Evening star., 1925-05-31

4
with the panga, our f1at,bottomed
small boat, and natives.
| A Panaman harpoon expert had
given me many hints how to use this
weapon, and, placing myslef in the
| bow. | was all in readiness TO strike.
should / be lucky enough to see one
of the great shapes lying motionless
on the bottom. | was just telling the
oarsman to work a little closer, when
| right ahead beneath the surface /
perceived dark outline. l could not
really make out exactly whether 1t
was a fish or not, but on the off
chance drove down the harpoon as
hard as l could
Ye gods! l was not left long in
| doubt. Whizz went the rope over the
bow of the panga, and back l was
hurled into the bottom. AS the end
of the line was reached we shot for
ward. the water curling from our
bow, for we were cutting through at
a great pace.
We're into a real one this time. .
1 said TO them when had somewhat
| recovered myself.
The only thing to do now was to
have the oars in readiness to turn
the boat as rapidly as possible in case
the fish doubled-to back water was
impossible. SO strongly and rapidly
was the fish swimming; had we done
so, the blades would probably have
snapped. There was no doubt we
were all in considerable danger. Away
out across the bay the big fish trav-
eled with undiminished speed, and
knew that if everything went in our
favor we were in for a long, stern
battle. Much, however. depended on
whether l had driven the harpoon into
a more or less vital spot.
At least an hour and half elapsed
when, totally unlike the others we had
captured, it appeared to be coming to-
ward the surface. Up came the big
shape. 1t had quite stopped going
ahead. Now the oars were got out,
for there was more than a possibility
of trouble. Our safest place was as
far away as the end of the line would
allow.
In a fury of rage it commenced to
thrash the water both with it's tail
and fiukes. Immediately afterward l
witnessed exactly how the saw was
used. With immense force it struck
alternately to right and left with
rapid slashing motion, when, turning
slightly sideways, it drove up and
down in the same manner. Then,
curving the tail and saw toward each
other, so that the body was shaped
like a bow, it snapped straight out
with tremendous force. Had our boat
been within striking distance, one
blow from the tail or saw would have
spelt disaster.
l had my rife with me and, taking
snapshot aim, fire twice. The suck of
the bullet as it found its mark, fol-
lowed by the frightful ingurgitation,
was eloquent testimony that 1 had not
missed.
Down the big fish drove, but the
water in Panama Bay is not particu-
larly deep anywhere, so we had no
fear of the end of the line being
reached. 1t remained beneath for only
a few minutes, when it again came
to the surface, bursting the water in
every direction.
Again I fired, and struck a vital
spot. After this last shot it's move
ments became perceptibly feebler,
while there was a tell-tale and ever
widening circle of red.
When at last, with the aid of the
yacht, we had succeeded in hauling
the great weight in to shallow water,
the outgoing tide disclosed a mon-
Strous bulk.
1t proved to be, up to now, the
mightiest fish I had ever caught 1t
was 30 feet in length by 10 feet in
circumference, and weighed 4,500
pounds.
SEVERAL times l had been asked
~ to explore the Chepo and Bayano
River. in the country of Panama. 1t
was reported that one tributary of
this stream held enormous crocodiles.
At length we undertook this expedi-
ton.
Pushing up the river as far as we
could in the yacht, we took to the
dinghy and started our hunt for the
crocodiles. At one point we came
upon nine-but all disappeared on our
approach. One of these / later got
with my rife from the deck of the
yacht.
On a following day, as we drifted
down in the dinghy, l noticed two or
three of the big reptiles had crept up
the slopes. and were lying asleep, al
most covered by the dense bush on
the top.
Standing up, I sighted as well as I
could and fired. At once with a loud
crashing of underground, several shot
over the edge, and with terrific
plunges smashed into the water. but
the one I had aimed at remained quite
motionless.
BY Jove!' I exclaimed, I've killed
him stone dead
We crossed over, and, crawling up
the side with difficulty, cautiously ap-
preached the inert form. There is no
doubt 1 should have given it another
bullet to make sure-we were practi-
cally up against 1t when it galvanized
into life. We leaped Backward had
no time to plug 1t again, and doubt
whether, If il had attacked we should
have been able to save ourselves from
the onslaught. Fortunately it didn't.
With a rush it went over the edge
crash into the water below-my bullet
had evidently only stunned it.
We were much shaken by this Incl
dent, for there are no more evil-look-
ing brutes in this world than croco-
diles or alligators, and to see this 20
footer suddenly come to life when we
were almost on top of it was enough
to spring anybody's nerves.
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