BULLET HAD NO EFFECT     A few seconds after the shot was fired, while the hunters were watching the flight of the dragon-like beast, some small lumps of salt fell almost at their feet. They were more than ever mystified by this, but not until the next day were they able to ascertain its source.     Determined to learn more, of the monster, Gilbert and Barry hastened in the direction of its flight, and after surmounting the range of hills to the westward, found with little trouble the tracks the beast had left in the soil after ceasing its flight. These led the hunters to an immense cave, near the head of a narrow gulch.     They approached to within three rods of the opening in the rocks, but finding that the freshest footprints led into the gloomy cavern feared at that time to make any closer inspection.     “These tracks,” said Barry, “were five-toed, almost exactly like the imprint of a gigantic hand, if you can imagine a hand nearly four feet across the palm.”     Gilbert and Barry constructed a barricade for themselves of the largest rocks they were able to handle and lay down to await the results.     The day wore on and the men were weary and almost despairing of success in their virgll, when, just at dusk, the horrible creature crawled slowly from the cave, and, pausing at its mouth to take flight, gave them their first view at close range.     Barry says that the hackneyed phrase of exaggeration, “made his blood run cold,” is none too strong for the sight they saw.

“The monster slowly moved his great jaws,” declared the hunter, in speaking of his experience, “until it scented as if he could have swallowed a large horse at one mouthful. He gave a snort that might have been heard a mile, and then slowly spread his huge wings. We now saw that the huge body was coated with salt, apparently nearly a foot in thickness. This explained why the salt lumps dropped at our feet when the bullet struck the monster. By this we knew that the creature must spend much of its time in the waters of the lake.     “The great beast made a short run before taking flight, taking long jumps upon its hind legs and tail. The fore legs were comparatively short, and appeared to be used only when it crawled flat upon the ground.     “The frightful head was not more than ten feet from us when it rose in the air, but so well were we screened by our shelter of rocks that we were unobserved. The large, fiercely gleaming eyes, the sharp, serrated teeth, the wide expanse of wings that began to move rapidly as the horrible beast rose from the ground and passed directly over our heads, combined to make a terrible sight—one that I shall never forget.     “We watched it disappear in the gathering gloom of night, but were for a long time paralyzed with fear, not knowing when it might return. It was probably an hour later when it did come back.     “We heard the swish of the mighty wings before it could be seen, but as it drew nearer, by the light of the young moon in the west, we saw that carried in its great jaws was a large horse, which I suppose it had swooped down upon while feeding. The horse was badly crushed and mangled.