The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-10-01

AFTER A SWORDFTSH.
A GLORIOUS" FISHING TRIP IN THE
BAY OF FUNDY.

Waves Like the COney Island TObOggan
sIide-The Correspondent "siIed His
Garment"-In the Tail of storm-TLe
Shippers Tale of Woe.
had longed to go swordfshing all my
life. knew the creature was havorous,
gamy and good, for had eaten savory
bits Of him broiled. / knew that he car
ried on his pugDacious snout a sword of
polished ivory as lively as an Italians sti-
letto and as heavy as King Arthur's ex-
oaIiber. knew he would fight like a cow
boy, and was from eight to fifteen feet
long. So l wanted to go after him, or /
foolishly thought did. / was talking in
this way on pile Of stone they called a
wharf when a skipper spoke up and says:
"Yon goes a Teller after 'em. WY don't
you go along FER i'm"
He blew on his fingers shriIl pipe-one
long blast and two short-as a signal, and
received a similar answering horn. The
sails luffed, the sloop hove to and came
around, and my whistling agent put me
aboard from his own dory.
ON BOARD THE sLooP.
The sloop tackled again and laid herself
right down before the wind. 1t seemed
nice Each wave was about as long as the
sloop, and rolled up from toward Spain. 1t
seemed like the corduroy toboggan slide at
Coney Island. 1t suggested going to heaven
IN hammock. We introduced ourselves.
The shippers name, had been told, was
Hallibut, but after had called him by it
about a hundred times found out that it
was Hurlbut. He was at the helm and
held the reins. Another man stood on a
little platform about thirty feet up the
mast, and it was his business 70 discover
the fish and tell the captain which way to
steer A third man was standing right
out on the end of the bowsprit with a har-
poon in his right hand, sharp, ugly look
ing steel weapon six or seven feet long.
''This is gloFiousP' / shouted.
"Heyp sung out the skipper, above the
whistling wind
"Gloriousp' repeated.
'"Tsil of a Storm" he shouted back,
''sha'n't git no fish"
went over where he stood There were
two vessels like our own a little distance
of, with men In the crosstrees and on the
bow.
The captain tackled, and as the boom
came around yelled out, ok out for your
headp looked out for it, and then l OBJ
served for the first time that he seemed in
trouble He was swearing in low, gentle
baritone voice uninterruptedly, mildly,
with quite q surprising range OF epithet
and of metaphor. 1t was the most serene
profanity had ever heard. 1t had wheel
ling and even pathetic accents, like New
toundland dog that is being petted.
What is it, sirl" 1 ventured TO ask.
THAT internal son of a sculpin on the
lee quarter stole a fish I'm me yisteday,"
said he in the same subdued voice. 'Pd
like TO whale 'em sot be couldn't STAN, I"
and then he blasphemed again in a foolish
and ridiculous voice.
did ne take it right Off the deck3"
asked
He cast whitening glance at me, swore
little and remarked: "He did not, but he
might just as well Nv. 1t was my fish. 1t
want more'n ten rod ahead NV us, and we
Tuz Jest a goin' TO gather i'm"
said never considered a deer mine
till I'd shot him"
FRIGHT oFF'M BIS DECK"
He grunted five or six times in a way
that was sad to see, embroidering that ut
terance with an arabesque Of profanity
quite dazzling to hear, and added; Hui a
5eerl Well he might git away FIN ye,
mightn't her An a swOrdfish couldn't git
away I'm me, could her That's the differ
ence, amt iti Just as soon that white
livered measly cuss had took it right off N
my deck"
"Starboard bowT yelled the man in the
rigging.
'HelloT said the captain in a surprised
way, and put his helm a-port. The sloop
listed to the leewGrd, and the man on the
bow held up his harpoon at arms length
and gazed anKiously down into the water.
A writhing convulsion-chug-the sharp
iron had left his hand and gone into the
sea. The rope ratified after, the sloop came
around into the wind, a boat was tossed
over the guards by a man and boy, and
the chase began.
Answering my inquiries the skipper
said: Hell run till he tires out, then he'll
come to the surface, and they will haul
him up to the boat, knock him in the head
with an AK and pull him aboard-if they
are strong enough. If he's too big they'll
town over here"
We were almost out Of sight Of land.
The sloop was running hurdle race, jump
ing over waves as high as a house She
pitched fearfully and she rolled awfully.
Toboggauing was firing me out. 1t sug-
gested going In a hammock TO the other
place. My stomach was queasy.
when are we going sshore~ asked.
when we get some fish" said the skip
per- This is glorious"
stood up a minute longer heroically,
and then | calmly lay down in the bottom
of the vessel-in my white fannels, oh, be-
loved readerl in my white fannelS 1t was
wet, and mackerel had apparently just
been shoveled out of il, but | did not care.
was indifferent as to what became of my
clothes or myself
The skipper began TO sing.
cast one imploring look at him and
Bring a bucket. Pete" he exclaimed to
the other boy.
Pete did as he was told.
"Sayl Yer sling yer garmints" re-
marked the skipper. tried to remember
the things be had said about the unscru-
pulous mariner who stole his swordfsh
The sloop lay wallowing in the trough Of
the sea, and lay wallowing in the trough
Of the sloop.
We got ashore some time toward night,
aud after lying on pile of boards for
couple Of hours l got so that could stand
UP and even speak few words.
Seeing the Infant hsnd passing up the
street in the cleaning asked him IL they
got the swordfsh.
"No, sir" he said Didn't We know he
got away I'm US and took the harpoon'
That's what made the cap'n so ALFRED
mad coming homer
shall not so swordfshing again till