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.