Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1851-12-24

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OUR GUNNER,s SHOT; A Thrill
ling incident of Ocean Life.
. ~ sYLvARus eoBB II.
Our noble ship lay at anchor in the
Bay Of Tangier, fortified city in the ex-
IRENE Northwestern point Of Africa
The day had been extremely mild. with
gentle breeze sweeping in from the north
ward and westward, but towards the
close of the afternoon the sea breeze di-
ed away, and one of those sultry, oven
like atmospheric breathings came up from
the great sunburnt Sahara. Half an
hour before shutdown, the captain gave
the cheering order for the boatswain to
call hands to go in swimming and in
less than FIVE minutes the forms of our
hardy tars were seen leaping from the
gangway, the ports, the MEETINGS. the
bowsprit. and some of the most venture
some took their plunge from the arms of
the lower yards.
One of the studding sails had been
lowered into the water, with its corners
suspending from the main yard.arm, and
the swinging boom, and into this most Of
the swimmers made their way. Among.
those who seemed to enjoy the sport most
highly were two of the boys, Tom Wal
lace and Fred Fairbanks, the latter of
whom was the son of our old gunner,
and in a laughing mood they started out
from the studdingsail on a race. There
was loud ringing shout of joy upon
their lips as they put off, and they dsrted
through the water like fishes. The sur
face Of the sea was as smooth as glass,
though its bosom rose in long heavy
swells that set in from the broad A
tic.
The ship was moored with a long
sweep on both cabals, and the buoy of
the starboard anchor was far away on
the starboard quarter, where it rose and
fell with the lazy swells like drunken
man. Towards this buoy the two lads
made their way, Fred Fairbanks taking
the lead /; but when they were within a
dozen fathoms of the buoy, Tom shot
ahead and promised to win the race
The old gunner had watched the pro-
gress of his little son with vast degree of
pride, and when he saw him dropping be-
hind. he leaped upon the poop, and was
just upon the point of urging him on by
shout, when cry reached his ears that
made him start as though he had been
struck with cannon ball.
"A shark shark 7 came from the
captain of the forecastle, and at the sound
of these terrible words, the men who were
in the water leaped and plunged towards
the ship.
Right abeam, at distance Of three or
four cables length, a shark wake was
seen in the water where the back fin of
the monster was visible. His course was
for the boys. For moment the poor
gunner stood like one bereft of sense, but
on the next he shouted at the top of his
voice for his boy to turn, but the little
fellow heard him not-stoutly the two
swimmers strove for the goal. all uncon-
scious of the bloody death spirit that how
cred so near them. Their merry laugh
still rang out over the waters, and at
length they both touched the buoy togeth'
er.
Oh. what drops Of agony started from
the brow of the gunner! A boat had
put off, but Fairbanks knew that it could
not reach his child in season, for the
shark was too near it's intended victims;
land every moment he expected to see the
monster sink from his sight-then he
knew that all hope would be gone. AT
this moment cry had reached the ship
that went through every heart like a
stream of scorching fire-the boys had
discovered their enemy.
That cry startled old Fairbanks to his
senses, and quicker than thought he
sprang to the quarterback. The guns
were loaded and shotted fore and aft.
and none knew their temper better than
he. With steady hand made strong by
a sudden hope, the old gunner seized a
printing wire and pricked the cartridge of
one of the quarter guns; then he took
from his pocket percussion wafer and
set it in its place, and set back the ham
mer of the patent lock. With a giants
strength the old man swayed the breech
of the heavy gun to its bearing, and then
Selling the string of the lock, be stood
back and watched for the next swell that
should bring the shark within range. He
had aimed the piece some distance ahead
OF his mark, but yet single moment
would settle his hopes or fears.
Every breath was hushed, and every
heart in that old ship was fearfully still.
The boat was yet at some distance from
the boys, while the horrible sea monster
was frightfully near. Suddenly the air
was awoke by the sound of the heavy
gun, and the old man knew that his shot
was gone, he sank back upon the comb
ings of the hatch and buried his hands
as if afraid to see the result of his own
effort, for if he had failed, he knew that
his boy was lost.
For moment after the report of the
gun had died away upon the air, there
was dead silence; but as the dense
smoke rose from the surface ofthe water,