Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-12-05
MISCELLANEOUS.
RK STORY.
nv THE LATE WIN. P. HAYES, ESQ.


We copy from the New York Spirit
of the Times, the following really good
afsh story:''
"Well, gentlemen, I'll go ahead, if
you say so. Here's the story. 1t is
true, upon my honor, from beginning
to end-every word Of it. | once
crossed over to Faulkner's Island, to
fish for tautaugs AS the north-side peo-
pie call black fish on the reefs hard by,
IN the Long Island Sound. Tim III.
tus, (who died of the dropsy down at
shinnecoc's point, last spring, lived
there then. Tim was a right good fell
low, only he drank rather too much.
cit was during the latter part of Ju-
ly; the sharks and the dog-6sh had be-
gun to spoil sport. When Tim told
me about the sharks, I resolved to go
prepared to entertain these aquatic
savages with all becoming attention
and regard, ifthere should chance to
be any interloping about our fishing
ground. So we rugged set of extra
large hooks, and shipped some rope
yarn and steel. chain, an axe, a couple
of clubs, an old harpoon, in addition to
our ordinary equipments, and off we
started. We threw out our anchor
at half ebb tide, and took some thump-
ing large fish: two of them weiged thir-
teen pounds-so you may Judge. The
reef where We lay was about a half
mile from the Island, and perhaps a
mile from the Conn ecticut shore. We
fioated there very quietly, throwing out
and hauling in, until the breaking of
my line, with a sudden and severe jerk,
informed me that the sea attorneys
were in waiting, down stairs; and we
accordingly prepared 10 give them a
retainer A salt pork cloak upon one
of our magnum hooks, forthwith en-
gagged one Of the gentlemen in our SER
vice. We got him alongside, and by
dint of piercing, and thrusting, and
banging,we accomplished most mer-
ry and exciting murder. We had bus
mess enough of the kind to keep us
employed until near low water. By
this time, the sharks had all cleared
out, and the black fish were biting a.
gain; the rock began to make its APP
pearance above the water, and in lit
tie while its hard bald head was dry
Tim now proposed to set me out upon
the rock, while he row ed ashore to get
the jug, which, strange to say, we had
left at the house. / assented to this
proposition-6rst because l began to
feel the effects of the sun upon my
tongue, and need something to take
by the way ofmedicine; and secondly
because the rock was a fayorite spot
for rod and rec, and famous for luck:
so took my traps and box of bait,
and jumped upon my new station
Tim made for the island.
"Not many men would willingly
have been left upon a little barren reef,
that was covered by every flow of the
tide, in the midst of waste and waters,
at such a distance from the shore, even
with an assurance from companion
more to be depended upon that mine
to return Immediately and be by to
take him off. But, some how Or 9TH
er, the excitement ofmy sport was so
high and the romance Of the situation
was SO delightful, that / thought of
nothing else but the prospect Of my
fun, and the contemplation of the now
city and beauty of the scene. Il was
mild, pleasant afternoon, in harvest
time. The sky was clear and pure
The deep blue sound, heaving all a.
round me, was studded with craft of all
descriptions and dimensions, from the
dipping sail-boat to the rolling mer
chantmen, sinking and rising like sea-
birds sporting with their white wings
in the surge. The grain and grass on
the neighboring farms were gold and
green; and gracefully they bent obei-
sance to the gently breathing south
wester. Farther off, the high upland,
and the distant coast give dim relief
to the prominent features of the land
scape, and seemed the rich and dusky
frame of brilliant fairy picture
Then, how still it was! not a sound
could be heard, except the occasional
rustling of my own motion, and the
water beating against the sides, or
gurgling in the assures of the rock, or
except row and then the cry of a soil
tary saucy gull, who would come out
Of his way in the armament, to see
what / was doing without boat, all
alone, in the middle of the sound, and