The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-03

read the Bible some-not ter say ire
quent, n. bein' but poor skollar, Jen-
nersez wuz bout Is fur 3 | got But
onct a Blue-nose ! wuz shipmaies with
wuz pow'ful fond wv one err the Bible
yarns he called the Book Nv Jobe. u be /
use ter read tibet off ter me 'twell ! |
nearly got 1t through my he'd solid |
Anyway, much ov it KEN back ter me /
neow-bits bout the foundry hons ov |
the world, n the boun's ov the sea, n
such like.
an all the time overnight me In the
mouth ov a greet cave, with them res
less thutty-foot feelers ever a-twistin'
N wrigglin' aroun'. wuz the Thing it,
self, them awful eyes just a-showin'
like moons made ov polished jet. in the
dimness. Some ov my shipmates wuz
gone. the skipper among 'em; but
some, like me. wuz layin' quiet n
straight; while all about US the fish ov
every shape N size wuz s-glidin' slow
N stealthy like.
at seemed SO long laid thar tibet
felt able to remember every bush n
bough ov coral. every bowlder. that 10
queerest shapes yew ever see lag scat
| ltICQ al AdSty hCfCi bdfih
quite lost sight of tibet horrible. ungod-
ly Thing in the cave yander. I see 1t
KEN eout. / never knowed thar wuz a
God till then. Sence tibet time. when
ever | hear some mouthy critter prov
in, ez he calls it. poor child, tibet Their
amt, n can't be, any God. | feel tibet
sorry fer him | cd jest sail right in n
lam the foggy blether out'n his fool
skull. But. ez WIZ a-sayin', eout KEN
the Thing, till / see the hull greet car
cass oy 1t, bigger n the biggest sparm
whale l ever see, just a-haulin' n
a-warpin' along by them wanderin'
arms over the hills N hallers ov the
reef lords me. 1t foated between me
n wut light Their wuz. which wuy
suthin' ter be thankful fer. fer Id a-gi'u
my life ter be able to shet my eyes from
. it n wut wuz comm. 1t hung over me,
: m | felt the clingin' suckers closin' all
! aroun' me, when all of sudden they
; left me ag'in. The greet black shad-
: der moved ter one side n daown
+ through that clear water cum sparm
whale, graceful n easy s an albacore.
: / never thought much of old squar'-
: then he looked like shore-'nough an
t gel 'longside tibet frightful, crawiin'r
5 clammy sea-sarpient.
p 'But | hedn't much time ter reflect.
:, fer tibet whale had CONC on bizness. n
! Their want any presentation bout
z him. When he got putty close up to
!. the Thing that wuz backin' uneasily
4 away, he sorter rounded to like boat
T comm longside. only 'sted ov comm
] roun' he come over clar he'd over tiukes
T His jaw wuz hangin' daown baout TWEEN
T ~ foot with all the big teeth a-shinin'
z N next / knew he'd got tibet goi
/ burned Thing in his mouth with grill
5 right benin them awful eyes. ROM
:, come the tangle of arms like the sails
b of the windmill lacin', clutchin'. teariu
z at the whales head. But they nigh
Z, so well have Rugged the Solander Rock
r 1t made no sorter diffrunce ter him. n
a his Jaw KEEP on workin' fer all it WIZ
s worth a-sawin' off the tremenjus he''
d of the Thing. Then the light went eout
l. My gosh! tibet water WIZ Jest turned
IS inter ink, N though yew ed feel tn
e sway m swirl ov tibet greet struggl
a ike lIC SNl(N dNC Wv S>OhAN DaE5 A%A~
'e they want nothin' ter be seen. So
:, reckon the Thing I'd been puzzlin' te
g fine name fer wuz jest the Cre't Nc
IS gul ov all the cuttlefish.
1t "Wall, wuz sorter interested in thi
E. mush n very much wanted ter see
D. through, but tibet satisfacshun wuz dc
m MED me. All the churnin' n thrashiI
went on jest above me in pitch-dark I
e, grave-quiet. Bimeby the water cease
ly TO bile aroun' m got clearer, till afte
- awhile / cd see greet shadders abov
id movin' swiftly. The took on anuthe
IL color quite fermiliar ter me, sorte
ut yaller, a-mixin' ov red n blue. Funn
RS est thing wuz the earn way l WI
~ a-takin' ov it all jest like a man lookii
er out'n a b'loon at big fight, er spe'
w tayter in glanty show heyin' I
D. pusnal concern in the matter t a
r. Presently sneakin' along comes
t. white streak cluss ter me. Long Def
or it touched me knew it fer wut it WI
IN m then l wuz in de'dly fear less Il
hope NV life after all sh'd rouse me col
k NV this yer trance or whatever it WI
m 'Twuz a whale-line from some whal
nd ships boat a-fishin' overhead. 1t Ike
n: right TO me. 1t teched me, N felt
en- if | must come to n die right there
then. But it SWEEP right under me,
3s then settled daown, coil after coil. t
4. wuz fair snarled up in it. by this tin
.rs the water'd got so soupy tibet coul
I'd MT see nothin', but 'twa'n't long be-
IN. felt myself a-risin.-eout Nv the bel
er NV hell, ez Jonah sez.
Pc up KEN at good lick till all
IN a sudden l sees Gods light, smells {
n air, N hears voices NV men. Gosh, b
RIM want they CALLED when they see n
sb- Blame eff ] didn't think they'd femme
in, ag'in. The fust one ter git his brai
my ter work wuz the bow oarsman. n
me ger, who leaned over the gunnel.
Mt face greeny gray with fright.
en- grabbed me by the hair. Thet rous
N, the rest, n wuz hauled in like VIII
al "It didn't seem ter strike any
oh 'em that mount be so dead after
'ip' though fortnitly fer me they conclo'