But, plucking up courage from immunity, and dreading to be caught in the
dark in that weird place, he crawled over the boulders towards the side
wall of the cavern to get as near to those openings as possible. From
the very slight movement of the water, which was ever on the boil round
the outside of L'Etat, he judged them deep down among the roots of the
island, far below the turmoil of the surface, but he must see and make
sure.
With infinite toil and many a scrape and bruise, he got round at last,
and could look right down into the dim green depths, and what he saw
there filled him with sickening fear.
The water was crystal clear, and in through the nearer opening, as he
looked, a huge octopus propelled itself in leisurely fashion, its great
tentacles streaming out behind, its hideous protruding eyes searching
eagerly for prey.
Just inside the opening it gathered itself together for a moment, and
seemed to look so meaningly right up into his eyes that he found himself
shrinking behind a rock lest it should see him. Then it clamped itself
to the side of the opening and spread wide its arms for anything that
might come its way.
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