Smyrna times., 1892-10-26
ASHARK IN THE SIRE
A PEARL BUYER is TOSSED INTO
THE SEA AS FOOD FOR 1T.

A Traveller Tells Story of What He Saw
Ohe Day In the HarbOr of Madras-The
Dapper Young Buyer and the RasoalIv
Ps'see Merchant
a wlId sea was running high in the
open narbor OF Madras. The sea ALWAYS
runs high there, and in the last two
miles must always be made in surf-
Doats The morning when the steam
snip 1lgress dropped anchor and ran nm
her signal for the boats, great angry
waves were bowling along before a fresh
monsoon, and even the surfboats found
1t hard to keep dry.
among our passengers from Cevl0n
ior Madras we had dapper young fell
low, who was as good a Judge of pearls
as ever saw. He had been to Cevlon
buying for an English house. and was
now ON his way to the Persian gulf to
complete his stock. He was to leave no
at Madras to go overland to Bombay
he knew how to buy pearls, but he did
noC know how to take care of them. Be
lore ne had been on board a day he had
told me all about his luck in Ceylon and
mad shown me his entire assortment
one OF the pearls was simply gorgeous
Had 1t not been for faint dot of bIre
| upon one side it would have been worth
a small fortune. He was delighted With
my appreciation and enjoyment of tbo
stones, and he showed me his treas,,,.os |
| several times during the short vovaoa |
! Twice he left me alone with them. II |
was not, however, through any Darticu-
lar confidence in me, for | susnect be |
made quite as free with his treasures
among several of the passenoers Oro
was d Farsee, who was forever going
between Ceylon and Madras, for what
purpose could never discover, though
mad met him several times.
Whatever else he was was sure that
the Farsee was great rascal. and was
surprised and sorry for the young pearl
man TO md him making q mostintimatA
friend of the fellow.
together they stepped down the lad
der TO enter a surfbOat as we neorad
nhduras' !. Inc young man went down
hrst with his case of precious pearls in
his hand. The Parsee was stennine, in
TO the boat when he paused and smoke
to Its black captain.
Il have forgotten something. ." be said
turning to the younger man. 81 ,n1st
come by another boat; will meet Won
at the hotel"
he gave the surfboat a push with his
foot and began to climb the ladder.
A sailor who was standing by me
muttered: nv
There's shark in the surf yonder"
But instead of looking away over the
water he looked directly down upon the
Parsee and then at the young pearl man
VI course there was a shark in the
surf. There are always sharks in that
surt' but to me the sailors sentence
meant something more than that {
Inc Parsee simply walked behind the |
saloon house, stood there two or three
minutes, then left the steamer nv an 8
otner boat. My curiosity was thoroughly /
aroused. Glass in hand watched tbo
two boats, Il quarter of mile anart {
stllI wondering what the sailor meant nv
"a shark IN the surf"
Presently one Of the great waves lifted
the first surfboat, but instead of TAKING
the usual advantage of it to din their
oars and pull distinctly noticed tbe :
ooatmen sitting like statues. The NJ. =
most naked fellow standing in the stern !,
win long oar to guide the craft. sud. g
lehIy leaned upon the oar, and the boat :
turned, was caught broadside ON tbe !,
wave and the next instant was cansizad y
saw the passenger, with the pearl case !, !
'hll IN hand, plunge head first into the -
water 'iio =
Like so many eels the black boatmap h
about in the water till tbev :
lighted their boat, then clambered o,,oy 1
he side and began to bail it out. II
NOT one OF them seemed to give a p
hought to their passenger. a.
Inc next moment a piercing shrek l
ounded even as far as our steamer. and
o my horror l saw the young fellows
'ody Htted out of the water not ten II
eet from the surfboat 1t made one n,
Ehlrl IN the air, disclosing the head of a II
bark holding it across the back then u,
ank again. '--0- " ;"
AS the next boat passed the place I IN
aW the Parsee throw something over W
oard that left a white spot on the wa 90
er, which remained as long as I watcbed of
. convincing me that it was buoy Of o+
ome sort set for some purpose. tb
A few days later we were anchored in .,
ne HooSly river, off Calcutta. os
was walking down the principal
hgllsh thoroughfare when l saw the
arsee emerge from the door of a lani-
ary. he evidently recognized me. Init pe
turned quickly in the opposite direc- tn
on and walked away.
"A shark in the surf" mutterad dr.
nd with only a vague idea half formed w,
my mind | entered the shop and in DIR
llred OF the dealer if he had an assort-
ent of pearls on hand.
How fOrtunatel" he exclaimed. "I ar
as never so low as this morning. Pearls Cr
e IN very great demand. But 1 have in
Ist purchased large lot of the finest pc;
'arIs l ever saw. l purchased them Gle
Try low for cash, and l cannot only
We you the first choice of this magnif-
mt collection, but a great bargain be- roy
1es. They are beauties! Yesp we
" es, l replied, ''they are beauties est
peclally this one with n dot of blue is {
'on one side. Too bad that it has the
wv" \
knew then why the Parsee went afr
'wn to the surfboat and spoke to the sell
ptaln, but went ashore bv another his
at l knew why he left the white ant
10y IN the water. knew why he con-
lually Journeyed between Ceylon and -
adras, and | knew what the sailor
cant when he watched him and NUT
red, There's a shark in the surf."-
lanta Constitution.
Henry ~ of France was stabbed in e
J carriage by RaYaillac inst no ho - -