Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-18
A QUEER RACE.
BIZ WILLIAM WESTEL.

There they comep' cried Nab, pointing
20 a large boat, with lug-sail, for which
all the other boats respectfully made way.
1t was the shark-hunters' boat, and con-
tanned eight men, six of whom were row.
ing, while one steered, and the other SEEM
ed to be attending to the sail The cox
swain, and apparently the captain, was
Amyas Fame. In the bottom of the boat
were two or three dark objects that looked
like bundles of rags. As she passed US
the crew gave cheer, which was cordially
returned by the people on the yacht.
''The shark-fghters, supposes" I said
to the queen.
eyes. What do you think of them?"
II never saw a set of finer young fellows
In my life.''
And | never had. All were over six feet
three, braw-ny and broad-shouldered, deep
| of chest and long of limb, and as 1.-THE and
active as so many cats. They were nearly
naked, wearing only short drawers, but
each man had on belt, from which hung
q sword, and their black hair was confined
| In sort of fillet.
Their boat went ahead, and when she
was well into the bay, about three miles
from the furthest headland, the lug-sail
| was lowered, and one Of the dark objects
(Which turned out to be goats) fastened to
q line and thrown into the sea. Then the
oars were unshipped, and Amyas Fame,
standing up, saluted the queen, and said,
half laughing
"Morituri tie salLtdnt.'
| After this a few minutes silence, during
which the other boats came up and formed
a wide circle round the hunters boat.
| "Do you see thatP" said Nab, in an in
tense whisper.
'That" was the dorsal fin of shark, and
| the next moment the huge fish rolled over,
and opening his great jaws, bit the goat in
two. Then another f1oated up from unseen
depths and tried to tear the precious NOR
sci from his companions mouth, while a
third. darling suddenly forward, snapped
up the remaining portion.
| "NowP' shouted the captain; and six of
the hunters, drawing their long, sharp
swords, slipped quietly overheard.
The sharks, having by this time finished
with the goat; gave their attention to the
newcomers. But while they were chasing
one, the hunters dived under their bellies
and stabbed them repeatedly with their
swords, drawing blood at every stroke
Then, when the wounded monsters turned
round to meet their enemy, the pursued
would become pursuer, and help the COM
rade who had just helped him. The
sharks, bewildered and Infatuated, dashed
hither and thiJher in wild confusion, lash
ing the water with their tails and dyeing
| it with their blood.
This went on for quarter of an hour.
1t was horrible, yet fascinating. The very
intensity of the excitement kept the spec
tators silent. Nobody spoke except the
captain, who gave his orders from the boat
| like commander during an action. Over
and over again | thought one or other of
the hunters would surely be killed or mu-
tilated; but at the very moment when de-
strucUion seemed imminent, the almost
victim would either evade the snap by an
agile turn or dive out of sight, or a COM
rade distract the sharks attention by a
sudden stab. One hunter thrust his sword
into sharks jaws, and leaving it there,
swan to the boat for another.
The fight went on fast and furious, until
one of the fishes, turning belly upward,
t1oated to the top of the water-dead.
In obedience to an order from the cap
tain, the hunters now returned to the boat
we'll earned, as also the praises of the queen
and the plaucits of the spectators.
In the meantime the surviving sharks
had fastened on the body of the slain, and
others, scenting blood afar, were hurrying
up to the feast.
Have at them againl Alp cried the
captain; and himself setting the example,
plunged into the water sword in hand,
| leaving the boat to take care of itself.
! This time the sharks, occupied with their
meal, were rather taken at disadvant-
age; but the creatures being so close to-
| gether, the only way to get at them was to
| dive under their bellies and much address
was required to avoid blows from their
tails, which were quite capable of breaking
q limb. AS, moreover, other sharks kept
coming up and might take them unawares
| two of the hunters were told off to keep
| watch and ward, give notice of their ap-
| proach, and afford help where help was
most required.
| In ten minutes after the opening OF the
second attack two more sharks were num-
| bered with the slain, and almost before
| the breath was out of their bodies the
! others began to rend their dead compan-
ions, an occupation which they occasional
| ly varied by free fight among themselves.
in two just as I gave the shark that did it
| the death-stroke."
"What Spartans those fellows areW l
said. But broken leg cannot surely be
cured in two or three weeks?"
"Not quite; but he will be able to hobble
about in two or three weeks, and be quite
well in five or six"
"In England broken legs take double
| that time to get we'll"
eyes; but in England you eat beef and
drink beer and spirits"
"And don't you eat beef and drink beer
and spirltss"
GAS we have no cattle we can have no
beef; and in the way of animal food we
confne ourselves to fish, fowl, and venison,
and eat very little even of that-don't care
for it, in fact. While as for beer and
! spirits, one of my ancestors first proceed
| ings when he decided toSettle in the island
was to cast all the rum in the spirit-room
of the Santa Anna into the sea- When
he became protector, he prohibited the
production of strong drink in any shape,
| and the prohibition has been maintained
by his ancestors"
"You are all teetotalers, them"
"Teetotalers? What is teetotalers"
Don't you know All. was forgetting.
1t is word of the present century. Tee
totalers are people who reGgiously abstain
~ - waters"
''That makes a fourth" said Queen Nab,
as another shark turned over on his back
''They have done very we'll think it is
almost time to cry, 'Holdl enough What
say your"