The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-10-03
FIGHT WITH A CUTTLE FISH.
An Old Grand Banks PishcrmaB's VERY
Tough Ynrn.

"Yo see, ] shipped for cruise on the
colder Laughin' Dolly, for no pay and a
share Of the proceeds. We sailed from
Gloucester and had tolable luck; then
gettin aout O. bait. we put iniew Hare
Bay-that's on the coast OF Ncwiound.
land-and ] reckon VIC jest got in in
time, for it let on tew blow from the
BASTARD and banged and hammered
for like o three days. At the end q
that time we got the water butt intcS
the dory, and me and my mate, Long
Tom Sigstree, pulled in for a little cove
10 lizard, where it was smooth water AMI
good lRndhl'. In VIC won't boopn
when Jest as we was goin through tlr
gut o the cove, ii kind o shoaled like
and VIC come TO with rush, and we VIA
broadside onter the worst l0Okin creetni
yer ever sec or heard OH.
"First | though. it was 2 spider; its
arms was a.6yin IN the air over us, and
some a-hangin' on tew the boat, and the
crectur seemed actual a.tryiu' 90 come
aboard. Ye see, it had grounded on the
shoal and we'd plunged right in'cw it,
and I'm a master hand at sight seein',
hut / was took all aback, and tlic FIRST
knew one Of It's arms was around the oar.
Whi.h came another takiu Long Tom
around the boot, and yankin' him clean
Of his feet. He whipped aout his knife,
and cut it of, aud 1t fell in the boat,
a.twistin' Jest like snake. Another
come a-nyin along, and took me in the
neck, cuttin' Jest like a knife, and all
this time we wur a-whnckiD' nnd Jam
min at the crcetur to keep him aout o
the boat. But it's legs was kivercd WHY
suckers, and il. kind o came on, Right
between the legs VIC zoo pair o bills
wOrkin' up and daown Just like these are,
while the creot'ir was a-pumpin' ink and
water from a sort O spout Jest like a steam
engine. so't we wa BLACK. from head a.
loot and the water all araound. IgOt ml
oar up like Il laypoon, md was jest goin
TO jam it in the head, when wave too!
the dory, gave her lift, and over she
went, chuckin' me right on tew the cree.
tur, ard / II swan tew life ! was never so
near meetin' Davy Jones afore nor
scnce. / tried to jump clear, but the
boat knocked me daown, and the first !
knew felt grip on my boot, and sec
the animal had me by the leg; hit clean
through the leather, leg and all, and for
minute ] was NIL wound up, and
reckon il it warn't for Tom I'd beer
cleaned aout sure. The water WASH
over twoieet, and he jumped clear o th'
crcctur, and then shown the boat clca
he iammcd the squid in the head witt
an oar four or five times, and hauled N
nout, and ynou can bet yer port none
WAS u physical wrack as far AZ loOl,
goes-nll scratched mp.
oval, we rightod the boat and the
I was bound tcw see the crectur; 80 "
dragged il in shore aud spread her aouI
aud how long dye reckon it was
Forty-eight feet tew an inch, pnd til
worst lookin' thing ] ever clappcd m
eyes on. The body was lest like hi
bag, abaout twelve foot long, and soI
like a Jelly. The tail looked like til
nuko Of M nachor, but the head va
what took me. The eyes on it wei
black aud as big M saucers, and irol
around 'cm branchcd Off ten legs xiv
cred on one silo with suckers, wit
edges Of EN- jist like razors and saw
aud every time one struck yc kind
air-pump piston arrangement sucke
the air aout and pressed the sucker rigl
intow yc. Two Of the arms was Il
longest--I rcckoned abaOut thirty foot
aud il was them the crcctur was hnngi
by when We ran n-foul o him-kind
swingin' by EN- like hawsers. Wa
,cw make long story short, ] was In
up for couple o. weeks with the bite
my leg, and | reckon ] can show son
of tho scratchin' yet. We cut the NJ
nal up for bait, aud it filled about t.
good cod tubs, and must have weigh,
$500 pounds"