The Democratic advocate., 1907-07-05

vi tHe tliShty racine, WITH the sun rays
dancing on the tiny waves, Tapped melo-
diously at my feet. Farther seaward, and
as far as the eye could reach, the solemn,
stupendous grandeur of the ocean lulled
ones senses into benign forgetfulness
One felt ones helplessnes, ones utter in-
| significance
But hark What was that strange
swishing sound that broke the silence? 1t
was quite close to me-beside me- Hor-
rors! sprang to my feet with sharp
exclamation, for there, not dozen feet
away, was a tall, triangular fn-the dorsal
fin ola huge shark!
A cry from me brought DIR. Butler
quickly to my side. "Great heavens -
cried he, visibly affected, as he gazed upon
the hideous creature. ''What blood
thirsty brute he looks! The blood from
my foot must have attracted him from the
open.
\ moment more and terrible thought
flashed simultaneously through our brains.
This horror creating denizen of the deep
was our jailer! So long as he remained
there our only avenue OF escape was closed.
The doctor turned and looked at me in
silence, and in silence | returned his scru-
tiny. Each knew only too well that for
us there was no way of gaining the oppo-
site shore and liberty except by swimming
across the inlet We knew, moreover,
that if we assayed the passage one of us
must be taken by the monster to pay the
price of the others liberty.
But, the reader may ask, why not, in
preference to such horrible death, stay
indefinitely in the cavern, even to the
point Of dying of starvation? Unfortu-
mattel for us, however we had no alterna-
tive, for we knew, from the marks on the
rocks, that when the tide rose the shark
would be able to invade the cavern! No;
as surely as the waters ebbed and flowed,
a certain and horrible death awaited one
or other of us.
Not Il hair $ breadth backward or for
ward did the creature move from his post
outside the cave. Grim and expectant he
lay there in all his responsiveness, the van
guard of death. Once he tilted himself
slightly, and by so doing showed us his
horrid grey eyes and his more horrid
mouth-a mouth that bristled with many
rows of teeth The great brute seemed to
root us to the spot with fascination of hor-
ror, for time passed and we knew it not.
How long we remained staring at the crea-
ture | cannot say, but when we woke from
our terror induced stupor our feet were
being laved by the incoming tide.
''Bailey ? cried DR.. Butler, suddenly.
"Come into the cavern. An idea has
struck me which may save us. Quick p
Leaving the brink, padding through the
rising water, | dumbly followed my com
panon. Already his face had become
pale and haggard mental anguish un-
relieved soon pals the brightest face.
''Well, DOCTOR" murmured [, as we
stood inside, ' what is it p
why, this" he answered, quietly.
''Maybe if we keep ourselves out of his
sight in this cave, and remain absolutely
silent, he may get the impression we have
departed, and then perhaps he will leave
the inlet can suggest nothing better.
What do you think about it p
II guess we'll try it, said I, with a
little hope stealing back to me.
"Right now let US take seats on these
lodges
doctor" said I, a moment after
wards, "don't you think you had better
take your injured foot out Of the water p
By this time few inches of water covered
the entire floor of the cavern. II notice
it still bleeds little, and no doubt the
shark will stay as long as he scents the
blood Try that ledge higher up.
Chow thoughtless of me p cried But
Ter, changing his seat. "And now, Bailey,
old friend his voice grew grave-"give
me your hand 1t may be the last shake
for one of us in this world, so let it be a long
one and Il good one. ~ Solemnly we shook
hands.
"And now, mum the word" added
Butler, calmly.
After that we maintained deathlike
silence as we crouched there in that ice
cold and tomb like hollow, each busy with
his own sombre thoughts. Occasionally,
during this terrible death watch, | glanced
towards the mouth of the cavern and the
sweet, alluring sunshine beyond. thought
of our position and shuddered. If our
ruse failed, then every moment was bring
us nearer to that last awful scene, when
the waiting monster would be able to
enter the cave in quest of his victim.
Soon-it seemed but five minutes, yet
it must have been at least an hour-the
water rose within the cavern sufficiently
high to enable the shark to swim inside.
From our lodges above the surface we
scrutinized the sunlit entrance with strain
ing eyes. Every instant we expected to
see that ominous dorsal fin enter and
cleave the water of the cave, and thus
raise our sensations to the climax of horror
before ending forever our nerve racking
vigil But it came not. And SO we COM
menced to hope that our trick had been
successful to hope with an intensity that
shut out all other emotions.
Now, if ever, the moment for leaving
the cavern had come. Yet we felt loath
to 90, for blood still trickled occasionally
from the Doctors wounded foot-mani-
festly state of things that enhanced our
danger tenfold. Still 90 we must, and
each must take his chance.
Calming myself as best l could, whis-
pered ''Doctor, who leads the way p
"You, if you like he rejoined.
In this reply there was nothing sug-
gestive of cowardliness, for to follow in the
wake of trail of blood left by the doctor s
foot was, in the event of the keen scented
shark being absent from the inlet, equally
as dangerous as swimming in the lead in
case the brute was still present. So I
decided to lead.
Quietly I slid down into the water and