Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-03-30


l possessed the proper weapens.
AS stood gazing vacantly at the
foaming barrier and solemn enclosing
dome of feckless blue 1 was again
surprised by a vicious nip at my foot,
There was another huge crab boldly
attacking meme, a vigorous man, and
not sodden corpse, as yet. I felt
grue OF horror run all down my back
but l grabbed at the vile thing anC
hurled it from nae half across the is
land. Then I became aware of others
arriving, converging upon me from ali
around. and / was nic-stricken. For
one mad moment l thought of plung-
ing into the sea again, but reason re-
| asserted itself In time, reminding me
that, while / had certain advantages
ON my side where was, in the water
should fall a helpless victim at once,
if, as might naturally be expected,
these ghouls were swarming there.
Not a weapon of any kind could see,
neither stick nor stone. My feelings
Of disgust deepenad into despair. But
/ got little time for thought. Such
multitude of the eerie things were
about me that I syas kept most act.
lively employed selling them and fling
ing them from me. They got holder,
feinting and lodging around me, but
happily without any definite plan of
campaign among them. Once stag
gered forward, having trodden I'M
aware upon spiky back as I sprung
aside, wounding my foot badly. | fell
into group Of at least twenty, crush
ing some Of them, but after a painful
struggle among those needle-like
spines regained my feet with several
clinging to my body. A kind of frenzy
seized me, and, regardless of pain,
clutched at them right and left, dash
ing them to fragments one against the
other, until quite pile of writing,
dismembered enemies lay around me,
while my hands and arms were stream
| ing from numberless wounds. Very
soon l became exhausted by my vio-
| lent exertions and the intense heat,
but, to my unfathOmable thankfulness,
the heap of broken crabs afforded me
a long respite, the sound ones finding
congenial occupation in devouring
them. While watched the busy can
nibals swarming over the yet writing
heap, l became violently ill. Vertigo
seized me, l reeled and fell prone, OBJ
livious to all things for time.
When sense returned it was night.
The broad moon was commencing her
triumphal march among the stars,
which glowed in the blue-black con-
cave like globules of incandescent
steel. My body was drenched with
dew, a blessed relief for my tongue was
leathery and my lips were split with
drouth. l tore off my shirt and sucked
! it eagerly, the moisture it held, though
brackish, mitigating my fortunes of
thirst Suddenly l bethought me of
my foes and looked fearfully around.
There was not one to be seen, nothing
near but the heap of clean-picked
shells of those devoured AS the
moon rose higher I saw a cluster of
white objects at distance, soon re-
cognizable as boobies. They permitted
me to snatch a couple of them easily,
and wringing off their heads I got
such a draught as put new life into
me- Hope returned, even quelling the
cruel thought of daylight, bringing
again those ravening hordes of crawl
ing crustacea. Yet my position was
almost as hopeless as one could i'm
agine. Unless, as l much doubted, this
was known spot for beche de mer or
pearl-shell fishers, there was but the
remotest chance of my rescue, while,
without anything foatable but my
poor little hencoop, passing that bar
rier of breakers was impossible. For
tunately | have always tried to avoid
meeting trouble halfway, and with a
thankful feeling of present wants sup
piled / actually went to sleep again,
though stiff and sore from head to
heel.
At daybreak / awoke again to re-
petition of the agonies of the previous
day, which, although / was better for
titled to meet them, Were greater than
before The numbers Of my hideous
assailants We're more than doubled as
far as / could Judge. The whole patch
of sand seemed alive with the yora-
cious yermin. So much so that when
saw the approach of those horrible
hosts my heart sank, my flesh shrank
on my bones and / clutched at my
throat. But I could not strangle my
self, though had l possessed knife |
should certainly have chosen a swift
exit from the unutterable horror of my
position, fiercely as l chung to life.
To be devoured pieeemeal, retaining
every faculty till the last-I could not
bear the thought. There was no time
for reelection, however, the struggle
began at once and continued with a
pertinacity Oh the part of the crabs
that promised speedy end to it for
me- How long it lasted have no idea
to my tortured mind it was an eter-
nifty. AT last, oyerborne, exhausted,
surrounded by mounds of those | had
destroyed, over which fresh legions
poured in ever-increasing numbers,