Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-08-19

ing sport, like hunting bear-eXcellent
and healthy just SO long as the bar
don't hunt you" Forth from the wide
harbor OF gray old Stonington, on the
SOUND, twice and thrice a week speed
q little flock of smacks and sailboats,
bending eastward, making for the
swOrdhsh grounds in the ocean far
beyond Block island, writes a New
London correspondent of the New
orE sun. From the walledin little
basin within the granite break
water at New sherman village, on the
lonely village, sails as often another
fleet OF doughty and eager sWordfsher-
men. Swordfsh are very plentiful, and
the world has lately learned to prize
tuelr flesh. There is money in the
chase Of that solitary prowler of the
sea, who wears his saber in his snout.
1t is fifteen or twenty miles southeast
Of Block island, on the hither edge of
the gulf stream, that the fishermen 90
to do battle with the swordfish. 1t is
not difficult to find him. He is always
coastiug there unWeariedly, back ana
forth la the tepid waters Of the great
stream, hunting all sorts of fish in
shoals, and even waterfowl, at times,
all of which he rips to pieces with his
sword exactly as Il WOodSman deals
slanting blows with his AK and a
trooper with his saber All living
things that swim are grist to his mill.
lie is afraid of none. He carries his
black colors aloft with the boldness of
any pmate-his black fin, which Sits
the surface Of the ocean as he glides
along as the coulter of pillow cuts the
greenSward.
But it is by no means a life alto
gether of ease and inactivity, cruiS-
ing for sworddsh. The geart game
fish are plentiful, indeed, and when the
sport is on there is stress of work and
thrilling adventure, than which there
is none more intense, more trying,
more intrepid, not even that of hunting
the great right whale or sending pilots
in a storm TO incoming liners. These
rough aud ready, bare-armed, reSolute,
sun-tanned, marine redmen cruise not
for sport in the first place, but for spoils
and ready lucre, and every palpitating,
armed leviathan they heaye aboard
their vessel means to them so many
pounds of sworddsh cut up into so
many steaks at to 10 cents a pound.
The dollar mark is tagged to every
hsh.
Almost every one knows how sword
fish are taken, and that il is arduous
and perilsome, but desperately fas-
cinatmg work to take them. Almost
every one knows that far out on the
buwsprit 'of every sword fisherman
there is a little open iron-banded
pulpit" where tie harpooner, har-
pOon In band, as his craft rides up to
the side of his fearless game, which
scoIns to flee or turn aside from any
foe that aSsails him; that the harpoon
is hurled into his side or that then the
monster, furious with pain and rage,
bounds away, with a hoating keg at
tached 20 the iron dart by fathoms of
rope. or plunges into the northernmost
course of the ocean. The vessel sails
after him. like a tireleSs hound on the
TRAN of a fox, and the marine hunters
have only TO keep sight Of him until he
has exhausted himself with his mad
ruShes through the seas When the
time comes, hJwcyer-it may be i'm an
hour, or it may be after twice that
time-for the pmcky spearmen to deal
the finishing stroke TO the doughty
warrior. then, if ever, hunter and
game meet on fairly even terms in a
valiant tug-o'-war.
rhe harpooner quits the vessel IN
yawl and with axe, or club, or spear
pulls his frail craft over the rOlsl
waves to the side Of the dying fish.
It may be the moribUnd giant is
breathless and really exhausted ana,
if So, the harpooner has only to draw
up where he has measured his bulky
length upon the surface of the ocean,
plunge his sharp spear into his heart
or brain, or deal crushing blow upon
his head. But if the big fellow is only
feinung there is likely to be trouble.
Sulkuy and YEARLY, but motionless, he
notes the harpooner's advance and
when The latter has driven his boat TO
n point not half dozen rods away,
all of a sudden Il, great fish arouses
himself, shakes the lethargy out of his
frame and the brine ouj Of his glim-
mering eyes, measures the place Of his
foe for an instant, then PUSHES upon
him like whirlwind Rarely ever
does he miss his urive. and the daunt-
less warrior, with swift and sinewy
skin and nervous sweep Of paddles, is
impoteut to evade it, The fish cleaves
the waves with the speed and fury Of
a war horse. a sudden dip beneath the
waves 10, he has gone; but the next
instant the oarsman leaptlg into the
stern OF his craft hears a great rush
Of water. as of a submarine volcano be
meath him. and with the sound Of rip
pinc boat timbers., that part with the
fragiHty of paper a long, slender,
brown-black. hairy rapier is driven
through the cookie shell from side 70
side as II the lance OF q gall0pinc