The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-03-20
,yI,CIDENT OF OCEAN LIFE.

0,-r5b'e >hip IN American man-ot-war.)
.r,, anchor in The Bay of TanGicr. a iorti
...,.vn in the extreme northwest of Atri-
q ry,rv opposite Gibraltar. The day had
...rs,'-cmrlv mild. with gentle breeze
.r,,,;nr to the northward and westward; /; but
,'--,,avar,l, the close of the afternoon the
...l-ycze died away. and one Of those Suitry,
-,ar,r,e atmospheric hrrathinQs came from
10 ,-eat .un-burnt Sahara Half an hour
hire ,Idown the raptain rave the cheer
,,arrr for the boitSwain TO call the hands
~ in swimming. and in less than five MIN
.p> The forms OF our tar> wrr" seen lcapng
I'm the arms Of the lower wards.
One Of the s'uilng sails had been lowered
a'5 the water, with the corners suspended
i-m the main yard-arm and the swinging
-.m. anl mo thi~. most of the swimmers
male their wav Among those who seemed
Z" eniovir1 III" sport most heartily We're
" ofthc bows. Tim Wallace and Fred Fair
u :, the latter of whom was the son Of the
=. . gvnn"r. and in lau"hinr mood they
''-'"'l on' from 'hc Stulling sail on a race
I'"r" wa' lonA ringing shout of iov on
their 'jnS ~ they put off. and they dartcd
through the water like fishes. The surface
r''h" sea vas smooth rs glaSS. thouoh its no.
son -'>e in long and heavy swels tha: set in
fr,o' tie Atlantir.
TIE vessel was moorc,l with A long sweep
;-a,n 10th cables. and the huov Of the star
oqrlGuar'cr. where !. rose and fell with the
law swcllS Ike drunken man
T,war,), tli> huov the two lads made their
v,r. FrnI Ftjr'nnks taking the lead: hut
u}~n .lrv wore within about twrntv or thirty
'a'lom, o' III" hrov. Tim shot ahead and
r-om>oi 20 win the race The o'd gunner
W. hex tho prorrc>S Of his little son with n
r,>' '.!rrr % rrilr. and when he saw h,m
!-1D hchind. he leaned upon the roon. and
was INST about on the point of urGing him on
IVA shout when crv reached his ear that
nab him start as If he had been stru"k with
,,10orl1l
4 shark shark :" came forth from the
'an'a'n Of he torcraS'lc, and at the sound Of
hose terrible words the men who were IN the
w}''r rared and plunged toward the ship.
E.N' ah"am. at the distance of three or
I- oatrS lcng'h. a sharks wake was seen
y the water, where the back Of the monster
vas visible" His course was for the hovs.
Fora moment the gunner stood like one
.e-r'' Of sense, but on the next he shouted at
'fe ''n Of hI> voice for the bows to turn. hnt
n" he BOYS heard him not-stoutlv the two
'"mm"rS >'royc for the coal. all unconscious
-" bloody dratI->pirit that lowered so near
;''m lh"ir merry laugh still rang over the
''''r' and Al length they both touched the
'9rv r-e,lcr.
- "aa' drops Of agony started from the
INV oi ''r grnn"r' \ boat had put otf.hut
i'F''tS' Knew that il could not reach the
NV III season, and every moment he expect
81 10 see 'h' mon,-"r sink from sicht-thon
Ut 'o'" that all hope would be gone. AT
''''' "'''''h' a cry reached the ship that went
every heart ike stream of fire
''p ''y' hof discovered their enemy.
cry started old Fairbanks to his senses.
= ID quicker than thought he Snranc to the
-'''fk The guns were all loaded and
10Y" and aft. and none knew their
"T better than he. With steady hand.
" >T'n- by sudden hope. the old gun-
~7"d a priming wire and picked the
'-' OF one Of I'll" quarter Guns: then he
i"'hrl percussion wafer. and
]" Us place, and set back the hammer
~" patent lock. With ciant STRENGTH
"'n 'Wlvrd the hrcech Of the heavy
I'> tearing, and then Seizinr the strnc
;, ." n he stood back and watched for
swell that would bring the shark in
%. II" had aimed the piece some distance
=, ' 'S mark. but vet little moment
''n'" his hopes and fears. Every
- "H> hu>h"d, and every heart in that
neat painfully. The boat was vet
>'''l'e from the bows, while the horrid
''>'"r was frartnly near. Suddenlv
'' was awoke by the roar Of the heavy
>. .'' '14 as the Old man knew his shot was
-. " >"'h back upon the comhing of the
f.. ''' covered his face with his hands. as
~ 70 see the result of his own efforts
r.. he had failed, he knew that his bov was
moment after the report Of the gun