The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-12-20

plan! The frail rubber line attached
to my helmet had only to snap. or the
oxygen coming through it. which
supplied me with life, cease for one
minute, and should have solved the
old problem that has laughed at US
since the beginning Of time: Life
what is it. from whence does it come,
and whittier does it go?''
An ice-cold hand seemed clutching
at my throat and strange voices were
murmuring IN my ears their weird
tales of the deep. Down. down. un-
til felt my feet touch something
soft and yielding and then ] knew /
had reached the bottom. But. oh hor-
rors! Surely it was not moss be-
meath my feet; it quivered and
squirmed. and in my mad haste to
drag myself and 200 pounds of sur
plus weight away to safer distance.
l nearly fell upon it. l remembered
the divers had told me to. crawl on
my hands and knees SO as to avoid the
possibility of falling into hole or
crevice: but not for me was that mode
of travel intended.
looked down at the spot had
precipitately vacated. and cold chills
raced up and down my spinal column.
for there. still quivering, it's tail
beating the sea moss in its dying
agony. lay a hideous. Shiny. green
reptile. about three feet long. with
a broad. fiat head and body. and its
huge mouth surrounded by long feel
ers that writhed and twisted like,
human fingers. But my weight had
crushed it. and my fear gave place to
q weird fascination as l watched. it.
When it had ceased to move began
slowly and cautiously to feel my way
about. hastily changing my course
if detected an unusual pliancy be-
meath my feet. l found what appear
ed to be a nice comfortable looking
rock. but poking itwith my long knife
to satisfy myself that it was not
alive: Ibreathed sigh of relief and
sat down to take an inventory of my
surroundings.
1t was a realized dream of fairy
land; no landscape artist ever paint
ed scene more wonderful. And the
silent. prophetic mystery hanging
over all Still as the grave! Not
sound or motion of tie water. save
that made by the waving MOSES and
seaweed. some of which lowered far
above me out of sight and others lying
low and waving like beautiful rides
cent plumes. Clinging to the soft
tendrils of many we're tiny shells of
varied shapes and colors that gave the
moses the appearance of being STUDIO
ed with jewels. Looking closely. l
observed that all marine life at the
bottom of the bay took Oh the color
Of its surroundings. for hiding and
clinging to the shelter of rocks and
shells. were tiny fish and sea urchins
of all descriptions. exactly correspond
ing in color.
The same rule applied to all sea
life among the moses and seaweeds.
Nature had wisely provided this pro-
lection from natural foes. for once
they ventured from their shelter,
they were quickly devoured. From
the tiny. floating animaiculae to the
great scaly things that flashed by me.
each in its turn fell the prey to some
thing stronger: might was right.
and many fierce. silent battles dis
turbed the harmony of that calm.
beautiful, lower world.
Alone with all this splendor. mine
the only eyes to behold it! despair
ed Of ever being able to paint word
picture which could convey the beauty
and charm of the scene. 1t was a
palace of enchantment. i forgot the
world-it seemed a vague. far-off
dream. In fancy saw Neptune slit
ling on his great throne, filling tn.
sea halls with his voice of power. and
high above somewhere the plaintive
witchery of Loreli's voice singing te
"the bold merry norman. who hat
woed her and won her, in the purple
twilights under the sea. I"
A sudden CLEAN of white recalled
my wandering fancy. Another white
object flashed into view. and I sa
spell-bound. watching the struggl,
for supremacy between two larg
pelgic monsters. / wondered. at tn
finesse displayed by those silent. de
termined combatants. that mean
victory for only one and death to tn
other. The end was not long delay
ed-a few minutes. perhaps. thong
, it seemed much longer, before on
received vicious thrust that turnt
him on his side. The champion SUI
denly discovered my presence and ev
L \ ~ 4