The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-12-31

Nellie, with her feldglasses, watched
Frank Leigh slowing couple of large
! brown jars under the thwarts of the skif.
Then he got into her and followed.
1t was only a quarter of mile from
the yacht to where the great rock rose in
the purple shadow of the cliff. The
merest ghost of breeze stirred a dainty
ripple on the surface of the water and
added brilliance to it's reflection of the
blue above.
Haynes damned a boathook into cleft
of the rock, looped the boats painter
around it, and, letting the little craft
swing with the tide, prepared to dive over
the stern.
At that moment Nellie Grant, whose
eyes had been fixed on that puzzling
greenish patch which still swayed uncer-
tainly beneath the ripple, screamed:
Father, it's movingw
Haynes heard the cry and looked up.
The strong light ON the water made it i'm
possible for him to see below the surface
as those on the cliff could.
"Hold on, Haynesv' came Mr.. Grants
| voice strong and clear from above.
Get back to the rockw screamed Mel
lie
Haynes looked around him. The pur-
| pie of the limpid water was changing to
an ugly greenish yellow hue. He stepped
hastily back to the bow, seized the rope
and began pulling the boat back to the
rock. In his haste he pulled the boathook
| loose The boat, released, began softly
moving into the channel between the rock
and the base of the cliff.
Haynes jumped for the oars. He was
conscious of loud shouts from the top of
the cliff. The water swirled around the
boat like the mouth of a whirlpool. He
got the oars into the rowlocks and began
pulling desperately. But, at the first
stroke, he became aware that the blades
were fast in tangle of something. He
tried to wrench them free. One broke in
two, the other was torn from his grasp.
The wedges, it was nothing but sea-
weed-was rising to the surface all
around him. How silly to be frightened
by mere raft of seaweed! But what an
ugly color it was, striped with dull brown
and livid green! And what a lot of it!
Ugh! 1t was rising and climbing on to
the boat. Great fabby, dripping, half
transparent leaves were wrapping them
selves all around the stern. They were
crawling over the bow too. And the boat
was lower in the water. 1t was sinking.
Haynes sprang to his feet again and
with the broken oar began striking saw
agely at the monstrous thing which was
enveloping him. He might as well have
beaten the sea. The blows glided off the
tough, slippery surface Slowly, but with
deadly, relentless pertinacity, the living
shroud of death rose on every side, and
inch by inch the boat drew down till the
water was but an inch from the gunwale.
The watchers ON the cliff were silent
now. They stared, frozen, at the creep
ing horror below.
At that instant something else glided
into the scene Of action. Leigh, standing
In the skiff and guiding it skillfully with
paddle, shot up. Keeping carefully
clear of the wide set tentacles of the raya
he quickly flung one of his brown Jars
against the bow of Haynes boat.
A kissing steam arose, and a brilliant
fame played across the surface of the
water. The clammy bands relaxed. A
sob of relief came from above But the
vast weight which still chung to the stern
Of the dingey was rapidly pulling it I'M
der. Leigh seized the other jar and
smashed it against the stern post. More
folds fell away, the water dubbed and
turned black as the scorched monster
emptied his ink bag.
But the dingey was full and sinking.
Jump" roared some one above.
Spurred by terror, Haynes sprang ten
feet, clear of the eddying coils, and Leigh
pulled him, painting, into the skiff,
"T've used every bit of potassium in
the laboratory, Mr.. Grant" said Leigh
alphabetically, when he met his employer
on his return to the yacht.
"You used common sense, my boy" re-
turned Mr.. Grant, shaking his hand cor
daily. Haynes owes his life to you,
and l owe you an apology for speaking
as l did last night"
"Don't mention it, sir. But am sorry
l have not specimen of the raya for
you. Won't you wait a few days. and let
me try?"
''We leave here tonight" said the mil
lionaire decidedly. Then. smiling, "Those
are my daughters orders. Mr.. Leigh
Penny Pictorial Magazine.