The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-04-02
A SHARK IN HARNESS.

How the Florida Reef Boys Play
With the Sea Monsters.
On the shallow lagoons Of the outer
Florida reef the bottom in ten feet Of
water Is often pure white. so that
dark objects resting upon it stand out
with startling distinctness. One of
the frequenters of the reef is shark,
known as the nurse, huge fellow,
nine or ten feet in length, who seeks
the seclusion Of the shadows and ap-
| parently goes to sleep. At least, pre-
tends to. as he is seen lying perfectly
quiet for hours, often permitting a
boat to sail over him.
Naturally SO sluggish a fish was
easily captured, and one day. after
watching the sharks swimming around
the lagoon and refusing to leave the
white shallow bottom, 1t occurred to
4 party Of boys that the nurse shark
would make an admirable steed, and
Immediate plans were formulated to
capture him.
The sharks were most plentiful near
q long. narrow island, and here the
boys made their headquarters. Their
mode of transportation was extremely
primitive. The boat in which they
crossed from the main island where
they lived was the wooden casing of
an arch some masons had been max
Ing. boat-shaped affair, blunt at both
ends. This had been calked and pro-
vided with rowlocks, and in it the
boys made frequent excursions. The
plan was to sail the boat quietly over
the sharks. then lower large slip
moose down and take one by the head.
The rope and pair Of grains were
thrown into the boat, and, all being
ready, the boys started on their expedi-
ton. They soon sighted black spot,
which told Of the presence of the school
Of sharks. and few moments later
were quietly drifting over them. Not
4 word was spoken. and the greatest
caution was observed as one of the
boys held the boat in place while an
other lowered the moose. Unfortun-
ately an oar dropped overheard, and,
with a whirl of their tails. the big
fishes were off in every direction.
In the excitement Of the moment a
third boy seized the spear. and hurled
1t at shark that was passing be-
meath the boat. The weapon took eff
feet. and the next moment the line,
which was fastened to the pole, stiffen-
ed out with a jerk, whirling the boat
roundand round, and throwing the boys
down violently into the bottom. When
they picked themselves up they found
the fat-bottomed boat dashing along
at a rapid rate. They had secured a
steed, though not in the manner an.
ticipated.
Up the reef the nurse swan, now
pulling the boat down dangerously
near the water and sending out big
wave on either side, then turning
with rush to avoid coral bank, that
grew on the edge OF the channel, and
racing back to the starting point.
All this was very exciting. One boy
held the line by bracing back; another
took an oar and attempted to steer
the craft in its wild race, while the
other boy was merely an enthusiastic
passenger Suddenly the shark turn
ed again, and the bow boy, rising to
see what new direction 1t was taking,
lost his balance and was jerked over
board. Before his companions real
lied fully the situation he was being
towed along on the surface by the
demorallzed shark. The reef boys
were as much at home in tho water
as on land. so the unforeseen accident
simply added to the sport. Tho re-
boys rowed the boat across
the lagoon cutting OF the shark, soon
picking UP their companion who had
pluckily held the line during the ex.
citing tow. The shark soon became
weary Of dragging the boat and was
then run ashore by bis captors.-C.
+, Holder,