Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-07

out into the lake. The explosion came
just as the cartridge reached the sur
face and sent up big column OF water.
Then he ran back to where his men
We're standing. All seized their rifles
and stood anxiously watching the lake
for indications of the appearance OF the
plesiosaurus.
For moment there was nothing but
the waves tossed by the dynamite to
show that anything unusual had ia
ken place. Suddenly big head and
huge snaky neck broke thru the water.
The plesiosaurus had risen to see who
had dared to disturb his domain. The
head waved back and forth uncertain
ly. Then he saw the lntruders and be-
gan to swim at terrific speed toward
the shore.
Here he comes" said Captain Jack
son grimly. Cool is the word now.
Try and hit him In the eyes,"
The Lee-Metfords began to talk and
the bullets splashed the water all
around the swiftly advancing head.
Some of them may have struck but the
monster only come at created speed.
In seemingly incalculable short time
he had reached the shallow water. The
long snaky neck appeared In plain
sight, then the huge turtle-like body.
black, Shiny and threatening. over the
shadows the monster scrambled, his
fms carrying him forward swifter than
man could run. Injured to danger as
all the party were, they could feel their
hearts throbbing at the sight of the
antedluvian monster. ninety feet long
and with jaws that could crush dozen
men. The plesiosaurus was plainly en-
ragged by the bullets which kept patter-
ing harmlessly against his thick hide.
His red, blood-shot eyes glared, the
slime was dropping from his lips, and
he seemed rather some monster that
had come up from the depths of hell,
than any creature of flesh and blood.
Now he had gained the land and was
still hurrying on.
STEADY. steady" said Captain Jack
son. aim at his eyes
A bullet smashed into one of the
glazing eyes, making splash as II it
had struck pool of blood. The PIES
iosaurus only seemed to increase its
| iosaurus only seemed to increase his
speed. He was now near enough SO
they could see the dark blood oozing
from bullet wounds in neck and belly.
They appeared mere pin pricks and
| only angered him the more. Now he
was eighty, now sixty yards from the
| little group. Lasca stopped and picked
up his dynamite cartridge.
Wait second longer" gasped Cap
tain Jackson. Il don't want to de-
stroy the body"
| AS the plesiosaurus still rushed for
ward Lasca could not restrain him
self.
Throw nowi" he exclaimed. Throw
now or we are dead!"
Captain Jackson drew out his cart
ridge. 1t was time for the waving,
snaky head, frty feet from the ground,
would in an instant more be lowered
for a deadly, sweeping clutch.
Drop on your face when / throw"
shouted the English captain. And he
hurled the dynamite cartride straight
towards the plesiosaurus. Lasca had
already thrown his and both Captain
Jack and Lasca dropped to the ground.
| Two terrible explosions, SO near to-
gether that they seemed one, and the
air was full of pieces of flesh and bone
and blood. Lasca's cartridge had fall
| len little short, but even as it touched
the ground the plesiosaurus had drop
ped his head as If to grasp the deadly
missile.
Captain Jacks cartridge had struck
directly in front of the big. turtlelik
body. Except for the blood despatched
ground and the fragments of flesh and
bones, it was hard to believe that the
strongest and most terrible monster on
earth had a second before been adj
vancing in deadly charge. Against dy-
Mantle even the champion OF antedt-
luvian ages had been helpless.
ut was dynamite or death" said Cap
tain Jack, mournfully. But it was too
bad we had to use It, His body would
have been worth a fortune"
Lasca shook his head decidedly.
"Twice have looked the Lake Devil
in the face, and Allah has preserved
me-" said the old Arab. And l am glad
that it is no longer possible to see him.
For the sight is not nice one, nor the
memory OF it pleasant to a man who
has lived long, and committed many
sins, and knows that the time is not
far distant when Azral, the Angel of
Death, will call him to account