"Very well!no offence to master,"he replied,quietly;"if this is not Bouguer's cuttlefish,it is,at least,one of its brothers."Ilooked at Conseil.Ned Land hurried to the window.
"What a horrible beast!"he cried.
Ilooked in my turn,and could not repress a gesture of disgust.
Before my eyes was a horrible monster worthy to figure in the legends of the marvellous.It was an immense cuttlefish,being eight yards long.
It swam crossways in the direction of the Nautilus with great speed,watching us with its enormous staring green eyes.Its eight arms,or rather feet,fixed to its head,that have given the name of cephalopod to these animals,were twice as long as its body,and were twisted like the furies'hair.One could see the 250air holes on the inner side of the tentacles.The monster's mouth,a horned beak like a parrot's,opened and shut vertically.
Its tongue,a horned substance,furnished with several rows of pointed teeth,came out quivering from this veritable pair of shears.What a freak of nature,a bird's beak on a mollusc!
Its spindle-like body formed a fleshy mass that might weigh 4,000to 5,000lb.;the,varying colour changing with great rapidity,according to the irritation of the animal,passed successively from livid grey to reddish brown.What irritated this mollusc?
No doubt the presence of the Nautilus,more formidable than itself,and on which its suckers or its jaws had no hold.Yet,what monsters these poulps are!what vitality the Creator has given them!
what vigour in their movements!and they possess three hearts!
Chance had brought us in presence of this cuttlefish,and Idid not wish to lose the opportunity of carefully studying this specimen of cephalopods.
Iovercame the horror that inspired me,and,taking a pencil,began to draw it.
"Perhaps this is the same which the Alector saw,"said Conseil.
"No,"replied the Canadian;"for this is whole,and the other had lost its tail.""That is no reason,"Ireplied."The arms and tails of these animals are re-formed by renewal;and in seven years the tail of Bouguer's cuttlefish has no doubt had time to grow."By this time other poulps appeared at the port light.Icounted seven.
They formed a procession after the Nautilus,and Iheard their beaks gnashing against the iron hull.Icontinued my work.These monsters kept in the water with such precision that they seemed immovable.
Suddenly the Nautilus stopped.Ashock made it tremble in every plate.
"Have we struck anything?"Iasked.
"In any case,"replied the Canadian,"we shall be free,for we are floating."The Nautilus was floating,no doubt,but it did not move.
Aminute passed.Captain Nemo,followed by his lieutenant,entered the drawing-room.Ihad not seen him for some time.
He seemed dull.Without noticing or speaking to us,he went to the panel,looked at the poulps,and said something to his lieutenant.The latter went out.Soon the panels were shut.
The ceiling was lighted.Iwent towards the Captain.
"Acurious collection of poulps?"Isaid.
"Yes,indeed,Mr.Naturalist,"he replied;"and we are going to fight them,man to beast."Ilooked at him.Ithought Ihad not heard aright.
"Man to beast?"Irepeated.
"Yes,sir.The screw is stopped.Ithink that the horny jaws of one of the cuttlefish is entangled in the blades.
That is what prevents our moving."
"What are you going to do?"
"Rise to the surface,and slaughter this vermin.""Adifficult enterprise."
