CHAPTER XV -- The True Story of a Famous Sea Serpent
"It is over thirty years ago," said Uncle Elk that evening to thelistening Boy Scouts who were gathered in the bungalow, "that the wholecountry was thrown into excitement by accounts of a stupendous seaserpent which was repeatedly seen off the Isle of Shoals. You know thatreturning mariners have brought home stories of encounters in distantseas with similar monstrous reptiles. The reputation of many of thesemen for truthfulness, and the fact that more than one of them insistedthat their eyes had not deceived them, led a good many to believe whatthey told. Nor am I prepared to say that some of the accounts were notfounded on fact. In the remote past the land and sea were inhabited bycreatures of such vast size that our largest quadrupeds are pygmies incomparison. While the land giants became extinct ages ago, it is notunreasonable to think that the oceans which cover three-fourths of theearth's surface still hold inhabitants of tremendous growth.
"But leaving all this discussion for the present, I am now about to tellyou the true story of one of the greatest fakes that ever astoundedthousands of persons and amused the dozen or so who were in the secret.In the summer of 1879--perhaps a year earlier or later--peopleeverywhere became interested in the reports that an enormous sea serpenthad been seen off the Isle of Shoals. These stories were repeated sooften and so circumstantially that it was evident there was something inthem. General attention was drawn to that famous resort, and hundreds ofguests visited the Appledore Hotel for the first time and remained forweeks. The serpent was said to be fifty or seventy feet long, itstapering neck, tail and general conformation were so natural inappearance that there could be no doubt of its reality. It was black incolor and moved through the water just as a creature of its kind mightbe supposed to do. The newspapers sent their reporters thither and someof them saw it. You may be sure that they did justice to the theme. Noone dared approach the monster near enough to make a photograph, fornone had the temerity to run the risk of rousing the ire of the monster.Excursion steamers from Boston were crowded with thousands eager to geta glimpse of the terrifying creature without incurring any peril, forwhoever heard of a sea serpent attacking a ship? It may crush a smallboat in its prodigious jaws, as the hippopotamus of the upper Nile hasbeen known to do,--but a steamer is beyond its capacity. Many of thepassengers carried revolvers, and a number had rifles. They begged thecaptain to take them close enough to give a chance for bagging suchroyal game, and he was more than willing to oblige, but somehow or otherthe opportunity did not offer. It was said that so many craft cruisingabout his haunts scared him off, and he did not show himself for days.Then, when the search grew less ardent, he would reappear and theexcitement would be greater than ever.
"Picture the piazza of the hotel, the upper windows, and even the roofswarming with people, nearly all with small or large glasses pointed outover the water, searching and waiting minute after minute for a sight ofthe terrific creature. Maybe after the scrutiny had lasted for hourssome one would shout:
"'_I see him! Yonder he is!_'
"And every glass would be focussed upon the point a half mile or moreaway, and wild exclamations would follow. The serpent was in plain sightof every eye. The fore part was upreared three or four feet, and themost powerful binoculars revealed the enormous eyes and vast mouth,while at varying distances to the rear could be seen bulging curvings ofthe stupendous body, as thick as a cask. Its hideous head slowly circledabout on the neck as if the creature enjoyed the sensation he created.Then he dropped lower in the water, and seemed to be reposing,occasionally disporting himself lazily, but often displaying histerrifying convolutions.
"Meanwhile the news had been telegraphed far and near, and thousands ofeager people hurried to the Isle of Shoals for a sight which they wouldremember all their lives. If they arrived before darkness set in theyprobably were gratified, for the serpent appeared to be fond of showingitself by daylight, but it invariably vanished before morning andprobably would not be seen again for a week, when the former sceneswould be repeated.
"Scores took up quarters at the hotel, which they had never visitedbefore, and stayed until the close of the season. Most of these wererewarded by a glimpse or two of the serpent, though a few weredisappointed and in their resentment declared there was no such thing.
"Not the papers alone, but many of the magazines contained disquisitionson the bogy of the sea. Startling pictures based on the numerousdescriptions were given, and caused many a shudder among those who hadto depend upon such sources of information.
"One day a dudish youth loudly announced that any man was a fool who wasafraid of a sea serpent. He intended to row out in a boat and to go nighenough to empty his revolver into the frightful head. Incidentally helet it fall that he had a record as a pistol expert, and he invited anyone who had the 'sand' to go with him for a near view of his fight withthe creature that was making a deuced bore of itself.
"To the breathless amazement of the awe-smitten listeners, two youngwomen, pretty of feature and with mischievous eyes, volunteered. Hewarned them of the risk they ran, but they replied that they were notafraid of anything that failed to alarm him, and any way they didn'tbelieve the horrid creature would get a chance to harm them before theirescort would pierce its brain with several bullets. This tribute to theyoung man's skill and bravery caused him to set his hat at a greaterangle and thrust out his chest still more. Many of the spectatorsthought it their duty to protest, but the girls would not be dissuaded,and a few minutes later the boat put off with its three occupants, whileevery glass or unaided eye followed the movements of the craft.
"This was one of the times when the serpent was in plain sight a halfmile away, and the young hero headed directly toward it. The girlslaughed and chatted and were sure it was the greatest lark in which theyhad ever engaged.
"They noticed that as they drew near the creature their escort showedlees enthusiasm and kept looking over his shoulder. It is not to besupposed they were free from a few tremors themselves, but, if so, theydid not allow him to see it. They kept up their laughter and commentedfreely upon the timidity of the thousands who remained upon the hotelporch and watched the sea serpent from afar.
"More slowly the oars swayed until probably a couple of hundred yardsseparated the boat from that awful undulating monster. The young manceased toiling and laid his hand upon the revolver in his hip pocket.
"'You are not near enough to reach him,' said one of the misses.
"'I am best on long shots,' he replied with another glance at thatfearful head.
"'Why, he has seen us! He is looking this way!' exclaimed the other.
"'Are you sure of that?' he asked with chattering teeth.
"'Yes; he's coming toward us! Isn't that splendid? All you will have todo is to wait until he is near enough and then shoot the horrid thingthrough the head as you said you would.'
"But the young man had heard enough. He whirled the boat around androwed with might and main, never pausing until he reached the wharf,when he sprang out, and amid the laughter and jeers of the spectatorsrushed to his room, which he kept until the time came for him to leavethe hotel.
"The sea serpent was seen at intervals all through the summer. It didnot make itself too cheap, and a week or more would pass without itsshowing itself. It was observed late in the season, but finallydisappeared for good. The Appledore House was crowded as never before,and ran to its fullest capacity for the two following summers because ofthe general expectation that the sea serpent would show up again, but itnever did, and in due time became only a memory or was forgottenentirely.
"When you land at the dock at Boothbay Harbor and come up the slope toCommercial Street, turn to the left, walk only a little way and you willcome to the large grocery store of Simpson and Perkins. In the upperhall of that store, as it used to be, the sea serpent of which I havebeen telling you was born and attained its full growth, preliminary toits removal to the Isle of Shoals.
"The author of its being was William Wils
on, who died about ten yearsago. He was an English sailor, who in middle life gave up the sea andsettled in Boothbay Harbor, where for years he was the only rigger inthe little town. He possessed great natural mechanical ability, and itwas said of him that he could make anything. He was unusually skilful inplain and fancy sewing and in constructing all sorts of knickknacks. Heturned his attention to house painting and in that developed realartistic taste. In short, he was a Jack-of-all-trades and good in each.
"One day a stranger who had heard of Wilson's versatility came to himwith a proposition that he should construct him a sea serpent, for whichhe was willing to pay two hundred dollars. He explained its purpose andimpressed upon the artist the necessity of keeping the thing an absolutesecret,--since the discovery that it was a fake would defeat the veryobject of its being, which was to build up business for the hotel at theIsle of Shoals.
"Wilson agreed to construct the sea serpent in accordance with his ownideas of what it should be. His employer was quite willing to acceptthis proviso, for he knew the man's ingenuity and so the verbal contractwas made.
"Wilson had a partner in the work, a Swede named Robert Alson, who isstill living. These two used to saunter upstairs into the long hallwhich was their workshop, lock the door and devote themselves to thetask, upon which they spent their spare hours throughout the winter.Like a true artist, Wilson would not hurry, and gave careful attentionto the smaller details,--a fact which accounts for the perfect successof the extraordinary fraud.
"The sea serpent was exactly thirty-five feet long, and for convenienceof shipment was made in three sections, which overlapped and could bereadily sewn together. The material was strong canvas, painted a blackcolor, with proper proportions. The tail tapered, as did the neck, thelargest part of the body being about two feet in diameter. The head,eyes and mouth were not exaggerated, as would have been the fact withalmost any amateur at the job. It was stuffed with cork and oakshavings, so nicely adjusted that it would float partly on or just belowthe surface, with the curving neck lifting the hideous head two or threefeet above the water. The small waves gave a lifelike motion to thething, which made it seem to be moving slowly through the water, when infact it never progressed forward or backward, for its position was heldimmovably by an anchor.
"When the serpent was at last completed it was securely boxed andshipped to Portsmouth, six miles from the Isle of Shoals. Then it wastowed at night to the right place, anchored and left to do its duty,which, as I have told you, it succeeded in doing to perfection. It isstrange that the imposture was kept up for month after-month, and thatit was seen and inspected by thousands, and yet no one really penetratedthe clever deception. It was towed to the anchorage at night, and takenaway again the next night to a secure hiding place. Those who had it incharge were too shrewd to overdo the trick. When the attention of thecrowds threatened to become too warm, the serpent disappeared and wasnot again seen for a week or more. The general belief was that it hadgone out to sea, but after a time some strange attraction drew it backinto the field of vision of the swarms of visitors to the AppledoreHotel. As I said, the sea serpent disappeared for good in the autumn andthis particular one was never seen again--that is, in its nativeelement. I do not know what ultimately became of it."
At this point in the narrative Uncle Elk paused, and it could be seenthat he was smiling behind his beard.
"I now want to say something to you in confidence. You must be sure notto repeat it in the hearing of others. I gave you the names of the twomen who built the sea serpent, but I have good reason to believe a thirdperson had a hand in it. If you will question Keyes H. Richards, theproprietor of the Samoset House on Mouse Island, you will find that heknows all about it. I once asked him point blank if he did not havesomething to do with its construction, but I could not draw a directanswer from him. Therefore, I retain my suspicions.
"Last spring the twin brothers, Asa and Bige Carter of Boothbay,persuaded themselves that they could make a tidy sum of money byintroducing a new sea serpent to the public. After they had completedit, they decided to make a preliminary test by bringing it to GoslingLake and trying it on you Boy Scouts. They let me into the secret, andthough much interested, I discouraged it. They lacked the artisticcleverness of Wilson and the trick was sure to be detected and quicklyexposed. I met them on the shore of the lake and saw them tow it out alittle way, and anchor it. It was not properly balanced, and while thebody sank, the head rose to within a foot of the surface, but would notcome any higher. When those two tramps happened to look over the edge oftheir canoe, you may perhaps imagine their terror at sight of the gentlyswaying monstrosity that seemed on the point of crushing the boat orthem in its jaws. Never again will they be so overcome with blind panic.
"This incident, together with my earnest persuasions, induced the Carterboys to give up their scheme and to take away their sea serpent andconsign it to oblivion."
The Boy Patrol Around the Council Fire Page 15
