, crushing down everything in its progress. We halted,
and did not have to wait long; for soon, not far away, there emerged
from the thick forest a figure of incredible size and most hideous
aspect.

It looked like one of those fabled dragons such as may be seen in
pictures, but without wings. It was nearly a hundred feet in length,
with a stout body and a long tail, covered all over with impenetrable
scales. It hind-legs were rather longer than its fore-legs, and it
moved its huge body with ease and rapidity. Its feet were armed with
formidable claws. But its head was most terrific. It was a vast mass
of bone, with enormous eyes that glared like fire; its jaws opened to
the width of six or eight feet, and were furnished with rows of sharp
teeth, while at the extremity of its nose there was a tusk several
feet long, like the horn of a rhinoceros, curving backward. All this
I took in at the first glance, and the next instant the whole band
of hunters, with their usual recklessness, flung themselves upon the
monster.

For a short time all was the wildest confusion--an intermingling of
birds and men, with the writhing and roaring beast. With his huge
claws and his curved horn and his wide jaws he dealt death and
destruction all around; yet still the assailants kept at their work.
Many leaped down to the ground and rushed close up to the monster,
thrusting their lances into the softer and more unprotected parts
of his body; while others, guiding their birds with marvellous
dexterity, assailed him on all sides. The birds, too, were kept well
to their work; nor did they exhibit any fear. It was not until they
were wounded that they sought to fly. Still, the contest seemed too
unequal. The sacrifice of life was horrible. I saw men and birds
literally torn to pieces before my eyes. Nevertheless, the utter
fearlessness of the assailants confounded me. In spite of the
slaughter, fresh crowds rushed on. They clambered over his back, and
strove to drive their lances under his bony cuirass. In the midst of
them I saw the Kohen. By some means he had reached the animal's back,
and was crawling along, holding by the coarse shaggy mane. At length
he stopped, and with a sudden effort thrust his lance into the
monster's eye. The vast beast gave a low and terrible howl; his
immense tail went flying all about; in his pain he rolled over and
over, crushing underneath him in his awful struggles all who were
nearest. I could no longer be in