The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1848-08-08
STORY OF A SHARK

German Emigrauls"by frederick Gersiaeckc
German writer. recently translated by Da-
vd Bleak. The reader will understand that
The ship, filled with men, women and child,
rem, is under way-ihat Werner, young
physician, is sitting upon the cross-irees,
sometimes looking out upon the sea, and
somelimes at The beautiful daughters Of Pas
tor HERMANN upon the deck-and that a
rnischievous fellow, who had stumbled in the
seerage repeatedly over some great wooden
shoes Of set of Oidenbarghers, watched his
opportunity, and threw them overheard.
Suddenly the cry of"A shark! A shark!'
was heard from the cross-lrees. u was
young Werner. above alluded To, who had
CHOSEN that elevated place as his resort, and
to whom all eyes were now turned, To learn
The direction in which the sea monster was
TO be found.
Werner pointed TO a streak of light form
ed by the sun upon the water, aud all the
voyagers distinctly perceived from the deck
the dorsal fin of the sharp, standing six or
seven inches out of the water.
Although several of these voracious crea
lures had been already around the ship, still
probably few of The travellers had seen one
of them, aud all pressed to The ships side to
view the fish, as il came nearer aud nearer
to the ship and the surrounding wooden
shoes.
swell, | should like TO know if he eats
wooden shoesl" said Brewer, rubbing his
hands conplacenlly and watching every
movement of the creature.
HIS wish seemed 10 he on the point Of be-
ing fulfilled, for the fish. approaching the
first sabOi, described circle round it, and
all expected the immediate disappearance oi
the same, when a fearful cry--such cry as
can only issue from the breast of "A terrified
moher-was heard from the midst of the
, crowd which had pressed, full OF curiosity, 10
The bulwarks, and in the same moment
heavy body le,l on The smooth surface Of the
! waters, aud sank beneath il.
+ "My child! my chiIdn cried the woman
in the very aci of throwing herself after The
helpless being, which now reaPPeared on
, the surface struggling and gurging. But
t those who surrounded her held her back, and
gazed in apprehension Of the wors', "a! The
swiftly approaching shark, which now shot
forward like an arrow, ITS attention being
. aroused by tue splash of the object in the wa
{ Ter.
+, ..BD 9TH the daughters of Pastor Herman
had witnessed the chIld'S fall; and the eldest
0 of them, IN a voice lmosi choked with terror
, cried, "lielp! help! Tor Gods sake"
= Launch The boat" cried the captain. But
. The re was.some delay. A few seconds more
o must decide the fate of the chid-for the
h shark was scarcely ten yards distant from
him, already seemed TO scent his prey. IL
a was then that The young man in the cross
;; tree glded down rope with the activity OF
q a sailor, and before any one could guess his
! purpose, or hinder him, sprang into The crys-
= tai food beneath, right before The very Jaws
i Of The fish, and coming to the surface again
seized The child which had just reappeaied
/ Tor The ihild tine.
u a cry OF admiration at thus desperate
boldness arose from The sailors as well as
l passengers; but The shark, frightened 10y the
loud crash, and rendered uneasy 10y the cries
% aud noise on board the ship, drew back from
" The body he had almost reached, and career
N ed around the brave swimmer in narrow
ciIces.
e ''SIrike with your hlnds-spl ish kick
!" make as much muse as you can y cried the
/ seamen with one accord Bat the captain
= had coughl up rope and threw II Ia The
=, Young man, who holding The child ia his left
n arm, s hzed the rope with the right one, and
it held himself allnaI by il, while he kicked on
re with all his force, and splash tue wafer id'
'd around him.
&c "Sling the rope around your elbow" call
Il haul nm
20 The young man did so; but all his bold anc
II generous sacrifice seem in vain; Tor The shark
n, by this lime had found that there was III
v. new danger 10 be apprehended from ihl:
ed quarter, shot forward once more.
II; The sailors, indeed, hauled The rope will
g their utmost strength aud good will, bat ihei
! hel seemed To cume too late; for the mon
an s,er was but few feet off from him, an,
MT was Just about To turn on its back, To- snap a
m The body of The unhappy man, when--ln tn
ne very moment--when every one IN bre aii les:
e, and fearful dread awaited 10 see The worst
Us heavy peice of meat fell into The sea, close
nc to the open fangs of the shark, and was swal
Of lowed by him as quick as lightning.
ed Ii is true that This mouihiu on scenes
lis to have whetied his appetite for more, for h'
sy turned again, and made second movement
Id TO seize The body OF the bold swimmer, wh'
re was already half drawn up from his wa'eT
~ grave but suddenly the shark began to las
y. The water with his tail, started back severa
ed feet. and dived down.
,ur Nobody troubled himself at the moment a
TO The cause Of this almost inexplicable sd
~ vatioa for all that had hands hauled away 1
re. get the poor fellow, who was almost terrific
'ut 10 death on board and he had scarcely hanC