the truth of his
statements. There is, however, nothing to necessitate us believing in
an immense age for these remains. This is not to be considered a point
against them, for there is no reason for supposing that the mastodon
may not have lingered on to comparatively recent times, and that
comparatively recent men may not have intercepted and destroyed helpless
individuals. Indeed, we are told there are traditions still extant among
the Indians of these monsters.<37>

We have other facts showing that, in this country as in Europe, man was
certainly living not far from the time when the land was covered with
the ice of the Glacial Age, whatever may be true of still earlier
periods. We are told that, when the time came for the final breaking up
of the great glaciers, and while they still lingered at the head waters
of the Platte, the Missouri, and the Yellowstone rivers, a mighty
lake--or, rather, a succession of lakes--occupied the greater portion
of the Missouri Valley. The rivers flowing into them were of great
size,<38> and heavily freighted with sediment, which w