New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-01-26
OUR GUNNER's SHOT.
AN INCIDENT OF OCEAN LII


Our noble ship lay at anchor in the bay Of
Tangier, a fortified town in the extreme north
west Of Africa The day had been extremely
mild, with gentle breeze sweeping to the
northward and westward but towards the
close of the afternoon the sea breeze died away,
and one Of those sultry, oven-like atmospheric
breathings came from the great sun burnt Sa-
hara.
Haitian. hour before sundown the captain
| gave@the order to the boatswain to call the
| hands to 20 in swimming, and in less than five
minutes the forms of our tars were seen leaping
| from the gangways, the ports, the nettings,
| bowsprit, and some Of the more venturesome
took their leap from the arms of the lower yard.
One Of the studding sails had been lowered
| into the water, with its corners suspended from
the main yard arm and the swinging boom, and
| into these some of the swimmers made their
way,
Among those who seemed to be enjoying the
sport most heartily, were two of the boys, Tim.
Wallace and Fred. Fairbanks, the latter OF
whom was the son of our old gunner; and in a
laughing mood, they started out from the stud
| ding-sail on a race
There was a loud ringing shout Of joys on
their lips. as they put off, and they started
through the water like fishes. The surface OF
the sea was as smooth as glass, thoughts bosom
rose in long and heavy swells that set in from
| the Atlantic.
both cables, and the buoy Of the starboard an
chor was far away on the starboard quarter,
where it rose and fell with the lazy swells like
| a drunken man.
Towards the buoy the two lads made their
way, Fred. Fairbanks taking the lead; but
when they were within about twenty or thirty
| fathoms Of the buoy, Tim shot ahead and pro-
missed to win the race. The old gunner watched
the progress of his son with vast deal Of pride;
and when he saw him drop behind, he leaped
upon the poop, and was on the point of urging
hlm on by shout, when cry reached him
that made him start as if he had been struck by
| a cannon ball.
"A shark a shark! 7" came from the captain
OF the torecastle, and at the sound of the terri
ble words the men who were in the water leaped
and plunged towards the ship,
Right abeam, at the distance of three or four
cables length, a shark-wake was seen in the
water, where the back of the monster was visi-
BILE His course was for the boys.
For moment the gunner stood like one be-
reft of sense, but ON the next he shouted at the
top of his voice for the boys to turn; but the
little fellows heard him not. Stoutly the TWO
swimmers strove for the gaol, all unconscious OF
the fearful death spirit that lowered SO near
them Their merry laugh still rang out over
/ the waters and at length they both touched the
, buoy together.
. oh. what tlrops OF agony started from the brow
of our old gunner A boat had put of, but
Fairbanks knew that il could not reach them IN
season, and every moment he expected to see the
, monster sink from sight, and then he knew that
all hope would be gone. At that moment cry
reached the ship that went through every heart
4 like a stream Of fre-the boys had discovered
their enemy
The cry started old Fairbanks to his senses,
and quicker than thought he sprang to the
n quarter-leck The guns were all loaded and
i shotted fore and aft and none knew their tenn
e per better than he With steady hand, made
T strong hv sudden hope, the old gunner seized
!, a prining wire, and picked the cartridge of one
of the quarter guns Then he took from his
pocket n percussion wafer, and set it its place
and put back the hammer of the patent lock
/. With a steady giant strength, the old man
, swaved the breach of the heavy gun TO its bear.
IL ing and then seized the string lock, he stood
a back and watched for the next swell that would
l. bring the shark in range. He had aimed thf
II piece some distance ahead Of his mark, but yei
a, a single moment would settle his hopes and fears
a a Every breath was hushed, and every heart II
that old ship beat painfully, The boat was ye
e some distance from the boys, while the horrioi'
m sea monster was tearfully near. Suddenly tn,
air was awoke by the roar of heavy gun, AM
N as the old man knew his shot was gone, he SAM
% back on the combing OF the hatch, and covered
his face with his hands, if afraid TO see the
ms result of his efforts for if he had failed, he knew
- that the boy was lost
For a moment after the report OF the gun nat
died away upon the air, there was dead silence
but as the smoke arose from the surface OF tn
water there was, at first, II low murmur break
,dc ing from the lips Of the men--that murmur gre
l5i7der and stronger, until it swelled 10 ioyou
'ad deatening shout. The old gunner sprang to hi
70 feet and gazcd cut upon the water, and the hrs
thing that met his view was the huge carcass {
rs, the shark floating with his belly up-a mangle
d" mass.
,ts In a few moments the boat reached the DARN
swimmers, and, half dead with fright, they wer
me brought on boarj The old man clasped his bo
To in his arms, and then, overcome by the powerfg
,e excitement, he leaned upon the gun for suppor
IT, have seen men in all the phases Of. excit
lcn ment and suspense, but never have seen thr'
n hundred human beings more overcome by thri
'eh ling emotions than on that eyentful momen
,gs when they fsss kaeW the eject u onE gunner
shot.