It was a frightful moment for Dick, and worse, of course, for poor
Charley, who barely escaped being caught in the awful jaws of the
Plesiosaurus.
Dick’s shot saved his friend, however.
Not that the monster was hit--Dick knew that he had made a miss--but
the report of the rifle seemed to startle it, and, with that same awful
bellow, it arched its neck like a swan and sank beneath the lake, to be
seen no more.
Charley came crawling up out of the water half dead with terror.
It was some time before Dick recovered himself.
Charley dressed and they stood side by side discussing the situation
and watching the lake.
“We are even now, Charley,” said Dick. “We have both broken orders and
fired at the Plesiosaurus. I suppose if we are going to keep on seeing
the creature we shall get used to him in time, but, upon my word, he’s
the strangest looking citizen I ever laid my eyes on, that’s one sure
thing.”
“A regular nightmare,” said Charley. “Come, let’s look up Doctor Dan.
He must have heard the firing and is no doubt wondering what it means.”
The guide came running up before they were out of the cove.
“So you have been firing at him again!” he exclaimed. “You are bound to
kill him it seems.”
“I’m the one this time,” said Dick, and he told the story.
“Well, well! That settles the question!” exclaimed Dr. Dan. “The
monster is real--it is very much alive--it is ready any time to make a
meal of one of us. We want to look out.”
“I move we make the circuit of the lake,” said Charley.
“Well, you can’t do it unless we get the boat out,” replied Dr. Dan.
“I was brought up short by the rocks not a great way beyond the place
where I left you, Dick. I suggest we stay right where we are and watch.”
The boat was a rubber affair, which Dick did not feel much confidence
in, and with the recollection of what had just occurred fresh in his
mind, he did not feel very anxious to venture out upon the lake, so
the remainder of the day was spent along the shore, but the wary old
antediluvian monster did not show itself again.
Night came down upon them at last. Doctor Dan cooked another of his
capital suppers, which the boys enjoyed to the fullest extent, and
about nine o’clock they rolled themselves up in their blankets and went
to sleep, Doctor Dan promising to stand guard till midnight.
“If I don’t see anything startling by that time I’ll turn in without
disturbing you,” he said. “Really, boys, I see no necessity for keeping
watch here.”
But there was a necessity far greater than Doctor Dan knew, and it
would have been much wiser to have kept guard until they had studied
the habits of the Plesiosaurus a bit.
Dick remembered waking up when the half-breed lay down beside him, but
it was only for a moment. Then he dropped off into a deep sleep again
and began to dream.
It seemed to him that he had drifted far back in point of time to the
days when the Bad Lands were in their original position, at the bottom
of that old prehistoric sea which is known to have covered all this
part of Wyoming at one time.
It seemed to Dick that he was alone in the rubber boat paddling for all
he was worth, trying to make the little island which they had seen in
the lake, and that he was in a big hurry about it, for the reason that
Miss Clara Eglinton stood upon the shore of the island calling to him
to come and save her. What she feared was clear enough, too, for there
right behind her, stealing out of the bushes, was the man Martin Mudd,
clutching a long, glittering knife in his hand.
So ran the dream and it was most fearfully vivid. Dick thought that he
shouted to Clara to throw herself into the lake and he would pick her
up in the boat, for it seemed certain that he could not reach the shore
in time.
Clara did so and Dick threw all his strength into the paddling and was
getting along over the water with great rapidity, when all at once the
surface of the lake began to boil like a pot and the Plesiosaurus rose
right alongside of the boat, made a dart at him with its awful head and
as Clara screamed, instead of catching him in its jaws, the creature
wound its neck about his body and lifted him high in the air.
Dick yelled for all he was worth--actually yelled--awoke to find
himself yelling and it was no nightmare, either, for something thick
and slimy was twisted around his body and he was drawn out of the tent,
still wrapped in his blanket, all like a flash.
It was awful. Above him he could see the head of the monster plainly,
for it was bright moonlight; he put out his hands and tried to tear
himself free from that awful thing, which held him captive.
It was wet and slimy; looking down he could see the huge body of the
Plesiosaurus dragging itself over the ground and then all at once
Charley and Doctor Dan came running out of the tent shouting.
Charley was empty handed, but the half-breed had his rifle and let fly
at the monster.
The bullet struck it in the side and glanced off as though it had hit a
rock.
The next Dick knew the Plesiosaurus slid into the lake and pulled its
neck down, the water closing over poor Dick as Doctor Dan sent another
shot flying from the shore.