The Washington times., 1906-05-27
A Ride on q Man-Eater

. -1iifar unexpected things occN'-Iee' -
line had twist around the pole ana -
7 grasped Il 10 jerk Il from ''e s'ol>e'
s-iu holding the line the fish -usne"
violently and hauled me over6oares 7nS
next Impression was that OF being drag
ged under water
The instructive impulse when fishing
IS 10 hold on. obeyed II and must
have been dragged ten feet UHde- water
But I came up in few seconds, and.
by heading back and presenting my
chest 70 the water I discouraged tie
shark IN a short tIne. but when I threw
myself on my side Il towed ne a.
rapid rate and was badly denOralized-
1T was an excellent and safe OppOr-
t,1nlty % test the power, strength. and
towing capacity OF large nurse shark.
so I INDUCED in the sport-the exciting
pastlne OF shark-riding-un men follow
ing me with the 1lnghy: shouting IN
structions. the trend OF which was that
1 must not allow the shark 70 tow me
into deep water
The shark carried ne, possibly lo9
yards up and down. and had the crea-
ture well tired out IN that time. owing
TO the fact that Il was all IN shallow
water. L the shark could have reached
the channel 1t could easily have carried
me down
TT finally swan over a shallow sans
pit, where regained my footing and
slowly worked my .steed IN shore. with
the aid OF my men hauling II on the
beach. can recommend the
sport as lively while It lasts
There was scarcely a day in the
harbor near the Key but one or more
very large sharks were seen Or hooked"
continued Mr.. Holder IN another chapter
entitled Among the Man-Eeaters."
where he tells OF coming face 70 face
with a shark IN the water.
"One day the government schooner
came IN and Captain Dave asked ne 20
look at her bottom 20 see II she was
foul enough 10 dry-dock. The water was
clear as crystal and as I dived from
the deck and swan downward I could
see every object with remarkable dis
tinctness-
The keel anldship was reached IN q
few strokes: I grasped II with my LEFT
hand and, glancing along the hull. no
tIced that she had a growth OF wee7
that was soft and velvet-Eke 20 the
touch
As 7 poised a FEW seconds before rs
ing To the opposite side, something in-
definite. vague, and big took shape
astern.
1t came on 50 quickly. so essiIy, with
the peculiar lateral swing OF It's tail.
tllat I seemed TO meet It face 20 face,
.hough IL was below me. and I saw Il
pass so near that I could almost touch
its knife-like dorsaL It's details. ou.-
lines. fms. tail. its peculiar movement,
is colossal bulk. all seemed TO be photo
graphed upon my mind with singular
disrnctness
only q few feet It had to rise-it was
p r-aa-eat ter-the game was there, but
chs shark was a coward
Ny breathing limit was a Minutes
long time under water. an eternity when
holding the breath and watching the
slow second hand Of watch My head
and shoulders were under the keel.
"A stroke carried me beyond, and,
placing my feet against the keel. I shot
out and upward. the very bottom rising
about me, an irruption OF sand and mud,
out OF which f was hurled aboard
having been down less than three
quarters OF minute.
"Tf I had made the appointment
coulI rot have timed il better &c meet
this maneater face to face. The shars
did not see me until I moved; then,
doubtless. terrified AT the strange hiJs
object. il had swung its p0noercuS tai.
sweeping upward = Vec5ta bic sand ano
mud cyclone cloud as K snOt away and
out INTO deep water