Jerry felt the horrid arm of the creature of the deep squeezing him tighter and tighter. He could also note that Professor Snodgrass was in terrible danger; but, so far, the lad had not a glimpse of the globular body of the fish itself. He had no doubt that the octopus was hidden in some crevice of the rocks behind him and his companion, and, following its usual method, had reached out and seized the invaders of its haunts.
Quickly Jerry drew his knife, as he had seen the professor do, but before he could use it, to slash through the snake-like tentacle, another was whipped around him, pinning both his arms to his sides.
The lantern dropped from his hand, but it was attached to his waist by a light chain, and did not go out. The right hand of Professor Snodgrass—that containing the knife—was the only one that had been caught by the creature. His other was free, and yet not free, for it held the lantern and the net into which the sea specimens had been put.
Then began a terrible struggle at the bottom of the sea. The octopus, which they afterward judged must have been a gigantic specimen, much larger than usual, began to pull Jerry and the professor backward. With horror they realized that they might be drawn into some ocean cave, and killed, in spite of their strong diving suits, by the powerful suckers attached to the arms of the creature. It was only the exceptional size of the beast that made it formidable, for with a smaller one either Jerry or the professor could have coped.
Silently the struggle went on, but, fortunately, not in darkness, for both the submarine electric lamps still glowed, and now they were within range of the light that streamed from the glass windows of the cabin of the Sonderbaar. Someone had switched them on.
In vain Jerry tried to free his arms. They were too tightly held, another feeler whipping itself about him. The remaining tentacles of the creature, the lad realized, must be clinging to a rock to give it an anchorage.
Jerry glanced at Professor Snodgrass. The scientist had now dropped his lantern so that it dangled at the end of the chain about his waist, and was making fast to the same chain the net containing his specimens. Then Jerry had a gleam of hope, for he saw the little man transfer the long, keen knife from his right to his left hand, reaching for it with the latter.
“Oh, if he can only cut off the arms of the octopus!” thought Jerry. And yet, as he glanced down on his chest, and beheld the horrid muscular object, like some snake, with its spasmodically working suckers, Jerry had his doubts. Could a knife cut through in time to save their lives—his life?
There was danger of the pressure of the arms working some damage to the compressed air apparatus carried at the back of the helmet. Already Jerry felt a choking sensation, as the arms drew tighter and tighter about him.
Professor Snodgrass raised the knife to slash the tentacle of the beast that held him captive. Then he seemed to hesitate, and Jerry thought he understood. The diving suit was partly made of rubber, and the least rent in this, if the knife should slip, would mean death by drowning.
What could be done?
Tighter and tighter pressed the terrible tentacles. Closer and closer to the unseen cave the creature drew its prey. Neither Jerry nor the professor could turn about, but they knew the horrid monster of the deep was back of them.
Then the lad glanced toward the submarine. Grouped about the glass cabin window were all his friends—horror showing on their faces.
“Oh, if they could only do something—use the electric gun, as Dr. Klauss did on the whale,” thought Jerry. Then he realized that this would not be safe. The charge that would kill the octopus would also kill them.
Suddenly Ned Slade pushed his way close to the cabin glass. He made a sign to Jerry, and then, using his fingers to give a message in the deaf and dumb alphabet (which the chums often practiced) Ned spelled out this:
“I am coming to save you!”
Jerry’s heart gave a bound. He felt that help was coming. He called the attention of Professor Snodgrass to their friends.
The little scientist, however, decided to chance an attack on the monster’s tentacle. He would slash it, even though the beast in its throes might do them serious harm. Jerry realized that he could not stand it much longer. He felt as though he were being squeezed to death.
Again he looked toward the glass window, and saw Ned, with a hopeful gesture, leaving it, accompanied by two of the machinists.
“He must be going to put on a diving suit and come out here!” thought Jerry. “Good old Ned! But he’d better hurry!”
It seemed an hour, but really it was not more than two minutes before Jerry felt behind him a commotion in the water that told of a change in the situation. He could not turn to see what it was. The pressure of the tentacles of the octopus had increased to what was an almost unendurable point, and then the arms seemed suddenly to relax. There was a swirl in the water, and Jerry felt himself grasped in friendly arms. He turned to see Ned gazing at him through the glass windows of the helmet, and another glance showed Ted Rowland helping to pull off the clinging suckers from Professor Snodgrass.
The two had come to the rescue, and on the bottom of the sea had advanced upon the octopus in its lair, stabbing it to death with long, spear-like knives. Jerry and the professor had been saved.
Little time was lost in getting back to the side of the submarine, the water being stained with the blood of the octopus so that it could not be seen clearly.
But Ned, who, with the machinist, had had a glimpse of the creature before attacking it, said it was a monster in size, and, as Jerry had feared, had been pulling him and the professor backward into a crevice between the rocks.
Two at a time the party entered the water-gate in the side of the Sonderbaar, and soon they were safely within. The others crowded about the rescued ones as the diving suits were taken off.
“Oh, what an awful experience for you!” cried Grace, while Bob grasped his chum’s hand in a manner that meant much.
“Yes, it wasn’t very pleasant,” agreed the tall lad.
“But I got my specimens,” said the professor proudly when he could get his breath, for he was well-nigh exhausted, as was his companion.
“And now that you have been successful, let us go up and start for home,” suggested Mr. Sheldon. “I am sure we have had enough under-water horrors.”
There was no dissent from this, and in a little while the Sonderbaar began to ascend. Up and up she went, until once more she rested on the waves in the bright sunlight.
Then a course was laid that would take them back to Boston. It was decided not to cruise about to try to find any possible parts of the wrecked Comet, and as for picking up the lone sailor on the Hassen, it was agreed that he must have been rescued by this time.
“We’ll head for home!” cried Jerry.
“And what will we do with Dr. Klauss?” asked Ned.
“I don’t care what happens to him, once we are safe,” answered the tall lad.
Her tanks filled with plenty of fresh, compressed air, the submarine was again sent down, as they decided to travel under water. She was sunk to a depth of about three hundred feet, and her engines started at full speed.
“And now let’s have something to eat,” cried Bob, a little later. “We haven’t had a good meal—that is, one where we didn’t have to worry—in some time.”
“Right you are, Chunky!” cried Ned, slapping him on the shoulder.
They were all at the table, save the two Germans, who said they preferred to dine in their cabin, and the automatic steering apparatus had been set so that no one need be in the pilot house for the time being.
Suddenly the craft seemed to pitch forward. She assumed a sloping attitude, her nose pointed downward, at a steep angle.
“What’s the matter?” cried Jerry.
“Something’s wrong,” shouted Ned.
Ted Rowland hurried to the corridor and looked into the pilot house. The door was open, and there, standing before the levers and switchboard, was Dr. Klauss!
“He has escaped!” cried the engineer. “He’s in possession of the boat again! Quick, boys, or he’ll send us to the bottom where we can’t get up!”