s and suckers, had
enveloped it from stem to stern and searched it inside and out. A few
lurking fish and mollusks were snatched from the dark interior by those
insinuating and inexorable feelers; and a toothsome harvest of anchored
crustaceans was gathered from the hidden surfaces along beside the keel.
But of the bodies of the pirates that had gone down in the sudden
foundering there was nothing left but bones, which the myriad scavengers
of the sea had polished to the barren smoothness of ivory.

While the pallid monster was occupied in the investigation of the wreck
those two great bulging black mirrors of his eyes were sleeplessly alert
to everything that passed above or about them. Once a swordfish, about
seven feet long, sailed carelessly though swiftly some ten feet
overhead. Up darted a livid tentacle, and fixed upon it with the deadly
sucking disks. In vain the splendid and ferocious fish lashed out in the
effort to wrench itself free. In vain it strove to plunge downward and
pierce the puffy monster with its sword. In a second two more
tentacles were wrapped about it. Then, all force crushed out of it, it
was dragged down and crammed into the conqueror's horrible mouth.

[Illustration: "UP DARTED A LIVID TENTACLE, AND FIXED UPON IT."]

While its mouth was yet working with the satisfaction of this meal, the
monster saw a graceful but massive black shape, nearly half as long as
himself, swimming slowly between his eyes and the shining surface. At
the sight a shudder of fear passed over him. Every waving tentacle
shrank back and lay moveless, as if suddenly paralyzed, and he flattened
himself down as best he could beside the dark hulk of the wreck. Well he
knew that dark shape was a whale--and a whale was the one being he knew
of which he had cause to fear. Against those rending jaws his cable-like
tentacles and tearing beak were of no avail, his unarmoured body utterly
defenceless.

The whale, however,--not a sperm, but one of a much smaller, though more
savage, species--the "killer,"--did not catch sight of the giant
cuttlefish cringing below him. Intent on other game, he passed swiftly
on. His presence, however, had for the moment destroyed the monster's
appetite. Instead of continuing his search for food, he wanted a
hiding-place. He could no longer be at ease for a moment there in the
open.

Just behind the wreck the rock wall rose abruptly to the surface of the
reef. Its base was hollowed into a serie