The Argo Goes West

62, A sea monster with no name

"Maybe it's just my imagination, but it smells like the tide." murmured Deke Anderson, the harpooner.

Chester, the engineer, said teasingly. "Of course. This is Great Salt Lake."

"Do you mean it's true to its name? But a salt lake is unusual." Deke closed his eyes in a dreamy way. "I feel like I'm back in the ocean." He sucked air into his lungs.

After passing Salt Lake City, the Argo was heading west around the shores of the Great Salt Lake.

Chester pointed to the lake and said, "I hear there are plans to build a bridge across the lake."

Hugh stared in wonder. "Really? But it's quite a distance."

"That's it"

"How long?"

"Roughly twelve miles."

Looking at the lake, Hugh tried imagining to build a bridge and run a train, but he couldn't.

"... What is that?"

Hugh blinked his eyes.

"What happened?" asked Chester.

"Is there something over there?"

Chester and Deke looked in the direction Hugh was pointing. Deke found it first. A huge black shadow floated over the lake.

"Whale?... No, that's impossible. This is not the sea."

Chester also found a shadow. "And it has a long neck like a giraffe."

"I see."

"Perhaps it's a monster from Greek mythology. Let's report it to the captain."vChester reached out to the phone in the car.

Theodore Roosevelt looked through his binoculars and said, "That's a plesiosaur."

"What is that?" asked Miss Craig.

"It's a dinosaur discovered by Mary Anning."

"Are there dinosaurs in Greek mythology?"

"No."

Captain Harris, who was next to them, said timidly.

"In Greek mythology, there is a sea monster that attacks Andromeda."

"Does the sea monster have a name?" asked Roosevelt.

"No name."

"Then it would be fine to name it plesiosaur."

Whatever the name, both the captain and the vice president agreed on what to do with the sea monster. If they would attack with a cannon or a harpoon, the sea monsters would fight back. But the Argo was in a hurry. So they decided to ignore the monster and pass by.