The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-06-23
Bathing Among the Sharks.

It was a dead calm-not breath Of
air-the sails tapped idly against the
masts the helm had lost its power,
and the ship turned her head how
and where she liked. The heat was
intense, so much SO that the chief
mate had told the boatswain to keep
the watch out of the ; but the
watch below found it too warm to
sleep and were iormented with thirst,
which they could net crafty till the
water was served out. They had
drunk all the previous days allow
ance and o that their scuttle-butt
was dry there was nothing left for
them but endurance. Some of the
seamen had congregated on the top
gallant ~forecastle, where they gaZed
on the clear blue water with longing
eyes.
"How cool and clear it looks" said
q tall, powerful young seaman; II
don't think there are many sharks
about. What do you say for a bath,
lad:"
"That for the sharks!" burst almost
simultaneously from the group; We'll
have a jolly good bath when the
second mate goes into dinner"
In about halt an hour the dinner
bell rang. The boatswain took charge
of the deck. Some twenty sailors
were now stripped, except a pair of
light duck tTOwsers. Among the
rest was a tall, powerful coast-of-
Africa negro, of the name Of Leigh.
They used to joke, and call him
Samb0.
"You no swim to-day, Ned?" said
he, addressing me. "Fear'd of sharks,
eh? Sharks nebber bite me. Suppose
1 meet shark in water, I swim after
him-him run like debbel."
l was tempted, and, like the rest,
was soon ready. In quick succession
we jumped off the spritsail-yard. the
black leading. We had scarcely been
in the water five minutes, when
some voice in-board cried out, IA
shark! a shark" In an instant
every D of the swimmers came
tumbling up the ships side, half mad
with fright. the gallant black among
the rest. It was a false alarm. We
felt angry with ourselves for being
frightened. angry with these who
had frightened us, and furious with
those who had laughed at US. In an
other moment We were all again
in the water, the black and myself
swimming some distance from the
ship. For two successive voyages
there had been a sort of rivalry be-
tween US; each fancied he was the
best swimmer, and we were now
testing u speed
"Well done, Ned" c.ied some OF
the sailors from the forecastle. "Go
it, SamDo!" cried some others. We
were both straining our utmost, ex-
cited by the cheers of II respective
partisans. Suddenly the voice of
the boatswain was heard shouting:
"a shark /! a shark! Come back,
for Gods sakeW
"Lay aft, and lower the cutter
down." then came family on our ear.
The race instantly ceased. AS yet,
we only half believed what We
heard, our recent fright being still
fresh in Our memories.
"Swim, for Gods sakew cried the
captain, who was now on deck "he
has not seer you. The boat, if posi-
BILE, will get between you and him.
Strike out lads. for Gods sake!"
My heart stood still; I felt weaker
than a child as 1 gazed with horror
at the dorsal fin Of a large shark on
the starboard quarter. Though in
the water, the p%erspiration dropped
from me like rain !; the black was
striking out like mad for the ship.
"Swim, Ned-swim !" cried several
voices ; they never take black when
they can get white"
I did swim, and that desperately ;
the water foamed past me. I soon
breasted the black, but could not
head him. We both. strained every
nerve to be first, for we each fancied
the last mar would be taken. Yet we
scarcely seemed to move; the ship
appeared as far as ever from us. We
were both powerful swimmers, aud
both of us swan in the Fr>nch way
Lu br0sse, or hand over hand in
English. There was something the
with the boats falls, and they
could not lower her.
"He sees you now!' was shouted;
'he is after you!"
o, the agony of that moment! II
thought of everything at the same
instant, at least SO it seemed to me
then. Scenes long forgotten rushed
through my brain with the rapidity
of lightning, yet in the midat of this
[ was striking out bravely for the
ship. Each moment / fancied I
could feel the pilot fish touching me,
and I almost screamed with agony.
were now not ten yards from the
ship fifty ropes We're thrown to us ;
but, as if by mutual instinct WI swan
for the same.
Hurrah +! they are saved! they are
was shouted by. the eager
We both grasped the rope at
the same time; a slight struggle en-
sued !; I had the highest hold. Re-
CARELESS of everything but my own
1 placed my feet on the blacks
scrambled up the side and
exhausted on the deck. The
negro followed, roaring with pain,
or the shark had taken away part of
his heel. Since then, I have never
at sea; nor, [ believe. has
been ever heard again to as
,ert that he would swim after a shark