Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-16


lost in tremendous roar from the
skipper to his unceremOnious guest.
Blast yer black hide. you Portu-
guese sandflea. up hellum an outer
here. or We'll sink yc.'
Words sounding something like
Yankee thief" came from the other
deck, and the two schooners proceeded
on their several ways which converged
to meet at the place where the basking
swordilsh lay in the sun. prize for the
winner in the contest. ON the deck Of
the White Wing confusion reiGned. the
men We're jumping about in great ex-
element. but Captain silva stood
firmly at his wheel, and forward by
the lee cathead stood coOiheaded
fisherman, directing the course with
motions of his hand. Both captains
were determined and obstinate. each
thinking the fish his own rightfui prey.
ana ready to risk collision rarn"r
than to submit and allow the other 10
secure the reward.
Steady there. Tom" said the SKIP
per, quietly. and Tom set his .cetn
and bent down bit to his wheel. ore
light blue eye in the weatherbeatrn
brown face glancing about uneasily 1T
the Portuguese schooner coming across
the bows. We can swim as well as
they can. consarn EN-" said he, and
brought the vessel up n trifie to kccp
well into the wind.
Another moment and the crisis came.
The Portuguese schooner had little
too great speed. coming as she did
nearly before the wind, and arrived ~
the place where the SWOrdfish lay IN
advance of her Yankee competitor.
The striker made his cast unSucc"sS-
fully. And Captain Silva. at the
wheel. lifting with all his might,
luffed and slid by so near the bo"Spiit
Of the rival craft that its striker. en-
ragged at this high handed attempt to
take his victim from under MS mar
puon. made pass with that un2a'nly
instrument at one of the crew rpon
the hostile deck and struck him in tnc
shoulder. \ voley of jeerins corn
rn.nts from both decks lasted during
thn moment that they We're near To-
gethcr ana gave place to the triuln-
phant cheers of the successful ones as
the Yankee striker made a brilliant.
long cast from the crest of 4 wave and
transdxed the stupid fish. that ha
taken no fright even at the approat n
of two vessels at the same time.
And 81 another fish was struck. and
the sport grew exciting. Within three
minutes after the boat was dropped
the third fish was sighted. and proved.
on near approach. to be accompanied
bv two more. and ere long four dor'"s
were out. exhausting the crew aid
hI. III
at the wheel and the striker on the
bowsprit So numerous were the ms
sticking up into the sunshine that IL
Was continuous run from one TO
another swordfsh. harpooning then
from the bow dropping dory to ZAP
turc them and then making curve
back to pici; up the dory whose N
mates had secured their prize and
hoist the whole to the deck. -Four
dories We're out continuously during
the best part Of the afternoon and
nfuct M large fish lay upon the deck
when the evening fell and all hards
came. ut the cali of the skipper, to
dress and pack away.
Heads and tails and dorsalS shofn
or hv tile ruthless axes, and the NlsCera
removed. the victims are deposited. or"
bv one. in the ice of the hold, To h"
hoiSteI ont at T Wharf for the Boston
market and New England cunsunp-
ton. Ana as the ofial is thrown oN'l-
board it is usually appropriated by
those fiendish scavengers of the ocean.
the sharks. and dragged under fol
their refreshment. In the sWordnSh
season the banks are alive with sharks
III he
ing schooners. waiting for something
to be thrown over, occasionally ms
taken for the swordfish whose fins 50
much resemble theirs. ana II captured
made The victim of all the cruelty the
hatred of the fisherman can devise. IL
is clear that sharks are afraid OF
svordfsh for they are frequently 90
served to decamp when the long -noS@d
gentry put in an appearance y
whale. also. is no match for the Pike
man of the deep. and takes refuge III
n long dive when attacked by one ol
them. slapping the surface OF the oc"ai
with thai enormous tail in a way II be
hoard for miles as he plurges. in
fact there is no known fish or cctacein
able ia scope in battle with lAri't
male swordfish of q pugnacIoCS NJ
position. and flight is the common IT,
source of the finry creation when the
issue is forced upon them.
II Il, III Illustration Of the common
ironv of fate that SuCh stout ana "iI
Iik, hero Of the waves should u" over
come and often destroyed ny SHINY 'ti',
conicmptihle parasite. liut 4 SORT "l cc
win 4 ..ucktr-likr mouth is able % ~
tarh itself to that noble fish ana ~ "
hitc AMI powerful suction DEPRIVE ~ w
Tin, ~ th, greater part of his blood ana
So bring him To an ignobl" dca-h iaiSe
slyordtSh weighing from 'th I" ." i'otl'u7
III. ,nt infrpui,tntlV seen leapinS iroEl
the water to A height O. no less tnail tth
feet apparcntly trying to shake en- ines
narasitas: hut the latter are seldom ms
io1ccd sticking close like the srt:tI Darn
acles srau uuon the back and sides OF
whales when these giistcning monsters
risa from the water near We 'st!.
..svnr,itish is Gurus" was the skipper
nrngnaut summary Of the cha'ac'eilSticH
IF This Interesting genus of the piScene
~roIn .'rh,v'rc as smart as cnaln lisiit
S;n' when they're walked I'm. an as Stupld
as clans when they're doZin. sworn
mn i sllnnin' 'imseif on top OF 'ht Va
Tor is rs inherent as or baby. an YOU II
come right up an, naii I'm VIII, ci ma.
noon through is harslet. a mos d.: - 80 y,
&c chonpiu' a bump often log. f'ui !.
=. hannnns ia have one corner of one OF
IL liz ewes open. that is, open 70 ser
1.itb 10 know not jest open z moonlh
~ Tho ann like n big. fat. ole fool-WilN:
,hara's no use a sneakin up TO m. tie u
VIM for it lest before YOU gil near enou5n
IL bcave an iron. An If G happens 70 ~
mad ~ the schooner. why. Great Scott,
49, econ ne charge on il like torpedo
l. trh '