Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-01-23

cAFN Ia HNGt&t HEE& tlAf VNSfs az Wv 10
few my rod, and off went my jacket, de-
vo;ed peace Offering to my voracious vlsi-
ter.
Ia an instance the waves all round me
we're dashed into frolh and foam. No
sooner was my poor old sporting friend
drawn under the surface than It was
fought for by at least dozen enormous
complaints The battle ragged upon
every side. High black fms rushed now
here, now there, and long strong tails
scattered seet and froth, and the brine
was thrown up in Jets, end eddied, and
cured, and fell, aud sweiled, like whirl.
pJol 10 Hell-gate.
Ofro long duration, however, was this
ishy tourney. |: seemed soon 10 be dis
covered that the prize contended for con.
tanned nothing edible but cheese and
crackers, and no aesh and as its mutat.
ed fragments rose to the surface, The
waves subsidized into their former smooth
condition. Not till then did experience
the real terrors Of my situation. As
looked around me to see what had be-
come of the robbers, counted one, Two,
.hree-yes, up to twelve successfully, OF
the largest sharks ever saw, floating in
circ le around me, like divergent rays,
all mathematlcalIy equidistsnt from the
rock, and from each other; each perfect
ly motonless, and with his gloating, fiery
eye fixed full and fierce upon me. Basi
isks and ratle.snakes, how the fire OF
their steady eyes entered into my heart
was the centre of circle, whose radn
were sharksl | was the inspiring, or
rather unchewed game, at which pack
of hunting sea dogs were making dead
point
There was one fellow that kept within
the circumference Of the circle. He seem
ed to be sort Of captain or leader OF the
band; or, rather, ne acted as the coroner
for the other twelve Of the inquisilion, that
were summoned to sit on and eat up my
body. He gided round and about, and
every now ana then would stop, and touch
his nose against some one of his comrads,
and seemed to consult, or 10 give instruc-
tons as TO the time and mode of operation.
Occasionally, he would scull himself to-
wards me, and examine the condition of
my flesh, and then again glide back, and
rejoin the troupe, and flap his tail, aud
have another confa bulalion. The old
rascal had, no doubt, been out in the high
ways and byways, and collected this com.
pany of his friends and kin-fisb, and in-
viieC them to supper. must confess
that, horribly as | lelt, | could not help
but think of a tea party of demure old
maids, sitting 10 a solemn circle, with
their skinny hands in their laps. licking
their expecting lips, while their hostess
bustles abou, in the important functions Of
her preparations. With what an eye
have seen such uppurienances of human
ty survey the location and adjustment of
some especial condiment, which is about
to be submitted 20 criticism and consump.
ton.
My sensations began now to be most ex-
quiste indeed, but will not attempt to
describe ihem. was neither hot nor
cold, frightened nor composed; but | had
a combination OF all kinds of feeling and
emotions. The present past, future,
haven, earth, my father and mother,
little gr | knew once, and the sharks,
were all confusedly mixed up together, and
swelled my crazy bran almost TO burst
ing cried and laughed, and shouted,
and screamed for TIM Titus. In fit of
most wise madness, | opened my broad
baded fishing knife, and waved it around
nv head with an air of defiance. As the
tide continued TO rise, my extravagance of
madness mounted. AT ore time, | be-
came persuaded that my side walters
were reasonable beings, who might be
talked into mercy and humanity, if BODY
could only hit upon the right text. SO
bowed and gesticnlaled, and threw out
my hands and talked TO them as friends
and brothers, members of my family, cou.
sing, uncles, aunts, people waiting TO have
their bills paid. scoded them as my
servants; abused them as duns; lmplor-
ed them as jurymen, sitting on the ques.
tlon ofmy life; congratulated, and flat
tered them as my comrades, upon some
glorious enterprise; sung and ranted 10
them, now as an actor In pay house,
and nov as an elder IN a camp meeting;
in one moment, roaring
"On the cold finty rock will lay my
head" and in the next, giving out 10 my
attentive hearers for singing a hymn Of
Or. Watts, so admirably appropriate to
the occasion:
"Oa slippery rocks see them stand,
While fiery pillows roll below"
What said ll--what did | not say!-
Prose and poetry scripture aud drama,
romance and ratiocinaton out it came.
"Quamdau, Caiiiina, nostra patient,d Gbu-
tere2"-l sung out to The old captain, TO
begin wlth--"My brave associates, part-
ners of my toil'--So ran the strain. "On
which side soever | turn my eyes
Gentlemen of the Jury"--''l come not
here to steal away your heart" -"You
are not wood, you are not stones, but
Hoh!-"Begin, we ,ormeniers, your tor.
lures are vain'-"Good friends, sweet
friends, let me not STIR you up to any sud-
den food '--'the angry flood that lashed
her grooming sides "--"Ladies and gen,
:lemen" --"my very noble and approved
good masters" -"avaunt! and quit my
sight; Yet the earth hide ye"-"lle light.
Iy on his head, o earthl'-"O heaven
and earth, that il should come to thisr'--
1.-THE torrent roared, and we did buffet it
with lusty sinews, stemmlng it aside, and
caring it with hearts of controversy -
! ,Grtya no Soma drtnk TuaniaD- tfI1rinL