Year: 1874

months been enjoying himself in the most


liberal but rational manner, and is, per
haps, the happicst man in France. Good
looking, educated, rich, he has fortune at
the crest of the wave and keeps her
there 1t has just begun to leak out how
this happy youth came into his estate,
and if the facts be as stated, think you
will agree with me that never did fish.
ermans luck" better deserve to be large
ly celebrated than in his case. | do not
get the story from his own lips, though |
am slightly acquainted with him, but


from an intimate friend of his who knows
allthcs circumstances


The young man-his name is s.
c. H is native of South
Carolina, where his father had large
possessions in Colleton. $ served in
the Confederate army during the last two
years of the war, though still too young
and when the war was over settled at
Pocotaligo, poor as church mouse. His
fathers estate was nearly all gone, and
what little remained he resolved should
be religiously devoted to the needs of his
mother and sisters, who were now living
in Barnwell in very poor way. Hepro-
cured some odd jobs on the railroad, but
they soon failed him, and at last, in de-
spair, he shipped before the mast in a
trading schooner that belonged to Ma
chias, Me-, and made irregular voyages
between Boston, Beaufort, s. c., Havana
and a market. In three or four years he
got to be mate of the trader, and finally
the owners began to promise him ves-
sci of his own, one now building, if he
would purchase an interest in her to the
extent Of 81 500. His own savings
amounted to nearly half that sum already,
and he took furlough from the schooner
for the purpose Of seeing his mother and
some other friends in order to try to get
a temporary loan of the balance needed.


Money, however, was hard to get. No
one doubted the security, but they did
not have the money to spare. After sew
eral futile efforts young H was
about to give up the pursuit in despair
when his mother bethought her of COL
Jacob E, her cousin, still living
near Port Royal, and thought to be rath-
er better off than the rest Of the connec-
ton. s. Il was only very
slightly acquainted with Col. E,
but his mother insisted that he should
take letter from her to her relative, and
thus leave nothing untried in a matter
which SO intimately concerned the push
ing of his own fortunes.


When H arrived at his cousins
place on Port Royal Sound he found
that the family were not very well pre-
pared to have visitors. In fact, only two
nights before the house-an old brick
mansion-had been burned down to the
ground, and the family were now living
in couple Of tents pitched on the lawn
in front of the ruins. Col. E had
lost everything the house contained, and
was now down with an ague; his daugh-
ter was i'll with Mysteries and everything
was in confusion and disorder. In fact,
as Mrs. F. pitifully told Il,
there's actually nothing to eat in the
house-in the tent, mean" she said,
with feeble smile, "and the Colonel is
too ill to go fishing to-day"


H did not show his letter nor
mention its subject. On the contrary he
tried to make himself useful, gave Mr..
E his dose of quinine, taught Mrs.
E how to rig her tent sails in a
safer and more comfortable fashion, and
then, taking small negro boy with him,
launched the boat, hoisted sail and went
fishing for the replenishing Of poor Mrs.
E's exhausted larder. Well ac-
ouainted with the sound and its fishing
ground he soon caught quite mess of
fish, and was beating back again when
q startled cry Of the negro boy, who was
by the mast, attracted his attention. The
cause of the boys alarm was a large
shark, between ten and twelve feet long,
which SWAN directly in front Of the boat
and seemed prepared to dispute its pas
sage. The boat, as is common in those


waters, carried small harpoon attached


to . long line for the purpose Of using


upon the devil-fish frequently met there,


and the chase and capture of which is .


favorite and exciting sport of South Car


olinians. Hastily calling the boy to the
helm and giving his lugger sheet plenty
Of play, II snatched the harpoon
and line, sprang to the bow, tossed Z
large fish in the water, and, ~ the shark
turned up to seize it, drove the harpoon
into his belly with 20 true An aim and