THE CAPTURED SHARK
The species of shark that inhabits tropical waters is very voracious,
and will eat almost anything that has the smell or taste of food about
it. Therefore, the sailors were troubled by no fears that the bait they
were preparing would not prove tempting enough.
The cook had provided them with a huge slab of salt pork, and then the
problem arose as to what they could use as a hook. Finally, however, one
of the sailors unearthed a large iron hook, such as is used on cranes
and other hoisting machinery. The point of this was filed down until it
was sharp as a needle, and the big piece of meat was impaled on it.
"That ought to hook one of them blarsted man-hunters," remarked one
grizzled old sea dog, who was known to his companions as "Sam," and
apparently had no other name. "If that hook once gets caught in his
gizzard, we'll have him on board unless the rope breaks, won't we
mates?"
"Aye, aye. That we will," came in a gruff chorus from the bronzed and
hardy crew, and matters began to look dark for the unconscious sharks.
When the meat had been securely tied to the hook, the big crane used to
store the cargo in the hold was brought into use, and the hook made fast
to the end of the strong wire cable.
"Gee," said Tom, who had been regarding these preparations with a good
deal of interest, as indeed had everybody on deck, "I begin to see the
finish of one of those beasts, anyway. I can see where we have shark
meat hash for the rest of this voyage, if the cook ever gets hold of
him."
"Oh, they're not such bad eating, at that," said Ralph. "Why, when once
in a while one becomes stranded on the beach and the natives get hold
of him, they have a regular feast day. Everybody for miles around is
notified, and they troop to the scene of festivities by the dozen. Then
they build fires, cut up the shark, and make a bluff at cooking the meat
before they start to eat it. But you can hardly call it eating. They
fairly gorge it, and sometimes eat steadily a whole day, or at any rate
until the shark is all gone but his bones. Then they go to bed and sleep
off the results of their feed. They don't need anything else to eat for
some days."
"Heavens, I shouldn't think they would, after that," laughed Bert. "I
think if I ate a whole day without stopping it would end my worldly
career at once. Subsequent events wouldn't have much interest for me."
"Oh, well," said Dick, in a whimsical tone, "I suppose they think if
they did die, they would at least have died happy."
"And full," supplemented Bert.
"Oh, that's the same thing with them," laughed Ralph. "That's their idea
of paradise, I guess. They're always happy when they have enough to eat,
anyway."
"Well, that's the way with all of us, isn't it?" asked Dick. "You're
never very happy when you're hungry, I know that."
"But there's a shark not very far from here that's not going to be very
happy when he's eaten a square meal that we're going to provide him,"
laughed Bert, and the others agreed with him.
By this time everything was ready for the catching of at least one of
the sharks, and steam was turned into the engine operating the crane.
The machine proved to be in first-class condition, and so the baited
hook was carried to the side and slowly eased into the water. An empty
cask had previously been tied to it, however, to act as a float, and all
eyes were fastened eagerly on this. It drifted slowly away from the
ship's side, as the cable was paid out, and was checked when it had
reached a distance of perhaps a hundred and fifty feet from the vessel.
The sailors had armed themselves with axes and clubs, and waited
expectantly for the disturbance around the cask that would show when the
monster had been hooked.
For some time, however, the cask floated serenely, without even a ripple
disturbing it. Many were the disappointed grumblings heard among
passengers and crew, but the confidence of old Sam was not shaken.
"Give him time, give him time!" he exclaimed. "You don't expect him to
come up and swally the bait right on scratch, like as though he was paid
to do it, do ye? Have a little patience about ye, why don't ye? Bein'
disappointed in takin' a nip out of the lad, there, them sharks will
hang around, hoping for another chanst, never fear. Time ain't money
with them fellers."
The words were scarcely out of his mouth when the cask disappeared in a
whirl of foam, and a cheer arose from the spectators. The steel cable
whipped up out of the water, and sprang taut as a fiddle string. The big
crane groaned as the terrific strain came upon it.
"Say, but that must be a big fellow," exclaimed Bert, in an excited
voice. "Just look at that cable, will you. It takes some pull to
straighten it out like that."
But now the shark, seeming to realize that he could not get away by
pulling in one direction, suddenly ceased his efforts, and the cable
slackened. Captain Manning gave the signal to the engineer to start
winding in the cable, but hardly had the drum of the crane started to
revolve, when the shark made a great circular sweep in a line almost
parallel with the ship. The cable sang as it whipped through the water
in a great arc, and the whole ship vibrated to the terrific strain.
But the great fish was powerless against the invincible strength of
steam, and was slowly drawn to the ship as revolution after revolution
of the inexorable engine drew in the cable. Leaning breathlessly over
the side, the passengers and crew could gradually make out the shape of
the struggling, lashing monster as he was drawn up to the ship's side.
He made short dashes this way and that in a desperate effort to break
away, but all to no purpose. When he was right under the ship's side,
but still in the water, the captain ordered the engine stopped, and
requested the passengers to retire to a safe distance. Bert, Dick, and
Ralph pleaded hard to be allowed to take a hand in dispatching the
monster, but Captain Manning was inexorable, and they were forced to
withdraw from the scene of the coming struggle.
The crew grasped their weapons firmly, and as one put it, "cleared for
action."
Then the signal was given to resume hoisting the big fish aboard, and
once more the crane started winding up the cable. Slowly, writhing and
twisting, the shark was hauled up the side. He dealt the ship great
blows with his tail, any one of which would have been sufficient to kill
a man. His smooth, wet body gleamed in the sun's rays, and his wicked
jaws snapped viciously, reminding the spectators of the teeth of some
great trap. All his struggles were in vain, however, and finally, with
one great "flop" he landed on the deck.
He lashed out viciously with his powerful tail, and it would have been
an ill day for any member of the crew that inadvertently got in its
path. Needless to say, they were very careful to avoid this, and dodged
quickly in and out, dealing the monster heavy blows whenever the
opportunity offered. Slowly his struggles grew less strong, and at last
he lay quite still, with only an occasional quiver of his great carcass.
Then old Sam stepped quickly in, and delivered the "coup de grace" in
the form of a stunning blow at the base of the shark's skull.
This was the finishing blow, and soon the passengers were allowed to
gather around and inspect the dead monster. A tape-measure was produced,
and it was found that the shark was exactly twelve feet and seven inches
long.
"Why," remarked Dick, "you'd have been nothing but an appetizer to this
fellow, if he had caught you, Ralph. He sure is some shark."
"Well, I won't contradict you," said Ralph, "but I don't think this
shark was the same one that chased me. Why, it seems to me that that
fellow was nothing but teeth. That's all I remember noticing, at any
rate."
"Yes, but this rascal seems to have quite a dental outfit," said Dick.
"Just think what it must be to a shark if he starts to get a toothache
in several teeth at once. It must be awful."
"I'm certainly glad our teeth aren't quite as numerous," laughed Bert.
"Just think of having to have a set of false teeth made. A person would
have to work about all his lifetime to pay for a set like that."
"It would be fine for the dentists, though," remarked Ralph, but then he
added, "I wonder what they're going to do with this fellow, now that
they've caught him."
"Throw him overboard, I suppose," said Bert. "I don't think he's of much
use to us, seeing that we're not like the savages Ralph was telling us
about."
And that is just about what they did do. First, however, the sailors
secured a number of the shark's teeth, and these were distributed among
the passengers as souvenirs. Then the great carcass was hoisted up until
it dangled over the water, and the hook was cut out. The dead monster
struck the water with a splash, and slowly sank from view.
"Well, Ralph, now you've had your revenge, anyway," said Bert. "I don't
think there's much doubt that that was one of the pair that came so near
to ending your promising career. He looked to be about the same size as
the one that almost had you when we hauled you out."
"Oh, I guess it's the same one, all right," agreed Ralph, "and I owe
everyone a vote of thanks, I guess. I hope I never come quite so near a
violent death again. It was surely a case of nip and tuck."
The crew now set to work to clear up the mess that had been made on the
deck, and soon all mementoes of the bloody struggle were removed.
Shortly afterward the chief engineer reported that the break in the
machinery had been repaired, and it was not very long before the ship
renewed its interrupted voyage.
At the dinner table that night little else was spoken of, and Ralph was
congratulated many times on his lucky escape.
And one of the passengers voiced the general sentiment, when he said
with a smile that "he was satisfied if the ship broke down often,
provided they always had as exciting an experience as they had had
to-day."