The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-04-01
FOLLOWED BY A BIG SHARK.
Not To Be Taken In by q Dummy-Gross
ing a Yellow Dog for Bait. .-.' eel

Not To Be Taken in by Dummy-Groas-
ing a Yellow Dog for Bait.
In 1874 I was mate of coasting
schooner voyaging between Charleston,
Beaufort, Savannah, and other points
on the southern coast. She was built at
Charleston, and I went out on the first
voyage. The name of the captain was
Martin, an 'easy-going, good-natured
man, and we had three men before the
mast.
We left Charleston in the afternoon,
and were scarcely clear Of the bar when
a monster shark was observed in our
wake. There are always sharks in plenty
in Charleston harbor, and this chap
would not have received much notice ex-
cept for his size and the grim, persistent
manner in which he followed us. He
ranged up on the starboard quarter, not
more than ten feet away, and there he
stuck. When we had made our ofing
and set our course, the captain deter-
mined to get rid of the unpleasant visisor.
When sailor sees a shark following
his ship he feels as q lands,nan would it
a wolf was pursuing his carriage. The
shark is there to eat you, If opportunity
occurs, and you feel spirit of revenge
stirring you up to get rid Of him. = =
We had big shark hook on board.
and after the decks had been cleared we
broughtit out, baited it with a chunk Of
pork, and the morsel was dropped over
board: and the rope paid out until the
pork was right at the sharks nose. He
refused to touch it. Sharks are always
hungry, and sharks. aren't bit particu-
lar whether they eat pork or sailor, but
this fellow seemed to know that we had
formed conspiracy to destroy him. We
made up dummy and carried it aloft
and heaved it overheard with great out
CRY, but that trick also failed. The
shark paid no attention to the splash,
but kopt his wicked eyes on the man at
the wheel, and remained where we first
discovered him.
We had slow passage down to the in
let, and as we entered it the. shark sud
denly disappeared. We went up to
Beaufort, unloaded part of our cargo,
took on some cotton, and came down
again, and we had scarcely crossed the
bar when the big fish again took his po-
sition on the starboard quarter. 1t was
the same when we started. into Savan-
nah, and the same at Brunswick, and we
dropped him again off Charleston as we
returned after an absence Of two weeks.
We tried every way known to sailors to
drive the fellow off, but he wouldn't
bulge. nAt Charleston the captain con-
suited colored olairvoyant, and she sold
hi1ntabout an ounce Of pink salve and
told him that he must buy & yellow dog,
grease it's paws with the salve, and use
the dog TO bait the shark hook. Hepaid SO
for the salve and was a whole day
finding yellow dog. One was finally
discovered following colored man
about, and an offer Of 50 made him our
dog. On this occasion we left Charles
ton Just at daybreak, having been in the
harbor three days. As day fully dawned
we picked up our old enemy, and all
hands willingly turned up to see what
Is.cac we would FIevg with the new bait.
We creased the paws of the dog, and he
at once began to howl inthe most dis
NAL manner. You'd have believed from
his actiors that he knew what was COM
ing. When we had lashed him fast to the
hook we found that the shark bad
neared the ship by several feet, and that
he seemed to be a bit nervous.
Well, when all was ready over went
the dog, and he had scarcely touched the
water when the shark had him. He had
dog, hook, and all at one snap, and
started 60 make g. skip when the hook
brought him up. We took the line to
the oapstain and walked the old chap
alongside, and when wehad his head out
of waterwefrsd two charges Of buckshot
into it,: :Weth an drew him aboard and
finished him of, and after breakfast we
fell TO and slit him open to see what sort
of cargo he carried. There was the dog,
swallowed almost whole, ahunaa hana,
beet bone, the heel OF q boot, . pint
bottle. two, feet Of small chain, Q score OF
buttons, a a.silver- plated table knife, and
two,ipon spoons, and several other triaca
which he! had picked up while cruising
around: and waiting for us' to come out.
WehoHahim over after the examination,
and though the schooner: ran on. tshat
same route FOR the ensuing clever
months, none Of .5is sighted y; fhaSrrlk, rrlkl,
large q small the gTeaa aSg businqsa
seemed to have given the, Rhole
fraterniy'a valuable hint.-New YoEk
SUM- -, G.: :n!:17..D &;r". .'.'%
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