THE ESCAPE
Jerry felt the horrid arm of the creature of the deep squeezing him
tighter and tighter. He could also note that Professor Snodgrass was in
terrible danger; but, so far, the lad had not a glimpse of the globular
body of the fish itself. He had no doubt that the octopus was hidden in
some crevice of the rocks behind him and his companion, and, following
its usual method, had reached out and seized the invaders of its haunts.
Quickly Jerry drew his knife, as he had seen the professor do, but
before he could use it, to slash through the snake-like tentacle,
another was whipped around him, pinning both his arms to his sides.
The lantern dropped from his hand, but it was attached to his waist
by a light chain, and did not go out. The right hand of Professor
Snodgrass--that containing the knife--was the only one that had been
caught by the creature. His other was free, and yet not free, for it
held the lantern and the net into which the sea specimens had been put.
Then began a terrible struggle at the bottom of the sea. The octopus,
which they afterward judged must have been a gigantic specimen, much
larger than usual, began to pull Jerry and the professor backward. With
horror they realized that they might be drawn into some ocean cave, and
killed, in spite of their strong diving suits, by the powerful suckers
attached to the arms of the creature. It was only the exceptional size
of the beast that made it formidable, for with a smaller one either
Jerry or the professor could have coped.
[Illustration: THEN BEGAN A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.]
Silently the struggle went on, but, fortunately, not in darkness, for
both the submarine electric lamps still glowed, and now they were
within range of the light that streamed from the glass windows of the
cabin of the _Sonderbaar_. Someone had switched them on.
In vain Jerry tried to free his arms. They were too tightly held,
another feeler whipping itself about him. The remaining tentacles of
the creature, the lad realized, must be clinging to a rock to give it
an anchorage.
Jerry glanced at Professor Snodgrass. The scientist had now dropped his
lantern so that it dangled at the end of the chain about his waist, and
was making fast to the same chain the net containing his specimens.
Then Jerry had a gleam of hope, for he saw the little man transfer the
long, keen knife from his right to his left hand, reaching for it with
the latter.
“Oh, if he can only cut off the arms of the octopus!” thought Jerry.
And yet, as he glanced down on his chest, and beheld the horrid
muscular object, like some snake, with its spasmodically working
suckers, Jerry had his doubts. Could a knife cut through in time to
save their lives--his life?
There was danger of the pressure of the arms working some damage to the
compressed air apparatus carried at the back of the helmet. Already
Jerry felt a choking sensation, as the arms drew tighter and tighter
about him.
Professor Snodgrass raised the knife to slash the tentacle of the beast
that held him captive. Then he seemed to hesitate, and Jerry thought he
understood. The diving suit was partly made of rubber, and the least
rent in this, if the knife should slip, would mean death by drowning.
What could be done?
Tighter and tighter pressed the terrible tentacles. Closer and closer
to the unseen cave the creature drew its prey. Neither Jerry nor the
professor could turn about, but they knew the horrid monster of the
deep was back of them.
Then the lad glanced toward the submarine. Grouped about the glass
cabin window were all his friends--horror showing on their faces.
“Oh, if they could only do something--use the electric gun, as Dr.
Klauss did on the whale,” thought Jerry. Then he realized that this
would not be safe. The charge that would kill the octopus would also
kill them.
Suddenly Ned Slade pushed his way close to the cabin glass. He made a
sign to Jerry, and then, using his fingers to give a message in the
deaf and dumb alphabet (which the chums often practiced) Ned spelled
out this:
“I am coming to save you!”
Jerry’s heart gave a bound. He felt that help was coming. He called the
attention of Professor Snodgrass to their friends.
The little scientist, however, decided to chance an attack on the
monster’s tentacle. He would slash it, even though the beast in its
throes might do them serious harm. Jerry realized that he could not
stand it much longer. He felt as though he were being squeezed to death.
Again he looked toward the glass window, and saw Ned, with a hopeful
gesture, leaving it, accompanied by two of the machinists.
“He must be going to put on a diving suit and come out here!” thought
Jerry. “Good old Ned! But he’d better hurry!”
It seemed an hour, but really it was not more than two minutes before
Jerry felt behind him a commotion in the water that told of a change
in the situation. He could not turn to see what it was. The pressure
of the tentacles of the octopus had increased to what was an almost
unendurable point, and then the arms seemed suddenly to relax. There
was a swirl in the water, and Jerry felt himself grasped in friendly
arms. He turned to see Ned gazing at him through the glass windows of
the helmet, and another glance showed Ted Rowland helping to pull off
the clinging suckers from Professor Snodgrass.
The two had come to the rescue, and on the bottom of the sea had
advanced upon the octopus in its lair, stabbing it to death with long,
spear-like knives. Jerry and the professor had been saved.
Little time was lost in getting back to the side of the submarine, the
water being stained with the blood of the octopus so that it could not
be seen clearly.
But Ned, who, with the machinist, had had a glimpse of the creature
before attacking it, said it was a monster in size, and, as Jerry had
feared, had been pulling him and the professor backward into a crevice
between the rocks.
Two at a time the party entered the water-gate in the side of the
_Sonderbaar_, and soon they were safely within. The others crowded
about the rescued ones as the diving suits were taken off.
“Oh, what an awful experience for you!” cried Grace, while Bob grasped
his chum’s hand in a manner that meant much.
“Yes, it wasn’t very pleasant,” agreed the tall lad.
“But I got my specimens,” said the professor proudly when he could get
his breath, for he was well-nigh exhausted, as was his companion.
“And now that you have been successful, let us go up and start for
home,” suggested Mr. Sheldon. “I am sure we have had enough under-water
horrors.”
There was no dissent from this, and in a little while the _Sonderbaar_
began to ascend. Up and up she went, until once more she rested on the
waves in the bright sunlight.
Then a course was laid that would take them back to Boston. It was
decided not to cruise about to try to find any possible parts of the
wrecked _Comet_, and as for picking up the lone sailor on the _Hassen_,
it was agreed that he must have been rescued by this time.
“We’ll head for home!” cried Jerry.
“And what will we do with Dr. Klauss?” asked Ned.
“I don’t care what happens to him, once we are safe,” answered the tall
lad.
Her tanks filled with plenty of fresh, compressed air, the submarine
was again sent down, as they decided to travel under water. She was
sunk to a depth of about three hundred feet, and her engines started at
full speed.
“And now let’s have something to eat,” cried Bob, a little later. “We
haven’t had a good meal--that is, one where we didn’t have to worry--in
some time.”
“Right you are, Chunky!” cried Ned, slapping him on the shoulder.
They were all at the table, save the two Germans, who said they
preferred to dine in their cabin, and the automatic steering apparatus
had been set so that no one need be in the pilot house for the time
being.
Suddenly the craft seemed to pitch forward. She assumed a sloping
attitude, her nose pointed downward, at a steep angle.
“What’s the matter?” cried Jerry.
“Something’s wrong,” shouted Ned.
Ted Rowland hurried to the corridor and looked into the pilot
house. The door was open, and there, standing before the levers and
switchboard, was Dr. Klauss!
“He has escaped!” cried the engineer. “He’s in possession of the boat
again! Quick, boys, or he’ll send us to the bottom where we can’t get
up!”