“No,” the Queen answered after a glance ahead of them, “that is a cuttlefish, and he is dyeing the sea around him with ink so that he can hide from us.  Let us turn a little to the left, for we could see nothing at all in that inky water.”

Following her advice, they made a broad curve to the left, and at once the water began to darken in that direction.

“Why, there’s another of ’em,” said Cap’n Bill as the little party came to a sudden halt.

“So there is,” returned the Queen, and Trot thought there was a little quiver of anxiety in her voice.  “We must go far to the right to escape the ink.”

So they again started, this time almost at a right angle to their former course, the little girl inquired: 

“How can the cuttlefish color the water so very black?”

“They carry big sacks in front of them where they conceal the ink,” Princess Clia answered.  “Whenever they choose, the cuttlefish are able to press out this ink, and it colors the water for a great space around them.”

The direction in which they were now swimming was taking them far out of their way.  Aquareine did not wish to travel very far to the right, so when she thought they had gone far enough to escape the inky water, she turned to lead her party toward the left—­the direction in which she did wish to go.  At once another cloud of ink stained the water and drove them to the right again.

“Is anything wrong, ma’am?” asked Cap’n Bill, seeing a frown gather upon the queen’s lovely face.

“I hope not,” she said.  “But I must warn you that these cuttlefish are the servants of the terrible sea devils, and from the way they are acting they seem determined to drive us toward the Devil Caves, which I wished to avoid.”

This admission on the part of their powerful protector, the fairy mermaid, sent a chill to the hearts of the earth people.  Neither spoke for a time, but finally Cap’n Bill asked in a timid voice: 

“Hadn’t we better go back, ma’am?”

“Yes,” decided Aquareine after a moment’s thought.  “I think it will be wise to retreat.  The sea devils are evidently aware of our movements and wish to annoy us.  For my part, I have no fear of them, but I do not care to have you meet such creatures.”

But when they turned around to abandon their journey, another inky cloud was to be seen behind them.  They really had no choice but to swim in the only streak of clear water they could find, and the mermaids well knew this would lead them nearer and nearer to the caves of their enemies.

But Aquareine led the way, moving very slowly, and the others followed her.  In every other direction they were hemmed in by the black waters, and they did not dare to halt, because the inky fluid crept swiftly up behind them and drove them on.

The queen and the princess had now become silent and grave.  They swam on either side of their guests as if to better protect them.