Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-10-08
MILLIONS or MAD MICE.
Their Ferocious Attack Upon Two
California Fishermen

,
Their Ferocious Attack Upon Two
California Fishermen-
on the coast of southern California, dis
tant some % miles, there rises sharply up
out of the bosom of tho Pacific massive,
barren rock. 1t forms perhaps the most
inhospitable spot in all the world No
vannibal isle of the south seas, no fever
Jungle of India, no desert of Africa, no
icebo1nJ =~gion in the polar seas. can be
more pninsiting than this little isle No
death could be more certain or terrible
than that of the man who perchance might
be cast away upon this God forgotten spot
Millions and millions of mice swarm on
the desolate rock. The cliffs are black with
them They cover the island as with o liv-
ing. moving carpet.
This seemingly strange circumstance,
says the st. Louis Globe Democrat, is cas-
lily accounted for. Several years ago lum-
Der schooner on her way from Puget sound
country 10 san Diego was wrecked a mile
or so Yves. OF the ISLAND and the lumber
and wreckage foated ashore there. Some
mice were brought ashore on the wreck
age no doubt and they have multiplied
to countless numbers during the years
since then.
Not long ago storm prevailed along
the coast for several days, and two fishing
boats that had put out from san Pedro
Friends of the mcn aboard fitted up
small schooner with provisions and start
ed ont to look for them. Coming near
Santa Barbara island without having seen
anything of the missing boats, the search
ers determined to land there, thinking it
barely possible the fishermen might have
been cast away upon the rock.
Anchoring their boat a mile from tho
inhospitabIe shore. three luembers of the
crew jumped into the small dory they had
lowed behind the schooner and started for
the shore. Armed with clubs. they brave
~ left the dory after reaching land and
started up the steep ascent. They walked
briskly along, and, being unmolested, be-
came forgetful of the danger menacing
them. Soon they were near the middle of
the rock, and just before them was deep
depression, while beyond that yawred the
mouth of a cave. 1t was decided to ex
plore this cave. As they approached its
entrance swarms of the rodents retreated
before them into it's dark interior. This
made them more confident of their safety
than they had been before, and they bold
ly entered the cave.
When their eyes became accustomed to
the darkness within, they saw, away in the
recess of the cavern, the pale simmer of
q pool of water. They were proceeding to-
ward this when all at once they found
themselves surrounded by thousands of
the little beasts which but moment be-
fore had appeared to be fleeing before
them in fright. So sudden WINS the attack
that they were taken wholly unawares
and could not beat back the swarms of
mice that surrounded them. They killed
hundreds of their tiny assailants in the
first few moments of the battle, but to
fight such foe was a useless waste of
much needed energy, and the end OF it
could only be death for them. And what
a DEATH Their only salvation was to flee.
Over the ragged ROCKS they sped. follow
ed by an army which for numbers was
probably never equaied since the world
began. To have fallen to the ground dur
ing the mad race would doubtless have
meant to meet death as horrible as the
imagination can conceive of.
Reaching the shore, the three men
hastily leaped into their little boat and
showed it away from tho land. But even
then the battle was not ended, for they
were covered from head to foot with the
ferocious beasts, and for several minutes
they struggled to rid themselves and tho
boat of the vicious little creatures. When
at last they We're rid of their tormentors,
they sank exhausted in the bottom of the
boat, bleeding from many scratches and
bites on their faces and hands, and, in
fact, on nearly every part of their bodies,
for the mice had run under their garments
and all about them.
How the hordes of mice came to inhabit
the barren island no one knows, but it is
believed that the originals escaped from
some wrecked vessel. Stories told of
mysterious treasure left on some island in
this vicinity, and it is possible that the
ferocious mice may guard something of