"And he grew almost see him grow And as never much of society man, his quiet, friendly ways suited me to T For nearly two years we were as happy as island I had no business worries, for my salary was mounting up at Dawsons' see sail , but nothing ever came near us I amused myself, too, by decorating the island with designs worked in sea-urchins and fancy shells of various kinds I put AEPYORNIS ISLAND all round the place very nearly, in big letters, like what done with coloured stones at railway stations old country, and mathematical calculations and drawings of various sorts And I used to lie watching the blessed bird stalking round and growing, growing; and think how make living out of him by showing him about if I ever got taken off After his first moult he began handsome, with crest and blue wattle, and lot of green feathers behind of him And then I used to puzzle whether Dawsons' had any right to claim him or not Stormy weather and rainy season we lay snug under the shelter I had made old canoe, and I used him lies friends at home And after storm go round the island together if any drift kind of idyll, say If only I had had some tobacco it simply just like heaven

" end second year our little paradise went wrong Friday was then about fourteen feet high bill of him, with big, broad head like the end of pickaxe, and two huge brown eyes with yellow rims, set together like man's--not out of sight of like hen's His plumage was fine-- half-mourning style of your ostrich--more like cassowary as far as colour and texture go And then he began to cock his comb at me and give himself airs, and show signs of nasty temper .

"At last came time when my fishing rather unlucky, and he began to hang about me in queer, meditative way eating sea-cucumbers or something, but really just discontent part hungry too, and when at last I landed fish it Tempers were short that morning on both sides He pecked at it and grabbed it, and him whack head him leave go And he went Lord ! .

"He this face " The man indicated his scar "Then he kicked me like carthorse I got up, and seeing he hadn't finished, I started off full tilt with my arms doubled up over my face But he ran on those gawky legs faster than racehorse, and kept landing out at me with sledgehammer kicks, and bringing his pickaxe down back head lagoon, and went in my neck He stopped water, for he hated getting his feet wet, and began shindy, something like peacock's, only hoarser He started strutting up and down the beach I'll admit small this blessed fossil lording it there And my head and face were all bleeding, and--well, my body just one jelly of bruises

"I decided to swim across the lagoon and leave him alone for bit, until the affair blew over I shinned up the tallest palm-tree, and sat there thinking of it all I don't suppose I ever felt so hurt by anything before or since It brutal ingratitude creature I'd been more than brother to him I'd hatched him, educated him great gawky, out-of-date bird ! And me human being--heir ages and all that

" after time he'd begin things light himself, and feel little sorry behaviour if to catch some nice little bits of fish, perhaps, and go to him presently in casual kind of way, and offer them to him, he might sensible thing It took me to learn how unforgiving and cantankerous an extinct bird Malice !

"I won't tell you all the little devices I tried that bird round again, I simply can't It makes my cheek burn with shame even now snubs and buffets I had infernal curiosity I tried violence I chucked lumps of coral at him from safe distance, but he only swallowed them I shied my open knife at him and almost lost it, though too big for him to swallow I tried starving him out and struck fishing, but to picking along the beach at low water after worms, and rubbed along Half I spent my neck lagoon, rest up the palm-trees was scarcely high enough, and when he caught me up it he had regular Bank Holiday calves legs It got unbearable I don't know ever tried sleeping up palm-tree It the most horrible nightmares Think shame of it, too ! Here extinct animal mooning island like sulky duke, and me not allowed to rest the sole foot place I used to cry with weariness and vexation him straight that I didn't mean chased about desert island by any damned anachronisms him and peck navigator own age But he only snapped his beak at me Great ugly bird, all legs and neck !

"I shouldn't like how long that went on altogether I'd have killed him sooner if I'd known how However, I hit on way of settling him at last South American dodge I joined all my fishing-lines together with stems of seaweed and things, and made stoutish string, perhaps twelve yards in length or more, and I fastened two lumps of coral rock ends It took me , because every I had lagoon or up tree fancy took me This I whirled rapidly round my head, and then let it go at him The first time I missed, but the the string caught his legs beautifully, and wrapped round them again and again Over he went I threw it standing waist-deep lagoon, and he went down water and sawing at his neck with my knife .

"I don't like even now like murderer while it, though my anger was hot against him When I stood over him and saw him bleeding white sand, beautiful great legs and neck writhing last agony . Pah !

" tragedy loneliness came upon me like curse Good Lord ! 't imagine how I missed that bird I sat by his corpse and sorrowed over him, and shivered as I looked round the desolate, silent reef of what jolly little bird he when hatched, and of thousand pleasant tricks he had played before he went wrong if I'd only wounded him nursed him round into better understanding If I'd had any means of digging coral rock I'd have buried him exactly human As , I couldn't think of eating him, so I put him lagoon, little fishes picked him clean I didn't even save the feathers Then one day chap cruising about in yacht had fancy atoll still existed

"He didn't come moment too soon, for about sick enough desolation of it, and only hesitating whether walk out sea and finish up the business that way, or fall back green things .

"I sold the bones to man named Winslow--a dealer near the British Museum, and he sold them to old Havers It seems Havers didn't understand they were extra large, and only after his death they attracted attention They called 'em AEpyornis-- it ? "

"_AEpyornis vastus_," said I "It's funny, the very thing was mentioned by friend found an AEpyornis, with thigh yard long, they thought they had reached the top scale, and called him AEpyornis maximus Then some one turned up another thigh-bone four feet six or more, and called AEpyornis Titan Then your vastus was found after old Havers died, collection, and then vastissimus turned up "