While we were speaking, we observed Silva walk slowly into the water, and we thought he was going to stoop down and swim off.  First, he put a foot forward, then he placed the other near it, and seemed to be trying to lift them up; and then he put an arm down, and then another.  We, not thinking of danger, ran into the water and swam about for some time, enjoying ourselves excessively.  When we came out we looked for Silva; he was nowhere to be seen.  What had become of him?  We dressed as fast as we could, and ran along the beach to the spot where he had been. There were his clothes, but there was no other trace of him.  We shouted, but we shouted in vain.  Much alarmed, we ran back to the settlement, as we called our hut, to get Cousin Silas or Ben to accompany us in our search for him.  Mr Brand had gone in an opposite direction, but, after waiting some time, Ben Yool came in.  After he had heard our account he launched the canoe, and all three of us set off along the coast to the spot where Silva had last been seen.  As we got near it we saw the doctor, and hailing him, told him what had occurred. Silva's clothes showed us exactly where to look for him, though, believing that a shark had carried him off, we had little hopes of finding his body.  As we were pulling in quite close to the shore, Ben exclaimed, "Why, there he is, poor fellow, moored head and stern!  What can have got hold of him?"  We called the doctor to come and see; and Jerry jumping on shore, gave up his place to him in the canoe.  When the doctor, got over the spot, after a short examination he exclaimed, "Why, it is a monster cephalopod--a squid, a horrid polypus has got hold of him.  Poor fellow, what a dreadful death to die!  There can be no doubt how it happened.  He must have stepped on the squid, which caught hold of him with its long and powerful tentaculas, and gradually infolding him in its dreadful embrace, dragged him under the water.  What strength the creature must have! for Silva was a very strong man, and would not easily have given in."  Thus the doctor went on lecturing on the polypus over the dead body of our late companion--his love of natural history making him for the moment almost forget the horrors of the scene.  How to rescue the body from the grasp of the monster was our next consideration.  Returning on shore, we cut some long sticks, intending to attack him with them.  Again we launched the canoe, but when we reached the spot the squid and the body of the pirate had disappeared.