The Hilltop Boys on Lost Island

al then took the boat and went to the outer bay on a little exploring trip

, both keeping watch for any nook which might prove of inte

necessary when they went ashore, and Percival had a rifle with which to shoot a

d Dick had a revolver in his pocket, declaring that this might be of as much use as

who was keeping a lookout on the shore and steering at the same time, sudd

ate, there is a hole which seems to run in to some little

ng that you are, J

not too fast, and we'll

ead it i

quite big enough for them to enter, and they went on at a slow, steady gait, presently gl

they were progressing and if there were any

tting darker in here now and I d

any fun to stave a hole in the bottom

s," said Jack with a low laugh. "They will take care of their

are full of

might not strike the rocks in case the passage narrowed, and t

exclaimed Percival in accents of terror

his head and sending the light directly

rike it now, but it was something awful. I

the light this way and that so as to get a sig

k and a lot of legs, or arms, or whatever they

it and

atting on a rock at the farther end of the water cave and glaring balefully at the boys through his blood

ick, Jack!" gasped Perc

n splash in the water which caused the boat to r

ck by something which quickly wound itself about one arm an

boat his free arm swung out and his hand tou

thwart and he had seized it by t

thought itself he real

rm and body and, clinging to them with a tenacity whic

d, although he was usually a very self-contained young

uickly groped for the torch which

u, Jack? What

drawn toward the end of the water cave where

g and, being a resourceful boy,

he dealt a swinging blow with the little axe in a direction which would

g arms might not reach him and secure his

that he had struck something and hoped th

on his arm and body relax and then real

pressure upon his lungs from having held hi

rong upon his muscles and seeming to draw the blood even under his clothin

and at that moment he arose to the surface and drew a succession of deep breaths befo

ritch creature that held him and felt the tension

ks and had ejected a dense black fluid into the wat

under water, and he realized most poignantly that something must b

a moment, when he most needed

ll his efforts futile, and he felt himself being drawn into some recess beyond where he ha

cave below and above water for a sign of his friend, suddenly s

arms and was being drawn toward some deep

rcival whipped out the revolver from his hi

ierce an elephant's hide," he muttered,

eature's eyes at the moment and t

the horrible beak and the

d pressed the trigger befor

uick succession and then heard th

ne of the tholepins, he seized the rif

d see the octopus writhing and wav

you, Jack?"

ing just alongside the boat and hold

before he can do any mor

ad caused the plunge he had heard and not

fired half a dozen shots from the repeatin

s, but not fatally, and he might at any m

aliber weapon

eat plunge into the water which caused the l

n and drew Jack into the boat, where he promptly sank limp and hel

Jack?" ask

away," answere

t slow to obey

d of the boat toward the entrance of the cave, whence he shortly

of deep relief as he neared the opening. "No

the cave he rested o

ll right a

ut I don't want another such an experience. I feel as if all the

eadful tenant, Jack seemed to recover his spirits quickly, however

orrible thing and I thank heaven I am still a

e was such a thing in that place you could not have hired me to go into it or to ha

. I hate to even think of the horrible object and I

place where they had had such a thrilling