The arrival of the party from the Gold Queen was the work of Bill Struthers, the treacherous guide, who changed his mind upon arriving at the mine and made a clean breast of the whole affair to Colonel Eglinton, who immediately organized a force to go to his daughter’s relief. They were too late to deal with Martin Mudd, for the man had gone to his long account and no effort was even made to find his body. As for the rest, drunken men are easily captured--there was no resistance made at the cave. Charley was badly wounded, but Doctor Dan extracted the bullet which had entered his side, and the boy was able to hobble back to camp. The next day with Dick and Doctor Dan he rode to Node ranch, where he lay very ill for a week, but after that began to mend. Now, so far, we have not said a word about Clara, for that involves an explanation of a painful shock which came to the poor girl. Colonel Eglinton was not with his men, and for a very good reason. Just as the party was starting out from the Gold Queen mine Colonel Eglinton fell off his horse and never spoke again. He was dead--dead of heart disease which had long threatened him, and it was Clara’s sad task to take his body on to Washington for burial. Dick met her at Node ranch and rendered her every assistance in his power. He wanted to go East with her, but she would no more hear to his leaving Charley then than she would when Dick wanted to go with her to the mine when Tony first communicated his sad news. When Charley was able to be moved Doctor Dan concluded to go with the boys, and the day following their arrival Dick went to the Smithsonian with the guide and made his report. Unfortunately, however, they had nothing to show to prove the existence of old P. D., for even the head of the Plesiosaurus which Doctor Dan had found in the underground cavern had been left behind. Professor Poynter was greatly excited at the report Dick rendered, and we may as well tell the end of the monster business right here. A new expedition was promptly dispatched to the Bad Lands, with Dick and Doctor Dan in command. But disappointment awaited them. Something had happened in Dick’s absence. Probably it was an earthquake, but he never knew. At all events, great masses of rock had fallen down upon the trail, rendering it entirely impassable, and when they tried to get up to Izard Lake by way of the cavern the same state of affairs was found to exist there. Even the Gold Queen’s trail was cut off and from that day to this no one has ever been able to reach Izard Lake, and access to the mine is had by another way. Doctor Dan is still working on the problem, and some day he may find a way. When he does the world will doubtless be astonished to find that the prehistoric monster known as the Plesiosaurus still exists. A few words more and our story is done. Those papers! Dick pocketed them when he returned to the cave.