Show OCTOPUS HUNTER 88 I By Dy STANLEY CORDELL CORDELLI CORDELLO I O C I Service i T ff CANT CAN'T imagine said ald Le Lee Lt I I Dyer Der why any girl as asI as- as 1 I 1 I as al- al he flushed apologetically apologetically as a nice as at you should b be interested in hunting oc It Its It's dangerous Octopuses drown their victims victim The girl laughed and hugged her knees up under her chin She was waa dressed in the briefest of ot bathing suits cults and the fine tine texture texture texture tex tex- ture of or her skin kin was waa tanned a rich brown blending nicely with the gold old of her hair A pair of ot pearl divers toggles goggles hung buni about her ber neck I list Her name was Carol I I might she he said say the tame nm am thin thing about you arr tr Lee Dy Dy- r. r I Lee lAe opened his eyes wide Please explain he demanded demand I in mock severity just how it i Is that you know my name You sound actually serious dous She studied him a moment I I believe you are Ill I'll explain If U you think there is a person at nt Coral Beach Deach who doesn't know th the tha name of ot the handsome young youn man mal who spends most of his hll time swimming swimming swim swim- min ming about in the bay wearing a pair of or goggles and bathing trunks trunk hunting for the vulgar octopus youre you're a youre a very modest young youn man Lee smiled Youre exaggerating but Ill I'll for tor- lye for five Ive you However l lets let's continue tying ling In personal I like like- it Frankly I IWas Iwas was Wal quite overcome with shock when my head bumped into something something some some- thin thing swimming out there an hour ago ao and I looked up to find you I didn't think there was Wal a woman on oa onearth onearth earth who had the courage to ram rama a spear pear into an octopus and end bring it to the surface Especially a aA aA a- a A girl as a. nice as a. II She laughed Wen Well Mr If Dyer Ill I'll for forgive lve your amazement Suppose we cruise out ou near those rocks and see lee If we cant can't discover a pair of ot baleful eyes eyel star In fag ing up uP at us Lee hesitated frowning But Dut the girl had already snapped on her goggles and spear in hand was easing down into the water He lie slipped in after her and presently they were moving side lido by side toward to ward the rocks When still 50 feet away both ducked their heads be be- beneath neath neatly the water and continued thus at a leisurely pace The oceans ocean's bottom was clearly visible through the clear water Suddenly Lee slowed his pace and floa floated ted Slightly to his right a tangle of seaweed and rocks racks had come into view and from beneath the edge of the mass his eye had caught a faint movement movement like like the undulation of a gently prodded mass runes of gelatine A moment later he discerned a pair of watery looking eyes For a moment Lee hesitated The girl was to his left and some distance away lIe He came camo up for air made sure that she hadn't seen him stop then dove AT ih critical moment nt he thrust out with his spear and immediately the water was permeated by a cloud of like ink liquid which is one of the many means menns of defense with which the octopus is equipped Lee quickly Jerked loose his spear pear and thrust again More ink permeated the water But Dut this time Ume be he left the tha weapon embedded and swam am down iU its length until within reaching distance distance dis tance of the barbs Then he ho reached back loosened the knife knUe from its Hs wooden l s and nd Fl plunged plumed it downward A vacuum Hue tentacle grazed his forearm and he be retreat eJ ed Once more on the surface he gulped in a mouthful of ot air and grinned at the girl Got one he said ald and dove dov again I I Minutes later Inter with the octopus in tow they reached the beach and inspected their prize The gelatine gelatine- tike like fish was It still alive aUve all aU eight of ot its deadly tentacles wound about the spear In an effort to strangle it t. t Carol gave an impulsive shudder really horrible arent aren't they Lee Lea looked at her quickly I But Dut fun hunting he supple supple- They walked together to the beach hotel where Carol was stay tay ing and before leaving Lee said now How about tomorrow Perhaps you'll have better luck Tomorrow she said will be bene fine ne Ill I'll be waiting for you But Dut when tomorrow came and andLee andLee Lee Lea called at the hotel he hs found Carol swathed in blankets sitting In to a 8 deck chair in th the sun lun on the terrace She smiled at him and sniveled I it silly Ive I've picked up a I cold from somewhere Of all aU things A cold In this climate The doctor has hat ordered me to stay out of the water for a while But Dut you run along and have your fun Lee Lea sat eat down on a stool tool beside the deck chair chairIt It IOU you dont don't mind mind- he said ald this is fun i i He lie frowned 1 Hope youre you're not Dot going loin to be really sick lick Colds are bad ad down here i Tomorrow she abe laughed dramatically dra dra- 11 be to go 10 with spears pears and goggles gonles I But Dut on the next day the cold hadn't hadn improved all any Lee spent tha morning on th the stool beside the deck chair and tried to entertain her with funny tunny stories In the afternoon he ha went horns home and d changed to flannels and white whit shIrt and came back ag again ln The next day it U was the same ame and the next On the fifth filth the cold seemed to tobe tobe tobe be on the wane but Carol told him the doctor had advised her ber to stay Itay out of the water for at least a month That suits me fine Lee grinned Im sick of ot hunting those danged octopuses anyhow Besides I might catch a cold myself Oh Im I'm spoiling your fun Please dont don't give up the one thing you love just to keep me entertained Im not not said Lee giving up the one thing I 1 love And he looked at her so Intently that Carol actually blushed And so they spent their time playIng playIng play play- Ing tennis and strolling about the beach and seeking way the places l to dine dina and occasionally dance The month passed quickly and andLee andLee andLee Lee began talking about what fun they'd have together hunting bunting octo octo- At such times Umes Carol was oddly silent and once she even shuddered Its thoughts of catching another cold she apologized Lee studied her a moment then looked around to make sure lure the particular section of beach on which they were sitting was deserted You he said laid are area a a liar She looked 1 at t him in amazed horror horror horror hor hor- and ha went on You dont don't like hunting octopuses any more than an elephant likes having his nose pulled No woman does Especially Espe Espe- one cna as nice as-nice nice as a. you Why Lee Dyer Furthermore you didn't have a cold at all ll That was a gag to keep you admitting you didn't like hunting octopuses You merely said laid you liked hunting them because it was one way of interesting the young man who swam about the tha I Ibay bay all aUday day and high everyone every every- one else Carol opened her mouth closed it and looked defiant All right Here it is s then I Imade Imade I. I made a 8 bet that I could get the young youn man Interested in me Everyone Every Every- one else had failed Im I'm sorry I J. J dont blame you for hating me me The facts of the case are Let Lee said laid If U I had really thought you actually enjoyed hunting those gar looking gar looking octopuses opuses I wouldn't have become Interested In you She looked at him quickly You mean you knew aU all along Of course That day we brought my prize out on the beach and examined examined ex it and It-and and you shuddered 1 J knew it gave you the horrors horror and kept you awake nights I knew even eveD before that- that that's why I 1 went after the first tint one we saw It was wa too dangerous letting you tackle him Carol tossed her ber head Why I think youre you're horrid Absolutely Absolutely Ab horrid Knowing all aU aUthe the time and and and-and and leading me on Lee grinned Listen he said laid will wIn you marry me met The girl bit her lip Up and suddenly ludden a determined look came into her hez eyes eyel Not Not she said sad firmly as 8 long Ion longas as a. s you persist in hunting bunting octo odo- Have lIl I been octopus hunting during the past month he asked liked I And And then he kissed her |