The leader., 1905-06-10
Is COURTING DEATH.
HARPooNINc GIANT SHARK Al
HAZARDOUS UNDERTAKING.
Story Of Ships Grew Fastened to
Monster Of the Sea and Led
Long and Desperate
Chase.

Ahead, not 200 feet distant, rose the
back and dorsal fin Of the basking shark,
that, aside from the triangular shaped
fin, might have been a log awash. But
there was no doubt Of its true nature,
relates the Metropolitan Magazine, the
giant of the tribe, the huge animal
which in the eighteenth century was
SO common off the New England coast
that 1t constituted a regular fishery,
individuals being taken which meas
ured from so to 40 feet in length, hay-
ing wide range and found in various
seas to-day.
1t was this giant that now loomed
up ahead; true to its name basking
in the summer sun. The captain was
the harpooner and took his place in
the bow, and the two men rowed Slow
ly and carefully on, following the di-
rections of the watchful skipper In
the bow. Larger grew the strange
object, the biggest of the sharks or
fishes in the popular sense, taking a
colossal sun bath. The dory came UP
on the port quarter of the fish at q
respectful distance from the tail, the
top Of which lay just at the surface
tanning the sea. Slowly the dory
moved on, the men lifting their oars
carefully, not even feathering, and
when near the shark they gave long
surge and the dory shot quickly along
side. For second the skipper could
have stepped upon this living giant
island, against which the sea was
breaking on the windward side, and
doubtless the temptation was strong,
as he hesitated and made move as
if he would jump, then lifting the
harpoon, with all his force he drove i
into the yielding flesh of the somno-
lent animal
AS the thud of the blow sounded,
"Starn ALL" rang out, and the four
oars struck the water and the dory
shot backward with force that near
ly sent the helmsman on his face.
Back with her, back hard!" shout
ed the harpooner, springing astern, not
a moment too soon, as the huge mass
rolled clumsily then rose several feet
and out of the water came a colossal
tail like catapult, sweeping from
side to side, grinding the water into
foam, fatal to any object that might
have been in its path; then the water
swallowed it up. The dory was head
ed after the fish and the men began
to row in the direction it had taken
to ease off the strain when the end
came and the tow really began.
Half the rope was gone and it was
still 1eaping like a snake from the
tub. A slight hitch, foul and some
thing would have to give. Two-thirds
gone and still flying and something
smoking. Down ALL" Skipper and
oarsmen dropped into the seats and
rowers held their oars as the last coil
leaped over, the cable came taut, lift
ing the water in line of silver for
100 feet, then jerked the dory ahead
with force that would have sent any
standing man overheard.
The fish was away, the race was on.
Evidently the shark was not SO feet
down and rising. 1t had taken a
course due north and was holding 1t,
flying along at the top of its speed,
impelled by fear, pain and rage.
A sea had picked up and the dory
occasionally met one, passing through
under pressure, and cloud of spume
which the landsman at the steering
oar faced, drenehed but filed with the
splendid possibilities of this sport and
its excitement The shark began a
long turn, sweeping around ih@the arc
of circle, literally taking the back
track like a fox.
The water is boiling beneath the
box, the tail of the game, and the men
take a turn, breathe hard a moment
"catch their wind" and stand by for
the last haul No chanty now, the
skipper gives the word by raising his
pole and the men give way and run
the boat aboard the big game, and
down into its body, not far from the
fin, the skipper pounds his lance
tanning it home.
At the motion the men cast on
grasp the oars that are ready in the
oarlocks, and send the dory ahead
and to starboard, deftly clearing the
swing of the tail as it rises and lashes
the water into foam.
The shark has lost its steerage way:
1t wallows in the sea, now shoots
ahead; then, like ship that has shift
ed her ballast, rushes ahead. rolls
heavily and desperately, stops, and
while the men stand and wipe their
faces and the landsman waves his cap
the great basker, the sun worshiper
lies prone and motienless She is dead