Then the enormous body came into view, long, rounding and black and extending back twenty feet or more from the base of the neck.
[“Oh, Dick! Help!”] yelled Charley, swimming with all his might for the shore.
At the same instant the strange creature craned its neck forward and made a quick dart for the boy.
Dick flung up his rifle and fired straight at the monster’s head.
[“OH, DICK! HELP!”] YELLED CHARLEY, SWIMMING WITH ALL HIS MIGHT FOR THE SHORE. AT THE SAME INSTANT THE STRANGE CREATURE CRANED ITS NECK FORWARD AND MADE A QUICK DART FOR THE BOY. DICK FLUNG UP HIS RIFLE AND FIRED STRAIGHT AT THE MONSTER’S HEAD.
Inset: [Dick captured by the Monster.]
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.