Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-09-15
CAUGHT BY AN OCTOPUS.
A woMAN,s ADVENTURE ON .
PACIFIC ISLAND.
che neautItui shell In the Deep feoi
WAS Not shell. Hut pe'h -"
That wound Its Horrible Arms Amour
Her with a Death.Like Grip

There is one woman in San
Francisco who read the account OF
the capture OF giant octopus AZ
Monterey the other day with
shudder at the recollection Of an en-
counter which she had long ago Win
one. Some fifteen years ago she
was living with her husband on
little coral island just below the
equator. The only inhabitants were
the two white people mentioned ana
fifty or sixty Hawailans TO work the
guano fields
The superintendent hal his wife
and little child with him. and as
news from the outer world could
reach them but once IL three months
il was rather dull for the woman
As there was so little amusement 10
be- found, she made the most OF the
few sources that she had. Chlei
among these was the gathering OF
shells. OF which many aud tine va
rieties were to be found on the reef
at low tide.
One day mother aud son had been
out almost the whole tide. and.
fairly well laden with spells were
working back home, when, a. she
stepped across one OF the smaller
pools, the woman saw at the bottom
what appeared to be magnificent
leopard cowry, the largest she had
yet seen.
Tne water was pretty deep 10 the
pool, being almost up 70 her waist
as she stepped down into II. but she
was so near home that she did not
care though she got wet through
Shopping to pick up the she'll she
found that the water was even deeper
than she hal supposed. Tor as her
fingers reached TO the bottom 81 she
pool her face was almost wet by the
waves which came ripping 10 With
the rising tide But the moment re,
quired TO pick up she'll would not
iniure her. even though she had 20
put her face into ths water, so she
stopped lower. with closed eyes. and
grasped a. the she'll below.
Her finger closed on tho richly
spotted object but instead OF the
hard. smooth surface she expected
to seize. her fingers sunk deep into
some soft Shiny substance and be-
fore she could drop II and rise from
her STOPPING position sudden splash
and furry dashed the water into
foam. aud two snakelIks objects
arose from the depths aud twiaed
themselves around her arm. baro 70
the shoulder. with numbing force
The water. but d moment before
clear as a crystal, was 10 an iustau :
clOudcd with ink aud another snake.
like form rose and twined around
her arm. increasing the force and
pressure until she suffered agony
from the hold upon her arm. as we'll
as from the fright caused by the
sudden attack OF the unseen FOO.
Her face was scarcely three inches
above the surface OF the pool. and
TO her horror she found the strength
/ OF the creature was sufficient 10 keep
her from rising any higher aud she
knew that q few moments more OF
the pain would weaken hcr 80 that
/ she must be drawn down into the
pool instead Of being ablo to escape
from the horrible creature which
held her in It's grasp.
In the first shock q shrek OF fear
had startled the boy. who was some
distance from her. and he came run
ming back to SEQ what had caused
the cry. lio was only 5 years old. sc
he couiu be 81 no assistance; indeed.
| the mother feared the child ais,
might DO grasped and dragged int
the pool She called TO him to rur
TO the house. some little distance
away. around a point OF land which
hid it from sight. and cali for help
The tide was rising rapidly Way,
after wave cam. ripping and swish
| ing against her form. each on,
breaking little highor-dashing
little more Of its spray in her bsndec
face Death seemed very near bu
her only fear was Of the horribl,
beak which she knew would b,
buried in her quivering flesh a, soor
as she should lose her strength an,
fall into the pool TO where tho devil
fish could grasp her with all IL
arms.
She could not raise her head TO SEQ {
help was coming. but she straine,
her ears, hoping to hear footsteps o.
voices. Not a soind met her stra no,
hearing The water rose higher an,
higher. Each wave now broke II
her faco almost over her head.
A wave bigger and higher thai
usual came rolling in and broke owe
her head, leaving her strangled an,
breathle3s. Hope was gone. Sh
must die
Put as she gave last strange,
cry sudden rush Of feet, dasl
through the water. and her arm wa
grasped by strong hands. and she wa
raised above tho surface a little
Othcr hands reached down beside he
and grasped the unseen form OF th,
monster, and with mighty pul
from the two strong pair OF arms
was torn from It's anchoring hol
upon the rocks and thrown up int
the open air.
The choking. strangling woma
was carried above the tide mark
The octopus still attached TO her b