"At least," thought I, as I made ready to strike home, "if I am to die, you'll not live to see my death."

But ere I could achieve my aim, one of the rogues appeared, and, raising his arm, discharged a pistol at me.

The bullet ploughed through my hair, but without a moment's hesitation I flung myself straight at the man. Down he went, screaming with pain, with my knife betwixt his ribs.

Now or never I must gain the mouth of the cave, so, dashing forward, I ran along the tunnel towards the place where I knew the rest of the villains to be, for I heard them shouting in alarm as they hastened to their comrade's aid.

Just then I noticed that the pa.s.sage, or tunnel, turned sharply to the left, and was quite dark when compared with the subdued light of that portion of the cave in which I had been kept a prisoner.

Down I lay full length on the floor, resting on my left side, and as the four men rushed blindly onward the first tripped over my prostrate body. The second I caught by the ankle, and he also fell, while the remaining two were brought up by a barrier of sprawling legs.

Ere they could realize who I was, I regained my feet, darted betwixt them and the wall of the cavern, and headed straight for the entrance.

Nor did I stop to think, but, gathering speed as I ran, I boldly leapt into s.p.a.ce, still grasping the fatal knife in my hand.

Even as I felt myself hurtling through those fifty feet, however, I wondered whether, in my impetuous leap, I would strike the sea or solid rock, for I had not even stopped to see whether the cliff there fell sheer into the water or not.

Fortunately the precipice sloped inwards, so that I escaped being dashed to pieces. Keeping in an upright position, I struck the water feet first with tremendous force, and plunged beneath the surface to a considerable depth.

A few l.u.s.ty strokes sufficed to bring me to the surface, however, and shaking my hair from my face, I struck out for the shelter of the overhanging cliff, so that I should be unperceived by the rogues in the cave.

It being close on low tide, the rise and fall in those parts being but five feet at most, there was nothing that would afford a foothold; the rocks were as smooth as a plank, and covered with a thick, dark curtain of seaweed.

Owing to the slight swell, the backwash of the waves made swimming a matter of difficulty, as I was continually in peril of being thrown against the cliff; and realizing that the sooner I found a landing-place the better, I again struck out, swimming along the face of the cliff and about ten feet from it, keeping a sharp look-out both for a possible refuge and for the swell, of which every seventh wave was more dangerous than the rest.

Having struck a current or eddy that ran close insh.o.r.e, I made rapid progress, and in less than a quarter of an hour rounded a spur or headland that I knew was within a few hundred yards of the mouth of the harbour where the _Golden Hope_ lay at anchor.

But here I found, to my peril, that the eddy was no longer in my favour. On the contrary, before I was aware of it I was being rapidly carried out to sea by a current that ran at a rate of over three knots an hour.

Once I realized the impossibility of making headway, I turned on my back and paddled easily. The sea was warm, and unless unforeseen circ.u.mstances arose, I could keep afloat for an hour or more with little effort. Ere then I hoped to be seen by the searchers on the cliff, or that the current would have changed in my favour. So, buoyed up by hope, I allowed myself to drift with the tide.

Soon I saw that I was nearly abreast that part of the cliff from which I had leapt, yet at a distance of nearly half a mile from it.

I could discern the sloping part of the ledge where I had been surprised, and the dark, yawning mouth of the cavern, though I could see nothing of the rogues who dwelt there. There was some consolation in the fact that neither could they see me, nor was I within musket range; but against that there was the growing prospect of being swept far out to sea, to perish slowly in a vast waste of water.

At length I noticed that the sea, which all around was calm save for a gentle swell, was at a short distance ahead beginning to change in appearance. Short-crested waves were breaking over a shoal. That I knew by experience, but whether 'twas but a "tide rip", or really shallow water, I knew not.

The set of the tide carried me right towards the centre of this extent of agitated water, and to my relief I was soon standing on rocky ground, with the sea barely above my knees.

I was still in a position of great peril, for the rocks were slippery with kelp, while the current was strong enough to threaten to sweep me off my feet. Even though the tide might fall a few inches, I knew full well that ere long the flood would set in, and thus before high water the depth would be too great for me to retain a foothold.

Looking landwards, I saw by the agitation of the waves that the shoal extended well towards the sh.o.r.e, the distance between being but a few hundred yards. At this my hopes recovered, for could I walk or wade in that direction and await the change of tide, the same current that had carried me seawards would render me a good service in bearing me back towards the harbour.

I had not proceeded far, for wading was a matter of extreme difficulty, when a whip-like object seized my leg like a vice. The sensation was paralysing, for it seemed as if I was being burnt in a score of places at once. Like a flash I realized my danger. I was in the grip of an octopus!

CHAPTER XXIII

The Perils of the Shoal

Before I could take any steps to free myself from the loathsome embraces of the octopus, another tentacle fastened itself round my leg, while others writhed menacingly in an attempt to seize their prey. The creature's body seemed but about the size of a sheep's head, while each of the arms or tentacles was less than a yard in length.

Retaining its hold on the rocks with a pair of its arms, the hideous brute began to increase its grasp on my leg, while at the union of the slimy tentacles I could distinguish a pair of small, protruding eyes and a formidable beak. That beak was slowly approaching my naked flesh, to rend it asunder.

Being without shoes, for I had kicked them off when I began swimming, I was unable to stamp on the creature with my yet free foot, though any attempt to do so might have led to my undoing, as I had all my work cut out to prevent myself from being capsized. Once p.r.o.ne on those slippery rocks, my fate was sealed.

Then I bethought me of my knife, which I had thrust into my belt.

Gripping it dagger-wise, I braced myself to overcome a sickening sensation of fear, and plunged it to the hilt betwixt the eyes of the hideous creature.

'Twas only to be likened to cutting a leather bag filled with jelly--once the steel had ripped through the outer skin there seemed no resistance to the blade; yet, though a quant.i.ty of watery blood, mingled with a blackish froth, came from the wound, the octopus apparently lost none of its vitality. Its rage, if I may so term it, seemed to increase, for, quitting its hold on the rocks, it fastened upon me with all its tentacles. I felt its snake-like embrace encircle my legs, while two of its members seized my left arm.

Though I struck madly at its head to ward off the terrible, beak-like mouth, my efforts seemed unavailing. The pain of the hundreds of suckers was intense, and I felt my legs giving way under the loathsome contraction of the creature's tentacles.

Suddenly the pressure seemed to relax, and redoubling my efforts, I severed three of the arms with as many sweeps of my knife. Thus I freed the upper part of my body; after that it was a comparatively easy matter to cut off the other tentacles, though the remaining parts still clung to my legs like a hundred leeches.

Shudderingly I made my way towards a portion of the reef that now lay exposed, keeping a wary eye on the seaweed lest another octopus should be lurking in the rocky crevices.

Having completely emerged from the water, I cut off the adhering tentacles with my knife, for they would not become detached by other means. Wherever the suckers had touched my flesh a small red wound remained, so that my legs were one ma.s.s of livid spots, showing vividly against the white skin, my prolonged stay in the water having well-nigh stopped the flow of my blood.

I rubbed my limbs vigorously, and began to consider how I should reach the sh.o.r.e, for the current had now ceased to ebb, as I could tell by the absence of ripples over the submerged portion of the shoal.

Fearing a similar encounter with an octopus, I hesitated to wade over the seaweed-covered rocks, till, realizing that the longer I waited the more exhausted I should become, and that I had traversed a considerable distance ere I was attacked, I took heart, and walked as rapidly as I could towards the landward edge of the shoal.

I noticed that from this part of the reef the blackened wreck of the pirate vessel was immediately in line with the south-eastern end of the island, so that by taking advantage of the flood stream I should be carried on to the ledge of rocks that extended betwixt the sh.o.r.e and the wreck, whence up to half tide I could walk ash.o.r.e.

But just as I was about to commit myself to the waves, I saw a black, triangular object cutting through the water between me and the higher portion of the shoal I had just left. It was the fin of a shark!

This ravenous monster had evidently got out of its bearings, for, though shark's often frequent shoal water in search of their prey, in this case there was barely sufficient depth for it to swim in.

Nevertheless, the shark had seen me, and was making straight for the place where I stood. There was no help for it but to retrace my steps to the now fast disappearing rocks, where I would have to make a desperate stand until there was enough water for the brute to come to close quarters. And then--I shuddered at the thought of it.

I managed to evade the monster, for it floundered heavily in the shallows, lashing out with its tail, the noise of the blows sounding like the report of a musket.

The water was now up to my ankles on the highest part of the reef.

Often would I imagine that my foot touched the slimy tentacles of an octopus, as the now increasing current caused the long tendrils of seaweed to sweep against my legs; while many crabs of small size would dart swiftly in a sidelong motion over my toes.

All the while the shark, having found a pool of deeper water, was swimming lazily to and fro, turning occasionally on its back. I could then see its small, evil-looking eyes, as it marked its antic.i.p.ated prey.

In vain I sought for some stones to hurl at the monster--the face of the rock beneath the kelp was firm and solid.

Although the sun's rays had long since dried my scanty clothing, I shivered with numbness, aye, and with fear. Bitterly did I regret my rashness in descending to that fatal ledge without my companion, yet vain were my regrets.

More than once I resolved to cast myself into the sea and, knife in hand, to do battle with the ferocious monster that awaited me.

'Twould be victory or death, and even in the latter case it would the sooner end my prolonged torments. Yet, as I looked at the glistening white monster, with its huge mouth armed with serrated rows of sharp teeth, I could not force myself to take the desperate step.

"Ahoy!"