Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-23
DAILY SHORT STORY
Hunting Queer Prey.
[ConvrIpht 1a0a hv al 3. lewis

capture II possible a nN1nR specimen Oh
the octopus or devilfish for the Bonn
bay museum. After arriving and an
;,horing the bark a safe distance from
the reefs we pulled in with the yawl to
after. We had every reason to believe
that he was "at home" in a shallow
cave at the base of big rock, but we
had orders not to go too close.
Next morning two boats approached
the rocks from opposite sides, and Pro-
fessor Grimshaw, who had charge of
the expedition, landed to make a close
inspection. Our approach was made as
silently as possible, and the professor
removed his boots before landing
There was no danger of the octopus
running away If he was there, but we
had some plans to lay in advance. Aft
er some spying about he was located in
the cavern spoken OF, and the professor
was dismayed at the size Of the crea-
ture. He had counted five great tenta-
cIes, and the bulk of the octopus was
that of a big barrel. 1t was decided
that its feeding time would be about
high water, and at low water it might
come out to lie on the rocks or swim in
the channel. 1t was for low water we
waited, and before the tide had run
out we landed on the rock again and
stretched two large fish nets across it
and weighted them at the corners with
stones to prevent their being carried
away.
In the channel we stretched other
nets, and at dead low water we hauled
off to see If anything would occur.
Something did. The octopus decided
to take q little ramble, and he came
down the channel toward our flotilla.
When he reached the net and found
his progress checked he was furious
in an instant and did just what we
hoped he would do. He seized it and
began pulling and hauling. and in Il
minute or two he was all tangled up.
For the next quarter of an hour we
were treated TO a rare exhibition. No
whale could have made the fuss that
monster did. In his struggles he threw
water twenty feet high and for fifty
feet around him, and now and then he
raised an arm high in the air and
swept 1t around him like a fail and
with such a swish as a limb would
make in the hands of a giant. The
net was of the strongest material, and
when he ceased to struggle we realized
that he was pretty well tangled up.
We could do nothing more toward his
capture just then. however, as the tide
had turned, and he retreated to his
lair, taking the nets with him and
making slow progress.
At s o'clock next morning we landed
on the rocks and found the nets all
right. The professor had brought
along big squirt gun and large Jar
of chloroform, and when all was ready
we made a circuit to the west and got
as near as we dared to the cavern and
then began rolling stones into it. We
had not been at work over five minutes
when the octopus was routed out. We
first saw one long tentacle shoot out
of the water and clutch the rock above,
and then the creature slowly and Ia
boriOusly drew itself out.
The net had been bitten and broken
in many places, but still tangled about
him so as to greatly hamper his move
mentS. OF the FIVE arms only one was
entirely free. The monster must have
thought the attack was being made on
him from above. for he had no sooner
caught sight of the spread nets than
he went for them in a furious way. He
was, of course, still further tangled up,
and the exhibition of the previous day
was nothing to this.
Nothing living could have broken
clear of that tangle, but we had a good
idea of the creatures strength by the
way he snapped ropes and cords here
and there. With one free tentacle he
picked up and hurled into the sea a
loose rock which two strong men could
not have moved.
1t was a quarter of an hour before
the octopus was so entirely tangled in
the nets that he could struggle no
more. and we waited at least ten min
utes before approaching him. Then the
professor advanced with his squirt gun
charged from the jar of chloroform,
and it's contents were shot full in the
monsters face. In two minutes he lay
as if dead, and we then got ropes and
straps and made him secure. Now and
then there was a SILVER the full length
of the tentacleS, and we had to stand
back while the professor repeated the
dose, but at no time did the octopus re-
gain full consciousness. When all was
ready we put planks under the body
and slid it down into the water, and
after hard two hours work we got
the mass aboard the bark and into
box prepared in advance.
Few people have ever seen a full
grown devilfish, as not above two or
three have ever been on exhibition.
and those came ashore dead and
shrunken. The weight of this fellow
was SO pounds, and the stretch of each
tentacle was over eighteen feet. The
size of the tentacles at their base was
as large as the body of boy ten years
old. and each was armed with over 200.
disks or sucking cups. Had he got
three of his long arms around the body
Of whale and used the other two to
cling to some submerged rock his