er satisfied me. You haf noticed, haf you not, that
a cat's eyes shine in der dark, but only when der cat is looking at
you?--that is, when it looks elsewhere you do not see der shiny eyes.'

"'Yes,' I answered, 'I have noticed that.'

"'A cat's eyes are searchlights, but they send forth a visible light,
such as is generated by fireflies, und some fish. Und dere are fish in
der upper tributaries of der Amazon which haf four eyes, der two upper
of which are searchlights, der two lower of which are organs of
percipience or vision. But visible light is not der only light. It is
possible that the creature out on deck generates the invisible light,
and can see by it.'

"'But what does it all amount to?' I asked impatiently.

"'I haf told you,' he answered calmly. 'Der creature may live in an
atmosphere of ultraviolet light, which I can generate mineself. When
mine plates dry, und it clears off so I can see what I am doing, I may
get a picture of it. When we know what it is, we may find means of
killing it.'

"'God grant that you succeed,' I answered fervently. 'It has killed
enough of us.'

"But, as I said, the thing killed all but the professor and myself. And
it came about through the other reason I mentioned--our cold, drenched
condition. If there is anything an Oriental loves above his ancestors,
it is his stomach; and the cold, canned food was palling upon us all.
We had a little light through the downpour of ashes and rain about
mid-day, and the steward and cook began talking about hot coffee.

"We had the turpentine torch for heating water, and some coffee, high
and dry on a shelf in the steward's storeroom, but not a pot, pan, or
cooking utensil of any kind in the cabin. So these two poor heathen,
against my expostulations--somewhat faint, I admit, for the thought of
hot coffee took away some of my common sense--went out on the deck and
waded forward, waist-deep in the water, muddy now, from the downfall of
ashes.

"I could see them as they entered the galley to get the coffeepot, but,
though I stared from my window until the blackness closed down, I did
not see them come out. Nor did I hear even a squeal. The thing must
have been in the galley.

"Night came on, and, with its coming, the wind and rain ceased, though
there was still a slight shower of ashes. But this ended toward
midnight, and I could see stars overhead and a clear horizon. Sleep, in
my nervous, overwrought condition, was impossible; but th