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

kickeu, always loose ana 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 it all his own
way,and was willing to take his time. But,
though the drag was no. powerful, it never
iooseueh the strain, and | had 10 cling to
the rock and get my elbows on ledge and
bear against it.
Glow long [ stayed there I don't know
it seemed hours aud hours. but it cnuld't
have been long, not manv minutes | SUD-
pose-and all the time | was screaming as
woman might have done for the horror
OF 1t, when the light at the top of the hole
and The sky and the waving grass were
shut out, and was all in the da:k.
"'llalioa Who's there . hailed voice.
and then knew our skipper was up aloft
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 devil fish, shouted the
skipper TO his men, and his voice came to
me as from a long way off. Hold Oh TO
him ! he cried to me, putting his mouth to
the hole. 'Don't let him go-we'l II be down
in m mute
And they were, for the Cingalese
took dive from the top and were mp at
the entrance of the cave almost before lie
had done speaking. The others weren't
long after 'em-they were round i'll the
whale-boat pretty quick; and never a
sound did hear like the music of the beat
OF their oars that brought me health and
hfe. But then Cingalese and Malay fel-
lows we're 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 haIpooued him at last-got
one from the whale boat-and then cut
him up with creases and swords.''
1T was lucky for you that help was
near" | remarked, as he paused.
on 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 | bad, and had come to the
wind hole as they worked along the top of
the rocks. The skipper was for one of the
men trying TO get down IL, but they 81 id IL
was It" use, aud While they were talkIug
they heard me Scream
so that was the end of the octopus-he
was cut up 10y the divers"
Yes sir-cut up and taken to the China
market with the other things, and the
slipper gave me half what he sold for, 50
WI that aud the twensy doilors for finding
the cave, the trip turned out pretty well for
me. Can you guess hIs weight, sir ?''--and
Hans looked at me in9uIringly.
No. | said. ''N nat was ii ?''
-Four hundred weight, OF rather over, ;"
replied the old man slowly, as he united
the leather bag, which all this time he had
been holding. Look at these. sir" he
continued, as he tvok out three or four
brownlsh gray things, rather like small
tea-saucers IN shape, aud measuring three
inches IN diameter, and then another look
ing like the dried beak of a large biId
hard, horny aud sharp.
l took them I'D my hand and looked curl
ously at them.
la 5 the size of that, sir, do you
reckon p said the old man, watching n.e
attentively as | turned over the beak-shaped
thing.
Three or four inches across, by seven or
eight from root TO point"
''Right you are, sIr--fouT by eight, that 5
! 1t : not a ulce thing 30 have buried III your
| flesh, and sucking you to pieces"
'Why. what Is 1t? And all these ?'' and
L took up the gray saucers.
Tina 5 the creatures beak, and those
! are the things Oh his arms that he holds on
/ by--sort of sue ion, you know Sir"
by jove y | exclaimed.
Somehow, until then, [ bad listened TO
; the story without exactly believing it--a
/ certain allowance for sailor exaygetatIon
had fingered IN my mind ; tut, as | held
| these relies, it suddenly flashed upon me
/ what manner of creature II must have been
| in life, the dried remains of which were
yet 50 terrible.
Nv hen We bad got the brute on board. !"
said Hans, Il cut these off him. | doubt
/ If them didu see him would believe the
bigness of him if it. weren't for them"
Il dare say not--I don't think | did, 8"
| answered, stIll staring at the horrid beak
aud strong, rough suckers, aud realizing as
| gazed the enormous power of the spider
like creature, with It's eight gigantic arms
covered VIII those dreadful Instruments,
and The ciuel beak ready to tear and deyOur
the prey caught in those iHuumerable tolls.
''Nell, HauS, you had All escape - /
said at last, as | gave back the relics.
''Iudeed | had ana, IT ever a tnau had
cause TO thank the Lord for saving him
from a horrible death, had that day when
the devil-lish got hold OF me = and 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 he said 10 me:
''N as Hans telling you his devil FISH
| story this afternoon | thought heard "a
word or two as | passed
Yes, sir" L replieG--''and very queer
story ii is
captain. Il happened to come across the
skipper lac WAS sailing with "A few months
after he had told me the adventure. L
dom generally take mucl: heed of salons
yarns, tut he " : ST. accurate in ais descI ip
,Ion ot the cave lave been there twice
self-shaI II made me curious to know
whciher he bad exaggerated the rest to
make a good yam, 50 | got the skipper to
talk about II, aud his account of tho crea-
ture Tailed exactly with Hans, aud one of
the Malays, who had killed IL present
also, ana bone hlm out. They did not
know | bad heard about it from Hans SO
II was independent evidence, and proved
the truth, else L had my doubls III
own
| $50 had | till | saw those remains, but
| the truer a thing is the stranger is IT..
| What would people at home say 10 itP''
| Il don't know, Roberts; but when you
| have knocked about these seas hong as
! | have, you al KNOW that there queer
or Things IN them tnan any one Could IN
vent. Anyhow, there no doubt that
. lana story Is tiue, aud, Though >l.oIs- a .