The Ordway new era., 1916-08-04

KIN windy weather, when
>0N had made successful
Manta hunting impos-
~ sible, the morning of
WIS., April II, opened calm
Nx..L l.LW and hot.
@ To kill Manta.
which Is the scientific name for
deviltish, perfect handling of the
boat is necessary and proper crew Is
the first consideration in equipping an
expedition. In my 20 years expert
ence of fishing off the coast Of North
Carolina, l have always made up my
crew from the native market fishermen,
in preference to the guides and boat
men usually employed by sportsmen.
On this occasion, in addition to Capt.
Charlie Willis, l was fortunate In Sc
curing the services Of Capt. John Nc
Cam of Punta Gorda, Fla. beyond
question the best-known and most eff
cient fisherman on the Florida coast,
and he selected the three other men,
bers of the crew-all young men,
trained. active, and without fear. Cap
tain McCnnn also furnished the boat,
which was a small 6-fOot, open boat
with an eight-horse power gasoline en-
gine. The construction. however, of
this little boat was extra strong. or II
would have been wrecked by the terri
fic pounding it received.
The men were nearly perfect for the
positions which they were to fill, know
ing what to do no matter what condi-
tiOn might arise; therefore not much
time was required in training the crew.
On such an expedition it is necessary
for every man to move instantly when
the word is given, like part Of a per-
feet machine for l cannot turn my
head when the fight is on.
When the boat passed out through
Captive Inlet into the Gulf of Mexico,
the water was so thick that Mantn
would have had to rise to the surface
to be seen, and posted three men to
keep close watch, one on each side of
the boat, and one behind us, while
watched In front.
We had run down the full length of
the coast of Captive Island and were
about a mile off the shore of Sanibel
Island and in front of Blind Pass,
when there came, suddenly and with
out warning, a most terrific shock,
which threw the four of us who were
standing to our hands and knees for
fraction of q second. The boat, which
was running at full speed, had met the
head of Manta, rising to the surface
speed. The shock of the collision was
so great that 1t almost stopped the
headway of the boat, and its bow was
lifted more than foot out of the wa
ter but our speed carried the boat up
over the high part Of the back of the
Manta just as the two great black fins
were flung tladly into the air, almost
meeting over our heads and deluging
us with many gallons of water. Then
the two fins crashed down on the sur
face of the sea with noise that could
have been heard for miles, and the
Manta instantly repeated the perform
ance as yelled to the engineer. "Keep
her going" Just as the boat was slid
ing from the back Of the creature. an
other huge Manta rushed up from be-
low, striking full on our port bow with
sufficient force to spin the boat around
until its direction was almost reversed.
At one time all four of the great black
pectoral fins were towering above us,
and large quantities Of water were
flung into the boat. First the head and
then the stern of the boat was highest
as 1t was pitched from side to side, and
then heard the chug, chug, chug of
the racing propeller blades as they
gashed the tip of the pectoral fin of
the first Manta. The engineer kept the
engine going at full speed, but the pro-
peller blades were not catching the wa
ter now, and for short distance we
were carried upon the broad backs Of
the two monster devils of the sea.
fully realized the danger, rs did
every one Of the men with me in that
little boat, but every man filled his
place perfectly and there was no out