The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-04-25


Within thirty seconds the school re-
turned and the fight began again. The
watching pearlers screamed excitedly
over the lugger's rail, while the baby
sharks grew clever and harassed In.
sunni on the off side. They chung like
leeches, eluding his knife thrusts, re.
treating and attacking with the speed
of tOrpedoes.
Breathing stertorously, he held up
an appealing hand, once, twice. A cold.
unresponsive silence followed, while
the captain Lit a cigarette.
Then, as If by a signal from the
outer deeps, the swarm of sharklets
drew off. Some one pointed to the
trowel-shaped fin moving once more to
its quarry. Many of the pearlers knew
If for one of the oldest monsters that
inhabited the great reef-passage. Doz-
ems of trepang fishers had attempted
its capture without success, but the
human bait now offered was more than
1t could resist.
There was no deviation from the
line of attack; II flashed straight I'M
der the Jap's ribs. With the strength
and fortitude of his kind the suspend
ed man thrust his left hand into the
open jaws. A second later his knife
arm was slashing at the upturned
throat.
For moment it seemed as though
the rope would break under the strain.
With lunatic strength he appeared to
be holding the shark at arms length
beneath the water. Then, with cry,
until his head dropped forward.
"Heave upw shouted the captain.
Slowly they hauled him over the
rail, and they saw that his left arm
was torn and shredded where it had
entered the gaping mouth.
The captain surveyed the hurt man
calmly. There was no trace of emo
ton in his voice as he addressed the
assembled crew.
Fear will not make him speak. The
pearl is somewhere and we may yet
find 1t. Take him below and see that
his hurts are attended to. There is an
English doctor In the town."
Late in the afternoon, when the
suns rays lay In streaks of fierce red
across the straits of Torres, dead
tiger shark drifted under the lugger's
stern, past the bobbing heads Of the
naked divers. Around 1t swarmed a
ravenous shoal Of black Dream and
yellow-tails guzzling. flashing their sill
yer s,,Ses near the wide cash under the
upturned throat.
Incidentally dory pushed Off from
tiny pier at the inlet's mouth, and
rowed slowly In the wake Of the dead
monster. A Malay diver and a Japa-
nese coolie sat at the oars.
The dead shark drifted beyond the
great oyster bank where the long sea
grass swayed and rippled in the out
going tide. Leaning from the dory the
Malay thrust boat-hook under the
sharks dorsal fin, and drew II with
much labor under the lee of a palm
sheltered promOntOry.
"Sashino's glasses cannot follow us
now" he painted. "There will be no
need to hurry with our work."
The shark was beached, and, after a
careful survey of the surrounding
scrub, the Malay drew long sheath
knife and passed his thumb gently
over the point. Then with dozen
def strokes he laid bare the huge gull
let while the Jap coOlie plunged his
fists inside.
The two men grunted ON their knees
beside the dead shark, searching and
probing with the craft of deep sea fish,
ermen. The surf rippled and screamed
over the low sand dunes as the tide re-
coded beyond the mangrove belt.
The Malay's head came up with
sudden jerk. Drawing his hand from
the barred throat of the monster. he
held 1t alOft exultantly.
A pearl of peculiar luster and orient
cleaned between his finger and thumb.
The sun rays seemed to illumine 1t
with supernatural radiance as he held
t up for the Jap's inspection.
"If a thief cares not where he puts
MS arm, comrade, there are always
good hiding-places for ten thousand
lOllar pearlp'
A chuckling sound escaped the Jap
Is he leant forward to inspect the pearl
which the desperate Insumi had thrust
INTO the monsters throat.
"Insumi was born with crease In
his palm. I saw Sashino look into his
,and before they swung him to the
'hark. could not hide bead in +,
nine II
A few days later Insumi, his left |
lrm swathed In bandages, met his two
.0nfreres at the house Of Chinese
'earl buyer near Deliverance inlet. Aft.
er much haggling and delay Insurni re-
eived $50 for his share In the deal.