The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-10-18

under the corals :" he shouted.
Come overl"
The boys moved of in this direc-
ton.
1t looks like bundle of snakes
he continued.
We'll, here goes !" aud aiming his
grains at the object, Will let drive at
IT.
There waS commotiOn foc mo-
ment. Viii chung to hIs spear. the
pole bending and writhing about.
Il can't see what il is p he shout
ed.
The boys pushed hard, but were
yet twenty or thirty yards from VIII
when he jumped upon coral head
with a scream, and up from the wa
ter, ellnging to his legs, appeared a
shiny, writhing, clinging mass of
flesh that horrihed the BOYS.
VIII had lost his hold upon the
spear, but courageously drew his
case-knife and cut at the monster.
that had now crept up to his waist.
ut Is an octopus !" shouted Tom,
as the boat rushed into the head of
coral, and seizing his spear oyer
board he went, and as Harry grasp.
ed Willis extended arm and tried to
drag him into or towards the boat he
hurled his spear again and again in
to the creature and endeavorod to
push it from Wills knee, where it
had now settled under the vigorous
blows OF the knife.
Two of the arms were severed in
this way, but the others clung like
leeches, winding about his legs,
doubling and twisting all the while.
VIII was faint and weak. but the
rest encouraged him, and finally he
struck deep blow into the body of
the monster, and Tom, settling down
almost under the. water, with tre-
mendous lift, tore the ugly creature
fromits hold.
At the same moment the bows in
the boat, who had clung to VIII,
fairly jerked him into the boat, with
some of the arms Of the octopus still
clinging to him.
Tom was not a moment behind,
as the creature had escaped from
him, and he was likewise hauled
aboard.
Will was badly cut; his legs, arms
and neck were covered with round
marks, as if he had been cupped.
and some of them bled badly, while
other sharp bites were evidently the
marks of parrot-like bills.
The water for many feet about
them still showed evidence of the
struggle, being as black as ink from
the sepia the animal had elected in
its fear and rage.
Will was determined TO. have the
body of the octopus. So after the
water had cleared, they commenced
the search, and finally the ugly fel-
low-or what was left of twas
found under a clump of branch
coral.
The boat was held over the spot,
and three spears were sent into it at
once. Even now it struggled hard,
and as they lifted it aboard the
creature dragged at least fifty
pounds of the dead coral with it.
But once in the boat it was soon fin
ished with a hatchet, and packed
away in half barrel, which it near
iy filled, and was found to weigh af-
terwards 10 pounds.
"You wouldn't believe a creature
like that would have so much
strength, " said viii, as they started
for home.
"As soon as | hit it, it seemed to
run up the spear, and nearly twist
ed the pole out of my hands, and
the water became as black as ink,
and the first thing | knew | felt
something like a red hot band clasp
my leg, and then another, and then
| made a Jump for the head" and
the animal tried to climb upon me-
| don't know whether he was trying
TO attack me or escape; but I've
learned one lesson-neyer to strike
at an octopus unless you are in a
boat"