Evening journal., 1897-07-19
SURPRISED THE SEA MONSTER.
How Hindoo Captured an Enormous
shark at the Mouth of the Gnnges.


old traveller, "but I remember seeing an
encounter with one of those long |
toothed gentry that for cool nerve beat |
anything ! ever read about.
Il was loafng around Calcutta one
day, late in the autumn, waiting for
the evening train to the city of Hugh,
when / heard tremendous shouting
coming from the direction of the River
Hugh, which is practically one of the
mouths of the Ganges Trotting over
to the shore as fast as a white man ever
travelled in India, saw huge commo-
tion. Natives were hurrying away from
the bank as if in terror and then rum
ming back as if their curiosity had over
come their greatest fears. The river
was full of boats. The occupants of the
larger ones were screaming with eN-
citement, while those in the small ones
were shrieking and jabbering with
considerable amount of fear.
81 soon discovered that the fuss had
been created by a huge shark, which
had come up with the tide and had ven
tured little further than it was Gus
tomary for sharks to do. His dorsal
fin was cutting the water here and there,
and when occasionally he turned on
his back and sent his nose and grinning
teeth above the water. groans and
screams of horror went up in all di-
rections. His sharlSship was evidently
out for supper and was casting longing
glances at the succulent Hindoo babies,
Of whom considerable number were in
sight.
"In the midst of all the hubbub tall,
lanlS Hindoo stepped out upon the roof
of kind of houseboat, and, in short
speech, announced that he would catch
the shark.
r "lnstautly a dead hush fell upon the
. multitude The Hindoo stood erect. He
5 was perfectly naked, save for little
garment at the loins. which our Texas
cowboys call 'gee-string.' He was
I armed only with a long rope like a
: lariat. which he held behind his back
t with his left hand
= "Presently Mr. Shark came to the sur
face about eight yards from the boat
n and Immediately the Hindoo plunged
10 overheard.
"a chorus of groans and eXclama
: tions went up, in the iaidst of which thu
/, Hindoo reappeored. swimming with hi
. right hand. Man and shark faced eacl
: other. and fancisd that / saw pleased
s expression in the monsters eyes az
+ much as to say: Well, this is civil, u
say the least
"The shark evidently thought he hat
cinch Of the situation. for he swan
leisurely toward the Hindoo, turne'
- f,,,ar,nI hf
g. mouth. The mouth closed with SNAP
l. and the people screamed, but the Hin
doc had dived, and presently he az
ID pearod again on the offside of the sharl
IT smiling and still carrying his rope.
r "The big fish looked surprised, an
TT then made another gentle dab at tn
he Hindoo. The result was the same. an
"a Mr.. Hindoo came up fresh for the thir
n round.
m "Then the shark began to grow angr,
an ard made a vicious run at the Hindo
TO and again he missed. The people o
at the shore and in the boats began TO fe'
ed confidence in the human champion, an
their groans were changed to applaus
us Every time the man made n poiI
~ against the fish those heathens woul
send up a rouSlnB cheer.
"Well, by this time the thing W;
getting exciting. / never saw sue
swimming before, and never w
let again. The man was a regular wat
rt- snake. He lodged, twisted, dived al
er jumped like an eel. The fish mat
lei le charge after charge. Once his fin graz
I' the Hindoos arm. and the water WI
~ colored with blood. The mans sto'
went down a point, but it soon TO
til again. when the crowd began to see tn
ch the fish simply wasn't in it. The mi
lg. was beating him at his own game. VI
ad see, the fish could only go i'm one dire
DC tion-straight ahead like an arrow
Net while the man turned and doubled Ii
~. fox.
ny "Well. by and by the exertion and {
W citement told on the monster. He e
ratified. churned the river into foa
49,. and then became quiet again. 1t W
~ the last round.
s5s "The shark settled down over hi
,bv man waited, lying in the water until {
lch great mouth was open to seize hi
Then, with a convulsive backward le;
. he Strengthened his body and sank fC
downward like plummet of lead.
a The shark settled down over hin
ne lashing the water into lather of foa
so They seemed to be graphing with ca
the other. The crowd groaned a
on screamed, and then became silent
ali For the space of what seemed ma
md minutes the people watched the surf;
re Of the water until even the bubbles i
en- disappeared and all was quiet.
,ev d" Lost, lostl' screamed q priest, a
the the mob reechoed the cry and began
s. beat their breasts like a lot of madm
Ilsw lev, Then suddenly in the middle of il all
,eir Hindoo reappeared, 80 yards up
are stream. Both hands were above
ked head. and he was screaming; Tan, t
her her tani' lie had slipped the moose Of
are lariat around the sharks tail, {
dge drawn it taut; and he held the free {
-. in his hand.
cisl "In an instant it was ashore, an
ing score Of Hindoos were drawing at it.
Who took them half an hour to get Mr.. Shi
IL. ne ashore, for he pulled like locomot
I,1f fbev finally mannUCd II