The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-08-13
THE OLD GUNNERS SHIT.
Parsued by a Shark-A Thriilin.
Story.

and westward, but toward the close
of the afternoon the sea a-breeze
died away, and one of those sultry,
oven-like atmospheric breathings
came up from the sun-burnt Saba
ra. Half an hour before sundown
the captain gave the cheering order
for the boatswain 'to call all hands
to go in swimming, and in less
than Eve minutes the forms of our
hardy tars were seen leaping from
the ngways, the ports, the net
tings, the bowsprit and some Of
the more venturesome took their
plunge from the arms Of the lower
yards.
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 this most of the
swimmers made their way. A
mong those who seemed to be en-
joying the sport most, were two of
the boys, Tim Wallace and Fred
Fairbanks, the latter of whom was
the son of the old gunner, and in a
laughing mood they started out
from the studding- sail on a race.
There was a loud, ringing shout of
joy upon their lips as they darted
through the water like fishes. The
surface of the sea was smooth as
glass, though its bosom rose in
long, heavy swells that set in from
the broad Atlantic.
The ship was moored with
long sweep upon both cables, 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.
Toward this buoy the lads made
their way, Fred Fairbanks taking
the lead, but when they were with
in about a dozen fathoms of the
buoy, Tim shot ahead and promis
ed TO win the race. The Cd gun
ner hal watched the progress of
his little son with a vast degree of
| pride, and when he saw him drop
ping behind he leaped upon the
poop, and was inst upon the point
of urging him on by q shout, when
/ cry reached his ear that made him
start as though he had been struck
by cannon ball.
" A shark shark !" came from
at the sound OF these terrible
words the men who were in the
water leaped aud plunged toward
the ship.
Right abeam, at a distance of
three or four cables length, sharp
wake was seen in the water, where
the black fin Of the monster was
visible His course. was for the
boys! For a moment the poor
| gunner stood like one bereft of
/ his senses, but the next moment,
he shouted at the top OF his voice
for his boy to turn, but tie little
/ fellow heard him not; stoutly the
two swimmers strove for the goa.
all unconscious of the bloody death
| spirit which hovered so near them.
Their merry laugh still lang out
| over the waters, and at length they
both reached the buoy together.
! Oh, what drops of agony started
! from the brow of our gunner. A
boat had put off. but Fairbanks
knew that it could not reach his
child in season, for the shark was
! too near its intended victim and
every moment he expected to see
/ it sink from sight-then he knew
all hope would be gone. AT this
moment a cry reached the ship.
which went through every heart
like a steam of fre-the boys had
discovered their enemy!
That cry startled old Fairbanks
to his senses, and quicker than
t! ought he sprang to the quarter
deck. The guns were loaded and
shotted fore and aft, and none knew
their temper better than he. With
steady hand, made strong by
sudden hrpe. the old gunner seized
priming wire and pricked the
cartridge of one Of the quarter
guns; be then took from his pocket
percussion wafer and set it in its
place, and set back the hammer of
the patent lock. 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 single
moment would settle his hopes or
fears.
Every breath was hushed. and
every heart in that old ship was
painfully still. The boat was yet
at some distance from the boys,
while the horrible sea monster was
frighlfully near. Suddenly the air
was swolIen by the roar of the
heavy gun, and as the old man
knew that his shot was gone he
sunk back upon the comhings of
the hatch, and buried his face in
his hands, as if afraid to see the
result of his own effort, for if he
had failed, be knew that his boy
would be lost
For moment after the report
of the gun had died away upon the
air, there was a dead silence; but
as the impenetrable smoke rose
above the surface of the water,
there was, at first low murmur
breaking from the lips Of the men
that murmur grew louder and
stronger, until it swelled to a joy
Gus, deiening shout. The old gun
ner sprang to his feet, and gazed
off upon the water; and the first
thing that met his view was the
huge carcass Of the shark, floating
with its white belly upwsrds-a
| manolad lifeleSs maRs