Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-02-01
Went one Better.

Went one Better.
1t is an astonishing thing how
some species of animals will cling
to lite, said Longbow as be hest.
tated between the choice of coffee
berry and a Glove. [ read in an au.
thentic work a short time ago that
an alligator will go on fighting for
hours after the brain has been re-
moved from it's body.
How long have you been study
ing natural history? asked Whop-
pers, with rapid but comprehens
sive survey of the free lunch table
Not long, answered Longbow.
But [ was thinking of the extra
ordinary way lobster [ saw yes
terday held on to his time on earth.
l went into the Acadia and ordered
a boiled live lobster. After I had
ordered it I told old Shuffies, the
head waiter, that the last one / had
was evidently boiled several days
before it was boiled. Come with
me, be says, and took me into the
kitchen. There stood the cook,
with uplifted knife. over an enor-
nous green bodied lobster that was
frothing at the gills with passion
The knife came dowl. and Mr.,
Lob spread himself out in two
equal divisions, but was livelier
than ever.
Two more blows severed the
claws from the body. but each claw
continued to gnash it's teeth with
rage. One caught hold of the knife
and tried to get it away from the
cook, out the blade was go sharp il
had to let go. In another minute il
was writhing on the silver grill
with vigor that would have
shamed any one of Mr.. Fox's mos,
active martyrs. l thought the strug>
gle would never end. but at last
with a deep Sigh, he gave up the
ghost, and as he did 90. blushed a
rosy red with shame at what be
thought his weakness.
What'll y havea asked Whops
pers tersely,
Same, responded Lopgbew, a
gleam Of triumph in his eye.
As you say, said Whoppers as
he paid for the drinks. Holsters are
ve:y tenacious of life. But they're
not in it with eels.
Is this another fioh story? asked
Longbow cynically. bat with a
faint suspicion of approaching dis
comfitures.
Well, l suppose an eel is a fish
as much as lobster, retorted
Whoppers curtly. But | was going
to give you 81 ecimin of what the
eel can do in the clinging to lite
line,
l was fishing for pike in Sloppy
creek couple of summers ago,
and one day | pulled out the lsrg-
est eel / eyer saw in my life. l
won'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 con-
tortioDest eel that ever tucked a
bait off hook. One minute he'd be
pirouetting un the end OF his tail.
then he'd stand on his neck and 60
through all the evolutions of a skirt
dancer with the rest of him. l had
brought with me the biggest basket
that I could find in Sloppyville,
but, try as l would, [ couldn't
double that eel up and get him in
the basket.
Finally, when we'd both agreed
on a breathing spell, l picked up
an axe while he was resting and
with one blow, cut him clean in
Two. Do you think that quieted
him? Not a bit of it. The two ends
looked up at me with mingled ha>
tired 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 1t. w hat do you
suppose the consequence wass
I haven't the remotest idea, res
p led Lopgbow uneasily.
Well Pll tell you, said Whopperr
IN that impressive way of his that
always made his friends squirm.
Subsequent investigation proved
that the two ends of that eel mar
ried each other and raised a whole
colony of bifucated eelett!
Longbow looked at Whoppers
long and earnestly without utter.
ing word. =
Mines @hiskey, suggested ihe
latter, as he returned the look with
a frank, ingenious smile.-Ernest
Graham Dewey in Life.