The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-09-02
Hide and Seek With an Octopus

had fastened IT by showing some pack
Ing cases against Il. Occasionally q
black, cropping shadow moved across
the grating, and soon I noticed that
the octopus was fully as sensitive to
my stirring about as I had been 10
the disturbance caused by his coming
Whenever | budged, one of those tent.
acles whipped out and went search.
ing about through the gaps Of the
grating.
my rope began to jerk dinner sig.
nails, and sometimes the net stirred
suggestively; and all the time | was
getting colder and more numb and
more thoroughly terrified by the dark
ness of the crowded hold and the
wavering shadow outside. Suddenly
| saw one of those whip-like feelers
wrap itself about bar of the grating
and tear it loose, solidly bolted
though it was ! began to realize
that, after all, there was nothing TO
/ prevent the creatures reaching me
but his own lack of imagination.
From above came a peremptory
order, transmitted through the rope:
Come up!' | knew that the men had
been REINFORCED by the boss, for o
one else would send me that message.
| However, dared not try to obey, and
! indaod hogon 20 Fool 4bo+ 4bo
chances of my ever getting up were
SLIM / was chilled through by my
long immersion. / moved cautiously
toward the grating, and Instantly
there appeared one of those snake
like arms, reaching toward me.
81 paused and considered something
that had just come into my dazed
mind. Yes, perhaps it would work.
l would call off the octopus through
his very responsiveness to motion.
There was a chance of my being able
to reach the main hatch by travelling
under decks, and perhaps l could en-
tice him away from the vicinity of my
air pipe and signal line long enough
to let me escape. I began to feel
my way back, each moment getting
farther and farther from the amber
shadows of the forward hatch.
ut was a perilous undertaking.
Any second l might bring something
tumbling down and sever my supply
pipe. l CROPPED cautiously along, how
ever, and presently had the joy Of
feeling the ladder of the main hatch
lying across my patch. Inducements
had drifted the outer door shut, hut
1 showed it open and jerked the
grating across the aperture.
"a moment later a black, wavering
shadow was thrown across the check
er-board of light and darkness
formed by the crossed timbers of the
grating, and l knew that my ruse had
worked-thus far. l jammed a stick
through one of the open squares, and
felt it drawn slowly and irresistibly
from my hands, as if the drum of a
donkey engine were revolving slowly,
and exerting it's mighty force against
my resistance.
81 took long time to my return
trip, trying not to stir up the water
nor to displace anything that would
tell of my progress. With painful
caution. I neared the forward hatch,
feeling my signal rope and air pipe
travel with me, as the puzzled crew
above manipulated them, accompany
ing my advance.
Suddenly I stood still. There be-
fore me was that telltale silhouette.
The octopus had beaten me to the
goal.
ITO say that I was utterly discour-
aged doesn't half express it. had
not let myself consider this POSSIBLE
ity, but now I was cowed beaten,
broken-spirited- thing that threat
ened me was so utterly removed from
anything l had ever fought against,
was so diabolical and unyielding, that
felt my sinews rebelling against
further effort, I might as well sit
down and wait for the end, which
would come slowly. mercilessly, un-
less my captor took it into his rep
lillian mind to twist off my air pipe or
to jerk open the grating and come in
and strangle me. The men above had
stopped signaling, and I might have
5een sitting on one of the stars with
my feet in space. for ali the human
companionship / had. Already I was
a thing OF the past, sitting face to
face with death.
81 don't know how it came into my
head. had been staring at the
blotch on the floor that represented
my net, when all of a sudden began
to wonder how the Japanese fisher
mon UyhO cold davi1-fsh IN the water