conditions for the propagation of the human species. Thalma at
her age could not afford to wait longer. Alpha's mate must be provided
forthwith.

"Alpha wants to play a while before going in," Thalma continued
presently. "I will remain with him."

"Very well, dear," said Omega. "I will go on and prepare dinner."

So saying he set his face toward the cottage, but before he had taken a
dozen steps he was startled by a piercing scream from Thalma. He turned
swiftly, then stood paralyzed with terror and amazement. Out of the
cloud curtain surrounding the lake protruded the ugly scale-covered head
and neck of the monster he had believed dead! And the horrible, swaying
head was darting down toward the playing boy! The monster's jaws were
spread wide, its black tongue was leaping out and in like lightning, the
sickening saliva was dripping upon the sand, and its awful eyes were
blazing like coals. And then in a twinkling the huge jaws seized the
child, the head reared back, the jaws closed, stifling the lad's
screams, and it started to draw back into the cloud.

* * * * *

But, after the first onrush of horror, life came again to Omega's numbed
senses. He darted forward with a mad cry, and as he swung through the
air rather than ran, he seized a stone and hurled it at the brute's
head. His aim was true and the stone struck the great brute on the bony
hood above the right eye. It did not harm, but it maddened the monster.
Hissing horribly it swung Alpha high in the air and with a fling dashed
him down upon the rocks. Then with a hoarse bellow it turned upon Omega.
With its first forward lunge it seemed about to crush Thalma, who was
between it and its intended victim. But the sight of her mangled child
and the danger to her lord roused all the latent fury and courage in her
soul and made of her a fighting demon. Like Omega she grabbed the first
weapon at hand--a stone the size of a man's fist--and with the hot
breath of the monster in her face she hurled the stone with all her
strength straight into the red, gaping mouth.

With a blood-curdling scream the brute halted, reared backward, then ran
its head back and forth over the rocks. Its loathsome body threshed
about in the lake, throwing water far up on the beach. Then in its
contortions it wallowed up out of the lake as it swung its terrible head
about in agony, all the while hissing its challenge.

Terror-stricken, unable to move, Omega