The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-25


pletely bounded by the ring of breakers
aforesaid. felt like the scorpion with
IN the fiery circle, and almost as dis
posed to sting myself to death had L
possessed the proper weapons.
AS 1 stood gazing vacantly at the
foaming barrier and solemn enclosing
dome of Reckless blue I was again sur
prised by a vicious nip at my foot.
There was another huge crab boldly at
lacking meme a vigorous man, and
not a sodden corpse, as yet. | felt a
grue of horror run all down my back,
but I grabbed at the vile thing and
hurled it from me half across the is
| land. Then l became aware of others
| arriving, converging upon me from all
around, and / was panc-stricken For
one mad moment I thought of plunging
into the sea again, but reason reassert-
ed itself in time, reminding me that,
while ! had certain advantages on my
side where I was, in the water l should
fall a helpless victim at once, if, as
might naturally be expected, these
ghouls were swarming there. Not
weapon of any kind could l see, Meth
er stick nor stone. My feelings of dis
gust deepened into despair. But I got
little time for thought. Such multi
tude of the eerie things were about me
that 1 was kept most actively employ
ed Selling them and f1inging them from
me- They got holder, feinting and
lodging around me, but happily with
out any definite plan Of campaign
among them. Once I staggered forward,
having trodden unaware upon spiky
back as I sprung aside, wounding my
foot badly. I fell into a group OF at
least twenty, crushing some Of them,
but after painful struggle among
those needle-like spines regained my
feet with several clinging to my body.
A kind of frenzy seized me, and, re-
CARELESS of pain, 1 clutched at them
right and left, dashing them to frag-
ments one against the other, until quite
pile of writhing, dismembered enc
mics lay around me, while my hands
and arms were streaming from number
less wounds. Very soon l became ex-
hausted by my violent exertions and
the intense heat, but, to my unfathom-
able thankfulness, the heap of broken
crabs afforded me long respite, the
sound ones finding congenial occupa-
ton in devouring them. While l watched
the busy cannibals swarming over the
yet writhing heap I became violently
ILL., Vertigo seized me, l reeled and fell
prone, oblivous 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
leatherly and my lips were split with
drouth. 1 tore off my shirt and suck
ed it eagerly, the moisture it held,
though blackish, mitigating my tor
lures 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 a little distance, soon
recognizable as boobies. They per-
mitted me to snatch a couple of them
easily, and wringing off their heads l
got such a draught as put new life into
me. Hope returned, even queling the
cruel thought of daylight, bringing
again those ravening hordes of crawl
ing crustacea. Yet my position was al
most as hopeless as one could imagine.
Unless, as | much doubted, this was a
known spot for beche de mer or pearl
shell fishers, there was but the remotest
chance of my rescue, while, without
anything fioatable but my poor little
hencoop, passing that barrier of break
ers was impossible. Fortunately l have
always tried to avoid meeting trouble
halfway, and with a thankful feeling
of present wants supplied 1 actually
went to sleep again, though stiff and
sore from head to heel.