The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-14
A True Shark Story.

How very hard Il is 70 provide for
young, fast-growing family nowadays,
said the mother shark, turning. for the
hundredth time that morning. upon ner
broad side in order to get better view
Of what might be stirring above. For
nearly a week she had been fasting; IN
fact, ever s.nce she came in hurriediy al
the close of a great feast upon the strip
ped carcass Of recent whale. There, oy
dint of the energy of her massive shoulders
her fourteen feet of length, and nve-foid
rows of triangular teeth, she had managed
to secure respectable proportion OF the
spoil for the replen3shiag Of her own huge
nav as well as for the up-keep or tae
fourteen sharkl.ngs that were now rest
lessly darting in and out Of their cosy
cave at the far end of her capacious
throat.
Within the immediate of her glance
vast black shadow obscured wide, irreS-
ularly shaped era Of the blazing sunshine.
1t was so calm that the shadow seemed
stationary. In the direction OF this cool
penumbra her gaze fingered earnestly.
For hereditary instinct as wel as long ex-
perience gave her the knowledge that
from the substance of such shadows came
food dropping down, varied and tooth
SN~e~~-O---'
Somewhat impat:ently she wondered a.
the long time that her little blue and gold
attendant had been gone. He was so sell
dom absent from his place between her
ewes for a whole minute that she got quite
uneasy But while she fidgeted fretfully.
with many twitchings Of her flexible gam
topsail," back came the pilot-fish in tear
ing hurry. Now then, partner, move
along, do. There's lump of fat pork al
most as big as your head hanging over
that ships stern don't quite understand
why it doesn't sink, but 1t is good l
ribbled Just crumb, and you can be sure
this time that it is no bagful OF cinders
like that nasty mouthful that gave you
the chest-ache so bad this morning" The
latter part of this energetic exordium was
lost upon mother shark, being drowned In
the wash set up by her great tail-fin,
which was going in grand style, starting
her OFF at such a rate that two or three
stragglers Of the family had to skip ike
shrimps 20 get indoors before they were
left behind and lost.
Straight as an arrow to the mark went
the tiny guide. keeping just in front OF his
huge friends snout. Together they swept
into the shadow, where, sure enough. a
mass of meat hung just below the sea sur
face, though gently lifted almost out OF
water every now and then. "Oh, do look
mamma, there's a big fish. Is he going
to eat UP that pretty little one. do you
think?" 'Oh, no, my little man." struck
in the mate, "but you watch him now.
AS he spoke the great gray body took a
curve latterly, a dazzling glare OF white
appeared and there beneath the speaker
was a crescentic gap in the smooth, Hvfd
under side, fringed with innumerablt
points like chevaux-de-frise, and as big a;
the gap of a coal-sack. Around it the
small pilot circled excitedly at top speed
Slowly It rose beneath the bait, which thi
mate as gently Stacked away, there was q
gulp, and the big joint disappeared There
was a fash, a splash, and an eddy. Ther
| the rope attached to the shark-hook con
! cealed in that pork groaned over the raj
| as ii felt the strain.
'fLay off the watch" roared the mate
| and amid the trGmpling Of many feet,
| babel of directions, and tremendous tu
| multi alongside, she was transferred for
ward to the lee gangway, where, by th'
| aid of stout watch-tackle, she was hoist
ed out of water.
Don't take him aboard" cried the cap
| tain; make such an Internal mess IL yol
do. Just spristle-yard him n let him g'
! agen" So piece of scantling was go
| from the carpenter. pointed at both ends
about four feet long. This they drove be
tween her jaws from side to side. Anoth
er wedge-shaped piece was planted diago
nally down through her broad snout, TN
upper end pointing forward. Then they GU
off the wide pectoral fins. letting the quiv
ering carcass fall into the sea again b!
the simple expedient of chopping the hool
out. what abominable cruelty" mutter
ed a gentle-faced man among the crowt
| Of passengers. as he turned away sick a
| heart But the bustling seamen looke'
| pityingly at him, wondering doubtless a
his lack of sporting instincts Thus dis
abled the m.serable5monster plugged blind
| ly in uncertain directions, unable TO stee
herself. unheeding the frantic caresses o
her faithful rttle satellite. who had almos
/ exhausted himself by leaprhg up al ne
as she Mung struggling against the YES
! sells side Neither di she notice the puz
zled, wavering movements of her wonder
! ing brood So she disappeared from tn
view of the laughing, happy crowd ol
| deck. But whichever way she rushed sh
! always fetched up to the surface prompt
ly, because Of the vane in her head. Thu
| for day and night she fought aimlessl,
with all the forces of amazing vitality pen
up in her huge body against these tortur
| ing disablements, until mercifully she fel
in with a couple of ravenous congeners
! Scenting fresh blood, they made for he
| straightway. Like mad things they fell up
on her. Long and hard they strove. tear
ing their way through the tough frame
| IVORY until assistance came from all quar-
ters, and a motley multitude of variou
! hungry ones cleaned up every shred of IN
, welcome banquet, leaving only the desert
ed pilot to seek another patrner.-Londol
| Spectator.