A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille

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"Then he shouldn't have written the book."
"In that case how could his father have heard about his adventures?"
"His father!" exclaimed Melick. "Do you mean to say that you still
accept all this as bona fide?"
"Do you mean to say," retorted Oxenden, "that you still have any doubt
about the authenticity of this remarkable manuscript?"
At this each looked at the other; Melick elevated his eyebrows, and
Oxenden shrugged his shoulders, but each seemed unable to find words
to express his amazement at the other's stupidity, and so they took
refuge in silence.
"What do you understand by this athaleb, doctor?" asked Featherstone.
"The athaleb?" said the doctor. "Why, it is clearly the pterodactyl."
"By-the-bye," interrupted Oxenden, "do please take notice of that
name. It affords another exemplification of 'Grimm's Law.' The Hebrew
word is 'ataleph,' and means bat. The Kosekin word is 'athaleb.' Here
you see the thin letter of Hebrew represented by the aspirated letter
of the Kosekin language, while the aspirated Hebrew is represented by
the Kosekin medial."
"Too true," exclaimed Melick, in a tone of deep conviction; "and now,
Oxenden, won't you sing us a song?"
"Nonsense," said Featherstone; "let the doctor tell us about the
athaleb."
"Well," resumed the doctor, "as I was saying, it must be undoubtedly
the pterodactyl. It is a most extraordinary animal, and is a species
of flying lizard, although differing from the lizard in many respects.
It has the head and neck of a bird, the trunk and tail of an ordinary
mammal, the jaws and teeth of a reptile, and the wings of a bat. Owen
describes one whose sweep of wings exceeded twenty feet, and many have
been found of every gradation of size down to that of a bat. There is
no reason why they should not be as large as More says; and I for my