The Republican journal., 1870-06-16
OUR GUNNER'S SHOT.

Our noDie ie ship lay at anchor in the Bay of Tan
ger, fortified city in the extreme northwest point
oi lI' AlIna. Inc day had been extremely mild with
Sente breeze sweeping in from the northward
and westward, but toward the close of the after
noon the sea-breeze died away, and one of thosr
sultry, oven-like atmospheric breathings came up
fore sundown, the captain gave the cheering order
1or the boatswain to ''cal all hands to go in swim
mmg," and in less than five minutes the forms OF
Jul naiay tars We're seen leapinS from the gang
Why's me ports, the MEETINGS, the bowsprit, and
some OF the more venturesome took their pluno.
from the arms of the lower wards.
One OF the studdmg-sais had been lowered into
the water, with its corners suspended from the
main yard-arm and the swinging boom. and into
this most of the swimmers made their way. Among
those who seemed to be enjoying the sport mosI
highly were two of the boys, Tim Wallace and
Fred Fairbanks, the latter of whom was the son Of
our old gunner, and in laughing mood they start
ed out from the studding-sail on race. There was
loud ringing shout of joy upon their lips as they
put off, and they started through the water like
fishes. The surface Of the sea was as smooth a,
glass, through its bosom in long heavy swells
that set in from the broad Atlantic.
Inc ship was moored with long sweep upon
both cables, and the buoy of the starboard anchor
was 1ar away on the starboard quarter, where it
rose and fell with the lazy swells like a drunken
man r, Towards this buoy the two lads made their
way, Fred Fairbanks taking the lead: but when
they We're within about dozen fathoms Of the
buoy, Tim shot ahead and promised to win the race
Inc Old gunner had watched the progress of his lit
when
saw him dropping behind he leapedlllpon the boon.
ana was JUS upon the point of urging him on by Il
shout, when cry reached his ears that made linn
stlrt as though he had been struck by a cannon
BALL
"a shark a shark" came from the captain OF
the orecastle, and ut the sound of these terrible
words, the men who We're in the water eaped and
and plunged toward the ship
Right abeam, at distance Of three or four cables
lengtn, Il sharp wake was seen in the water whcr,
tne PACK M OF the monster was visible His course
was for the boys For moment the I,oor nIlnn.,
stood like one bcref of sense, but on the next In,
shouted at the top of his voice for his boy TO turn
but the little fellow heard him not-Stoutlv the i've
swimmers strove for the goal Ill unconscious Of
the bloody death spirit that lowered so near them
lheir merry laugh still rang out over the waters
and at length they both touched the buoy together
~ what drop. Of agony started from the brow oi
our gunner! boat had put Off but Fairbank.
knew that it could not reach his child in season
for the shark was too near its intended victims.
anu every moment he expected to see the monster
SINK from sight-then he knew that all hope would
be gone. At this moment cry reached the shin
that Went through every heart like i stream of
scorchinS tire-the boys had discovered their
enemy!
That cry started Old Fairbanks to his senses. md
quicker than thought he sprang to the quarter deck
The guns were and loaded shoted fore and AFT, and
none knew their temper better than he. With
steady hand made strong bv a sudden hone fin.
Old gunner seized Il priminS wire and prirked the
cartridge OF one of the quarter guns; then he took
from his pocket percussion wafer and set it i'm its
pllcc, anu set Dack the hammer of the patent lock
with giants strength the old man swayvd tho
breech Of the heavy gun to its bearing, and then
selzing the string of the lock, he stood back ana
watched for the next swell that should bring he
shark within range. He had aimed the piece some
distance ahead of his mark, but Il single moment
would settle his hopes or fears.
Every breath hushed, and every heart in
that old ship Was painfully still. The boat wa,
yet at some distance from the boys, while the h0r-
rlble sea-lnonser was friShtfully near Suddenly
the hlr was aWOke hy the roar of the heavy gun
and rs the old man knew that his shot was gone,
he sank back upon the cOmbings of the hatch and
buried his face i'll his hands as if afraid TO see the
result of his own effort for if he failed he knew
that his boy was lost,
For a moment after the report of the gun had
died away upon the air, there was dead silence;
but as the impenetrable smoke arose from the sur
face OF the water there was, at first Il low mur-
mur breaking from the llp1 of the men-hat muir
mur grew louder and stronger. until it swellcd to
joyous deatening shout. The old gunner surang to
his feet aud gazed off upon the water; and the first
thing that met his view was the huge carcass of the
shark Heating with It's white belly uppermost--a
mangled, lifeless mass
In a few moments the boat had reached the dur-
ing swimmers, and half dead from fright they were
brought on board The old man clasped his bov
in his arms, and then overcome bv the powerful
excitement he leaned back upon the gun for sup
port.
have seen men in all the phases of excitement
and suspense; but never have seen three hundred
human beings more overcome by thrilling emotion
than on that startling moment when first we knew
the effect of our tflinner'S shot.