The Red Cloud chief., 1896-11-20
ATTACKED by AN OCTOPUS.

Tackled by AN OCTOPUS.
valve In order 10 iii the dress with air
and make myself lighter, and gave the
customary signal to ascend. The life
line tautcned, and ! was soon lifted
from my feet and being drawn toward
the lighter water above. The angry
frame of mind that usually attends the
diver at work gradually passed away
as | was raised TO the surface. and |
was just getting good-tempered ut the
thought Of a mouthful OF fresh air,
when | felt n sudden jerk under my
left arm. and at the anne instant my
progress was stopped.
Before | realized what was the mat
ter, the air-pipe was torn from the
check that held 1t under my arm. slip
ped over II. and pulled my head down
ward: while the hauling Of the ten
der" above IN the lifeline round my
waist raised the lower part OF my
body and left me suspended heels up.
In the first few moments OF my sur
prise and terror ! did not stop to con
slider what had happened. My pres.
ence of mind deserted me. and | strug.
glCd and screamed like a mailman.
After "A little while. having kicked
myself into n state OF exhaustion and
common sense. ! reasoned out the cause
of my dilemma. AS the strain of the
air-pipe was downward. and that Of the
lifeline upward, | concluded that the
pipe must be fast below. and that the
only thing to be done was to go down
and clear It,. First, | regulated the
! could spare, for in my present posi-
ton all the air went into my legs, and
kept them floating straight upwards.
and then | tried to make the "boys'
understand that ! wanted them to low
err me.
All my shakes and Jerks on the life
line, however, were without avail. BY
that time all hands, except those pump
ing. had tailed on, and were doing
their level best to pull me In halves.
Fortunately, all my gear was In good
shape, or they might have ACCOMPLISH
cd It. Finally, after hanging bGccwixt
the top and the bottom about half an
hour, my tender" had sense enough
to signal for another diver, and | was
at last released and hauled up, more
dead than alive. The cause OF this ac-
cident was simply that the careless
holder Of the pipe, instead OF keeping
II taut, had allowed II to drag on the
bottom until 1t fouled around the base
of a coral cup Had the tide not been
slack at the time, the weight of the
boat, which was practically anchored
by the air-pipe, would have torn the
helmet from my shoulders and the re-
suit would have been different.
Octopi are seldom net with in Aus
tralian waters, though there Is always
the possibility OF such a thing, and
occasionally m hears OF an encounter.
The deaths of MANI native divers who
20 down and never appear again, are
attributed TO the tridacna, n gigantic
mollusk OF the clam order: which
closes with n vise-like grip upon any
thing that passes It's lips.
Another fish that is unpleasant to
meet Is that known as the stone-fsh.
II is small, being only a few inches in
length, but its bite Is poisonous. Ap-
parently, II makes its home under the
pearl shell for 1t is only when picking
up a shell that a diver is bitten. After
a bite from this spiteful little member
OF the fnny tribe, 1t is wise to remain
under water as long as possible. The
pressure, causing much bleeding at the
bitten part, expels the poison.
RIack and yallow aaa-opaLo,
slant companions of the diver, though
quite harmless; also stingarees, blow
fish, mullet, and a hundred other va
rieties known among divers by names
descriptive of some popularity the
fish possesses, but which to the reader
mean nothing. A few OF them are
known to science by names that mean
lesa