230 THE ARCTURUS ADVENTURE 



mid-water, with a sheet of glass in my hand. When 

 two rare, rose-colored blennies had entered I 

 slipped the glass across the opening and had accom- 

 plished my object. But then things began to hap- 

 pen, — a heavy surge washed me sideways and not 

 until I saw a mob of little fish excitedly clustered 

 about my fingers did I notice the pale red cloud in 

 the water and realize that I had cut my hand on 

 the glass, and that the blood had drawn a swarm 

 of these dainty vampires. Then a series of strenu- 

 ous jerks on the hose notified me that something 

 had gone wrong in the upper world, and I left the 

 aquarium and began to grope and leap toward the 

 ladder. To my surprise I seemed to make little 

 headway, and then I looked back and saw that the 

 anchor rope had chafed through and that my slen- 

 der length of hose was the only connection between 

 me and the boat. I redoubled my efforts and soon 

 the Jacob's ladder caught for a moment on a pro- 

 jecting coral ledge and I reached it and swarmed 

 up. A few days later we made an effort to find the 

 aquarium but could never locate it. However, I 

 know that the glass trap will work and I shall try 

 it again some day on a much more extensive scale. 



It was as well that I came up when I did, for 

 by the time I reached the Arcturus a wicked blue- 

 black squall was headed for us, and the waves were 

 too high and choppy to be safe for a small boat. 

 The storm came from across the island. I called 

 back all the boats and made sure everything was 

 safely tied down. The rain advanced in sharply de- 

 lineated clouds, and instead of a solid sheet of flat 



