THE WAVE S TOOTH 



149 



bayed ocean cave is the result. Year after year 

 the waters widen the door and broaden the 

 cave's boundaries; year after year the wave 

 floods in and goes feeling with wet fingers along 

 the dark cold walls, touching here, reaching up 

 there, and then recedes upon itself only to be 

 followed by another wave. 



Often it happens that these ocean caves have 

 their entrances far below the water line and are 

 never known to man. Little if any light pene- 

 trates to them, and only the seal pushes a 

 murky head above the surface of the waters or 

 flings himself at full length along the dripping 

 ledges of slate. Often, again, the entrance is 

 only a few feet beneath low tide, and may be 

 entered by a swift plunge down and in and up. 

 Strange the sight within such a cave, lighted 

 as it is from beneath the surface. The swim- 

 mer who lifts a white arm out of water or 

 clambers up for a moment upon a rocky plat- 

 form to rest, is amazed at the blue light that 

 dances weirdly up from below, and the bluer 

 drops of water that fall from his flnger tips. 

 The whole basin seems like a liquid sapphire, 

 and the stalactites hanging from the ragged 

 ceiling gleam like pendants of amethyst. 



It is not probable that the wear of the sea 

 alone is responsible for the deep indentations 



Ocean 

 caves. 



Within the 

 caves. 



Weini 

 ii(}hts and 

 colors. 



