memorable occasion of that individual's abduction. Starting under easy
sail, and heading for the bottom of the lake, the great fishing line--
made fast by its inner end to the windlass bitts, and the remainder of
it led aft outside and clear of all rigging--was baited and paid out
astern as soon as the cutter had run into deep water.

It was not very long before the party, intently on the watch for the
approach of the plesiosauri, detected a strong, swirling ripple mingling
with that of the yacht's wake, which indicated that at least one of the
monsters was at hand, and presently the ripple broke, revealing some six
feet of smooth, black, glistening back keeping pace with the little
vessel, while occasionally, when the light favoured, an indistinct and
momentary glimpse might be caught, through the swirling water, of two
enormous, glaring eyes. But the beast, in its eagerness to reach its
supposed prey, had apparently passed the baited hook as unworthy of its
notice, for the bait was a long way astern of the creature, which seemed
intent only on overtaking the yacht, for it now made frequent rushes
forward until it was within a few fathoms of the little vessel's
counter, and then sank out of sight and dropped astern again, as though
it knew not what to make of the moving object ahead of it. But,
provokingly enough, from the sportsmen's point of view, it never dropped
far enough astern to bring it level with the bait, while, on the other
hand, when it approached the yacht it was careful to keep far enough
below the surface to render anything like an accurate aim impossible;
indeed it behaved as though it instinctively knew that danger threatened
it. Although Escombe's companions were eager enough to waste their
arrows in obviously futile attempts to hit it, the young leader of the
expedition rigorously forbade everything of the nature of chance
shooting, lest the creature should happen to receive a more or less
slight wound, and thus be driven to flight. And, for the same reason,
Escombe himself declined to attempt a shot with his rifle.

But while they were all intently watching the movements of the creature,
and standing with weapons in hand, ready to discharge an effective shot
at the first favourable opportunity, a sudden, startled yell from Arima,
who was tending the fishing line, caused the whole party to wheel round
to see what was the matter, and Harry had only bare time to drop his
rifle and grip his faith