The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-04-15
HOOKING A BIG SHARK.
Experience of Two Fishermen Who
 Rattle With a. Monster Fish


 Experience of Two Fishermen Who
 Battle With Monster Fish.
 It was a pitch dark night with a heavy swell coming up from the inlet. We sat on the pier of the shanty smok- ing and listening to the confused sounds of wind and sea, while now and then big wave would become visible as it broke near the pier. It was about half-food 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 the sounds made by the feeding fish as they splashed and leaped on the surface.
 On this night we located big school by this method, and seizing our rods and tackle, jumped into a smaller boat than we 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 ime we had splendid sport with big bluefish.
 Suddenly the fish stopped biting in the queerest 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 something struck the bait and started off with such a burst of speed that the reed line cut and burned my thumb, The rod whip ped the water, and the sudden pull dragged me to one side before realiz- ed that I had a fish.
 What have you got, in the name of all that's wonderful?" asked my com- panion.
 What in thunder have I got?" asked in turn.
 I couldn't tell. It was going like To- comotive, and I knew that I couldn't check the thing, whatever it was, if had a hawser attached to it. The to- ounce bethabara and the strong bass line might as well have been twig and 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 semicircle. At last almost all the line had gone, when at once the strain relaxed and the line slackened so suddenly that the rod strengthened out like whip.
 Reel in quick" whispered John. Its coming this way" And sure enough it was coming. Four hundred feet astern the black water was broken into phosphorescence by it. It came a1nntr q e cwiffIU a 6 it had iy, tha other direction few minutes ago, and it left wake of light behind as it came. We could not see just what it was, but we did not need to speculate long, for 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 he again felt the strain of the line which had by this time reeled in For a moment he showed his full length as he turned on his side, and hen we saw that he was as long as the boat.
 Without wasting time. I let the reel go and gave him all the line he want ed, hoping he would take it and be off. But the big fish was angry and didn't intend to be off.
 The phosphorescence which followed him showed up his motions clearly. He swerved off, swan swiftly in big semicircle, headed straight for the boat with a great flashing of the water, and with terrific speed 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 cir cled off again and made another rush at the boat. This time I had the line twisted around my hand, and managed by sheer strength to guide the danger ous fellow round the bow of the boat. The strain snapped the line, and the shark sank slowly below the surface.-- Chicago InterOcean.