The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-05-27
SHARK SHOOTING.

Hunters Witness Strang GO Battle be-
twccn "Tigers OF the Deep"
'Our arrival was hailel with delight
by the crew of the lightship. who placed
the cabin at our disposal. and we turned
in early. say we Il believe the doctor
spent some time that night teaching
the major our national game), and was
informed that he had pupil so apt
that what few rupees he had brought
out with him went ashore with the
major We slept well and were up in
time to see Old Sol get out of his bed in
the Indian ocean and lick the hoary of
our decks. After plate of fruit, some
fine fish, and fresh eggs, with a cup of
fragrant cofrc,, we got out our battery
and watched the movements of a clumsy
lugger that the outgoing tide and the
gentle morning breeze had brought
down from the city with the very odif-
erous carcass of horse, which, the
major explained, was the dccoy we were
to shoot over. The dead horse was
hoisted overheard and anchored about
eight yards below the lightship, and the
lugger stood about for home.
One of the sailors went aloft and kept
a lookout from the lantern cage. while
we ranged ourselves along the breast
high bulwarks. rifle in hand. ready for
the first fight. We had not waited
long when the major said: Nov,
boys, don't shoot the dccoys," and the
doctor observed something about it's
being his blind; this irrevelant CONVEX
sation was interrupted by There is
one!' from the lookout, and we saw a
sword-bladed fin shooting toward our
boat at ten-knot speed, cutting
ripple on the smooth surface OF the
water, and leaving wake that flashed
in the morning sunlight We knew the
game was there, but how to hit it? In
a moment we saw another fin, and then
another, until there were full dozen
in sight The great fish first circled
around the horse rs if to make sure
that he could not resist their attack,
when we say one turn in the water
and a portion of his white belly show
above the surface as his saw-like teeth
tugged at a great chunk OF horse flesh
Crack went the majors express an
bright red circle where the shark sank
testified to the accuracy of his aim
The other fish did not notice the shot.
but attacked the horse like a pack o.
ravcnous wolves, while we shot at every
spot of shark that showed above tn,
water, until we had converted the tur
quoise blue of the southern sea into Z |
sanguinary red.
While the sharks paid no attention to |
the shooting they seemed infuriatet |
with tn. blool and battlcd around tn. |
dea / horse until the water was lashec
nlmcst into foam. They soon becam,
so numerous that it was impossible /
set shot ut any particular one, an,
'vc stopped firing and watched III,
fighting, secthing. bleeding mass Tn.
justice OF tio title, "Tiger OF th,
Deep" was apparent to NIL now rs n,
more ferocious and bloodthirsty crca
ture inhabits either land or water thar
the shark of the south seas
When the battle was at its height
the maj,r led US TO the fored cls of tn,
little steamer, when we cast of from
the larger one and were soon among
the Fighting lcviathans who apparent
" took no heed of our arrival, but con-
'inued TO battle as viciously as before
We steamed around and around the
horse, shooting every fish that ap-
pcarcd. Some of them would go down
when hit, while others would CONTINUED
The fight 1t is doubtful if single shot
killed any one of them The crew
brought up some small harpoons and
astencd to three large sharks, which
we're towed out of the battle and hauled
way up to the town to be skinned
The fish seemed to have exhausted
heir fury after an hours struggle ant
We steamed back to the wharf. -Fores,
md Stream.