cing forward the piston attached to the tank
connected to the hollow rods. Steadily the little motors hummed, and the
tank emptied through the rods into the body of the giant cephalopod.

"I hope the stuff works fast," groaned the doctor as they approached
closer to the giant maw. "I never tried giving an octopus a hypodermic
injection of prussic acid before, but it ought to do the business.
There's enough acid there to kill half New York City."

* * * * *

Carnes blanched as the ball approached the mouth. One by one the arms
unwound until only one was holding them and the jaws opened wider. They
were almost in them when the motion stopped. They could feel a shudder
run through the arm which held them. For a moment the arm alternately
expanded and contracted, almost releasing them only to clutch them
again. Another arm came from the depths and whipped about the ball, and
again the vitrilene groaned at the pressure which was applied. The arms
were suddenly withdrawn and the ball started to sink.

"Drop the lead, Carnes!" cried the doctor. With the aid of the detective
he operated the electric catches which held the huge mass of lead to the
bottom, and the sphere shot up through the water like a rocket. It
leaped clear of the water and fell back with a splash. A half mile away
the _Minneconsin_ was swinging in a wide circle to head back toward
them. They turned their gaze toward the shore.

As they looked a giant arm shot a hundred yards up into the air,
twisting and writhing frantically. It disappeared, and another, and then
half a dozen flashed into the air. The arms dipped below the surface. A
huge black body reared its bulk free from the water for a moment, and
the sea boiled as though in a violent storm. The body sank and again the
arms were thrown up, twisting and turning like a half dozen huge snakes.
The whole creature sank below the waves and the ball tossed back and
forth, often buried under tons of water and once tossed thirty feet into
the air by the huge waves.

* * * * *

A momentary lull came in the waves. Carnes gave a cry of astonishment
and pointed toward the shore. With an effort, Dr. Bird twisted himself
in his lashing and looked in that direction. The huge body had again
come to the surface, and three of the arms were towering into the air.
Grasped in them was a long, black, cigar-shaped object. As they watched
the object was torn in