The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-10-17
AN EXCITING sF0aTs
sn,.r,nr sworaash OF Cap. May

An EXCITING SRUHE.
su.aring swordash OF Cape Nay.
Correspondence Philadelphia Times
"Hey-ow came from the man in the
cross-trees.
where sway?" yelled the skipper,
unlocking his booted leg from the wheel
and glancing around.
Right off the weather bow" sang
out the mate, who had sprung into the
rigging.
AYE, I see him, !" replied the skipper.
4 moment later all eyes on board we're
watching a sharp glistening fin that
was darling through the water in the
same general direction as ourselves.
The mate now took his place in the
pulpit, and seizmg the steel lily stood
ready for the game, while the rope was
carefully cooled and the keg made ready
to toss at thu right moment. For ten
minutes the vessel and fish moved along
calamity side by side. The skipper,
aowever, was gradually hauling the
vessel on the wind and the two APP
preached each other until the swordtish
was close alongside. Then came the
supreme moment. The skipper wound
away.at the wheel and the little vessel
shot up into the wind, laying the sword
fish right across the bows, and as it
rushed along amidst the foam, the har-
pooner raised his weapon; for a moment
the steel lily flashed; then, with q
dull thud, it entered the back Of the
fish. 4f .,.Nlt 4 -55Y
"Stand clear the Incl" shouted the
mate, as he sprang back upon the deck
and the schooner fell away again.
The warning was we'll needed, us the
rope was rushing over the side like a
"streak of creased tightening" as the
skipper had it. 1t was o o exhausted,
and MS the end came the mate held aloft
the key and as the last f,ithom Of rop.
rushed away. tossed it over and away
it went, followed by q wave of foam
and spray, to ultimately tire the gamy
fish. .g,
a"Naow all we hev to dew" said the
skipper, lis to follow along and pick up
another if we can. La August I've had
as many as eight kegs out at once, and
ton and leave the water alive with 'em.
Then again they'll be so formation
scarce that you won't see one day"
"There's several curious things about
a sod fish," he continued; aone is that
though they can sink a boat with their
sword, yet a child can hold them by it.
One,dav my twelve. year-old boy was
setting in the boat a-fshing, aud as he
hauled in the line o sod fish followed
the bait, and as it stuck its sword out
of water the lad grabbed it, and the
fish couldn't get away and we took il
aboard. The next curious thing is
about the young. I never thought
nothin' about them until n fellow came
aboard n day and SEE he, Cap, I'll
give We 5000 for n young swordtish
under fifteen inches. Wall, l thought
lhad q soft snap, and l let out among
the mackerel men that l would pay $50
for one; but curious enough, there
wasn't a man that had ever seen one
and, of course. didn't get it, When I
went ashore l told the fellow about it,
and he said it was the general belief
among naluralists that they only breed
III European waters as the young are
never found here"
We had now gained on the flying key,
and as the dory was hauled alongside
two of the crew and the writer as vol
unteer tumbled in, and in afew moments
had the key alongside. The oars were
then pulled IN, and q moment later the
bowman has seized the keg and the
dory was rushing along-a swordfshe x-
press. "The work of taking in" now
commenced, n nan steering the dory
after the cratic steed, the others haul
ing in on the rope. As the fish felt the
strain it renewedits eyertions and start
ed OH at q furious pace that threatened
to leave the vessel far behind. But the
sport was of short duration and the
dory was rapidly hauled ahead, until
hnaliy the sharp fin was close by, and
with . rush the fish was laid alongside,
ont man holding it while the rest got to
the wlndward to prevent q capsize. It
was then, a sthe mate said, that the al
legged fun commenced.
Hauled partly ont Of The water BY
the rope, the great fish gave q vicious
cut to the left with its sharp weapon,
that caused oil hands to drop as if sent
for, and for some time this lowly posi-
ton was the best, all things considered.
The rope was kept taut and the strug-
giles OF the game were terrific. If a
head was raised it seemed immediately
to become the object of attack. Finally,
however, an oar was lifted and a violent
blow upon the head placed the sword
fish hors du combat. The schooner
now came alongside, a block and tackle
was rugged and the gamy fish was
hoisted aboard.
1t was about eightfeet in length, the
priyateersman of the fnny tribe, it's
entire mi ke-up denoting speed. The
sword is o long extension Of the upper
Jaw, formed of hardened cartilage, and
the explanation of its power Of pene-
trating ships accords with that OF the
candle that can be s%hotthrough q board.
1t Is not so much the hardness Of the
projectile as the force with which IL is
fired; and in regard to that force the
sword-fish has well been con.oared to,
q cannon.