The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-12-16
CAUGHT sY AsIa CLAM.
a Touro Isiandsf % ths Clutches d !
Death. Tfap "A narrow. Rseape.
lYouthts CImpiaIon.l a

tYeuthfs CSnplnIpn,
II was while We were At tho Tonga
Islands that I secured the services Of q
liatiye and bis boat, for the purpose Of
collecting coral and shells We tool
advantage Of the low tide for our work,
for then the tips Of the coral showed
above the water,
One morning We wero out; | was in
the boat and the native, distant some
halt mile, was Wading about. Suddenly
llheard him yelling and saw him wav.
ing his hands wildly about. My frat
thought was that he had discovered
some line specimens, but soon saw that
he WAS indBtreSs. Thought the water
too shallow for sharks, but made ali
possible haste 10 reach him.
As approached, / perceived that he
was held down BY something under.
meath; he was lamenting piteously. The
water was very clear, and when !
reached bis side, ] saw the poor follows
legs were caught between The lids Of :
nionstrous clam, Ave feet or more 10
length ltSeerns that those big clatni
are common there, and have q way Of
halt.sinking themselves Ia the dead
coral; and when open, with the great
white animal showing itself, they can
scarcely DO told from the bottom. And
he had walked right on to one, and The
lids had come together like o wise.
To make the matter worse. the tide
was fast coming In, aud was already
tapping his shoulders. ! first famed an
oar into the small opening between the
halves Of the shell, but that only made
the creature press together all theCloser,
and reddish streams that began 10 dis.
color the water showed that the knife.
like blades were cutting In deeply.
In desperation, ! iammed the boat.
hook into the animal, but the point
broke OF against the iron.liko shelf. II
Was awful. There the poor fellow was,
bis head Just aboyo the water, hanging
on 70 the boat, You've heard OF death
coming on the ebb tide, but II came on
the Hood here.
Inch BY inch the tide rose, and the
poor fellow begged Of me TO xiii lin. |
was on the point Of attempting 10 cut
OIL bis leg MS o lsss' resort, when II 90.
CURED 70 Tiy % cut the biz muscle that
held the valves together. There wasn't
d minute to lose, as the water was now
nearly to the mans chin, while his Of.
forts to keep above 1t almost sank thu
boat. His eyes staring and veins stand.
ing out, he was perfectly paralyzed with
the horror Of his condition.
dashed my big knife 10 o piece Of
bamboo that had, and dlvcd down to
zee whore TO cut Sticking the knife in
at the angle between the lids Of the
she'll, sawed away until my breath
gave out, and then / came up. Getting
new supply, tried it again, and this
time could feel tho round muscle, OF
scallOp, We call It, as big as mans
thigh got the knife into 1t and cut
y, and putting one foot against one Of
the big valves, and bracing back, ]
wrenched them apart, and rose TO the
surface just in time to pick the poor
fellow up. He had tainted away, and
NO wonder.
placed him in the canoe, and when
he came to, .ho was so grateful he
couldn't say or do enough for me. His
leg was cut, and the bone crushed out
otshape all in all, 1t was about a.
harrow an escape as / ever saw OF
heard Of