The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1870-08-18
THE OLD GUNNER'S SHOT.
A THRILLING STORY.

A THRILLING STORY.
Our noble ship lay at anchor in the bay of
Tangiers, fortified city in the extreme north
west point of Africa. The day had been ex-
tremely mild, with gentle breeze sweeping in
from the nOrthward and westward, but In the
evening the sea breeze died away, and one of
those sultry, oven.like atmospheric breathings
came up from the great sunburnt Sahara A.
little before sundown the captain gave the Or
der for the bOatsWain "tO call all hands to go
in swimming" and in less than five minutes the
forms of our hardy tars were seen leaping from
the ports, the gangways, the nettings, the bow
spirit, and some of the more venturesOme TOOK
their plunge from the arms of the lower yards.
One of the studding sails had been lowered in
to the water, with its corners suspended from
the main yard-arm and the swinging boom, and
into this most of the swimmers had made their
way. Among those who seemed to be enjoying
the sport most were two of the boys, Tim Wal
lace and Fred Fairbanks the latter of whom
was the son of the old gunner, and in laugh
ing mood they started out from the studding-
sail on race. There was loud and ringing
shout of Joy upon their lips as they put off, and
they darted through the water like fishes. The
surface of the sea was as smooth as glass, yet
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. To-
ward this buoy the two lads made their way,
Fred Fairbanks taking the lead; but when
| they were within about dozen fathOms of the
buoy Tim shot ahead andpromised 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 behind
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 stung by an adder. au.tev
"a shark shark E" came from the captain
of the forecastle, and at the sound of these ter
rible words the men who were in the water
leaped and plunged towards the ship. Right
dbeam, at distance of about three or four Ca
bles length, a sharp wake was seen in the wa
ter, where the back fin of the monster was vis-
ible. His course was for the boys For one
moment the poor gunner stood like one bereft
of senses, but 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 swim
mers strove for the goal, all UNCONSCIOUS of the
bloody death spirit which lowered so near.
Their merry laugh still rang out over the wa
ters, and at length they both reached the buoy
together 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 victim; and every moment he ex-
pected to see it sink from sight-then he knew
that all hope would be gone. At this moment
a cry reached the ship which went through ev-
cry heart like stream of ire-the boys had
discovered their enemy
That cry startled old Fairbanks to conscious
-
the quarterback The guns were loaded and
shotted fore and aft and none knew their tenn
, per better than he With steady hand, made
strong by sudden hope, the old gunner seized a
priming-wire and pricked the cartridge of one
of the quarter guns; then he took from his
, pocket percussion wafer, set it in its place,
4 pulled back the hammer of the patent lock and
f stood back and watched for the next swell that
!. should bring the shark in range. He aimed
the piece some distance ahead of his mark, but
, a 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 frightfully near. All
of sudden the air was swollen by the roar of
: the heavy gun, and as the old man knew that
his shot was gone he sunk back upon the comb
ings of the hatch and buried his face in his
effort for if he had failed he knew that his boy
t 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
: rose above the surface of the water, there was
, at first low murmur breaking from the lips
J. of the men; that murmur grew louder and
stronger, until it swelled to joyous, deafening
: shout The old gunner sprang to his feet and
gazed out upon the water, and the first thing
s that met his view was the huge carcass of the
; shark, floating with its belly uppermost- life
less manged mass. .s ..-.sa1
In few moments the boat had reached the
daring swimmers, and half dead from fright
they were brought on board The old man
. closed his boy in his arms, and then, overcome
by the powerful excitement, he leaned back on
the gun for support. | have seen men in all
: phases of excitement and suspense but never
have seen three hundred human beings more
overcome by thrilling emotion than in that
: startling moment when first we knew the eff
: feet of our gunner's shot.
II A PROSPEROUS TowN.-The Seattle (W.
fly IntelEgencer OF July 18, says that last year
z there was constructed in that CITY. "One