The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1894-01-04
TENAclTY, LIFE
Two stoYisa illustrating Some RsnaSkaA4s
Examples OF II. &5

1vo stoyiss illustrating Some Rsna,kaAss
Examples OF It. sI 5sl .s
1T Is an astonishing thing how some
species of animals will cling to life, "
said Longbow as he hesitated between
tho choice Of a coffee berry and q Glove.
II read in an authentic work short
time ago that an alligator will 60 on
fighting for hours after the brain has
been removed from its body"
"How long have yor been studying
natural history?' asked Whoppers, with
o rapid but comprehensive survey Of tho
free lunch table. %E.A.
Not long," answered Longbow. "But
was thinking Of the extraordinary way
lobster saw yesterday held on to his
time on earth. went into the Arcadia
and ordered broiled live lobster. After
had ordered it 1 told old Shufaes, the
head waiter, that the last one I had was
evidently boiled several days before it
was broiled. Come with me- he says,
and took me into the kitchen. There
stood the cook, with uplifted knife, over
an enormous green bodied lobster that
was frothing at the gills with passion.
The knife came down, and Mr.. Lob
spread himself out in two equal divi-
sions, but was ivelier than ever.
1.-TWO more blows severed the claws
from the body, but each claw continued
to gnash its teeth with rage. One caught
hold of the knife and tried to get taway
from the cook, but the blade was 50
sharp it had to let go. In another min
ute it was writing on the silver grill
with vigor that would have shamed
any one of Mr.. Fox's most active mar
tyrs. I thought the struggle would
never end, but at last, with deep sigh,
he gave up the ghost, and as he did SO
blushed rosy red with shame at what
he thought his weakness
"What'n y have?'' asked Whoppers
tersely.
"Same," responded Longbow, CLEAN
of triumph in his eye.
"As you say" said Whoppers as he
paid for the drinks, ''lobsters are very
tenacious of life. But they're not in it
with eels."
"Is this another fish storyY' asked Long
bow cynically, but with faint suspicion
of approaching discontinue.
"Well, I suppose an eel is fish as
much as a lobster" retorted Whoppers
CURLY. But was going to give you
specimen of what the eel can do in the
clinging to life line.
II was fishing for pike in Sloppy creek
couple of summers ago, and one day I
pulled out the largest eel ever saw in
my life. Iwon't tell you how large he
was, because if L did you might doubt
the rest of it. He was not only big, he
was athletic. He was the contortionist
eel that ever sucked a bait off hook.
One minute he'd be pirouetting on the
end of his tail, then he'd stand on his
neck and go through all the evolutions
of q skirt dancer with the rest of him. |
had brought with me the biggest basket
that I could find in Sloppyville, but, try
as I would, couldn't double that eel up
and get him in the basket.
"Finally, when we'd both agreed on a
breathing spell, I picked up an ak while
he was resting and, with one blow, cut
him clean in two. Do you think that
Quoted him2 Not bit of it. The two
ends looked up at me with mingled
hatred and reproach and before I could
get the basket anywhere near them had
jumped back into the creek. Now comes
the most curious part of it. What do
you suppose the consequence was:"
Il haven't the remotest idea," replied
Longbow uneasily.
"Well, I'll tell you," said Whoppersin
that impressive way Of his that always
made his friends squirm. "Subsequent
investigation proved that the two ends
of that eel married each other and raised
q whole colony of bifurcated eelets!'
Longbow looked at Whoppers long
and earnestly without uttering word.
"Mine's whisky" suggested the latter,
as he returned the look with frank, in
genuous smile.-Ernest Graham Dewey
in Life.