The morning call., 1890-08-18
CAPTAIN JoE's SHARK STORY.

An Adventure Win GENUINE man EAte1s
in the Gulf Stream.
Captain Joe Holland is one of the veteT-
ans of Lake Worth, Florida, and here IS
his latest fishing adventure while on his
last trip from the Bermudas a few weeks
ago. The captains pet boat is small
sloop, and his crew consis is CT himself and
a stalwart mulatto and pet monkey. The
latter had bee. taught to haul ropes and &c
many other things of that kind. When out
from the islands on their last trip and in
the Gulf Stream they encountered school
of shar ks. The captain, it appears, tried
every way to get rid of his unweic0me ioi-
lowers, but OF no avail, as they chung
closer than debtor, and night or day their
ugly-looking fins and shovel-shaped noses
were clearly visible close by.
While proceeding along under easy sail
the captain began practlclng on the SHARKS
with his rifle, while Emanuel, the mulatto,
tried his skill with an old fish harpooG.
The captain finally wounded one and the
whole school turned on 1T as its blood be-
gan to flow, and terrible commotion be-
gan neal the vessel. 10 add to the con-
fusion Emanuel struck big one. too, and
its frantic struggles. coupled with the
streams of blood which flowed from itS
wounds, soon brought up all the man-eaters
within a mile, as the captain said The
huge ugly creatures plunged around about
the vessel striking ut the wounded ones and
taking great pieces out OF their sides. ne
night grew furious, the sharks jumping gu:
OF the water and rushing al each other VITA
wlde-Open mouths armed with such ugly
looking sets of teeth, as the captain says
fairly made his blood run cold. In all ovdr
forty big sharks were engaged in the scrim-
mage, and the commotlon they caused was
terrible.
The captain and Emanuel both feared
that this night would do them damage, as
every once in while TesOundng thud on
the boats bottom would show that tie raw
enous creatures cared little for such YES
sci as theirs. All of sudden a big fifteen
foot wounded shark rose short distance
off, with another, double his size, in pnr-
suit. He rushed on, and in jiffy had
sprung right into the boat, and the 0tner
followed. 1t is hard to say who was the
must surprised, the sharks or the captain
and his crew. The monkey flew up the
mast, chattering with fright, while Eman-
uel sought safety on the bOwsprit ana tho
captain jumped into the cabin. The tn.
big fish floundered around in the boat, tjf
sides being just high enough to prevent
their getting over again. The boat rocked
to and fro frightfuly as the huge sharks
kicked about, and Captain Joe says he ex-
pected to go to Davy Jones' locker at any
moment. The sharks both lay with their
heads toward the bow and their tails near
the cabin door.
Venturng forth after while the captain
seized an ak and, standing near the door,
he brought it down with all his strength
upon the tail of the big fellow. The effect
was electrical. Up went the hukes with
tremendous whisk. and, while the ak went
out to sea dozen rods, the captain was
whrled backward into the ocean, just CATCH
ing the rudder post as he fell Emanuel
thought that the captain had gone for good
and he halloed outright IN his fright. The
captains voice, somewhat choked with sea
water reassured him, and the brave fellow
nj tha .!Hn 6f fbp hOat
ing over one of the sharks and, on reaching
the stern, helped the captain up from his
peTilUus 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 monsters, while they
IhraShed about in the most lively manner,
the little boat creakng in every timber
from the shock. Finally JockO came run
ming down the shroudS to take a hand in
the fight. He picked up belaying-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 IL with wide open mouth, but
the nimble monkey jumped out OF the way
and came back with another blow. Not
withstanding 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 yc0us-l0oking Sea-tlgerS lay gasp
ing 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 II consldera-
ble distance. Over dozen bodies fi0ated
to the surface, some half eaten and others
with many gaping wounds in their sides.
Tie two on deck were finally killed and
they were thrown overheard. The deck
was slippery from their blood, and as
Emanuel stood by the gunwales sudden
lurch threw him over. A hoarSe cry and
in he went right among the sharks, now fu-
rious with their bloody feast. The captain
rushed up and threw rope, but EMANUEL
was nowhere to be seen. Soon CommO-
tion was observed some twenty feet away,
and his head emerged suddenly from the
water, and he shot up in sight riding astrlde
one of the sharks.
Emanuel was blue with fright, but he
1abbed his squeer steed with his big knife
that he always had in his belt, and the
vicious monster plunged forward, fortu-
nately carrying him nearer the boat. Re
covering from his astonishment, the captain
flung forward another rope, which, fortu-
nately, Emanuel caught. Rising up on the
sharks back, Emanuel took the rope with
firm grip and jumped for the boat Several
Of the monsters plunged at him as he fell
among tbem but by some strange good luck
they missed him, and the captain hauled
him on board, one shark just nipping off
bit of his heel as he was hauled over the
side. .-GlObe-Democrat.