Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-11-29

About Eve yards from me shadow
appeared and sank to the ground. The
disquieting idea Of sharks shot through
my mind, but was mistaken. and
once again It was not a monster Of the
ocean that We had anything to do
with.
It was a man, a living man. an In
dian, fisherman, poor devil who, !
suppose, had come to CLEAN before the
harvest. could see the bottom Of his
head. He dived and went up success
Sively. A stone held between his feet.
cut In the shape Of sugar loaf, while
q rope fastened him to his boat, helped
him to descend more rapidly. This
was all his apparatus. Reaching the
bottom about five yards deep, he went
on his knees and filled his bag with
oysters picked up at random. Then
he went up, emptied it, pulled up his
stone and began the operation once
more. which lasted thirty seconds.
The diver did not see US. The shad.
ow Of the rock hid Us from sight. And
how should this poor Indian ever
dream that men, beings like himself.
should be there under the water watch
ing bis movements and losing no detail
Of the fishing? Several times be went
up In this way and dived again. He
did not carry away more than ten at
each plunge for he was obliged to
pull them from the bank to which
they adhered by means Of their strong
byssus And how many Of those oys-
tiers for which he risked his life had
NO pearl In them! l watched him
closely. His maneuvers were regular
and for the space Of half All hour no
danger appeared to threaten him.
I was beginning to accustom myself
to the sight Of this interesting fishing
when suddenly, as the Indian was on
the ground, l saw him ma Ike gesture
Of terror, rise and make spring to re.
turn to the surface Of the sea.
understood his dread. A gigantic
shadow appeared just above the IN
fortunate diver. 1t was q shark OF
enormous size advancing diagonally,
his eyes on fire and his jaws open. ]
was mute with horror and unable to
move.
The voracious creature shot toward
the Indian. who threw himself on one
side in order to avoid the sharks fms.
but not ito tail, for It struck his chest
and stretched him on the ground.
This scene lasted but few seconds
The shark returned and, turning on bis
back, prepared himself for cutting the
Indian In two, when l saw Captain
Memo rise suddenly and then. dagger
in hand, walk straight to the monster.
ready to fight face to face with him.
The very moment the shark was going
to snap the unhappy fisherman in two
he perceived bis new adversary and,
turning over. made straight toward
him
can still see Captain Nemo's position
Holding himself we'll together. he wait
ed for the shark with admirable cool
ness, and. when It rushed at him.
threw himself on one side with won.
derful quickness. avoiding the shock
and burying his dagger deep into its
oAuC' ouI ~ "dS uOt uli over. "A Ter.
rible combat ensued.
The shark had seemed to roar, If ]
might say so. The blood rushed in
torrents from its wound. The sea was
dyed red, and through the opaque
liquid could distinguish nothing more
nothing more until the moment when
like lightning. ! saw the undaunted
captain hanging on to one Of the crea.
lures fms. struggling. as 1t were, hand
to hand with the monster and dealing
successive blows at his enemy. YET
still unable to give decisive one.
The sharks struggles agitated the
water with such fury that the rocking
threatened to upset me.
! wanted to 60 to the captains as
lance; but, nailed to the spot with
ror, l could not stir.
saw the haggard eye: l saw the
ierent phases Of the fight The cap
>Ain fell to the earth. upset by the