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. CHAPTER VI. MARTIN MUDD HEARS SOMETHING DROP. Dick gave himself up for lost. The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck. But a change was close at hand. Dr. Dan’s second bullet struck the monster on the neck, just below the head. What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.