The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-23

aSCertalned tEere were ten people in
the second boat, and certainly these
creatures gave no further signs of their
presence of Sidmouth that day. The
coast between Seaton and Budleigh
Salterton was pGtTolled all that even
Ing and night by four Preventive Ser
vice boats, the men in which We're
armed with harpOons and cutlaSses,
and as the evening advanced Il num-
ber of more or less similarly equipped
expeditions, organized by private indi-
viduals. Joined them. Mr. Fison tool; no
part in any of these expeditions.
About midnight excited halls We're
heard from q boat about couple of
miles out at sea to the southeast of
SidmOuth, and a lantern was seen waV-
ing in Il StTanC. manner to and fro
and uD and down. The nearer boats
az once hurried towards the alarm. The
VPnturesome occupants OF the boat a
seaman, curate, and two schoolboyS
had actually seen the monsters passing
under tn -ir boat. The creatures, II
seems. like most dccp-Sea Organisms
were phosphoresc5nt, and they had been
floating. five fathoms deep or so, like
creatures OF moonShine through the
blackness of the water, their teutacles
rptracted and as If asleep, rolling over
and over, and moving slowly in
Wed%cd-like formation towards the
southeast
These people told their story in gesti-
Culated fragments, as first one boat
drew alongside and then another At
last there was little fleet of eight or
nine boats collected together. and from
them . tumult like the chatter OF a
markct-placG, rose into the stiffness OF
the night.
ON such occasions as this there Is
usually some person OF prompt and Il =
clSiVe will who seiZcs the leadership.
This person was found ON this occasion
in Mr.. Edwin Blake. an actor from
London, with a remarkably fine voice,
who happened to be aboard one Of
the larger boats. "All lights out" he
shouted suddenly amid the din. spread
ont and row southeast" doing it with
such an assurance Of authority that
his order was promptly repeated he
tween boat and boat, and almost i'm
mediately obeyed. To most of thoSA
who nartook in that nights adventure
he was indeed but voice, will, and
beyond that-nothing. Yet his arbitrary
decision carried them all.
They roWed until about half-pas one
in the morning. and there was already
murmuring enough against this self
imposed commander, especially among
those who We're with him upon his own
boat, when the chase was overtaken.
a hailinG began between boat and boat.
and tho scattered boats began drawing
together again. Row over them and
get ahead" cried the voice. The
watchers in the bows saw the rolling
little puffs of phosnhorescence driv-
ing along steadily and slowly far b.
| low. So seen, they We're anything but
formidable. And then came a splash
in the water, and it was said n lead
sinker had been pitched at the brutes.
Lights" bawl d the voice. Light
up.'
The watchers peering down, shading
the eyes from the lanterns. saw that
the onward movement of the sEoal had
ceased. The strange beasts We're now
gathering closer, and their arms be-
came apparent, each of the suckers
which heset them shining, bright
spot in the filmy irradiation. Beat the
water" cried the voice. Here and there
someone obeycd, but most remained
staring. And forthwith. far down,
shone the eyes, rejecting the lanterns.
and in another ten seconds the middle
water was alive with phosphorescence.
'"Thcy're coming up cried num-
Der of voices, some eXultant. some
alarmed. ship oars. Stand by with
cutlasses and harpoOns,' cried the
voice; and the oars came rattling in
and the crew of each boat crouChed
ready, peering overheard, eSpectant
for the tentacles that We're presently
to come writhing out OF the water
Wen sive it emN chreamed an old
man, intensely excited, carving the air
with cutlass.
Only the tentacles did not come
writhing out of the water.
The pause heightened. The beast
killers saw the things going to and fro
beneath the boats, saw waving arms
and tiuctuating gaps of darkness.
There was splashing as eager people
cut and stabbed at them, though they
yards out of reach. Then the people in
the boats became aware of rhyth-
mically repeated gnaWing sound, COM
ing from the bottoms of the boats.
Men said "Hush," and pcercd ques-
toningiy at one another in the dark
ness, then Craned dangerously on the
sides What The devil We're the things
at now?
The realisation came slowly. With it
came the noise OF oars thrown hastily
into rowlocks and a splashing of wat
en- 'They're scuttling u.s. Blake was
equal to the occasion, or it is doubtful
if anyone would have escaped alive
that night. Boats keep near eacl,
other" he bawled in that providential
voice of his. IT'S no good rowing away.
Each boat clear its neighbours bot
TOM There was pistol shot from
one of the boats, and then with cries
and tumult, and one heavy collision,
the boats drew near until each was
half an oars length from its neigh
bour. The shot was repeated. and my
informant saw by the light of the pink
flash the startled faces of the men in
the boats staring down at the pallid
ghosts OF cutie fish in the dark water,
ana gripping oars and boat hooks. The
water splashed into my infOrmant's
face. ana ne did not see the effects of
the shot, but Mr.. Church, the man
who fired it, claims to have killed or
wounded eight of these creatures that
night. IT is certain that one bullet at
least fred too Obliquely, ricochetted,
splintersd the matt of one of the
coastguard boats and narrowly missed
q man.
And then began the strangest strug-
gle. at first chiefly with oars and boat
hooks, and afterwards with cutlasscS
and harDoons lashed to the oar-blades
to fend these beasts from the bottom
of the boats. Under the belly of the
boats 1t was im9enetrably dark; one
could see the cuttle-iish. but one could
hot see ones oar to aim Il blow; the
iCliaclioii 'litdteu oii'' ti!u rs plt~H
as not. the blades cut and Slashed the
boats they We're defending There was
a cursing and gasping, as men leant
unComfortahly over tn sides, shout
ing of gratuitous advice. the blows OF
oar against oar, the occasional report
of the revolver, a cry of eXultation as
the blade drove home into the tough
flesh. And when the beasts were struck
they would loose their hold. drop with
spraWiing tentacies, then rise again.
swimming towards some unprotected
space of planking. They seemed TO
grow brighter, TO glow with the excite
ment OF battle. They gripped at the
oars, tried to lug them from the hold
ers, three they snapped, and two they
captured; they allowed themselves to
be pulled near the heaving surface of
the water. and then cutlaSs and har-
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