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bill for a mouth。 Covered with slick…looking skin； with a long tail； it was undoubtedly a dinosaur。
John was staring in disbelief when he felt Cubby jerking on his pack； screaming for John to run。 Turning； he started following Cubby's retreating back； his legs pumping away。 He felt his heart e up to speed and his breathing quickened and deepened； and now his fear turned quickly to panic。 His legs pounded recklessly over the uneven surface of the meadow and drove him into the forest。 He jumped grass clumps and ferns that he couldn't run over and followed Cubby's charge even when it led through razor grass。
When John realized he had reached his top speed he glanced over his shoulder。 The dinosaur was gaining on him。 It wasn't the huge monster that he had expected； but it was big enough to make a meal of him。 John's heart was pounding faster than it ever had before； his lungs burned； and his legs were weakening。 To his horror John realized that they were now heading up a hill。 He could see the ground dropping away to his right。 He knew the hill would slow him and tire him more quickly。
A movement down the hill caught his attention。 Ripman was weaving his way through the trees。 For some reason Cubby had continued up the hill when Ripman headed down； and John had blindly followed Cubby。 John； forgetting all loyalty； glanced over his shoulder again in the hope that the dinosaur had followed Ripman。
When John looked back the dinosaur was still behind him； and the head would be within snapping distance very soon。 He saw something else。 There was a second dinosaur； and this one was huge； with a mouth big enough to bite him in half with its double rows of pointed teeth。
At last John had a plan。 He used the remainder of his energy to push up so that Cubby could see him in his peripheral vision。 Then when he spotted a large clump of grass a few feet to the left； he headed toward it； noticing Cubby's head jerk in his direction when he broke。 Six feet from the grass John dove headfirst； sliding to a stop in the middle of the clump。 He pulled his knees up to his chest and waited。 As he expected； the smaller dinosaur ran past without stopping。 The ground began rumbling then； and the monster that had been following them charged past。 Even in the clump of grass John could see the head of the dinosaur towering above him。
He lay in the grass a long time。 Slowly his heart rate dropped and he was able to bring his breathing under control。 As his adrenalin cleared from his bloodstream； he began to feel the grass cuts on his arms； neck； and face。 Before long he risked stepping out。 He stood still； listening hard but could hear noshing。 His first impulse was to run back the way they had e。 He wanted to run back and find Ripman。 But what had happened to Cubby？
John started in the direction the dinosaurs had run。 It was an easy path to follow； since the big one had flattened everything it stepped on。 After a few yards John began to whisper Cubby's name so he could honestly tell Ripman 〃I searched for Cubby but couldn't find him。〃 Still； John continued looking； to convince himself that he had done a reasonable search。 He was about to turn back when he heard Cubby's voice； no longer tentative but loud and clear。 〃Over here； John。〃
Cubby was sitting on a log unlacing his shoe。 Rivulets of red ran down his arms and face。 Occasionally he wiped away some of the blood from his face。 Overwhelmed by relief； John bright…ened。 〃Man； I'm glad to see you。 How did you get away？〃
〃Did the same thing you did。 I dove behind this log and waited。 Did you see the size of that monster chasing the little one？ That little one wasn't after us； it was trying to save itself。〃
〃e on； Cubby； those things might e back。 We've got to get out of here。〃
〃Wait〃
John watched Cubby untie his shoe and dump rocks out。
〃What's the point of that？ Do you really think you could outrun that big one if it decided to make a snack out of you？〃
〃John； I don't have to outrun him； I only have to outrun you。〃
John thought briefly； then laughed out loud。
21。 IGUANODON
The term dinosaur means 〃terrible lizard。〃 and terrible they would have seemed had mankind had the misfortune to evolve simultaneously。 The naked ape would not have survived to develop into modern man under the onslaught of the giant carnivores。
…Dr。 Robert Hampton； Kingdom of the Dinosaurs
New York City
POSTQUILT： SUNDAY； 9：37 A。M。 EST
The day Mariel spent waiting for the iguanodon to return was a day like no other…a constant parade of surprises。 The iguanodon didn't appear； but other dinosaurs did。 Mariel sat with her book identifying them as best she could； cursing her eyes and herself for giving away Phillip's binoculars。
A couple of hours after the iguanodon left； she thought the wind had e up because large sections of grass moved simultaneously。 But as the movement came closer； she began to see small heads poke up and down quickly。 Mariel never got a good count； but she estimated two dozen of the little dinosaurs。 They sprinted forward and back in the grass like seabirds running from ocean waves； but Mariel never got enough of a look to identify them。 Soon the bobbing heads vanished。
Mariel fell asleep late in the morning； exhausted from the previous night。 When she woke it was with a start； to another blast from that air horn。 She looked out the window in time tp see three big…headed dinosaurs running through the grass； leaning forward on two legs with their tails held straight out behind them。 The three ran in formation with one in the front and the other two behind on either side； in a triangle。 When they disappeared into the distance quickly； Mariel chided herself for her weakness in falling asleep。 Flipping through her dinosaur book again； now familiar with the pages； she found their picture right away。 They were deinonychus。 The book described them as hunters； probably in packs； and pictured them around the body of a much larger dinosaur； with blood on their huge jaws and with hunks of red meat hanging from their mouths。 It made Mariel glad these carnivorous dinosaurs had been chased away； and she worried the deinonychus might attack her friend。
Though she munched on crackers and drank fruit juice； she was about asleep again when she heard someone turning her doorknob。 Instantly she was awake。 She watched the knob turn back and forth； and then she heard voices in the hall。 Mariel knew friends would have knocked first； so she yelled to let them know the apartment wasn't empty。
〃Get away from my door！ I've got a gun and I know how to use it。〃 She never heard the voices again and her doorknob didn't move after that。
Later she thought she heard the sound of splintering wood somewhere。 Now； she suspected thieves were loose in her building but knew she was too old to do anything about it alone。 So she sat by the window watching for the dinosaur with the sweet tooth to e back。
A new dinosaur appeared after noon； a funny…looking； dome…headed dinosaur with small spikes sticking up on its snout and ugly green bumps along the back of its head。 It ate its way through the meadow； its rounded head ing up frequently to sniff the air and scan the horizon。 This dinosaur was nothing like the iguanodon。 It was much smaller and obviously much less intelligent。 Mariel could tell because it didn't seem surprised by the building…too dumb to know her building wasn't some big rock or cliff。 No； this Dome…head had no curiosity like her dinosaur。 Dome…head worked through the meadow along the length of Mariel's building； and shortly after it disappeared from her view she heard the sound of the air horn plus car horns。 A minute later Mariel saw Dome…head emerge and then disappear into the trees in the distance。 Flipping through the pages of her book again； Mariel saw similar dinosaurs but only one with spikes on its nose。 She had trouble pronouncing the name； pachycephalosaurus； but didn't care。 It was an ugly； dumb dinosaur anyway。
It was midaftemoon when Mariel's iguanodon reappeared。 He was grazing through the clearing again； but at a much faster rate。 Every time he stopped to eat he reared up on his hind legs and surveyed the surroundings； watchful for danger。