oose, the cuttlefish are
able to press out this ink, and it colors the water for a great
space around them."

The direction in which they were now swimming was taking them far
out of their way. Aquareine did not wish to travel very far to the
right, so when she thought they had gone far enough to escape the
inky water, she turned to lead her party toward the left--the
direction in which she DID wish to go. At once another cloud of ink
stained the water and drove them to the right again.

"Is anything wrong, ma'am?" asked Cap'n Bill, seeing a frown gather
upon the queen's lovely face.

"I hope not," she said. "But I must warn you that these cuttlefish
are the servants of the terrible sea devils, and from the way they
are acting they seem determined to drive us toward the Devil Caves,
which I wished to avoid."

This admission on the part of their powerful protector, the fairy
mermaid, sent a chill to the hearts of the earth people. Neither
spoke for a time, but finally Cap'n Bill asked in a timid voice:

"Hadn't we better go back, ma'am?"

"Yes," decided Aquareine after a moment's thought. "I think it will
be wise to retreat. The sea devils are evidently aware of our
movements and wish to annoy us. For my part, I have no fear of them,
but I do not care to have you meet such creatures."

But when they turned around to abandon their journey, another inky
cloud was to be seen behind them. They really had no choice but to
swim in the only streak of clear water they could find, and the
mermaids well knew this would lead them nearer and nearer to the
caves of their enemies.

But Aquareine led the way, moving very slowly, and the others
followed her. In every other direction they were hemmed in by the
black waters, and they did not dare to halt, because the inky fluid
crept swiftly up behind them and drove them on.

The queen and the princess had now become silent and grave. They
swam on either side of their guests as if to better protect them.

"Don't look up," whispered Clia, pressing close to the little girl's
side.

"Why not?" asked Trot, and then she did exactly what she had been
told not to do. She lifted her head and saw stretched over them a
network of scrawny, crimson arms interlaced like the branches of
trees in winter when the leaves have fallen and left them bare.

Cap'n Bill gave a start and muttered "Land sakes!" for he, too, had
gazed upward and seen the crimson network of limbs.

"Are these the