American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-07-10
A SHARK STORY.

"Heartless villain!" | shrieked out, in the
torture of my disappointment, "may --- re-
ward your inhumanity?" The crew answered
nv PRAYER with a coarse, low laugh; and the
cook asked me through a speaking trumpet,
'If wasn't afraid Of catching cold'-the black
rascal! 1t was now time to strip, for my knees
felt the cool tide, and the wind dying away,
left heavy swell, that swayed and shook the
box upon which | was standing, so that | had
occasionally to stoop and paddle with my hands
against the water in order TO preserve my per-
pendicular. The setting sun sent his almost
horizontal streams of fire across the dark wa
tiers, making them gloomy and terrific by the
contrast of his amble and purple glories. Some
thing glidcd by me in the water, and then made
sudden halt. | looked upon the black mass,
and as my eyes ran along its dark outline
saw with horror that it was shark-the iden-
teal monster out of whose mouth | had just
broken my hook. He was fishing now for me,
and was evidently only waiting for the tides to
rise high enough above the rocks to glut at
once his hunger and revenge. AS the water
continued to rise above my knees, he seemed
TO grow more hungry and familiar AT last he
made desperate dash, and approached within
an inch of my legs, turned upon his back and
opened his huge Jaws for an attack. With
desperate strength thrust the end of my rod
violently at his mouth; and the brass head,
ringing against his teeth, threw him back into
the deep current, and | lost sight of him entire
ly. This, however, was but a momentary re-
pulse; for in the next minute he was close be-
hind my back, and pulling at the skirts of my
fustian coat, which hung dripping into the
water. leaned forward hastily and endeayor-
ed to extricate myself from the dangerous grasp;
but the monsters teeth were too firmly set, and
in his immense strength nearly drew me over.
So down flew my rod, and off went my jacket,
devoted peace offerings to my voracious visitor.
In an instant the waves all around me were
lashed with froth and foam. No sooner was
my poor old sporting friend drawn under the
surface, than it was fought for by dozen enor-
nous combatants!
The battle ragged upon every side. High
black fms rushed now here, now there, and
long strong tales scattered sleet and froth, and
brine was thrown up in Jets, and eddied, and
curled, and fell, and swelled, like whirlpool
in Hellgate. OF no long duration, however,
was this fshy tourney. 1t seemed soon to be
discovered that The prize cGntended for COLI
tanned nothing edible but cheese and crackers,
and 40 flesh, and as its muti!ated fragments
came to the surface, the waves subsidized into
their former smooth condition. Not till then
did experience the real terrors OF my situa-
tion As looked around me to zee what had
become of the robbers, | counted one, two,
three-yes, up to twelve successfully, of the
largest sharks | ever saw, floating in n circle
around me, like divergent rays, all mathenati-
cally equi-distant from the rock, aud from each
other; each perfectly motionless and with
gloating, fiery eye, fixed full and fierce upon
me. Basilisks and rattle-snakcs, how the fire
Of their steady eyes entered into my heart!
was the centre OF a circle, whose radii were
sharks! | was the inspiring, or rather un-
ohewed game, at which pack of hunting sea
dogs were making dead pointl There was