The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-30
4 WAS 4 MODERN JONAH.
: sAalOR WHO PROVES TME DTDLE
sroRS's TnuTm.
anA Lived - Tell the stsvy-Nea.
sser Was Ffxhtine VITA . Gigsn-
de Cattle Ffsh-kilaeA ~ . clsA.

RANK <. BELfsEN, +. r. @. O.,
~ author Of sas cruise q IN.
Ia Cachaios," achieved a great sue-
cess in bss first literary UNDER
II taking. and his later book,
'sTdylgs os thu sea- has xneris
u the came kind. II not In an equal de-
cree They ARE q number ~ snort stories
ers ali are OF adventures and experiences
Ia The Southern ocean. Some OF them are
told ~ & coming straight from the anshor
--As eesa9 hts own sxpertencex--while 9TH
ers age related b. old sailors AZ times
vken their ship is becalmed. or over their
gYog VIXEN IA their ease. The remarkable
sfery. A Ninefssnsh Century JONAH In
ons of the Eatger sort. which In introduced
hrfskiy. We wsrs gathered together In
3 compact group under the weather bul-
warts af shs old Rainbow. south seaman
> stretched at our ease and the time
honcrsd caffer or yarn was going it's
seoshsag round" The fourth officer Of
the vessel was an Enr1ishman. swhose
speech and manner excited wonder as to
how he came ia that galley. was called
upon tn his turn 90 contribute Without
hesitation. as " professional storytelling
was hts speciality. he began.''
Eiocam Was tie old sailors name. and
be had been Of the crew Of the Assansic.
south sea whaier. al . time when II was
not altogether surprise 10 meet with
huge sea monsters and have II out with
them In hard fights One meeting with
such monster, however. was a surprise
for II was difficult TO make out whether
is was a euttle fsaif. whale or some other
huge balk on the surface Of tho waters''
The skipper saw IL first and not knowing
what IL Was he called Up Sioeum.
HIt was bat a few seconds before Mr.
esoeam was by his chiefs side. peering
with growing bewiidermsnt through the
binoculars at the strange object ahead
What had at fFst sight seemed an ordi-
nary fssii-atxsd bull cachaiot ieisureiy
playing upon tha surface OF the sea had
nS~ resolved itself into an indeseribable.
ever~sElsting mass Of matter. from the
dark center OF which writhtng arms con-
tinuaiig prosrad.d and retrcated." Sio-
cum confessed that he did not know the
name or nature Of fhe strange fish.
Thirty mine years hev / been a-fishin',
but ir ever sss anything like that befo'
may never pump sparm whale ag'n..
II was concluded that whatever the mon
sser might be there were whales near by,
and the ships beats were lowered and
eloeum was In command of one OF them.
His harEeoner WAS named Jose. Az this
boat nearsJ the monster Jose was about
paraiyzsd, but sioeum called ous. Stand
up. Jose Giv's 10 him. Giy't 20 him.
fixht with Cattle Fish.
Good Lords what was that A horrible
medley OF bisie-biaek ard iivid white. an
taexsrseabie tangla or writhinG. clutching.
tearing. serpent-iike arms that lashed the
Sea ifitn a curious dusky faaxn evtl-smell-
tng and greasy. Out Of its midst rose an
immense globuiar mass. bearing two eyes
larger than harrei heads. dead black, yet
with satanic expression that confused
ens's heart beats" The first ding of the
harpoon Was Immediately followed by An
other from Jose's eager. nervous arms
All. ~ long. ifvsa thing rose on the OF
side of the boat. and. twtning Itself
around the wratched harpeoner's tall fg-
ure tore him from our midst. his heart
broken death veil curdiing cur blood.
Quick as thongt.s. another of those awful
arms came gliding over us. this time en-
cireiing the boat amidships. Though ta-
pcfing 70 the sendersst OF points. II was
Of the circumference of n mans body at
its thiekess and armed with saueer-iike
mouths all along ltn inferfor surfaces. One
Of these chung 10 my bare breast 40 the
siimp horror frightened round Us. ring
Of great curved claws which presrudeo
from the bones. hut we had hardly real
lied wh@, WAS happening when she was
Going over. paThuekied as you might turn
hand bowl. In n moment all was dark
hess and struggling for breath amlds; a
very nfae.strum OF slime and stencil. In
the depths OF which l felt myself freed
from that frsghtfui grip. II seemed Ike
hours before. with baai.e. I reached tho
surface again, ciutchtng AT something
hard and floating as ] rose. Al
though counted a coed swimmer oven
Among such amphihis as our crew lay
there. sunine stretched AZ length upon
the ssa-S-a sttil. white nsure graspinr
nnmbiy At tho fragment ef bottom board.
Suddenly became aware Of = whiting
IN the water again. bat I was In a sort
Of stupar 81 the physical faculties. though
menislss alert enough
Swallowed by . Whale.
Then M reared above nay head an OBJ
tsct recognized with long wall of
terror: the tremendous lower law ot the
slerta whale. hristling with It's double raw
of giaamsug teeth. nsfnre I could gasp
prayer % even think what was happen.
ing I was gliding down the vast gray
cavern os hls threat. with bur one thought
ieft~'she Sese mt into hell Is easy Down
down | went into darkness. among a
slasrnins. fetsa heap ef snaky coils that
eaveiepct rae. and seemed 20 xnsw and
tear az my shudiering hody rs II devoar-
hg nae ut second hand Then came an
explosion siuii. renffng report that sent
IA earthquake shock through re and my
rnuttegahie surroundings Immediately
fpilawiaS this there was A eonvuisfse up
heayal, in which al the contents ~ that
swfai phase took rising motion. growing
faster and faster. gntil. with rearing
rush easne tae dear daylight again.
What sn3uef fer some tir1e the teller
rs the story itd oct know. he was In
semt- unconscious state, but automatically
BE kept himself agssar 'tfi finally picked
un hg his shirnasts@ ard restored - she
sa<sei, 'SThsn ! learned" he continued.
without surprise that / WAS the Only
survivor ~ nay boats crew, Everyone ~
sss f~tkeers rea gsfzarrezes red tEgsrss The
hcT0arvst Tfcken gaze ~ the men os the
esheT boats, MIA, hut a short distance
sssesn 81 us. had Witnessed the whole
tragedy ]. appeared thar we had at
fsckesl 5 eachAlot in the acs 81 sevanviag
ea< os TIE gigantic cattle fish enon which
sheSe eAtacNans feed and ef which II IL
r@St FsFysha BE 10 mortal rsae has vet be-
A. Att -. 49,