The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-02-24

the reason. Three of them were still
fastened to the davits and carried
down with the hull
Seward the water was not so clear.
The waves created patches of foam,
and long submarine plants swayed gen.
tly in the undercurrent
To reach Palm Tree rock = antici-
pating its subsequent name-he must
cross space Of some thirty feet and
wade up to his waist.
He made the passage with ease.
Pitched against the bole of the tree
was long, narrow case, very heavy,
iron clamped and marked with letters
in black triapgles and the broad arrow
of the British government.
"Rifles, by all the gods!" shouted the
sailor.
The Sirdar carried q consignment of
arms and ammunition from Hongkong
to Singapore. Providence had decreed
that practically ineXhaustible store
Of cartridges should be hurled across
the lagoon to the island. And here
were rifles enough to equip half COM
pany. He would not risk the precious
ak in an attempt to open the case. He
must go back for a crowbar.
What else was there in this store
house thrust by Neptune from the
ocean bed? A chest of tea, seemingly
unchanged; three barrels Of -four, ut
terly ruined; a saloon chair, smashed
from its pivot; battered thermometer.
For the rest, fragments of timber in
termingled with pufverized coral and
broken crockery.
A little farther on the deep water
entrance to the lagoon curved between
sunken rocks. On one of them rested
the Slrdar's huge funnel. The north
west section of the reef was bare.
Among the wreckage he found a coil
Of stout rope and pulley. He instant
ly conceived the idea of constructing
an aerial line to ferry the chest of tea
across the channel lie had forded
He threaded the pulley with the rope
and climbed the tree, adding a touch
Of artistic completeness to the ruin of
| his trousers by the operation. He had
fastened the pulley high up the trunl;
| before he realized how much more sim
pie it would be to break open the chest
where it lay and transport its contents
! in small parcels.
He laughed lightly. II am becoming
addle headed" he said to himself.
anyhow, now the job is done, l may
as well make use of it,
! Recoiling the rope ends, he cast them
| across to the reef. In such small ways
| do men throw invisible dice with death
With those two lines he would within
| few fleeing seconds drag himself
! back from eternity.
| Picking up the ak, he carelessly
| stepped into the water, not knowing
that Iris, having welded the incipient
sage into fat pancake, had strolled
| to the beach and was watching him.
J The water was hardly above his
knees when there came a swirling rush
| from the seaweed. A long tentacle shot
out like a lasso and gripped his right
leg. Another coiled around his waist.
my Godv' he gurgled as horrid
sucker closed over his mouth and nose
| He was in the grip of devilfish!
A deadly sensation of nausea almost
overpowered him, but the love of life
came to his aid and he tore the suffo
eating feeler from his face. Then the
AK whirled, and one of the eight arms
Of the octopus lost some of its length
Yet fourth flung itself around his left
ankle. A few feet away, out of range
Of the AK and lifting itself bodily out
Of the water, was the dread form OF
the cutie, apparently all head, with
distended gills and monstrous eyes.
The sailors feet were planted wide
apart. With frenzied effort he hacked
at the murderous tentacles, but the
water hindered him, and he was forced
to lean back in superhuman strain tC
avoid losing his balance. If once this
| terrible assailant got him down he
knew he was lost The very need tC
keep his feet prevented him from at
tempting to deal mortal blow.
The cutie was anchored by three OF
it's tcntacles. It's remaining arm darted