Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-12-02
THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND OAR
ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.
Dog and Shark in Death Grip
Farm Hand Rugged by Big
SnaIke-A Strange Case,

shore near Bridgeport. 1t
was a fight to the finish, and was so
savage and the antagonists were SO
evenly matched, says Bridgeport let
ter to the New York Recorder, that
tho two spectators could not even
guess at the outcome until the very
end.
Myron Bradley, of Oyster River.
and his fatherin law, Deacon Jared
Scudder, of Wooimont, had sailed
over to the Milford Point shore in
their big sharpie, the Jeanette, to dig
q mess of long clans and try the snap
per bluefish off the Charles Island bar.
They had with them Mr.. Bradley's two
prize bulldogs, Mike and Dan.
Tho sharpie was beached and the
two men were busy forkiug big, fat
CLANS out of the sand, when, all at
once, they heard wild commotion
down by the Jeanette. They couldn't
see anything. for the trouble was hid
den by the sharpie, but the spray was
flying and there was an awful splash
ing. Running to the spot, they saw q
big fish thrashing around in not more
than foot and half of water and
shaking and crunching in his jaws a
bloody,obieet.
ga shark! A shark" yelled Mr..
Bradley. And SO it was, an eight
footer, and the thing in his mouth was
all that was left of Dan. They could
see, coming nearer, that the dog had
hanging slice of flesh torn from the
sharks jaw. But it was not the dead
dog that was causing the big pirate SO
much agony, nor the rapidly falling
tide that had now cut off his retreat
by n long, low sandbar. Ii was Mike,
and both men uttered cheering yell
as they saw the gritty dog hanging to
that tender spot under the shark
throat, with his iron jaws tight set and
every now and then, when he was up
permost in the struggle for an instant,
emitting his fighting growl, a deep,
thunder like rumble that meant no
good to his opponent.
Every now and again the shark
would bury the dog under the water
and apparently roll on him, and that
not succeeding he would rise half out
of the water and shake his wounded
head furiously. 1t was evident that
the dogs had been swimming around
the boat and had tempted the mon
ster into shoal water, and he had prob
ably seized Dan before his presence
was suspected. Mike had come to the
rescue and was now fighting the bat
tie of his life. Out of his element, and
with an antagonist that outweighed
him twelve to one, it seemed n desper-
ate attempt. Deacon Scudder ran
back and got the diSging-fork and,
wading in, watched for chance to
deal the shark Il crippling blow with
out hurting Mike. SO swiftly did they
turn and shake and tumble, however,
half concealed by discolored water aud
spray, that he couldn't seem to get u
chance for thrust.
The dog was becoming weakened by
his repeated immerslons in the salt
water, and choked once and let go his
grip. The shark rolled and tried 20
strike him with its powerful tail
hukes, but Mike was too nimble. He
dashed to one side, and as the fish
rose, quicker than thought he hal fas-
tened in his old position with deeper
hold than before. The water was red
with the sharks blood, which was
streaming from the torn throat and
the fight had lasted fully twenty min
utes, when Deacon Scudder got good
opening and drove the sharp tined
fork into the side of the shark. 1t
was not vital wound, but it weak
ened the fish and he was now strug
Cling in less than foot OF wate". The
two men threw q rope over him after
several attempts, and, taking turn
around his tail, dragged him tail-frst
further up the sand, SO far, in fact,
that he lay almost entirely out of
water.
Here the maddened dog had things
his own way, and, tearing and biting
into the stomach of his great enemy,
he shortly killed him. Shaking him
self, he ran to the waters edge, jumped
in and dragged ashore the floating,
mangled body of his brother and life
long playmate, Then he lay down in
the sand from exhaustion.