CHAPTER V.
THE DREAM THAT CAME TRUE.
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.