Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-09-27
A TussLE WITH A soUID.

N SoolliI w IL ~ - 0~<
"You see, I'm from Nantucket, and
before came up here had been on
whalin' cruise for three years, and had
tried everything from mad fin-back to
man. eater. l liked jokin' the skipper |
about the big squids he kept tellin' about,
but in fact was downright anxious to see
one. and it want long before l had
chance. We was alvin out gale in
Hare Bay, and on the third day, if l
don't disremember, the wind had let up
and the sea gone, so we was beginin' to
think OF movin', when the skipper came
along and says: "Jim, you want 10
tackle squid, don't YEP IL do, says
l. We'll, here's your chacce there's one
overin the breakers aground on the rocks
the water amt over fathom, Take
the dingy and bring him aboard / look
ed over, and sure enough there was some
thin splashin around among the rocks,
a-throwin' up its arms. Taking in a
boat-hook and bit of rope, jumped in
to the dingy and pulled away. see the
skipper tip a wink to the hands, so !
made up my mind Id bring the squid
back no matter what happened. Did
you ever see one alive , turning to me.
On my replying to the negative, he con-
tinued, We'll, they are the worst lookin'
things you can imagine more like big
white spider, all legs and eyes than any
thing else. pulled a'ong keepin' before
the seas, and in few minutes had the
boat within twenty feet of it; and there's
no use takin', | wished | was back on
board the sloOp. There it was great
big bag, cream white with fuke like a
whale on one end, and the other was
full of legs, all lined with round suckers.
Every time the water let down and 1t
hi, the rocks, up would 90 its arms IN
the air like signals of distress and,
worst of all, It's eyes, which were as big
as YOUR hat, seemed TO be wa.chin me.
But didn't have much time to spend IN
,hinkin', for the boat was driftin' in all
the time. IL had long sucker fastened
on to a rock, and was a hangin' on TO
that, like a ship anchored on lee shore.
| concluded to pull off and loose this
and let the waves carry it up and take 1t
without any trouble; so | pulled out
about forty feet to about where the suck
er seemed TO GO Wa,ehin' my chance,
| dorpped the oars, grabbed the boat
hook and hooked on to the sucker, and
soon had it off but had drifted in, and,
as luck would have it, big sea came
along. Atorc could get the oars It had
landed me right in on top of the squid ;
and tell you there was some lively get
tin around for few minutes. II want
a minute afore he had four or five legs
over the boat, and would a swore he
was tryin' to climb in. We always
KEEP; an axe in the dingy, and grabbed
that and soon had one leg off in my cX-
element put it right through the side
Of the ingy besides, and the next wave
half filled her and banged her on the rocks
in terrible way. The first thing knew
one of the critters arms had me by the
lg-and talk about pulliu ! laid back
half in the water, and braced against the
scat with my clear leg for few second:
i, was nip and tuck, maxim hits at II
wi, the axe and missin most every time,
OWN TO the boats jumpin' around so.
At last one of the other arms 90. caught
on my shoulder gave jerk, and my
rubber boot came off go, in hit then
and cut another arm of. Another was
wavin' aroun my head, and caught me
in the hand, takin' the skin night OFT (,
but ! knocked this RICH back into the
water with the boat. hook. and then
went for It's eyes and head, and in a few
minutes had it pretty well used up. |
was bound to take il aboard so | got
the boat out of the rocks and hauled her
up. got a rope round the squid, and soon
had what was left of il on the beach, and
when | 90, the dingy righted towed it
aboard. They had the laugh on me, but
got the squid, and there's the receipted
bills" pointing to a pair hanging over
the table.
Yes said Mrs Skillings, 'he gave
them to me for dom up his hand, and |
guess he don't want any more.
mo, | don't" said jim ii am salts
Sol - I;n,,iuc,HS fnr Itf1uJ