The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-10-16

The monkey few up the mast chatter
ing with fright, while Emmanuel sought
safety on the bowsprit and the captain
jumped into the cabin. The two big
fish fioundered around in the boat, the
sides being just high enough to prevent
their getting over again. The boat
rocked to and fro frightfully as the
huge sharks kicked about. Captain Joe
says that he expected to go to Davy
Jones' locker at any moment. The
sharks both lay with their heads towards
the bow and their tails near the cabin
door.
Venturing forth, after awhile, the
captain seized an axe, and, standing
near the door, he brought it down with
all his strength upon the tail of the big
fellow. The effect was electric; up
went the fukes with tremendous
whisk, and, while the axe went out to
sea dozen rods, the captain was whirled
| backward into the ocean, just catching
the rudder-post as he fell Emmanuel
| thought that the captain had gone for
good, and he halloed outright in his
| fright. The captains voice, somewhat
chol1ed with sea water, reassured him,
and the brave fellow ran nimbly down
the side of the boat, jumping over one
of the sharks, and, on reaching the
stern, helped the captain up from his
perilous position.
After the skipper had recovered they
started for the sharks again. With an
adze and the rifle active warfare was
begun. Blow after blow was landed on
the tough hides of the plunging mon
sters, while they thrashed about IN the
most lively manner, the little boat
creaking in every timber from the
shock. Finally Jocko came running
down the shrouds to take hand in the
fight. He picked up a Delaying pin,
and creeping up to one of the sharks,
brought it down with stunning effect
on the man-eater's head. The huge fish
| jumped for it with wide-open mouth,
but the nimble monkey jumped out of
the way, and came back with another
blow. Notwithstanding their serious
predicament, the captain and his ally
could hardly keep from laughing at the
spectacle. But the most serious part of
the fight was now over, and the vicious
looking sea tigers lay gasping out their
lives as the men rained blows upon
| them.
All this while the monsters outside
kept up their internal warfare on each
| other, and the sea was blood-colored for
a considerable distance. Over dozen
bodies foated to the surface, some half
eaten and others with many gaping
wounds in their sides. The two on
deck were finally killed and they were
thrown overheard. The deck was slip
perry from their blood, and as Emman-
uel stood by the gunwales, a sudden
lurch of the boat threw him over. A
hoarse cry, and in he went right among
the sharks, now furious with their
bloody feast. The captain rushed up
and threw rope; but Emmanuel was
nowhere to be seen. Soon a commo-
ton was observed some twenty feet
| away, and his head emerged suddenly
from the water, and he shot up in sight
riding astride one of the sharks.
! Emmanuel was blue with fright, but
he jabbed his queer steed with his big
knife that he always had in his belt,
and the vicious monster plunged for
ward, fortunately carrying him nearer
the boat Recovering from his aston.
ishment, the captain flung forward an
other rope, which, fortunately, Emman-
uel caught. Rising up on the sharks
back, Emmanuel took the rope with a
firm grip and jumped for the boat Sew
eral OF the monsters plunged at him as
he tell among them, but by some strange