158 The Cretaceous Seas 



shore line must have been thousands of miles to- 

 ward the setting sun. Taking her arm we walk- 

 ed down to the beach. In the zone between high 

 and low tide, unlimited oysters, no larger than 

 silver half dollars lay strewn around. While 

 plowing through the sand, were Inoceramus 

 shells that measured four feet high, and five feet 

 long, leaving a great traU behind. The shore line 

 was strewn with many of these huge shells. We 

 mentioned the many uses they could be put to, 

 for our convenience. Thin and transparent they 

 would do for windows in the house, I planned to 

 build. They would take the place of shingles, 

 and even doors. We enjoyed a feast of raw oys- 

 ters with the sea water for seasoning. We then 

 went to work hauling up from the piles of drift- 

 wood, trunks of small trees near the cave. Which 

 Maud told me would make her a nice room as it 

 was high and dry with a floor of white sand. By 

 building four walls with the logs, leaving spaces 

 for windows and doors, we succeeded after many 

 days of labor in having a room twelve by fourteen 

 feet. Then we put on a roof, of the large shells, 

 hung our doors and windows, filled the spaces 

 between the logs with clay, and moss, built a fire 

 place and chimney. The effect of the light pass- 

 ing through the shells was very beautiful indeed. 

 Our original ladder led to Maud's Cave, through 

 a trap door. I gathered the fragrant boughs of 

 pine trees for the beds. We cared little for fur- 

 niture, pictures and ornaments. How insignifi- 



