New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-12
ON CANCER CAY.
A SHIPWRECKED SAILORS HORRIBLE
FIGHT WITH MYRIADS OF CRABS

feature Of interest. Like scores OF others in
those attitudes II has not yet attained to the
dignity OF single coCOanut tree although
many dcrclict nuts have found Judgement upon
it. and begun TO grow. only 10 be wiped out OF
existence at the next springtde Viewed from
Il balloon II would look like silly season muSh-
T)Om but with fringe OF snowy foam around
il marking the protecting barrier to which 1t
owes its existence, TO say nothing or lis grown.
Yet OF ali places in the world which nave
been privileged 10 visit, this barren little mound
OF sand cliugs most tenaciously 10 my memory,
for reasons which will presently appear.
one " those devastating cyclones that at
long intervals sweep across the Pacific, leaving
Il long swain Of destruction In their wake, had
ONcrtaken the pearing schooner or Which was
mate For twenty-fOur hours fled before II,
we knew not whittier. not daring TO heave 10.
The only compass We possessed had been de-
riroyed by the first sea that broke on board.
Whether 1t was night or day We had no notion
except by watch, ana even then We were doubt
full, appalling was the darkness. Hope was
beginning 10 revive that, as the Pdpalangl had
proved herself 50 stauch. she might yet run
II OUT unless she hit something. but the tily
rag rugged forward 10 keep her before IT sud
denly few into threads; the curl OF the sea
caught her under the counter and spun her
INFO the wind like a teet0tuin- The next vast
cOmber took her brOadside on, rolled her over
and swallowed her up. We went down quick
into the pit"
Always Tcckoncd n powerful swimmer. even
among such amphibia as the kanaAas. j GOu'
remember making a stroke Iut ter q hoy
riule choking struggle in the black uproar !
Is a drowning man viii. % something hg and
se1Wortny. j. was an ordinary ships hencoOp
that the skipper had bought cheap from pas
scueer vessel ~ Auckland. AS good raft as
half-Gead as 1 was. until felt IL ris. high a.
If climbing q cataract and descend amidst
furious boiling of surf into calm. smooth water.
A few minutes later ] touched a sandy beach.
Utterly done up. l slept where ! lay, 1T the
waters edge. though the snriekInS hurricane
ragged overhead aS If It would tear the land
up by the roots
When l awoke 1t was fine weather. though
20 leeWard the Internal reek OF the departing
meteor still dstgUred huge segment of the
sky. looked around and my jaw dropped.
often had wondered what a poor devil would
do who happened to be cast away on such
spot as this. Apparently WAS about to learn.
a painful pinch at my bare foot startled me.
and ] ugly beast OF crab going for me.
He was nearly a foot across, hs blue back
covered with long spikes, and his wicked little
eyes seemed 10 nave an expression or dlabONcdl
malignity ! snatched AZ handful Of his legs
and swung him round my head Gash!ng him
against the side 81 my coop with such VgOr
that his armor flew to finders around me. /
never have liked crab, even when dressed. but
I found the flesh VI that one tasty enough.
1t quite smarter me up Having eaten
heartily took saunter up the smooth knoll
OF sand, alHlessly, ] suppose for 10 was as
bare as plate. without stone or shell. From
its highest point. about ten feet above high
water mark / looked around, but my horizon
was completely bounded by the ring Of break
ers aforesaid ] felt like the scorpion within
myself TO death had l possessed The proper
weapons
sWARMs OF VERMIN
As ] stood gazing vacantly ct the foaming
barrier and solemn enclosing dome OF fieckiess
blue was again SURPRISED by u vicious nip
at my foot There another huge crab
boldly attacking meme vigorous iuan, and
not q sOdden corpse. as yet. ] felt i grue OF
horror run all down my back, but grabbed
at the vile thing and hurled 1t from half
across the island. Then l became aware OF
others arriving, cOnvergirg upon me from all
around, and 1 was panic-strcken. For one
mad moment ] thought of plunging into the
sea again, but reason reaSserted Itself Ia time
reminding that, while l had certain ad-
Vautagc5 on my side where ] WAS, il the water
] should fall helpless victim at once, II, rs
might naturally Dc expected, these ghOuls were
swarming there. Not weapon Of any Kind
could ] see, neither stick nor stone. My feel
ings OF disgust deepened into despair But 1
got little time for thought Such d multitude
Of the eerie things were about me that was
kept II st actively employed seizing them and
ilnGing them from me They got holder, i"int-
ing and lodging around me- but happily with
out any definite plan Of campaign among them.
once ! staggered forward having uoddcn un-
aware upon spIky back ! sprung aside,
wounding my foot badly. l fell INTO a group
OF least twenty, crushing some Of theu. nut
after painful struggle among those needle
like spnes reSaincd my feet with several cling
ing TO my body. A kind OF frenzy seized Wo.
and regardless OF pain, / clutched 1T them
rght and left, dashng them 10 fragments ore
against the other. Until quite pile Of writing,
dismembered enemies lay around me. while my
hands and arms were streaming from number
less wounds Very soon / became exhausted
by my violent eXertiDns and the intense neat,
but. to my Unfathonable thankfuness, the
heap Of broken crabs afforded me a long respite,
the sound ones finding congcnIal occupation IN
dcvOuriug them. While l watched the busy
caunibals swarmins over the yet writhinG heap
became violently ILL., Vertigo seized me. l
reeed ana fell prone, oblivious to AL things
for time.
When sense returned IL was nigh. The
broad moon Was commencing her triumphai
march among the stars, which gloWcd in the
blue black cOncaye like glObules OF incandescent
60 Ai,- l..AN INN lid r,.llE A1.ru