expended in turning its blunt prow back into the course.

I had covered some hundred yards from shore when it became evident
that my pursuer must grasp the stern of the skiff within the next
half-dozen strokes. In a frenzy of despair, I bent to the grandfather
of all paddles in a hopeless effort to escape, and still the copper
giant behind me gained and gained.

His hand was reaching upward for the stern when I saw a sleek,
sinuous body shoot from the depths below. The man saw it too, and
the look of terror that overspread his face assured me that I need
have no further concern as to him, for the fear of certain death
was in his look.

And then about him coiled the great, slimy folds of a hideous monster
of that prehistoric deep--a mighty serpent of the sea, with fanged
jaws, and darting forked tongue, with bulging eyes, and bony
protuberances upon head and snout that formed short, stout horns.

As I looked at that hopeless struggle my eyes met those of the
doomed man, and I could have sworn that in his I saw an expression
of hopeless appeal. But whether I did or not there swept through
me a sudden compassion for the fellow. He was indeed a brother-man,
and that he might have killed me with pleasure had he caught me
was forgotten in the extremity of his danger.

Unconsciously I had ceased paddling as the serpent rose to engage
my pursuer, so now the skiff still drifted close beside the two.
The monster seemed to be but playing with his victim before he
closed his awful jaws upon him and dragged him down to his dark