The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-07-06

golatiuous substance which envelops the
bather, in which the hands sink in, and the
nails scratch inefiectively which can be
torn without killing IL, and which can be
! plucked oft without entirely removing it,
that fluid and yet tenacious creature. which
slips through the 6ugres, is disgusting /;
but no horror can equal tho sudden appari,
tion OF the devil 6sh--that Aledusa, with
! it's eight sorpents.
No grasp can equal the sudden strain Of
the cephaloptera,
1t is with ;he sucking apparatus that il
attacks. The victim is oppressed by a
vacuum drawing at numberless points it
is not a clawing or u biting, but an .inde.
scribable scarihcaton. A tearing of the
flesh is terrible. but less terrible than suck.
ing Of the blood Claws are harmless com.
pared with the horrible action of these
natural air cups, The talons of wild beasts
enter into your flesh but with The cephal
optera it is you who enter into the creature.
The muscles ewell, the hbers of the body
are contorted, the skin cracks under the
loathsome oppression, the blood spurts out
and mingles horribly with the lymph of the
monster, which clings to its victim by in
Vulnerable hideOus months. The hydra
incorporates itself with the man the man
becomes one with the hydra. The speoter
lies upon you the tiger can only devour
you the devil fish, horrible, sucks your
life blood away. lIo draws you to him,
aud into himself while bound down. glued
to the ground, powerless, you feel yourself
gradually emptiod into this horrible pouch,
which is the monster.
These strange animals, science, in accord.
ance with its habit of excessive caution
even in the face of facts,.a first rejects as
fabulous then she decides to observe thea;
then she dssects, cassiies, catalogues auJ
labels then procures specimens, aud tx ib
its them in glass cases in museums. They
enter then into her nomenclature are
designated moilusks, invertebrata radiata ;
she determines their position in the animal
world little above the calnmaries, little
below the cutie tSh +; she finds for these
hydras of the sea an analogous creature in
fresh water called the argyronecte I; she
divides them into great, medium aud small
kinds, abe admits more readily the exist.
ence of the small then of the large species
which is, however, the tendency of science
in all countries, for sllo is by nature more
microscopic then telescope. She regards
them from the point of view of their con-
struotion, and calls them Cephaloptera
counts their antenn@, aud calls them 0cto-
pcues' lHlS uoHc, Sle lOlNes tneh. q W neTe
science leaves them, philosophy takes them
up.
Such was the creature in whose power
Gilliatt had fallen for some minutes.
The monster was the inhabitant of the
grotto-the terrible genii of the place. A
kind OF sombre demon of the water.
All the splcndors of the cavern existed
for it alone.
On the day of the previous month when
Gilliatt had first penetrated into the 5rotto
tie dark outline, vaguely perceived by him
in the ripples of the secret waters, was this
monster. 1t was here in its home.
When, entering for the second time into
the cavern in pursuit Of the crab, he had
observed the Crevice in which he supposed
! that the crab had taken refuge the pieHUere
was there lying in wait for prey,
1t is impossible to imagine that secret
| ambush.
No BIRD would brood, no egg would burst
to life, no flower would dare to open, no
breast TO give milk, no heart to love, no
spirit to soar, under the influence of that
apparition OF evil watching with sinister
patience in the dusk.
Gilliatt had thrust his arm deep into the
opening, the monster had snapped at it. II
held him fast, as the spider holds the fly.
He was in the water up to his belt his
naked feet clutching the slppy rouniuess
of the huge stones at the bottom his right
arm bound aud rendered powerless by the
fiat coils of the long tentacles of the crea.
ture and his body almost hidden under the
folds and cross folds of this horrible band
age. - 3d., ..
OF the eight arms of the devil fish, three
adhered to the rock, while five encrcled
GilIiatt. In this way, olinging to the gran.
ite On the one hand, and on the other to its
human prey, it enchained him to the rock.
Two hundred aud fifty suckers were upon
him, tormenting him with agony and loath-
ing. He was grasped by gigantic hands,
the fingers of which W ere each nearly yard
long, and furnished inside with living blis-
ters eating into the flesh.
AS we have said, it is impossible TO tear
ones self from the folds of the devil fish.
The attempt ends only in firmcr grasp.
The monster clings with more determined
force. It's effort increases with that of his
victim every struggle produces a tighten.
ing of his ligatures.
Gilliatt had but one resource his knife
His left hand only was free but the reader
knows with what power he could use it. 1t
might have been said that he had two right
hands.
His open knife was in his hand
The antenna of tue devil fish cannot be
cut it is a leatlery substance, impossible
to divide with the knife it slips under the
edge; it's position in attack also is such
that to cut it would be to wound the victims
own hesh H+ 3iIi
The creature is formidable but there is
a way of resisting. The fishermen of Sark
know this, as does any one who has seen
them execute certain abrupt movements in
the sea. The porpoises know it also they
have a way of biting the cuttle fish which
decapitates it. Hence the frequent sight
on the sea OF pen fish, poulps, and cutie
fish without he IDS.
The cephalopiora, in fact, is only vulnera
bic through the head
Gilliatt was not ignorant Of this fact
He had never seen devil fish of this
size. His first encounter was with one Of
larger species. Another would have been
pOwerless with terror.
With the devil fish, as with a furious
bull, there is a certain moment in the con-
lict which must be seized. Ii is the in.
slant when the devil Gsh advances its head.
The movement is rapid. He who loses that
movement is destroyed.
The things we have described occupied
only a few moments. Gllliatt, however felt
the increasing power of its innumerable
suckers.
The monster is cunning IL tries first to
stupeiy its prey. II seizesi and then pauses
awhile.
Gilliatt graspcd his knife; the sucking
increased.
G,Iao,I., "a Ixa.....I C,on, H. .a.I. a.,