Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-08
A Queer Adventure.
From the YOUTHS compaaton.

FROM tJo IONbb.S L 0HtbdNC07ls
AsIran l kept my eyes fixed on Brown,
who was acting in a singular manner.
After every few seconds his head would
disappear beneath the water in which he
stood, then 1t would appear again. He
seemed 10 be struggling violently. AS |
approached him he threw up his hands
and cried out, III accents that haunt me
still: "For heavens sake, Lieutenant,
quick, and help mew L dashed out to
him through water up to my waist.
What is it? What has hold OF your"
| exclaimed.
'It's big oyster or a big clam" he
groaned. 81 was wading here and stepped
into it, l expect. Its she'll closed
grIpped my ankle-and to save my life |
can't get away-and the tide will soon be
over our heads herel' he added. with
something almost like sob. He had been
struggling here for fifteen or twenty min
utes.
bad heard of the trtdocenG gjgas, or
monster clam, Of this coast and instantly
realized the danger of his situation.
Courage, old fellOwV' | said. "Fll stick
by you. Here, hold this paddle and the
Ratchet"
then ducked down under water and
with my hands telt about his foot. The
huge mollusk had what might be well
termed a death-grip on him. The Great
ure's shell was several feet long and of
propOrtionate breadth, and the weight of
the shell-fsn must have been at least 800
pounds. The creature was attached to
the coral rock by grisly byssus as thick
as my arm. Raising myself got breath,
then Selling the paddle, thrust the shaft
of 1t between the cOnvergng edges OF the
two valves of the smell, and using it as
lever, attempted to pry the shell apart.
But ceold not open it. Brown, too,
ducklng down, seized hold with his hands
and pulled with all his strength, but eX-
erting all our power, we could not release
the monsters hold. Again aud again |
threw my whole weight on the shaft OF
the paddle and al length broke it. BY this
time the water was up to my shoulders
when / stood up. Fully realizing that
whatever l did must be done in a few
minutes more else the poor fellow would
Drown, | snatched the Ratchet from
Browns hand and, diving, tried to cut
under the she'll. to break the creatures
anchorage on the rock. With might and
main cut and hacked-then rose an in
slant for breath-then down and at it
again. But it seemed as though | could
not cut through the tough muscle. Four
times l diVed and, with frantic haste, cut
at those tough Dyssi.
sit stirsr ut length Brown cried,
bracing his weight upon his free foot and
llItlnR at u.
Then with final blow the byssus was
severed and, the buOyancy of the water
aiding us, we dragged the great mOlusk-
still fast to Browns ankle-back to higher
ground on the reef. Here the water was
waist-deep, however, and | looked anX-
iously around for Mac. in the lakatoi TO
my indispensable Joy he was close at hand
and, between US, we lifted Brown, with
his now captured captor, into the canoe.
Even then we could not, both Of us to-
getner, pry the valves Of the shell apart
enough to release Browns foot, till with
knife we had reached in and com pletely
divided the tridacena-sawing asunder
the nlnge.muscles, at the base OF the BIZ
valve. 1t was truly a gigantic clam; and
as poetic retrlbution upon it for this at
tempt on the life Of one Of our party, we
ate portion of it's flesh for our supper,
but found it rather tough.
Browns ankle was severely bruised
and wrenched, and he suffered for many a
day from tho yice-like grip of the huge
mollusk.