ed a
very spirited pencil sketch of the unknown creature.

"Gee!" repeated Earle, studying the sketch. "Say, Dick, this is
intensely interesting. The thing looks absolutely new to me. And yet--
I don't quite know. Seems to me that I've somewhere seen something a
bit like it before--"

"That's what I thought," said Dick; "though I'm quite prepared to swear
that I never before saw the actual thing itself. I should have
remembered it if I had."

"Y-e-s, I guess you would," returned Earle, still thoughtfully
considering the sketch. At length he returned the book to Dick,
remarking:

"Then you think there is just a possibility that we may be able to cross
the swamp by way of that tongue of firm ground that you explored this
afternoon? In that case, I guess we'll try it. We may succeed; and if
we do, it will save us a long journey round; for I was unable to find
the northern end of the swamp this afternoon, although, before turning
back I climbed the highest tree in the neighbourhood and carefully
searched the whole of the visible country through my Goertz prismatics.
We will try that tongue of land of yours to-morrow, Dick. And as for
the flies and things, I guess we can beat them by enveloping our heads
in gauze veils and wearing gloves. I brought some green gauze along
expressly to meet such a contingency. Learned the wrinkle in Africa,
where the flies and mosquitoes used to drive me pretty nearly crazy."

An hour after sunrise on the following morning found the expedition en
route, and in due time it reached the tongue of firm ground which Dick
had discovered during the preceding afternoon. Here the two leaders
enveloped their heads, helmets and all, in capacious veils of green
gauze which Earle had produced during the preceding evening.

Earle was in exceptionally high spirits that morning. The story of
Dick's encounter with the strange beast had intensely interested him,
for he was by way of being a naturalist, as well as a good many other
things, and he was naturally eager to get a sight of another creature of
the same species. Then a view at close quarters of the swamp added
further to his excitement, for even then, in the dazzling glare of the
morning sun, there was a certain suggestion of weirdness and uncanniness
about the place that appealed very strongly to his imagination. To
young, prosaic Dick Cavendish, a sailor pure and simple, whose only
knowledge of science was that connected with nav