The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-21

r TIE believed not in the futity 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 with his
weapon always ready, always unsheathed and its
immense strength and deadly sharpness warranted his
faith in his ability to prove himself upon all Grants
trespassers.
He was what the fishermen termed "soadhsh," or,
properly speaking sword6sh, giant of the mackerel
tribe His weapon four feet long, four inches wide
At the ti or where joined his head, and it tapered
e,actlv like an armed warriors blade, like the mailed
fighters weapon of the land The point not quite
as sharp as that of the steeclad human fighters but it
was very tough and keen enough to penetrate anything
Of flesh and blood with the greatest of ease. He could
drive it four feet deep into the belly Of whale without
exertng half his strength and made CHASTITY wound
With his six hundred pounds of flesh and bone behind
it. flying through the the rate of twenty miles
an hour he could drive that sword through ships
bottom-through four-nch plank The fat blade had
sharp edges and he could strike sideways a terrific,
ehoppng bl6w which would put smaller denzen 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 more into the deep ocean bed a
few miles to the southwark of the Hatteras Shoals.
Nine miles below the Diamond Shoals ightship the
sandy bottom sinks quickly to thousand fathoms
more and below in the bed of the Atlantic the mighty
wall is swept by the tepd waters of the Gulf or Florida
Stream.
At the beginning of summer the swordish came in
toward the land as was his custom. He fighter,
follower of unending strife, knight who knew no
surfet Of battle as long he had strength to follow
and strike his foe The wounds he inflicted he took
at all into consideration and often wanony struck and
slased franticay peaceable school of fish for the
pure love of the slaughter.
The first denizen of the deep water who claimed his
attention giant ray, sea-devl. This monster,
weighing full ton and measuring fully fifteen
feet the tips of his wings hukes sliding
along the edge of the shoal heading from the south
ward, where he had spent the cold weather The quiet
much to his liking and he sought the sunshine
Of the surface. It warmed him and he flung his whole
immense bulk skyward, preaching clear and falling back
into the water with like small cannon as his
fiat hukes struck solid upon the surface. The joy of
life was in him.
Out upon the smooth lay the Knight of the Bank
basking in the bright sunshine. The sudden smash of
the great body falling into the water attracted his ate
ton. 1t seemed like challenge. He gave quick
swing his shar<-like tail and in a his high
dorsal fin thin and sharp and curved backward, was
cutting the water like knife shearing its way toward
the intruder.
The sea-dev monstrous, fearless noticed form ap-
preaching In instant it took the shape of long,
thin object with long, pointed weapon held before and
rs he swung it, he opened his huge jaws for
savage bite, for he knew that he
attack which would be slight fracas no small scri,-
mage and breakaway
The Knight of the Shoal took in the immense bulk
and put on more power. He had found foe of no
mean proportions Here was runaway, panic stricken
fish. unable to defend ITSELF but mighty antagonist
who would give him something to do. He saw the
giant mouth opening before him, and he did he
swung downward gracefully, swerving into circle with
IN of twenty fathoms and as he reached the
lowermost curve of the dive he sped up to mighty
rush and darling toward the surface like pro-
jectc the dark bulk of the sea-dev almost directly
above Quick thought the devil slowed and started
for the sand below, but quicker yet the swordfsh
With furious rush he drove the sword through the
sea-devi, the point coming full three feet in his
back, but the monster had swung enough to avoid
stroke upon vital part and the blade pierced only the
thick, solid Of flesh of his side Auke. His blood