The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-12-09
!: FKII=EELS. !
From the Field.1s

-, 'SS.eAVo A0A AVI y kluO Oh sea
"bream" With hand.line, at night, and
my servant tried, one evening, a lump OF
dough Tor want Of better bait. lilo felt
something nibble, nibble at his line, and
At last steady haul; SO returning the
compliment, he hauled too, and presently
landed strange fish, like gigantic Eng.
hsh Dream in shape. It was cooked and
pronounced: AL by all the household.
and, encouraged by his success, P. tried
again next night. Another rewarded
him. and he fished on. Presently bite
and then dead pull. Having q strong
line and wired hook, he hauled away and
dragged up an ugly brown eel. When he
attempted to seize it, the creature turn.
ed and bit him across tho knuckles, near
~ clearing two Of the joints of skin and
flesh. Fishing in Fiji has its dangers.
After dressing his wound, I sat up
writing, the household having retired to
bed. was interrupted By young boat.
man rushing in: "Oh. please, sir, give
me light. have got q big eel like that
which bit P. this evening. He lies in nv
boat, biting furiously, and l can't get
him off the line. II have jumped over.
board and come for help.' He was drip.
ping. We lit lantern, and taking the
big office ruler, adjourned to the battle.
field. First Charley drew in the boat, at
the bottom Of which, ''by the lantern
dimly burning" / could see the enemy
cruising about. He dropped in, and /
passed in the lantern and scrambled
down. As soon as we approached him he
made at Charley's naked feet. The
young fellow made spring, nearly shot
me out Of tho cranky little boat. and IN.
set the lantern. AS I stopped to lift it
tho brute charged me-. I had quite
enough to do to save myself, and, as / had
dropped the ruler at the first surge. I
had 20 weapon. The ruler kept rolling
about with the rocking boat, sometimes
just within reach. but as I tried to seize
it away it would roll! The eel was mas
ter of the situation for the time; but at
last Charley fetched him crack with
the stretchcr, and, having managed in a
lull Of the fight to catch the Grant ruler:
| seconded tho blow with '.stunner.'
Tho heavy ebondy did its duty. and the
Shiny brute lay quiet while Charley rain.
ed blows on it and finally severed his
head from his body with his clasp.knife.
l never saw more savage. fierce beast !;
he fairly sprang at us, with his jaws wide
open, and his small white eyes cleaning
ferociously. The way the lad and I
danced in that rocking boat, with the
lantern, the ruler, and the fish rolling at
the bottom, would take cleverer pens
than mine to describe. Next evening.
however, P. met with a more serious al:
fair. He and my son were out ut the
end Of the pier trying for big cod.
Presently heard four or five heavy
blows. then yell, aud my son came
rushing into the Office. "IIelp, for Gods
sake, help!' he shouted; "a huge eel
has severed P.'s wrist, and he will bleed
to DEATH" started up, and in the door.
way stood my servant, as pale as a sheet,
the blood streaming from his wrist.
Selling the ruler and some red tape,
made a temporary tourniquet, poured
half tutnbler of brandy down his throat
and carried him off to a chemist, who
luckily lives close to me. and is a good
surgeon, as all these men should be.
Here We sewed up two frightful gashcs
that had severed some small arteries, lust
missing the main ono Of the pulse, and
thus causing the severe hemorrhage.
After the wound was dressed and the
bleeding stayed, We learned the following
account of the accident: P. had hooked
and hauled up an eel, about four pounds
weight. Remembering the fight of the
previous night, he had swung the brute
around his head, bringing him down
with thump OH the boards; this was
the sound Of blows I heard. The last
blow dislodged the hook, and then the
creature sprang at him and seized him
by the wrist. How he got him off he
cannot tell, Tor the pain was extreme and
he was covered with blood in a second:
but he remembered dashing it down, and
it slipped away between the interstices
Of the planking. It was very narrow
escape with his life. There are several
kinds Of cells here in the rocks and stones
under the pier, and two in the fresh
water. These fellows grow to great
size. I have heard of one as thick As a
mans thigh. The sea cells are sometimes
very prettily notified with brown. Late
II | was watching rush of danifa from
big fish. 1t was low.tide, and many of
the little fellows sprang on the shore es.
Gaping from one foe, and became the prev
Of another. As they tumbled about in
the rocky little pools and between the in
tcrstices Of the stones, halls dozen of
the notified cells rushed at and seized
them; and here witnessed what never
before suspected. I saw an eel construct
fish as snake does its prey, in its con.
volutions, and, fastening it's teeth in the
fsh's head, it drew it through the folds
Of its coils and swallowed it.
A MEETING OF CREDITORS.
One of the most amusing places to visit
in these times of business depression is
"a meeting Of creditors'' of one of the
firms that have suspended payment:
If you are one of the creditors, YOU
have the homer to receive an invitation
to attend the meeting. It is generally
neatly printed, and in it they request the
pleasure Of your company at such day
and hour, at their own or their lawyers
office. Perhaps you swear a little when
you read it. which is naughty. If too