Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-10-13
Taking n SwOrdGsh.
TERRIBLE STRUGGLE With AN AIR-TIG II
BARREL ATTACHED To \ HARPOON.


IFTo1Jl the Forest and Stream !
II was some time before we could distin-
guish The speck, rising and falling with the
SEA, which Ia d attracted The old wEalrman's
attention. Soon he pronounced IL al "hsh,"
ard after putin Us OIL The ether tack 20 run
down Ia1tly 10 leewaTd OF 1t, went below 20
bring up the irons. When We had worked
perhaps mile before it, We lay 10 for our
EIa Instructions, the skipper took the wheel
L. ktcp her head OF if yer cam; ana the one
W no held the a r tight barrel was tod "when
y re sure I've strucs him, over with it," He
as as cool as a Cucuui Der as he took The
heTI con and cutting spade forward, cJiiiDg
the lIHe zone end o. which was fast TO the
haTrCon, The other To tie barrel carefully on
deck, ith the caution, - Ware when Il flakes
OuI,' and taking only enough with HIM 10
his roost on tie bowsprite end Ia give him an.-
pie elbow room. HIS station reached, he
fixed the spade in The support ready to re-
ceive il. laid the iron in front of him across
the cage, waved HIS hand, and We filed away,
close hauled. Never was a mile more slow y
sailed by the little group in the PIT of the
White Cloud. Never had our hearts beaten
faster than as we neared the fifteen feet
fish, rolling, asleep, i'll the trough of The
sea. Now the pilot is almost over him;
slowly he raises the iron, braces himself, q d
hurls IL with all the strength OF both sinewy
arms: The iron sinks deeply into the sleep
ing fish; there l. mighty surge, the line
flakes Overheard as quickly as thought, the
foat splashes as il disappears beneath the
water, lbsn all is still. We luff AID walt.
Presently up hobs the float. The fish finding
the strain OF the air tight barrel too severe is
coming TO the surface. Now the water bub-
bles and boils just under our lee, and the
swOrdtsh brs aches half his lengI h out of his
element, shakes himself savsgely and swIIns
at lightning speed for the barrel. He strikes
II again ard again W it'll his sword but ii rests
SO lightly on top OF the water hat he cannot
in1uIe il. Then he stops, looks at us an in
slant ard darts toward the boat. We have
not time TO bring her head around. and if he
comes quickly aft, bringing his long hand.
led, three cOTneTed spade and, as The fish
comes within striking distance, aims one
swift, unerriIg blow full at his forehead
The terrible sword drops harmless, the upper
muscles at his base are severed, and he
passes under us, Earring the boat and splash
ing us with water as he sounds. Again the
float goes under and is out of sight longer
time than before. Again the fish throws
himself out of water, showing his sword
hanging down at an angle of forty
around the barrel, then starts to wind
ward at too furious speed to last
with the float plouGhing behind him. When
We beat up he is feebly lighting it. He sounds
for short time, but comes up exhausted.
Once or twice he rolls over on his side, but
RECEIVERS himself and swims on In short
lacks. We press him too closely, and he
charges us again, but We make no effort to
avoid Tim, knowing that now he is power
less 10 injure us, nor does he try TO strike
apparently realizing that his weapon is use
less, but goes under, coming up the Otber
SIDE. And so he sounds and swims, fights
and ruIs, until at last he succumbs tn ex
haustiOn and lies STILL We work up along
side, and as We luff the pilot puts q lance into
his very life. There is shudder along his
whole body, his fms work convulsiveiy q
moment, and then he lies mOiionless and
dead. We rig a tackle to our mainmast and
after col derable labor got him aboard
where We can examine at our leisure his
peculiar shape, and admire his graceful
"cliIper build" Our Nantucketer estimates
bis weight at between 500 and COO pounds
His sword is over three feet In length, its
broken point AID nicked edges proving that
fish.
Our nsh is on board, and after reserving q
few choice cut, turned over to our pilot, who
asks that We run in TO Marthas Vineyard
that we may dispose Of him before he spoils
And so We set gait and jib topsails, haul off
before the wind, and lay our course north
wand.