It's one o'clock on a Monday afternoon, so you must be watching Think Tech Hawaii Research in Manoa. I'm your host, Pete McGinnis-Mark, and every Monday we bring you some of the science updates from the University of Hawaii's Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology. And this week, we're dealing with the Planetology and Geophysics side because we're going to have Niels Grobe, who is a geophysicist, you're an assistant researcher, faculty member, newly minted at the university. So Niels, welcome to the show.  That's correct. To start off with, what does a geophysicist do? Well, first of all, thanks for having me here today, Pete. It's a great pleasure to talk a little bit more on geophysics and especially on Hawaii. A geophysicist basically tries to look in the subsurface of the earth. So underneath our feet, there's a whole world that we cannot look at. And what we're trying to do is to use physics techniques to make an image of the subsurface, similar to what happens in the hospital when people look at somebody's body, for example. So you're doing an MRI of the earth? Something like that, yeah, something like that, yeah. So and based on that, we can kind of like see what is where and where are the interesting features that we may be looking at. Cool. And a geophysicist is a different skill set from a geologist, correct? That's correct. So the geologists basically look at the rocks and the structural phenomena of the earth, like what is the earth composed of. A geophysicist tries to make an image because the geologist cannot look underneath the earth's surface. They can look what is out in the field, what you can see with your eye. But you cannot look what is below your feet. So did your physics tries to help and assist by making an image using these kind of... And for our viewers, Nils, can you say, is it literally below our feet, say the top five meters, or can you go deeper than that? It can go totally deep. So people have even learned that the earth consists of a core by using seismology waves, basically. So waves generated by an earthquake, sound waves traveling through the whole earth. And wherever there's a contrast, you get kind of like an echo. So as a child, we all scream down in a hole, for example. And listen until the sound comes back to our ear. That's the same kind of principle that they use there to see, like, where are the contrasts in the subsurface? And what can we learn about how it looks down there? And based on that, they even looked down in the earth and they discovered the earth as a core. Yeah, you can go as shallow as the first few meters down to the earth's core. Although, presumably, you don't get the same level of detail that the data you go. And in your particular application of geophysics, what depth range are you interested in? So I'm primarily interested in the earth's near surface, what we call. So that's the first few hundred meters up to, let's say, three kilometers. OK, so about two, two and a half miles down. Right, that's correct. And so you're here in Hawaii now. That would be sort of somewhere between if you're on the big island, it would be below sea level, but not down to the ocean floor, something like that. Yeah, so it depends in the near shore area.  So based on that, like the first two and a half miles, I would say, of the earth's crust. So really, where the earth is still consisting of the crust, the outer shell of the earth, basically, and we're not yet into the mantle or the core. And we should congratulate you, Niels. You're a newly minted faculty member at Manoa, right? That's correct, yeah. I'm sure the viewers can tell that I'm not from Hawaii. No, are you? Where have you just come from? So I'm originally from the Netherlands. So that's in Europe. And then I did near Amsterdam, I believe. Yeah, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, somewhere in between. Yeah, so that's where I did my studies, my undergrad and grad studies. Then I moved to Boston to MIT for a postdoc. And after that, I was lucky enough to come here and start as a faculty member at UH. And presumably the kind of geophysics you would do in the Netherlands or in Boston, is that the same as you're trying to do here? Or is it different? No, it's quite different. We don't have active volcanoes. Hopefully not in Boston. No, no, and also not in the Netherlands. So the Netherlands are typically quite a flat sedimentary zone. So we're at the stream mouths of some rivers. And that's what formed the Netherlands as a delta, basically. So it's totally different than a volcanic island chain like Hawaii is. But based in terms of geophysics techniques, actually, a lot of them are transferable because the technique itself is based on physics, the environment is different. And that can make a huge difference. Yeah, but I believe you had previously worked on volcanoes in the Atlantic. Yes, yes. So can you tell us a little bit about that? And maybe we can go to the first slide so you can show us the techniques. You can have the first slide up. We will see, I think, Niels actually doing some of his field work. Here we are. Yeah, that's me. So that's... So where are you, Niels? So you see me in a beautiful landscape, which looks maybe a little bit like Hawaii, but it's not. This is on the Azores in Portugal, basically. So it's a volcanic island group, offshore Portugal, near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, what we call. So that is where fresh ocean crust is and materials being formed. And at that spot, they have like active volcanic island chains similar to Hawaii. And this is where we did some field work. So this is me out in the field making some GPS measurements. But this looks as if it's fairly vegetated. So this island in the Azores might be equivalent either to Oahu or Kauai, perhaps. Yes, yes. So you have basaltic subsurface. So we're dealing with volcanic rocks and we're dealing with a lot of vegetation and meadows and everything on top of that. So there's not a lot of outcrops. All right. And I think your next slide will show us a little bit more of some of the techniques. So here you are again. You've got lots of little toys or gizmos with you. Going to the viewers, what they're looking at. Right. Yeah, so first of all, the thing that catches the eye most is the blue tent. So that was basically just to protect the equipment from the rain because as on the big islands, on the Azores, it can rain quite drastically and quite suddenly. So we protect our electric equipment that is underneath that tent. So you see this orange box, basically, which is the electrical resistivity meter. Next to it, you see a black battery which charges. It's just a car battery, but it charges the electrical resistivity. And you mentioned electrical resistivity. Right. What technique is that exactly? So what that does is you have in the field, you deploy some so-called electrodes. So those are just tiny rods that we stick into the ground. And based on that, this device, car battery powered, injects a little electric current in two of the rods and measures the potential difference with other two rods. So it basically describes how resistive is the earth. So how easy does the current flow through the earth, basically? So if it has a lot of water in it or salt water even, the current can go very easily through that. But if it's just a dry, basaltic rock, the resistivity of that rock may be much higher. So it basically gives you a map and an idea of which parts of the earth are more conductive, electrically speaking. And do you just measure the conductivity between two points on the ground or what kind of field techniques might you use? Right. So we deploy a typical array. So there's many of these electric rods, electrodes, we call them, over several hundred meters, or we can do whole transects basically through the landscape. And this device, it kind of just takes pairs of those electrodes where it injects and pairs where it measures. And then based on what we designed the acquisition to be like, it transfers along that transect and covers the whole area. So based on that, we get right underneath that line, we get an image of the electrical resistivity of the subsurface. And if we would deploy them on the whole surface, so in a 2D plane, you would get a 3D volume in the earth subsurface. And how does that tell you about that? I can understand that you might be able to measure conductivity between two points. Right. The depth part of the technique. Right, yeah. So based on the voltages what we measure, if the area is quite conductive, the currents will go through, but they will attend relatively quickly. So based on the different depths and the different variations that are there, the currents will go through these different depth sections. And by selecting different distances between electrodes, so I can take the two nearest ones, or I can take the two furthest ones, or anything in between, you can look deeper or shallower, depending on the distances. And all this is done with a car battery. That's all done with a car battery. Amazing, yeah. And I think the next slide will actually show a little bit more of this theoretical technique. We're talking about electrical techniques now. You're not gardening here. No, no. What is it you're doing here? So this is a similar technique, but it's a passive technique, so it's part of a magnetotelluric system. So in the previous example, I displayed an active electric current injected by the car battery. What we do here is we dig a little hole. You see, it's not very big. And what I have in my hand, that black little box, is another one of those electrodes, which we can bury in the subserver. So we put it there, we cover it up, and then we just listen and wait to the electromagnetic disturbances caused by the solar winds and the lightning in the atmosphere. And again, it looks fairly non-intrusive. That's good, yeah. You're in a field here, perhaps it's like a cow patty or something. It's not a major excavation. It's a cow patty, and we got permission by the landowners to do that for which we were very grateful because we don't leave a big footprint, basically, but it's crucial to make this little hole to get the best signal that we need, yeah.  Right. I understand you off to the big island soon. What are your expectations of actually applying some of these techniques on an active volcano, even? Yeah, that's fascinating. I'm very excited to go to the big island to see what it actually looks like, how is the volcano being built up, how it's being formed, and also, what are we dealing with? Because it's kind of crucial, like you say, if you have access to the field area, if you can walk there, if you can carry your equipment, and then also how hard is the rock? Can we actually make a little hole in the rock or is it totally rough hard rock surface? I wish there was a way that you could put down your thoughts before you go to the big island because obviously an active lava flow or even some of the thick, historic lava flows, the landscape is really different from what we're seeing here. That's what I've seen on the topography and the pictures and the journal articles and everything. So this is my first time going there and I'm very excited to see what it is really like. Now, you talked about electrical technique, but what kind of skill sets does a geophysicist need? As you were coming through high school or college, are you a computer geek? Do you build equipment? What's your background? Yeah, so for me, it was kind of interesting because I liked all the science courses, basically, so math, physics and chemistry. Those were the ones that I liked. And I was looking for a job that could encompass all of those. And at the same time, I had a profound interest in nature and I loved being outdoors. So I started looking at all those ingredients and see how best that come together in what kind of studies. And geophysics is exactly doing that. So you need some mathematics to understand the physics and to develop your models. You need obviously the physics. It's even in the name of geophysics. Some geochemistry also plays a role in general in earth sciences and geology and the structures that you're after. And then you mentioned the computer aspect of things. So the coding and the programming, many of our geophysics techniques and models are being converted to a numerical model to do forward predictions using a computer. But also once we have acquired the data, you basically, so we acquire the data, but that gives us hidden in that what kind of structure is beneath it, but it doesn't directly give us the image. So in order to make the image, we would have to do something which is called an inversion or imaging. And we basically take the data that we got, which has the effect of the subservers where all that technique and these currents went through, and we're trying to find the best model that explains what we have measured. So that's where all the computation has come in. Computer scientist, physicist, geologist, and someone who knows how to use a lot of equipment. Exactly, yeah. Great. Well, Niels, we're getting close to the middle of the show, so we're gonna have to take a break now. When we come back, hopefully you can tell us a little bit of your expectations for doing geophysics in Hawaii. So let me just remind all the viewers you are watching Think Tech Hawaii Research in Manoa. I'm your host, Pete McGinnis-Mark, and our guest today is Dr. Niels Grobe, who is an assistant researcher at the University of Hawaii's Institute of Geophysics and Planetology. And we'll be back in about a minute. See you then. I'm going to the game and it's gonna be great. I usually drink, but won't be drinking today because I'm the designated driver and that's okay. It's nice to be the guy that keeps his friends in line, keeps them from drinking too much so we can have a great time. A little responsibility can go a long way because it's all about having fun on game day. I'm the guy you wanna be. I'm the guy, say goodnight. I'm the guy with the H-2-O. And I'm the guy that says, let's go. Hello, my name is Howard Wigg. I am the proud host of Code Green, a program on Think Tech Hawaii we show at 3 o'clock in the afternoon every other Monday. My guests are specialists from here and the mainland on energy efficiency, which means you do more for less electricity and you're generally safer and more comfortable while you're keeping dollars in your pocket. And welcome back to Think Tech Hawaii Research in Manoa. I'm your host, Pete McGinnis-Mark, and I guess today is Dr. Niels Grobe, who is an assistant researcher at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, and we're learning all about geophysics. Now, Niels, the university was really successful. We stole your way from MIT, presumably, to do something here in Hawaii, right? That's correct, yeah. So what is the potential for doing research in your line of work in Hawaii? Oh, it's fascinating here. That's one of the things that attracted me so much because this is really where new Earth's crust, new Earth materials being formed. This is where active volcanoes are. This is where the earlier mentioned earthquakes can occur. So in terms of having a real-life laboratory out there and being able to do your geophysics in a live laboratory on the scale of the Earth is fantastic. So it's really great to be able to test your methods here. And I understand it's a fairly new field in terms of doing this kind of work here in Hawaii. I know the US Geological Survey have done a little bit of work in the past, but there's a lot to learn, correct? Right, yeah. So another aspect of what attracted me so much is the water-related aspect of it. So part of the projects that we're working on here is trying to make a characterization of the Earth's subsurface and see where does the water go, where is it sitting, where is it flowing, how is it connected? All right, so back up. We were talking about internal structure of volcanoes. Right. And now you're mentioning water. Right. Make the connection for the viewers. Right, so what it is is that a lot of groundwater is being used as a freshwater source, which comes out of our faucets, which we use for showering and so forth. So Hawaii gets its water naturally from the islands, where it rains somewhere in the mountains and somehow it flows down to the ocean. But a lot of the water infiltrates and flows underneath the ground, and that is the domain where I come in. So that's basically where we're trying to characterize, all right, what are the structures that control where the water flows? How do we know where we can drill a well to actually produce the water that we use? And to understand that in such a complex environment as the Hawaiian volcanic islands is a real challenge and it's very important. Right, so the inside of the volcanoes we have in Hawaii control where the, eventually the rainwater falls on the, some of the volcanoes that eventually flows down towards the coast. Exactly, yeah. You're hoping to be able to tell us what pathways that water is following. Precisely, yeah. So where is it going? How does it control how much water we can actually use? Are different aquifer systems as we call it connected? So this must be very important for our community. This is crucial, yeah, this is crucial, especially since Hawaii is self-sustaining in terms of the water, like you can't ship in all the water from anywhere else. So the fresh water that we're talking about, not the ocean water, but really the fresh water that we use, that really has to come from the groundwater and from where it rains in the mountains, down to the ocean, somewhere in that path, we have to capture it and use it sustainably. The way to drill a new well, for example, or how much a particular catchment area is influenced by surrounding mountains. Yeah, yeah, so that controls all the management issues that we're dealing with in terms of using the water optimally, sustainably. You sound like an important person to have here. Thanks. Let's take a look at the next slide, because I think we're going to go into a few examples. All right, and here I believe we've got a stylized view of Oahu. Explain for the viewers what we're looking at here. So here we see kind of like a schematic of the hydrological cycle or hydrological flow paths on Hawaii. So at the right side of the picture, you see the ocean, you see Honolulu and you see something yellow, which is called sediments, so that is the sedimentary zone. On the left side, you see the mountains and you see some vertical red lines, which are the dike intrusions, so the volcanic intrusions of rock. The underground structure. Right, so that is all underground structure. So you see the diagonal line, which depicts like the air separated from the earth's subsurface, basically, the underground. And then the idea is that somewhere on the slopes of the mountain, rainfall will fall. It will infiltrate somehow in this subsurface structure, and it will try to move down slope, basically, towards the ocean. But as you can see in the underground, there's a lot happening. So you see something called salt water, you see a brackish water zone, and you see some fresh water. So the fresh water typically floats on top of the salt water, but it interacts with all the subsurface structures that you're seeing. So when you look at the dike complex, you see that there's also a lot of water in between those red lines. So your geophysics could tell us something about where the dikes are located? Exactly. Or how deep might we be able to go with the electrical techniques you described in the first half? Can we get down to the brackish water, for example? Right, so that depends a little bit on the method. So the magnetotelurics, the passive method where I had to dig the hole, it basically can go down very deep. So we can kind of reach those zones, but you will lose the resolution of that picture. So we see less detail with that method. The electrical resistivity can give us a higher resolution image, but for the first, like let's say kilometer up here. And of course, all of the Hawaiian islands are a little bit different in terms of not only their age, but the detailed structure of where the rift zones are located or whether they had what are called these post-erosional volcanics like diamond head or punch bolt or Hanama Bay, that sort of thing. So your technique can actually tell us. Well, we have to separate the challenge and not study this yet. Right. So we have to separate the different geology, the controlling structures. You mentioned the dikes, for example. Those are very important because they kind of form a barrier for the groundwater. So it kind of traps the water or diverts the water around it. So it is really important to know where are those and how is this all interacting with the geology. So if you have different ages of geological sediments, they all may play a different role in how the water flows. So yeah, like you mentioned, there's a lot of different rocks here and it's very complicated. And you're doing this from this sort of imaging technique, which I think is shown in the next slide. What we've got here, it is a model of groundwater flow on the big island, right? And so this is Kona coast. We see on the left-hand side, Huala Lai volcano, right? What are the little diagram on the right-hand side? Do you know? What is that? So we see here, indeed, the big island and the red line on the left picture is basically describing the modeling domain that you see on the right. So this is hydrological modeling. So it basically tries to identify the flow paths on where the water falls from the rainfall, where it goes in the subsurface and how it may have moved down to the coast.  That's the control. So that is the ground truth. Yeah. So that is what is there, but where there are no wells, we kind of have no idea where the water is going. So that's where the geophysics would come in to also answer that question mark, like where is it really going? Like there's all these errors being drawn. But where is it actually? Yeah, I see, for example, in the right hand diagram that the red arrow model flow crosses with zone as a geologist, presumably that's not a very plausible. Right, right. Like I said, that those dike complexes will hopefully or predominantly form a barrier for the water. So the fact that the water goes straight through that dike is very unlikely in the sense it would rather go elsewhere than through a zone where the water is basically being blocked. So even though the groundwater model seems to show it goes through, the question is, does it really go through or does it go elsewhere? Affailability of water on the big island, particularly the Kona coast is a present day issue, right? It is crucial. And I would imagine that you need to know whether or not in Kona you're getting water from monolow or you're getting it from monocale or whether it's just localized around Hualile. Right, yeah. It all plays a major role in how much water is there available, where does it actually come from and all those sources of where the water can fall, monolow, monocale or Hualile, all contribute to how much water is there available in total and what can we do?  It is, yeah, yeah. Won't it be even more complicated when it's a young? It must be extremely complicated. So that's why it's also a very challenging project. And as you may have heard, or the viewers may have heard, there's this Ikewai project of the University of Hawaii, where different disciplines, geology, geochemistry, hydrology, geophysics and social economics are all working together to try and address this challenging issue. So this was a project Nicole Laozi was on the show six months ago. So it's the same project. It's the same project. It's a massive project. But the challenges are also massive. So we have to do something. And I would imagine, Hualile is an active volcano erupted in 1801. If you're looking at Kilauea, it's active today. There must be a lot of differences between the Big Island and Oahu because the Oahu has been extinct for two million years. Yeah, so there are various study areas that we can look at. And depending on where we are, the complexity may vary and also the flow patterns what we observe. But we have the impression that there may be some similarities also between the islands. Well, this is fascinating, Niels, because you're just at the start of your professional career in Hawaii. You're enthusiastic. You haven't been out into the field. Can I suggest that when you've actually made some of these measurements and you've got some results, can you come back on the show? Oh, I would love to. Yeah, yeah, I think that is very nice to show the audience. Like, to see what do we actually see underneath our feet in real life on the Big Island or on Oahu? And how can it help the local population, the water supplies, as well as I'm a sort of a geologist myself, just learning much more about the inside of an active volcano would be fascinating. So please come back. Unfortunately, we've got to the end of the show. It goes really quickly. I know. Let me just remind our viewers you are watching Think Tech Hawaii Research in Manoa. I've been your host, Pete McGinnis-Mark, and my guest today has been Dr. Niels Grobe, who is an assistant researcher at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology. So thanks for watching and join us again next Monday at 1 o'clock for another episode of Think Tech Hawaii Research in Manoa. Goodbye for now.


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section 26 of stories of the first American animals this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Trevor Johnston stories of the first American animals by George Langford Mamut the last of the mastodons part 3 the leaders of the white tails and of the mastodons faced each other I come from my people with a message said the buck your herd has done us great harm we wish them to leave harm what have they done demanded the surprised burbo our feeding grounds are ruined the other replied bitterly you mastodons are so wasteful you trample down and destroy much more than you eat and it's worry enough for us to see how much it takes to fill your big stomachs the bigger the stomachs the bigger the worry burbo retorted we mastodons have our troubles too but that does not help us said the buck we were here first happy and contented until you came there will be nothing left for either of us unless you go away the bull eater pondered deeply yes it was all true enough his people were indeed wasteful eaters their huge feet destroyed far more than went into their mouths furthermore the feeling had been growing upon him for several days the time was near at hand when the herd must soon be seeking new fields their present food supply was fast becoming exhausted he had no coral with the white tails deer and mastodon had gotten along remarkably well together yes he could do is ask and it would be a good thing all around we will leave today he announced briefly where upon the buck went his way rejoicing word was soon passed among the herd that the time for departure had arrived all made ready and waited for burbo to give the signal or rather they waited for mamut to awaken none thought of deserting the young mastodon so they all stood together swaying from side to side blowing dust on their backs and doing various other things to pass the time mamut awoke at last rested and recovered although weak and hungry however a warm drink of milk worked wonders and after walking about a few steps to ease his cramped muscles he was in condition to proceed the moment of departure was at hand burbo took his place in the lead in the march began from the cover of the woods the deer people were interested spectators of the sudden leave taking of their now unwelcome guests whitetail bucks does and fawns concealed in the distance behind every bush and tree looked wonderingly on they saw a wave of great brown backs and tossing trunks capped with gleaming ivory rolling away from them to the west the mastodons marched off without once turning to look behind them and the land of the Huron and Sandusky saw them no more Mamut trotted close to his mother side he had not yet fully regained his strength and it was hard for him to keep up with the herd every one of their big steps covered as much ground as did his three and so his legs had to twinkle three times to their one in order to hold his place in the line of the march he puffed and grunted the foam gathered upon his flanks and his heartbeat like a trip hammer each of his pudgy feet seem to have a big stone tied to it he wished that his people would only stop a few moments or slow up and thus give him a chance to catch his breath but still they lumbered on Mamut began to falter he uttered no complaint but he was dreadfully tired and try as he would his legs could not be made to move fast enough he dropped back and then softly and from some mysterious source a huge trunk curled down and around his body beneath the armpits another press gently upon his realm the stones dropped from his feet half of his body the heaviest half seemed to be floating through space the lighter half was being propelled by that which pressed upon his rear gradually he regained his wind his heartbeat sank to normal and he found time to learn what had happened to affect this welcome change hostess trunk wound about his body was pulling him forward while another of the herd was pushing from behind with such help Mamut was enabled to keep up however he was glad enough to rest when the herd made a short stop for drink and refreshment gradually his wind improved his muscles toughened and it was not many days before he could do his part well and with little assistance for weeks the mastodons kept on the move through western Ohio fearing occasionally to the north or south but in general heading toward the land of the setting sun wherever food abounded they halted only to move on again when the supply was exhausted dry and forested regions were crossed at top speed hard dry grass was of no more use to these teeth toothed elephants than saltwater is to a ship wrecked sailor none of the herd could chew it so they were obliged to hurry on or starve this roving life suited my mood perfectly it meant that he was hearing and smelling something new with every step he took it was also bewildering and interesting he loved traveling from place to place and then to cap the climax of his nomadic life he was treated to a journey over and through the water the mastodons traversed a broad forested region and emerged upon the bank of a broad river which barred their way here they stopped to rest and cool off for these great animals were wise enough to know the danger of attempting a long swim without due preparation in the meantime burbo devoted his attention to the opposite bank sniffing it carefully at long range this was to guard against surprise attack by panthers or wolves who might be lurking there such enemies which were ordinarily to be scorned might easily prove formidable to even a mastodon after a long intervading swim and a landing in a more or less exhausted condition mamut saw the river and it interested him greatly he noticed that the onward march was halted and wondered what would happen next burbo's actions impressed him he saw no reason for it at all but minds wiser than his were there to decide so he waited with the others then came the order to advance when the bull leader trumpeted shrilly and waited into the water the herd followed. Hosta and mamut were among the last with several cows bringing up the rear. Mamut squealed with the light as the many huge feet splashed the water over his body and showers he loved to wade he kicked his hardest to make as much commotion as the others did the river bottom gradually fell away from beneath his feet the water which had barely reached his wrists and ankles now rose to above his elbows a few more steps and it covered the lower half of his body some washed into his mouth and down his throat he coughed shut his mouth and breathed through his long nose holding the tip aloft as the others about him were doing it was all very interesting and the water was delightfully refreshing but he was becoming just a little frightened and wishing that the river bottom would stop slipping away from under him he for one was willing to turn around and go back to where he came from and just when he was wondering how he could get himself out of the mess he had stumbled into down he went head and all one terrified squeal then the water entered his mouth and choked him his legs thrashed like piston rods as they sought vainly for support at this critical moment hostess trunk hovered before his eyes mamut clutched it as a drowning man clutches at a straw and still his legs worked frantically water could be walked on he soon discovered that is if he walked fast even though there was nothing solid beneath him the motion of his legs kept him afloat it was his mother of course that made this possible her trunk prevented his sinking he did not realize at first that the life preserver which he clutched so tightly had gradually relaxed and that he was keeping afloat almost entirely by his own efforts hostess trunk supported scarcely any of his weight he put on more steam and went plowing through the water like a tiny tugboat to his intense delight and astonishment it suddenly dawned upon him that it was not his mother but himself who produced this marvelous result he was running through the water swimming some called it and he was doing it all alone this was the young mastodon's first swimming lesson and he was a swimmer before he had reached midstream two-thirds of the way across and he found time to look about and see what the others were doing he was in the midst of a flotilla of brown and hairy foreheads before each of which a trunk tip projected above the water like the top of a periscope three-fourths of the journey and he was swimming like mad to beat those in front of him and take the lead chug chug chug then he stubbed his toes on a sunken snag and was walking once more on the river bottom up up this time instead of down the voyage was ended and such fun it had been never had mamout so enjoyed himself he was splashing his hardest to overtake his father and be the first one ashore when something clutched his tail and nearly pulled it out by the roots it was his mother who thus restrained him her son was growing over bold berbo must be the first to land and prepare the way those who thought differently needed a taste of stern discipline meanwhile the bull leader led the way up the slippery bank choosing an elevated position to halt and keep close watch until every member of the herd was gathered about him it did not dawn upon mamout that berbo not his mother was the master of the herd until the big bull took his young son in hand and taught him the respect to do himself the herds acknowledged leader mamout was too young to rebel against this new power over him but berbo saw that in time he would have a vigorous young male to deal with he a bull leader past his prime could not forever lead and the day was coming when he must yield his place to the rising generation however mamout had no thought about assuming any of life's responsibilities at least until he was weaned this last name period however was the beginning of a marked change in his young life the suckling calf became a vegetable eater and was obliged to hunt for and find his own food from then on he fared no better than the grown-ups he learned from what it meant to feel the real pinch of hunger the rigors of extreme heat and cold the hostility of flesh-eating animals and various other discomforts he experienced his first fear of the elements the thunder rumbling in the sky lightning flashes and strong winds that bowed the tallest trees these and other trials he faced as best he could gaining strength and courage with bitter experience he lost his childish ways rapidly for now he was but a mastodon struggling to exist in an environment and in a climate unsuitable to his kind he began to see more of the dark side of existence and less of its joys as he matured gradually he lost all feeling of dependence upon his mother he even began to feel a sense of responsibility concerning her welfare and the welfare of the herd he shed the last of his baby teeth one after another they were discarded three from the front of each jaw new and permanent ones rolled up and forward from behind to replace them in the manner peculiar to all elephants his tusks thickened and lengthened they were nothing more than his two upper incisor teeth and whose sockets were the means for unlimited growth they were like beaver teeth only growing forward and out of his mouth instead of back into it a lazy mastodon like a lazy beaver was one that neglected the care of his teeth tusks were meant to be used constantly and thus kept worn down for they grew fast like fingernails and nothing but wear could keep them from curling about so grotesquely as to become absolutely useless in time at the age of six mamut began to look upon his tusks as matters of prime importance they would take care of him provided he took care of them that is if he used and kept them worn down to proper length this he did by giving them daily exercise uprooting small trees and plowing deep furrows in the ground with his continued digging he became a straight tusk for his ivory weapons were prevented from attaining great curvature and were ever sharp pointed and directed forward like sabers the herd continued to look upon mamut as a baby even after he attained his eighth year panthers and wolves often cast longing eyes upon the youngster a full grown mastodon was too large for them to manage but a half grown calf was a different matter hosta and the other animals realized this and guarded the youngster zealously rarely would they permit him to leave their sight it was not long before mamut became conscious of this restraint he chafed under it and finally rebelled one day when the woods rang with a familiar cat screech he slipped away unnoticed and hurried through the woods in the direction of the sound Pam the cougar crouched full length upon a low hanging branch heard the snapping of twigs a few moments later a round figure with pillar legs appeared it was the young mastodon coming toward him and alone Pam's green eyes glistened his jaws tripped eager expectancy mamut was in his power at last he crouched motionless and waited the young mastodon drew nearer sniffing the air and keeping close watch about him his nose told him that he of the screeching voice was close at hand unfortunately he did not think to look up at the overhanging branch as he passed beneath it suddenly an unearthly scream rang out before mamut could collect his startled wits a tiny body descended upon him the next moment he was in the clutches of a snarling cougar that had fastened itself upon his forehead the youngster squealed with fear at the suddenness of it all then a spasm of rage seized him as he felt the big cat's claws piercing his tender trunk he shook the fury that tormented him as a terrier shakes a rat Pam lost his hold and fell heavily to the ground mamut kneeled and thrust it was the right idea but in his eagerness he misjudged both tusks sank deeply into the ground missing the cougar by inches before he could wrench them free Pam wiggled out of danger and beat a hasty retreat thankful to have escaped with no worse damage than a few broken ribs Pam lost his appetite for mastodon veal the woods often rang with his screeching but he invariably held his tongue whenever mamut appeared to answer the challenge only to unloose it once more when the young bull was gone that screeching irritated mamut beyond measure he wished that his enemy would either fight or keep quiet the mastodons entered the forest of minster here the wolves began to grow troublesome for the hunting had grown poor and a herd of elephants meant an abundance of food the wolves followed persistently keeping well back in the daytime but coming closer under the cover of night when all was dark and the herd would have rested they were treated to an unearthly chorus of howls and snarls as their tormentors glided about them among the trees these concerts greatly disturbed the mastodons there seemed no way of dealing with enemies that chose the nighttime for their activities and used only guerrilla methods of warfare the wolves were too wise to dash blindly upon a herd of mastodons their way was to spring out a few at a time snap at a leg or a trunk and then rush to cover again it was a wearing process that gave the herd much worry and little rest it terrified mamut at first but as he became aware that many of these insults were directed at his own person his fear turned to rage one night the pack was feeling overbold he heard them howling to each other if only that fat little calf would come out from behind the others what a feast we would have mamut squealed with rage before anyone can stop him he squirmed through the hedge of pillar legs around him and was on the outside of the herd stamping his feet and bellowing at the top of his lungs why don't you come out yourselves shame on you to be afraid of a baby mastodon pandemonium broke loose the wolf pack accepted the challenge and rushed upon him howling and snarling like fury to their din were added the squeals and bellows of the herd as they rushed madly about in the darkness in a frantic effort to put themselves between mamut and the tempest he had stirred up the youngster was now beside himself those who would have helped him he butted out of his way he dashed headlong into the massive wolves charging backing turning and trampling them underfoot he was a steamroller run wild the uproar became deafening bellows squeals howls and yelps with the yelps fast increasing in volume as one after another of the wolves fell beneath the young mastodons flying feet the fierce brutes became demoralized they wavered it was soon everyone for himself the pack finally scattered to the four winds leaving mamut in complete possession of the field the herd rested well the balance of that night their sleep was unbroken the next and the next and many nights after that last night's scrimmage must have discouraged the wolf pack of minster for they troubled the mastodons no more this episode opened to the herd's eyes their mascot was no longer a baby but a fighting bull the protected had become a protector mamut's calfhood came to a sudden end but for all that he was still the last calf not one had appeared since the day of his birth it would appear that he not only was but would remain the last the original count of 39 had narrowed down to 20 several individuals had become mired to be mired was to die a lingering death for no mastodon dared risk his own life to aid an imprisoned comrade it was not cowardice that prompted them to desert one of their own kind but the knowledge that such unfortunates were doomed and beyond all aid sickness took by far the heaviest toll sudden changes of climate brought on colds rheumatism and other ailments trivial wounds festered and became fatal exposure and lack of proper nourishment undermined their constitutions leaving them susceptible to the ravages of disease one of the oldest animals went mad and ran screaming through the woods soon to batter herself to death against the trees another perished in the drifts during a blizzard thus the mastodons dropped off one by one finally hosta became ill and her stomach would no longer retain nourishment she weakened rapidly she fell out of line although still struggling on one of the herd dropped back to and marched behind her pushing her forward with head and trunk the one who pushed was mammoot his childhood days were not entirely forgotten as he did his best to help the one who had watched over him so tenderly in the past but hosta was beyond all aid for a time she struggled on but finally her strength failed and she pitched forward to her knees she was dead even as she swayed and rolled upon her side mammoot trumpeted a mournful dirge he stood over her until certain that she was at rest forever and in no more need of his assistance then he hurried to rejoin the herd no words were said the mastodons marched on gloomily and silent hosta's turn had come and there was no changing fates decree mammoot's temple throbbed his brain seathed with rebellion why was it that his mother and those who had gone before her were denied the right to that life which all the rest of the world was enjoying what were the mysterious forces that wrought such havoc among his people he would have rushed upon them and trampled them under foot had they but presented themselves but they were unknown forces that worked insidiously and unseen he could do nothing and the knowledge enraged even as it perplexed him the count was now nineteen berbo's eyesight began to fail his power of scent became enfeebled there were times when he stopped uncertain of direction and too conscientious to lead blindly he lost flesh and aged rapidly mammoot observed these symptoms of gradual decline with much concern each day he shifted his position in the line nearer and nearer to his ailing sire finally he walked shoulder to shoulder with the big bull aiding him with his own sight and sent to watch over and lead the herd one morning after the mastodons had secured their night's rest and were ready to proceed berbo did not rise he crouched on elbows and knees with chin resting upon his forelimbs like one asleep the herd crowded about him trembling and venting their anxiety with subdued bellows mammoot sniffed the prostrate figure berbo was dead the young bull ground his teeth again the hidden enemy had struck every atom of his fighting spirit arose in wrath to contend with that deadly foe which fought unseen the herd faced disaster now they were without a leader at a time when one was most needed all were lost unless a substitute could be found to take berbo's place the cows stood huddled together grazing helplessly at the dead giant hope had left them and they were resigned to despair suddenly the smallest of the herd detached himself from the group and faced the shrinking cows follow me he bellowed in a voice of authority all looked up amazed a champion had arisen to watch over them hope returned to quicken the beating of every dull aching heart without a word the cows fell obediently into line and marched briskly away behind their new leader mammoot the stripling mastodon end of section 26 section 27 of stories of the first american animals this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org stories of the first american animals by George Langford section 27 mammoot the last of the mastodons part four five more years passed five bitterly cold winters and as many hot dry summers which later baked the meadowland and burned the grass into hard wire the herd was but a handful now nine old withered cows and one vigorous young giant bull their leader time had scored deeply in its final accounting of this once mighty race cold drought hunger and other destructive agencies had done their work thoroughly and well only 10 mastodons now survived to answer the last muster and yet the count had stood at 10 for several years in that period the herd had suffered many hardships but it had incurred no further losses although facing extermination the mastodons seemed to be dying hard for five years the herd had followed their new leader now a sturdy giant young in years old in experience no beast of hillside forest or meadow dared stand for a test of strength and skill with the tusked fencing master mammot was a fighter but things had come to a pass where brains were needed far more than skill or brawn the first two years of mammot's leadership were a determined effort on his part to grapple with the insidious forces that were slowly but surely accomplishing the herds destruction panthers wolves and such enemies could be fought and mastered but there were other foes that worked unseen and drove the young mastodon almost to his wits end it finally dawned upon him that lack of proper nourishment and the extremes of climate were in reality the herds most formidable enemies he discovered too that their food supply depended mainly upon climate in other words mastodon troubles were all a matter of intense heat and bitter cold both worked great physical hardship also they discouraged the growth of soft green food suitable for teat crowned teeth the fourth year of mammot's leadership found him in his charges in southern michigan they had passed an unusually comfortable summer there but all green things had now begun to wither and the nights were intensely cold a change of season was at hand the time had come for the herd to move on move on yes but where mammot asked himself the cold seemed to blow down from the north winds which blew occasionally from the south were as a rule much pleasanter where else to go but away from the cold breezes and towards those which mastodons most favored mammot guided his charges south for a time it seemed to the young leader as though the direction he had chosen promised little relief food was still scarce the wind blowing from behind him grew colder each day and yet he was shrewd enough to note that he was going away from not toward it the time might come when it would change so he kept on many other animals were moving in the same direction as he short-haired creatures and birds too if the mastodon had misjudged others had likewise misjudged but it appeared to him that the majority opinion was more likely to be right than wrong day after day the march continued veering westerly to accommodate it to the south westerly flow of the wabash river the mastodons followed the line of this river and were therefore assured at all times of an ample water supply suitable for bathing and drinking purposes gradually almost imperceptibly the air grew balmyr as they plotted on although dormant the river vegetation was tender and nourishing the herd began to move on more leisurely and finally after having journeyed many hundreds of miles they settled down and proceeded to enjoy themselves there were none to tell them that they were now passing a comfortable winter in southern illidoi and that at the same time the great lakes region lake prostrate beneath snow drifts and bitter cold it was enough to know that the fertile country north of the Ohio river was satisfactory as to food and climate and so there they stayed with the passing of many months came discomforts resulting from a gradually rising temperature animals that had gone south with the mastodons began to drift back northward the winter had ended spring was at hand mammoth knew not the why and wherefore of these climatic changes but his judgment still favored the majority opinion back again he piloted the herd to summer quarters in the north the cool breezes were now pleasing where previously they had been displeasing mammoth had begun to understand now he knew north in summer south in winter face to the cold winds each spring back to them each fall and the spring and fall signs he learned partly from the movements of other animals but more particularly from the contrasts in plant development when the bare trees budded new leaves or when their foliage fluttered to earth in showers of golden yellow red and brown in this manner mammoth acquired the migrating habit to replace the hitherto aimless roving about in search of food and bodily comfort he shifted with the seasons and each move was made in the right direction at the proper time the summer which followed the herds first northern migration was an unusually hot and dry one north and a bit more of it seemed to be in order so mammoth ventured far up into michigan where he and his companions were rewarded by a most comfortable sojourn on the shores of lake Huron fall was late in coming but when it did come the sudden advent of cold breezes sent mastodon screwing south in short order for a time all went well the herd passed through michigan safely and kept on to the headwaters of the wabash river in indiana here the country appeared to have undergone a marked change this region had for some time been experiencing the greatest rainfall in its history day after day the sun had remained hidden beneath great cloud banks which poured forth their moisture incessantly the ponds and lakes filled up until they could hold no more every creek and river overflowed its banks the rainy season had ended when the mastodons appeared there but the lowlands of indiana were still thoroughly soaked before mammoth realized his mistake he had guided the herd into the very heart of a region abounding in bogs and slows the young leader soon became aware of his predicament and called a halt traveling through such a nest of traps would never do mastodon feet were broad and well suited for supporting great weight on soft ground but it was straining a point to place too much dependence upon them in these rain-soaked lowlands of central indiana mammoth surveyed his surroundings anxiously in the distance to the west the land surface inclined gradually upward bogs and mires were less plentiful on high ground as compared with low according to his experience again he ordered an advance but now instead of south or southwest his course was directed due west never did animal more carefully choose a path than did the young leader now gingerly making his way over that sodden soil he seemed to be walking on eggs so deliberate and cautious were his steps suddenly a scream rang out in the distance behind him he stopped and looked back poor eyesight prevented his seeing the one who uttered that scream but its tone was familiar and his nose told him that its author was an old-time enemy he stamped his feet angrily and trumpeted a defiant call which rang over the meadow and was answered by a second scream the voice was that of a cougar mem retraced several of his steps even as his companions passed by him and moved on he had rolled his trunk aloft and assumed a fighting posture an absurd and useless performance for no cougar lived who dared venture within range of a fighting elephant the herd feel no anxiety about the skulking cat better had mammoth attended strictly to business for now his companions had gone on without him the latter was an unheard of occurrence but the cows had become alarmed by the distant screams and were hurrying rapidly away mammoth's fighting spirit was now thoroughly aroused his brain seathed with old memories of cat screams and a scratched trunk he waited but no enemy appeared this inaction on the cougar's part exasperated him but now he became aware that he was alone he should be leading his charges instead of lagging behind wasting his time with a cowardly cat so he resumed his way but even while doing so he could not refrain from trumpeting a last defiant call to the cougar far behind him better had he watched the lurking danger ahead than that which sulked behind his caution slumbered and for the moment he forgot all too late came the awakening his feet suddenly sank into the treacherous ooze the mire demon seized him with sucking grip and held on like death in vain mammoth strained and tugged he was stuck fast here was no chance for him to make use of his great strength and suddenly it flashed upon him that a mastodon caught in the mire need expect no assistance from anyone would the herd help him he gazed in their direction despairingly but by this time they had passed over the high ground and were beyond sight or hearing vainly the mired mastodon continued his struggles to free himself and then as though fate were determined to permit him no chance to escape rain began to fall softly at first but soon pouring down in torrents finding his efforts useless mammoth ceased struggling he was cold and exhausted but as he rested and recovered his strength there came over him a wave of the old fighting spirit the kind that fought with brain even more than brawn the morass which gripped his limbs was a small one he could almost touch its sides with his trunk a single step forward and he would be safe he attempted to pull one forelimb free and make that step the effort shifted his weight to the hind limbs and they sank deeper try as he would he could pull neither one of them from the mire it was like lifting oneself with one's bootstraps mammoth finally gave it up his escape must be made in some other way the morass was a ditch about 20 feet wide several rods long mammoth stood like a bridge across this ditch and in the center of a thick mass of russes if these latter were only trees something substantial his escape would have been an easy matter he curled his trunk about a clump of these russes in a vain effort to pull himself free a single tug uprooted them he flung them down in disgust he repeated this performance but with no better result mammoth eyed the uprooted russes gloomily at the same time the thought was growing upon him that although the russes might be too flimsy to cling to they might be used in some way to support his weight it seemed a forlorn hope but he saw no other and anything was worth trying night came on the rain kept pouring down the body of the mired mastodon might have been mistaken for a large boulder it stood so still the head and trunk however were in constant motion among the russes they seemed to be thrashing about in the death agony although there were no despairing shrieks nor dying groans finally head and trunk became quiet and the mastodon lay or rather stood as one dead his legs buried in the mire up to his knees and elbows the rain stopped just as the night blackness began changing to morning gray mammoth still breathed as the darkness lifted and permitted a clear view the morass appeared much changed most of the russes had vanished or rather they had been mysteriously uprooted and piled in a great heap beneath the mammoth's chin the heap was much greater than appeared for a large part of it had been packed down into the mire forming a mat supporting the mass above it the first gray streaks of dawn had no sooner appeared than the young bull took a deep breath and lowered his head until its full weight rested upon his chin and the green mat beneath it the mat sank deeply as mammoth leaned forward and settled the entire front and heavier portion of his body upon it the whole pit surface rocked beneath this tremendous shift of weight muddy water shot up into mammoth's face as his jaws settled down against his chest the raft of russes protested with loud gurgle and sighs but it held firm the mastodon's neck began to bulge his back and shoulder muscles rose up in huge knots as he strained forward cords and tendons tautened and became cables which threatened to erupt through his crinkled hide the veins stood out upon his forehead like tree rootlets his breath came loud and fast the brass trembled to its bottom as the huge elephant challenged it to a test of strength but still it held on it was as though the captive's feet were clutched by the sucking tentacles of an octopus determined to retain its death grip and not permit such noble prey to escape but mammoth's power was now being applied to good advantage with an even greater grim resolve urging it on it was a test of strength between giants mire versus mastodon the two forces directly opposed each other and at first no apparent motion resulted then gradually the tide turned in favor of the determined mastodon not for an instant did his tense muscles relax slowly almost imperceptibly one hind leg emerged from the engulfing slime allowed sucking sigh and the foot came clear for a forward step the other hind limb was treated in the same slow and labored way the struggle then shifted to the front limbs trunk and tusks were still anchored on the green matte which as a point of leverage had thus far performed its part well one after the other the two front limbs were freed and advanced this was accomplished only after tremendous exertion for the mire demon held on to the last straining desperately to retain its hold the advance small as it was brought mammoth's trunk and tusks within reach of the pit rim and solid ground his main task was now completed although to make escape certain he must repeat his first performance and make another advance this he did after what seemed to him an eternity of squirming and heaving slowly painfully but surely he dragged himself out of the trap the mire demon sighed and groaned then settled back an inert mass as though acknowledging itself beaten and content to take no further part in the tremendous struggle once clear of the morass mammoth turned his attention to the western hills the herd had gone in that direction it vexed him to think that they would go without him but perhaps it was just as well that they had not lingered in the low buggy country now he must hurry after and find them although tired and sore he allowed himself no rest but set off at once past the last of the quagmires and up the sloping firmer ground when he reached the end and top of it he saw before him a broad expanse of rolling country a line of trees extended across the horizon the herd was nowhere to be seen a bitter disappointment for he had expected it that somewhere on this broad elevation his comrades would surely be waiting for him they had been there their great footprints were plainly visible in the rain-soaked ground but they had passed on the trail pointed toward the distant line of trees mammoth began to experience feelings of uneasiness the herd was without a leader they were a handful of timid old animals and would soon be getting into difficulties with no master mind to watch over them he hurried on at his best gate to overtake them as he lumbered over the slippery ground another feeling came over him to add to his anxiety it began to dawn upon him that he was alone the thought gave him keen mental discomfort he needed companionship as much as the herd needed his leadership he was beginning to think it a very dreadful thing to be alone and without friends as he approached the line of trees he heard a low hum which gradually increased to a muffled roar as he drew nearer it was not a noise made by mastodons but something else and yet it came from where he expected the herd would be mammoth felt a sense of impending calamity he quickened his pace and charged through the line of trees the roaring noise became deafening the mastodon caught glimpses of waves and dashing spray as he crashed his way through the woods in a few moments he had emerged into the open and stood upon the bank of a river once the peaceful wabash now become a raging torrent the night rain flowing from every one of its tributaries had filled it to the brim in a few hours the modest stream had become a mighty engine of destruction great trees torn from their anchorage by the driving flood were hurled upon the tossing billows like straws waves jostled one another or collided in showers of spray as all strove at the same time to find passage for themselves down the onrushing current it was a tremendous spectacle to look upon an inferno of sound to listen to mimic shrink back appalled the herd had perished there he could see their tracks leading to the river none from it and then as he stood trembling with anxiety and great dread a voice rang out above his head he turned and looked up there on a low-hanging branch crouched a gray furred animal with a bushy tail and fox-like face it was lodor the raccoon one more chattered the little beast but he who lags need expect no favors the others have crossed but now you must await your turn how mammoth felt as though the world had been lifted off his back the herd was safe then his anxiety was relieved they swam across loater replied it was easy to swim across before this flood came but look at it now mammoth looked again he suddenly felt so light-hearted that he could view the roaring river from a much altered standpoint it was indeed a terrifying spectacle but now he could enjoy it for the herd had crossed in safety for some time the mastodon and raccoon gazed in silence at this remarkable scene never had mammoth gazed upon anything more wonderful but at last he had his fill of it the herd awaited him somewhere among the trees on the opposite shore he was now ready to move on he descended the bank and put one four-foot in the water lodor on the branch above him chatter loudly and danced about on the limb when he saw what mammoth was doing have a care he shrieked if you go any nearer to that water you will be drowned mammoth paused the words of the raccoon sounded in his ears like a death to attempt a passage of the river in its present swollen condition would be the act of a fool courting destruction he sickened with disappointment yes he must wait before he could rejoin the herd they were so near and yet so very far away for the whole of a long day and night too he chafed and fretted with none but lodor and the roaring flood to bear him company finally when he had become half crazed with impatience the slowly subsiding waters permitted him to pass after an exhausting swim through the swift current he landed far below the point from where he started here he began a frantic search for the missing herd but now he had lost the trail and try as he would he could not find it in vain he dashed here and there with nose to earth no trace could he smell or see mammoth halted to collect his scattered wits his anxiety was approaching panic his hopes were dashed and now the gloom of the woods weighed upon his brain like lead it was a terrible feeling this loneliness he felt that he would go mad if he did not soon find his herd then the thought of what they in their turn might be undergoing sobered him their predicament was even worse than his he could take care of himself but now they had none to watch over them and guide them the right way the herd had been traveling in a westerly direction probably they still held to it mammoth headed west battering his way through the trees into the open a flood of warm sunlight welcomed him before and on both sides of him appeared a vast gently rolling plane it extended to the distant horizon it seemed destitute of life except for a clump of bushes in the foreground there was not a single object to be seen upon its surface as mammoth strained for a glimpse or scent of his companions he saw several of the bushes move he bellowed with joy the bushes were animals mastodons no doubt his herd the site was enough to fill the lonely mastodons heart almost to bursting with a scream of rapture he galloped forward at full speed in a few moments he and his companions would again be reunited all seemed to have gone well with them during his few days absence but just the same he was grimly determined that never again would he permit them out of his site they need their leader he thought and i need a herd now that they had suffered no harm he was also thinking that the brief period of separation had given him by far the worst of it he was rapidly nearing his goal all of his companions were there awaiting him their heads were lowered it seemed to mammoth that they had grown smaller their legs were thin and peculiar looking he slowed up to a trot and took a long whiff of them through his nose the odor was not mastodon he came to a sudden halt as the truth dawned upon him this was not his herd these trunkless tuskless creatures with spindly legs were something else mammoth stood gazing upon them appalled by his overwhelming disappointment for an instant the bison herd with horns lowered returned his gaze then with one accord all turned and fled like the wind away they sped an avalanche of shaggy bodies and galloping hooves not once stopping to look behind them gradually the flying mass merged with the western horizon and only a haze of dust remained to mark the direction of its flight finally the haze floated away leaving the plains absolutely bare of stirring life even the tusked giant standing motionless with eyes straining westward the lone mastodon without a herd end of section 27 recording by Rita louise 2019 Ann Arbor michigan section 28 of stories of the first american animals this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or if you would like to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org stories of the first american animals by George Langford section 28 mammoth the last of the mastodons part five for several long weary days mammoth tramped up and down through the woods and over the meadows along the west bank of the Wabash searching for clues that might lead to the herd's discovery not for a single moment did he relax resting at night with ears alert to catch the faintest sound and on the go all day with a persistence that never faltered the weather grew gradually colder fall was at hand winter would soon follow and now is the time to journey south but mammoth had no herd to lead south would his companions remember to go there of their own accord surely they would do so from mere force of habit if nothing else the thought gave him much comfort they would go south in fact he was now convinced that they had already gone south he even scolded himself because he had not before given them credit for that much common sense they had secured almost a weak start and must now be far ahead of him all seemed clear to mammoth once he had thought the matter out so he hurried southward only to meet with disappointment the whole way for search as he would not a single masted on sign was to be found he had misjudged the herd had not preceded him after all otherwise they would have left some trail for him to smell or see although taken aback he now encouraged himself with fresh hopes i was only partly right he argued the herd did not turn south as soon as i expected something must have delayed them i must be patient and wait for they will soon be here he halted before a large pond where he found food and drink here he waited day after day passed and still no sign of his missing companions although weary and heart sick he refused to give up all hope whenever a chill voice whispered in his ear the herd has gone north you will never see them again he would silence it with no south they will come in good time various animals passing by halted to investigate the great tusked giant standing by the shore of the pond in his loneliness mammoth would have turned to them for companionship and consolation but they mistook the true meaning of his overtures and hurried fearfully away these were migrants from the north fleeing before the approaching winter to seek food and warmth in a more temperate climate not one of them dared stand before the mastodon who had they but known it felt enmity toward none and was merely seeking the companionship he sorely craved finally a flock of ducks flying down from the north alighted upon the waters of the pond mammoth saw them and became interested they were a flock of birds but any gathering of sociable creatures was interesting even though it served only to remind him of his own enforced solitude the flock numbered several dozen all mallards and their leader was a big strapping drake the latter attracted mammoth's particular attention being the leader of a herd or rather a flock the drake felt his responsibilities he had chosen the pond as a good place to round up his followers before resuming the flight south mammoth heard him say not here yet those ducks make me so angry they are always late quack quack his companions responded in chorus the stragglers began to drop in one by one finally five or six more were added to the flock the big drake was about to give the signal to depart when another duck descended with a splash that sent the water flying all over him squawk quack he's buttered in a great rage then his ire softened as the newcomers sidled up to him and gave him a coy admiring glance he raised his head proudly and fluffed his feathers with studied carelessness as though he had no idea how fine and gaudy they were always the last one you are enough to try accoutts patients he strove to speak harshly but with those soulful eyes taking note of his gorgeous array it was so easy to forgive and forget now follow me closely every one of you he commanded and please remember that there is to be no stopping anywhere until i give the word now we are all here are you ready he was preparing to leap from the water when a loud snort made him pause the sound came from the neighboring bank there stood a huge motionless figure whose color was much in harmony with the surrounding scenery the big mallard was not in the habit of paying much attention to motionless colorless objects or he would have seen it before however it was so large no one could help noticing it now that it had made a noise he hissed how did the big thing happen here i must look into this the rest of you stay where you are while i investigate these remarks as well as the ones previously made amused memmit greatly he remained motionless watching the big drake swimming toward him the bird came on haltingly paddling from side to side is so timid about taking too bold and straight a course he was consumed with curiosity to learn more of the huge animal that had no color and did not move but who made a noise as though knowing he was tantalizing the other memmit kept perfectly still and uttered no more sounds meanwhile the drake tacked and jibed all the time drawing nearer he was like a needle being attracted to a magnet when about ten yards separated him from the motionless giant he observed the ladders white tusks and stopped paddling what are you doing there he quacked memmit's eyes twinkled all animals had previously fled at the sight of him none had shown the slightest interest in his welfare but here was a plane every day duck demanding an accounting of his actions just as saucy as you please i was watching you when your friends he chuckled they seemed to give you no end of trouble how would you like to have me help you lead your flock unfortunately the drake could not see a joke his skull was not split four ways at the top his bump of humor never had a chance to grow lead my flock queer idea that he remarked soberly why only a duck could do it i'm sure you couldn't you have no wings of course not mammot replied no mastodon has but you ought to see me swim swim well now really the duck appeared much perplexed he remained silent for several moments staring at the water before him no it wouldn't do it all he finally blurted out besides i don't need any help why don't you get a flock of your own beasts like yourself mammots had dropped there are none he replied gloomily i am alone without a friend in the world no friends asked the drake in surprise now that is unfortunate i would die if i had to fly about the country alone you may be sure i would not stand around like you doing nothing if you need friends why don't you stir yourself and find some there are no mastodons here mammot answered weirdly i have hunted for them high and low but none are to be found none here perhaps said the drake but there are some where i came from i know because i saw them you saw them and it's our bounded within him where he asked eagerly the drake pointed his bill northward there he quacked i passed over them only yesterday there were not many of them but all were huge creatures just like you mammot trembled with joy the drake's words had suddenly raised him from the depths of despair to a seventh heaven of delight only yesterday he squealed then they must be very near me he beamed he flapped his ears excitedly the drake was about to speak but mammots brain was in a ferment and he rambled on like one talking to himself i felt that they were near me and that was all i had to brighten my loneliness it seems so very long ago that we became separated it is a dreadful thing this being separated from one's friends the drake nodded his head emphatically he said nothing but it was evident by his manner that he fully agreed the mire came between us the mastodon continued i was careless and did not see i should have been leading the herd i should be leading them now they are timid animals and need me to watch over and fight for them but now that you have told me where they may be found i must go to them at once every moment they are in danger and as for me i am so lonely i wish i would die he was turning away when he heard a loud quack quack behind him he stopped and looked back you need not be in such a hurry snap to the big mallard you'll be lonely all the rest of your life if you don't listen and be sensible i am listening mammot replied but be quick for i must go you have a long long journey before you the drake began but you saw my herd only yesterday a short journey for me but a long one for you said the big mallard shaking his head dubiously as he glanced at the mastodon's post-like limbs i fly faster than the strongest wind your speed is that of a turtle compared with mine your friends are indeed very far away mammot's heart sank then with a mighty effort he recovered himself no matter he said determinedly how long how far must i go until the snow drifts pile in your path like mountains and the waters harden like stone if you live through this you will find yourself in the country of the deer moose beyond the river of the plains your friends are there having delivered himself of these parting instructions the drake swam back to his flock and the mastodon turned northward the cold wind blew in mammot's face he set his teeth grimly this was no time to be going north he knew but the herd was in danger and he must hurry to them it would be a hard journey but he must get to them and lead them back to the southern country he dreaded the return journey more than the one now before him it must be made in the dead of winter could the herd do it they must his brows contracted with determination as he hurried on day after day he plotted his weary way the cold wind blowing in his face grew colder until the steam of his labored breathing gathered upon his trunk and forehead in a mantle of whorefrost the ground creaked and groaned and the swamp's tussocks became as hard as cobblestones no danger of being mired in frozen soil so the mastodon drove over the bogs and lowlands at a tremendous pace his stops were few brief halts for restless sleep and poor nourishment barely enough to keep him alive and moving it was on on and ever on the fat melted from his body his hide bagged and wrinkled over his big boned frame he ached and hungered he grew morose and vicious beneath his burden of suffering he lost all of his sociable nature he had no quarrel with anyone but there was in his look and manner that which warned all to stand aside and give him the right of way for such animals as he passed he had neither frown nor greeting on on he drove against the north wind then came the snow thick driving snow which piled up in great drifts and dragged hard on the mastodon's weary feet his speed slackened waist deep he floundered desperately through the drifts like a huge snow plow advancing by inches where before he advanced by rods now that winter had spread its cold white mantle over northern illinois many creatures began to feel the hunger pinch it was the season two when all manner of hunting animals roamed the forest searching for deer moose elk and other vegetable eaters that might be attacked to advantage while staggering about helplessly in the snow can the timber wolf a long leg to bristling giant came upon the mastodon's trail yet warm and full of scent raising his head on high he bade the signal calling together the wolf pack of the akiki for the hunt over hill and ravine they came racing full cry howling like fiends once assembled they were off like the wind their broad whiskered feet serving as snowshoes to carry them swiftly over the snow crust mammoth was plowing his way slowly through the drifts when faint sounds were born to his ears it was an uninterrupted chorus of howls becoming louder at every moment he stopped and looked behind him a score or more of gaunt shaggy forms were speeding toward him through the woods and they came mouths wide open displaying their cruel teeth and blood red tongues wolves grunted mammoth scornfully he was thinking of the pack of minster and how he a baby had routed the cowardly lot of them single handed so he turned his back upon them and resumed his way but the timber wolves of the akiki were a far greater caliber than those of minster or others the mastodon had met with surprise rather than fear held them back at first they saw neither elk nor moose but a huge monster with horns growing from its mouth also it was a veritable mountain of flesh so said their noses therefore a godsend to a score of warped and empty stomachs the fierce brutes crowded closely on mammoth's flanks and rear cans strode in the van close to the mastodon's left shoulder he crept nearer and nearer the pack watched him closely awaiting their big leaders spring as the signal to dash in mammoth jogged on apparently paying little attention to his unwelcome visitors but with all his seeming indifference he kept his eye on can and bided his time cunningly the big wolf edged closer another moment and he would have sprung when suddenly the mastodon's trunk shot at him with the swiftness of a python's thrust and seized him by the middle one agonized howl and can vanished beneath the ponderous feet the next moment he reappeared whirled aloft a limp and bloody mass and was flung over mammoth's back to the pack behind him the wolves recoiled the sudden and terrible end of their leader together with the giant's strength and quickness was not lost upon them they set upon the body of the slain wolf and devoured it in short order but they followed the mastodon no more mammoth kept on after several days more of pounding through the drifts he descended a long wind-swept slope and stood upon the bank of a broad stream this must be the river of the plains he waited and swam through it breaking up the ice with trunk and tusks until finally he reached the other side although chilled to the bone and so exhausted he could scarcely stand he gathered himself together and made a careful survey of the country before him this was the land of the dear moose his friends must be somewhere near the ground in front of him to the west inclined upward and terminated in a ridge several miles long his spirits soared to the heavens as he marched as fast as he could toward it he fussed and fumed because it obstructed his view of what must be behind it a herd of mastodons his herd the thought urged him on to greater speed his breath came in gasps his heart pounded like a hammer but he would not slacken his pace now that his goal was so nearly reached he forgot to think how very tired he was his anxiety and loneliness would soon be relieved and then the hardships he had undergone would be cast aside and forgotten he wished that he were a bird and could fly over and look behind that ridge which seemed so far off and stood there forever in his way he heaved and strained panting with excitement and his exertions and after what seemed to him an age he reached the crest and gazed eagerly beyond he saw a broad valley beneath him one side of it was in part the ridge on which he stood on the other side was high ground as far as he could see snow snow everywhere here and there were small clumps of trees all was bleak and bare to mammit it seemed a valley of death for he saw no living animal within it and worst of all no mastodons pointing his trunk to windward he sought that which his eyes could not see vainly he searched the valley no news the herd was not there keen was his disappointment the reaction overwhelming his body crumpled up within his bagged and wrinkled hide he stood upon the ridge silhouetted against the sky and visible for miles around an image of despair and yet an idea came to fill him with renewed hope perhaps he had not gone far enough the herd might have shifted to they were not such fools as to stand forever in one place particularly in that valley of death they must be in the higher forested country beyond it mammit recovered his spirits and having recovered some of his wind and strength too he felt better he descended into the valley crossed it and ascended the other side disappointment again he saw nothing but snow rolling ground and scattered groups of trees also an occasional crow and rabbit but no mastodons again he lost hope he strove to shake off his weariness of heart body and brain but without success now that he despaired his unnourished body rose in rebellion against the iron will that had so long driven in mercilessly on mammit was forced to heed cold famished and exhausted he crept on to a patch of woods bordering a creek the o-sable and sought refuge among the trees nightfrost with his bitter tooth sought and found the mastodon hidden in the woods mammit stood there shivering he scarcely retained strength enough to stamp his feet and thrash his trunk about to warm himself gradually his muscles relaxed his eyes closed and he relapsed into deep drowsiness slowly the clouds above rolled away leaving the sky all blue and clear and dotted with myriads of twinkling stars the moon rose high and full casting its sun mockery upon the numbed earth the air was lifeless not a breath stirred bush or branch the moon rays penetrated the woods and cast a ghastly glare upon the great tusked features standing there motionless they brushed aside the hand of the frost death and smote upon the mastodon's forehead in his confused moments preceding awakening mammit sensed the brilliant glare he heard a voice calling he opened his eyes and blinked at the moon which shone directly in his face the air was deathly still a mask to hide its bitterness he tried to stretch his limbs but they were as numb as four wooden posts his feet too felt like nothing they were almost frozen to the ground mammit roused himself with a mighty effort and shook off the drowsiness that had so nearly made an end of him slowly and painfully he coiled and uncoiled his trunk and stamped his feet until they no longer felt like dead weights the mist cleared from his brain and then sounded once more the voice of his waking moments a mastodon and alive mammit looked up with a start not ten paces distance stood a long legged moose-like creature with a deer's face and a wonderful crown of three palmed antlers who are you he asked the deer moose the deer moose then i have found you at last bellowed mammit in astonishment and great joy you alone can tell me where my people are lead me to them for soon we must be on our way to the warmer country you see i am their leader it was long ago that we became separated now i am here and will guide them to the land of safety the deer moose was silent for a few moments he stared at his broad hoofs as though dreading to meet the other's eager gaze you are too late he said finally too late mammit's heart almost stopped beating his body was as cold as ice yes the mastodons are here but all are dead when the leaves withered they sickened when the snow came they died not one remains but yourself you are the last the blow staggered mammit his limbs shook until he seemed about to fall the blood rushed to his temples his heart raced madly then the tempest within subsided and he shuddered as an icy chill crept over him he stared at the snow the trees the sky but saw nothing the end of everything had come for the herd had perished and now he was alone he said nothing more speech and reason left him he made no effort to move for now there was no place to go the deer moose watched him anxiously mammit watched the deer moose the latter moved off several steps mammit followed and stopped when the other stopped daylight came the deer moose sought his breakfast of inner tree bark mammit did likewise the deer moose marched to the o-sable and drank mammit followed and drank the mastodon repeated every motion of the deer moose clinging desperately to this last straw of companionship like an inseparable shadow all that day it was the same when night came mammit huddled up close to his new found friend like a yearling calf seeking its mother's warmth and comfort before long he was sleeping as peacefully as a babe it was midnight when the deer moose heard in his dreams a voice calling him from on high he awoke and gazed at the heavens the north star was blinking and pointing it called it urged so he stole softly away in the morning mammit awoke and found himself alone the deer moose had disappeared with a scream he plunged into the wood searching frantically for his missing companion vainly he searched his uneasiness increasing to wild excitement as he found no sign the forest resounded with his loud bellows which brought no answer but the mocking echoes of his own voice he became desperate and his deluded dulled mind flashed forth blind furious rage mammit was alone his was a sociable nature and of his kind none but rogues lived alone a rogue was a mad elephant usually an old disgruntled animal mammit was not old although he now looked anything but a young bull but with his last shred of companionship torn from him something bid his weary brain kill trample and destroy he listened and heated and became an avenging rogue a mastodon gone stark raving mad he stormed through the woods like a hurricane charging upon every living thing that crossed his path a group of deer took one look at the unrushing giant and fled in terror before him above his head on an oak branch crouched a panther whining softly in awful fear the osable wolf pack scattered before the mad fury like leaves blown by the wind a flock of crows flapped away screaming as the maniac battered his way among the trees every denizen of the woods hastened to make himself scarce as mammit raged and tore seeking ones upon whom to vent his wrath all morning he dashed back and forth only to find the woods finally deserted for it was now known that a rogue mastodon had invaded the country of the osable and he had best be left alone that afternoon he grew quieter a relapse due to exhaustion and failing health his blind rage subsided into morose dullness he ate nothing drank nothing dark clouds came rolling down from the northeast bringing with them snow flurries and biting wind mammit crept among the trees bordering osable creek and endeavored to find shelter from the increasing cold here the wolf pack awaited the big mastodon a raging rogue was one thing a sick and dying elephant another and now emboldened by winter hunger they stole softly up to the tusked giant standing with head bowed low among the trees mammit saw a knot but his nose gave him sudden warning of the approaching danger with a loud bellow he backed rapidly away as the red mouthed furries rushed at him from all sides the osable was behind him in he dashed for his last stand the ice gave way beneath his feet he halted in the shallow water as the wolves came howling and snarling to the attack and stood waiting with trunk rolled aloft and tusks pointed forward suddenly there flashed through his mind the memory of earlier and better days he was again the young fighting bull facing the wolf pack of minster he screamed a defiant challenge just as the foremost wolves dashed into the water and leaped upon him in an instant the creek became an inferno of struggling creatures half concealed beneath showers of bloody foam and spray mammit rushed into the midst of his enemies with his last flash of furious strength with trunk and tusks he struck and jabbed while his huge feet ground one writhing body after another into the creek's rocky bed his strength was failing fast but no faster than the courage and number of his foes one final labored sweep of the great tusks and the last wolf was either dead or following his flying companions in a mad dash through the woods to escape the mastodon's wrath the waters of the o sable relapsed into their former quiet and mammoth stood there amid heaps of broken ice and lifeless furry forms the fire faded from his eyes his head drooped and he swayed upon his shaking limbs like one about to fall slowly he waited ashore and staggered up the bank he was weary unto death he could scarcely control his muscles and he was very very cold the wind blew harder from the northeast bending the treetops before it mammoth crawled through the underbrush and sank to his knees as the storm fast gathering whistled among the branches above him the snow came deriving down first in scattered flakes then in a furious cloud covering everything as with a white mantle it covered the mastodon until the cold wind no longer chilled him to the bone with warmth came a feeling of peace and comfort such as he had not experienced for many a day his brain gradually cleared and he had visions he was gazing at a luxuriant landscape green covered low lands bordering a forest through which wound a peaceful stream all beneath a bright blue sky a herd of mastodons was moving about on the lowlands and among the trees huge tuskers cows and mini calves all as plump and happy as anyone could be the youngsters frolicked with each other while the grown-ups stopped feeding from time to time to look on all were so joyous and carefree that it made a picture well worth going far to see suddenly a great bull tusker emerged from the group he was followed by a cow with a roly-poly calf trotting by her side burbo hosta mammoth called out there was no answer but the whistling of wind through the treetops and the faint rustling of driving snow all grew dark as mammoth sank lower beneath his white winding sheet and drifted peacefully away into the land of sleep that knows no waking end of section 28 end of stories of the first American animals by George Langford recording by Rita Louise 2019 and Arbor, Michigan