For some time now, a rumor began spreading around the town that the Sea Devil had started in the sea. He caused a lot of troubles – he cut the nets, threw fish out of the boats. But he saved someone from the shark, there were such rumors. The “Sea Devil” wrote newspapers, a scientific expedition was organized, which proved that there is no Sea Devil. But the assurances of the expedition did not discourage the superstitious Spaniards and Indians, they still rarely went out to sea. As a result, fish catches, and especially pearls, have decreased. The current situation undermined all the plans of Pedro Zurita, the owner of the schooner Medusa. But soon he had a plan: to catch a sea monster and make him get the pearls from the seabed for himself. After all, the “Sea Devil” was intelligent – in this Zurita was convinced himself when he heard the monster screaming something in a human voice, when riding a dolphin. By order of Zurita, a wire net was built
and placed at the entrance to the underwater tunnel, where divers, as the divers discovered, often hide the Sea Devil. But it was not possible to catch him – when they pulled out the net, he cut the wire with a sharp knife and fell into the water through a hole. But Pedro Zurita was too single-minded to immediately give in. Reflecting on the mystery of the “Sea Devil” Pedro came to the conclusion that the underwater tunnel has one more outlet – on the shore. Near the shore stood a huge house surrounded by the highest fence. In the house there lived Dr. Salvator, a famous healer throughout the district. Zurita understood – the mystery of the “Sea Devil” can be revealed only when he was in the doctor’s house. But Zurita, no matter how he pretended to be sick, did not let him in to the doctor. But the Spaniard again did not back away from his plans. A few days later, at the gate of Dr. Salvator’s house stood an elderly Indian with a big girl in his arms. It was Cristo, a cunning person who was following Zurita’s request. Cristo was admitted, the servant took the child
from him and asked him to come in a month. When Cristo appeared at the appointed time, the servant brought to him an absolutely healthy child. And, although the girl was not at all Cristo’s granddaughter, he began to kiss her. Then the cunning Indian rushed to his knees before the doctor, said that he owed him very much, asked him to take him into the servants. Salvator rarely took new servants, but there was a lot of work, so he agreed. Much surprised and even frightened the Indian in the doctor’s garden. There were furred rats and sheep; spotty jaguars, barking like dogs; sparrows with parrot heads. Snakes with a fish head and fish with frog paws floated in the pond. But the most important “Sea Devil” Cristo never saw. More than a month have passed. Cristo noticed that the doctor trusted him more and more. And one day he introduced the Indian to the “Sea Devil”. He was the most ordinary young man, who, however, could spend a lot of time underwater. “Devil”, apparently, he was called because of his strange side: huge glasses, gloves with membranes, fins, body-fitting suit. The world in which Ichthyander lived – that is the name of the man – amphibian, was much more interesting than the terrestrial world. Under the water, the boy had friends – dolphins. To one dolphin, he became especially attached, gave him the nickname “Liding”. And one day Ichthyander saw a girl – she was tied to a blackboard and was almost dying. The young man dragged her to the shore, but he disappeared. A moustached mustache immediately ran up to the girl and began to convince her that he was a savior. And Ichthyander fell in love with a stranger. About it, he told Cristo. The cunning Indian offered the young man to go to the city – there are many girls, and among them, perhaps, there is that beautiful stranger. On the appointed day Ichthyander and Cristo went to the city. Cristo’s goal is to bring the young man to his brother Balthasar, where Pedro Zurita will wait for them. But at Balthazar in the house they meet only Gutierrez, his adopted daughter. And, seeing the girl, Ichthyander runs out of the house and disappears. Cristo realizes that Gutierre was the stranger whom Ichthyander once saved. Two weeks passed. One day, Ichthyander, swimming across the bay, again saw Gutierre. She was talking to some young man, then took off and handed him a pearl necklace. Suddenly, the necklace slipped from her hands and fell into the water. The bay was very deep, and they both understood that the necklace from the bottom could not be reached. Ichthyander, who had already left the water and changed into a suit, ran up to the girl. With the words “I’m trying to help you,” Ichthyander rushed into the bay. Gutierrez and her companion were terribly frightened for Ichthyander – they decided that he had already drowned, but soon he appeared out of the water and gave Gutierrez pearls. It was a kind of little revenge – Ichthyander wanted the young man to get the pearls from Gutierrez, but from his hands. After this event, Ichthyander sailed to the shore every evening. He changed into a hidden suit and waited for Gutierrez. They walked every day. More and more the young man realized that he loved this girl. One day they met Olsen, the young man whom Gutierrez wanted to give pearls. The feeling of jealousy made Ichthyander confess his love for Gutierre. But at this time the rider appeared – Pedro Zurita, and – scolded the girl for the fact that “she walks with a young man, being the bride of the other.” Hearing these words, Ichthyander broke off, ran to the shore and rushed into the water. Pedro Zurita laughed, and Guttiere turned pale. Now she really decided that Ichthyander had died. And Ichthyander, who certainly did not drown, continued to think about Gutierre, albeit with bitterness. Once he saw Olsen among the pearl seekers under the water. Ichthyander swam towards him, which frightened Olsen and the other swimmers. But in a few minutes Olsen and Ichthyander were already in the boat and talking. Olsen realized that the famous “Sea Devil” and Ichthyander are one person. Olsen told Ichthyander about the events that had taken place. Now Gutierre was married to the owner of the schooner Zurita. Her husband was unsympathetic, and she married only because she was sure – Ichthyander is dead. Now she lived on the hacienda Zurita. Olsen explained to Ichthyander how to get to the hacienda. Strange young man in a crumpled suit caused people’s perplexity. In addition, a robbery was committed in one of the haciends. The policeman, who saw him, pricked up his ears, and, without thinking twice, put handcuffs on him. However, Ichthyander managed to escape from him, albeit in handcuffs. At night the young man came to the house of Gutierre. He began to call her when he felt pain and fell. He was hit by a shovel Pedro Zurita, who did not like the “convict” who came to his wife. Then the body was thrown into the pond. At night the girl could not sleep, she went out into the yard, saw a bloody path that led to the pond. When she came to the pond, Ichthyander appeared from under the water. The girl was frightened, in front of her was a drowned man, but Ichthyander explained to her – who he is. But Zurita overheard their conversation. He promised to hand over Ihtiyandra to the police or let him go, but only when the young man gets a lot of pearls from the seabed for Zurita. So Ichthyander was on the “Medusa”. Ichthyander was put on a long chain and released into the sea. The first catch has already brought Zurite a fortune. A wave of excitement swept the schooner. And the next morning Zurita released the young man into the sea without a chain. By agreement, Ichthyander had to investigate the recently drowned ship, and found to bring Zurite. When the young man was under water, the team of the schooner attacked Zurita, too much envy caused his wealth. Zurita was in a desperate situation when he saw a boat approaching the schooner. In it sat… Dr. Salvator. At the same moment, Zurita jumped into one of the boats and swam to the shore. Salvator examined the schooner, but Ichthyander did not find it. And soon, with the help of Zurita, Cristo and Balthazar, a trial was organized against Dr. Salvator. Numerous commissions examined animals from the doctor’s garden. But the main proof of the terrible experiences of the doctor was Ichthyander. Now he was kept in one of the cells, in a barrel with standing water. The young man was almost dying – the water was changed infrequently. And Dr. Salvator did not break the trial – even in the cell he continued to write, but somehow operated on the wife of the prison director, than saved her life. At last the court took place. Dr. Salvator was given a lot of charges. At night after the trial, Salvator saw Ichthyander. The prison governor presented Salvator with the opportunity to escape, but the doctor asked him, so that Ikhtiyandra was allowed to leave the prison. In the plot, a water carrier took part, it was he who was taken out of prison in a barrel of Ikhtiander water. Now the young man was to make a long journey to the shores of South America, where Dr. Salvator’s friend lived. A few years later, no one remembered the “Sea Devil”, Dr. Salvator left prison, Gutierrez divorced her husband and married Olsen.
