2i 8 Life of a Fossil Hunter 



with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand 

 years as one day." 



The only way in which we can realize the lapse of 

 millions of years is by a study of the work which 

 nature has accomplished in them, depositing vast 

 strata, lifting them up into mountain ranges, and 

 carving out in them flood-plains and mighty can- 

 yons. More interesting still is a study of the count- 

 less forms of life which, in ever-varying groups, 

 have each in turn dominated sea and earth and air. 

 First, as here in Texas, the batrachians reigned 

 supreme, a race of creatures which were supplied 

 with both gills and lungs, so that they could live 

 both on land and in water. Then came the reptiles, 

 and later still dawned the Age of Mammals, with 

 man as the crowning work of the Creator's hands. 



I was now at last in the fossiliferous beds and 

 secured some fine material. Unfortunately about 

 this time Pat gave notice that he would soon be 

 obliged to leave me. I should then have no team, 

 and to work in these fossil beds without a means of 

 transportation would be as useless as to attempt to 

 dig up a forest with a hoe. I had, however, sent 

 north for an assistant, a Mr. Wright, and after 

 hunting for me a day and a half in the brakes of the 

 Big Wichita, he finally arrived in camp. 



On the sixth of March a violent norther struck 

 us. We were better off for protection than we had 



