THOMAS NED FINDS A PEARL OF PRICE. 241 



was hauling and not a living body. I felt my heart 

 sink at the thought of what might have happened 

 to him, but that only put new strength into my 

 hands. At last his head appeared, then a hand, above 

 the surface. I made fast the line and stooped over 

 the rail to haul him in with my hands, when I was 

 suddenly seized by a clammy tentacle, and knew then 

 that we were in the grasp of a devilfish ! 



Thomas was unconscious and could render me no 

 assistance ; his body and limbs were inclosed within 

 the tightening grip of the devilfish. His long knife 

 was still clutched in one nerveless hand, and, despite 

 the danger of being inclosed by another hideous arm, 

 I reached over and seized it. Then, quick as I could 

 turn, I severed the tentacle that had clutched me, 

 and one by one the slimy arms that surrounded my 

 friend's lifeless form. 



The devilfish made a terrible fight, grasping the 

 gunwales of the canoe, and reaching over after me, 

 rearing its horrible death's-head, with its demoniacal 

 eyes, close to my face. But, evading somehow its 

 every movement, I severed, one after another, the 

 ligatures, that squirmed and crawled like living ser- 

 pents, until at last Thomas Ned was free. The 

 mutilated devilfish sank back into the coral cave, its 

 horrid eyes fixed on me to the last, bestowing on me 

 a mute assurance that when its limbs should be grown 

 again it would exact revenge and take a full requital 

 for its wounds. 



But I gave it no more thought now, for my 

 friend needed my attention. I drew him into the 



