The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-06-29
CAUGHT BY A CLAN.
ny CHARLES STUART PRATT.


"One does not usually regard th
clam as dangerous ANIMAL" r,
marked my friend, Jack Ballantine, a
he shook silver pepper-box over
plate OF the delectable Little Nee
bivalves, yet the narrowest escape c
my life was from clam"
Jack Ballantine was an old schoo
mate. Remembered him as the ad
venturous spirit among the boys, bu
mad not seen him since we graduate,
from the Latin high school, a doze,
years before, till that very day.
Coming down town to business In tn
morning, had met him face to face b,
the frog pond, and we had engaged t.
dine together and bring our life-storie
up to date.
Not being dyspeptic, or otherwise
impaired In your body" said 1, smiling
across to his sturdy bronzed face, "youl
terrible clam could hardly have been OF
the Little Neck sort"
Hardly" replied Ballantiue, with a
laugh. 1.-THE clam that captured me
would have made meal for a regular
fairy-tale giant. 1t weighed probably
twenty pounds, and its tremendous
shells four or five hundred pounds
more"
You must mean the giant clam of
East Indian waters?" observed /. in
4uiringly. II believe the single shells
Of that great bivalve are sometimes
used for holy-water fonts in Catholic
churches"
Yes, and in the islands of Oceana for
babies bathtubs," said Ballantine.
The particular tridacna gigas in ques-
ton, however, with which had brief
but fearful acquaintance, was alive,
and dozen fathoms deep in tropic
waters-in the Torres strait, between
Queensland and New Guinea"
So, while we waited the next course,
Ballantine began the story of his ex-
traordinary adventure.
II believe you went to your uncle in
London, after our Latin school ac-
quaintance," remarked /. "You wrote
me on arriving there, but not after
ward"
Yes. Uncle Ballantine had mining
and pearling interests in Queensland.
and went out almost immediately aft
er reaching London. 1 was located at
Cooktown, on the northeast coast"
THE region and the life were full of
interest to me, and soon became fam
iliar with mining on land and pearling
mt sea. We had quite q feet of luppers
vessels of five to twenty tons, two
short masts, and manned with crews of
half dozen natives, Kanakas, Japs.
Chinese, or Malays, maybe.
Zone of our captains was an old Nam
tucket whaler, and now and then |
went out to the fishing grounds with |
him.
ION one Of these pearling trips we
went up the coast, around Cape York,
Into Torres strait. It was there l had |
my narrow escape,from clam.
Almost at the start we struck rich |
bottom, and our diver was bringing up
three or four hundred pairs of shells q
day-worth about that number of dol |
lars. BY the end Of the month we had
q cargo of eight or ten tons. OF course
the mother-of-pearl lining of the SHELLS
is the bread and butter of the business.
The round pearls of the jeweler are the
cake Tor perhaps should say the pie,
being in New England.)
~ always did have an irresistible
desire to get at the inside of things, and
see the wheels go round, and l had
long wanted, for once at least, to touch
deep-sea bottom, and behold the mar
vels of which / had heard.
1.-THE captin tried to dissuade me.
He had been diver himself, and knew
from personal encounter the dangers Of
The descent. But as usual, had my
,wn way, though 1t was nigh to being
Tor the last time. II
"At last the face glass was set In
place, and stepped over the side Of
he lugger. / slipped of the wet lower
'ound and sank. sank, down, down,
lown, into the depths of waters.
"That sudden delirious descent was ,
measured by seconds, yet / lived an
'ge of vision and sensation, as drown :
ng man does-all the nightmare i'm
ginings the captain's black tales and :
warnings had projected into my I
reams of the night before seemed !
bout to be realized In double terror :
hen, In fash, all mental distress :
yas blotted out by overpowering \
hysical sensations, suffocnting press |,
re. to which Poe's inquisition chamber =
vere paradise. a
II struggled systematically, be- I,
eve shrieked. Then with clash
1e agony ceased, and my lead
eighted feet pressed the air within 8,
" armor, and went bounding over K
% sea bottom Ike IN India rubber o
mis- ball, K