Rival ocean divers

AN OCEAN MONSTER

Dave knew not what to say. Here he was accused of a robbery of which he knew absolutely nothing. The very prison doors seemed opening to receive him.

But while he stood there, not knowing what would happen next, an unexpected friend stepped up in the shape of a stranger, who had been reading in a corner.

"Excuse me, but there is something wrong here," said the stranger. "That man is no thief, to my way of thinking."

"What do you know of this?" demanded the hotel clerk.

"A short while ago I saw that man come up behind this young man and slip that pocket-book into his pocket. I thought at the time he was playing some friendly joke, but it seems he was up to something more serious."

At these words Pete Rackley turned deadly pale. He was caught in his own trap, and he knew it.

"It's false!" he began. "I—I——"

"I saw the action, too," put in another stranger. "I thought it very queer."

"We'll have the police investigate this," said the hotel clerk, and told a hallman to call an officer of the law.

This did not suit Pete Rackley at all.

"I—I guess there is some mistake," he stammered, and turning, he ran from the room and from the hotel. Although he had left a trunk behind him, he never came back to claim the property.

"That was a queer thing to do," said one of the strangers to Dave, after the excitement was over. "Is he your enemy?"

"He must be, but he is a stranger to me," answered our hero.

The trip to San Francisco was made without anything special happening, and soon Dave and his father found themselves on board of the Swallow, which lay at her dock taking on the last of her stores for the long trip around the Pacific Ocean.

After a number of inquiries, Amos Fearless learned that Lemuel Hankers had chartered the small steamer Raven, from the Wrecking Company, and had set sail on his treasure quest the day previous.

"Never mind, we'll make up for lost time when once we get started," said Captain Broadbeam. "I fancy the Swallow is a better boat in every way than the Raven."

Two days later the Swallow sailed with Mr. Fearless and Dave on board as master diver and assistant.

The diving outfits on board pleased the master diver very much, and he was likewise greatly interested in the diving bell the ship carried.

"That ought to be just the thing for our work," he said to Dave, "if they can let it down to where the wreck of the Happy Hour rests."

"But two miles is a tremendous distance, father."

"I know it. I have never yet gone down over three hundred feet."

"Perhaps we shall fail."

"We must try a short distance first, Dave. We can't go down those two miles at the start. Captain Broadbeam wishes us to go down to-morrow anyway, to hunt for some strange fish, said to be in these waters, a fish known by the scientific name of Eurypharynx Pelecanoides."

"What a fearful name!" muttered Dave. "Is the fish as bad?"

"Yes, and worse. The monster is said to be all of twenty feet long, with a head larger than a hogshead and a mouth seven feet across. Its body and tail are covered with spines or stickers, and its teeth are like so many large needles."

"Truly an ugly customer to meet," and Dave shuddered.

"I am afraid he'll be an ugly customer to bag—in a net or otherwise."

"Are we to use the diving bell?"

"Yes, we are to try it, but we are likewise to use our diving suits, too—just to try both outfits," returned the master diver.

The next day the Swallow reached a section of the Pacific where the strange fish described by Amos Fearless was supposed to exist, upon the bottom of the ocean bed, half a mile below the surface.

Diving suits were brought forth, and Mr. Fearless and Dave were not long in preparing to descend.

Then the diving bell was adjusted to a long wire rope and let over the side, and they entered this.

The word was given, and slowly but surely they descended into the cold and dark depths of the mighty Pacific.

At a distance of two hundred feet the bright sunshine overhead began to fade away, and at five hundred feet it was as black as night, that is, some distance away from the diving bell. But around the bell several electric lights in the apparatus made all as bright as day.

Down and down they went, the pressure on the diving bell becoming each second more powerful.

At such a depth no human being could have lived without something to protect him from a weight which was ever ready to crush anything from the outside world.

At last the diving bell rested on the bottom of the ocean, and Amos Fearless sent up the signal to stop lowering.

Then father and son inspected the ocean's bottom with much curiosity.

Here were numerous fish of curious shapes, but none of large size. There were also sea crabs, with sharp claws and protruding reddish eyes.

But no sign of the Eurypharynx Pelecanoides, the wonderful fish of which they had been sent in search.

"It seems to be safe enough," said Dave to his father, in the sign language of divers. "Let us go outside and look around."

"But not too far away from the diving bell," answered the master diver. "The pressure may make us sick, and then we'll have to get inside again as quickly as possible."

Soon they were ready, and with a fresh supply of air in their helmets, they stepped out upon the slimy, black surface of the ocean's bottom.

At sight of them the small fish thrashed around wildly, and the sea crabs scampered in all directions.

With caution they moved away from the bell to where the bottom appeared to slope downward.

Here there was a large hole, and they wondered what might be at its bottom.

Dave was well in advance, when of a sudden a strange sensation brought him to a halt and made him glance to his left.

A shriek of terror burst from his lips.

The dreadful Eurypharynx Pelecanoides had appeared, and was making swiftly towards him. The terrific mouth of the monster was wide open, as if to swallow him alive!