Evening star., 1925-05-31

l have met many people in my life
who have told me they have never
known what fear meant and were
afraid of nothing. / wished then thai
/ were like them, for l have certainly
known fear. | think l am really a
timid man, and rather believe at times
/ have been downright cowardly; but
certain it is that l can ina gine nc
more horrible death than being seized
carried beneath the water, and subse
quently devoured by one of these filthy
reptiles. OF the two, L really fancy
prefer the shark.
We did no more shooting that day
Before the sun sucked up the va
pors next morning, heavy miasmic
mist, like the steam OF a Turkish bath
covered everything. In the gray OF
the morning all things are gray. and
there was very little difference be.
tween the atmosphere and our own
feelings. However, after some good
hot coffee and a substantial breakfast
we felt better. determined TO have an.
other days hunting, and decided to
row up to where we had seen no less
than 10 crocodiles the afternoon be
fore.
JUST before we reached the place We
came upon a low-lying bank on
which lay big crocodile. Up till
then IL had not seen us, but Just as |
was about to pull on it. off it moved
l let fly. but did not see where the
bullet struck, though l knew from the
surge of water and sma shing of its
tail / had found my mark. AS we
rowed forward TO look for it, we were
all three nearly shot out of the boat
Right beneath us the crocodile
which had only been wounded. rose,
at the same time lashing with it's tail
flooding US with water-then came al
us with mouth wide open.
Its dripping jaws were within a foot
of Lady Brown, who was sittingtin the
stern. The enraged brute, 1 thought,
must surely seize her, and overturn
US. II
/ could not fire-she was almost
dead in line. And with the rocking
OF the boat it would have been mad.
ness to risk it.
With remarkable presence of mind
without hesitating a second df she had
1t would certainly have meant death
for herr, she whipped the automatic
from her belt. and fired three times
into the gaping horrible mouth. AS il
swirled away from the shock, snap
ped it with my rife and knew by the
thud that / had got home. Lady
Brown was as white as a sheet, and
was shaking as If with ague.
by Jove" l said, that's the near,
est thing I've ever seen! If you hadn't
used your automatic, nothing could
have saved you
The body had sunk out of sight. and
try as we could we were unable to re
cover 1t. We were much too unstruns
ln raf ,nd L.
Cara.
That afternoon, from the security OF
the deck, we killed no less than five
and the next day ran up to where the
Mamoni River joins the Bayano. We
got about eight this time, and were
returning when, floating upstream we
saw strange sight-a dead crocodile
with nine vultures perched on it.
i wonder If that's the brute that
attacked us?' l said.
Driving off the filthy passengers. we
got hold Of it by the tail and pulled il
to the shore. Sure enough, 1t was the
very one, for on prying open it's
jaws inside were the marks that were
clear evidence of Lady Browns auto
matte.
Returning to the fishing grounds.
we had an unusual run of luck Or
single day our total bag was six
teen sand sharks and one tiger shark.
the latter II feet inches in length
and weighing 1870 pounds. The total
weight of the whole II was 6,49C
pounds, and the New York newspa
pers, believe, considered this q
worlds record capture in one day or
the line. As a result of the new.
dispatches recording this exploit, l
had many letters from various parts
of the United States, England and
Canada inquiring about the fishing
off Panama.
WE now had come to the end OF
our sojourn in these waters
But | should like to catch a rea
whale of fish" I said, ION this ouI
last effort
We're going to-" responded Lady
Brown.
A feeling of expectancy gripped me
| watched the lines set out from the
yacht carefully.
Here's the big fish, she called out
Sure enough, the starboard line wa,
slowly running out. So certain did
feel that this was indeed the fish o
my life that l shouted to Robbie ant
the boy to haul in my other line, tax
ing no chances of an ENHANCEMENT
With enormous force the line was
stretched out.
Heavens! You're right-it's ter
rificr I cried.
I had forgotten all about our an
chor, but 1t did not matter much. Th,
yacht rode ahead. tearing it, up as 1
it did not exist. Now the Cara wa:
being towed by real monster Clos,
in to the rocky point of Taboguills
we passed--too close to please me, a
l was afraid the line might foul th'
sunken rocks, and oh. how l wante,
to land that fish! 1t seemed reluctant
| however, to leave Panama Bay, turn
| ing slightly, and heading for the mail
| channel that runs in past Flamenco.
! For about two miles 1t Travelled IL