The two succeeding days were very fully occupied upon the somewhat
difficult and delicate task of effecting an equal division of the
fabulously rich haul of rubies that they had so easily acquired in so
short a time; and on the third day--being Sunday--everybody took a rest,
as was usual with them whenever possible.
But on the following Monday morning, after breakfast, the _Flying Fish_
rose into the air, and, moving out to sea, proceeded to the reef upon
which the unknown ship had been wrecked. It was determined to examine
first what was believed to be the after part of the wreck; for if any
documents, from the contents of which the ship could be identified,
still existed in decipherable condition, it would be in one of the
cabins that they would almost certainly be found. The position of this
portion of the wreck, therefore, having been found, the _Flying Fish_
was sunk as close as possible to it, settling down upon a smooth, firm,
sandy bottom, in fourteen fathoms of water, on the seaward side of the
reef. There were but four male diving-suits in the ship, but Lethbridge
and the Russian colonel were so very nearly alike in size and build that
there was no doubt that the suit of the former would fit the latter; and
Lethbridge therefore offered Sziszkinski the opportunity to experience
the sensation of walking about on the ocean's bed, and beholding
anything of a novel character that there might be to see--an offer which
the Russian had gladly accepted. A diving-suit had been provided for
Lady Olivia, but it was deemed unadvisable that she should make her
first essay at submarine exploration until the others had first been
out, and had thus ascertained what difficulties and possible dangers
were likely to be experienced. The four men who were going out--that is
to say, Sir Reginald, Mildmay, von Schalckenberg, and Sziszkinski--
accordingly descended to the lowermost depths of the ship, and entered
the diving-room, leaving Lethbridge to entertain the two ladies and
little Ida by pointing out such objects of interest as were to be seen
from the tightly closed windows of the saloon.
Going at once to the cupboard labelled with Colonel Lethbridge's name,
the professor drew forth the diving-dress and very handsome suit of
diving-armour which it contained, and instructed his Russian friend how
to don first the dress and then the armour, Sir Reginald and Mildmay
meanwhile leisurely assuming their own proper suits; and when at length
Sziszkinski was completely equipped, von Schalckenberg quickly donned
his own suit, after which the quartette left the diving-room and entered
what they called the chamber of egress, carefully closing and securing
the door behind them. The water-tap was then turned on, and the chamber
gradually filled with water, which flowed in at the level of the floor,
and steadily rose about the four occupants until it was over their heads
and had reached to the ceiling. Then, having first ascertained that
everybody felt all right and quite comfortable, the professor opened the
trap-door in the ship's bottom, and the four men walked out over the
flap and found themselves treading the sandy floor of the ocean upon
which the ship rested.
They were now in the tunnel-like passage formed by the starboard
bilge-keel and the ship's hull, which curved out over them vast and
ponderous as an overhanging cliff. It was intensely dark here, though
at either extremity of the tunnel could be seen a small patch of sombre
green light, and they therefore switched on the electric lamps, which
were attached, _one_ to the helmet and one to the belt of each man; and
thus aided, they were enabled without difficulty to make their way out
to what Mildmay called the daylight.
Once there--that is to say, clear of the gloom of the overshadowing hull
of the _Flying Fish_--they were able to see with tolerable distinctness,
even without the assistance of their lamps, the depth of water being too
great for the surface disturbance to reach the bottom and stir up the
sand. The water, therefore, was clear and transparent, allowing the
light of the sun, already high in the heavens, to pass through and
somewhat dimly illuminate the ground upon which they walked with a soft,
greenish-blue light. The water was alive with fish, darting restlessly
hither and thither; and while some were evidently much alarmed at the
apparition of the four gleaming armour-clad figures, from whom they
retreated precipitately, others were as evidently consumed with
curiosity as to what they were, and came swimming about them with a
pertinacity that was highly amusing. It was also very interesting to
look upward and watch the waves ceaselessly chasing each other overhead,
the shape and formation of each wave being clearly indicated by the
lines of rippling light that crossed and intermingled with each other in
the production of an endless succession of most beautiful and novel
effects.
The wreck was clearly visible at a distance of some three hundred feet,
lying at the base of the reef, which shot steeply up out of the sand,
and reached to within about a dozen feet of the sea-level. As the four
men approached it was seen that the almost shapeless bulk before them
was, as had been anticipated, merely the after part of the ship, the
remainder doubtless lying on the other, or inshore, side of the reef.
That she had been a sailing-ship was evident, for the hollow steel main
and mizzen masts, with a portion of the yards and the standing and
running gear still attached to them, were to be seen lying upon the
steep slope of the reef, evidently where they had fallen when the ship
struck. And from the circumstance that all canvas, except the
close-reefed topsails, was furled, Mildmay expressed the opinion that
she had struck during heavy weather, and doubtless at night, for it was
difficult to understand how a ship could have come stem-on upon the reef
during the hours of daylight, on a coast where fog is practically
unknown. And, to the four curious observers standing down there
alongside the wreck, it was perfectly clear that she had struck with
tremendous force, for she had pushed half her length across the
obstructing reef, and had ultimately broken in two just forward of the
mainmast. The half of her at which they were now looking had slid down
the side of the reef with such force that her stern had buried itself in
the sand to an extent which rendered it impossible for them to read her
name and port of registry on her counter, as they had hoped to do. If,
therefore, they desired to ascertain any particulars concerning her, it
would be absolutely necessary for one or more of them to climb on board
and institute a search of the cabins, which, in consequence of the
peculiar posture of the wreck--that is to say, the fact that she was
reared nearly on end on her stern--appeared likely to prove a task of
very considerable difficulty, not to say danger.
Had they been mere ordinary divers, attired in the well-known regulation
diving-dress, they would have been unable to communicate with each
other, save by the somewhat slow and awkward means of a slate and a
piece of chalk. The professor, however, with that foresight which was
one of his most remarkable characteristics, had met this difficulty, at
the time when the special diving-dresses for the party were in process
of manufacture, by the introduction into each helmet of a pair of small
but powerful microphones of his own design, with the result that wearers
of the dress could hear as distinctly as when they were in the open-air,
and could converse together with perfect facility. Hence they were now
able to discuss the difficulty that thus unexpectedly confronted them,
and arrange a plan of action.
For some minutes the four men stood together, contemplating the wreck
and considering the situation generally. Then Mildmay said--
"It appears to me that the only way is for me to climb up to the
skylight, open it, and lower myself down into the cabin by means of a
rope's-end, plenty of which are lying about athwart the deck. That
skylight undoubtedly will give me access to the cuddy, and from that I
shall probably be able to make my way into the other cabins. It is the
captain's cabin that we particularly want; and I shall probably know
better where to look for it than any of the rest of you. One of you,
however, had better come up with me, as I may possibly require
assistance."
"All right," answered Sir Reginald; "I will go with you. Shall I go
first, or will you?"
"I had better go first, I think; then I can help you up," said Mildmay.
And he forthwith laid hold of a rope's-end, and with some difficulty
hauled himself into position above the fore end of the skylight. Having
firmly established himself upon it, he proceeded to haul the baronet up
after him. Then, between them, they managed to force open the starboard
half of the skylight cover, when, swinging his legs over the ledge of
the skylight, Mildmay grasped a rope and lowered himself down into the
interior of the cuddy.
For a moment he could see nothing, for the only light penetrating this
interior came down through the skylight, and that was not much; he
therefore switched on his electric lamps and looked about him. He found
himself standing upon the after bulkhead of the apartment, with his feet
on a door which apparently gave access to one of the stern cabins; and
stepping aside sufficiently for the purpose, he was in the act of
stooping to unfasten the door, when he suddenly found himself enveloped
by a number of long, strong, pliant, embracing arms, and violently
snatched off his feet! His surprise was so great that for the moment he
could not imagine what had happened to him; he knew only that his arms
and legs were so tightly pinioned that, despite his utmost exertions, he
found it absolutely impossible to move. But knowledge came to him the
next moment--the knowledge that he was in the embrace of an enormous
octopus! And as he realised this fact, he heard the horrid rasping of
the fierce creature's powerful mandibles upon his helmet.
The sound sent a thrill of horror through him, for the thought flashed
through his mind, "If the brute should pierce my helmet, I shall be
drowned like a rat in a trap!" But a moment later he became reassured,
as he remembered the extraordinary strength and toughness of the
aethereum of which not only his helmet but his whole suit of armour was
composed; and with the revulsion of feeling, he laughed aloud at the
amusing character of the situation--for it _was_ amusing to him to think
of the creature's disappointment at its utter inability to pierce his
shell and get at him.
But, stay--was the situation really so very amusing after all? For now
Mildmay began to realise that the octopus was steadily working its way
backward and upward through a big breach in the fore bulkhead of the
cabin, carrying him with it; and presently he found himself outside the
cabin altogether, and in the open space at the bottom of the companion
ladder. But the creature did not pause here. Still working its way
upward, it dragged Mildmay along a wide alley-way between the ship's
side and the casing of the companion-way until it reached the bulkhead
between this space and the main hold. The straining of the ship, which
had eventually resulted in her breaking in two, had also rent this
bulkhead apart, leaving an aperture some ten feet wide, and through this
in turn the octopus gradually worked its way, until it had passed into
what--before the ship broke in two--had been the main hold. And now
Mildmay was able to understand what had been greatly puzzling him--how
it was that the creature had come to be inside the ship at all; it was
evidently through these breaches in the bulkheads that it had made its
way; and, just prior to the moment of his seizure, the sailor had caught
a momentary shuddering glimpse of something in the cuddy that went far
to explain why it had made its way there.
That the octopus had some definite objective now became perfectly clear,
for it still kept untiringly on its way, forcing its passage this way
and that, through the interstices between a confused heap of bales and
cases that had formed a part of the ship's cargo, until at length, after
about half an hour's arduous work, it emerged, clear of everything, into
open water, when it at once made for a cave-like aperture in the reef,
into which it passed, still firmly clasping its prisoner in the embrace
of its snake-like tentacles.
And now Mildmay began to realise the serious character of the
extraordinary plight in which he thus unexpectedly found himself
involved. For it now flashed upon him that, in the astonishment
following upon his seizure, he had failed to raise any outcry, with the
object of making his friends acquainted with his predicament; indeed, he
had been so fully occupied in struggling to free himself from the
fettering embrace of his enemy that it had not occurred to him to cry
out until it had become altogether too late to make his voice heard; and
he now found himself thrust, how deep he knew not, into this submarine
cave, but certainly much too far for his voice to reach those outside
and bring them to his assistance. And, meanwhile, the octopus still
held him in so tenacious a grip that he found it absolutely impossible
to free his hands and so get at his two-bladed, electric dagger, with
which, as he believed, he could make short work of his antagonist;
indeed, every time that he made the slightest attempt to move his limbs,
he felt the tentacles still further strengthen their grip upon him. And
now that he had time to think of it, he became conscious of the fact
that he was feeling pretty completely exhausted by his previous
struggles and the extreme violence with which he had been dragged hither
and thither in his passage from the wrecked ship's cuddy to the cave.
He was bruised and aching in every joint of his body, and was,
furthermore, suffering severely from cramp due to the constraint upon
his limbs.
How was he to effect his escape? His friends outside could not help
him, for the simple reason that they did not know his whereabouts.
Doubtless they were by this time beginning to feel uneasy about him--
were, perhaps, even instituting a search for him; but such a search as
they were likely to make would not benefit him, for the utmost that they
could ascertain would be that, after entering the cuddy, he had most
mysteriously and unaccountably disappeared. For he was well aware that
there was absolutely nothing to show which way he had gone; more than
that, he had gone by a way that would have been absolutely impossible to
his own unaided efforts. No, he told himself, it was quite useless to
look for help from the others; whatever was to be done he himself must
do.
And then he began to turn over in his mind the possibilities of the
situation. How long would the creature be likely to hold him thus
prisoner? Would it release him when at length it realised the
impossibility of penetrating his armour? And, if so, how long was it
likely to be ere the release came? Failing to make a meal of him, the
thing would undoubtedly be obliged to go forth, sooner or later, to seek
for food. But Mildmay had only the most elementary knowledge as to the
habits of the octopus, and he had a hazy idea that, like certain snakes,
the creature might only feed at more or less long intervals, in which
case he might be held a prisoner for a week or more. This was a
distinctly disquieting reflection while it lasted, but it presently
occurred to him that it was by no means probable that, let the
creature's habits be what they might, it would retain that vice-like
grip upon him for any very lengthened period, and his chance would come
when that grip relaxed. And it was an easy step from that conclusion to
the next, which was that he must do what he could to cause the grip to
relax as quickly as possible. He had already observed that the creature
tightened the clasp of its tentacles about him whenever he moved or
struggled; and the obvious corollary from this was that, the more
quiescent he could remain, the sooner would his opportunity come to
wrench an arm free and use his deadly dagger.
Meanwhile, on board the _Flying Fish_, Lethbridge, intent upon making
the time pass as pleasantly as possible for the ladies, cooped up below
deck in the saloons, conducted them to a window in the dining-saloon,
from which the wreck and the reef were clearly visible, and from which
they could watch the movements of the four adventurous divers.
For some twenty minutes or so after the quartette had left them, the
occupants of the saloon had to be content with such interest and
amusement as was to be obtained by observing the movements of the
numerous fish outside, including a little thrill of horror when a big
shark, which went drifting aimlessly past, turned aside for a moment to
thrust his great shovel-snout up against the tremendously thick and
especially toughened plate-glass window out of which they were gazing.
They were at once full of apprehension lest the monster should remain in
the neighbourhood, and attack the divers upon their appearance on the
sandy floor below; and Lady Elphinstone even begged the colonel to go
down below and warn the adventurers of its proximity as well as urge
them to defer their excursion. But Lethbridge laughed so heartily at
the idea of their being in any danger from a mere shark, and explained
to them so clearly that the shark would have absolutely no chance
whatever against men equipped as the divers were, that they permitted
themselves to be reassured.
And while they were all discussing the matter, the four divers suddenly
appeared, forcing their way somewhat laboriously through the water in
the direction of the wreck. They saw the little party reach the great
mass and stand for some few minutes, evidently in consultation; and
finally they saw one of them climb up the wreck and then assist another
of the party to mount beside him.
"Mildmay and Elphinstone," commented Lethbridge, as he looked over Ida's
shoulder.
"How do you know that, Colonel?" demanded Lady Olivia. "To me they look
all precisely alike, except, of course, that the professor is much
stouter than the others. It is impossible for him to conceal his
identity, even by encasing himself in a suit of armour."
"No; quite true," laughed Lethbridge. "The worthy von Schalckenberg's
figure is such that one is bound to recognise him as far as one can see
him. As to your other question, well, I recognised the first man as
Mildmay by his actions. He is a sailor all over, and as strongly
indicated by his sailor-like motions as the professor is by his figure.
And I take the other to be your husband, because this is Colonel
Sziszkinski's first appearance under water; moreover, Elphinstone is not
the man to ask another to do anything which he himself can do. Ah,
there goes Mildmay down through the ship's skylight. He is doubtless
going to search the cabins for anything he can find that will help to
establish her identity. We shall see no more of him for the next
half-hour or so, I suspect."
They saw Sir Reginald lean over the edge of the skylight for a moment,
and look down into the ship's interior; and then, as they watched, he
seated himself composedly upon the fore end of the skylight, upon which
he had been standing, and, with folded arms, leaned back against the
almost vertical deck, with the stump of the mizzenmast and a quantity of
wreckage that rested upon it, just above his head, overarching him in a
sort of canopy. Then they saw the professor and his friend walking
quietly about the wreck, examining it, and pointing out to each other
such peculiarities as attracted their attention. And when the two men
had exhausted the interest that attached to the wreck, the watchers saw
them climb somewhat awkwardly up it and seat themselves beside Sir
Reginald, who had two or three times peered down into the interior of
the skylight, and now seemed to be exhibiting some signs of uneasiness.
"Sir Reginald is beginning to grow fidgety at Mildmay's long stay below,
I fancy," remarked Lethbridge. "But he need not; Mildmay is a sailor,
and a navy man at that; and he may be trusted to take care of himself.
He is very thorough in his methods, and you may depend that--Hillo!
What the--phew! it is an octopus, and I'll be shot if he hasn't--"
The ex-colonel pulled himself up short, and glanced anxiously at the
faces of his companions. Had either of them seen? He noticed a look of
horror and strong repugnance upon the faces of all three; but the horror
was the kind that raises from the sight of some dreadful object, not the
kind that is aroused upon witnessing some especially dreadful
occurrence. He waited a moment to give one or another of them an
opportunity to speak. He hoped they had _not_ seen. He himself had
only caught the barest momentary glimpse, as the creature shot suddenly
up out of the body of the wreck, before it turned; but that glimpse was
enough: _he had seen_!
"Oh, what a dreadful creature!" exclaimed Lady Olivia, turning a pale
face to Lethbridge. "What is it, Colonel, and where did it come from?"
Evidently _she_ had not seen!
"It is an octopus, or giant squid, as some people call it. It is very
similar to the ordinary cuttlefish, only, of course very much larger.
And, so far as I could see, it appeared to spring from the hull of the
wreck. If you will excuse me for a moment, ladies, I will go to the
pilot-house and endeavour to give our friends yonder some intimation of
its presence; the professor will be interested to know that a genuine
giant squid is within a few yards of him."
And thus lightly speaking, Lethbridge sauntered quietly out of the
saloon, closed the door carefully behind him, and dashed at break-neck
speed for the pilot-house.
He had already made up his mind what to do, and doubtless those other
fellows would understand; they were quick-witted enough, surely, to
grasp the meaning of such an action on his part.
His thoughts had reached thus far when he arrived in the pilot-house.
Grasping the switch-handle of the great electric lantern, he proceeded
to switch the light on and off rapidly, which act had the effect of
almost immediately attracting the attention of the three men who were
sitting on the skylight of the wreck. He saw them look at each other,
as though speaking, and then von Schalckenberg rose to his feet and
raised both hands above his head, to indicate that he was attending.
And, thereupon, Lethbridge immediately began to signal, in the Morse
code, by means of long and short flashes, the message--
"Mildmay in danger. Seized by octopus and carried into cave some
distance above your heads."
To this message the professor at once replied by waving his arms in
accordance with the "flag-waving" system used in the British navy and
army--
"Right. We go to his rescue. Guide us to the cave."
Lethbridge gave the flash that indicated his comprehension of the
communication, and then, with the switch-handle still in his hand,
intently watched, through one of the pilot-house windows, the movements
of the three. He saw them lower themselves down on to the sand, and
immediately begin to climb up the rugged side of the reef. The surface
of the rocks was slippery with weed, and their progress was, therefore,
painfully slow; but at length they reached a point above and clear of
the wreck, and von Schalckenberg then turned and faced the pilot-house,
evidently asking for guidance.
"Go higher and bear to your right," signalled Lethbridge; and the men
resumed their climb.
They were now making directly for the spot at which the octopus had
disappeared, and a _few_ minutes later they reached a ledge, with the
cave immediately in front of them. The professor now again faced round
inquiringly, and Lethbridge signalled--
"That is the spot."
Von Schalckenberg threw up his arms to indicate that he understood; and
then Lethbridge saw the three men stand and confer together for a
moment. Then, drawing their daggers and switching on their lights, they
all three plunged into the cave and vanished, leaving the solitary
watcher in the pilot-house in a state of painful suspense that endured
for fully ten minutes. At length, however, the professor and one of the
others reappeared, each of them dragging at a long, limp tentacle; and
in another moment the huge body of the octopus came into view with the
remaining two men pushing it vigorously from behind. As it reached the
edge of the ledge the professor and his companion stepped round to
assist the other two, and presently the great unwieldy body went rolling
limply and lifelessly down the face of the reef until it lay motionless
upon the sand. Then the four men made their way carefully down after
it, when, having reached the sand, they turned and bent their footsteps
in the direction of the _Flying Fish_.