The Press., 1898-03-03
ATRUE SHARK STORY
PATHETIC ACCOUNT OF AN OCEAN
MONSTERS DESTRUCTION.

The Fatal Feud of the Little Blue and
Gold PnOt-The Lump of Fat Pork
With the Concealed HoOk-Death by
Torture With the Inevitable Finale.
Chow very hard it is to provide for
a young, fast growing family nova
6ays!' said the mother shark, turning,
for the hundredth time that morning,
upon her broad side in order to get a
better view of what might be stirring
above. For nearly week she had been
fasting-in fact, ever since she came in
hurriedly at the close of a great feast
upon the stripped carcass of recent
whale. There, by dint of the energy Of
her massive shoulders, her ID feet of
length and f1vefold rows of triangular
teeth, she had managed to secure re-
spectacle proportion of the spoil for the
replenishing of her own huge NAV as
we'll as for the up keep of the ID shark
lings that were now restlessly darting
in and out of their cozy cave at the far
end of her capacious throat.
Within the immediate range of her
glance vast black shadow obscured q
wide, irregularly shaped area of the
blazing sunshine. 1t was so calm that
the shadow seemed stationary. In the
direction of this cool penumbra her gaze
fingered earnestly, for hereditary in
stinct as well as long experience gave
her the knowledge that from the SUBJ
stance of such shadows came food drop
ping down, varied and toothsome, ac-
tually alive on rare occasions. Some
what impatiently she wondered at the
long time that her little blue and gold
attendant had been gone.
He was so seldom absent from his
place between her eyes for whole min
ute that she got quite uneasy, but while
she fdgeted fretfully, with many twitch-
ings of her flexible "gaff topsail," back
came the pilot fish in a tearing hurry.
"Now, then, partner, move along, do.
There's lump of fat pork almost as big
as your head hanging over that ships
stern don't quite understand why it
doesn't sink, but it is good. l nibbled
just a crumb, and you can be sure this
time that it is no bagful of cinders like
that nasty mouthful that gave you the
chestache so bad this morning" The
latter part of this energetic exordium
was lost upon mother shark, being
drowned in the wash set up by her
great tail fin, which was going in grand
style, starting her off at such a rate
that two or three stragglers Of the fam
lily had to skip like shrimps to get in
doors before they were left behind and
lost.
| Straight as an arrow to the mark went
| the tiny guide, keeping just in front OF
his huge friends snout. Together they
swept into the shadow, where, sure
enough, mass of meat hung just below
the sea surface, though gently lifted al
most out of water every now and then.
"Oh, do look, mammal There's big
fish. Is he going to eat up that pretty
little one, do you think?' "Oh, no, my
little man," struck in the mate, "but
you watch him nowl" AS he spoke thC
great gray body took curve latterly, &
dazzling glare of white appeared, anC
there beneath the speaker was a cres
centic gap in the smooth, hvid under
side fringed with innumerable points
! like chevaux de frise and as big as the
gap of coal sack. Around it the small
pilot circled excitedly at top speed.
| Slowly the mate as gently Stacked away,
there was gulp, and the big joint dis
appeared. There was flash, a splash
and an eddy. Then the rope attached tt
the shark hook concealed in the porl
groaned over the rail as it felt the strain.
Lay aft the WATCH" roared tbs
mate, and amid the trampling of many
feet, babel of directions and a tremen
dous tumult alongside, through the
writings of the captive monster, she
was transferred forward to the lee gang
way, where, by the aid of a stout watch
tackle, she was hoisted out of water.
"Don't take him aboard" cried the
captain. "Make such an Internal mess
ifyou do. Just spritsail yard him and lei
him go agen." So piece of scantline
was got from the carpenter, pointed al
both ends, about four feet long. Thii
they drove between her jaws from side
to side. Another wedge shaped piece
was planted diagonally down through
her broad snout, the upper end pointing
forward. Then they cut off the wide
pectoral fms, letting the quivering car
cass fall into the sea again by the sim
pie expedient of chopping the hook out
"What abominable cruelty" mutteTec
a gentle faced man among the crowdlns
passengers, as he turned away sick al
heart. But the bustling seaman looked
pityingly at him, wondering doubtless
at his lack of sporting instincts. Thus
disabled, the misera BILE monster plunged
blindly in uncertain directions, unable
to steer herself, unheeding the frantic
Caresses of her faithful little satellite
who had almost exhausted himself BY
leaping up at her as she hung strug
Cling against the vessel s side. Neither
did she notice the puzzled, waverinG
movements of her wondering brood. 81
she disappeared from the view of thC
laughing, happy crowd on deck Blu
whichever way she rushed she Away
fetched up to the surface promptly be
cause of the vane in her head Thus fol
a day and night she fought aimlesslJ
with all the forces of amazing vitality
pent up in her huge body against thest
torturing disablements, until merciful
ly she fell in with a couple of ravenoul
congeners. Scenting fresh blood, they
made for her straightway. Like mao
things, they fell upon her. Long and
hard they strove, tearing their way
through the tough framework until as
sistance came from all quarters and 1
motley multitude of various hungry
ones cleaned up every shred of the wei
come banquet, leaving only the deserted
pilot to seek another partner.
Spectator.