Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-06
CATCHING OF THE SHARK.
Had Taken Bigger Game Than
They Wished.

From the New York Press.
1t was a pitch dark night with . heavy
swell coming up from the inlet. We sat on
the pier of the shanty smoking and listen
ing to the confused sounds of wind and sea,
while now and then a big wave would be-
come visible as it broke near the pier. 1t
was about half flood tide. the very time for
schools of big fish to run in, as they did at
night. to feed. Whenever We wanted to go
fishing in the night. we used to listen for
splashed and leaDed on the surface.
On this night we located a big school by
t taekl @e 5 i a INTO a ae smaller o boat r sSsn a Ra
would had We taken time to choose. The
fish proved to be further out than We
thought. and the light in the shanty was a
mile and a half away before we dropped
anchor. But We had managed to get into
the very middle of the school,, and for q
time We had splendid sport with big blue
fish.
Suddenly the fish stopped biting in the
9ueeres: way. I let out foot after foot Of
line. thinking that the school had moved
only a short distance and that my bait
might strike them. But for a long while
there was no sign Of fish; Then; at once;
with such a burst Of speed that the reel
line cut and burned my thumb The rod
whipped the water and the sudden pull
that I had a fish.
What have you got. in the name of all
in turn.
1 couldn't tell. 1t was going like a loco
the thing. whatever it was, If I had a haw-
ser attached to it. The ten ounce %bethabara
and the strong bass line might as well have
been a twig and a piece OF thread.
Both of US sat peering into the black
vagueness astern, and my reel was simply
screaming. while the rod was bent into a
semi-circle. AT last Utmost all the line had
gone: when at once the strain relaxed and
the line slackened so suddenly that the rod
straightened out like a whip.
coming this way" And MaIs sure enough suef it was
coming. Four hundred feet astern the black
water was broken into pnosphorescence by
in the other direction a few mute ago.
and it left a wake Of light behind as It
came. We could not see just what 1t was,
almost instantly the big fish was alongside.
and then we saw that it was a shark. and
a big one: He twisted his tail violently as
had by this time reeled in. For a moment
he showed his full length as he turned on
his side. and then We saw that he was as
long as the boat.
Without wasting time I let the reel 20
and gave him all the line he wanted. hoping
he would take it and be off. But the big
fish was angry and didn't intend to be OF.
The phosphoresence which followed him
showed up his motions clearly. He swerved
of. swan swiftly in a big semicircle. head
ed straight for the boat with a great LASH
| and force struck his head against the side
Of the small craft. Only by throwing all
our weight on the gunwale did, we escape
being capsized: as 1t was. we shipped half
the boatful Of water. The fish circled or
again and made another rush at the boat.
This time I nae the line twisted around
! my hand, and managed by sheer strength
to guide HI dangerous fellow round the
bow of the boat. The strain snapped tho
line. and the shark sank slowly below the
surface.
The anchor was pulled up hastily and We
did some tall rowing over that mile Of
dark. rough water. There was no more
fishing for US that right, and we didn't feel
like it for some time to come.