The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-08

II was strange vertebrated animal.
Its dark purple head was dimly sug-
gestiye of chameleon, but it had such
high forehead and such braincase
rs no reptile ever displayed before; the
vertical pitch of its face gave il a most
extraordinary resemblance To a human
being. Two large and protruding eyes
protected from sockets in chameleon
fashion, and it had a broad reptiliap
mouth, with horny lips beneath its little
hostrils. In the position of the ears
were two huge gill covers, and out of
these floated a branching tree of coral
line filaments almost like the tree-like
gills that very young rays and sharks
possess. But the humanity OF the face
was not the most extraordinary thing
about the creature; it was biped, it's
almost globular body was poised on a
tripod of two froglike legs and long.
thick tail, and its fore limbs, which gro
tesquely caricatured the human hand,
much as a frogs do, carried long
shaft of bone tipped with copper. The
color of the creature was variegated, its
head, hands and legs were purple, but
its skin, which hung loosely upon IL
even as clothes might do, was a phos-
phorescent gray. And it stood there,
blinded by the light.
At last this unknown creature of tho
waves blinked its eyes open, and, shad-
ing them with its disengaged hand,
opened its mouth and gave vent TO q
shouting noise, articulate almost as
speech might be, that penetrated even
he steel case and padded jacket of the
sphere. 1t then moved sideways out
OF the glare into the mystery of shadow
that bordered il ON either side, and FL
stead felt rather than saw that il was
coming towards him. Fancying the
light had attracted it. he turned the
switch that cut off the current. In an
other moment something soft dabbed
upon the steel and the globe swayed.
Then the shouting was repeated, and
II seemed 10 him that n distant echo
answered il. The dabbing REQUIRED and
the globe swayed and ground against
the spindle over which the wire wns
rolled. He stood in the blackress and
peered ont into the everlasting night
of the abyss. And presently he saw,
very faint and remote, other phospho-
-feseeHt- -apasi-humaa- forms hurrying
towards him. Hardly knowing what
he did, he felt about in his swaying
prison for the stud Of the exterior cleo
trio light and came by accident against
his own small glow lamp in its padded
recess. The sphere twisted and then
threw him down; he heard shouts like
shouts of surprise, and when he rose to
his feet he saw two pairs of stalked
eyes peering into the lower window and
rejecting his light.
In another moment hands were dab
hing vigorously at HIS steel casing. and
there was sound, horrible enough in
his position, of the metal protection Of
the cloclwork being vigorously ham
u1cred That, indeed, sent his heart
into his mouth, for il these strange
creatures succeeded in stopping that,
his release would never occur. Scarce
~ had he thought rs much when he
felt the sphere sway violently and the
foor of il press hard against his feet.
Fe turned off the small glow lamp that
lit the interior, and sent the ray of the
large light in the separate compart-
ment out into the water. The sea
floor and the man-lil<e creatures had dis
appeared. and couple of fish chasing
each other dropped suddenly y the
window.
He thought at once that these strange
dcnizens of the deep sea had broken tho
wire rope and that he had escaped.
Tie drove up faster and faster. and then
stopped with jerk that sent him fv-
ing against the padded roof OF his
prison. For half minute perhaps he
was too astonished to think.
Then he felt that the sphere was
spinning slowly and rocking. and il
seemed TO him that il was also being
drawn through the water. BY crouch
Ing close to the window he managed
60 make his weight effective and roll
that part of the sphere downward. but
he could see nothing save the pale ray
of his light striking down inefrectively
into the darkness. It occurred TO him
that he would see more IL he turned the
lamp of and allowed his eyes TO grow
accustomed to the profound obscurity.
In this he was wise. After some min
utrs the velvety blackness became n
translucent blackncss, and then Ear
away. and as faint as the zodiacal light
OF m English summer evening. he saw
shapes moving below. He judged these
s