The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1878-04-17

man and experienced salt, Its the hulk
Of a shipp
"'Did you ever know Of a vessel as
long as that 2 responded the mate.
Why, it's three times the length Of
our shipT
BY this time we had clambered up
the sides and into the rigging of our
vessel to look.
g" And blow me il il amt coming. this
way as fast as a vessel under full sail +
said one Of the men.
"'Tho deucel' added second, i'm
mediately, down it goes, island, hulk,
or what notr
"And, sure enough, nothing was to
be seen. We all looked at each other,
and the old salts face became somber.
This comes of the calm I said he.
"'No, no-there it is again + 1 ex-
claimed. 1T must have been hidden
by roller, or our eyes were dazzled by
the straining,' as it bobbed up into sight
within an eighth of a mile from or
course.
"The mate had been slipping on his
trousers and shirt during this brief in
terval, in which he had been folio we'd by
some Of the men. Hulk or island,
am after it to see what's what. Who'll
bear hand, my heartiesT
GA dozen volunteered, myself among
the number, and in a few minutes the
ships launch was being pulled away
towards the singular object which now
had drifted or been moved away to the
leeward Of the ship perhaps half mile.
As we came nearer, we could see about
ten feet projection of dark granite-like
cellular substance, covered with shells
and seaweed, rising along the surface of
the ocean, and tapering along the ridge
fore-and-aft to the length of half mile. I"
Tom and I gave an involuntary whis-
tle-a politeness which Charlie did not
notice, for he continued:
"In few pulls we came up to it, and
johnson, the mate, was the first to jump
from the boat upon the granite-lik
projection. We all agreed it was an
island, and perhaps Of some porous
coralic substance, which, being detached
from some mysterious depth, had floated
to the surface. Leaving one man in
charge of the boat, we were wandering
about, kicking here and knocking there
for bits of shells to pocket as trophies
OF the wonderful and unknown sight,
when one of the men exclaimed Why,
the ship is fearfuliy Distant r
"We looked around, and, sure enough,
she was miles and miles away. Almost
at the same instant johnson calculated
Good heavens, boysl it's going
DOWN.
"I felt, in common with the rest, a
rapid sinking, and was shortly ankle
deep in water, and, in quicker time than
| can tell, was foundering in the ocean.
We were swimming about, somewhat
treasured by the near approach of the
launch, and, indeed, began to joke about
the submerging island. Said johnson,
making vigorous strokes, It's taking
sudden leave of - when the word was
stopped in his mouth-his face whitened
in pain and terror, and q terrible shrek
arose from the poor fellow as he began
to rise from the water, impaled on the
end of gigantic claw about the thick
ness of schooner's mast, and was
shortly raised twenty feet above our
heads, all the while shrieking most ter
ribly. By this time we had regained the
boat, all but one man; when suddenly,
each side of him, began to rise two
other claws or arms Qike the tentacula
of the cuttle-fsh, upon large scale),
which Immediately crushed him and took
him from sight, scarcely allowing time
for scream. Poor johnson began to
go down too with the claw, and the last
We saw of him he had apparently
swooned, or was dead"
Charley's manner in telling this was
graphic and solemn. 1t really took
away our quizzicsl humor, and we had
not word to say. After breath, or a
sigh, he continued:
"How we pulled over the weary miles
which separated us from the ship
what we thought or what we said
Il am certain none of us could
thereafter tell. Our very souls were
crushed with the calamity; and the tale
became, fer weeks, until we reached
Canton, the solemn story of the mess,
in the cabin and in the forcastle."
"And did you never find out what it
was ?" asked Tom.
"When we got to Calcutta, I encoun-
tered an attache of the East India Com
pany there, who was scientific man of
great and universal attainments. 1 told
him the story. He listened attentively,
and then, taking down an old volume Of
Pliny, said: Sir, you have seen the
fabulous monster OF antiquity-the
kraken.'
Sand 30 I had !"
"Tum to tum, to riddity, iddity,
righ," said Tom, jumping up and run
ming for his clothes. "'Kraken' must
be the German for %, crackie 7"
"Considepthat we both believe, with
our thanks; for nothing but your horri-
BILE story has saved me from chill"
But Charley was silent, and dressed
himself moodily. Either he was an ac-
complished actor, or he was in earnest.
But hang me if I want to see kraksn
-