The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-07
A BATTLE WITH DoG-FIsH.
The Courageous Conduct of a Young New
England Fisherman.

uOL even say. 'WndL Is II: dS SOiHc are
inclined to do; and this is what saw:
A huge fish, which l judge must have
weighed one thousand pounds, as it was
over eight feet in length and proper
tionately large, came swimming up to
the boat, and passed around it so close
ly that | could have touched 1t. Again
it made the circuit, each time making a
closer circle, until finally, to my amaze
ment, it stopped. thrust half of its
huge head from the water, and de-
liberatelY took from my young COM
panion's hand a mackerel which he
held out to it.
"'Wait a moment said the boy, as l
was about to speak; and up came the
big fish again, and around the boat it
swan, stopping as before to carry of a
fish
'All this occurred" said the story
teller, ION the Maine coast. l was out
fishing with the son of the skipper of a
tishing-smack, and in this way learned
that he was fish tanner. In answer to
my inquiries, he said that he had been
in the habit of feeding the big fish for
several months. He first noticed it as
1T came up, one day, and took a fish
from his hook; and seeing that it was
so tame, he tossed fish at it, gradually
throwing them nearer and nearer, until
finally he held mackerel in his hand,
the fish taking it without the slightest
show of fear, and from that time on
the big fish had been on the most init
mate terms.
Almost any old fisherman OF the
New England coast has heard of sim
liar tales regarding the horse-ma mackerel.
For some time it is much less timid
than many fishes, in many cases hardly
appearing to know what fear is. My
young friend" continued my informant,
was born seaman. From his baby
hood he had been carried out in his IA
theirs fishing smack, and so knew every
fish that swan the waters. He was
also local hero, having shown great
courage in saving life.
ut happened this way: Every sum-
mer, generally during July and August,
enormous numbers of small sharks,
known as dog-fsh, appear suddenly
from deep water in the south and liter
ally destroy the fishing. They are a
starving horde. eating anything, and 1
have seen them surround a boat arise,
biting at the small sail that hung over
board. Fishing for hake, cod and other
marketable fishes ceases upon their ar
rival, as the moment line is thrown
overheard dog-fsh has it.
ut so happened that the house of my
young friend was on a point of land
which ran out into the water, forming
a little bay, and in it was anchored his
fathers sloop or fshing-boat One
morning he went down to the shore and
found that the tide in the night had
carried away the dory, SO that he could
not go off to the smack, as was the Gus
tom, and bring the boat-keeper in. 1t
was but short distance, so he
screamed to him the facts and told
him to swim in. The man took off his
clothes, made them into a roll, and,
placing them on his head, lowered him
self into the water and started in,
while the boy upon the beach laugh
ing jested about his dropping the bun
die. In he came, when suddenly, with
a shrek, he disappeared, coming up q
moment after. A small fin by his side
told the story, and as the man struck
the fsh from him and started again for
the shore, fins on every side were seer
moving toward him.
THE dog-fish had set in the bay
was alive with them, and they were
rushing upon the swimmer like pack
of wolves. The boy shouted encourag-
ing words, and the man swan bravely
for a few moments; then he uttered an
mother cry of pain as one of the hounds
struck him, and he rolled over in the
water, striking a fish from his bleed
ing side and fighting others with
hands and feet. He had but a few
feet more, when a dozen of the
fishes dashed at him in body, and
a mass of foam and spray only marked
the spot.
''It was then that our young fisher
man showed his heroism. Selling a
pitch-fork, which some man had been
tossing seaweed with, he dashed into
the water, waded out, and, pushing the
feet to the swimmer, who now came up
shouting for help. He appeared TO be
surrounded by the fish, that were biting
at every available point. The young
fisherman dashed into the pack, and,
protected by his stout canvass clothes,
struck right and left at the fish, driving
them off, then seized his friend by the
shoulder and helped him in.
You swim while L fight" he said,
and IN they went slowly, as the man
was almost exhausted, the boy striking
at the sea dogs, raising them up as
they snapped at his arms. Another
dash and bottom was reached, the fish
now coming in increasing mum bers; but
the brave boy hauled his friend in, beat
them back with the pitchfork, impaling
them as they came on, until the man
staggered, weak and almost helpless,
on the beach.
The courage it took to face the
throng can be understood only by those
who know the danger, and without the
boys aid the man would have been torn
in pieces. As it was he was cut in many
places, and the water was red with
blood from his wounds. The boy was
also badly bitten, and it was long
time before the two fully recovered
from their startling experience with
these wolves Of the sea
Il found. continued the storv-teller.
that the boy not only tanned large
fishes, but had several kinds in captivity
that sbo,ra3 r-,~a o- lass e-5Iaura ~
having been brought under the influence