Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-02-06
FENCER OF THE SEA.
ROUGH AND TUMBLE ENCOUNTERS
WITH THE sWORDFlSH.

ROUGH AND TUMBLE ENCOUNTERS
WITH THE SWORDFISH.
frequently tho Rapieriike snout Pieress
the Yawl and Impales the Harpooner.
Chief Employment Of the Odd Denisens
Of Block Island.
Some 15 miles off the Rhode Island
shore and almost directly south Of
stormy Point Judith is the ragged coast
of Block island, where each resident is
farmer and fisherman.
AS quaint and old fashioned an ocean
resort as the American coast affords is
Block island. 1t is miniature world,
in which the customs and habits are
those of $50 years ago. Every knoll is
capped with small, one story farm
house, whose shingled walls are thickly
coated with whitewash, the only wash
that will Withstand the intensely vapor-
GUS, salty air, which melts the contents
Of the salt cellars ON the family tables
into thick, lumpy mass Some Of these
dwellings are $50 years old. and the
''old windmill. was built of luinber
from trees that grew on the isI.nd early
III the last century.
Completely isolated i'll winter from
the rest of the world. they take but lit
tie interest in any except their own con-
Germs. A Bible, q few books of sea sto-
ries, weekly newspaper and Daboll's
ancient almanac furnish all the reading
they wish, and stories of hobgoblins and
sea wraiths are the gossip of fireside and
forecastle.
Far out on the bowsprit of each fish
ing schooner there is little iron band
ed pulpit" where stands the harpoon-
er, harpoon in hand, riding up to his
fearless game. A swift and accurate
whirl into the monsters side. and away
he bounds, furious with rage and pain,
with floating keg attached to the iron
dart by fathoms of rope. The vessel sails
after him like tireless hound ON the
trail of fox, and the marine hunters
have only to keep sight of him until he
has exhausted himself with his mad
rushes through the sea.
When the time comes, however-it
may be in half an hour, and it may be
double that time-for the pluoky spears
man to'deal the finishing stroke to the
doughty warrior, then, if ever, hunter
and game meet on fairly even terms
The harpooner quits tho vessel in a
yawl, armed with an AK, spear and club,
and pulls his frail craft over the rough
waves to the side of the dying fish. It
may be that the moribund giant is
breathless and really exhausted. II so,
the harpooner has only to draw up
where is measured his bulky length up
on the surface of the ocean, plunge his
sharp spear into heart or brain or deal
q crushing blow upon the head
Buff the big fellow be only feinting
there is likely to be trouble Sulkily and
warily, but motionless. he notes the
harpooner's advance, and when the lat
ter has driven his boat to point not
half dozen rods away suddenly the
great fish arouses himself, shakes the
lethargy out of his bones and the brine
out Of his glimmering eyes, measures
the place of his foe for an instant, and
then rushes on him like a whirlwind
AedlCiy oOOo AO lAlco las uIlNCy anu tu0
luckless fisherman is impotent to evade
1t. The fish cleaves the waves with the
speed and fury Of a warhorse A sud-
den dip beneath the waves, and, loi he
has gone. i
But the next instant the oarsman,
leaping into the stern of his boat, hears
the rush Of waters, as of submarine
volcano beneath him, and with the sound
Of ripping timbers, long, slender,
black. hairy rapier is driven through
the boat from side to side, as if the lance
Of galloping Cossack had cleft it.
Lucky it is too, for the boatman if he
be not in line with the irresistible
straight thrust. If he is. the sharp bone
will pierce him as swiftly and easily as
a cook skewers chicken
An exciting encounter with a wound
ed and maddened swordfish was that of
Henry Chesebro. He had harpooned the
big fish from the deck of his sailing YES
sci, and after waiting tho usual length
of time got into his yawl to deal a fin.
ishing blow to the apparently dying fish,
AS soon as he approached his captive,
however. and commenced hauling in his
line, the fish suddenly awoke and began
operations by diving SO as to spear the
little craft. Missing his aim, the armed
leviathan went under the surface for
second attack
It was too late for Chesebro to retreat,
and utterly defenseless he awaited the
onslaught In moment the fish shot
out of the water, and with deadly aim
drove his sword completely through the
boat. 1t entered the craft about three
feet from the bow, on the port side, and
came out through the thin plank on the
starboard side. Chesebro had retreated
to the stern Of the yawl in the nick of
time, and thus escaped being transfixed.
His plight was seen from the schooner,
and the vessel headed for the scene. By
constant bailing Chesebro kept his dis
abled boat afloat until succor arrived.
A blow on the head then finished the
fish, which weighed 3S8 pounds.
Even more perilous was the expert
ence of Captain L. R. Stadman of the
smack Bessie Fish. He had speared a
large fish and went out in his small
boat to secure the prize. While bringing
him to the surface Stadman was turned
upon like flash by the swordfish, who
drove his saber completely through the
bottom of the dory, it projecting into
the craft about foot.
The ready witted Block islander i'm.
mediately grasped the sword with both
hands The fish struggled fercely, final.
ly swapping off its sword and diving for
the bottom of the ocean Keenly alive
to the danger of his position, Captain
Stadman ripped off his vest, and plug
ging his perforated vessel, which had
begun to fill with water. put back to
the schooner. A canvas patch Temporal
rily repaired the damage and rowing
back to the scene of the conflict the now
defenseless but still infuriated fish was
landed quivering on the deck Of the
smack. New York Herald.
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Plum Pudding Thin.
Astory has got into print Of French
man who. eating plum pudding for the
first time, was so pleased with the dish
4 u -