The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-05-24

nersez wuz bout S fur S | got. But
onct Blue-nose l wuz shipmates with
wuz pow'ful fond Nv one er the Bible
yarns he called the Book NV Jobe. N he
use ter read tibet off ter me 'twell l
nearly got it through my he'd solid.
Anyway, much ov it KEN back ter me
neow-bits bout the foundayshons ov
the world, N the boun's ov the sea, n
such like.
IN 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 a-glidin' slow
n stealthy like.
ut seemed so long l laid thar tibet |
felt able to remember every bush n.
bough ov coral, every bowlder, that in
queereSt shapes yew ever see lay scat
tered aroun'. At last, never havin'
quite lost sight of tibet horrible, ungod-
ly Thing in the cave yander, 1 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 | wuz a-sayin', eout KEN
the Thing, till l see the hull greet car
cass ov 1t, bigger n the biggest sparm
whale | 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 wuz
suthin' ter be thankful fer. fer I'd a-gi'n
my life ter be able to shet my eyes from
it n wut wuz comm. 1t hung over me.
n l felt the clingin' suckers closin' all
aroun me, when all of a 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'-
heads looks before, but, I'm telling We,
then he looked like a shore 'nough an
gel 'longside tibet frighttul, crawlin',
clammy sea-sarpient.
But | hedn't much time ter reflect.
fer tibet whale had come on bizness, n
Their want any percastination bout
him. When he got putty close up to
the Thing that wuz backin' uneasily
away, he sorter rounded to like boat
comm 'longside, only 'sted ov comm
roun' he come over clar he'd over fiukes.
His jawwuz hangin' daown baout TWEEN
ty foot with all the big teeth a-shinin',
n next [ knew he'd got tibet gol-
burned Thing in his mouth with grip
right benin them awful eyes, Roun'
come the tangle of arms like the sails
of the windmill lacin', clutchin, tearin'
at the whales head. But they might
so we'll have Rugged the Solander Rock.
1t made no sorter diffrunce ter him, N
his jaw KEEP on workin' fer all it wuz
worth a-sawin' off the tremenjus he'd
of the Thing. Then the light went eout.
Ky gosh! tibet water wuz jest turned
inter ink, n though yew cd feel the
sway m swirl ov thet greet struggle
like the screw race ov some big liner
they want nothin' ter be seen. So |
reckon the Thing I'd been puzzlin' ter
fine name fer wuz Jest the Gre't Mo
gul ov all the cuttlefish.
''Wall, | wuz sorter interested in this
mush N very much wanted ter see it
through, but tibet satisfacshun wuz de-
MED me. All the churnin' n thrashin'
went on jest above me in pitch-dark n
grave-quiet. Bimeby the water ceased
to bile aroun' N got clearer, till after
awhile | cd see greet shadders above
movin' swiftly. The sea took on anuther
color quite fermiliar ter me, sorter
yaller, a-miXin' ov red n blue. Funni-
est thing wuz the earn way l wuz
a-takin' ov it all jest like a man looliin'
out'n a bloom at big fight, er a spec
tayter in a g'lanty show hevin' no
pusnal concern in .te matter t all.
Presently sneakin' along comes a
white streak cluss ter me. Long befo'
1T IOucneu Ine L knew IL Ter wit II WuZ,
n then l wuz in de'dly fear less the
hope Nv life after all sh' d rouse me eout
NV this yer trance or whatever it wuz.
'Twuz a whaleline from some whale
ships boat a-fshin' overhead. 1t KEN
right to me. 1t teched me, m felt S
if | must come to n die right there n
then. But it sweep right under me, n
then settled daown, coil after coil, till
| wuz fair snarled up in it. By this time
the water'd got so soupy tibet l could
mt see nothin', but 'twa'n't long befo'
l felt myself a-risin,-eout Nv the belly
Nv hell, ez Jonah seq.
''Up | ken at a good lick till all NV
a sudden l sees Gods light, smells His
air, n hears voices NV men. Gosh, but
want they CALLED when they see me.
Blame eff didn't think they'd femme go
ag'in. The fust one ter git his brains
ter work wuz the bow oarsman, Mig
ger, who leaned over the gunnel, his
face greeny gray with fright, N
grabbed me by the hair. Thet reused
the rest. N wuz hauled in like whiz.
1T didn't seem ter strike any ov