Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-10-11
FIGHT WITH A CUTTLE FISH.
An Old Grand hanks FIsherman's
Tough Yarn.


"Yo see, l shipped for cruise on
the colder Laughin' Dolly, for no pay
and a share o the proceeds. We sail
ed from Gloucester and had tolerable
luck; then gettin' aout o bait, we put
intew Hare Bay-that's on the coast o
northumberland | reckon we jest
got in In time, for II let on tew blow
from the east ard and banged and ham
mered for like o three days At the
end o that time we got the water butt
intew the dory and me and my mate,
Long Tom Sigstree, pulled in for lit
tie cove to lu'ard, where 1t was smooth
water and good landin' In we went
a hoopin', when jest as we were goin'
through the gut o the cove it kinder
shoaled like and we come 10 with Q
rush, and We were broadside onter the
worst lookin' crcetur yer ever see OF
heard on.
First thought it was spider; its
arms was a-liyin' in the air over us and
some a-hangin' on tew the boat, and
the crctur seemed to be actually airy
in tcw come aboard. Ye see, it had
grounded on the shoal and we'd plump
60 right intcw it, and I'm a master
hand at sight sccin', but was took all
a-back. and the first knew one Of its
arms was around the oar. Whish, came
another, takin' Long Tom around the
the boot and yankin him clean of his
feet. He whipped aout his knife aud
cut it of, and it fell in the boat, =
twistin' Jest like a snake. Another
came a-hyin' along, and took me in the
neck, cuttin' Jest like knife, and al!
this time we wur a-whackin' and jam
min at the crcetur TO keep him aout Of
the boat. But It's legs was kiyered
with suckers and it kinder came on.
Right between the legs we saw pair
o bills a-workin' up and daown Jest
liks these are, while the crcctur was
pumpin' ink and water from a sort o
spout jest like a steam engine, so't we
was black from head 10 foot and the
water all araound. | got my oar up
like harpoon. and was jest goin' TO
jam 1t in the head, when a wave took
the dory, gave her lift. and over she
went, chuckin' me right intew the ere
tur, and I'll swan TO life | never was
so Eear meetin' Davy Jones before or
sencc. tried 10 jump clear. but the
knew felt grip on my boot and |
see the animal had me 10y the leg; bit
clean through leather, leg and all. and
for a minute ] was all wound up
and / reckon If II warn't for Tom
I'd been cleaned aout sure. The
water wasn't over two feet, and he
jumped clear O the cretur, and then
shown the boat clear he jammed the
squid in the head with an oar fouI
or FIVE times and hauled me aout
and yaou can bet yer port money ]
was a physical wreck so far as looks
goes all scratched up.
"Wall. we righted the boat. and then
| was bound tew see the creetur; 50
we dragged it in shore and spread
her aout. and how long do you reck.
on it WASP Forty-eight feet tew an
inch. and the worst lookin' thing !
ever clapped my eyes on. The body
was jest like big bag, about twelve
foot long and soft like jelly. The tail
looked like the 1uke Of an anchor, but
the head was what took me The eyes
on it were black and as big as saueers,
and from around 'em branched off ten
legs, kivered on one side with suckers,
with edges Of 'em Jest like razors and
saws. and every time one struck ye a
kind Of air-pump pisten arrangement
sucked the air aout and pressed the
sucker right intew ye Two Of the
arms was the longest--I reckon abaout
thirty foot-and IL was them the cree
tur was hangin' by when we ran afoul
o him--kinder swingin' by 'em like
hawsers. Wall, tew make long story
short, 1 was laid up for a couple o
weeks with the bite on my leg, and
reckon / can show some o the scratch.
in yet We cut the animal up for bait
and IL filed abaout ten good cod tubs,
and must have weighed 800 pounds"
--PhiLadslphid Times