San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-19

dash, and passing it at once? 1t will be
something to talk of-eh?"
Ishook my head in disapprcbation as
pointed to the huge pillows that raced by
us, and curling over a cables length ahead
broke with noise like thunder ON the
beach, while the shivered wave boiled and
foamed in the vortex below.
"Give way, my sea dogs, give way!'
shouted the third lieutenant, coming up
abreast in gallant style; "shall we dash in,
Mr.. Tillerr"
at looks like a venture where one cast
is death, and the other aducking, but what
say you, Broughtony"
"Oh, sir" replied the little fellow, his
eyes kindling as bespoke, they say an
English man-of-war's boat passed it a few
years ago, and I'm sure we can do it, too.
Besides, sir, we can try it with one boat
first. 1t isn't such a high surf, after all,
and look there, sir, they're watching us
from the fort"
True enough, the officers of the garrison
were quizzing us already with their glasses.
| still, however, objected, feeling a
strange kind of presentiment that some
dreadful accident would occur if we vent
ured in the surf. But the national pride
of our men had been touched, and the lieu
tenant, seeing it, wavered no longer, and
shouting the order to Give way" our
crew broke into cheer and dashed rapidly
up to the gigantic breakers.
The aspect of the surf as we approached
it was terrible. Enormous pillows rolled
in, one after another rose like monsters,
paused a moment with their white crests
combing before they descended and then
hurled their mass of water down into the
abyss below with the noise of a mighty cat
aract.
Hitherto, all had been careless on board,
and jests had been flying plentifully about,
but every man now felt that a crisis was at
hand, and accordingly the deepest silence
prevailed, broken only by the noise of the
oars and the quick orders of the lieutenant.
"Larboard!" shouted Tiller, waving his
hand, cardboard a little more!'' and riding
on an enormous wave we were whirled into
the heart of the surf, with two gigantic
pillows madly pursuing us on our quarter.
For a moment we thought the crisis passed,
but all at once the wave seemed to lose its
impetus, and gliding from beneath US
preached us almost broadside to, while the
fOremOs of our pursuers dashed against
US and heeled us nearly over into the
abyss. We were losing all command of
the boat, when suddenly a voice from our
colleague outside of the surf exclaimed:
Look out, there's a shark on your quar-
teri" At the same instant Tiller, p~erceiv-
ing our danger, Numbered, "Larboard,
hard-ease off there, larboard harder, for
Gods sake, DOWN. but the poor coXswain,
startled by the illtimed warning from the
other boat, and conscious of the terrible
situation in which we were, lost for a mo-
ment all command of his faculties, and be-
fore he could regain them sufficiently to
obey the command of his officer a wave
struck us full on our broadside, and in an
other instant, with a wild cry of horror, we
found ourselves struggling in the surf.
When | rose to the surface | struck out
boldly, but l shall never forget the sight
that met my eyes. The boat was already
broken in pieces and the fragments tossing
about, while the crew were struggling here
and there in the breakers. A poor fellow
was Just ahead of me, buffeting with the
waves, his agonized look fixed on a huge
shark that lay cycling him just without the
surf. He screamed for Succor, but it was
in vain. The current was gradually sweep
ing him nearer to his terrible enemy. The
other boat ventureda as near as it could, but
it would nave been madness to approach
nearer. Suddenly he gave a quick, shrll
shrek, flung his arms upward and sank.
The next instant the blood red hue of the
surface told the fearful cause.
AS for myself, | struck desperately for
the shore, and being a good swimmer as
long as | could command my faculties ]
knew | had some chance of reaching land.
| had turned in order to escape the current
and find a place where the surf rolled in
less frightfully, when | heard a faint cry,
and saw little Harry struggling not two
fathOms off. He seemed almost exhausted,
and was barely able to keep his head above
water.
"Forthe love of heaven, " he cried, Frank
-here!' But as I wan towards him the
noble boy exclaimed: mo! Save yourself
Pm nearly gone-am getting weak-teL
mother and Fanny ! died thinking of
them"
"Courage!" | shouted; "In be there in a
minute-hold on, my brave lad!' and l
strained every nerve to reach him, but the
current was so powerful that 1t bat1ed my
efforts. One while the surf would sweep
US far apart, and again dash US almost to-
gether. l saw, however, that | gradually
neared the gallant little fellow.
The crew of the boat outside bent to their
oars. determined at all risks to secure us,
when suddenly there was a cry, The
shark! the shark!' And the huge monster
shot along not twenty yards off between
us and our only hope, the boat. Ny brain
reeled as | looked. The boat was rapidly
approaching, but the surf was too wild to
suffer it to come near to where we were,
and between us the frightful monster was
sailing to and fro. waiting for the tide to
sWeeD us out,