Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-12-16

Was the neAorable monster, the gian
lobster of the deep sea. Only while
before he had seen the huge arm of {
lobster cast upon beach after gale
and heard that crawling about the sea
hundreds of miles from land, was t.
be seen a monster of the lobster kind
just as among the squids was found Q
gigantic devil fish. He had not be-
lieved that story, but here before hin
now was the terrible crustacean, more
hideous and more huge than ever
repute had made him. The body was
fully ten feet long and three feet
thick, while the length of each arm
was not less then seven feet. HI
now began to retreat, thinking to es
cape his pursuer among the floating
bales in the hole, but the water here
was SO gloomy that he could not see
at his arms length. So he turned
and walked toward the opening again
holding his crowbar in his hands,
The lobster had put one claw upon the
vessels timber and was in the act OF
raising the other when Harley reap
peared. To pass was impossible. So
he stood with his back braced against
a partition in the hole, waiting the
attack. The fish came directly to-
ward him, its two black eyes, cleaning
and glaring steadfastly. Harley
made no move till he felt the coils OF
the squirming antennea fold them.
selves lithely around his neck. Then
raising the crowbar, he lunged it
with all his strength at the Holsters
head. The aim was acurate enough,
but the point glanced from the thick,
smooth shell, and was buried in the
overlapping rings about the monsters
neck.
For moment the monster seemed
stunned, and Harley made a step out
ward, for he saw the hooks dangling
in the water few PAGES away. But
the effect of the blow passed away
almost simultaneously, and before the
diver could swerve aside the enormous
jaws of one claw had closed upon his
leftarm. The thick but sharply point
ed teeth penetrated the flesh to the
very bone and held him in firm and
agonizing grip. The pain was so ter
rible that the unfortunate man almost
swooned and in another moment his
right leg was held fast in the fangs
Of the remaining claw. Then the
kraken began to move rearward,
dragging his victim toward the cliff,
where, in the dark, still waters of the
gulch, he might deyour him without
interruption.
The wretched man thrust his heels
against the ships timbers to resist the
dragging of the fish; but the agony
caused by the teeth tearing through
the flesh was more than he could
bear, and after short struggle he
permitted himself to be borne as his
captor would. But he resolved to
make another effort for his liberty.
Drawing his knife from its sheath,
he plunged it into the fsh's eye,
turning the blade round and round.
A stream Of cloudy ooze came out,
and left only hollow socket. Mad.
dened with pain, the brute began to
crawl backward and forward, now
lying upon his side and alternately
stretching and contracting his claws,
but all the while holding the man in
a vice-like grip. After little while
he resumed his retreating march,
dragging his victim along the slippery
rocks. AS for Harley, he could offer
no resistance. A cloud of red lurk.
ed around his arm and about his leg,
and he felt his strength ebbing grad
ually away. In little while, indeed,
the agony from the remorseless grip
had vanished humming noise came
into his ears, and the sea all about
him turned yellow and hegan to rock.
A human figure holding in his hand
a long, shining blade, drew near, but
he needed it not. Then the light
went out of the water, and he knew
no more.
When he next opened his eyes he
was in hut upon the sea shore, and
learned how another diver had des.
cended and released him by severing
first one and then the other of the
Holsters claws.