The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-01-27
(Continued From Yesterday

threw over one of these, also one
of the long bamboo poles, and the
end of a net. The bamboo with 9
white flag on top floated nearly
upright. AS the boat drifted to
leeward, the negroes paved out
the head and foot-ropes of the
huge net. 1t looked strong enough
to hold a fair-sized whale. AT the
end of it, they pitched another
marker overheard, with anothe,
anchor and a long rope.
They then proceeded to cast an.
other net. Beaded with perspira.
ton, toiling under that cooking
glare, they labored. Their faces
shone; the boat rocked slowly; the
engine purred away to itself; and
far to westward | could see other
shark-boats, each busily casting
nets.
Zone mo- net, sab, an den we
goes to haulin'," the captain ex-
planned. eve sets tree an hauls
tree a day. Keeps six out all de
time. Somepin' doin' now afo'
long now, sab, TO- you to git a
pitcher Off
Battling Sea-Tigers
Something doing indeed there
was, and right away! As soon as
the crew had put out their third
net, they ran down to flag of a
net that had been set for some
time. There they pulled up pole
and anchor, and began hauling the
net. Seaweed and pieces of coral
now or then appeared. Nightly
the fishermen labored, with bunch
ing muscles beneath the velvety
skin. As they pulled, the boat
heavily progressed along the net
They took it in as it came, heap
ing it all wet and sometimes tan
gled, on one of the wide seats.
Presently the haul grew sitter.
"Yere's Mr.. Shark a-comin',
now" the captain assured me, with
a grin, as he tied the net near the
bow. "Git yo' machine ready,
boss, eff yo' wants to git pitch
erw
With a good deal of a "kick''
/ watched the shark appear
huge gray shape that came welter-
ing up out of the depths, in whirl-
ing confusion. Our engineer made
the net fast at the stern. Every
time shark is hauled up, the men
always tie the net fore and aft.
The big gray shape resolved itself
into the likeness of monster fish,
amazingly tangled in meshes of the
net. He had completely wound
himself up till he was practically
helpless, and yet even so he put
up a terrific battle. Had he been
free, no three men could ever have
landed him.
What turmoil, what fight!
Mr.. Shark does not yield his life
without a furious struggle. When
first caught, he sometimes almost
tears the net apart. raising the
heavily-weighted foot-line and pull.
ing the cork or cypress buoys far
below the surface. All this, how
ever, only in the end exhausts him;
only catches him the more secure
ly, as the meshea slip into his gills
and restrict his breathing. Some
times the sharks are even dead
when hauled ap--drowned by their
frenzied efforts to escape.
As this first shark Ia big six
teen-footer) reached the surface,
hauled up by six powerful arms,
he grew spasmodic with rage. If
there ever was devil of the sea,
that devil is a big man-eating
shark. The horrid grin of those
immense sharp-toothed jaws, the
cold malice of those tiny greenish
eyes, cannot be described. They
must be seen to be understood.
Natures one perfect killing-ma-
chine. the tiger of the sea-that is
the shark!
Hold him. dere! Hold himr'
shouted the captain, reeking with
sweat. as the shark came up,
Tangling himself over and over in
the net, whipping the sea to froth,
the monster drew near the gun
vale. While the crew braced their
feet and hauled with bullying
muscles, the captain grabbed q
heavy iron bar.
Whack! Whackl Whacki
Three times Mr.. Shark got IL on
the nose. with every ounce of the
grunting fisherman's immense
strength. That Quoted the mon
ster a little. Blood tinged the
lovely azure waves. Then the
captain snatched q big iron hook
and tried to jam II into the sharks
terrible jaw. After q few failures
taking mighty good care not ia
get a hand near those terrible.
razor-edged teeth--he rammed the
hook home.
''Dere she il. now boysi Hist
awayw
With block.and-taekle. from the
derriek-hoom, they hauled the
shark up out Of the sea. net and
all coming along. too. The boat
listed sharply as this heavy weight
sagged upon il. "Hahr' the men