The Presentation of the Diplodocus 251 



over here will take three months. We cannot spend 

 half a year waiting in this country." 'Never mind, 

 Doctor!' came the cheering reply. 'I cannot tell 

 you how I am relieved to have you standing here alive 

 and well. I thought you had already gone in under 

 the thing ; being intent upon watching my part of the 

 job. When the thing fell, I thought you were under 

 it, and probably crushed to death. It nearly sickened 

 me, but here you are, thank God ! Drive these people 

 out of the room, all of them, except Petz, the prepara- 

 tor, who can help us. Let us take account of stock. 

 You and I can patch up the d d thing, so that 

 nobody will know that anything has happened.' I 

 confess that at the moment I had little faith in the pre- 

 diction. Before us laid a mass of shattered fragments. 

 A step-ladder had been splintered into kindling-wood. 

 The cross-ties of the base, though made of oak, had 

 been broken, as if chopped through with an ax. I al- 

 most shuddered to think what would have happened to 

 me had I taken my place upon them, as I was just on 

 the point of doing, before the crash came. But small 

 as was my faith as to the outcome, it w r as at all events 

 only right to make an attempt to repair the damage. 

 It was the middle of the month of June, and at that 

 time of year St. Petersburg is like heaven- 'there is 

 no night there.' We could work from early morning 

 until ten o'clock at night without artificial light, - 

 and we did. We gathered up the pieces large and small ; 

 we searched for contacts, and, as we found them, put 

 the bits together with that strong cement, which we 

 know how to prepare. It was a most tedious under- 

 taking. But all things at last have an end. When our 

 task was completed, after a week had been consumed 

 in performing it, there remained only as many tiny 



