He had almost reached the hut now. There was no back door, as he had expected to see, so he started to run around in front.
He had almost gained the door when, to his astonishment, he suddenly heard his name shouted from off on the lake.
“Dick! Dick!”
Dick turned and faced the monster, and, looking over and beyond him, saw Charley paddling the rubber canoe for all he was worth.
“Hello, Dick! What in thunder are you doing there?” yelled Charley. “Look on the shore! Don’t you see?”
Bang! Bang!
At the same instant two rifle shots rang out in quick succession and Dick saw Doctor Dan running along the shore toward the monster.
He fired again as Dick caught sight of him. The bullet struck the monster’s tail, but glanced off as though it had come against an iron wall.
The shots, however, had their effect, for the report of the gun seemed to startle the huge creature.
It stopped, turned its head and looked back, and, with another roar, waddled to the water and slipped in with a tremendous splash, the commotion nearly swamping the rubber canoe, which Charley drove up on the beach heedless of any ill effect the sharp stones might have on the bottom.