The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-09-04

T TE believed not in the futility of this worldly
existence nor in its troubles For him the life
was justified by immediate results and as for
trouble, he sought it at all points His two fathoms
of muscular length slid through the sea with his
weapon always ready, always unshcathed, and its
immense strength and deadly sharpness warranted his
faith in his ability to prove himself upon all Grants or
trcspassers.
He was what the fishermen termed soadhsh," or,
properly speaking, swordhsh, giant of the mackcrcl
tribe His weapon four feet long, four inches wide
at the hi or where joined his head and it tapcTed
exactly like armed warriors blade like the mailed
fighters weapon of the land The point not quite
as sharp that of the secl-cad human fighters but
was very tough and keen enough penetrate anything
OF flesh and blood with the greatest of He could
drive it four feet deep into the belly of whale without
excrtng half his strength and it made ghaty wound
With his six hundred pounds of flesh and bone behind
it. fyng through the water at the of twenty miles
an hour he could drive that sword through ships
bottom-hrough four-inch plank. The fiat blade had
sharp edges, and he could strike sideways terrific.
chopping blow which would put smaller denizcn of the
sea beyond the cares of self-support.
He always came upon the coast at the beginning of
spring. striking in along the land where the colossal wall
falls sheer mile or moro into the deep bed
few miles to the southwark of the Hatteras Shoals.
sandy bottom sinks quickly to thousand fathoms
more and below in the bed of the Atlantic the mighty
wall is swept by the tepid waters OF tho Gulf Florida
Stream.
At the beginning of summer the swordhsh in
toward the land as was his custom. He fighter,
a follower of uncnding strife, knight who knew
surfct OF battle as long he had strength to follow
and strike his foe The wounds he inflicted he took not
at all into consideration and often wanony struck and
sashed franticay into peaccable school of sh for the
pure love of the slaughter.
The first dcnizen of the deep who claimed his
attention was giant ray, or sea-dcvil This monster,
weighing full ton and measuring fully fifteen
feet across the tips of his wings ukcs came sliding
along the edge Of the shoal heading from the south
ward where he had spent the cold weather The quiet
sea was much his liking and he sought the sunshine
of the surface 1t warmed him and he flung his whole
immense bulk slyward preaching clear and falling back
into the water with like small cannon as his
fat Aukcs struck solid upon the surface The JOY Of
life was in him
Out upon the smooth sea lay the Knight of the Ban;
basking in the bright sunshine The sudden smash of
tho great body falling into the water attracted his atten
ton 1t seemed like challenge lie gave quick
swing TO his sharl<-lke tail and in moment his high
dorsal FIN thin and sharp and curved backward.
cutting the water like knife, shearng its way toward
the intruder,
The sea-deyil. monstrous fearless, noticed form sp-
preaching In an instant II took the shape OF long,
thin object with long pointed weapon held before and
as he swung to meet it, he opened his huge Jaws Tor
savage bite for he knew at that he to meet al
attack which would be no slight fracas, small scrm-
mage and a breakaway
The Knight OF the Shoa took in tho immense bulk
and put on more power. He had found Zoe OF 10
mean proportions Here was runaway, panc-stricken
fish, unable to defend itself but mighty antagonist
who would give him something to do lie saw the
giant mouth opening before him. and as he did so he
swung downward gracefully swerving into circle with
an arc Of some twenty athoms and as he reached the
lowermost curve OF the dive he sped up to mighty
rush and came darting toward the surface Ike pro-
lectic the dark bulk OF the sea-dev almost directly
above Quick as though, the devil slowed and started
for the sand below but quicker yet came the swordish
With furious rush he drove the sword through the
seadevil the point coming out full three feet in h
back. but the monster had swung enough TO a'o'
stroke Upon vital part and the blade pierced only th
thick solid mass OF flesh OF his side anke His bloo(
dyed the sea and streamed away ike jet OF smoke
from the wound as they both now tore along side b
side. 1t was bad stroke for the knight Tor he n@