Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-05-11
sWoRDFIsH AND SHARK.
An Exciting Tale Of the, Deep Blue Sec.

What strange thing has come
athwart my hawser In the last
dozen years2" unused Capt. Carncs
OF the brig Mary, as he shifted his
quid. i.
g" Well, I might tell you Of bit OF
adventure that happened TO my vessel
one day among the Windward Islands
of the Caribbean Sea.
1--WE we're Just to the east OF the
group. and about fifteen miles away,
When there came dead calm. The sea
was like mill pond. and the sun beat
down like ball OF fire.
lone of the men, who was aloft Tor
something, discovered d large shark
providing around the brig, and i
gave the men permission to bait foI
him.
"They baited q hook and tempted
the pork. He was q straight-out man.
eater, and he wanted sailor or
nothing.
He made two or three circuits
about the vessel, his dorsal fin showing
above water, and he then settled down
on our port quarter, about twenty feet
away, and kept his eyes fastened
on the heads Of the men above the
rail
"well, sir, there was something SO
aggravating In that shark settling down
there, as II determined to stay until
some of us tunbled overheard,
that we all made up our minds
to drive him away after some
fashion.
1--WE had a harpoon aboard, and
one OF the men used 1t TO give the fish
several bad gashes, but after each wound
bod p,ala nj md nnmp hack tn
the old spot. You may rip shark from
stem to stern and he won't seem to mind
the hurt.
by and by the men got 80 hot that
they asked leave to man the boat and
either kill the grim devil or drive him
away.
II consented, and sailor named
Williams scrambled into the yawl as
she swung at the davits to cast off when
she was down. The falls had scarcely
been manned when one Of them
parted, and the boat dropped stern
down.
1.-THE sailor WAS pitched ten feet
away, and as he struck the water there
was yell from every man on the brig.
He pitched right at the shark, and
we expected to see him grabbed up In
second.
Indeed, we all saw the fish whirl
over and make rush, but there was
also second rush, and as the sailor
swan alongside and seized q rope q
terrible combat began in the water.
We knew that one Of the fighters was
the shark, but 1t was minutes before
we made out that the other was q
| swordfish.
II calculate that rumpus lasted all Of
| fifteen minutes.
"They fought on the surface ant
under it, they crcled and came back
! they went under the brig and arount
her, and the sea was churned TO perfect
foam all the time.
1.-THE affair finally ended by the shark
turning belly up, as dead as hammer
and guess there wasn't u foot OF hin
which hadn't felt thrust Of the sword
| He bled like stuck hog and was only
fairly dead when the swordflsh took {
run for the brig.
He backed off -oout fifty feet anc
came full tilt, and, as true as I'm sit
ting here, he made her shiver as h
struck. That sword of his struck goot
oak plank, sheathed with copper, bu
nothing stopped it until it showed 70
six inches In the hold. We saw him q
he backed off, and knew that he ha'
lost his weapon.
:" 1t was q terrible hurt, and when
breeze sprang up and filled our sails h
was still lloundering around the shark
body, seeming to have lost his compass
points altogether.
ION the way down to Trinidad tn
brig made considerable water, and whe
we came to unload her cargo we foun
the sword sticking into her as I hav
told you.
A portion Of 1t was afterward col
rled to Boston, and is probably Their
yet"