nged by another nightmare, a something
apparently half-way between a dinosaur and a crocodile. At the first
note the tiger charged. Clawing, striking, rending each other with their
terrible teeth, a veritable avalanche of bloodthirsty rage, the
combatants stormed up and down the little island. But the fighters were
rudely interrupted, and the earthly visitors discovered that in this
primitive world it was not only animal life that was dangerous.

[Illustration: The great tree standing on the farther edge of the island
suddenly bent over, lashing out like a snake and grasping both. It
transfixed them with the terrible thorns, which were now seen to be
armed with needlepoints and to possess barbs like fish-hooks.]

The great tree standing on the farther edge of the island suddenly bent
over, lashing out like a snake and grasping both. It transfixed them
with the terrible thorns, which were now seen to be armed with
needlepoints and to possess barbs like fish-hooks. It ripped at them
with the long branches, which were veritable spears. The broad leaves,
armed with revolting sucking disks, closed about the two animals, while
the long, slender twigs, each of which was now seen to have an eye at
its extremity, waved about, watching each movement of the captives from
a safe distance.

If the struggle between the two animals had been awful, this was
Titanic. The air was torn by the roars of the reptile, the screams of
the great cat, and the shrieks of the tree. The very ground rocked with
the ferocity of the conflict. There could be but one result--soon the
tree, having absorbed the two gladiators, resumed its upright position
in all its beauty.

The members of the little group stared at each other, sick at heart.

"This is NO place to start a copper-mine. I think we'd better beat it,"
remarked Seaton presently, wiping drops of perspiration from his
forehead.

"I think so," acquiesced Crane. "We found air and Earth-like conditions
here; we probably will elsewhere."

"Are you all right, Dottie?" asked Seaton.

"All right, Dicky," she replied, the color flowing back into her cheeks.
"It scared me stiff, and I think I have a lot of white hairs right now,
but I wouldn't have missed it for anything."

She paused an instant, and continued:

"Dick, there must be a queer streak of brutality in me, but would you
mind blowing up that frightful tree? I wouldn't mind its nature if it
were ugly--but look at it! It's so deceptive