The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-20


historian obedient To the laws aoi 'ru'n
by education and principle. ho nau SUI
enough, ho said, that was true Withou'
drawing upon his imag nation.
''Me left Liverpool with an assorteu
cargo bound for Rio Janoiro. .ihe
steamer was what Is called tramp
steamer" taking cargo where 1t may pe
found. Although not passenger stoaihcr
of the first class, yet she could accoihino-
date about 6O passengers, ana on 'his
voyage there were 80 on board. Every,
thing won't wen until we were In ma
ocean when the engine broke down, ana
we were obliged TO depend upon the
sails
I'VE had seen some sharks and their
presence lel TO shark stories. AS the
wind was right and as we made llt,le
Roadway, the sailors had opportunity
Co tell ali they knew about sharks and To
invent "A great deal more III you nave
heard an old tar tell stories, you know
what he can do, whatever may pe tne
subject. 1t is true that sailors, especlalIy
the older and more ignorant have peilels
and superstitions that appear, ana indeed
are ridiculous, preposterous, but they
cling TO them apparently Win erea'
| tenacity.
I'VE saw sharks every day. but be-
| lieye no particular attention would nave
been given to them if the passengers;
weary of the mopotony of the voyage had
apparently accepted them as true. Az last
| it was evident that "A single shark was keep
| ing company with us. NOT nuch cAcr-
| tion was required on the part OF the
| shark, for we merely drilted greater part
| of the time.
THE fact that the shark was following
us had its effect upon the passengers at
| once for the reason given. Now, there
| are sailors ailoat aud there were sailors on
that ship who believed or pretended 10
| believe that II shark follows snip DAY
after day, disaster in some form is sure 70
| follow, by which one or more persons Will
| go by the board ANA the shark Will get Its
reward. These tars will tell you that the
| shark knows that something Is going
| 10 happen and that he follows To get MS
| prey.
'"Stories like this were told and retold and
| listened to with bated breath. Up To TINS
| time the passengers had been III good
| spirits. We told stories and had games ana
| amusements. We had stores enough ana
| there was 10 lack of anything 10 cause
| anxiety. lt was II company we'll met, ana
| all went merrily till this time. But
when the shark began TO ofollow, and shark
| stories became daily food, all this changed,
not at once, but gradually slowly some
thing was creeping over the passengers,
and taking possession Of them. blight
seemed TO have fallen upon the spirits or
ALL The passe ngers in groups sat In
| SllcnCc anu NdlCDSu lOT lllG Va tlo
| shark. L laughed mt this, and yet IN spite
of myself j found this gloom, this feeling
of apprehension fastening its hold upon
| me. L could not shake 1t oil, but was
careful TO conceal it, gave orders
TO tho sailors to spin no more shark yarns
among the passengers. l was too late
| however, the impression made on the
minds of all could not be effaced.
1.-THE gloom thickened, and the feeling
| of uneasiness seemed to Increase. NJ one
laughed or jested, appetites Iailed, and IA
more melancholy company | never saw
together before under circumstances that
were apparently so propitlous. All
Thought seemed to be concentrated on
something To come-somothing terrible.
| Meanwhile tho shark showed himself
often enough to remind us that he was
with us still. Every morning by daybreak
or before, tho passengers were on deck 10
| see if the shark followed, and when he
was seen, they settled down to day
broodng, whispering and exchanging
significant glances, signing ana almost
crying out in despair
| Il was nearly distracted-never so un'
comfortable before or since. III disaster
| were coming, / hoped IL would come
ouiokly that we might be done with it,
else feared that should take into port
| a cargo of lunatics. There was one sailol
| aboard who did more than all others ia
inspire this fear and dread. He had n cat
like stealthy way, and when silent acted
| and looked unutterable things-shruggeC
his shoulders, whispered, looked feariully
around as though he expected something
terrible TO happen Immediately. This
sailor told passenger, who repeated
everything, that although 1t was useless
| To attempt to kill the shark, for he was
fated To live to carry out his designs, ye
the mere attempt to injure him woult
| increase the terror of the misfortune II
store for us; and also most wonderful o
| NIL that it would be wiser not To speal
disrespectfully of the shark, for tina
might be disadvantage To us. Iha
man ought to have been put in irons
"Among the passengers was n mar
about seventy years of age, tall, dignilicd
silent and morose. / believe he had bcci
very wealthy but was now in roduce'
| circumstances, and was going 10 Rlo q
spend his remaining days with relativ
| doing business there. lie was very re
served and despondent, ana kept hi
| state room most of the time, coming ol
, deck every day for only few minutes
He was accompanied by his nephew,
| bright Young fellow, who althoug
affected by the general depression, was no
borne down by il as the others were. III
old gentlman had had two or three i'll turn
since we left Liverpool, but they were no
serious He had been on deck so littl
that / DO not believe he knew anything
about the shark. His nephew would nc
be likely to tell him.
, "When we were in the thickost Of tn
; nght with fear and Apprehension
, | the old gentleman was taken illagain, mon
{ seriously than before. lie became delir
) | ous. and seamen were called in TO hol
him. But this passed quickly and he fe
, into sleep that appeared TO bo natura
{ The next day the uncle was as wen a
Q | usual as far as we could see except tina
he did not take the usual turn ON deck
, The nephew watched with him the iir'
night of his illness, was with him durin
{ | the day and a part of the second nigh
= when his uncle ordered him To bed. AN
|, said that hs was as well as usual, an
needed nothing. At three i'm the morning
the nephew looked into his statcrooi
Z agnin He was asleeping soundly, appa
: entity and there appeared 10 DO nothin
| further To do.
: "The next morning the passengers wei
y ON deck by daylight To catch the fir
glimpse OF the shark, coming on deck,
Q Thought more quietly than usual, almo
brcathloss, looking eagerly, yet fearful
i. for the so-called terror oi the sea- B'
| "a - .1g1 -. 60, him and the word ".