The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-01-25

AIDS eyes. He leaned forward. put
out his hand toward II.
Suddenly Ida leaped backward,
dragging him violently with her. There
was sense OF sound, or vibration.
rather, like the closing OF traps
jaws. They seemed 10 snap together
hardly foot from Donalds head.
And he saw suddenly, as II 1t had at
that moment only become visible, the
shadowy form OF some vast monster
lurking within the recesses OF the cave.
II was one Of the giant forms of
deep-sea life, perhaps holding the same
relationship toward the sea beasts as
tigers do toward men. 1t might have
followed the swarm when they as
sembled In the submarine crater, pre-
paratory TO their emigration south
ward.
II was not one Of the monsters that
had attacked the boat, for Donald
could discern fishlike body and
huge head with cleaning eyes, and a
pair OF hinged jaws that gaped wide
as II 10 search for the prey that had
eluded them.
The light was phosphorescent lure
used by the creature 10 draw its Vic
Tins within the cavern In which 1t
lurked. The sluggish monster re-
NAMED quiescent, and again the lure
appeared, dangling between the jaws
from the snout above them.
Donald pushed Ida before him and
fed out Of the cave until he trod upon
the ocean ooze again. And they con-
tlnued to crawl at the bottom of the
sea, two helpless human creatures, UNI
bellevably helpless, while around them
the fierce, predatory swarms sought
their dlurnal food.
Donald had found the slope of the
island when the water began to grow
thick again.
Presently phosphorescent patch
appeared in the distance. 1t became
less hazy, 1t seemed to concentrate.
The ocean suddenly became like trans
parent jelly.
And, facing him, Donald saw the
outline Of one of the sea monsters,
visible now and horribly magnified.
The eyes opened upon his own. They
We're not currantllke in that medium,
but expanded TO the full, great orbs
like sunfiowers that gIowered on their
prospective prey larger than the eyes
Of any beast created since leviathan
and behemoth.
However, the creature made no move
toward him as Donald, almost para
lyzed, remained confronting 1t. He
saw the gorilla form, with its short,
budding limbs, the trunk of gorilla's
thickness, the narrow flippers, and the
triangular head.
He felt as some prlmeval man might
have done when he looked into the
face Of the mastodon,
The creature did not pursue him.
but stood swaying gentlys dreadfully
human. Donald snatched at Ida and
tried to run. He trlpped and fell.
He dragged himself to his feet again.
He became aware of a barrier between
the monster and himself, which had,
perhaps, saved them. He had stumbled
upon splny substance, eoralloid
growth that proved to be the outpost
OF a submarine forest. 1t was field
OF crlnoids, the yellow lilies of the sea.
Beautiful plants with branching
arms, they bent and swayed before
Donald's eyes as they drew in the mi.
mute forms OF life on which they sub
sisted. They were vegetable octopods,
carulyorous scavengers of the deep,
which Toasted on the small fish that
they entangled In their waving
branches, and drew by the ciliary
movements of the lining OF their ten
taeles toward the central stomach.
| Donald saw one OF the waving arms
sweep down toward him, He tore at
II with his fingers. To his surprise
the brittle branch broke loose and
settled slowly in the ooze, there to be.
come the embryo OF a plant. From
every quarter the tentacles, as IL ap,
priced OF their presence, came swoop
Ing slowly toward them.
Donald saw Ida grasped In thell
cllnging clutch. Mndly he tore at the
graceful, shrinking forms. until he hat
eloven Wide swath before him, anC
the arms, baked and bafiled of theli
prey, withdrew.
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