The Morning herald., 1877-01-22
CORD AND CRRRsR.
CHAPTER XIII,
THE OCEAN DEPTHS.

NrfF
nor among the coral rocks, the vsits
~ s1s' ~ ne lower sea began to appea. vi
uu ",s y, vivid oolors and Of far greater variety
|on % anv which he had ever seen. Here
fsre l,ng plants which clung to the coral
| ke ivy, seeming to be q species OF marine
.va.' 'r,s;te and as It grew it throve more lux.
r;antly Here were some which threw |
IT t' lone arms. terminating in vast, broad,
aim like leaves, the arms intertwined
mono M The coral branches and the leaves
anr;'o % downward. Here were long
% resmers Of fine, silk-like strings, that
[ere suspended from many a projecting
ranch and hillocks Of spongy substance
,st looked like moss. Here, too, were
IIants which threw forth long, ribbon-like
eayes Of variegated color.
Il was forest under the sea, and it grew
enser at every step.
At last, his progres in this direction was
erminated bv rock which came from a
BUTTERFLY direction, like a spur from the
Elapd, it arose to height Of about thirty
let overhead, and decended gradually a. i
(au north. Brandon turned aside, and
Ialked by its base along its entire extent.
At its termination there arose a long
|ista, where the ground ascended and an
bpeniug appeared through this marine
Fforest.h On each side the involuted corals
Buug their twisted arms in more curious
nd intricate folds. The vegetation was
]euser, more luxurient, and more varied.
Beneath him was a glowth of tender sub
Rtance, hairy in texture, and Of . delicate
breen color, which looked more like lawn
grass Of the upper world than any thing
else in nature.
Brandon walked on, and even in the in
tense desire of his soul 10 find what he
bought he felt himself overcome by the sub.
Dime influence of this submarine world.
He seemed 10 have intruded into some
other sphere, planting his rash foot-sleps
where no foot Of man had trodden before,
and using the resources of science to vio-
late the hallowed secrecy of awful nature
|in her most hidden retreats Here, above
|all things, bis soul vas oppressed by the
universal silence aronnd. Through that
thick helmet, indeed, no sound under a
|cap Of thunder could be heard, and the
Ringing Of his ears would Of itselfhave pre-
vented consciousness Of any other noise, yet
none the less was be aware of the awful
|stillness; it was silence that could be felt.
10 the sublimity of that lonely pathway he
felt what Hercules is imagined to have
felt when p&:sing to the underworld after
Cerberus, @e '>H
|S'upent ubi undae segue torpescit fretum,
and half expected to hear soma voice from
The dweler in this place:
|'Quo pergis audax7 Siste proserentems
gradum" "",. .%
There came to him only such dweller
s' belonged to the place. He saw them al
he moved along. He saw them darting
out from the hidden penetralia around,
moving swiftly across and sometimes dart
ing in shoals before him. They l'egan ia
appear in such vast numbers that Brandon
thought of that monster which lay a man
gled heap upon the surface above, and
1anc'ed that perhaps his kindred where
mere waiting to avenge his death. As this
lsar came full and we'll defined before him
ne drew from his belt the knife which As
geelo had given him. and Frank had urged
MN TO take, feeling him self less helpless il
10 held this in his hand. y
Ihe fishes moved about him, coming on
n new ano mole startled crowds, some
oaash'Lg past, others darting upwards, and
o'ners moving swiftly ahead. One large
one was there with train of followers
which moved up and loated for a moment
ulfec'ly in front of him, its large, staring
syes seeming t. view him in wonder, anc
ssUlemnly working its gills. But as Bran
Jon came close it gave sudden turn ant
uafled ott with all it's attendants. !,
Az last, amidst all these wonders, he saw
.s ,as ahead something which drove all othe
os "'oushts away, whether Of: fear, ov Of dan
S;' ssl' Or OF horror, and filled all his SOU
,nd ,dn , an overmastering passion Of desir'
h. NV Was DIRK object, too remote as yet Il
Il Il, distinctly visible, yet as it rose ther
81: sb;cy 'ancy seemed to trace the outline Of [
TS.p' ny Or what might once have been ship
,hn lue presentation Of his hopes before hin
m"sL us IN what seemed like a reality was t
u"tn w;,I he stood still, and his heart bea
with fierce throbs. T7s- T.
ho ine i nope was SO precious that for tim
ho hoa nesltated to advance, for fear lest tn
~ n'Gs E;I might be dispelled forever. And thel
wha T.sll at this place, after 20 long q search
wns,, was, ne seemed to have reached tho end
'VVta Th oe an intolerable grief.
vbi.ss bii%efe, too, was that strange pathwa,
cama r,cu !. seemed made on purpose. How
tba'e tha ~ y there ? b He thought that perhap
csn,o e oS'ect lying before him might hav
s'.a nra"' some current which set in there an
pIsen'ed pIsoa ~ the growth Of plants in tia
rs", raa'e These and many other thn,.5
''''S !" ~ aes:ovd, unwilling touo,'