The Washington herald., 1908-05-10

shariss, when they get a truth-telling
man in the water. rather than eat him,
viii always play tricks on him, and then
let him go home to tell the tale. This
fact has often been remarked from the
Laccadives to Cape Coromandel, from
Port Said to Port Morris. from Singapore
to Kittatinny. and from the Llmpopo to
Ungava Only to-day. here is another in
stance of it brought to light If the sew
enteen sharks, each seventeen feet long.
that followed the good ship Lawhill 1900
miles did not eat Jake Muller, why didn't
| they?
Not because the pattern on the patch
Of his trousers was not delectable. Not
because the honest mariners toenails were
| hooked and long. the way they often are
at sea, because Muller disliked exaggera-
/ ton in everything and was accustomed
/ TO see that toenails didn't grow too long.
says the New York Sun. Not because he
was under weight. nay, nayi nor because
there were pins in his clothing. nor be-
cause Of anything Objectionable about
him. It was just another case Of letting
truth-telling seaman go. so that he
might astonish his mates and the world
with a genuine account OF the strange
| pranks sharks can play.
/ As she was sailing along to make st.
| Helena, bound from Hongkong and the
| China Sea with cargo of monkeys, silks,
and ginger, the fancy took Capt. Jarvin
TO furl the flying jib. Now, this was a
thing that the seamen all hated to do.
for the seventeen sharks. all seventeen
feet long who had followed the ship
1900 miles through breeze and tempest
and calm, would slide forward every time
any one started out on the bowsprit and
look up al him invitingly.
Calls Up Hands.
So when stout Capt. Jarvin called up all
hands to furl the flying jb, said he. the
merc'rys falling, gales a-coming, that's
no hb, the sailormen they hung back
mutteriRg. making many Jeer and squib
for they feared all along that they would
have to go out and furl that sail before
the end of the voyage, and they didn't
like to do 1t.
But one volunteer stepped forward, and
Of course, il was Dutch Jacob Muller
you want dot yib took in, boss2 Why,
I'm the man will Gull 'eT alone, NIT
! seventeen sharks against. I'll bring her
back inside the hull. Or And failing
to find any more suitable words 10 finish
up with. Jacob swarmed out on the bow
spirit. while the sharks swarmed out down
underneath him, just about where he was
likely 10 fail.
|
Jake Muller, pale, cries, ''Drat me, can't
hold on 10 dis dem rope; de sharks is
! looking at me. The sailors, Mortified
then saw Jake's well-fed anatomy droI
like bali into the sea- a large splash
marking the spot where he fell.
There was much stir on deck. but 1t wai
nothing to the stir down in the water
/ Life-preservers were thrown over, only e
be promptly eaten up by the sharks, whC
did not mean TO have their fun interferec
with in that way. Upstairs Capt. Jaryir
ordered the helmsman to lay her TO and
to lower away the gig, in case they might
pick up anything Of Jake Muller thai
seemed worth saving.
PuIIs on His Clothes.
Give way, give way I see him yetl'
the excited Capt. Jarvin roars. Give
way. my lads. Oh. hurry UP. they arr
pulling on his drawrs," The wiIling
sailors cried Aye, aye" but-what dc
you think?-the sharks bit of the oars
The Tascsls swan right up and bit them
of right at the rowlocks; and very fool
ish the sailors looked. you may be sure
giving way with just the handles Of theli
oars.
The captain, through bis speaking tube
yells: Muller. are you hurt? You see
he was standing up In the stern and could
see the unfortunate seaman somewhere
between a biscuits throw and a cables
length away, kicking tremendously Their
answered that Dutch seaman bold: "Oh
Cap, the've done me dirt They amt bi
me yet. But they've pulled of all my
clothes and tied a knot into my shirt
| They had bitten of the buttons from hi.
jacket, shirt, and pantaIoOns, also, and
| now that they had him at their mercy
they were spanking him with their tails
II was an awkward quarter OF an hour
for Muller.
As for the sharks, they never let ur
until they had given the veracious sea.
man the scare of mis- life. They got back
aboard With him, somehow. He is IN
port mere now anu Wiling 10 tell any
one all about II. ''No more flying jibs fol
me-. says Jake. Those sharks Civ mt
a beatin and a scarin' and a twistin' III
such as you bet l wouldn't be repeatin'
In fact, the way they acted scared ms
more than being eaten"
In proof Of the story the seaman viii
roll up his trousers for you that you may
see that the seventeen seventeen-foof
/ sharks 7fd not EO r1uch or vno1ra n cfp.Iy
pass at his legS.