Evening star., 1925-05-24
BY F. A. MITCHELL HEDGES,
r. l.. S., +. z. S., F. X. G.. s., r. r.


~ NE dreadful moment which
shall always remember served
at least TO prove far better
~ than theory the immine nj
danger of standing or remain.
ing motionless in seas infested by
sharks.
From Taboga we had proceeded
across a section of Panama Bay to the
Island of Melones, where we dropped
anchor just off the little sandy beach.
Mr.. De Ossa Of Panama City, Lady
Brown, Mr.. Typaldos, manager of a
newspaper, and / constituted the
even for the tropics, and although we
tished for some time here. our efforts
were rewarded only with one sand
shark weighing about 240 pounds.
Ever since our arrival the tide had
been ebbing rapidly. and was now al
most at low water. knowing Lady
Brown was very keen on collecting
shells, Mr.. TypaldoS, who shared in
the same tastes, went ashore with her
in the dinghy, leaving De Ossa and me
on the yacht to continue our fishing.
The surface of the water was entirely
undisturbed-not even school of
friendly porpoiseS TO break the mo-
Dotony.
l must confess the heat and en-
vironment out here were not conducive
TO energy, so we both placidly lolled
under the white awning of the yacht.
peacefully smoking, while the lines
remained motionless in the water. We
could see Lady Brown and Typaldos
proWlinS about, every now and again
STOPPING to pick up something. l
rather think we were envious of their
energy.
We had anchored only about 40
yards of Shore-altogether | suppose
we must have been about a hundred
yards away. Lady Brown was stand
ing quite still in about nine inches of
water, bending down with her back to
the sea, evidently examining some
thing on the bottom, when to our
amaZement and horror we saw a big
black lin making straight toward her.
Right inshore it travelled, and it was
easy to see her bare legs were the
attraction.
Great Heavens" l cried TO De Ossa.
its going to attack her.''
Right up on the sand ii swan. al
most wriggling, while she remained to-
tally oblivious of her danger. stimuli
taneously we roared with the utmost
strength of our lungs:
Don't move. Look behind you-for
Heavens sake don't step back
x
THE fear in our voices travelling
across the water made her realize
she was in mortal danger. With
wonderful presence of mind, without
moving her body an inch, she turned
her head.
The entire dorsal fin and back of
the big fish was out of the water, its
waiting mouth could not have been
more than three feet from where she
was standing.
Had she made one step backward
the consequences would have been too
awful to contemplate. The horror of
it would have remained with US all
our lives. De Ossa and l were actu-
ally sweating in an agony of fear.
l think this was the most awful
position l have ever been into see
another human being at the very jaws
of death, and, owing to the distance.
being utterly unable to do anything to
prevent a terrible catastrophe.
1t is impossible to describe how our
pent-up feelings were relieved when
we saw her, calmly and steadily ad-
vance on to the dry beach.
Having reached terra firma, she
turned around. The brute took not the
slightest notice, being wholly devoid
of fear. Typaldos had run UP on hear
ing our shouts. He snatched up a
damnable creature. Almost disdain-
fully it retreated from the shore, its
dorsal fin remaining above the surface.
DE Ossa," said, I'm going to get
that fish
I'm with you he replied
Taking one of our largest hooks and
lines, we baited it with a huge lump
of the sand-Shark we had caught. AS
far as this fish was concerned, we all
fn1f I'D;
was given, and as quickly as we could
finish off the job we brought it to the
beach.
Before once more going after the
giants we made up our minds to see
what fishing with our heaviest rods
would yield in the passage between
Urava and Taboga.
Come on I said to Lady Brown
as I got from the anchored yacht into
the dinghy. She did not require much
persuasion to join me. While 1 sat
facing the stern, pulling, she sat look
ing toward me, turned partly side
wise. with the rod pointing behind
her.
Time went on and there was no sign
of bite. She was becoming tired of
holding the heavy rod, the line of
which we had baited with a piece of a
large red snapper 1 had caught.
II have had Ell" She was going
TO say enough but never finished the
word. A look almost of horror came
over her face-the point of her rod
bent over. and if she had not been
gripping it with both hands it would
undoubtedly have been torn from her.
It's almost wrenching my shoulder
out.' she gasped; but 1 could render
no assistance, for any violent move
ment in our tiny craft would have re-
suited in our turning turtle.
Slide into the bottom" l said, and
kneel down facing astern."
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