Susan slowly awoke, but did not bother to open her eyes. She was lying on something hard and uncomftorable, and she smelled tree sap. She could here a deep snorting sound comming from bellow her, and something was crawling up her face. Susan openned her eyes. There was a catipiller on her face, a really big one. She grabbed it and flung it away. Susan hated insects. She was up in a large boabob tree, where she and the others had spent the night. Its trunk was a full 40 feet across, and the branches were also quite thick, making it ideal for sleeping. Susan was surprised that she was able to fall asleep, after all that had happened to her in the evening. The memo from Henry Wu. The Night Raptors. The fire. Susan heard the snorting sound again. Slowly, she adjusted her position so she could look down toward the ground. Below her was a huge animal that she recognized as a Stegosaurus. It was making its way though a patch of ferns, never lifting its head off the ground. All around it were smaller creatures with stripes and hooked beaks, like parrots. The smaller animals were very noisy, chattering to one anouther. The Stegosaurus let out a deep bark, and the parrot creatures went scurrying into the undergrowth.

At that moment the Stegosaurus lifted its small, beaked head from its meal and sniffed the air. The animal grunted, and shook its plates back and forth, creating a loud clattering sound. A hooting sound from deeper in the forest sent the mighty Stegosaurus running. Susan looked around. What had caused the Stegosaurus to leave? Then she saw it. About ten feet away, almost completly covered in plants, was a huge creature. She could see massivly powerful arms, buldging with muscles. The hands were decked with long, sharp claws, well over three feet long. Susan shuttered. But from the looks of it, the animal was eating plants. She could hear it tearing at the trees, giving the occasional hooting sound. What sort of creature was this?

Susan gasped as the loud crack of a rifle firing shattered the peace. The giagantic creature gave a loud hoot and began to march away. Susan raced through the branches of the tree until she had a good view of the valley. Seconds ago, a herd of Triceratops had been grazing peacefully. Now the animals were terrified, and were running for their lives. As Susan watched, the gigantic herbivores stampeded away, down toward the lagoon. Then she saw it. At the base of the tree was a young Triceratops, probobly no more then two years old. Several sharp, round holes lay in it's side where bullets had struck the animal. And standing over it was Cooper, his rifle smoking.

"Cooper!" Susan cried over the noise of the retreating herd, "What the hell are you doing?!" Her face had gone bright red. She hoped that Cooper's act of violence had been in self defence, but she seriously doubted it. "What's wrong?" the man called up to her cheerfully, "I've got us some lunch!" Susan tried to understand Cooper's perspective on the situation, but just couldn't. There were plenty of edible plants in this primevil jungle, why had he taken the life of an innocent young Triceratops? Susan looked back at the kill. Baselton and Jeremy had caught up with Cooper. She could see that Baselton was pleased about this event, and that he was well enough to walk. Jeremy was absolutly outraged. Susan heard a russeling in the branches behind her. She turned, but it was only Nick and Dr. Frost, their faces full of worry. "What happenned?" asked Nick. "You don't want to know," Susan replied, "Cooper just shot a baby Triceratops for us to eat." Nick moved to the edge of the branch and called down to Cooper, "I hope you know that was the worst thing you could have possibly done!" Cooper was about to respond, but Baselton stopped him. Nick shook his head. "It's not only the principle," said Frost, "A mother Triceratops is very protective of her young, and has alot of power behind those horns." Cooper glared up at him from below. "I don't see any adults around here," he said icily.

"He's right you know!" said Jeremy, glaring at Cooper. "We're all in a very dangourous position thanks to you!" Cooper was taken aback. "Here I try to help out you treehuggers and this is the thanks I get?" Jeremy said nothing, only turned and started walking toward the trees. "We'd better rejoin the others," he called back,"It'll be safer." Jeremy stopped. "Wait a minute," he said, "where did you get that rifle?" He had been so upset that it hadn't even occured to him before. "I was scouting the area earlier this morning. I came accross a skeleton, and it had a gun next to it," Cooper said, pulling a knife out of his pocket. "I'll eat up and you guys can starve" he growled. Cooper lowered the knife to the hide of the carcass and started cutting. Jeremy staggered over to the dead animal and pulled out his knife. "You two are barbarians!" Jermey called back to them as he climbed up into the tree.

"What a mess," groaned Baselton as he sawed off the head of the Triceratops. His hands and arms were soaked with blood, and it smelled awful. But once he had a fire going, he figured it would taste alot like steak. He suddently felt a sharp pain in his side. A grim reminder of how close he came to being completly torn open by the Raptors. He would have to be more careful, but he was thankful that he was able to walk. "Look out!" Nick yelled from up in the trees. "Now what?" Cooper snapped as he tugged at the ribs. But Baselton didn't respond. Alarmed, Cooper looked up. A gigantic adult female Triceratops was charging toward them. Cooper grabbed his rifle and prepared to fire. "Is he crazy?" whispered Jeremy. The man jumped out of the tree and raced toward Cooper. "Get out of the way!" he yelled. But Cooper wouldn't budge. He cocked the rifle, and peered through the scope, preparing his shot at the rapidly aproaching animal.

Cooper pulled the trigger. The Triceratops howled, but kept comming. The single bullet did very little to the thick, armoured head of the Triceratops. Cooper prepared to fire again, but it was too late. The Triceratops ducked her head, and her massive brow horn impaled Cooper. The rifle flew out of his hands and landed under the trampeling feet of the massive animal. Cooper screamed, but it was cut off as the Triceratops swung her head, killing the man. Mallon and Jeremy turned and ran to the trees, where Susan, Frost and Nick were standing.

>

"Is he alive?" Susan whispered. Will shook his head. The group silently watched as the Triceratops shook the tangled mess that was Cooper off her horn and trotted over to the baby. She sniffed it, and soon realized that it was dead. The Triceratops let out a long, mournful cry, then gallopped off to rejoin the herd. "We should keep moving," Nick said Gently. Frost shook his head. "We've created alot of noise" he whispered,"And it probobly attracted some predators. I say we wait in the trees."