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“We had the turpentine torch for heating water, and some coffee, high and dry on a shelf in the steward’s storeroom, but not a pot, pan, or cooking utensil of any kind in the cabin. So these two poor heathen, against my expostulations–somewhat faint, I admit, for the thought of hot coffee took away some of my common sense–went out on the deck and waded forward, waist-deep in the water, muddy now, from the downfall of ashes.

“I could see them as they entered the galley to get the coffeepot, but, though I stared from my window until the blackness closed down, I did not see them come out. Nor did I hear even a squeal. The thing must have been in the galley.

“Night came on, and, with its coming, the wind and rain ceased, though there was still a slight shower of ashes. But this ended toward midnight, and I could see stars overhead and a clear horizon. Sleep, in my nervous, overwrought condition, was impossible; but the professor, after the bright idea of using the turpentine torch to dry out his plates, had gone to his fairly dry berth, after announcing his readiness to take snapshots about the deck in the morning.

“But I roused him long before morning. I roused him when I saw through my window the masthead and two side lights of a steamer approaching from the starboard, still about a mile away. I had not dared to go up and rig that lantern at the mizzen stump; but now I nerved myself to go up with the torch, the professor following with his instruments.

“‘You cold-blooded crank,’ I said to him, as I waved the torch. ‘I admire your devotion to science, but are you waiting for that thing to get me?’

“He did not answer, but rigged his apparatus on the top of the cabin. He had a Wimshurst machine–to generate a blue spark, you know–and this he had attached to the big deck light, from which he had removed the opaque glass. Then he had his camera, with its rock-crystal lens.

“He trained both forward, and waited, while I waved the torch, standing near the stump with a turn of rope around me for safety’s sake in case the thing seized me; and to this idea I added the foolish hope, aroused by the professor’s theories, that the blinding light of the torch would frighten the thing away from me as it does wild animals.

“But in this last I was mistaken. No sooner was there an answering blast of a steam whistle, indicating that the steamer had seen the torch, than something cold, wet, leathery, and slimy slipped around my neck. I dropped the torch, and drew my knife, while I heard the whir of the static machine as the professor turned it.

“‘Use your knife, mine friend,’ he called. ‘Use your knife, und reach for any blood what you see.’

“I knew better than to call for help, and I had little chance to use the knife. Still, I managed to keep my right hand, in which I held it, free, while that cold, leathery thing slipped farther around my neck and waist. I struck as I could, but could make no impression; and soon I felt another stricture around my legs, which brought me on my back.

“Still another belt encircled me, and, though I had come up warmly clad in woolen shirts and monkey jacket, I felt these garments being torn away from me. Then I was dragged forward, but the turn of rope had slipped down toward my waist, and I was merely bent double.

“And all the time that German was whirling his machine, and shouting to strike for any blood I saw. But I saw none. I felt it going, however. Two spots on my chest began to smart, then burn as though hot irons were piercing me. Frantically I struck, right and left, sometimes at the coils encircling me, again in the air. Then all became dark.