The spouting column had a fascination which held them to the spot for some time. From the hill they had a good view of the surrounding country, but did not see any more geysers.
“Do you think it is hot water?” asked Mark.
“There is no vapor,” the professor answered, “but most of the geysers are produced by the action of steam in the interior of the earth. However we’ll not take any chances by investigating. I fear it would not be safe to go into that valley.”
“Look there!” cried Andy. “I guess we’re better off here!” He pointed a little to the right of where the water spouted. The others looked, and saw, coming from a hole in the ground, some shaggy black object.
“What is it?” asked Jack.
“It looks like a bear,” replied the hunter, “but I never saw one like it before.”
Nor had any of the others, for the creature was a terrible one. It had the body of a bear, but the feet and legs were those of an alligator, while the tail trailed out behind like a snake, and the head had a long snout, not unlike the trunk of an elephant. The creature was about ten feet long and five feet in height.
“Let me try a shot at it!” exclaimed Andy. “That is something worth shooting,” and he cocked his rifle.
“Don’t!” exclaimed the professor shortly. “You might only wound it, and it would pursue us. We are not ready to fight such creatures as that, and you are the only one armed.”
“I never missed anything I aimed at yet,” said Andy, a little hurt that any one should doubt his ability to kill at the first shot.