. Crusoe's Island; a bird-hunter's story . him for a second as he plunged intoa deep grove of sea plants, and as I was peering overthe rail I suddenly felt a tug at the line. It was aquick jerk, and undoubtedly meant something, so Ibegan to pull in with all my might. But after a fewfathoms had been drawn in I found it impossible tohaul another foot, for it seemed as though a tonweight was attached to the lower end. And stillThomas Ned was not half clear of the seaweed gar-den ; his head only was in sight, his hands and limbsevidently held down by some invisible weight or at-tachment. I felt th
. Crusoe's Island; a bird-hunter's story . him for a second as he plunged intoa deep grove of sea plants, and as I was peering overthe rail I suddenly felt a tug at the line. It was aquick jerk, and undoubtedly meant something, so Ibegan to pull in with all my might. But after a fewfathoms had been drawn in I found it impossible tohaul another foot, for it seemed as though a tonweight was attached to the lower end. And stillThomas Ned was not half clear of the seaweed gar-den ; his head only was in sight, his hands and limbsevidently held down by some invisible weight or at-tachment. I felt then that something terrible had happened,and that the life of my faithful servant dependedupon my instant action. There was but one thingI could do, and that was to pull him out of the waterbefore he should be suffocated and drowned. Andso bracing a foot against the gunwale I took a bightaround both hands and pulled with all my the strain relaxed a bit, and gradually I liftedhim toward the surface; but it was a dead weight I. 240 THOMAS NED FINDS A PEARL OF PRICE. 241 was hauling and not a living body. I felt my heartsink at the thought of what might have happenedto him, but that only put new strength into myhands. At last his head appeared, then a hand, abovethe surface. I made fast the line and stooped overthe rail to haul him in with my hands, when I wassuddenly seized by a clammy tentacle, and knew thenthat we were in the grasp of a devilfish! Thomas was unconscious and could render me noassistance; his body and limbs were inclosed withinthe tightening grip of the devilfish. His long knifewas still clutched in one nerveless hand, and, despitethe danger of being inclosed by another hideous arm,I reached over and seized it. Then, quick as I couldturn, I severed the tentacle that had clutched me,and one by one the slimy arms that surrounded myfriends lifeless form. The devilfish made a terrible fight, grasping thegunwales of the canoe, and reaching over after me,r
Size: 1324px × 1887px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidcrusoesi, booksubjectbirds
