The morning call., 1894-12-16

ment need not be said, aud it did not
| require much of an attraction TO secure a
| large and varied audience. When rough
weather set in or after heavy gale the
! wreckers would often gather down the
reef at LOggerhead, where a leck had
shaniy which he called home, and If there
was no unfortunate vessel to wreck or
| unload tie men would spend several days
In sport and revelry.
In those days this portion of the reef
was famous for the turtles that came
ashore to deposit their eggs, and during
the summer, when times were VIGOROUSLY
dull. Aleck and his boon companions
spent the evenings in catching these giants,
which were kept until the winter in crawls
or water cOrrals, then shipped to the
Northern States and sold at high prices as
delicacies. Often there were twenty or
thirty turtles il these crawls-huge broad
backed fellows that would weigh from 400
tn 1900 pounds.
The crawls were simple Enclosures built
in water ten or fifteen feet deep at high
Tide by driving posts into the soft sand for
fifty feet, making a large square corral.
These posts were connected with dry
branches of the bay cedar. so that per-
feet fence in the water was the result. All
around the edge of the corral was a plank
walk, around which the men could walk TO
take account of their stock, and at one end
was a gate, through which the boat with
lis load of turtles could be pushed.
One Christmas large bark had grazed
the reef and dozen wreckers had congre-
gated just in time TO see the high tide OF
the full moon float her off. In their disap-
poiDtment the band decided that Aleck
should provide them with some entertain
ment. The latter, nothing lOath, an
Dounc6d a tournament 10 take place at the
crawl, to consist of feats of skill in turtle
and shark riding and other games sug-
gested by the wreckerS.
When the wreSkers had all assem- bled
Aleck appeared and, throwing off his coat,
challenged any one in the party to ride
shark, which had been captured the previ-
Gus day, around the crawl twice. None of
the men seemed anxious 10 accept. so
slipping on canvas suit to protect him.
self from the rough skin of the animal,
Aleck quietly dropped into the water. The
shark was big, heavy fellow. not man
eater yet a very active swimmer, and
could easily stun man with its powerful
tail if it had favorable opportunity. It
Law quietly the bottom, alter the habit
of its kind, and when fifteen feet from the
fish Aleck sank 10 the bottom and began
swimming toward it from behind. The
wrtckers, who crowded the little walk,
leaned far over the water and watched his
movements with suppressed excitement.
Slowly and carefully the man approached
the black sleeper. A large loggerhead
came swimming along and darted aside.
whipping the water with its fms at the
sight: but still the shark did not move
and then Aleck with u vigorous move
ment shot forward and seized the fish by
its fms TN each side. For a second the
great fish must have been astonishsd into
inactivity, and then came a violent lash of
the pow erlul tail that threw the creature
ahead like shot out of gun and the dar-
ing rider out al full length. Like fash
it reached the end Of the crawl, the wreck
ers shouting and screaming with laughter,
one falling over in his excitement. Down
came The shark again, sill near the bot
tom, and then when 1t turned and they
all expected Aleck to be thrown off or to
release ais hold to breathe. he suddenly
drew himself up so that his knees pressed
upon the black back of the nurse that
by the movement was lifted so that
the powerful strokes OF its tail sent
its head out If water and with it Alexis
red face. He had but a second to inhale a
breath when the affrighted shark gave a
tremendous leap and tried to roll upon its
side. But the agile Aleck rolled with If,
and away went the shark, towing him as
before. Once again around the Enclosure
went the two, and again the fish was
forced by trick very simple TO the rideI)
ont of water, then heing released, the en-
thusiastic audience pulling the plucky
Aeck upon the boards.
The shark was a perfectly harmless
one that is found OH the reef in drOves.
often apparently asleep. With a man
eater the wrecker would not have been so
daring.
Sucn an entertainment was never seen
before. and was Impossible anywhere but
on the great reef that was the home of
sharks, turtles and wreckers. c. H.