The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-01-11

! have tried to kick off my skin close as nv
| skin they stuck to me, and swayed as I
kicked, always loose and easy but still with
| sTeady pull toward the sea. They did
| not drag hard the creature seemed in no
| hurry-he knew he'd got il all his own
way, and was willing to take his time But,
| though the drag was no powerful, it never
| loosened the strain, and | had o cling to
! the rock and get my elbows on a ledge and
bear against il.
Chow long | stayed there | don't know
it seemed hours ana bours but il cpuldt
have been long, not many minures | sup
pose-aud all the time | Was screaming as
woman might have done for the horror
of If, when the light at the top of the hole
aud he sky and the waving grass were
shut out, and | was III in the tla:k
"'Ilaloa! Who's there?' hailed a voice
and then ! knew our skipper was up aIoft
and help near.
Il told him as well as | could, for | was
pretty nigh beat, and the creature was
pulling now with harder strain.
Caught by a devil fish, shouted the
skipper to his men, and his voice came to
! me as from a long way off Hold on 20
him ! he cried to me, putting his mouth to
the hole. Don't let him go-Ne'll be down
in minute
And so they were, for the Cingalese
took dive from the top and were up at
had done speaking. The others weren't
long after 'em-they were round in the
whaIe-boat pretty quick and never
sound did | hear like the music of the beat
of their oars that brought me health and
life. But then Cingaese aud Malay fell
lows were afraid to tackle the brute, though
it takes lot to frighten those divers. they
being accustomed 20 queer things under
water; but when they saw what had got
me, not one of them would venture into the
cave. They harpOoned him at last-got
one from the whale boat-and then cut
him up with creases and swords.'
''lt was lucky for you that help was
near" ! remarked, as he paused.
''Iou may say that, sir but it has al
ways seemed to me something more than
just luck"
You are right, Hans. But how was it
that they were on the cliff just them
They'd gone prospecting for the new
cave just as | had, and had come to the
wind-hole they worked along the top of
the rocks. The skipper was for one of the
men trying 10 get down it, but they said it
was no use, and while they were talking
they heard me scream"
80 that was the end of the octopus-he
was cut up by the divers"
"1 es sIr-cut up and taken to the China
market with the other things, and the
skipper gave me half what he sold for, SO
wi that aud the twen,y dollors for finding
the cave, the trip turned out pretty well for
me. Can you guess his weight, Sir 2''-aud
Hans looked at me inquiTiugly.
'No,' | said. Nv hat was it ?'
-Four hundred weight, or rather over"
replied the old man slowly, as he united
the lea her bag, which all this time he had
been holding. Look at these, sir" he
continued, as he tCok out three or four
brownlsh gray things, rather like small
tea-saucors III shape, aud measuring three
inches i'll diameter, and then another look
ing like the dried beak of large bird,
hard, ho.ny aud sharp.
L took them III my hand and looked curl
Ously at them.
"Nha S the size of that, sir. do you
reckon p said the old man, watching ne
attentlveiy as turned over the 0eak-shaped
thing.
Three or four inches across, 10y seven or
eight from root To point"
'RIgh you are, sII-fouI by eight, that's
it: not DIce thing 20 have buried III your
flesh, and sucking you To pieces
"N by. what Is 1t? And all these ?' and
| took up the gray saucers.
"Iha,'s 5 the Creatures beak. and those
are the things on his arms that he holds
by--sort Of sue ion, you KNOW, sIr."
'By jUvc y | exclaimed.
Somehow, untll then, | bad listened to
tue story without exactly believing It--a
certain allowance for sailor eXaggeTatIon
had fingered IN my mind but, as | held
these relies, 1t suddenly flashed upon me
what manner OF creature 1t must have been
i'll life, the dIied remains OF which were
yet 50 terrible.
Nv hen We had got the brute on board
said Hans, Il cut these off him. | doubt
if them as didn't see him would believe the
bIgness of him If IT, weren't for them
Il dare say nOt--i don't think | did,
L answered, still staring at the horIid beak
and strong, rough suckers, and rea liziug as
L gazed the eHoiD nous power of the spider
like creature, with Its eight gigantic arms
covered with those dreadful instruments,
and the cfuel beak ready to tear and devour
the prey caught in those innumerable tolls.
"NeIl, Hans, you had escape ~ l
said at last, as | gave back the relics.
Indeed l had ana, If ever n man had
cause to thank the Lord for saving him
from "A horrible death, L had that day when
the devIl-fish got hold OF me - aud the old
fellow revereutly lifted his cap as he looked
up to the deep blue sky above us.
While we were talking our ''old man.
had passed along tue deck, aud that even
ing, at dinner, lie said 10 me-
''Was Hans telnug you his devil-fish
story this afternoon? thought | heard a
word or two as | passed"
les, ati, iePiioc-- anu dNeIy queer
story it IS"
''But none the less true one" said the
captain. 81 happened to come across the
skipper ke was sailing with a few months
after he had told me the adventure. |
done generally take much heed of sailors
yarns, uut he WIS So accurate in bis descIip
tion of the cave--I have been there twice
yself-,hat 1t made me curious to know
whether he had exaggerated the rest to
make good yarn, 80 | got the skipper to
talk about it, aud his account of she crea-
tuIe talned exactly with Hans, and Que of
the Malays, who bad killed 1t was present
also, and bore him out They did not
know 1 had heard about it from Hans so
IL was independent evidence. aud proved
the truth, OF else | had my doubts, III
own"
y $50 had till L saw those remains but
the truer a thing is the stranger is H.