Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-11-02
FISHING FOR SHARKS.

shore and found Ill the boats hauled high
M on the sands. While half dozen sail.
or. stood by. gazing at the heavy surf
which broke on the beach With q roar OF
thunder. and sen, the spray flying Tar
above even where We stood.
.wont the sharks bite to-day" we
a.h.d Of an old sea chap. 80 wrapped In |
oil. skin, az 10 look like huge hslf-drled
walfus.
"oh. they'd bite quick enough II We
could get Oh, thar" and he pointed to
Ions whaling boat. bObbing up and down
beyond the line OF breakers
"well. Why can, We get there ? The
old fsllow grinned.
Thar. nothing TO prevent. Only
you might get . ~s,tins.
IL. Coz one. don'i mind u we,iing.
said I. putting on a free aud 'ailor'hke
air III rather like IL.
"yOudsw Then maybe you wouldn't
BE- .es-.iekl"
"Sea..ics T. cried | Indignantly. my
good man, | have crossed the old pond a
dozen times. DO you call that 'sa roash'
BAH
Then maybe we'd better tryi,." nais'
Jog one Of hi. companions. "iou see
| Kind Of though, you were city f,lk.
but How many Of YOU wants to
go'"
There were eish, Of Us. bat ,~o back
ed out. and the res, Of us might have
folio sed suit. bad no, pride restrained u'.
"Of course there's no dagger ?
asked rather aubioa.ly.
"Oh, no Thar amt no danser--ek'
c,p, we,,ins. and you say yoa don''
mind that"
"No, bit. Let. be OF"
The preparations ~ers roon made.
oae Of the li,h, doris. msfr she'll. bat
..d to BE- quite safe 80, dfasn q the
.urf. and t-o Of oar party. we'll clothed
N oil..kin.. we're requested 10 'i' IA the
middle seat. Nth our backs 10 the
waves. and no; 20 move nor to mind =
splash NJ While The boat ~as being
I.ubehed through the surf. Never shall !
forge, the peculiarly delightful sensation
Of thu, launching. which had ja', IN ugh
II danger 20 give it rest. T~o men
stood. one on either ,ids Of ,h- d1ry.
9TH hand, resting uPoa u. wa'eAins
their opportunity. l.oig they waved.
h-.i,ating nov and then q, % she her
,h. OF that wave va. the righi one.
Suddenly huge green sea cams bfi,k-
,ng upon We. and With shout and Ia rush
~e we're shot through the foamy spray
up 90 IL. very er,., and ssifily carried
out on the receding wave. the two sailors
.pringing in dexisrols!y. and sna,,hins
up their oars 4 few minutes hard ros'
ins took We 10 the whsle-boai, into which
&c scrambled with some effort snd a
.lsh, damage TO our shin. then the do'y
returned for our companions. Whea all
were on board small strap Of sail va,
hol.ed. and we went out 10 sea~a'd. our
light boa, riding the waves like duck.
~hile the 'pr.y as~ over u' in the liseli.
20, manner. These large dorie. are won.
d,rful sea boa,.. aud ate said - ride on,
almo., any weather. About two miles
from the shore We anchored. and thea the
work bsg.n.
Shark Ices are Abol, the ihiekness Of
an ordinary elo,hss-line. TO which are az
t.ehsd .iH feet Of iron chain. az o,hsf-
wise the animal. sharp teeth would 'oon
sever the roIe. To these were attached
.,oa, hooks about ,igh, inches long.
Each hook was b.iied With half dozen
small perch. and all Of u. being supplied
With lines. We dropped them ia,o the
water. and awaited the rssal, In silence.
Some fifteen minute. elapsed; We COM
msneed TO feel rather discouraged.
We had been warned thu, a sharks
bite would be very Ugh, and that We should
wait until the hook vas well swallowed
before pulling the lice; bat my experI-
snce va. Of different kind. Saddsnly.
and without the leas, preliminary nlbo!e.
the line ". almost jsrked on, Of my
hands. gave a .hou, and pulled. bat
the fellow at the other end va. fully my
match. All .pnns up in excitement,
aud besides the shark. bad 10 contend
with hslf.a-doren pressing offers Of as
.i.tanee. which. had | accepted, would
have robbed me OF half my glory. Away
4 tugged. and away tugged the shark.
Go IL, .ha'k Go IL. SHAKER each Of
W gaining ., times on the other. until
gradually. and almost 100, by foot. the
line was shortened. and a monsuous fish
was seen through the green wa,ers-
twisting. ~hirlins. doubling itself up ia
furious efforts 10 escape. Nearer and
nearer IL came. until is head, with vide
gaping jaws. vide enough TO swallow a
child. was plainly visible. 1, saw me,
aud apparently realizing the impossible
,y Of s.eape. darisd tosard me, aud act.
ually tried 10 spring into the boat Never
did see an uglisr. more vieious'looking
brute. or the expression Of more hsndi'h
fury. A. this moment our exei,emen,
WAS Intense.
"Kill him kill him = va. shouted on
all sides.
With quick jerk, one Of the sailors
pulled the monsters head tight up .gsin,,
the gunwAle. and struck It on the nose
q sharks vital point With a stout club.
Three well.dircied blows, aud our vic.
tim ceased bis struggles, and hung ap.
parn,ly lifele.s from the hook and ehsin.
Oar wary mariners, however. would take
nothing for granted. bu: KEEP, on ham.
mering with might aud main for several
minutes before they yentured TO haul Il
into the boat. When once landed. they
informed us sharks bad been kno~n to
revive, ia which case the best q nd safes,
c,ure for the other occupants Of the
boa, would te to jump oa, a. quickly |
/. possible. My shark. however. was
dead. We measured him With FOO,
rule. aud found hin 70 be eight fee, long
lacking two inches.
After this six were caught, but no, by
me; several we're smaller. but one Aetu-
ally measured ten feet.